The MTV Networks’ Nickelodeon Kids and Family Group will invest $100 million in casual gaming over the next two years, primarily in 2008-09. The announcement was made in conjunction with a keynote by Steve Youngwood, the group’s EVP-digital media, at the Casual Connect gaming conference underway in Seattle where various companies are jockeying for attention. MTVN, which expanded its gaming with acquisitions like Neopets and Shockwave, wants to be viewed as “leading” in the multi-faceted game space; this is one way to make a lot of noise without another major acquisition.

Among the initiatives included in the investment:

Among the initiatives included in the investment :

-- the launch, planned for September, of ad-free subscription service myNoggin, being offered with cable companies Charter, Cox and Insight and through direct subscription online. 

-- The transition of Neopets to NeoStudios, which will focus on creating new virtual worlds and further developing existing ones. The first new launch is slated for the end of 2008 with “a goal” of launching a new one every other year.

-- The branding of Shockwave as “the” games destination for families. Somehow that includes new opportunities for “prominent integrated advertising.”

-- AddictingGames is getting into the casual MMOG business with AddictingWorlds.

-- The planned early 2008 launch of The-Ngames.com, dubbed “the first major casual gaming site to focus solely on teen girls.”

-- A subscription product for Nickelodeon called the Nick Gaming Club, “a safe gaming environment.”

-- 3D Slimeball. Now there’s the Nick we all know and love. Actually, it’s one of the multiplayer games for Nick.com. Nictropolis also gets multiplayer games.

The idea seems to be grab them as young as possible and keep them moving to various age-appropriate options.