Slashdot Mirror
Video Game Adaptation In the Works For A Song of Fire and Ice
On Wednesday, French game development studio Cyanide announced that they will be working with George R. R. Martin to bring his popular fantasy series, A Song of Fire and Ice, to the realm of video games. The press release implies that there will be more than one game, and the games will come out for PCs and "next-gen consoles." Apparently an HBO television series is in the works as well, in addition to board and card games related to the books.
The only reason they picked this story was for the detailed sex scenes, the books *are* pretty awesome though.
Or is this one of those Chinese knockoffs, like "backstroke of the west" or "Harry potter and the big Funnel"?
... if George R.R. Martin would just finish writing the damn series!!!
I sure don't have high hopes for this one. At least the tv-series has a small chance of getting the characters and drama right. [Assuming the networks don't decide to remove the incest and childkilling, and so on.] But I highly doubt videogame developers are going to focus on anything but violence, violence, violence with this. Doing anything else is going to require some thought, effort, and risk-taking as the primary draw of ASOIAF has much more to do with character interactions and political intrigue than straight up and up killing things.
It'll probably end up similar to the three hack n' slash Lord of the Rings games on the Xbox - Gameplay might be fun, but you could remove the setting entirely and not make a difference. Personally, I think the best style for this game would be something more akin to King of Dragon Pass.
Cyanide studio (http://www.cyanide-studio.com/) has previously published mostly sports games, although they currently got a Blood Bowl esque RTS -game in develoment along with a cartoonty MMO called "Dungeon Party".
I'm personally bit wary of this SoI&F game they've announced, as their track record of games doesn't really fit in too well with what I'd hope from a SoI&F game. I think something like A Sharp's King of Dragon Pass could well enhance the Soi&F exprience far better.
Still, I guess Cyanide has displayed ability to jump genres with their new productions, so pretty much anything is possible from the SoI&F game?
Will there be sub-games/mini-games for the following:
* Braid pulling.
* Adjusting ones dress.
* Complex embroidery design? Maybe have a web portal where other players can design complex dresses. Dress design will be rated by the length and detail of descriptions (minimum description 3000 words or one chapter). MMO even?
Excellent franchise to choose as both the TV series and games can produce multitudes of series/upgrades with no conclusion to plot or story.
A Tip for anyone contemplating reading the whole series. After book three, skip every twenty pages.
Oh Frak! Wrong series!
It is Duke Nukem Forever among the fantasy cycles.
If you don't count The Wheel of Time, but that's quite different story.
Correction: The series is actually called "A Song of Ice and Fire", not "A Song of Fire and Ice".
A Song of Ice and Fire is, in my opinion, the best fantasy story out there. Makes Tolkien look like a confused old fairy tale uncle. Realistic characters, lots of greys (as in bad guys act bad for a good reason and the other way around), no hesitation to kill off main characters/heroes, etc. While you wait for the next book, I suggest 'The First Law' series by Joe Abercrombie.
Hold my beer and watch this!
Yes, it is that good. The writing is only fair, but the characterisation, plotting, and world-building are absolutely outstanding. The best fantasy series I have ever read, and I'm including LOTR. It's epic.
You get war, intrigue, politics, a giant wall of ice hundreds of metres high, torture, incest, dire wolves, eunuchs, castles, tournaments, rape, duels, slavery, dragons, fratricide, patricide... all the good stuff :)
I thought you meant an adaptation of 16-bit platformer Fire & Ice... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oRAaI5HrDw
A Song of Ice and Fire is, in my opinion, the best fantasy story out there. Makes Tolkien look like a confused old fairy tale uncle.
Realistic characters, lots of greys (as in bad guys act bad for a good reason and the other way around), no hesitation to kill off main characters/heroes, etc.
I'd rate it as the second best, actually, behind Stephen Erikson's Tales from the Malazan Book of the Fallen. However, they are two incredibly different styles, and while I think Erikson has the edge in execution, both of these guys are highly talented authors. Very hard to make a fair comparison between such radically different styles, I guess.
While I do agree on the characterization part, I cannot agree with you about the plot, because there is none yet.
A bunch of subplots centered in a confused mishmash and a vague promise that "winter is coming".
We don't even know what that means, except that the wildlings are supposed to invade from the north. Only - the wildlings were killed off in the last book.
