Nickelodeon Avatar Related Press Releases
Nickelodeon Unveils New Avatar Multiplayer Online Global Game in September
Gaming Event Continues Momentum Following Highest-Rated Series Performance Ever, the Avatar Season Three Finale
NEW YORK, July 25 -- Fresh off of its highest-rated performance ever on TV, Nickelodeon will treat Avatar: The Last Airbender fans to a unique experience this September with a brand-new, multiplayer global online game. In the game, Avatar: Legends of the Arena, which will serve as a prequel story to the series, players can create their own Avatar character and test their skills against players from around the globe in several 3D online arenas. Each game level will introduce and unlock new content, challenges, custom character outfits and more on an ongoing basis. The global game will live on a dedicated website http://www.avatarlegends.com and the beta version of the game http://www.tinyurl.com/5j6j6j* will be unveiled at Comic-Con International in San Diego on July 25.
"The launch of this multiplayer online game gives Avatar fans the opportunity to immerse themselves in the storylines during and beyond its tenure on-air," said Jason Root, Senior Vice President of Nick.com. "This property has always had a deep online connection with its audience and the game offers a natural extension of the franchise to keep fans engaged with the property indefinitely."
The global gaming event, which represents Nick.com's (http://www.nick.com) first 3D multiplayer online role play game, will take place in 81 markets in ten languages, including: the United States; United Kingdom; Australia; New Zealand; India; Southeast Asia; Canada; Mexico; Argentina; Spain; Italy; France; Korea; Japan; Israel; Holland; Northern Belgium; Germany; Brazil; and Portugal. A total of 77 countries will launch the game on Sept. 15, with the remaining markets launching through the following months (non-domestic territories will vary).
Each 3D online arena within the game will host battles featuring up to four players at a time, but combat isn't the only focus of the experience. Players will also be able to engage in role play, building their characters through training and arena duels. As players advance, they can upgrade their characters, unlock new bending moves, and acquire outfits and other exclusive equipment to make them the envy of others.
The animated series, Avatar: The Last Airbender, has inspired M. Night Shyamalan's "The Last Airbender", a live-action epic adventure from Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies which will debut in domestic theaters July 2010. Series' creators Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko will serve as executive producers on the film.
This fall, Nicktoons Network will serve as the on-air home for Avatar: The Last Airbender, and will feature a Sept. Avatar event and season three episodes of the series throughout Sept. and Oct. Additionally, Nicktoons will offer fans a chance to get in on the Avatar game, asking them to tune in on Fridays at 6:30 p.m. for episode-specific hints that will unlock exclusive content in Avatar: Legends of the Arena.
Available on DVD July 29, Avatar: The Last Airbender - Book 3: Fire - Volume 4 features the kid hero's return to the Fire Nation to prepare for a final confrontation with Firelord Ozai. Fans will also have a chance to get their game on with Avatar The Last Airbender: Into the Inferno, a new action adventure video game from THQ, in stores this fall.
Launched in February 2005 on Nickelodeon in the US, the epic story of Avatar: The Last Airbender follows the journey of Aang (Zach Tyler Eisen), a 12-year-old boy torn between fulfilling his fate as the long-awaited Avatar and just wanting to be a regular kid. The Avatar season three finale, Sozin's Comet, recently earned the series its highest ratings ever. The previous week's season three new premiere episodes reached a total of 19 million total viewers (P2+). Avatar is a top ranked show on Nickelodeon's international channels, and is number one on Nick in Holland and Germany.
DiMartino and Konietzko serve as executive producers of Avatar: The Last Airbender. DiMartino is an award-winning filmmaker and has worked on the prime-time animated series King of the Hill, Family Guy and Mission Hill. Konietzko was a character designer for Family Guy, assistant director on Mission Hill and King of the Hill and a storyboard artist and art director for Nickelodeon's Invader Zim.
NEW YORK, June 10 -- Nickelodeon kicked off Licensing International Expo 2008 today at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center with star power, including a presentation by special guest M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Signs, The Happening) and Nickelodeon Movies' and Paramount Pictures' executives, where attendees got a preview of Shyamalan's July 2, 2010, theatrical film in the making, The Last Airbender. Also at Licensing Show, iCarly star Miranda Cosgrove was on-hand to sign copies of the brand-new iCarly album, just released today, for show attendees who stopped by the Nickelodeon booth.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080610/NYTU128 )
During the presentation for The Last Airbender, Academy Award(R)-nominated writer/director Shyamalan commented, "Casting has begun and we've seen thousands of kids. I believe we've found the next superstars." In recounting his excitement about the project and how he got involved, Shyamalan recalled, "I called up my agent and said I have a movie I want to do. We phoned Paramount and Nickelodeon, and told them that we think they have the next STAR WARS."
