August
10, 2005 – Vivendi Universal Games (VU Games) today announced that
it has inked an exclusive global agreement to publish games based on the
literary works of Robert Ludlum, the acclaimed international thriller
novelist whose books have sold more than 290 million copies worldwide
and spawned the theatrical box office hits, The Bourne Identity and The
Bourne Supremacy.
The
long-term contract grants VU Games rights to develop, publish and
distribute multi-platform games based on the author's best-selling
series and related films, including Bourne and Covert One. Financial
terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
"We
are thrilled to have the opportunity to launch a new line of games
inspired by some of the most exciting spy-action franchises ever
created," said Bruce Hack, CEO of VU Games. "The interest in
Robert Ludlum's works is enormous, as evidenced by the worldwide
popularity and commercial success of his books and movies. VU Games
intends to
aggressively
establish Ludlum as a top tier games brand with high-quality franchises
poised to go head-to-head with other major spy-action games in the
industry."
"Properties
like Bourne and Covert One naturally lend themselves to video games, and
we are excited to bring Robert Ludlum's stories to life in a way that
has never been done before," said Jeffrey M. Weiner, CEO of Ludlum
Entertainment. "Our long-term partnership with VU Games underscores
our belief in the creativity and vision that the development team will
bring to these exciting new projects."
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Product
information on the Robert Ludlum titles publishing by VU Games will be
released at a later date.
Boesky
& Company in conjunction with Henry Morrison, Inc. represented
Ludlum Entertainment on the publishing agreement with VU Games.
About
Vivendi Universal Games
Vivendi
Universal Games (www.vugames.com) is a global developer, publisher and
distributor of multi-platform interactive entertainment. The company is
a leader in the subscription-based massively multi-player online (MMO)
games category, holds leading positions in the PC, console and handheld
games markets, and is an emerging player in mobile and wireless games.
Its development studios and publishing labels include Blizzard
Entertainment®, Radical Entertainment, Sierra® Entertainment, Massive
EntertainmentTM and Swordfish Studios. VU Games' library of over 700
titles features owned intellectual properties including Warcraft®,
StarCraft®, Diablo® and World of WarcraftTM from Blizzard
Entertainment; Crash Bandicoot®, Spyro The Dragon®, Empire Earth®,
Leisure Suit LarryTM, Ground Control® and Tribes®. VU Games also
maintains strategic relationships with industry leading content
partners, including Universal Music Group, NBC Universal, Twentieth
Century Fox and Ludlum Entertainment.