BBC to make show-based games

The BBC has announced plans to start creating computer games based on TV shows it owns, hiring a former Yahoo and Electronic Arts executive to head up development.

The news comes via MCV, who has confirmed that the games will be mostly targeted at platforms with mainstream appeal - namely the Wii, DS, iPhone and Facebook.

A full list of games hasn't yet been unveiled, but BBC spokespersons have said they are hoping to create games based on Doctor Who, Top Gear and In The Night Garden. You can pretty much guarantee that they'll be a 'Dancing with/on X, Y or Z' game too.

"We are open to conversations with anybody in games about all kinds of business models to see how we can extract more value," said children's and licensing MD Neil Ross Russell.

"What we’re trying to do is build the brands here - this is not about opportunistic licensing. If we wanted to do that we would have done more with these key brands over the last few years."

The initiative will be headed up by Robert Nashak, formerly of EA and Yahoo.

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