Gameloft has recently teamed up with Interplay to revive the classic franchise, Earthworm Jim, on WiiWare. Gameloft has signed a multi-year licensing agreement to develop, publish, and distribute the game. It is unknown if more than one game will be created from this agreement.

Interplay originally launched the Earthworm Jim series in 1994. The Sega Genesis version of Earthworm Jim was released last year on Virtual Console.

Gameloft plans to release an Earthworm Jim game on WiiWare in Q4 2009.

Gameloft and Interplay to Bring Earthworm Jim to Mobile Platforms and Downloadable Consoles

The Game Wiggles its Way on to Xbox Live Arcade, WiiWare(TM), PlayStation(R)Network and Mobile Devices

NEW YORK, August 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Gameloft, a leading developer and publisher of downloadable video games, today announced a multi-year licensing agreement with Interplay to develop, distribute and publish Earthworm Jim, a popular run and gun platform video game featuring an earthworm who dresses up in a Super Suit to fight evil. The game will make its way to mobile, WiiWare(TM), PlayStation Network, with an exclusive one month run on Xbox Live(R) Arcade.

"We are delighted to partner with Interplay to bring Earthworm Jim to multiple downloadable platforms," said Gonzague de Vallois, senior vice president, Gameloft. "The game, with its humorous and edgy style, is a great fit for today's gamer who craves a fully immersive experience that is fun and easily accessible. We look forward to delivering a fantastic game."

"Earthworm Jim resonates with millions of people worldwide and we are excited to have one of the best developers in the industry create this game for a new audience," said Herve Caen, CEO, Interplay. "Gameloft's creativity coupled with its innate knack for innovative games, makes us 100% confident that the result will be nothing short of stellar."

Initially released in 1994, Earthworm Jim's games garnered such a cult following that the character's popularity took him far beyond video games into an animated TV series, Toys and Comic books. Earthworm Jim centers around an ordinary earthworm who engages in normal worm activities- eating dirt, crawling and fleeing from hungry birds- that is until he comes across a high tech indestructible space suit. Jim takes refuge in the space suit while fleeing from hungry birds. The suit's powerful atomic particles cause him to grow and obtain newfound powers.

The game will be available in the last quarter of 2009. For the latest information on the game, follow Gameloft on our Twitter feed: http://www.twitter.com/Gameloft