Video Games to Sell… Books?

Businessweek: As video and PC gaming’s popularity skyrocketed in the past few years, our favorite TV shows (“The Simpsons”), movies (“Catwoman”) and comic books (“Batman”) were turned into games. Now, we are on the brink of a new era, it seems: Games publisher Atari just released a game based on a book THAT HASN’T EVEN HIT THE BOOKSTORES YET. That’s right.
The novel, called “Act of War,” was written by Dale Brown, a former U.S. Air Force captain who’d previously penned action-packed best-sellers like “Fight of the Old Dog” and “Air Battle Force.” The book, coming out in June, is full of video-gaming’s mainstays like futuristic weapons, terrorists and battle scenes.
So is Atari’s “Act of War: Direct Action” game, which launched on March 15. In the game, military veterans and young techies are recruited into a special high-tech task force, tracking terrorists and uncovering international conspiracies.
This industry could, eventually, become as powerful as Hollywood, which has long ordered original stories for movies. Just imagine playing a character and then reading all about his or her adventures!
Video Games to Sell… Books? [Businessweek]