Naruto 360-bound in 2007

Since its 1999 debut in Shonen Jump magazine, Naruto has become a full-blown phenomenon. Besides the original manga series, the eponymous hyperactive ninja's adventures have spawned two movies and a wildly popular anime series, which currently airs Fridays and Saturdays on the Cartoon Network.

Naturally, there have also been a bunch of Naruto games--more than a dozen at last count. However, the majority have been Japan-only releases, with just a few, such as Naruto: Clash of Ninja (GameCube), making it to North American shores.

Pouncing on an untapped market, Ubisoft announced today it has signed a deal with VIZ Media, owner of the North American Naruto license. Under the terms of the deal, the French publisher will internally develop a Naruto game for the Xbox 360 for release in the entire Western Hemisphere in 2007.

"Naruto is a huge hit around the world, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to develop a game that will bring this exciting character to life," said Christian Salomon, worldwide licensing director at Ubisoft. "Naruto is part of a wave of Japanese manga and anime that appeals to kids and adolescents alike."

Interestingly, the Ubisoft deal does not extend to Japan, where Naruto games are currently published by Namco Bandai Games. The most recent entry into the series, the fighting game Naruto: Ultimate Ninja, was developed by CyberConnect2 and released in Japan last October. It will arrive in the US in June.