Shiny, A2M Developing Sega's The Golden Compass

Sega has revealled that the video game adaptation of the upcoming New Line Cinema film The Golden Compass is in development by Shiny Entertainment (Enter the Matrix) for the Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PSP, and PC, with another version by A2M in development for the Nintendo DS. Sega first announced a new agreement with New Line Cinema and Scholastic Media to create video games based on upcoming films based on author Philip Pullman's 'His Dark Materials' trilogy in September 2006. The trilogy of books, having sold more than 10 million copies worldwide, is comprised of 'The Golden Compass', 'The Subtle Knife', and 'The Amber Spyglass'. The first film, 'The Golden Compass' (called 'Northern Lights' in the UK), will be produced by New Line Cinema and Scholastic Media, and star Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig (James Bond in the upcoming Casino Royale) with Chris Weitz (About a Boy, Antz) directing. In the game, players assume the role of Lyra, a young girl, along with her daemon Pantalaimon (Pan), as she adventures through 13 different environments on a quest to rescue a friend kidnapped by a mysterious organization known as The Gobblers. As Lyra, players will use their daemon and collaborate with in-game characters, and collect various items and participate in mini-games along the way. The Golden Compass also allows players to play as Iorek Byrnison, an armored polar bear who joins the quest. As Iorek, players will have access to special attacks and a riding mechanic as he protects Lyra during the journey. 'The Golden Compass' is set to be released on December 7, 2007, with Sega's multiplatform video game adaptation set to ship just prior to the film's debut.