Author James Patterson exchanges a writing pen for a gaming pad @ Gaming Target

Written by Matt Swider on August 21, 2007

News: Don't worry, Tom Clancy, your Splinter Cell demographic is safe.

Author James Patterson, known for best sellers like УAlong Came a SpiderФ and УKiss the Girls,Ф is getting into the video game business according to a Variety.com article.

Patterson is quoted saying that 70% of his readers are female, so he, along with publisher Oberon Games, are going for the casual game market instead of the hardcore Tom Clancy crowd. In effect, platforms for the author's future games include the PC, cell phone, and possibly the Wii and DS, where such a demographic would exist.

Although the novelist and the causal game developer are trying to exploit a different part of the video game market than Ubisoft's well-known brand, they're attempting to follow the same pattern of success. Previously, Oberon Games has published an Agatha Christie game, which retails for $19.99 on their web site.

While the Variety article doesn't detail the exact book series or the price of Patterson's video game venture, something based on УThe Women's Murder ClubФ or the УAlex CrossФ series seems most likely.

source: Variety.com