February 23, 2010
Ace Books Announces
Groundbreaking Novel Based on Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed II
Ace Books, an imprint of Penguin
Group (USA), and Ubisoft announced today a partnership that will bring together
the worlds of gaming and publishing in a unique collaboration to develop
Assassin’s Creed Renaissance, a new book based on Ubisoft‘s blockbuster video
game Assassin’s Creed II. Following the recent release of the book in the United
Kingdom, this partnership marks the first time that the book will be available
in the US. Assassin’s Creed Renaissance is based on the characters, setting and
actions of the game, and it expands on them to provide a standalone adventure
novel which will appeal to players of the game and newcomers alike.
“We’re excited to be working with
Penguin Group,” said Andy Swanson, senior director of consumer products at
Ubisoft. “Assassin’s Creed Renaissance will offer the public a new and exciting
way to experience the narrative world of Assassin’s Creed II. The book deal with
Penguin, along with the recent Assassin’s Creed Lineage short film Ubisoft
produced, is part of an ambitious strategy to bring the Assassin’s Creed
franchise to multiple entertainment media. We believe that these projects
developed in tandem with the games themselves provide the player with a truly
immersive experience into the Assassin’s Creed world.”
Assassin’s Creed is a
record-breaking video game franchise that has seduced millions since its release
in 2007. It became the fastest-selling new video game intellectual property ever
in the U.S., with more than nine million games sold worldwide for the first
title alone. The award-winning Assassin’s Creed II sequel continues to captivate
gamers and history-lovers alike.
“We’re incredibly excited to be
partnering with Ubisoft on a tie-in novel to Assassin’s Creed II,” said Leslie
Gelbman, president of Mass Market Paperbacks at Penguin Group (USA). “Our
previous collaborations on novels based on several of Ubisoft’s video game
franchises under the Tom Clancy’s umbrella have all been New York Times
bestsellers. We’re sure that Assassin’s Creed Renaissance will be equally
successful.”
Assassin’s Creed Renaissance will be
released in premium mass market format on February 23rd. The Assassin’s Creed II
video game was released on November 17, 2009 and is currently available in
stores.