I see everyone begging Mr. Martin to please finish the series - but how would it be finished? There's no end condition.
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=721
My own opinion is that the plot concerns an attempt by the last scion of a disenfranchised house to regain past glories, the return to the world of a wonder (or horror, depending upon your perspective!) that many thought long since passed, and the arrival of an inexorable evil from time immemorial - and what happens when the three collide. That's just me though. YMMV.
Well, personally I'm still hoping he'll actually finish writing it at some point.
How it's going to finish is really straight-forward.
When the seven kingdoms have sufficiently weakened themselves via in-fighting, the Others will overwhelm the wall. Danerys lands on the shores of the seven kingdoms with her dragons. Jon Snow, who is clearly the prince-who-was-promised, joins forces with her to fight off the Others fulfilling the title of the series.
It is, provided you can accept that it's not finished, and might never be. ... well, not really _liking_ the 'bad guy(s)' but empathising with them - understanding quite why they did something atrocious, that had you initially hating them for it. There's an excellent cast of well developed characters, and ... not really any of them stand out as 'clearly the protagonist'.
The writing style is superb - it's done a chapter at a time, from the point of view of a different character, and he's not shy about switching from protagonist to enemy, and exploring their motivations and reasoning.
There's some truly awe inspiring character development that has you
Also it's quite brutal and harsh at times - 'key' characters die for reasons that are pointless or unfortunate. I can think of a few cases where that death gets turned around, and you see why someone did, but the motivation isn't 'because he was bad really' and much more tending to 'because sometimes good men have to die for the good of the kingdom'.
Oh, and it's quite low fantasy - there's not really much magic in there, and what little there is a source of mystery and unease, rather than the wizard lobbing fireballs around that you'd get in some 'high' fantasy settings.
In short, I'd say it ranks right near the top of the 'modern fantasy' rankings, and it's _certainly_ worth picking up the first book - A Game of Thrones - and see if you like it - if you do, you'll probably like the rest, but the writing style does make it a little difficult to 'get into'.
I'm liking the Malazan book of the fallen, but I'm not sure I'd rank it higher. For me, there's a bit too much of just dropping in new settings/locations/people with seemingly no real reason for them to exist.
Matter of taste I guess. I'm certainly enjoying it a lot, but I wasn't quite as much on the edge of my seat for Toll the Hounds as I was for Dance of Dragons.
While I do agree on the characterization part, I cannot agree with you about the plot, because there is none yet.
A bunch of subplots centered in a confused mishmash
True to some degree, but each subplot is well constructed. There have been hints that all the strands of the story are part of an overarching plot, though Martin has been slow getting there (particularly in the last book). I don't mind the delay, however, because the journey is so enjoyable.
a vague promise that "winter is coming".
We don't even know what that means, except that the wildlings are supposed to invade from the north. Only - the wildlings were killed off in the last book.
The Others are presumably the "big bad" of the series.
Allow me to dissent.
"A Game of Thrones" suffers from an excess of underdeveloped characters. I counted 10-12 major characters, plus dozens of supporting cast. Daenerys, the exiled dragon princess, seemed interesting, as did Arya, the waterdancer-in-training. However, I finished the book without really caring about any of them.
In some ways, the whole book felt like nothing more than background for plot lines that won't be developed until well into the second or third novels. For example, the very first chapter introduces the the undead ghouls who are evidently gathering to invade from the North, but they're barely mentioned for the rest of the book's 800 pages, appearing only briefly in the Jon Snow arc. Likewise, the extended story of Daenerys' marriage into the Dothraki tribes seems like wind-up for an invasion from the south by the dispossessed heir, evidently for one of the later books. Though the Daenerys plot struck me as the most interesting part of the book, it really had little or nothing to do with the main plot. With so very many characters to track, there was little time to develop a rapport with any of them.
The landscape and cultures are, for the most part, stock. One glance at the map in the front will have any mildly educated person thinking "Oh, they're England and Scotland divided by Hadrian's Wall." The Dothraki are clearly based on the Mongols, only slightly more hedonistic; whereas the culture of the Seven Kingdoms is stock High Middle Ages.
In short, the material was handled poorly, with little imagination, and at much greater length than it needed. The book could have benefited greatly from the tender attentions of a stern editor.
