Nancy Drew: Ransom of the Seven Ships is Shipping

Posted by: GameBorder Staff on 2009-07-15 11:03:13

BELLEVUE, Wash. - In an industry where licensed and original IPs flame out after a few years, one video game publisher has bucked that trend with an icon established almost 80 years ago. Today, nearly 15 years after they launched their first Nancy Drew PC game, Her Interactive, Inc., the designer, developer and publisher of the award-winning adventure game series, is still going strong and announces that the 20th installment, Nancy Drew: Ransom of the Seven Ships, is now available at retailers nationwide.

Lauded for its message of empowerment for girls, the Nancy Drew PC game series has surprised pundits by appealing to non-traditional audiences consisting of grandmothers, college students and working moms in addition to the primary girl audience. That mainstream appeal has lead to yearly sales growth for the series and ultimately a 40% market share within its category.

Adds Her Interactive CEO and president, Megan Gaiser: "I think the true power behind our games and the reason for their success lies in the ability to convey the positive traits of Nancy Drew - intelligence, determination, independence and resourcefulness - to the person playing the games. That is a very empowering feeling for our audience and when combined with thought-provoking gameplay, results in a series of games that are as unique as they are fun."

The new game, Nancy Drew: Ransom of the Seven Ships, hits at a time when Nancy Drew has never been more relevant as the character was recently cited as being an inspirational influence to several Supreme Court justices including Ruth Bader Ginsburg and recent nominee, Sonia Sotomayer, as well as Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton.

In the game, Nancy, is joined by her best friend Bess and George, and the player gets to see them as animated characters for the first time in the series. When they all travel to the Bahamas for a fun-filled vacation Bess is suddenly kidnapped and held for ransom. Depending on the scene, players assume the role of either Nancy or George as they unlock treasure chests, decrypt a riddle book and explore dangerous underwater shipwrecks with the hope of finding the missing artifact needed to rescue Bess. During the quest for the lost treasure, players find themselves immersed in a variety of classic Bahamian activities such as diving, sailing and interacting with native wildlife.

Rated "E" for Everyone, Nancy Drew: Ransom of the Seven Ships is available now for purchase at retailers nationwide, and from the Her Interactive website for a suggested retail price at $19.99.

Ransom of the Seven Ships: New Screenshots Released