ZINKIA inks deal with VIRGIN PLAY for first Pocoyo video console game

News by GamesIndustry International Contributor

Published on Oct. 8, 2007

Madrid, October the 8th

Spanish animation company Zinkia has inked a deal with video games publisher and distributor Virgin PLAY to launch "Hello Pocoyo!", the first video console game based on the award-winning animation series Pocoyo

The deal, signed on the first day of MIPCOM, sees Virgin PLAY´s v.2 PLAY label handling worldwide distribution rights for "Hello Pocoyo!" for Nintendo DS. The console game, which is currently in production at Zinkia´s studio in Madrid, is set to debut in Spain in the first quarter 2008.

Pocoyo, co-produced by Zinkia and Granada International in collaboration with Granada International and Cosgrove Hall, is proving a major multi-platform success story. The series has been licensed to over 100 countries worldwide and is currently available on mobile, web and console. Recent ventures for Pocoyo include its own channel on Youtube, a mobile channel on Vodafone Live in Spain, the blog which has received over 3 million downloads and the official website which has attracted over half a million unique visitors.

Francisco Encinas, Managing Director and Board Member at Virgin PLAY, said: ´We are delighted to welcome the powerful kids franchise Pocoyo to our extensive catalogue. Pocoyo fits perfectly with our strategy of building and developing brands, not only in Spain but on the world stage.´

Victor M. Lopez, Managing Director Zinkia, added: ´Video games play a key role in our brand building strategy for Pocoyo. We decided to produce the first Pocoyo video game, Hello Pocoyo!, for Nintendo DS. We are delighted to be partnering with such a prestigious international publisher Virgin PLAY and feel confident it will be a big success.´

Pocoyo (104 x 7 minutes) tracks the adventures of a fun-loving little boy with an insatiable curiosity, who, accompanied by his band of friends, sets out on a journey of discovery and fun. Set against a white backdrop, using strong visual images, bright colors and catchy music, the series encourages children and carers to interact, dance, sing and laugh. In this way, the animated series stimulates the children to learn through laughter.

From left to right: Tim Chaney (Virgin PLAY President) , Gonzalo Guirao (Zinkia Managing Director), Víctor M. López (Zinkia CEO) and Francisco Encinas (Virgin PLAY Managing Director and Board Member).

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About Zinkia:

Madrid-based Zinkia is a creative factory producing audiovisual content, focusing on animation as well as interactive content for on line communities, consoles and multi-player mobile games. Since the company was established in 2001, Zinkia has notched up an impressive track record, producing a wealth of innovative and creative projects, including: the multi-award winning pre-school series POCOYO (104 x 7 minutes) co-produced with Granada International, in association with Granada Kids and Cosgrove Hall; SHURIKEN SCHOOL (26 x half hours) co-produced with Xilam; a multiplayer football game, Copa Coca-Cola Mobile and mobile phone games Word Hunter and Wireless West. www.zinkia.com

About Virgin PLAY:

Virgin Interactive España opened its doors in 1995 by the hand of Mariele Isidoro and Francisco Encinas as a subsidiary of the Virgin Interactive, owned by VIACOM. In May of 2002 Tim Chaney and Francisco Encinas lead a management buyout and renamed the company Virgin PLAY becoming the exclusive distributor in the Spanish and Portuguese markets for companies such as: Midway, Ignition (SNK), Koch Media and Koei just to name a few. During this period, Virgin PLAY has become a leader in the videogame sector being responsible for launching franchises such as: Resident Evil, Command and Conquer, Driver and Baldur's Gate and is also the first 100% Spanish publisher for consoles. Virgin´s first publishing projects were Torrente 3, Dead & Furious and Final Armada. The company will add on to their catalogue with titles such as Donkey Xote, Snow x Racing, The Crusades and Real Madrid, which will be published under Virgins new brand: V2Play. Virgin sells and distributes its products worldwide using local distributors as well as their own offices in Spain and Portugal. For more information: www.virginplay.es

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

Zinkia / www.zinkia.com

Sarah Homer

Zinkia PR UK

Tel. 44 791 250 40 45

Email: sarah@zinkia.com

Alberto Gontán

Zinkia Press Office Madrid

Tel.: 34 915 240 365

Virgin PLAY / www.virginplay.es

Pº Castellana, 9-11

Madrid 28046