THQ confirms Wii launch quartet

Gamers eager to take home a Wii the day it first hits retail are getting a better idea of which games they may be able to bring home with it, because today another publisher revealed its launch-day contributions. However, those looking for violent games about gangsters, espionage, or World War II may be a bit let down.

THQ, which has found retail success with its games based on children's properties, is holding with its strategy for its contribution to the Wii's launch. The publisher confirmed four titles for the system that will be available on November 19, the day the console launches in the US, and each one has been given a family-friendly E-for-Everyone rating.

The four games are Rainbow Studios' Cars (based on the Pixar Studios film of the same name), Avatar: The Last Airbender and Blitz Games' SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab (both based on Nickelodeon cartoons), and the film-to-game adaptation Barnyard.

THQ vice president of worldwide marketing Kelly Flock said, "As the number-one third-party publisher of software across all Nintendo gaming systems, THQ's library of popular mass-market brands aligns perfectly with Nintendo's strategy of creating fun and accessible experiences for the new Wii system."

The four games from THQ up the number of North American launch titles for the Wii to more than two dozen. Nintendo previously stated that approximately 30 Wii games would be on store shelves by the end of the year.

THQ has not yet confirmed retail prices for any of the games.