Video game publisher Ubisoft has entered into a long-term, worldwide licensing agreement with Touchstone Television and will develop and publish a video game based on the Emmy Award-winning ABC television series Lost. The title is being developed by Ubisoft’s Montr’al studio and is expected to be available for consoles, portable platforms and PC sometime in 2007.
For the uninitiated, Lost follows the continuing adventures of a diverse group of plane crash survivors stranded on a mysterious island. In addition to combating the elements, supernatural forces and a malevolent tribe living on the other side of the island, each castaway must deal with treacherous elements among their own ranks. Created by J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof, the show is now in its second season and has already been licensed in more than 210 territories worldwide, making it is the fastest-selling TV series in Buena Vista International Television’s history. Lost is currently seen in such countries as Australia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Singapore, Sweden, the U.K. and Russia.
‘The creative appeal of Lost transcends borders with its character-driven stories and addictive mysterious mythology,’ says Julia Franz, exec VP of Touchstone Television. ‘It’s not enough for fans worldwide to just watch Lost, the game is a wonderful opportunity to organically extend this creative phenomenon into an interactive consumer experience.’
“Many of us on Lost have been hardcore gamers for years, and the chance to work with Ubisoft, a company behind some of our favorite titles, has excited us to no end,” adds series exec producer Bryan Burk. “With the ability to tell new interactive stories within the Lost universe, we’re giddy to be developing a game that, once completed, will be as engaging and fun to play as it is to create.”
Ubisoft’s Montreal studio should have trouble creating the lush, tropical environments for the Lost game since it recently made a trip to another strange island with the award-winning Peter Jackson’s King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie. But while that title focused mainly on action, the interactive Lost experience promises to be a bit more cerebral with various problem-solving tasks and mysteries to unravel.
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