THQ Inc., a global developer and publisher of video games, announced recently that the
Avatar: The Last Airbender video game has achieved Sony Computer Entertainment America's “Greatest Hits” status for the Playstation ®2 computer entertainment system. The game has also been made available at retailers across North America for $19.99.
"We are thrilled with the exceptional success of
Avatar: The Last Airbender and the achievement of this retail milestone," Scott Guthrie, THQ's senior vice president of North American sales and distribution, said. "Last year,
Avatar was a completely new property in THQ's extensive Nickelodeon portfolio of titles which includes the top-selling
SpongeBob SquarePants game series. It's great to see the brand resonate so quickly with such a significant number of gamers."
Avatar: The Last Airbender video game first came out last October. By the end of 2006, it became THQ's top selling Nickelodeon property.
Shaul Olmert, vice president of digital products for Nickelodeon, said the video game company was able to capture the essence of the animated series and successfully brought the characters and storylines to life “in a thrilling interactive experience.”
Avatar: The Last Airbender is an animated series that follows the adventures of
Aang, the latest in a long line of Avatars, and his friends as they try to save to the world from the Fire Nation, a community that practices firebending. Created and executive-produced by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, the series debuted on Nickelodeon in February 2005.
Aside from the video game, other merchandise based on the series includes action figures, a trading card game, stuffed toys and two Lego sets. Moreover, the DVD of
Avatar: The Last Airbender - Book 3: Fire, Volume 1 will be released late October.
The “Greatest Hits” status is not the only honor the animated series has received this year. The
Avatar: The Last Airbender episode, “City Walls,” is nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming Less Than One Hour). It is up against such shows as
The Simpsons,
Robot Chicken,
South Park and
Spongebob SquarePants.
-Lisa Claustro, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: Business Wire
(Image Courtesy of THQ)