Puffin Launch Young Bond Alternate Reality Game: 'The Shadow War'

Puffin Books today announced an exciting James Bond first: The Shadow War, an alternate reality game based upon Charlie Higson’s bestselling Young Bond novels.

The launch precedes the publication of the fifth novel in Higson’s series, By Royal Command, which hits bookstores on 3 September.

The Shadow War was penned by Higson, who will launch the game on 23 August. In the meantime, you can register online at the official Shadow War website: www.youngbondshadowwar.com.

Wikipedia describes an alternate reality game as “an interactive narrative that uses the real world as a platform, often involving multiple media and game elements, to tell a story that may be affected by participants’ ideas or actions.”

Alternate reality games are increasingly being used as a tool to engage fan bases of films, television programs and video games. Well known examples include Halo 2‘s ilovebees and a trio of alternate reality games based on television’s Lost.

The full press release follows.

A first for Puffin and Young Bond
Groundbreaking alternate reality game launched

– The Shadow War –
www.youngbond.com

Today (Monday 11th August 2008) Puffin Books announces a new Young Bond alternate reality game, The Shadow War on www.youngbond.com. This groundbreaking game is the first alternate reality game made specifically for children around books. The launch will precede publication of the fifth book in Charlie Higson’s best-selling Young Bond series, By Royal Command, on 3rd September 2008.

The Shadow War is a gripping interactive online game which will put Young Bond fans in the shoes of a British SIS agent or a Soviet OGPU spy. They will embark on a story that spans seven missions over seven weeks. The game starts on the 23rd August, when Charlie Higson will set the first mission during his appearance at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. Players around the world will use a range of media, including the Young Bond books themselves and the worldwide web, to complete the missions and influence the outcome of the game.

Written by Charlie Higson and developed by specialist creators of alternate reality games Six to Start, The Shadow War is an innovative combination of reading, story-telling and online gaming. It is designed for children aged 9 plus, but can be enjoyed by adults too, and is played free of charge. Set within the Young Bond world, the game will allow fans to explore familiar locations and see memorable characters from the series – including James Bond himself.

Charlie Higson comments, “I’m really excited about this new Young Bond game, which offers a parallel experience to reading the books. As it is a perfect combination of game playing and poking about on the internet, it’s right up my street. My only regret is that I won’t be able to play it myself as I have been so closely involved in the design of it!”

From 11th August 2008, fans can sign up to play the game by visiting www.youngbond.com. The game culminates on 8th October with a live event, hosted on the game site and featuring Charlie Higson, in which players will be able to ask questions and influence the end of the game.

Adrian Hon, Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer, Six to Start comments, “The Shadow War is the first alternate reality game aimed at children, allowing players to enter the world of Young Bond. Fans of the books will have an unprecedented opportunity to see the places they’ve read about and find out more about the key characters. It’s one of the first games to cross over with such a famous and popular series, and to take place entirely on the web, for free.”

The Shadow War will appeal to the huge online gaming and Bond communities as well as the thirty-five thousand members of The Danger Society – the Young Bond fan club on www.youngbond.com.

Emily Cox, Marketing Manager, Puffin Books comments, “Children are increasingly spending their time online for their entertainment and information. With The Shadow War Puffin is taking the lead in creating an opportunity for young people to interact with one of our biggest brands in a unique and innovative way online. We are taking our books directly to young readers.”

The Shadow War

The seven missions will take the intrepid player through adventures in the world of Young Bond: from discovering who escaped the fire at SilverFin‘s Hellebore Castle to tracking a ship down in the Royal Docks, uncovering a secret code in a bookshop where a gruesome murder has taken place and revealing the mysterious passenger of an airship crossing the Alps.

Each mission will take up to an hour to complete and players can join and leave at any point, as well as change sides. At the end of each mission there will be a mission debrief before the next is set.

Six to Start

The Shadow War has been developed by specialist, cutting-edge alternate reality game creators Six to Start, working closely with Charlie Higson and Puffin Books.

