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The new Young Bond alternative reality interactive
game "The Shadow War" by Charlie Higson has been
launched online today...
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Young Bond - The Shadow War
23rd August 2008
On Saturday 23rd August 2008, Puffin Books launches
the 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 precedes
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 sets 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.
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Above: Screenshots
from the online game
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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!”
Above:Young Bond series author Charlie
Higson |
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Since Monday 11th August, fans have been
signing up to play the game on the Young Bond website 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.
