Vivendi Halting Production of Bourne Titles, Returns License to Author's Estate

The rights to develop and distribute games based on Robert Ludlum's Bourne series of novels have been reacquired by the late author's estate from former holder Vivendi Games, representatives of Ludlum Entertainment announced today.

The announcement follows the recently merged Activision Blizzard's streamlining of properties and studios owned by Vivendi Games, which saw a number of titles offloaded from the company's publishing operations.

Activision Blizzard announced its intentions to "realign staffing" at Vivendi-owned High Moon Studios, developer of Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Conspiracy (PS3, 360), the first title to be based on the Bourne license. The game hit stores last month.

"Our colleagues at Vivendi Games did a tremendous job of capturing the spirit and allure of Robert Ludlum's writing with The Bourne Conspiracy," said Ludlum Entertainment CEO Jeffrey Weiner. "The gaming community's strong response is clear indication that future Ludlum games will deliver both popularity and profitability for years to come."

Ludlum Entertainment did not specify what its plans for the license might be, or which developers will take up the reins in developing future Bourne titles.