Agoura Hills, Calif. - Video game publisher THQ (NASD: THQI) announced on Wednesday that it has acquired Elephant Entertainment, a developer of casual and online games.

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

THQ plans to launch more than 20 new casual and online games this year under the Elephant brand; the Minneapolis, Minn.-based studio has produced titles including "Cake Mania" and "Flour Power."

THQ also announced an exclusive worldwide publishing deal with casual games publisher Oberon Media, and will bring the company's owned and licensed content -- including its "Dream Day" franchise -- to major gaming platforms.

Oberon is set to release author James Patterson's "Women's Murder Club: Death in Scarlet" online in May, which Elephant will now distribute at retail in the fall.

THQ also said it will provide retail support for the custom online casual game communities and download platforms created by Oberon for retail partners.

Related Links:
http://snipurl.com/23acw

http://www.elephant-entertainment.com

http://www.oberon-media.com

http://www.thq.com