Assassin’s Creed Novel Incoming

09 Nov 2009 at 10:54:21 by Andy Alderson

Ubisoft has struck a deal with publisher Penguin Books to release a novel based on the story from Assassin’s Creed 2.

The novel, Assassin’s Creed Renaissance by Oliver Bowden, is due for release at the end of month, just days after the launch of the game.

The deal marks a move by Penguin to tap into the UK’s lucrative gaming industry

"The gaming industry in the UK is worth around £4.2bn,”Penguin’s Alex Clarke told The Guardian.

“The book industry is worth significantly less, and as publishers we have to try and find new ways of reaching new readers and partnering with new media platforms.".

Clarke believes the setting of the game, in renaissance Italy, will attract fans of historical fiction to the novel as well as video game fans.

“Ubisoft have crafted a brilliant storyline with superbly realised characters, which translates seamlessly into a wonderfully fast-paced and enthralling historical thriller,” he said.

“For Penguin this dovetails perfectly with the appetite of historical fiction fans.”

Clarke added that while the deal is, by his own admission, a “bit of a punt” that the relationship between games and books could flourish as ebook technology improves.

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