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Hitman is hitting the books

by: Nathaniel -
More On: Hitman: Absolution
And no, I don't mean Agent 47 is going to community college (just imagine that paintball episode), or performing some form of 9mm-based censorship.  No, what I mean is that Del Rey, an imprint of Random House, is going to publish a novel based on the franchise.  Called Hitman: Damnation, it will be written by Raymond Benson and will come out this summer in North America (watch the official Hitman website to learn when other regions will see the book's release.  The plot is set between Hitman: Blood Money and Hitman: Absolution.  Agent 47 is tasked with assassinating high level American political figures, but things don't go as planned - because of course they don't.

Also, since novels don't have ratings, they'd like you to know Hitman: Damnation is based on a MATURE-RATED VIDEOGAME.  So, parents, keep that in mind when you decide little Johnny is going to learn to read. 

To learn more, follow the jump.

DEL REY ANNOUNCES NEW NOVEL INSPIRED BY HITMAN FRANCHISE


NEW YORK, NY – January 24, 2012 – Del Rey, an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group, announced today a second novel based on the Hitman® video game series from Io Interactive™. HITMAN: DAMNATION will be written by author Raymond Benson and will release in North America in Summer 2012. The book will also be available in many other countries around the world, please keep an eye on the Official Hitman website for further details.

Taking place between games Hitman: Blood Money® and the upcoming Hitman: Absolution™, HITMAN: DAMNATION follows legendary assassin Agent 47 as he attempts to complete his toughest assignment yet. 47 is charged with assassinating high-level American political figures, but he notices that some aspects of the mission don’t add up as he is plunged into a web of lies, deceit, and murder.

This novel is based on a Mature-rated video game.


About the Game:
Hitman was created by IO Interactive™ in 2000 and has become an award-winning, multi-million selling videogame franchise. Agent 47 the games’ iconic central character is a genetically enhanced clone, engineered into a highly skilled assassin. The franchise has boasted videogames, a major motion picture, books, comics, merchandise collectibles and amassed a voracious global fan base.

The next game in the series, Hitman Absolution is IO’s most ambitious project to date and set for release in 2012.

About the Author:
Raymond Benson has penned and published worldwide six original James Bond novels and three 007 film novelizations. He is also the author (writing under the pseudonym David Michaels) of the New York Times best-selling books Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell and its sequel Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell—Operation Barracuda, as well as the game tie-in novel Homefront: The Voice of Freedom (written with John Milius). He lives in Chicago with his wife.

About Del Rey:
Del Rey Books (http://www.delreybooks.com) was founded in 1977 as an imprint of Ballantine Books, a division of the Random House Publishing Group, under the guidance of the renowned Judy-Lynn del Rey and her husband, Lester del Rey. Del Rey publishes the best of modern fantasy, science fiction, and alternate history.

About IO Interactive
IO Interactive, a Square Enix Studio, is the creative force behind some of the most talked-about multiplatform videogames to emerge in the last decade. Starting with the praised and ground-breaking Hitman series, IO Interactive has since developed the cult classic “Freedom Fighters”, the controversial “Kane & Lynch" series and the adorable "Mini-Ninjas". Dedication to creating original IP and unforgettable characters and experiences are the hallmarks of IO Interactive.

About Square Enix Ltd.

Square Enix Ltd., a part of the Square Enix Europe business unit, develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX®, EIDOS® and TAITO® branded entertainment content in Europe and other PAL territories as part of the Square Enix Group. Square Enix Ltd. also has a global network of leading development studios such as IO Interactive™, Crystal Dynamics® and Eidos Montréal. The Square Enix Group boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property including: FINAL FANTASY, which has sold over 100 million units worldwide, DRAGON QUEST® which has sold over 59 million units worldwide and TOMB RAIDER® which has sold over 35 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix Ltd. is a London-based, wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.

More information on Square Enix Ltd. can be found at http://www.square-enix.com/eu/en/