Bourne is Back: New Home Edition


I have actually been too focused on my day job to post recently. Some the work was announced today, more will trickle out later.

Here is the announcement from EA:

Ludlum Entertainment Grants EA the Exclusive Video Game License for the Works of Robert Ludlum
02.02.09
Redwood City, Calif. - February 2, 2009 - Ludlum Entertainment has granted Electronic Arts, Inc (NASDAQ: ERTS) the exclusive worldwide license to create video games based on the works of Robert Ludlum, including the blockbuster Jason Bourne series. The first game to be released as part of the multi-year agreement is based on Jason Bourne and is currently in development with Starbreeze Studios in Uppsala, Sweden.

"Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne is the most exciting action hero to emerge in decades, thrilling audiences around the world," said Mike Quigley, group vice president of marketing, EA Games Label. "EA is excited to enter into a long-term relationship with Ludlum Entertainment, bringing the action, intrigue and intensity of Robert Ludlum's fiction to life for casual and core gamers around the globe."

"The continued global popularity of Robert Ludlum's works is a testament to the care he lavished on his characters and storylines," said Jeffrey Weiner, chairman and CEO of Ludlum Entertainment and executor of the Ludlum estate. "Robert Ludlum made thrilling stories accessible and real. EA has brought that same level of realism to the gaming world. We are confident EA‘s unparalleled production ability and marketing reach will establish the Jason Bourne Series in games as powerfully and successfully as it exists in books and film."

Ludlum Entertainment recently entered into a production deal with Universal Studios to produce films based on the dozens of books in the Robert Ludlum library, as well as films outside the library. The company currently has films in development at Universal, MGM, Paramount and with Summit Entertainment.

Video game veteran Matt Wolf will work with EA to oversee the creative development, production and positioning of the Ludlum Entertainment games portfolio. Ludlum entertainment was represented in the transaction by Keith Boesky of Boesky & Company.

Comments

Anonymous said…
congratulations to you and matt
February 3, 2009 at 11:12 AM
hmmm said…
hey keith, am so so happy for you. this is fantastic.
February 15, 2009 at 6:48 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Media is Reporting the Game Industry is Over: Why are They Such Babies Edition

Image
My posting continues to move at a glacial pace. For a while, there was nothing new to say. Then, all of sudden, the world exploded with new ideas and I had no time to write. I attribute the plethora of new ideas - things other than marketing gaffes, publishers' hosing of developers, the need for independent finance and the folks who are saying they have it or xBox becoming cable - as a reflection of increased sensitivity attributable to too much travel and too little sleep. But bubbles are growing, companies are reacting, and CEOs seem to be turning into either Chicken Little or ostriches with heads in the sand. Some of the new stuff floating around in my head is: - The abandonment of seasoned game designers in favor of metric driven design - catering to metrics let you keep more players, but are those players worth keeping? - The complete lack of game sales data for XBL and PSN - Do the platforms really think they are helping us by cloaking sales in a shroud of mystery? - Th...
Read more

The Game Business Is A Year From Irrelevance:Where are Our Easy Riders and Raging Bulls Edition

Image
Every time I told people in suits and ties - or my parents - I was in the game business, they started to talk about kids. They viewed our business as the toy business. Games are for children. This was when I pulled out my silver bullet. I had The ESA's (then IDSA) latest report showing the average age of gamers. I started when it was 27. The "average age" went up a year each year, but was still a neat statistic when I could say 30 or 31. Whether it was directed at a school parent or an audience at a conference, It inevitably led to a dropped jaw and a "wow, I didn't know that." The industry instantly became relevant to their business. I haven't really paid much attention to this number because my proselytizing for the business was taken over by outlets like the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek and USA Today, which all have a larger reach than this blog or my speaking engagements. But this past week I saw some slides for an ESA speech indicatin...
Read more

We Should All Want Brash to Work: They Can't Help Themselves Edition

Image
Writing this blog makes me a nicer person in business meetings. It is cathartic. Before the blog, something like Mitch Davis' interview with Gamedaily would set me off and dominate the first 10 minutes of the next meeting I had. Now, I can write it, get it out, and move on. Thank you dear reader for your help and indulgence. It also explains why the post is a bit on the snarky side. The whole thing could be avoided if Mr. Davis, the CEO of the company, took responsibility for the company's actions rather than shirking responsibility and holding tight to plans the market has already rejected. I want Brash to work. We should all want Brash to work. With coverage in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, everyone who would ever think about putting significant amounts of money into the game business saw their story. Never has a company name been so appropriate as theirs in describing their securing of capital and approach to the game business. If Brash make it, we ...
Read more