Also present were Paramount Film Group's President, John Lesher, and Paramount Pictures' Vice Chairman, Rob Moore, who voiced their anticipation of The Last Airbender. Both Lesher and Moore cited the film as "one of those rare event movies that moves audiences globally and ensures the franchise a long, prosperous future."
Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products (NVCP) President, Leigh Anne Brodsky, closed the presentation remarking about potential future Avatar licensing and merchandising programs. "We're especially optimistic about this movie's prospects given The Last Airbender's already rabid, global fan base. The Last Airbender is a living, breathing, organic brand that's poised to explode, [and] our strategy is to work with partners who want to authentically build the brand around the globe."
Following the Avatar presentation, attendees stopped by an exclusive CD signing by Miranda Cosgrove, star of Nickelodeon's tween live-action hit iCarly, which launches a consumer products line later this month. The series' first iCarly album hits shelves today and apparel, electronics and stationery will all become available at retail later this summer. iCarly follows a cast of characters on and off webcam as they create webcasts featuring everything from comedy sketches and talent contests to interviews, recipes and problem- solving. Kid viewers can interact with the TV characters at real-life companion website http://www.icarly.com.M
NVCP also announced the debut of new product lines for Ni Hao, Kai-lan -- the first animated preschool series to incorporate Chinese culture and Mandarin Chinese language -- and Neopets -- the world's most youth-engaging virtual world and one of the stickiest on the web. Additionally, NVCP unveiled the first of many Slime! branded products, along with expansion programs for Nickelodeon's most popular characters including SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, The Naked Brothers Band and Go, Diego, Go!.
About Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products
Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products manages the world's third largest licensing business, representing leading properties such as SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer, and managing merchandising for Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTVN International, and Spike TV.
Nickelodeon, now in its 29th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, magazines and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more than 96 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for more than 13 years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).
SOURCE Nickelodeon
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071114/NYW066 )
In "Day of Black Sun," Aang's army is unlike any force seen before, with fleets of Waterbenders and a battalion of Earthbenders (including The Boulder, one of the best-known fighters) working together to pull off one of the most bizarre and ingenious invasion plans ever imagined. With Sokka, Katara and Toph at his side, Aang is determined to fulfill his destiny as the Avatar. He and the gang hunt down the evil Fire Lord for the ultimate showdown while the solar eclipse temporarily hinders the Fire Nation's powers. But the question remains; is the Fire Lord ready for Aang?
"The tension has heightened in this third season of Avatar, and fans will be on the edge of their seats," said Marjorie Cohn, Executive Vice President of Original Programming and Development, Nickelodeon Television. "An hour- long TV movie allows us the opportunity to further develop character arcs, advance the overall story and still provide the action fans love. We know they won't be disappointed."
In support of the television event, Nick.com/blacksun will feature a message board, embedded video player, link to Avatar games, collectibles, downloads, plus a sneak peek of the hour-long movie. On Monday, Nov. 19, the Avatar Game Tournament will begin, offering fans a chance to play their favorite Avatar games to boost their team's overall high score and win Nickpoints and digital prizes in the process. Additionally, a new Game of the Week, "Avatar: Black Sun Siege," will begin on Thursday, Nov. 29 where players can control squadrons of Earth and Water Nation soldiers, led by favorite Avatar characters, in a battle against the marauding Fire Nation.
Since its launch, Avatar has developed a fervent fan base, and not just with kids. The unique attributes of the show -- epic storytelling, Asian influence and film quality graphics -- have generated one of the most passionate fan bases in Nickelodeon's history. Avatar fans have built their own unique fan sites full of original fiction, storyline proposals, artwork, comics, message boards, blogs and more, all based on the property.
Fans are responsive on Nick.com as well, where the message boards hold two out of the top five spots this year on the site this year. Avatar games are also among the most popular on the site, garnering a total of 70 million game plays year to date, a 15% increase versus a year ago. The Avatar show page has generated 12 million visits, ranking within the top five properties on Nick.com. On TurboNick, the network's video broadband player, the property has generated more than 34 million streams year-to-date. On Nicktropolis, Nickelodeon's virtual world, the six rooms within the Avatar environment combined have generated 17.5 million visits-to-date (Source: Omniture Sitecatalyst).
