'World of Warcraft' to get a book series aimed at kids
Blizzard wants to introduce Azeroth to a younger generation.
World of Warcraft has been around for more than a decade, fleshing out the world of Azeroth with new lands, stories and characters. Its subscriber base is slowly shrinking, but the Warcraft brand continues to evolve through games like Hearthstone and an upcoming feature-length movie. Now, developer Blizzard is teaming up with Scholastic for a new book series aimed at 8 to 12-year-olds. It's called World of Warcraft: Traveler and the first novel will be launching in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand this November. The second instalment is due in 2017.
Warcraft literature is nothing new. Over the years there have been countless novels, comic books and manga exploring Azeroth. Traveler should be a little different, however, given it's targeting a younger readership. It's being written by Greg Weisman, a novelist, comic book and TV writer who worked on Gargoyles, The Spectacular Spider-Man and Star Wars Rebels. The books will follow Aram, a 12-year-old boy washed ashore with little more than a sketchbook and a magical compass. He has to find his way back home, adventuring and making friends along the way.
By targeting younger readers, Blizzard is expanding the Warcraft brand and attracting a generation that might not have tried its games before. That's could prove important if the developer is to sustain both World of Warcraft and future projects set in the Warcraft universe.
