BBC Worldwide dropped a rather large bomb for Doctor Who fans today. Through a new partnership with game developer Three Rings, the pair plans to bring a new free-to-play multiplayer online Doctor Who game to fans. Doctor Who has been dazzling fans since the 1960s with his time-traveling TARDIS, but since the shows re-imagining in 2005, it has gone through three new actors for the Doctor character: Christopher Eccleston (Ninth Doctor), David Tennant (Tenth Doctor) and Matt Smith (Eleventh Doctor), fighting off several enemies like the Cybermen, Daleks, and countless others.

The game titled, Doctor Who: Worlds in Time, will allow players to enter the TARDIS and be challenged by the Time Lord Doctor to help defend civilized culture against several infamous Doctor Who enemies. Check out the full announcement below.

BBC WORLDWIDE and THREE RINGS Join forces for FIRST EVER DOCTOR WHO MULTIPLAYER ONLINE GAME

Los Angeles - February 24, 2011 - Leading up to the San Francisco Game Developers Conference (GDC), BBC Worldwide today announced a major new partnership with game developer Three Rings to create BBC Worldwide’s first ever free-to-play multiplayer online game centered around blockbuster drama television show, Doctor Who.

For the first time ever, players from around the world will be able to follow in the footsteps of the eccentric and brilliant Doctor by travelling through time and space, exploring new worlds and encountering many alien races, both friend and foe. Titled Doctor Who: Worlds in Time,  the game allows players to enter the TARDIS and be set a challenge by the mysterious Time Lord to help him defend civilized culture against infamous Doctor Who enemies.

Robert Nashak, EVP Digital Entertainment at BBC Worldwide says, “Doctor Who: Worlds in Time will be a free-to-play multiplayer online game that invites players to save the universe by using their wits to solve time-bending puzzles and pulse-pounding challenges. Three Rings is the ideal team for this groundbreaking creative partnership.  Not only are they visionaries in the online gaming space, they are lifelong Doctor Who fans with a passion for delivering the level of quality that our players will expect and deserve.”  

Daniel James, CEO Three Rings says, "Three Rings is delighted and honored to have the opportunity to create an online game based on Doctor Who. Our goal with 'Words in Time' is to capture the imaginative spirit and depth of the series, whilst being fun and easy to play for all ages.”

Doctor Who: Worlds in Time is developed to be both highly engaging and fun, allowing players to socialize and foster genuine cooperation, building a global community where fans worldwide will now be able to experience firsthand the exciting action and adventure synonymous with Doctor Who.  Development is well underway and is expected to launch later this year.

Doctor Who is one of BBC Worldwide’s flagship brands, and is increasingly popular around the globe. The program in its current incarnation has been sold to over 50 territories worldwide and debuted to a record audience on BBC AMERICA. The show has a proud award-winning history, with over 65 awards including BAFTA’s for Best Drama and Best Writer, and it also holds the Guinness World Record for Most Successful Sci-Fi show of all time. On top of this, the brand now has over 55 licensees signed in the UK alone. In 2010, Doctor Who Live played to over 130,000 fans across the UK, and the Doctor Who Experience just opened to fans at London’s Olympia. In 2010, the first ever Doctor Who gaming app, Doctor Who: Mazes of Time was released and featured as iPad ‘Game of the Week’ on launch as well as Doctor Who: The Adventure Games which is available for PC download. 

Both BBC Worldwide and Three Rings will be available at the Game Developers Conference next week.

About BBC Worldwide:

BBC Worldwide Limited is the main commercial arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The company exists to maximise the value of the BBC’s assets for the benefit of the licence fee payer and invest in public service programming in return for rights. The company has six core businesses: Channels, Content & Production, Sales & Distribution, BBC Magazines, Home Entertainment and Global Brands. In 2009/10, BBC Worldwide generated profits of £145 million (operating profit before specific items) on sales of £1074 million (including Group revenue and the Group’s share of joint-ventures’ revenue).

About Three Rings:

Three Rings is an independent game company dedicated to making innovative and engaging online games that bring joy to a wide audience. The company was founded in 2001 and launched Puzzle Pirates in 2003.  The company is based in San Francisco, with offices in a steampunk submarine. The company also has tentacles in Philadelphia, PA, and Madison, WI.