New IP Creation and Development Group Announced by Random House Division

The Random House Publishing Group announced today the establishment of a new group responsible for the creation of original transmedia intellectual property (IP)—story content that can be accessed through multiple media sources including video games, social networks on the web, mobile platforms, in print and on film—that will be developed and marketed in partnerships with other media companies.

The group will also offer editorial services to media companies that will enhance the world-building and storylines of their already existing IP.

Utilizing its vast experience in bestselling storytelling and, in particular, the Del Rey imprint’s extensive expertise in game-related genres such as science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, and horror, the new Random House IP group is in a unique position to create complex storylines set in original worlds with fully imagined characters, world histories and geographies.

While multiple deals are in the early stages of development, the group’s first announced partnership is with PC game developer Stardock Corporation. In conjunction with Stardock’s creative team, the Random House Publishing Group is collaborating on the story and world of the upcoming Stardock PC fantasy strategy game Elemental: War of Magic. The Random House Group will also publish Elemental: Destiny’s Embers (August 2010), a novel set in the world of Elemental, written by the game’s creator and executive producer, Brad Wardell.

Within the Random House Publishing Group, the IP Creation and Development Group will be led by Director of Creative Development, Keith Clayton, and Director of Business Development, Mikita Labanok, reporting to VP and Publisher of Del Rey/Spectra, Scott Shannon.

“After more than eighty years, Random House is now taking our storytelling expertise one step further,” said Gina Centrello, President and Publisher of The Random House Publishing Group. “We are providing a valuable service to other media companies in a competitive entertainment market, where success increasingly depends on the quality of your story.”

“A good story doesn’t necessarily have to begin and end with a game; it can and should encompass as many creative mediums as possible in order to provide fans with the most complete rendering of a fictional place or time,” said Brad Wardell, CEO of Stardock and executive producer of Elemental. “With Elemental having an incredibly rich back story to tell, partnering with Random House allows us to create the most immersive universe possible for our fans.”