I went on to read two or three more books in the series (checked out from the library) and finally gave up in disgust when he put an explanatory note at the end of a volume saying that he'd wound up splitting the book in two because there were so very many characters to follow. I take that as a sign of poor discipline. If the book has grown too far beyond its bounds, the correct response is to murder your darlings.
I was disappointed. Some of his other work I've enjoyed very much, particularly "Tuf Voyaging" and (to a lesser extent) "Windhaven", and I'm a major fantasy fan, so I was expecting it to be enjoyable, and it wasn't. Bummer.
I decided to give it a try while waiting for the next Malazan Book of Fallen (which i highly recommend) to be released and I have to say its definately kept my interest, I'm currently on Book 3. I would compare it to the first 3 or 4 books (pre over wordy and characters turning annoying) of WoT as far as story/character development and action. Could do without the softporn, I can do a lot better for free on the internet, but its really pretty sparse. If I haven't read through the series by time the next Malazan book comes out I'll have to make a decision which to do next. They are both two of my favorites.
Same thing here.
I still don't know how I managed to read the complete first book. It just seems too random - and by that I don't mean 'the plot' (there isn't much of it), I mean *everything*. Names of persons and places, for example.
Hold my beer and watch this!
No links to the offical RPG? Is this Slashdot or what?! http://greenronin.com/sifrp/ It's Good Stuff(tm). It's almost brand-new too. I wonder if Green Ronin knew that other license talks were underway, because once we get videogames and miniseries, the value of that license is going to shoot through the roof.
I was more excited to find out from the article that they are making a PC version of Blood Bowl.
I just can't be bothered.
A Song of Ice and Fire is, in my opinion, the best fantasy story out there. Makes Tolkien look like a confused old fairy tale uncle. Realistic characters, lots of greys (as in bad guys act bad for a good reason and the other way around), no hesitation to kill off main characters/heroes, etc. While you wait for the next book, I suggest 'The First Law' series by Joe Abercrombie.
Well... that's your opinion... mine is that it HAD THE POTENTIAL to be one of the best fantasy epics ever. The first half of the first book really wowed me... but as the series dragged on it became more and more obvious that Martin had no idea where he was going. Given how good that first bit was I was very miffed to slog through the last volume and put it aside with relief not looking forward to the next installment at all... "Missed it by THAT much."
XML is a known as a key material required to create SMD: Software of Mass Destruction
The story is so formulaic. Here's the formula:
1) Create a likable character.
2) Create a hideous character.
3) Have Character #2 rape Character #1.
4) Have multiple other people rape Character #1.
5) Kill Character #1 in an ignoble fashion.
6) Choose a new Character #1. Repeat steps 3-5.
"Murphy's Law of George R.R. Martin":
If you like a character, that character will be maimed, raped, and/or killed in the next book. There are no exceptions.
Actually, I kinda fear that you may be right, but I'm too much of a sissy to admit it to myself. :)
Not another 'Otherland', pleeeeeaaaaassseee.
Hold my beer and watch this!
Can someone tell me if this "A Song of Fire and Ice" is any good and worth a read? Is it worth an entire media blitz?
My advice it to read, and enjoy, the first volume. Then pretend that the author died and let your imagination fill in the cracks.
XML is a known as a key material required to create SMD: Software of Mass Destruction
Definitely don't read it if you actually plan to like any of the characters. Anyone you actually like will either be killed or ignored for several books. The plot is fairly obvious if you think about it, but it's largely ignored. Almost all of the books are from the point of view of characters you don't care about, and the 'believably evil' characters are mostly annoying, especially when entire chunks of the book are dedicated to them, and then they somehow magically redeem themselves. However, if you do care about what kind of dresses Sansa is wearing, or how her last cup of tea was, there's plenty of that.
Unlucky
I hate people.
"could do without the softporn."
But you are ok with everything else in the book. I'm glad they chalked it full of violence, but man, hes just pushing it by including sex.
What. The. Fuck. is wrong with this fucking country?
I would like it if writers stopped thinking of their customers as their bitch. If he does not understand the impatience and irritation of his paying customers in not delivering product according to a promised schedule, he's not going to have the franchise grow very much farther than it already has. A professional writer is an artist, true... but more importantly, a professional writer is a paid professional. It's a major disservice to the craft of writing to string your readers along the way he has.
It's one thing to say, "Hey, guys... I lost my mojo on this. I may come back to it in a few years or I may not." Hey, whatever, crap like that happens. Stick to single-volume novels, and your readers will give you another chance.
