THQ picks up wireless gaming licenses

The mobile gaming division of THQ, THQ Wireless, has signed deals which will see it developing games based on popular animated show The Simpsons and music brand Ministry of Sound.

A multi-year deal with Twentieth Century Fox grants THQ Wireless the rights to develop and distribute games based on The Simpsons, which remains one of the most popular TV shows in the world and has recently aired its 300th episode.

THQ plans to release the first Simpsons wireless service in the USA in the second half of this year, incorporating a variety of games, graphics and MMS/SMS applications.

Closer to home, THQ Wireless has also sealed a deal with the London-based Ministry of Sound, one of the biggest independent record labels in the world and, of course, arguably the most famous nightclub in the UK.

The deal will see THQ Wireless creating a range of Ministry of Sound branded games, with the first title – a rhythm-based dance game with official Ministry of Sound music – becoming available shortly both via network operators and through the Ministry of Sound’s own website.

The move into wireless gaming is part of a wider branding strategy on the part of Ministry of Sound, which the group hopes will extend the power of the name into new music and lifestyle areas. Other forays into videogames may well be on the cards for the company in the near future.

Source: Gameindustry.biz