Additionally, Nickelodeon and family group EVP (digital media) Steve Youngwood said that a new virtual destination, World of Neopia (working title), is in production and expected to launch in the next year.

Nickelodeon will develop virtual destinations for kids, tweens, teens and families each year, while continuing to innovate upon the company's existing virtual worlds.

"For our audiences, virtual worlds are the convergence of gaming, entertainment and community online, and by announcing these new worlds, we are ensuring that our content pipeline is going to remain fresh and vibrant," Youngwood said.

World of Neopia will build upon the fundamental Neopets meta-game and its existing play patterns.

The new, multi-player geared toward tweens, but appealing to all ages, will include games, a community, in-world chat, and customisation, among other activities.

Players will be able to discover the deep story lines within Neopia as their Neopets explore the various Neopian lands.

Over the next few months, the Nicktropolis will add new environments such as a comic book store, pirate ship themed area and another centered on the new Nickelodeon series The Mighty B, from co-creators Amy Poehler, Cynthia True and Emmy and artist and writer, Erik Wiese.

A regionalized version of Nicktropolis will also launch in the U.K. in April.