It's another thing to sneer at your readers and insult them for questioning your grandiose "art." That's not only rude, it's dishonest.
It's not the reader's fault you managed to paint yourself into a corner with your sub-plots. It's not the reader's fault you can't break the story down into novel-length chapters... it's your failing as an =artist=.
Entitlement? Demanding your readers adore you and your works uncritically after having failed them so spectacularly is probably one of the grossest examples of "sense of entitlement" I've come across.
WoT is NOT SoIaF
The first 2-3 books are phenomenal must reads if you like fantasy. But beware the 4th book. It is boring and is clearly Martin treading water in some kind of record-setting writer's block. It's almost entirely about minor and annoying characters. My guess is that he did that so as not to upset anything in the larger plotlines he is procrastinating on until the next book, if he ever finishes it.
Syntax error: loose != lose, affect != effect, then!=than
My fear with this series at this point is that it may go the way of Frank Herbert or Robert Jordan with the way it's taking so long. As much as I loved Dune, it was unfortunate that the original author could not finish his story. I hope that Martin is able to finish his epic tale with an epic ending, like Asimov was able to do before he passed away. (Although some would say that Second Foundation was already a great stopping point.)
There is no formula in ASoIaF. That's what frustrates people so much about the series - it defies expectation.
There's no script immunity for viewpoint characters. And, without being spoilerish, there are no villains that are simply villainous. Nobody in Westeros wakes up and says, "I think I'll go be awful today!"
There is rape, but not like you've described it. I'm trying to think of a likeable character that gets raped - the only multiple rape I can remember is that of a character nobody likes much to begin with, and that's done by an angry mob, not a particular character.
Either you haven't read these books, or your reading comprehension is poor at best.
As far as the delays between books, yes I find those frustrating as well. But like they say about games: A late book is only late until it ships. A bad book is bad forever. We like games that are released when they're done - books are better when writers are able to infuse them with life instead of simply cranking them out, too. We're talking about art here, people.
If the book has grown too far beyond its bounds, the correct response is to murder your darlings.
You can fault Martin for a lot of things, but being squeamish about killing off his characters? Are you NUTS? There are gadflies with longer life expectancies than a SOIaF character...
I really fucking hate Joffrey.
You don't say...
Malazan Books of the Fallen deserves a shout-out. It's gritty fantasy that often focuses on military companies. The non-human characters are more than 2dimensional plot devices. Maturely written, puts alot of faith in the reader (there is little exposition, you're expected to keep up).
People keep refering to their being lots of gratuitous sex in these books and I honsetly just can't remember much of that at all.
I would argue that their are a few likeable and still alive characters. But by and large the characters aren't very likeable. And while Martin's writing is better quality in general than Jordan's it doesn't make up entirely for the glacial pace at which he's published the story.
something _else_ to distract GRRM from finishing writing the series.
I saw this on someone's blog:
"Every time someone asks when the next book is coming out, GRRM kills another Stark."
It explains a lot.
Quattuor res in hoc mundo sanctae sunt: libri, liberi, libertas et liberalitas.
The "murder your darlings" article is about cutting needless material from your manuscript, not killing off characters. But given the title, and the fact that I was critiquing him for having too many characters, I can see how you would think that.
I have always felt that this was a strength of the series, not a weakness. I prefer stories that are true to their own rules. He imagined some characters, described the situations they're in, and then started to write. I dislike reading books and saying "That's not what would have happened!". Books where everything is too neat; where the hero always wins and the bad guys eventually lose.
There's no excitement, there's no tension. When one of George Martin's characters is in danger, you're on the edge of your seat because Mr. Martin has no problem with killing his characters off.
His plot is the same way: reality doesn't consist of neat predictable storylines with well-defined milestones. It's a chaotic mish-mash, and even the near future is very difficult to predict. I find his writing to be quite refreshing after years of reading formulaic fantasy stories.
Brandon Stark, not Jon Snow.
Not that I think this world would be very easy to make into a fun video game,
But I hope that if they actually do put the game out, that they pull off getting you truly attached to your character and then somewhere in the middle of the story they unexpectadly kill your character, and make you take up playing a different character. Maybe even the one that killed you.
Actually, I've read the article before.
It was just a joke about Martin killing off everyone, as he is wont to do. ;)