The rights to develop, publish and distribute games based on Ludlum's works were previously held by Vivendi Games, now Activision Blizzard following the December 2007 combination of Vivendi Games, Vivendi's Blizzard Entertainment and Activision. In June 2008, Sierra Entertainment, a division of Vivendi Games, launched the critically-acclaimed Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Conspiracy for the Playstation 3 computer entertainment system and Microsoft's Xbox360 videogame and entertainment system.
Ludlum Entertainment's reacquisition of the rights to develop games based on Ludlum's literary works comes at an ideal time for the company -- the international success of Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Conspiracy coupled with continued, dramatic changes in the gaming industry enable Ludlum Entertainment to develop new partnerships capable of fully exploiting the multi-platform potential of the Ludlum content and storylines.
"Robert Ludlum's thrilling stories hold vast international appeal and with their successful translation to both the big screen and the game console, they represent the backbone of one of the leading multi-media entertainment franchises in existence today," said Jeffrey Weiner, Chairman & CEO of Ludlum Entertainment and Executor of the late-author's estate. "Our colleagues at Vivendi Games did a tremendous job of capturing the spirit and allure of Robert Ludlum's writing with The Bourne Conspiracy and the gaming community's strong response is clear indication that future Ludlum games will deliver both popularity and profitability for years to come.
"Robert Ludlum's works are an ideal vehicle for realizing the promise of multi-platform gaming and capitalizing on the accelerated migration from personal computers and game consoles to a wide variety of mobile devices, online multiplayer games and social media applications," continued Weiner. "We look forward to working with innovative partners in the gaming community and new investors to further extend the reach and appeal of Robert Ludlum's stories and to help write the next chapter for this powerful and timeless entertainment franchise."