Two for GameCube and two for GBA.
SHONEN JUMP's NARUTO Coming To North America!
D3Publisher of America & TOMY Corporation
Announce Co-Publishing Agreement For
Nintendo GameCube™ & Game Boy®Advance
Four Games To Be Released Based on Mega Hit Ninja Series
LOS ANGELES - Oct. 17, 2005 - D3Publisher of America, Inc. (D3PA), a
publisher and developer of interactive entertainment software, today
announced a North American co-publishing agreement with TOMY Corporation for
video games based on VIZ Media's hit anime series - SHONEN JUMP's NARUTO.
The agreement calls for the release of four games: one title each for the
Nintendo GameCube™ and Game Boy® Advance in early 2006, and in the second
half of 2006.
Featured exclusively in the monthly SHONEN JUMP Magazine, NARUTO adventures
by creator Masashi Kishimoto are read by over 750,000 readers in the US.
NARUTO stories are also available in graphic novels from VIZ Media at
bookstores and retailers nationwide. NARUTO recently debuted on Cartoon
Network in the US and YTV in Canada, achieving phenomenal launch ratings
with Kids 6-11 and Tweens 9-14. In Japan, since publication began in 1999 in
Weekly Shonen Jump, and based on the manga's popularity, the anime made its
debut on TV TOKYO in 2002. Since then, NARUTO has become one of the most
popular animated shows achieving immense success as a TV title as well as a
licensed property for toys, trading card games and video games.
"The co-publishing agreement with TOMY represents an excellent opportunity
for D3PA to leverage a superb property in SHONEN JUMP's NARUTO," commented
Yoji Takenaka, executive vice president and COO for D3PA. "The success of
NARUTO in Japan has eclipsed the Dragonball Z franchise, so we are looking
forward to these releases in North America and the prospect of working with
VIZ Media and TOMY."
NARUTO takes place in a world where ninja hold the ultimate power. Infused
with the spirit of a once fearsome Nine-Tailed Fox, Naruto Uzumaki is a
ninja-in-training who is learning the art of Ninjutsu with his classmates
Sakura and Sasuke. The trio studies under the instruction of their teacher,
Kakashi, who helps the group face dangerous and daunting tests and
challenges. Through their adventures, the young ninjas learn the importance
of friendship, teamwork, loyalty, hard work, creativity, ingenuity, and
right versus wrong.
"We already knew we had a potential hit on our hands based on our experience
with NARUTO in Japan" said Isamu Takahashi, Managing Director & Chief
International Operating officer of TOMY Company, Ltd. "However, we needed
to translate not only the games, but the compelling qualities of the NARUTO
property. We met with many publishers in the U.S. and were impressed by
D3Publisher of America's knowledge of interactive entertainment, awareness
and enthusiasm for TOMY's Naruto titles and the enthusiasm with which they
pursued the arrangement. We are confident that along with VIZ Media and
Nintendo, the partnership with D3PA will recreate in North America the
phenomenal success NARUTO enjoyed in Japan."
A smash-hit when originally released in Japan, TOMY and D3PA will release
several of the popular titles in 2006 including: NARUTO: Clash of Ninja
(Gekito Ninja Taisen) and NARUTO: Clash of Ninja 2: (Gekito Ninja Taisen 2)
for the Nintendo GameCube™ and NARUTO: Ninja Council (Saikyuo Ninja
Daikesshu) and an additional title for Game Boy® Advance.