News

New York Tims Bestselling Fantasy Author, R.A. Salvatore, to Produce Series of EverQuest Novels

CDS Books and Sony Online Entertainment Inc Partner to Bring EverQuest Universe Alive in Print

NEW YORK, (March 15, 2004) – CDS Books, and Sony Online Entertainment Inc. (SOE), a worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online gaming, today announced that the two companies have signed a deal to bring the EverQuest universe to print in a series of novels edited by New York Times bestselling novelist R.A. Salvatore. The novels will be published several times a year (beginning with Summer 2004) using a selection of characters and settings from the award-winning game.

Salvatore and his group of talented fantasy writers will create a rich fictional world with new story lines and unexpected adventures for gamers to deeply explore the EverQuest world. Throughout the novels, EverQuest players will also discover game-enhancing strategies built into the plot twists, enhancing their online gaming experience.

“I first walked into the EverQuest universe more than four years ago, and I quickly realized that this was a world with countless stories to tell,” said Bob Salvatore. “Now I get to explore Norrath all over again, through the eyes of other great storytellers, and I can’t wait!”

“These novels will enrich the gameplay experience for EverQuest players by adding new dimensions to popular characters across the EverQuest world,” said Steve Black, publisher of CDS Books. “Our goal is to have standalone books that compliment and enhance the games and we couldn’t have conceived of better partners to help achieve our goal than Bob Salvatore and Sony Online Entertainment.”

“R.A. Salvatore is an icon in the fantasy genre, having penned dozens of novels that bring readers into distant worlds that otherwise only appear in one’s imagination,” said Michael Lustenberger, director of product marketing, Sony Online Entertainment Inc. “Working with Salvatore and CDS Books ensures that these EverQuest novels will bring the magic of the EverQuest universe to life in an entirely new medium.”

Salvatore, Sony Online Entertainment and CDS will select writers for the project, and Salvatore will act as the executive editor for the book series. EverQuest game designers will work with the authors as well to maintain a strong connection between the game and the books.

For more than 15 years, fans and critics alike have praised Salvatore for his stirring battle scenes, inventive story lines, and extraordinary characters. He is best known as the creator of the dark elf, Drizzt, one of the fantasy genre’s most beloved characters, as well as the author of 13 New York Times bestsellers, including The Halfing’s Gem, Sojourn and the immensely popular novelization of the latest Star Wars film, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Salvatore has had his books published by Wizards of the Coast, Warner Books, Ace Books, Penguin, and Del Rey in the past, and his new novel, The Highwayman, has been published by CDS in March 2004. Over seven million R.A. Salvatore novels have been sold with many translated into different languages and audio versions.

About EverQuest
Developed and published by Sony Online Entertainment Inc. (SOE), EverQuest launched in 1999 and has since become both a gaming and cultural phenomenon. The game has sold more than 2 million copies while continuing to grow with award-winning expansions The Ruins of Kunark®, The Scars of Velious®, The Shadows of Luclin™, The Planes of Power™, The Legacy of Ykesha™, Lost Dungeons of Norrath™ and Gates of Discord™, making it the largest online 3D fantasy world ever created. During peak periods, more than 118,000 simultaneous adventurers have explored the fully detailed world of Norrath, filled with monsters, magic, adventure and more. Sony Online is committed to bringing EverQuest to various entertainment platforms, releasing titles such as EverQuest Online Adventures for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, EverQuest for the Pocket PC and EverQuest: Hero’s Call for wireless phones. In 2004, SOE plans to launch the highly-anticipated EverQuest II on PCs around the globe.

About Sony Online Entertainment
Sony Online Entertainment Inc. (SOE), a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Digital Inc., is a recognized worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online games, with a subscriber base of over 700,000 active accounts around the globe. SOE creates, develops and provides compelling entertainment for the personal computer, online, game console and wireless markets. Known for its blockbuster franchises, EverQuest® and PlanetSide®, as well as for developing Star Wars Galaxies™: An Empire Divided™, SOE continues to redefine the business of online gaming and the creation of active player communities while introducing new genres on various entertainment platforms. Headquartered in San Diego, CA, with an additional development studio in Austin, TX, SOE has an array of cutting-edge online games in development.

For more information, visit the following websites for further information: www.rasalvatore.com, www.cdsbooks.com, and www.sonyonline.com.