A rep from the Dante’s Inferno dev team confirmed via twitter that game giant Electronic Arts is teaming up with publishing group, Random House, to release a trade-paperback edition of the classic poem Inferno, part one of The Divine Comedy, which will be distributed to booksellers nationwide on January 19, 2010.
Since the 1980’s, over 140 games have had direct influences on books, some even became full out novels, most notably: Halo 3, Gears of War, Warhammer, and Doom 3 so it is not surprising that Dante’s Inferno, based on such a iconic poem will join their ranks.
This special edition of the canonized poem commemorates the launch of the highly-anticipated Dante’s Inferno™ video game from Visceral Games™. The new edition features an introduction written by Dante’s Inferno Executive Producer, Jonathan Knight, who offers insight into the process of adapting the dark masterpiece into the interactive medium. The book also features a 16-page, full-color art insert showcasing the evolution of characters and environments from the classic poem to the video game.
Jonathan Knight, Executive Producer at Visceral Games, said:
“We are so grateful to have the opportunity to work with Random House on this project. Through the creative process of developing this game, we have grown quite close to the literary works of Dante Alighieri. It is his vision that we are adapting for this new media, and new audience. The game is a celebration of Dante, and we hope gamers will be encouraged to go beyond the game and explore the classic text that has inspired us so deeply.”
When questioned about the innovative partnership, Del Ray-an imprint of Ballantine Books at the Random House Publishing Group said:
“Visceral Games and EA have provided us with an amazing opportunity to bring one of the great works of classical fiction to a new group of fans. Their stunning and inventive take on Dante’s Inferno will be sure to wow players around the world and we are extremely proud to be able to provide those individuals with insight into the creative processes involved in adapting Dante to a new medium.”
