With the successful launch of Nintendo's Wii, which is targeting a much broader demographics with its $200 million launch marketing campaign, Nickelodeon has come aboard the next generation launch from day one through its game partner THQ. Titles like Barnyard, SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab, and Avatar: The Last Airbender are currently lining store shelves for Wii.

This marks a first for the company, which won't release Xbox 360 games based on its popular kids' TV and movie properties until 2007. Traditionally, any new hardware launch requires a year or two for the hardware manufacturers to switch gears from the hardcore gamers who drive the launch to the mainstream consumers who keep the system generating revenue for the long haul.

"Wii allows us to be a leader creatively in the gaming space, which is a significant area of our focus in offering content to both kids and families," said Paul Jelinek, vice president, Digital Media Products, Nickelodeon. "They're a perfect partner for us because they share our creative enthusiasm for innovation."

Jelinek said one of Nickelodeon's core strategies is ubiquitous distribution. The Hollywood studio is trying to offer Nickelodeon products to gamers wherever they are, whether it's console or portable or playing games online.

"We're looking forward to publishing game products for Xbox 360 with THQ," said Jelinek. "The more successful they are in penetrating the market, the more the audience will skew younger. We'll be there when there's a market opportunity."

While there aren't any Nickelodeon games on Xbox 360, there are Nickelodeon TV shows coming to Marketplace beginning November 22, including SpongeBob SquarePants.

"Xbox Live video programming is something that we've been very active in the online space," said Jelinek. "We have partners with AOL, Amazon, Google, iTunes and now Xbox Live Marketplace, which is a natural extension of those initiatives. But we're targeting an 18-plus demographic for now. If Microsoft sees their users skew younger, we'll offer additional video offerings that appeal to that. Our first offerings were aimed at the 18 and older or family audience, versus the 9 or 10 year-olds."

Jelinek said Nickelodeon is in discussions with Sony and other partners about offering similar programming to PlayStation Network in the future, once Sony opens up digital distribution channels for the Hollywood studios.

"All of these game consoles are trying to offer a broad set of programming services for families in the home," said Jelinek. "We have many different touch points where we can super serve their audience, whether its kids, tweens, teens or parents. We have different brands and different shows that can serve these audiences. Whether its video or games, we're in discussions with all of the game companies to play games on consoles or purchasing our video programming. Xbox 360 is a great example, but it's not the last one we'll work with."

When asked when Nickelodeon games might make their way to PS3, Jelinek said that
while the initial run is aimed at more for the hardcore gamer, over time, he thinks PS3 will appeal to a broad set of demographics, which will enable Nickelodeon to offer its gaming content for that system.

Portable gaming will also be a bigger part of Nickelodeon's plans beginning next year, allowing consumers to take these popular brands on the go.

"We plan on launching new products next year for the handheld space that will allow us to engage our users in a different way," said Jelinek.

The reason that Nickelodeon is so active in the videogame space is that there's a huge overlap between the kids and parents who watch the shows and engage in the online site, and those who play videogames.

"I imagine there is a substantial penetration rate of these kids 2 to 14 years of age that have game consoles," said Jelinek, who added that through co-viewing, the network also attracts a lot of parents.

That's enabled Nickelodeon and THQ to partner in new ways. The 2007 CGI TV series, Tak and the Power of JuJu, is based on the best-selling videogame franchise from THQ. With the launch of the new show, THQ is expected to bring new adventures to gaming consoles featuring these colorful characters.

"It's great that Tak and the Power of JuJu has gone from game to TV show," said Jelinek. "We're constantly talking to THQ to look at the game market and to see if there are other IPs out there that we can leverage into a great game experience and then work with the TV folks. You have to have a good creative concept. You have to have the gameplay first before you can turn it into a TV show."

Nickelodeon has also taken hit film properties, like Jimmy Neutron, and spun them off into a TV show and a videogame franchise.

"There are numerous different ways for us to develop products or creative content offerings that don't start off as TV, but can migrate there because that's where we have the most viewers," said Jelinek.