Activision making Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games

Activision has signed a multi-year deal with Nickelodeon to create games inspired by the new CG-animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series.

The company will publish the first of three planned Turtles games this summer, but the studio handling development duties and target platforms have yet to be revealed.

Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series follows the adventures of teenage brothers Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo as they learn to rely on themselves and bid to become heroes in a half-shell. It debuted last September in the U.S. and the following month in Europe. The first season would appear to have been warmly received as a 26-episode second series is due to begin airing later this year.

Activision Publishing vice president Kurt Niederloh said: "The fans of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are unique in that they span generations and are very passionate. We respect this passion and look forward to working with Nickelodeon to create games that embody the spirit of the property."

Sherice Torres, senior VP of entertainment products for Nickelodeon Consumer Products, added. "We are confident that these upcoming games will take gamers through interactive environments and action-packed adventures that truly capture the essence, tone and exciting elements of the Turtles."

Activision posted another impressive round of quarterly financial results last night, in which it announced that Diablo III sold over 12 million copies last year.