London, UK – April 17, 2014 – Today, Ubisoft announced the ebook Watch_Dogs //n/Dark Clouds, inspired by the highly anticipated video game Watch Dogs™. Authored by John Shirley, the ebook is a direct sequel to the events of the game and will allow fans to further explore the world of Watch Dogs with an all new story. The ebook is a first for Ubisoft, as it was conceived inhouse and will be released exclusively via digital channels.
John Shirley, prolific author of over 30 books and short stories such as A Song Called Youth, is a known figure in the hacker community and is a pioneer of the cyberpunk movement, and therefore is a natural fit to author the Watch Dogs™ ebook. Having unprecedented access to our Montreal studio dev team and writers, he has recreated the atmosphere of Watch Dogs™, into his thriller, that combines high-tech crimes with both new and known characters.
“Working on Watch Dogs was enormously interesting to me because its world offers the convergence of cyberpunk and the edgy tech reality of our times; it all plays out with action and energy against the inner city backdrop that I thrive in” said John Shirley. “With hack tech in one hand and gun in the other, Aiden Pearce is a believable fusion of hacker and action hero who deliberately slips between the cracks of society to relentlessly pursue his agenda. The novel introduces Mick Wolfe, an ex-military, who get caught in a dangerous game in Chicago’s hyper connected and violent underground. Working with Thomas Geffroyd and Kevin Shortt at Ubisoft to develop the book was a rocking experience – Ubisoft is right out there on the frontier of videogame development. I couldn’t ask for more inspiration”.
Watch_Dogs //n/Dark Clouds will be available in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish at game’s release on May 27, 2014. It will be available in two digital formats: an upgraded e-book version with interactive elements including videos and image and a classic e-book. For more information, click here www.watchdogs.com/ebook.
Stay connected to Watch Dogs™ by visiting the official website, Facebook page and Twitter account.
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About Watch Dogs
In Watch Dogs, players will be immersed in a living, breathing and fully connected recreation of Chicago. Players will assume the role of Aiden Pearce, a new type of vigilante who, with the help of his smartphone, will use his ability to hack into Chicago’s central operating system (ctOS) and control almost every element of the city. Aiden will be able to tap into the city’s omnipresent security cameras, download personal information to locate a target, control systems such as traffic lights or public transportation to stop a chase, and more. The city of Chicago is now the ultimate weapon. Fans can stay connected to Watch Dogs by visiting the official website, Facebook page and Twitter account.
About John Shirley :
John Shirley is the author of numerous novels, books of short stories, screenplays and teleplays. His screenplays include THE CROW, and his work in television includes episodes of Deep Space Nine, and VR5. John Shirley was one of the original cyberpunk writers, and his cyberpunk trilogy, A SONG CALLED YOUTH is now in an omnibus edition from Prime Books. Shirley’s novels include CITY COME A-WALKIN’, DEMONS, CRAWLERS, and BIOSHOCK: RAPTURE. His newest novels are EVERYTHING IS BROKEN, from Prime Books, and DOYLE AFTER DEATH from HarperCollins/Witness. His short story collection Black Butterflies won the Bram Stoker Award. The authorized website is http://www.john-shirley.com/
About Ubisoft
Ubisoft is a leading creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and services, with a rich portfolio of world-renowned brands, including Assassin’s Creed, Just Dance, Tom Clancy’s, Rayman and Far Cry. The teams throughout Ubisoft’s worldwide network of studios and business offices are committed to delivering original and memorable gaming experiences across all popular platforms, including consoles, mobile phones, tablets and PCs. For the 2012-13 fiscal year Ubisoft generated sales of €1,256 million. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.
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