Kapow! Riverdeep in DC Comics deal


15 May 2003

Irish e-learning firm Riverdeep has entered into an agreement with DC Comics to develop and distribute Batman edutainment CD-Rom games worldwide for the PC.

Under the terms of the deal, Riverdeep will ship two titles expected to be in stores in time for Christmas. The software will provide robust interactive gameplay and mystery games to boys aged 7 to 10. DC Comics is a division of Warner Bros. Entertainment Group.

“Kids’ entertainment software represents a large segment of the CD-Rom market and one in which our presence is steadily growing,” said Joe Roberts, president of worldwide products and marketing for Riverdeep. “We are thrilled to partner with DC Comics with this opportunity to deliver software products based on a well-known super hero,” continued Roberts.

DC Comics is home to other well known superhero characters, including Superman, Wonder Woman and Sandman. The company made its introduction in 1939 with the introduction of the classic Detective Comics. Batman, which has been thrilling comic readers for generations, is currently the number one comic book series in America.

“Batman is one of the world’s greatest and most recognisable super heroes, not to mention that he is known for his technological prowess,” said John Nee, DC Comics vice-president, business development. “He is the perfect partner for Riverdeep to develop superior ‘edutainment’ CD-Rom PC games.”

Riverdeep, which was for a while one of the darlings of Nasdaq and the Irish Stock Exchange, has been grappling with a management buyout, a move that was has recently approved by 86pc of the company’s shareholders.

By John Kennedy