Starbreeze helms new Bourne title as EA offers decade of espionage

by Stevie Smith - Feb 3 2009, 12:43

After watching Sierra Entertainment achieve a modicum of success with its recent Bourne Conspiracy videogame, industry heavyweight Electronic Arts has now decided the time is right to leap headlong into uncharted territory by investing heavily in Robert Ludlum’s world of fictional espionage.

More pointedly, EA has moved to align itself with Ludlum Entertainment following the estate’s decision to pick up the recently vacated videogame license for Robert Ludlum’s works. By doing so EA has agreed a substantial 10-year-deal that will result in the worldwide licensing and development of various videogame properties spawned by the famous novelist’s pen.

While likely looking to build a level of gamer popularity similar to that attributed to the Tom Clancy license, which has long-since been held by rival publisher Ubisoft, access to Ludlum’s properties will initially see EA creating a new Jason Bourne title via the talented development team at Sweden-based Starbreeze Studios (The Chronicles of Riddick series). 

According to Reuters, videogame veteran Matt Wolf, interactive creative advisor for the Ludlum estate, will be tasked with working alongside Electronic Arts in overseeing videogame development of the author’s properties.

Financial details connected to the deal have not been divulged. Robert Ludlum, a prolific fiction writer since the early 1970s, died in 2001 with some 25 thrillers to his name.

Around the Web