Dan Hon, Co-founder and CEO of Six to Start has been at the forefront of alternate reality gaming since its inception in 2001, when he co-moderated the groundbreaking online community Cloudmakers, formed to play The Beast, Microsoft’s production for AI. Dan was one of the UK’s first bloggers.

Adrian Hon, Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of Six to Start, is one of the world’s leading alternate reality game designers, having been influential in the genre since its birth. Previously, Adrian was Director of Play at Mind Candy, where he designed and produced Perplex City, the world’s first commercially successful alternate reality game.

Penguin has previously worked with Six to Start on the digital fiction initiative We Tell Stories, which saw more than 150,000 people visiting the website during the six weeks it ran.

Charlie Higson

Charlie Higson is author of five Young Bond books which have, to date, sold over three-quarters of a million copies and been translated into 24 different languages.

The Young Bond titles are included in a recent list of books compiled by the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the School Libraries Association to encourage school boys to read (www.boysintobooks.co.uk). Charlie also contributed to the World Book Day / Evans Schools competition this year which challenged children across the country to write their own short stories.

Full quote from Charlie Higson:

“People often ask me what my working day is. I tell them I do regular office hours, a strict nine to five at my computer. What I don’t always tell them is that far too much of that ‘working’ day is spent playing games on my computer and poking around on the internet. By playing online you are playing against real people, not the computer, and it adds a very exciting and addictive edge. Playing computer games is often dismissed as a solitary, antisocial activity, but playing online with other people is surprisingly social. I’ve seen how my own boys play games – sharing with their mates, talking to each other over headsets, chatting about tactics on the way to school, typing messages during game play with enviable speed and accuracy. Actually playing games is a very communal activity. Paying ARG games is even more sociable as it requires players to share information and work together to solve clues and move forward.

“I’m really excited about this new Young Bond game, which offers a parallel experience to reading the books. As it is a perfect combination of game playing and poking about on the internet, it’s right up my street. My only regret is that I won’t be able to play it myself as I have been so closely involved in the design of it!”

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for all the latest developments of this exciting Young Bond event.

'Quantum of Solace' Game – Collector's Edition

Following up the announcement of pre-order links for Activision’s Quantum of Solace last month, CommanderBond.net has now come across something new on Amazon.com.

In addition to the regular listings for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms (which retail for $59.99 each), there are also listings on these two platforms only for a Collector’s Edition of Quantum of Solace.

While details are very limited at the moment, this collector’s edition has an earlier US release date of 28 October 2008. In addition, the retail price is $69.99 for each platform.

• Order the Quantum of Solace Collector’s Edition (Playstation 3) from Amazon.com
• Order the Quantum of Solace Collector’s Edition (Xbox 360) from Amazon.com

CBn will keep you updated as more information is released. Just keep your eyes on the main page for all the latest coverage of Activision’s debut James Bond 007 game.

Quantum of Solace will be released on 31 October in the UK and 4 November in the US on the following formats: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Playstation 2, Nintendo DS and Windows PC.

'Casino Royale' Collector's Edition Available For US Pre-order

The three-disc Collector’s Edition DVD and Blu-ray disc release of Casino Royale is now available for pre-order in the US.

This brand new release is slated to hit stores on 21 October 2008, just a few weeks before Daniel Craig’s second James Bond film, Quantum of Solace, debuts in theatres.

The three-disc Casino Royale Collector’s Edition will retail for $29.95 (DVD) and $38.96 (Blu-ray). Both formats are currently available to pre-order (although Amazon.com currently has the Blu-ray version mistakenly labeled as a DVD).

• Order the Casino Royale Collector’s Edition (DVD) from Amazon.com
• Order the Casino Royale Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray) from Amazon.com

Casino Royale Three-Disc Collector’s Edition
Complete CommanderBond.net Coverage
Latest news, cover artwork, worldwide release dates, ordering details, special features and more.

Stay tuned to the CommanderBond.net main page for the most up-to-date and complete coverage of this Casino Royale Collector’s Edition DVD/Blu-ray release.

