Codemasters Signs Wii/DS ‘Ology Book Deal

Officials from British publisher and developer Codemasters have announced details of a worldwide licensing agreement with Templar Publishing, to create a series of video games for the Wii and Nintendo DS based on the popular faux encyclopedic Dragonology, Wizardology and Pirateology books. Over 14 million copies have been sold in the ‘Ology series, which presents fictional details of dragons, wizards and pirates. The books feature detailed imaginary backgrounds and histories, as well as expansive artwork and pop-up book style features. Each of the three core books will be turned into a video game each, exclusively for the Wii and Nintendo DS. The two versions will be notably different, with the Wii games centering on action gameplay and the Nintendo DS games taking the form of an interactive book. Dragonology is expected to be released for both formats in the second half of next year. "Extending Codemasters' reach in the family entertainment category, this alliance with Templar further demonstrates the continued growth and diversification of our portfolio," said Barry Jafrato, senior vice president of brand at Codemasters. "The Ology book brand is a powerful contemporary franchise and we always seek to work with high caliber creative partners," commented Richard Scrivener, commercial and operations director at Templar Publishing. "Right from the outset, we were impressed by the combination of Codemasters' passion for the product and their global reach."