MTV Networks plans to invest well over $500 million in video games, seeing them as a major pillar of growth in its goal to reach consumers wherever they spend time. The two-year investment programme is part of a global strategy to incorporate games development at the inception of all new programming plans and not as an afterthought, executives say.

“Games are critical,” said MTV Networks President of Global Digital Media Mika Salmi. Salmi joined MTV after parent company Viacom bought Atom Entertainment last year for $200 million.

“As we take our brands narrow and deep to serve our targeted, niche audiences, we’re putting well over $500 million behind building our games business across all of the brands in our portfolio,” MTV Chairman and Chief Executive Judy McGrath told Reuters. “I’d like to see more game applications on some of our current big brands across the music group,” McGrath said, referring to developing games based on the networks’ range of shows.

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