As part of its celebration of the massive multiplayer online game EVERQUEST, Sony Online Entertainment Inc. has announced a deal with CDS Books that will bring the EVERQUEST universe to print in a series of novels edited by NEW YORK TIMES bestselling novelist R.A. Salvatore. The novels will be published several times a year (beginning with summer 2004) using a selection of characters and settings from the award-winning game.
Throughout the novels, EVERQUEST players will also discover game-enhancing strategies built into the plot twists. Salvatore, Sony Online Entertainment and CDS will select writers for the project, and Salvatore will act as the exec editor for the book series. EVERQUEST game designers will work with the authors as well to maintain a connection between the game and the books.
"I first walked into the EVERQUEST universe more than four years ago, and I quickly realized that this was a world with countless stories to tell," said Salvatore. "Now I get to explore Norrath all over again, through the eyes of other great storytellers, and I cant wait!" "These novels will enrich the gameplay experience for EVERQUEST players by adding new dimensions to popular characters across the EVERQUEST world, said Steve Black, publisher of CDS Books. "Our goal is to have standalone books that complement and enhance the games and we couldnt have conceived of better partners to help achieve our goal than Bob Salvatore and Sony Online Entertainment."
"R.A. Salvatore is an icon in the fantasy genre, having penned dozens of novels that bring readers into distant worlds that otherwise only appear in ones imagination," said Michael Lustenberger, director of product marketing, Sony Online Entertainment Inc. "Working with Salvatore and CDS Books ensures that these EVERQUEST novels will bring the magic of the EVERQUEST universe to life in an entirely new medium."
Salvatore is best known as the creator of the dark elf, Drizzt, one of the fantasy genres most beloved characters, as well as the author of 13 NEW YORK TIMES bestsellers, including THE HALFINGS GEM, SOJOURN and the immensely popular novelization of the latest STAR WARS film, STAR WARS EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES.
Since its launch on March 16, 1999, EVERQUEST and its expansions have sold more than 2.5 million copies worldwide and continues to be one of the gaming industrys biggest and most influential titles. Translated into seven languages, with a global player base of more than 420,000 people, Everquest is one of the largest online fantasy worlds ever created.
Sony Online Entertainment Inc. (SOE), a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Digital Inc., is a recognized worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online games, with a subscriber base of more than 700,000 active accounts around the globe. SOE creates, develops and provides entertainment for the personal computer, online, game console and wireless markets. The company is headquartered in San Diego, California, with an additional development studio in Austin, Texas.
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