Poirot to detect new generation online

Poirot: digital spin-offs will use clips from TV adaptations featuring actors such as David Suchet

Agatha Christie's fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple are set to go digital in a bid to bring the author's widely read crime stories to the internet generation.

Chorion, which owns the rights to the Christie library, has struck a global deal with Interactive Rights Management to exploit global internet and mobile rights for the author's novels, short stories and plays.

IRM was set up in 2004 by the three former Celador employees responsible for the global roll-out of the interactive version of hit TV quizshow Who Wants to be a Millionaire?.

The company will be developing a range of puzzle and strategy games for internet and mobile phones.

Some of these digital spin-offs will use clips from TV drama adaptations of Christie's work featuring actors such as David Suchet as Hercule Poirot, ranging from 20 seconds to one minute.

Global mystery-based games are most popular in the US, where puzzle and downloadable PC games are extremely popular with women aged 35 to 45.

Internet games will target the 18- to 45-year-old market and mobile spin-offs will be aimed at the 16- to 35-year-old demographic.

From experience with previous rights deals, IRM will look to charge $19.99(£10.60) for a full mystery game, with the first hour free.

Jane Turner, the managing director of literary estates at Chorion, said the deal was about extending the Agatha Christie brand "to new audiences and new generations".

Agatha Christie's characters already have global brand awareness in print. With more than 2bn books sold in 41 languages, she is only beaten by the Bible and Shakespeare, according to Chorion.

"Agatha Christie's classic plots translate beautifully onto mobile and internet platforms," added Megan Goodwin-Patel, the director of business development at IRM.

"Increasingly, classic brands have to tap into the media that younger generations are embracing to broaden reach and make up for any traditional reader drop-off," Ms Goodwin-Patel said.

Mark Sweney
Friday August 11, 2006
MediaGuardian.co.uk