SpongeBob SquarePants is primed for a slew of new interactive experiences thanks to a new multi-year licensing agreement between THQ and Nickelodeon that grants the video game publisher worldwide rights to develop and publish video games based on the franchise.

SpongeBob SquarePants has been the leading animated program among kids ages two to 11 for more than seven consecutive years and THQ will continue to role out SpongeBob titles for all video game platforms, including the Sony PlayStation3, Nintendo Wii and DS, and Microsoft Xbox 360. Slated for a 2011 release, the first game developed under the new deal will take advantage of the capabilities of the new Nintendo 3DS, THQ’s uDraw GameTablet for Wii and Kinect for Xbox 360.

THQ has been creating SpongeBob SquarePants gaming experiences for Nickelodeon for the past eight years, producing more than 29 million video game units of titles based on the character.