"The Suantum of Quolace (Did I get it confused?)"

It’s a slow news day at CBn Towers, so we present you with the efforts of BBC 6 Music DJs Adam and Joe, who this week, as part of a feature called Song Wars, delivered their submissions for the Quantum of Solace theme song.

“Sometimes I wish Roger Moore would come back
With an underwater car or some kind of jetpack
Or a hover gondola and a Union Jack.”

– Joe Cornish’s theme song

“I want a quantum of solace
But no more than a quantum
I know they do big bags of solace
But I don’t want ’em.”

– Adam Buxton’s theme song

Check out their hilarious efforts at the James Bond title track on the BBC 6 Music website.

You can also watch the video to Joe’s song below.

Jack White and Alicia Keys have their work cut out for them.

'Quantum of Solace' Now Slated For 31 October In France And Sweden

As post-production continues on the 22nd James Bond film, Quantum of Solace, a few of its worldwide release dates have shifted around.

The two biggest changes are for France and Sweden, where Daniel Craig’s second 007 adventure is now scheduled to open on 31 October 2008, on par with the UK release. The film was previously slated for a 5 November and 7 November release, respectively, in those two countries.

Minor date changes have also occurred for Bahrain and Oman. For the full, up-to-date listing of worldwide release dates for Quantum of Solace, click here for CommanderBond.net’s overview.

Keep watching the CBn main page for the most up-to-date and complete coverage of Quantum of Solace.

"It's kind of locked in this no-man's land."

VideoGamer.com have scored a massive interview with Rare’s senior software engineer, Nick Burton, in which he discusses the status of the much-touted Xbox LIVE Arcade version of the studio’s classic James Bond shooter, GoldenEye 007.

Microsoft had previously indicated that Nintendo was at the heart of the holdup of the revamped game’s release, with the company reportedly against GoldenEye appearing on Microsoft’s console.

“The ball’s not in anybody at Rare’s court really,” Burton said. “It’s squarely in the license holders’ courts. It’s a shame. It’s kind of locked in this no man’s land. There’s nothing on LIVE Arcade, there’s nothing on Wii.”

Burton continued, “To be fair, I kind of wished that the differences got sorted out, but obviously there’s the licensing issue for Bond, even if it’s something that’s already come out. It’s incredibly hard to solve because there’s so many licence holders involved. You’ve got the guys that own the license to the gaming rights now, the guys that have the licence to Bond as an IP, and there are umpteen licensees.”

“Me, just personally, I thought, God, that’s a difficult problem to solve. The guys wanted to go and make it. I guess it probably got to them maybe, I don’t know, but for me I just kind of thought that we’d never manage it, never quite make it. But the feeling’s not too bad really. It’s what it’s like as a games developer. You have to treat something that’s not seen the light of day as a prototype. I’ve had, what, four or five things that never happened. It’s funny that we don’t even talk about them a lot of the time, because you think, well, we might revisit it.”

“It amazes me. I sort of sit on the periphery, but I know a few guys in the legal team. Why can’t this happen? I want to play it and I want everyone else to play it.” – Nick Burton

Burton said that Rare is aware of gamers’ appetites for the GoldenEye rerelease.

“It’s just what happens legally sometimes. Not necessarily with games, but you see it with music and films. Things get locked in this legal limbo. Even most of the parties involved, probably all the parties involved want to solve it. It’s such a complex issue. It amazes me. I sort of sit on the periphery, but I know a few guys in the legal team. Why can’t this happen? I want to play it and I want everyone else to play it. And they’re like ‘well, there’s this and this and this and that, and you have to have approval from them, and then there’s artist approval, all the way up to probably Pierce Brosnan has to say it’s all right for this’. There’s not enough hours in the day.”

“Ultimately everyone loses out. Including the license holders.”

Burton also refused to confirm that leaked screenshots from the revamped GoldenEye were genuine: “I can’t say. Again, infer what you will from that [laughs]. Let’s just say. The last thing about GoldenEye: Legal mine field.”

