Cartoon Network New Media Maximizes Social Gaming with Mini Match

Virtual world built around social gaming is free to explore at CartoonNetwork.com

Cartoon Network New Media today announces Mini Match, an action-packed virtual world that offers adventure on a whole new scale. Mini Match features a vibrant 3-D-rendered world where players can challenge their friends in multiplayer games, start impromptu “tag” battles, work together to solve social puzzles and enjoy a unique, unfolding mystery about the microscopic world in which Mini Match is set. After “mini-mizing” themselves into customizable avatars, players can navigate intricately designed environments based on adventure themes in Cartoon Network shows including lost cities, haunted jungles, underwater bases and more.

Mini Match is one of the few virtual world destinations to focus on multi-player match-ups in a social gaming environment, along with the inherent chat and exploration features. The two-player Mini Match games are easily accessible, intuitive to play and branded to popular Cartoon Network content. Kids earn reward points for playing games, and they can use these reward points for further avatar customization and in-game abilities.

“Mini Match opens up a whole new world of gaming to our online audience,” said Paul Condolora, senior vice president, digital for Turner Broadcasting System Inc.’s Animation, Young Adults and Kids Media Group. “The action-adventure theme complements some of our most popular shows and provides kids with a safe virtual destination for social gaming. Kids can come and enjoy the multiplayer games or insert themselves into the fabric of the Mini Match story by joining the ranks of ninjas, pirates, space pilots and other characters, customizing their ‘Minis’ with the gear those adventurous characters bring.”

At launch, Mini Match features four distinct game-play environments: Haunted Garden, Tower of Heroes, Underwater Lab and Alien Zoo. As they explore each setting, Mini Match players can interact with other “Mini-zens” by playing action-packed multiplayer games featuring characters from fan favorite shows such as Ben 10 and Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends. Players can chat with one another using a custom dictionary that allows only kid-appropriate words and phrases. By chatting, players can also work together to discover more about the overarching fantasy storyline of the Mini Match world and earn new avatar gear, some of which will help players navigate different parts of the Mini Match landscape.

About Cartoon Network New Media

Cartoon Network New Media is responsible for the production of Cartoon Network’s popular Web sites, which include CartoonNetwork.com, ToonamiJetstream.com, Awesomehouseparty.com and CartoonNetworkYa.com (the Spanish-language site for kids). These sites are some of the most popular entertainment sites in the world for kids, currently attracting an average of more than 5 million unique users each month in the United States (Nielsen//NetRatings). The top attraction is their roster of games, which drew more than 2 billion game plays in 2007. In addition, Cartoon Network New Media is the creative force behind Cartoon Network’s video-on-demand offerings, interactive TV and mobile offerings, which include partnerships with such major carriers as Sprint, AT&T and Verizon.

About Cartoon Network

Cartoon Network (CartoonNetwork.com), currently seen in more than 91 million U.S. homes and 160 countries around the world, is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.’s ad-supported cable service offering the best in original, acquired and classic animated entertainment for kids and families. Overnight from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday (ET, PT), Cartoon Network shares its channel space with Adult Swim, a late-night destination showcasing original and acquired animation for young adults 18-34.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

Contacts

mPRm Public Relations
Jessica Wolf
323-933-3399
JWolf {at} mprm(.)com
or
Cartoon Network
Tim DeClaire
404-575-9283
tim.declaire {at} turner(.)com