ACTIVISION
SIGNS INTERACTIVE PUBLISHING DEAL FOR WEAKEST
LINK WITH BBC MULTIMEDIA
Activision, Inc.
(Nasdaq: ATVI) has signed a deal with BBC
Multimedia to license certain interactive
publishing rights for BBC ONE's The
Weakest Link.
Under the terms
of the deal, Activision has acquired the
worldwide rights to develop, publish and
distribute interactive games based on The
Weakest Link for the PC and console
platforms. The game will be rolled out
internationally to coincide with the show's sale
to other countries by BBC Worldwide.
A top-rated
television show in the U.K., The Weakest Link
gives contestants the challenge of working
together to acquire a pool of money before the
end of each round. Once the round is
completed, each contestant must vote one team
member out of the competition in an aggressive
survival-style format until only one contestant
remains.
One of the BBC's
hottest new properties, ratings for the
television show have been steadily climbing
garnering a larger audience share than other
programs in this genre. Figures revealed
that The Weakest Link's final round on
February 12, 2001 pulled 39% of the TV audience
in the U.K. BBC ONE's controller,
Lorraine Heggessey, said that the strong ratings
confirmed the show's popularity.
The Weakest
Link will be available on PC CD-ROM, the
PlayStation 2 computer entertainment console and
PlayStation game console later this year, with
the first titles expected to ship in October in
the U.K. The deal also grants Activision options
for other platforms including the Xbox video game
console from Microsoft, and the Nintendo Game Boy
Advance, Nintendo GAMECUBE, Nintendo Game Boy
Color and Nintendo 64 video game systems.
Ron Doornink,
President and COO, Activision, Inc. states,
"We are very excited to team up with such a
renowned partner as BBC Worldwide to
develop one of its top brands into interactive
games. Activision's success in building
mass-market brands and our international strength
makes us an ideal partner for BBC Worldwide.
We will recreate the thrill of being a contestant
on The Weakest Link by allowing players to
face off against other opponents and experience
the biting wit of Anne Robinson from the comfort
of their own living room."
"This
announcement comes on the heels of the tremendous
success that BBC Worldwide has had in
selling the format of The Weakest Link
game show to other countries," commented
Dave Lee, Director of BBC Multimedia.
"There was intense competition to secure a
licensing deal with the BBC for this great
brand. Activision is a solid international
company that has demonstrated to us that it is
able to meet the challenges associated with
launching one of our premier properties. We
are confident that they can develop quality games
based around our brand for the approved PC and
console formats."
Broadcast in the
U.K. on BBC ONE and BBC TWO in late
afternoon and primetime slots, The Weakest
Link has attracted over eight million
viewers. The show's brusque host, Anne
Robinson, has become a household name in the UK
with her new catch phrases and sharp
commentary. Robinson aggressively exposes
contestants' weaknesses throughout the
program. The show has become a part of
British pop culture and spawned the new
catchphrases "You are the weakest link,
goodbye" and "It's time to vote off the
weakest link".
Outside the UK,
BBC Worldwide has concluded deals in the U.S.
and in Australia where the show commenced
transmission in February. In addition,
BBC Worldwide is working with BBC
Production and local broadcasters to recreate
the television series in France, Italy, Holland,
Germany, Belgium, Turkey, Israel, Portugal and
India and is also in talks with broadcasters in a
number of other territories.
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