“Gaming changed and started to fracture a lot. One studio will find it very difficult to fulfil everybody’s tastes, unless you get that one golden moment where you get that true breakout game.” – Nick Burton

The website also questioned Burton as to whether the original 1997 release still holds a shadow over the studio’s output.

“No, not at all. I wouldn’t say indifference. It’s nice to see people still talk about it. But I also think, and a lot of us think this, that you look back at it and it’s still good fun to play, but if I played it now with my gaming tastes as refined as they are now, would I still have the same reaction or have I really got rose tinted spectacles on? It’s almost impossible to separate one from the other. I still look at it and think, no, it’s got great level design for instance, but then you think I’m saying that because maybe the control feels really good, but it’s not perfect. But it’s not perfect because the frame rate wasn’t high enough. It’s very difficult to separate your memory.”

“I think sometimes it gets to you a bit when you a get a forum poster say “Rare’s not as good as it used to be”. In reality, if you look at our recent games, they’re better than they ever were. It’s just that the market has changed, and diversified and got a lot bigger, and we still appeal to the audience we appealed to. Gaming changed and started to fracture a lot. One studio will find it very difficult to fulfil everybody’s tastes, unless you get that one golden moment where you get that true breakout game, that breaks outside of its niche and becomes that phenomenon like GTA and Halo. They do that because they’re very good games, without doubt, but these days you have to have that alignment of the planets, where the marketing has to be right, the time has to be right, all the social aspects have to come into alignment. And when it does you get an amazing effect, but it’s more than the sum of its parts, without a doubt.”

Activision will be hoping for such a planetary alignment as their debut 007 game based upon the films Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace hits shelves later this year.

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for the most up-to-date James Bond gaming news on the web.

Young Bond Discussion With Charlie Higson At Cheltenham Literature Festival

Young James Bond fans will want to mark their calendars for this upcoming appearance by author Charlie Higson.

The Young Bond Dossier is reporting that Higson will be attending the Times Cheltenham Literature Festival on Saturday, 11 October from 11:30am to 12:30pm.

The Young Bond author will be discussing By Royal Command, his fifth novel in the blockbuster series and SilverFin: the Graphic Novel, scheduled for publication in September and October, respectively.

Higson’s talk will take place at the Cheltenham College Junior School. Tickets cost £7 for adults and £5 for children.

As an added bonus for 007 fans, Sir Roger Moore will also be present at the festival on the 11th (from 8:45 to 10:00pm) to talk about his brand new autobiography, My Word is My Bond.

Sir Roger’s My Word is My Bond discussion will take place at the Centaur, with tickets costing £12 per person.

For further information on these Bond-related events, visit the official website or phone 0844 576 8970.

As always, keep your eyes on the CommanderBond.net main page for all the latest literary James Bond news.

Critics Pick Faulks As This Summer's Choice Author

Centenary novelist Sebastian Faulks has been chosen by critics as this Summer’s choice author, reports booktrust.info.

Faulks was the most recommended author in the list, compiled by UK books charity Booktrust, which consisted of over 600 recommendations from 11 publications. The bestselling author was recommended – rather fittingly – a total of (00)7 times for his James Bond novel, Devil May Care as well as his older works, such as Birdsong and Engleby.

Patrick French’s biography of Nobel prize winner VS Naipaul, The World Is What It Is, was the most recommended title, fetching four votes. Naipaul himself had several novels recommended as summer reads.

Books published by James Bond publisher Penguin were recommended more than those of any other publisher.

Booktrust’s James Smith said, “The editors of the literary pages are to be congratulated for choosing old favourites as well as new titles this year. Not everyone has the money in their pocket, or space in their luggage, for a hardback these days.”

Check out CommanderBond.net’s two-part wrap-up of the critical reaction to the much-hyped Devil May Care: Part I and Part II.

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for the most up-to-date literary James Bond news on the web.

