AddictingGames and Shockwave Build Robust Gaming Communities With the Addition of New Social Networking Features This Fall

AddictingGames and Shockwave Build Robust Gaming Communities With the Addition of New Social Networking Features This Fall

New AddictingGames "Create and Share" Games Allow Gamers to Design and Share Content Across the Site

SAN FRANCISCO, July 17 /PRNewswire/ -- AddictingGames (http://www.addictinggames.com/), the largest source of the best free games on the web, and Shockwave (http://www.shockwave.com/), the original casual gaming destination, will introduce new community and social networking-oriented features across the next six months for their respective communities of gamers. The new features -- some of which are now live -- include profiles and high scores on AddictingGames, and a friend feature, as well as animated, talking avatars on Shockwave. In addition, AddictingGames will introduce several new "Create and Share Games" that visitors can play, customize, share and compare with their friends.

"Our users want more direct ways to communicate and interact with one another around the games that they love," said Dave Williams, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Nickelodeon Kids and Family Games Group. "We have been actively building and releasing social networking and community features into our sites over the past few months and plan to accelerate the pace in the coming months based on strong initial results."

As a result of community features like profiles, Shockwave's total usage minutes are up +30% over last year (source: Omniture SiteCatalyst, May 2008).

New community features launching on Addicting Games and Shockwave in the next six months include:

-- Profile pages (launching fall 2008 on AddictingGames): Users will be able to create their own profile pages to connect with friends on AddictingGames. Profiles will include information like the user's favorite games, game levels they have created, and other fun game-related content. Friends can leave comments for each other, see who is online at the same time, and invite each other to high score competitions.

-- High scores (launching fall 2008 on AddictingGames and Shockwave): This feature allows users to compete for high scores within their network of friends, and the entire community on both sites. Users can see how they rank against their friends and invite one another to beat their best scores.

-- Friend feature (launching fall 2008 on AddictingGames and Shockwave): Users will be able to request and add a friend from their public profile or from chat which will allow them to view if they are online and what games they are playing.

-- Chat functionality (launching fall 2008 on AddictingGames): Chat will allow gamers to directly communicate with their peers on the site.

Recently launched community features on AddictingGames and Shockwave include:

-- Rich profile pages on Shockwave have recently launched and include animated, talking avatars, called Vokis, developed in partnership with Oddcast (http://www.oddcast.com/). The animated avatars engage in conversation when the user logs in and as a gamer's mouse moves across the screen, the avatars' eyes follow.

-- Chat functionality: Shockwave features chat for its multiplayer and single player gamers to communicate about games like Daily Jigsaw.

-- Shockwave game room: A game room section was recently added with real time user reviews, staff picks, highest user-generated games, leader boards and high scores

-- Ratings, reviews, and a tips section for games on AddictingGames were recently introduced. Already, 850,000 game reviews have been written; 900,000 games have been rated; and almost 200,000 favorite games have been saved.

In addition to the introduction of community features across AddictingGames, the site will launch several new "Create and Share" games that users can personalize, create and share with their friends, including:

-- "Pencil Racer 3" (launching summer 2008): The third version of the robust racetrack drawing Toolkit introduces mission-based game play and controllable vehicles.

-- "Moto Rush Extreme" (launching fall 2008): Choose from among 20 different motorcycles, skateboards, or monster trucks, and enter the grand prix of motorsport racing! Players can create race-tracks, customize vehicles, race at top speeds and submit their tracks to the AddictingGames gallery to get a track code.

-- "RiffMaster Deluxe" (launching fall 2008): Master guitar and bass with the keyboard and jam out to 20 of the best independent song releases of the year. Players can create their own songs and remixes with the music studio mode and then email their songs to their friends.

AddictingGames is the number-one online gaming site for teens with a library of more than 3,000 games. According to comScore national data, AddictingGames brought in 10.7 million unique visitors in June who spend an average of 30.5 minutes on the site. Shockwave's game library includes more than 640 free online, multiplayer and premium games. The site reaches 5.5 million unique visitors, per comScore. Both AddictingGames and Shockwave are part of the Nickelodeon Kids and Family Games Group, which has invested $100 million in the casual gaming arena.

The Nickelodeon Kids and Family Group portfolio of digital sites serve kids, tweens, teens, and parents, and focus on the activities that its audiences participate in most online: gaming, socialization and community, and video. According to comScore (June 2008), Nickelodeon Kids and Family digital ranks as the number-one kids and family online destination in visits with more than 28.6 million unique visitors.

About Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon, now in its 29th 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 more than 96 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 14 consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA)(NYSE:VIA.B)

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Nickelodeon

CONTACT: Joanna Roses, +1-212-846-7326, joanna.roses@nick.com, or Nakiah
Cherry Chinchilla, +1-212-846-6492nakiah.cherry@nick.com, both of Nickelodeon

Web Site: http://www.addictinggames.com/
http://www.oddcast.com/
http://www.shockwave.com/

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