Nancy Draws

This summer's big-screen flick Nancy Drew, based on the classic female detective book series first introduced in 1930 by Edward Stratemeyer—whose Stratemeyer Syndicate published popular book series like The Hardy Boys, Tom Swift and The Bobbsey Twins—is just the tip of the icicle in the Nancy Drew library. To date, more than 200 million Nancy Drew books have been sold, and the property has successfully managed to make the leap to today's digital world. Keeping the series fresh for anyone who finds pixels more appealing than paper is Her Interactive. The Bellevue, Wash.-based developer of video games primarily for female players recently added the 16th title to its Nancy Drew mystery game collection, Nancy Drew: The White Wolf of Icicle Creek.

In the latest release, Nancy must investigate a series of strange accidents in the Canadian Rockies. But the PC game is more than a go-and-find mystery, because the Nancy Drew character is such an icon for women, someone who is “smart, gutsy and resourceful,” according to Amy McPoland, director of marketing for Her Interactive. And with the release of the film last month—and more product tied to the film on the horizon—greater awareness of Drew among a younger female audience is imminent, she says.

“This year promises a great opportunity to expand our leadership position in the girls' software category through a variety of strategic partnerships, digital distribution and the expansion of our product line to include a DVD game,” McPoland tells Playthings. “Our core Nancy Drew fans are 10 to 16, which has been somewhat of a niche segment of the market in the past.” Older women, including mothers and grandmothers, comprise a “very strong secondary female audience which keeps growing,” McPoland says, “and I think the market for females of all ages—girls to women—continues to grow.”

To find the right game play features for all ages, the company tests each game through an advisory panel as well as beta testers and an active message board, where fans constantly give feedback.

In addition to the film helping to renew interest in the Nancy Drew character, Her Interactive is forging ahead with new mysteries, including a DVD Game, Nancy Drew: The Curse of Blackmoor Manor, available late summer, and the 17th installment in the video game series, Nancy Drew: The Legend of the Crystal Skull. Available in October, Skull follows Nancy on a trek to New Orleans to uncover the cause of a friend's grandfather's death. Her Interactive will continue to expand Nancy Drew's reach into 2008.

“Nancy Drew is a 76-year-old icon and a positive and inspirational role model for girls that appeals to and resonates with women of all ages,” says McPoland. “Nancy is known for her intelligence, wholesome nature and the ability to get the job done. I don't think there are too many comparable female characters in the toy and game market. However, I do think that the video game industry is evolving to target females more and feature more strong female characters, as is the case with many other role playing games.”