'Quantum of Solace' World Premiere Announced

James Bond will return by royal command this October, as Princes William and Harry attend the world premiere of Quantum of Solace on 29 October.

Official details of the premiere emerged today, revealing that the first screening of Daniel Craig’s second James Bond film will take place at the Odeon cinema in London’s Leicester Square just two days before the movie opens in the United Kingdom.

Daniel Craig, Dame Judi Dench, Mathieu Amalric, Olga Kurylenko and Gemma Arterton are also among the premiere’s confirmed guests.

At the request of the Princes, proceeds from the event will benefit two charities: Help for Heroes and the Royal British Legion.

The full press release follows.

Royal Film Premiere
James Bond Film To Benefit And The Royal British Legion

Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, producers of the latest James Bond film
Quantum of Solace announced today, Prince William and Prince Harry have graciously agreed to attend the world premiere of the twenty-second 007 adventure on Wednesday, October 29th 2008 at London’s Odeon Cinema, Leicester Square.

At the request of Prince William and Prince Harry, the event will benefit two charities, Help For Heroes and The Royal British Legion. The premiere will be attended by the film’s leading actors Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric and Gemma Arterton. Directed by Marc Forster, the movie will be released in cinemas internationally from 31 October 2008 by Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Wilson and Broccoli commented, “We are thrilled Prince William and Prince Harry have
agreed to attend the world premiere of our latest James Bond film, and are pleased this
event will help raise much needed funds to support the servicemen of our country through
The Princes’ chosen charities, Help For Heroes and The Royal British Legion.”

Help For Heroes was launched in October 2007 in response to the desire of ordinary
people to do something practical to help wounded servicemen and women. In its first nine
months of existence the charity raised £6 million to help provide a swimming pool and gym complex at the tri-services rehabilitation centre at Headley Court. That task is now complete, and Help For Heroes continues to raise money to ensure that the wounded get the best practical help and support, and the futures, that they deserve.

Since 1921 The Royal British Legion has protected the interests, welfare and memory
of those who are currently serving, or have served, in the Armed Forces and their dependants. Nearly 10.5 million people of all ages are eligible for the Legion’s support, and the call on the charity’s welfare services is increasing.

Quantum of Solace, the 22nd James Bond adventure in the longest running franchise in film history, began principal photography on 7th January 2008. The film was produced for EON Productions by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, directed by Marc Forster and stars Daniel Craig as the legendary secret agent, James Bond. With a screenplay by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and Oscar winner Paul Haggis, the film picks up the storyline just one hour after the end of Casino Royale, marking the first direct sequel produced by EON Productions.

The Odeon Leicester Square previously partook in the Casino Royale premiere alongside simultaneous screenings in the Empire Theatre and Odeon West End cinemas in the Square.

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for the most up-to-date James Bond news on the Internet.

'Quantum of Solace' – Official Blog Report #21

It appears that James Bond fans are being treated to not one, but two official Quantum of Solace video blogs this week.

Following up the Terry Bamber (second unit production manager) video which was posted earlier today, 007 fans can check out the newest blog with casting director Debbie McWilliams on Moviefone.

‘I’m the casting director on Quantum of Solace. I’m responsible for gather together everyone that you see on the screen pretty much from the biggest speaking parts down to the smallest walk-ons.’

‘On a Bond movie,’ McWilliams continues, ‘we have the world to choose from and usually the story takes place in many different countries and we have been to countries where there really isn’t an established acting fraternity and have really discovered people.’

‘Each tiny part informs the audience, it tells us where we are, it gives us a flavor, it gives us texture. Everywhere we’ve gone, we’ve searched out people who weren’t really actors at all. That’s the kind of thing that’s different about the Bond films–people go to great lengths to make it look good and look right in every department.’

Quantum of Solace will mark the 10th James Bond film that McWilliams has served as casting director. She has been apart of every production since 1981’s For Your Eyes Only with the exception of 1989’s Licence To Kill.

Stay tuned to the CommanderBond.net main page for the most up-to-date and complete coverage of Quantum of Solace.