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A completely new kid-targeted multi-media experience that offers visitors the opportunity to engage in a virtual world filled with their favorite web-based activities. |
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Nickelodeon, the number-one entertainment brand for kids and a division of Viacom Inc.’s (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B) MTV Networks, will launch Nicktropolis on January 30, a completely new kid-targeted multi-media experience that offers visitors the opportunity to engage in a virtual world filled with their favorite web-based activities. At Nicktropolis, which will be available at www.nicktropolis.com or through www.nick.com, kids for the first time will have their own virtual community where they will have the opportunity to play games, watch video, explore Nickelodeon-branded and original environments, interact with other kids or Nickelodeon characters in real time, and create their own personalized 3D rooms.
“Virtual worlds like Nicktropolis are part of our strategy to bring immersive, relevant entertainment experiences to our audiences wherever they are, and to build communities around our content across every kind of platform,” said Judy McGrath, Chairman and CEO, MTVN. “The virtual worlds we’ve been building across our networks give the fans of our brands the high level of interaction they want with one another, and with the content itself.”
Nickelodeon’s Nicktropolis is MTV Networks’ latest move in serving its audiences through original online and wireless content across all of its brands. Over the past two years, MTVN has acquired expansive community and gaming assets like NeoPets, AddictingGames.com, Shockwave.com, Harmonix Music Systems, GameTrailers, Xfire; RateMyProfessors.com and Y2M for college students; and added user-generated content, short-form video and networking destinations like IFILM, AddictingClips.com, Atom Films, Quizilla, MTV Flux, The Click from The N and Nick's own ParentsConnect. With 32 broadband sites and 139 websites in live deployment globally, MTVN ranks as the number-one online entertainment destination and the 10th most popular overall destination on the Web (comScore Media Metrix December 2006, U.S. only).
Nickelodeon’s latest research study, Living in a Digital World (2006), found that 86% of kids 8-14 are gaming online; more than half (51%) are watching TV shows and videos online; 37% are instant messaging and 12% are participating in chat rooms.
“Nickelodeon has a deep connection with kids, and Nicktropolis is built from our knowledge that kids’ interest in social networking is all about gaming,” said Cyma Zarghami, President, Nickelodeon and MTVN Kids and Family Group. “Nicktropolis serves as a one-of-a-kind multimedia virtual entertainment playground for kids that allows them to watch video from our immense library of programming, play games, interact with our characters and safely communicate with each other through controlled chat.”
Kids enter Nicktropolis by assuming an “avatar” that they design and personalize, choosing from an array of hairstyles, skin tones and clothing styles. Once a user selects a destination, the avatar appears in the particular environment and can move around simply by clicking where he/she wants to go.
The site offers an immersive 3D environment consisting of four main areas containing multimedia experiences, gaming, and opportunities to personalize their space, create video play lists of their favorite Nickelodeon content, and interact in a safe, community environment:
“Nickname Lane” is where kids are able to design, furnish and maintain a continuously evolving personal space. Each kid begins with a 3D room of their own, complete with basic furniture and decorations which the player will be able to arrange to their liking using a basic, drag-and-drop style level editor.
“Nicktoon Boulevard” consists of Nickelodeon property branded rooms. At Nicktropolis’ launch, there will be several branded rooms such as “SpongeBob’s Bikini Bottom,” “Jimmy Neutron’s Retroville,” “Avatar Nation,” and “Danny Phantom’s Amityville.” Users will transform into an avatar from the property themed world (i.e. Plankton avatar in Bikini Bottom) when entering a room in Nicktoon Boulevard, and can chat with favorite Nickelodeon characters as well as other users. Each branded area includes several rooms within that relate to the specific property. For example, “Avatar Nation” features a Fire Tent, Water Palace and a General Market, among others.
“Downtown Nicktropolis” includes several communal, non-branded rooms, such as: a Rec Center with video games, a screening area, basketball courts and more; the Metro Park which includes a softball field, waterfall, bridge and the forest; a Lounge where you can kick back and watch Nick programming; and Market Street, which serves essentially as the Nicktropolis commerce area for kids to use their NickPoints in the Seasonal Store, Gadget Universe, Décor Nation, Wild Walls and Floors and more.
The “Pier” is a gaming focused environment where kids will find several games including bumper cars, fortune telling, a fun house and more. Several property themed games will also be introduced throughout various areas of Nicktropolis in the coming weeks. Game participation will tie into the NickPoints economy, and points will be awarded for success. Players can purchase items with their NickPoints to personalize their rooms with such as TVs, with which they can host viewing parties for Nickelodeon tentpole events, chairs or other things.
Nicktropolis incorporates numerous safety features to ensure kids’ virtual playground experience is as safe as possible. Participation in Nicktropolis relies entirely on the anonymous registration system, which does not allow kids to divulge personal, identifiable information. As a result, it is COPPA compliant. Before entering Nicktropolis, a set of ground rules must be read and agreed to by the user, which are sent to the parent listed during registration.
As part of the safety features, parents have the option to control their child’s settings in Nicktropolis. This includes limiting their child’s chat settings and setting their security levels of where and with whom they can visit on Nicktropolis. Kids can also block users if they do not wish to interact with them. Kids can chat in real-time using pre-written messages and a sanitized, kid-appropriate dictionary which includes a foul language filter and limits the type of information kids can provide to other users. Parents’ must opt-in for their child to use the kid-appropriate dictionary. Nicktropolis is monitored, and features a “report button” should any concerns arise.
Nicktropolis will become the latest destination and interactive and creative online environment to join the community of sites within the Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group that serve preschoolers, kids, teens and parents. This community of sites, which includes Nick.com, Nickjr.com, Nick Arcade, Nick-at-nite.com, Quizilla, The-N.com, Noggin.com, Neopets, Parentsconnect, GoCityKids, Addicting Games, and Shockwave.com, generated almost 25.7 million unique users in December according to ComScore Media Metrix.
Shockwave.com and AddictingGames.com are two of the internet’s largest casual gaming sites which, along with NeoPets and Nick.com, provide kids, tweens and families with a diverse mix of gaming experiences. In September 2006, Nickelodeon launched TurboNick 2.0 to provide kids with unprecedented broadband video features. The site served up approximately 255 million streams in 2006, up +580% since its launch year in 2005. And in October 2006, the Kids and Family Group acquired Quizilla, a top-five and one of the fastest growing online, user-generated destination for female teens. |
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