Horrible Histories range
Slitherine to devise games based on the kids' books series.
Slitherine is pleased to announce that it has signed a worldwide licensing agreement with The Copyrights Group to develop Horrible Histories™ games, for platforms such as PC, DS and Wii. The deal, brokered by Chorion’s new media consultants, AT Brands (a division of AT New Media), will see the games ready for release in time for Spring 2009.
With international book sales of over 20 million copies since 1993, Horrible Histories™ is one of the world’s bestselling history book series for children. By focusing on the bits kids don’t get taught at school, author Terry Deary and illustrator Martin Brown have made history entertaining and accessible for generations of children. Used within a computer game, that ethos is set to provide families with the ideal entertainment – and learning – experience.
“The Horrible Histories books offer a wealth of written and illustrative material for Slitherine Strategies to work with and bring the brand to life off the page,” commented Zoe Upcraft, Licensing Manager at Chorion. “This interactive deal complements the TV deal agreed last year between Scholastic Entertainment and Lion TV. Lion TV will produce 13 live action episodes broadcast by the BBC next Spring.”
Lisa Edwards, Editorial Director, Non-Fiction and Licensed Properties, at Scholastic said: “Slitherine are experts in historical computer gaming and we are delighted to have found the right home for our brand. Die-hard Horrible Histories fans have been waiting for an exciting gaming extension of the brand – and if we can attract children who are primarily gamers to the books then that will indeed be a bonus.”
Marco Minoli, Director of Marketing at Slitherine said: “Extending our line-up of interactive games based on History to new frontiers is our main objective. Exploring this very specific sector, to bring a different type of fun and entertainment to this great brand through videogames is one of our most exciting ventures for next year. This is a great opportunity to show how we are able to work with such a powerful property.”
Simon Kay Business Development Director at AT New Media added, "Once again the AT Brands division has been able to be creative in its thinking in bringing together two like-minded companies who can fully exploit the interactive games potential of the Horrible Histories brand. It has been a pleasure working on this initiative and bringing Slitherine and Scholastic together on what we hope will be a tremendously successful project”.
Copyright Slitherine® 2008
History Makes You.
[About Slitherine] -Slitherine is a privately funded and independent UK developer and publisher. Slitherine is dedicated to bringing highly playable and approachable strategy games to the mass market with a specific dedication to history of all ages. Slitherine Software is uniquely placed to deliver due to its experience within the industry and also the wider gaming community.
Internet site - www.slitherine.com
For Press Enquiry, please contact: press@slitherine.co.uk
[About Horrible Histories] -Horrible Histories™ is the world’s best-selling history series for children. The first books were published in 1993 and the series has gone on to sell over 20 million copies globally, in 37 countries and 31 languages. By focusing on the “nasty bits” of history, author Terry Deary’s irreverent humour and Martin Brown’s witty cartoons have made history accessible and entertaining for children of all ages.
Internet site - www.horrible-histories.co.uk
[About Scholastic] -Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL) is the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books and a leader in educational technology. Scholastic creates quality educational and entertaining materials and products for use in school and at home, including children's books, magazines, technology-based products, teacher materials, television programming, film, videos and toys. The Company distributes its products and services through a variety of channels, including proprietary school-based book clubs, school-based book fairs, and school-based and direct-to-home continuity programms; retail stores, schools, libraries, and television networks; and the Company's Internet Site Internet site - www.scholastic.com.
For Press Enquiry please contact Alyx Price -Group PR Director -aprice@scholastic.co.uk -+44 (0)207 756 7777
[About Scholastic Media] -Scholastic Media (SM), the entertainment and media division of Scholastic, is a leading producer of quality, family-oriented content across multiple platforms, including feature films, television programming, videos, interactive and audio products, and web sites, and is a major developer and marketer of children's brands worldwide.
[About Chorion] -Chorion is a leading provider of quality family entertainment for the global marketplace. Chorion brings a combination of brand management savvy and creative vision to the development of literary copyrights across all media. Chorion’s portfolio includes classic children’s brands such as Mr. Men and Little Miss, Beatrix Potter, Paddington, Noddy, OLIVIA, and The World of Eric Carle as well as art and lifestyle brands such as Country Diary and Rough Guides. Chorion also owns and manages the literary works of Agatha Christie, Raymond Chandler and Georges Simenon, among others. Chorion’s new animated television productions include The Mr. Men Show; Famous Five: On the Case, co-produced with Marathon Media; and OLIVIA, destined for Nickelodeon (US) and Five’s Milkshake! Spring 2009. Chorion’s hit Noddy series continues to air on leading broadcasters around the world. Perennial favourite drama series Agatha Christie’s Marple and Poirot were co-produced with ITV in the UK and PBS in the US. Chorion acquired The Copyrights Group Ltd, a leading independent licensing business, in November 2007. Chorion has offices in London, New York, Tokyo and Sydney. For more information, please visit Internet site - www.chorion.co.uk
For Press Enquiry please contact Hannah Aspey, Energy PR -hannah@energypr.co.uk -+44 (0)1993 823011
[About AT New Media] -AT New Media is a licensing agency and consultancy, offering a comprehensive range of services to brand owners, content providers and merchandise licensees. AT New Media is positioned at the junction where new media meets brand licensing, offering a high level of expertise and experience in some of the most rapidly evolving new interactive platforms including Mobile Phones, the Internet, Digital interactive TV (DiTV) and Videogames. AT New Media is achieving worldwide critical acclaim for its performance in this sector for both brand owners and content licensees alike.
For Press Enquiry please contact Maribel Pascual -Maribel@atnewmedia.com -+44 (0)845 363 7162
Copyright Slitherine® 2008