MTV Networks' Nickelodeon Kids and Family Group Puts a Digital Spin on Classic Hasbro Games Featuring Dora The Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants

NEW YORK, Oct. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- MTV Networks' Nickelodeon Kids and Family Group puts a new digital twist on two of the most beloved, classic Hasbro and Nickelodeon boards games with the releases of MONOPOLY: SpongeBob SquarePants Edition and CANDY LAND: Dora The Explorer Edition, available for download online and on CD-ROM. The games are currently available in PC and Mac downloadable versions on http://www.nickarcade.com/, and will soon be on other game websites such as http://www.shockwave.com/. The online launch will be followed shortly by the games' CD-ROM retail launch on October 15, 2007.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071004/NYTH078 )

"Kids love playing games, whether it's online or on their living room floor, and we are giving them a new way to experience both of these classic games with the characters they love," said Steve Youngwood, Executive Vice President of Digital Media, Nickelodeon Kids and Family Group. "With our broad portfolio of sites we are giving both kids and families every opportunity to enjoy gaming experiences and we know that MONOPOLY and CANDY LAND combined with SpongeBob and Dora will be a hit with both kids and their parents."

Nickelodeon Kids and Family Group recently announced a $100 million commitment to develop, distribute and create casual gaming titles, sites and platforms. MTV Networks recently committed to invest more than $500 million over the next two years in the development and distribution of its gaming business across its global portfolio.

"MONOPOLY and CANDY LAND have been a treasured part of our culture for generations, and as part of our strategy to continue to keep our brands relevant to kids and families today, we are pleased to bring two successful co-branded games --- MONOPOLY: SpongeBob SquarePants Edition and CANDY LAND: Dora The Explorer Edition --- to the digital games market," says Jeff Burdeen, Vice President of Digital Media at Hasbro, Inc.

MONOPOLY: SpongeBob SquarePants Edition brings the classic MONOPOLY game play experience to life in a digital format with mini-games and more. It allows players to bend the traditional rules to play in SpongeBob, Squidward or Plankton modes. The game supports up to four players who are challenged to wheel and deal their way through Bikini Bottom and delve into the title's 14 mini-games which include: Bargain Battle where a quick click will get you the best price for the property; Pump Panic where utility rent will be determined by the water level in the pool; and Slippery Escape where if you land in jail but are fast, you can escape. MONOPOLY: SpongeBob SquarePants Edition is geared towards kids between the ages of 6 and 11 and is priced at $19.99 and is rated "E" (Everyone).

CANDY LAND: Dora the Explorer Edition supports up to four players and brings the original fun of the board game to the interactive arena with Dora, Boots, Diego and Backpack journeying through CANDY LAND to find the Fiesta at the end of the path. It includes two play modes: Classic CANDY LAND Explorer and CANDY LAND Super Explorer which ratchets up the action with eight mini-games such as Peppermint Catching with Benny where players collect the letter-shaped candies for the Fiesta; Dora and the Gingerbread Bakery where you help Dora put decorations on cookies; and Gummy Gumdrops where you help Dora sort gumdrops into boxes. CANDY LAND: Dora the Explorer Edition is aimed at kids between the ages of 2 and 5, carries an "EC" (Early Childhood) rating and is priced at $19.99.

The games are being distributed through Nickelodeon's partnerships with Activision, Navarre and RealNetworks. Activision, Inc. will exclusively handle the retail distribution of CANDY LAND: Dora The Explorer Edition, while Nickelodeon will handle online distribution. Navarre Corporation will exclusively oversee the retail distribution of MONOPOLY: SpongeBob SquarePants Edition, while RealNetworks, Inc. will manage its online distribution. MONOPOLY and CANDY LAND are under license from Hasbro, Inc.

Nickelodeon will support the rollout of these new games with a marketing campaign including spots on national television stations, print and online advertisements.

SpongeBob SquarePants continues to be the number-one animated show for kids on television for the past five years, and the number-one selling kids' video game and PC game franchise. After six years on Nickelodeon, Dora the Explorer remains one of the most popular preschool programs on television and is the top pre-school property on the PC according to NPD.

Hasbro's MONOPOLY is the best-selling, most widely played board game in the world. It's currently sold in 80 countries and produced in 26 languages. SpongeBob MONOPOLY, the board game, has sold millions at retail and was the number-one co-branded MONOPOLY game of 2006 (according to NPD). Introduced in 1949, CANDY LAND is recognized internationally as a child's first game, with millions of games having been sold around the globe.

About Hasbro

Hasbro is a worldwide leader in children's and family leisure time entertainment products and services, including the design, manufacture and marketing of games and toys ranging from traditional to high tech. Both internationally and in the U.S., its PLAYSKOOL, TONKA, MILTON BRADLEY, PARKER BROTHERS, TIGER and WIZARDS OF THE COAST brands and products provide the highest quality and most recognizable play experiences in the world.

About Nickelodeon

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. .