TKO secures Sahara license

TKO Software has today announced that it has acquired the exclusive game development rights to the upcoming Paramount Pictures and Crusader Entertainment movie, Sahara. Based on an action adventure book by Clive Cussler, the movie is set in North Africa and sees a special project director for the US National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA), Dirk Pitt, doing battle with an evil dictator whose nuclear waste disposal plant poses a threat to the planet's ecosystem.

"We are excited to be developing games for this extraordinary franchise and look forward to working with Paramount Pictures and Crusader Entertainment to deliver an epic title," said Jacob Hawley, president and CEO of TKO Software. "We are delighted to have been chosen by Viacom Consumer Products and Crusader Entertainment to develop the PC and console games for Sahara."

TKO plans to invest $7 million developing its Sahara-inspired 3D action adventure game, which is currently scheduled for release alongside the movie toward the end of this year. No specific platforms for the game have been confirmed at this time, but it seems reasonable to assume that there will be PC and PlayStation 2 versions at the very least.

"Dirk Pitt, played by Matthew McConaughey, will establish a new breed of modern, cool, action adventure hero for the big screen, and we set out with Viacom Consumer Products to find a developer who could do the same for the franchise in the gaming world," said Todd Slater, vice president of marketing at Crusader Entertainment. "We are so thrilled that TKO has come on board because they have the experience and creativity necessary to establish this as one of the most cutting-edge, exciting franchises in the gaming world today."

We'll bring you more information on the PC and console versions of Sahara as soon as it becomes available.