New Multiplayer Global Game is Nick's First Step in Activating Kids to Address Environmental Issues

NEW YORK, Dec. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Nickelodeon is helping kids get their game on in the name of the environment, beginning Dec. 14 with the launch of "The Big Green Help Global Challenge" (www.nick.com/biggreenhelp) -- the first multiplayer kids' online game with a goal of igniting real-world action for environmental change. Kids will be asked to virtually pledge volunteer hours in the "Global Challenge" that they can translate into actionable steps in their homes, communities and schools. The game is this year's cornerstone of Nickelodeon's on-going global pro-social initiative, The Big Green Help, which aims to make energy-saving and earth-friendly activities a part of kids' everyday lives.

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"With about three quarters of the U.S. kid population actively gaming online, we think our 'Global Challenge' game is a great way to connect them to the pro-social issues they care about, like the environment," said Marva Smalls, Executive Vice President of Public Affairs, Nickelodeon Kids and Family Group. "Our legacy of empowering kids has shown that they can lead the way in addressing positive change, and we hope this game can be the beginning of a kid-led environmental movement."

In the downloadable "Global Challenge" game, kids have to "green" the last three pollution-free cities on the planet. To play, kids can choose from four Nicktoon characters -- SpongeBob SquarePants; Back at the Barnyard's Otis; The Fairly OddParent's Timmy Turner; and Avatar's Aang -- and partner with up to three other players in a face-off against CO2-spewing monsters. As kids defeat monsters like the Carbon Creeper, Waste Whirlwind or Guzzlor and move through nine game levels, they will get tips about how to lower their carbon footprint. At the end of the game, kids will be directed to www.nick.com/biggreenhelp where an online meter will measure their individual commitments and the impact of their collective pledges.

The multiplayer online green game will be available in more than 15 Nickelodeon markets, including: UK; Brazil; Germany; Italy; Denmark; Sweden; Portugal; Spain; Australia; New Zealand; Philippines; Indonesia; Mexico; and Argentina, with additional countries to follow. Nickelodeon Kids and Family digital sites -- including: AddictingGames; Neopets; Shockwave; and The-N.com -- as well as several Big Green Help campaign partners, will also introduce new green-themed mini games in support of the "Global Challenge."

Next in January 2009, Nickelodeon in the U.S. will provide kids with local resources and events to translate their virtually volunteered hours into real-world action -- in partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America; Girl Scouts USA; The LeBron James Family Foundation; National Wildlife Federation; Natural Resources Defense Council; National 4-H Council; and NFL. This same kind of activism will be encouraged in local markets globally. Kids can track their pledges and fulfillment through a downloadable widget pledge tracker. Nick's campaign partners have lent their expertise to help develop various components of the "Global Challenge" including: tips; the pledge tracker; and the equation to measure the implications of kids' pledges.

The Big Green Help is a multiplatform campaign that provides information and tools to help explain climate change to kids, and taps into Nickelodeon's history of addressing important issues. Its Plan It for the Planet special in 1993 discussed the environment and how kids can affect positive change; The Big Help created a generation of 40 million kid volunteers; and its Let's Just Play encouraged millions of kids to adopt healthier lifestyles. For more information on The Big Green Help, visit www.thebiggreenhelppress.com.

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, VIA.B).

SOURCE Nickelodeon