Jakks Pacific, Inc. announced a worldwide licensing agreement with Marvel Enterprises to market and distribute TV Games based on Marvel's Spider-Man property.  Jakks 'TV Games' allow users to play games on any TV set using a dedicated character-based hand-held device, which plugs into the A/V jacks of any standard television set.  The lightweight controller unit includes five original Spider-Man games, with all the hardware built right in to the controller.  Jakks expects its Spider-Man TV Game to retail for $20.  It will be available in the fourth quarter of 2004.

Once again Marvel demonstrates an uncanny ability to segment and subdivide its licenses.  Marvel recently licensed Electronic Arts to use Spider-Man in 'fighting games' (see 'Marvel, Electronic Arts in Joint Agreement') a move that evidently does not conflict with Marvel's licensing of Spidey to Activision, which has produced the most popular Marvel video game so far, featuring, you guessed it, Spider-Man.