Launched in February 2005, Avatar: The Last Airbender, currently in its third season, is ranked among the top 10 properties on all of television among boys 2-11 and boys 6-11 (4Q07) and No. 4 on all of television with Boys 9-14 in 4Q07. This season, the series has reached a total of 11.4 million total viewers (persons 2+), including 5.3 million kids 2-11, 3.6 million kids 6-11 and 3.5 million Tweens 9-14. Avatar is currently syndicated to more than 105 countries around the world and is one of Nickelodeon's top rated programs across broadcast and cable in multiple markets. The series is currently ranked No. 1 on Nick in Germany, Indonesia, Belgium and Colombia.
The epic story of Avatar: The Last Airbender follows the journey of Aang (Zach Tyler Eisen), a young boy torn between fulfilling his fate as the long- awaited Avatar and just wanting to be a regular kid. Aang is called upon to lead the fight against the vicious Fire Nation to restore balance in his war- torn world. Aided by a protective teenage Waterbender named Katara (Mae Whitman) and her bull-headed warrior brother Sokka (Jack DeSena), Aang proceeds on a perilous journey to save the world while sometimes shaking off his heavy responsibilities so that he can enjoy being a kid.
Avatar: The Last Airbender was created by Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko who also serve as executive producers. The series is produced at the Nickelodeon Animation Studios in Burbank, California.
Nickelodeon, in its 28th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, magazines and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more than 96 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 13 consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).
"Fans on Nickelodeon's message boards and countless Avatar online fan sites have been clamoring for the third season to begin since the second season finale," said Marjorie Cohn, Executive Vice President of Original Programming and Development, Nickelodeon Television. "We're excited that season three is finally here and it delivers great character moments, exciting action and resolves the story arc which has captivated us since the series debuted. It's sure to be the best season yet, and we are confident fans will agree."
In the season three premiere of Avatar, "The Awakening," Aang wakes up to find himself aboard a captured Fire Nation ship after sustaining serious injuries at the end of season two. Katara, Sokka, and their father are with him and they recount the events that led the four to the ship and how they plan to attack the Fire Nation. Aang struggles to fight his own instincts to face the Firelord before he is ready, but ultimately accepts that he needs time to heal and regain his strength. Meanwhile, Zuko is dealing with his own issues as he journeys home for first time in three years, fearing his father will reject him once again.
On Tuesday, September 11, timed to coincide with the exciting season three debut, Nickelodeon Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment will release Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Complete Book 2 Collection. The deluxe box-set features all 20 Book 2: Earth chapters along with a bonus disc full of exclusive material including an interview with M. Night Shyamalan. The bonus disc also includes an exclusive animated graphic novel, plus three original shorts and a martial arts featurette.
"Watching Avatar has become a family event in my house - my daughters absolutely love the show and they are the ones who initially told me about it, so we are looking forward to how the story develops in season three," said M. Night Shyamalan. "Once I saw the amazing world that Mike and Bryan created, I knew it would make a great feature film."
Also leading up to the premiere, Nickelodeon will offer video shorts of Avatar, including clips, sneak peeks, recaps of season two, as well as instant replays of episodes after its on-air premiere, all on TurboNick, the network's broadband video service on www.nick.com. Additionally, short form Avatar content will be available on Nickelodeon Mobile on various wireless carriers as of September. After the launch of season three, fans may log on to play two new Avatar-themed offerings in Nick's Game of The Week section: "The Day of the Black Sun" beginning November 15, and "Clash of the Benders" on November 29. Also post-premiere, Avatar episodes will stream on Video-on- Demand and will be available for paid download to purchase on Nickelodeon's direct to video distribution partner platforms each week after the episode premieres on Friday nights.
The third season of Avatar follows Aang and his band of heroes during their latest attempt to save the world now that Ba Sing Se has fallen. The group heads to the Fire Nation to face the Firelord on his home turf, but the clock works against them as they travel from one Fire Nation town to another. They plan to strike before the day of black sun (an eclipse) that will cause the Fire Nation to lose their powers and leave them in their most vulnerable state. Meanwhile, Aang faces new challenges and is reluctant to master bending fire, the most difficult element he has yet to learn.
