News

THQ and Nickelodeon Announce Tak 2: The Staff of Dreams, the Sequel to the Million Unit Selling Tak and the Power of Juju

The Magic of Tak Spreads Worldwide with Global Sales Success Marking Tak's Return to Major Game Systems This Fall

CALABASAS HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 22, 2004-- THQ Inc. (Nasdaq:THQI) today announced Tak 2: The Staff of Dreams, the sequel to Tak and the Power of Juju. Tak is the first property released under THQ and Nickelodeon's ground-breaking agreement to create new cross-media intellectual properties for initial release in the videogame space with the express intent of migrating the properties to other entertainment media. Developed by Avalanche Software, Tak 2: The Staff of Dreams is scheduled to release in October 2004 and will be available on the PlayStation(R)2, Nintendo(R) GameCube(TM), Xbox(TM), and Game Boy(R) Advance.

"Having just hit our million unit mark globally, we are ecstatic with the major success of Tak and anticipate that Tak 2: The Staff of Dreams will provide an intriguing epilogue to this epic interactive adventure," said Eric Doctorow, COO, THQ. "Furthermore, our relationship with Nickelodeon continues to strengthen and we're delighted that we will be collaborating with them to continue building the Tak brand."

"With the recent success of Tak and the Power of Juju, we're excited to have an opportunity to partner with THQ in order to further the Tak storyline," said Stephen Youngwood, senior vice president, Nickelodeon media products group. "The first Tak provided a compelling gameplay experience, combined with a great story filled with humor. We're confident that this next version will provide gamers with an equally engaging experience."

In the original Tak and the Power of Juju, players were introduced to a tale of good vs. evil set in an ancient, tribal world where magic (Juju) actually worked. An unsung hero was born as players maneuvered Tak, a young shaman's apprentice, to recover moonstones stolen by the evil Tlaloc in order to save the Moon Juju and restore her powers.

Tak 2: The Staff of Dreams will continue following Tak on his adventures against evil. However, players will take on the role of a more experienced Tak as he goes on an epic adventure that will require him to learn all new Juju magic in order to recover the Nightmare Scepter and defeat the evil shaman, Tlaloc, once and for all. Players will maneuver Tak as he's armed with new Juju abilities. He will master the ancient Juju magic of the animals, allowing him to possess various creatures and turn himself into a Spirit Animal. This innovative sequel will also feature nine interactively designed linear environments and a returning cast of favorite characters, along with three brand new Juju gods and the introduction of Jibolba's brother, JB. Nine new Nightmare Creatures will also help to further the action. In addition, Tak will be outfitted with new Juju powered artifacts, including the powerful Dream Shaker, which affords him the power to close dream rifts.

Tak 2: The Staff of Dreams will be shown for the first time at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles from May 12-14 and will be demonstrated along with several additional key titles from THQ.

About Nickelodeon:

Nickelodeon, which is celebrating its landmark 25th anniversary this 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 88 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for more than eight consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.

About THQ

THQ Inc. is a leading, worldwide developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software for a variety of hardware platforms including PC CD-ROM, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc., Nintendo and Microsoft. The THQ web site is located at www.thq.com.  The THQ Wireless site is  located at www.thqwireless.com.  THQ is a registered trademark of THQ Inc. 

This press release contains statements that are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about THQ's business based, in part, on assumptions made by its management. These statements are not guarantees of THQ's future performance or the performance of Tak video games, and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in such forward-looking statements due to numerous factors, including, but not limited to, those described above and the following: changes in demand for THQ's products, including Tak, product mix, the timing of customer orders and deliveries, the impact of competitive products and pricing and difficulties encountered in the integration of acquired businesses. In addition, such statements could be affected by growth rates and market conditions relating to the interactive software industry and general domestic and international economic conditions. Specific information concerning these and other such factors is contained in THQ's March 31, 2003 Form 10-KT filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. A copy of this filing may be obtained by contacting THQ or the SEC. The forward-looking statements contained herein speak only as of the date on which they are made, and THQ does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release.



Bookmark and Share Share | Digg! Digg This | Glink It Glink It