Cartoon Network is powering of a connected, original world which weaves TV and gaming together with the greenlight of animated action series OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes, plus an integrated console/PC game jointly developed with indie studio Capybara Games. The game, an action brawler with RPG elements, will be previewed at PAX East on March 10.
Created by Ian Jones-Quartey and produced by Cartoon Network Studios, OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes is set in Lakewood Plaza, a mall for heroes, where K.O. and his cool crew are ever trying to outdo each other by leveling up to overcome the obstacles their evil foe, Lord Boxman, sends their way in his schemes to destroy the Plaza. The series will be sneak-peeked at SXSW on March 13, and is set to premiere this summer in the US before rolling out worldwide.
“For me, video games and animation have a lot in common and having fun is the main goal,
Said Jones-Quartey. “OK K.O.! is a video game-inspired world expressed through the language of animation, but mostly an adventurous playground with heart-warming heroes who battle against robots.”
To build the concept’s highly-developed world, Cartoon Network opened the door to the gaming and creative communities to produce custom multiplatform content. At a Game Jam last year, indie developers created original games based on the characters. This was followed by an Animation Jam, where college undergrads crafted 15-second shorts using the IP.
Last year, a standalone mobile game OK K.O.! Lakewood Plaza Turbo, based on Jones-Quartey’s short from Cartoon Network’s Emmy-winning artist program, was launched.
“This combined launch marks the culmination of a unique multimedia development process,” said Rob Sorcher, Chief Content Officer for Cartoon Network. “The result is an entirely connected world which provides deeper satisfaction as fans get further into the property from every access point.”
Jones-Quartey joined Cartoon Network in 2010 as a storyboard artist on Secret Mountain Fort Awesome. Most recently, he was co-executive producer on Emmy-nominated series Steven Universe. He is an alumnus of the School of Visual Arts in New York City.
