Hachette UK announced they have acquired Neon Play, a British-based mobile games development company. Co-owners Oli Christie, Mark Allen and their team will continue to be based in Cirencester running Neon Play as a stand-alone business under the Hachette UK umbrella, reporting to Richard Kitson. Hachette UK ceo Tim Hely Hutchinson and executives Kitson and Pierre de Cacqueray will join the board of Neon Play. Terms of the deal were undisclosed but Hutchinson told the Bookseller it was a “substantial acquisition designed to lead to substantial revenues”, and was also a “serious first step” for Hachette in a bid to […]
Games
eNews: Android Market Update Features eBooks; AT&T Sponsors Kindle 3G With Special Offers; And More
Google continues to assemble more of an end-to-end ebook strategy. Earlier this week they announced the first ereader integrated with Google eBooks, the iriver Story HD. Not indicated in Google’s own release on Monday, Target has a six-month exclusive on selling the $139.95 device–meaning independent bookstores carrying Google eBooks won’t be able to sell this companion device until after Christmas. It’s led to speculation that Target may carry Google eBooks as well. In the meantime, Google has announced separately an update to its Android Market “over the coming weeks” for mobile devices that provides more an iTunes store experience. Customers […]
Pottermore Launches, Will Sell Ebooks in October
After days of feverish speculation, JK Rowling announced her new interactive and collaborative site Pottermore at a press conference Thursday morning. It’s free for users and features new illustrations and interactive “moments.” And yes, there will be ebooks, which the site will sell exclusively and directly to users, along with audiobook versions of all seven Potter books. The digital editions will be available for a variety of platforms through OverDrive. But even though the ebook and audiobook editions will only be available at Pottermore, her print publishers Bloomsbury and Scholastic are partnering in the venture and will receive unspecified royalties. […]
S&S Debuts Book Battle, a “Social Voting” Facebook App
S&S announced a new Facebook app called Book Battle, which they describe as a “social voting application” and “a fun way to engage with their favorite books and authors on all manner of book-related topics” but which the NYT more succinctly describes as “a literary version of hotornot.com.” The inaugural matchup features two YA novels by Cassandra Clare, The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices, and app users will be able to vote on their favorite of the two books, and which characters they prefer. Other match-ups at launch will feature the UGLIES series by Scott Westerfield and the NIGHT […]
eNews: Harry Potter eBooks Now in Play; Europe’s Slow Start; and More
Last May JK Rowling‘s agents at the Christopher Little Agency upgraded their position on the possibility of Harry Potter ebooks from “monitoring” the field to “actively” evaluating and “”currently considering all the options and opportunities.” Now there is a fresh round of media attention as a spokeswoman for Rowling reiterates the same thing to the Daily Mail: “The ebook format is now something that is being actively considered.” Neil Blair from the Christopher Little Agency also stands on his previous remarks, saying “we are continuing with our evaluation of all options relating to Harry Potter ebooks.” The Daily Mail The […]
More eNews: Amazon Appstore is Live as They Put Kibosh on Lendle
The aforementioned Android Appstore that has Apple launching legal action against Amazon is now live. What’s being touted is the exclusive Android edition of Angry Birds Rio, but the books and comics section also features a variety of free and paid apps from Oceanhouse Media and WattPad. Appstore Ebook lending library company Lendle found itself in Amazon’s crosshairs yesterday, as the service, built on top of Amazon’s Kindle lending feature, was shut down on the grounds that it did not “serve the principal purpose of driving sales of products and services on the Amazon site.” So far the shutdown appears […]