THQ Announces SpongeBob SquarePants: Underpants Slam!™, Along With Additional New Titles, in Company’s Xbox LIVE® Arcade Line-Up

New SpongeBob Game Will Mark THQ and Nickelodeon’s Debut on Xbox LIVE Arcade

AGOURA HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) today announced that SpongeBob SquarePants: Underpants Slam!™ will be one of the first titles in the company’s portfolio of games developed specifically for Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and is expected to release in November. SpongeBob SquarePants: Underpants Slam!, based on Nickelodeon’s hit animated series, will mark the network’s debut on the Xbox LIVE Arcade. In November, THQ also expects to launch Screwjumper™, a new original title, in the company’s portfolio of Xbox LIVE Arcade for Xbox 360 games. These titles will be followed by new original titles Elements of Destruction™ and Rocket Riot™. The games will all be available for download via the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.

“We view Xbox LIVE Arcade for Xbox 360 as a natural fit for many of our established casual brands, as well as an opportunity to serve up new gaming content,” said Bob Aniello, senior vice president of worldwide marketing, THQ. “With more than 20 million units of SpongeBob video games shipped worldwide to-date, we’re so excited to bring casual gamers SpongeBob SquarePants: Underpants Slam! on the Xbox LIVE Arcade for Xbox 360, and we look forward to rolling out more titles with a slate of games that offer a variety of options via the popular Arcade network.”

“We’re excited to add one of our hottest properties to the Xbox LIVE Arcade line up of games,” said Steve Youngwood, executive vice president of digital media, Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group. “SpongeBob has been a top kids’ video game franchise worldwide, making it the perfect property for Nickelodeon and THQ to bring to this downloadable platform.”

For more information about SpongeBob SquarePants: Underpants Slam! and the rest of THQ’s Xbox LIVE Arcade portfolio, please visit www.thq.com.

About SpongeBob SquarePants: Underpants Slam!

In SpongeBob SquarePants: Underpants Slam!, players will collect Lord of the Sea Neptune’s underpants that have been spread across the sea bottom by a powerful storm current. The game features key locations from the series such as the Krusty Krab, the Flying Dutchman’s ship and the depths of the new Treasure Room of Atlantis, where players will search for the bronze, silver and gold medallions. Game modes include single-player Quest and Time Trial Modes, as well as multiplayer Slam and Tag Modes. Players will gain special powers from pick-ups that allow movement at super speed, invincibility or the ability to steal pants from other players. SpongeBob SquarePants: Underpants Slam! also features slapstick moves that knock down and slow opponents.

About SpongeBob SquarePants Animated Series

Launched in July 1999, SpongeBob SquarePants has since emerged as a pop culture phenomenon and one of the most popular series in kids’ television history. The series is the number-one animated program with Kids 2-11 for six consecutive years, and the Saturday morning play of the series currently ranks as the top-rated program among Kids 2-11. The most widely distributed property in MTV Networks’ history, SpongeBob SquarePants is syndicated in 171 markets in 25 languages. SpongeBob SquarePants is among the top-rated kids’ shows, across broadcast and cable, in every major television market around the world.

News-Source: teamxbox