Launched in February 2005, Avatar is currently in its third season and is ranked among the top 10 animated properties on commercial television among boys 2-11 and boys 6-11 (1Q07). The series reaches a total of 18.4 million total viewers (persons 2+), including 8.9 million kids 2-11 and 5.8 million kids 6-11*. In 4Q06, Avatar was the highest-rated animated program on all TV (including broadcast nets and all cable nets) with Boys 9-14. (Source: *Nielsen CUME Data - May 2007)
The epic story of Avatar: The Last Airbender follows the journey of Aang (Zach Tyler Eisen), a young boy torn between fulfilling his fate as the long- awaited Avatar and just wanting to be a regular kid. Aang is called upon to lead the fight against the vicious Fire Nation to restore balance in his war- torn world. Aided by a protective teenage Waterbender named Katara (Mae Whitman) and her bull-headed warrior brother Sokka (Jack DeSena), Aang proceeds on a perilous journey to save the world while sometimes shaking off his heavy responsibilities so that he can enjoy being a kid.
Avatar: The Last Airbender was created by Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko who also serve as executive producers. As an award-winning filmmaker, DiMartino has been a director at Film Roman for six years, working on the prime-time animated series King of the Hill, Family Guy and Mission Hill. During his tenure there, DiMartino animated and directed the short animated film Atomic Love, which has gone on to screen at festivals across the country including Sundance and the Los Angeles Film Festival. It also aired as part of the Nicktoons Network Animation Festival on Nicktoons Network.
Konietzko began his career in animation as a character designer at Film Roman for Fox's prime-time series, Family Guy. He soon moved to the post of assistant director for two more Film Roman shows, Mission Hill and King of the Hill, working beside animation director DiMartino. Konietzko then became a storyboard artist and later an art director for the Nickelodeon animated series Invader Zim.
Avatar: The Last Airbender is produced at the Nickelodeon Animation Studios in Burbank, California.
Nickelodeon, in its 28th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, magazines and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in almost 94 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 13 consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).
Aang Is Ready to Strike Down the Fire Nation on the Darkest Day of the Year in Avatar's 'Day of Black Sun' Premiering Friday, Nov. 30 on Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon's Avatar Returns to Restore Peace to The Four Corners of the World and Prepares to Face Off With the Fire Nation Once and for All
Nickelodeon Unveils Brand New Avatar Contest Online in February
To help them move forward in the game, players can tune into Nickelodeon on Saturday mornings in February, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon ET/PT, and gather cheat codes that unlock the next level. During the final week of the event, on February 24, a special cheat code will be announced on-air which will unlock a special brand new Avatar short online, entitled "School Time Shipping." Produced in the "super deformed" style of animation, which uses a style similar to caricature, this brand new short form content offers Avatar fans an opportunity to see their favorite characters in a whole new way.
Players can participate in the Avatar: Escape from the Spirit World game by logging onto avatarescape.com
, where they will be whisked away in a magical journey with Aang as he travels through the Spirit World to reconnect with past Avatars in order to save the Avatar lineage. Upon entering "the spirit world," players will be required to complete four missions in the form of puzzles and online games. Each level of the game represents one of the four elements featured in Avatar. Successful completion of each level unlocks a new chapter in the four-part Avatar animated online comic book. When the fourth level is completed, players will "pass through" to the spirit world where they will find a bonus game and the conclusion of the Avatar online comic book. Fans can also download the animated online comic book to their video mp3 player and take it on-the-go.The Escape from the Spirit World game will also be supported with an on-air promotional sweepstakes (in the U.S. only) featuring new winners each weekend over the four weeks of the event period, producing a total of 50 winners. Fans can visit www.avatarescape.com to enter to win one of 50 "Four Nations" prize packs loaded with Avatar toys, books, a DVD, a videogame and trading cards. The winning names will be featured on-air on Nickelodeon during Saturday mornings from 10 to 12 noon ET/PT, beginning February 10. Partners supporting the sweepstakes include Mattel, Paramount, Simon & Schuster, Tokyopop, THQ, Upper Deck and Lego.
Nickelodeon will air promotional spots throughout February to support the sweepstakes. Cross channel promotion for the gaming event will also take place on Nicktoons Network and NicktoonsNetwork.com.
The Escape from the Spirit World event will take place in several territories including the United States, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Germany and France. Roll out dates for non-domestic territories will vary.
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