LPWire: "Finding Nemo" Videogames Finish 2003 as the Best-Selling Family Game of the Year

LPWire: "Finding Nemo" Videogames Finish 2003 as the Best-Selling Family Game of the Year

Best-Selling "Finding Nemo'' Videogame Added to "Family Platinum Series'' for Xbox and "Players Choice'' For Nintendo GameCube
"Finding Nemo" Videogames Finish 2003 as the Best-Selling Family Game of the Year

THQ Inc. and Disney Interactive today announced that the videogames based on the Walt Disney Pictures presentation of a Pixar Animation Studios film "Finding Nemo" will be added to both the Nintendo GameCube(TM) "Players Choice" collection and "Family Platinum Series" for the Xbox(TM) videogame system from Microsoft. "Finding Nemo" is one of the first third-party titles based on a family license to be recognized on Xbox as a top seller. "Finding Nemo" for Xbox and Nintendo GameCube is now available at retail outlets across North America for the suggested retail price of $19.99.

"The `Finding Nemo' videogames have been a tremendous hit for THQ at retail with worldwide sales of 4 million units across multiple platforms and in more than 40 international territories," said Peter Dille, senior vice president, worldwide marketing, THQ. "We are thrilled the game will be included in both the Xbox `Family Platinum Series' and the Nintendo GameCube 'Players Choice' collection, extending the experience to a new segment of the game buying audience."

"We are pleased with the continued achievements of 'Finding Nemo' and we would like to congratulate the entire team at THQ, Pixar, and Disney Interactive for making the games such a success," said Graham Hopper, senior vice president and General Manager, Buena Vista Games.

The "Finding Nemo" videogames follow the adventures of Nemo and his marine-life friends. The games are set in a 3-D underwater environment and allow players to play key movie characters, Nemo, Marlin and Dory, each with varied abilities. Gamers will explore several levels, including mini games and bonus levels.

THQ will also publish a second "Finding Nemo" game for Game Boy(R) Advance scheduled to release this fall.

About "Finding Nemo"

The Academy Award(R)-winning creators of "Toy Story," "A Bug's Life" and "Monsters, Inc." take the art and technology of computer animation to a whole new level in this stunning underwater adventure with memorable characters, humor and heartfelt emotion. "Finding Nemo" follows the comedic and eventful journeys of two fish -- Marlin and his son Nemo -- who become separated in the Great Barrier Reef. Buoyed by the companionship of a friendly-but-forgetful fish named Dory, the overly cautious father embarks on a dangerous trek and finds himself the unlikely hero of an epic journey to rescue his son -- who hatches a few daring plans of his own to return safely home.

About Walt Disney Feature Animation

Walt Disney Feature Animation is a division of The Walt Disney Studios, which has created and produced the most successful animated films of all time. Walt Disney Studios is a unit of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS), the world's foremost family entertainment company engaged in animated and live-action film and television production; cable and broadcast television; theme parks and resorts; character merchandise licensing; consumer products retailing; and book, magazine and music publishing.

About Pixar Animation Studios

Pixar Animation Studios (Nasdaq: PIXR)( http://www.pixar.com ) combines creative and technical artistry to create original films in the medium of computer animation. Pixar has created and produced five of the most successful and beloved animated films of all time: Academy Award(R)-winning "Toy Story" (1995); "A Bug's Life" (1998); Golden Globe-winner "Toy Story 2" (1999); the Academy Award(R)-winning "Monsters, Inc." (2001); and the Academy Award(R)-winning "Finding Nemo" (2003), the highest-grossing animated film of all time. Pixar's five films have earned more than $2.5 billion at the worldwide box office and sold over 150 million DVDs and videos worldwide. The Northern California studio's next two films are "The Incredibles" (November 5, 2004) and "Cars" (holiday 2005).

About Disney Interactive

Disney Interactive is the award-winning publishing label of Buena Vista Games, Inc. The label produces high quality interactive video games and CD-ROMs. Buena Vista Games, Inc. is the interactive entertainment arm of The Walt Disney Company's Consumer Products business unit. For more information on Disney Interactive's products, visit www.disneyinteractive.com.

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.

--Posted March 16, 2004
Source: THQ