Posts Tagged: Fantasy

Videogames

An Aside | My thoughts on the GAME OF THRONES MMORPG

By Aidan Moher March 2nd, 2012
Game of Thrones MMORPG screenshot

I blogged about this over at Suvudu, so head there for the details, but I just wanted to chime in here with some more detailed and persnickity thoughts about the recently announced MMORPG based on George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire.

The gist, from Venturebeat:

Martin and HBO spilled the news about the game last year, but Bigpoint hasn’t had a chance to show off its work until now. Bigpoint’s new web site for the game offers you the chance to sign up and “die for your house.”

Bigpoint grew big as a browser-based game publisher in Hamburg, Germany, but in the past couple of years it has expanded into the U.S. and moved its headquarters to San Francisco. The company will show a sneak peek of the game, a browser-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game (an MMORPG that doesn’t require a long download) at the upcoming Game Developers Conference next week in San Francisco.

The game will be set in the fictional medieval world of Westeros and its Seven Kingdoms, where summers can last for decades and winters can last a lifetime.

First of all, it’s nice to see Martin’s series continuing to get recognition and attention from the videogame world, but doesn’t he deserve better? The MMORPG is being developed by BigPoint, the illustrious developer of such legendary titles as Drakensang Online, Lord of Ultima and, most convincing of all, Zoomumba. Now, I know George has to eat, but wouldn’t it behoove him and Bantam Spectra to do a bit of quality control before licensing out the IP to just anyone? Is a browser-based MMORPG really the best fit for the series? And does this move to (probably) free-to-play browser-based model suggest that the Game of Thrones MMORPG will be adopting a more socially-driven nature (as seen in many of BigPoint’s other games), as opposed to a more solid, deeply considered structure like the other MMORPGs that gamers actually give a damn about? Why not look towards Turbine’s successful MMORPG adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings for inspiration? At least BigPoint’s other browser-based MMORPGs look good, regardless of how they might play.
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Art

Michael Whelan painting cover for A MEMORY OF LIGHT by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

By Aidan Moher February 27th, 2012

The Way of Kings by Brandon SandersonFrom Tor.com:

A while ago we announced that Michael Whelan will be creating the ebook cover art for A Memory of Light, the final volume of The Wheel of Time. I am proud to announce that his artwork will also be used in the print edition.

Everyone at Tor was deeply saddened to hear the news that Darrell K. Sweet had passed away and deciding how to complete the series without him was a challenge that none of us wanted. In choosing Michael Whelan, however, the series gains an artist who has dedicated his four-decade-long career to interpreting fantasy and science fiction literature in a way that is true to the source material while serving as an inspirational centerpiece on it’s own. We are thrilled to have him on board for this series.

From Whelan himself: “I’m flattered to no end to have been asked to work on such a prestigious and popular project. My only regret is that it had to come under such unfortunate circumstances; I never would have accepted had Darrell been here to see the Wheel of Time saga to it’s completion. It will always remain a testament to his career, and I’m humbled to stand in his shadow for the work on the final volume.”

We do not have a cover reveal date yet but rest assured we will reveal it as soon as possible.

Sweet being replaced by my favourite cover artist of all time? Good deal. It’s obviously a bummer that the series won’t match, and I half expected Tor to ‘discover’ a nearly complete painting by Sweet (but actually emulated by another artist based on Sweet’s drafts) to cover the final novel. An unfortunate situation all around, but Whelan’s as good a consolation prize as any Wheel of Time fan could wish for.

Review

Review | THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern

By Aidan Moher February 27th, 2012
THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern

The Night Circus

By Erin Morgenstern
Hardcover
Pages: 400 pages
Publisher: Doubleday
Release Date: 09/13/11
ISBN: 0385534639

EXCERPT

Every so often, a novel comes along that knocks me off my feet, ties me up and leaves me bound, unable to escape until I turn its final page. Even after that final page is turned though, these novels live in my memory, constanly ekeing their way into my thoughts and colouring my discussion of other, inferior novels. I’ve been lucky enough to have this experience twice in the last handful of months; first with The Tiger’s Wife by Tea Obreht (REVIEW) and now with The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.

Chandresh Christophe Lefèvre enters not a single tent on opening night. Instead, he wanders through pathways and concourses and walks in loops around the courtyard with Marco in tow, who is taking notes whenever Chandresh finds something to comment upon.

Chandresh watches the crowd, discerning how people decide which tents to enter. He identifies signage that needs to be adjusted or elevated to be easier to read, doors that are not visible enough and others that are too predominant, drawing too little attention or too much of a crowd.

But these are minute details, really, extra oil for inaudible squeaking. It could not be better. The people are delighted. The line for tickets snakes around the outside of the fence. The entire circus glistens with excitement. (p. 101)

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Art

Art | Gorgeous GAME OF THRONES portraits

By Aidan Moher February 24th, 2012
Game of Thrones, Dany by Anja Em
Game of Thrones, Arya by Anja EmGame of Thrones, Tyrion by Anja Em

Beautiful, yeah? Anja, an artist from Poland, has done nice justice to the characters and clearly take directly inspiration from still-frames of the television series. Great lighting and all the right emotion for the chracters. More of Anja’s art, including more characters from Game of Thrones and her equally (or even more) awesome original creations, can be found on her website.

News

An Aside | First details on J.K. Rowling’s next novel, for adults.

By Aidan Moher February 23rd, 2012

J.K. Rowling, author of Harry PotterAfter several years of voracious fans re-reading Harry Potter and waiting impatiently for the sometimes-enigmatic author to breath a word about her next novel, J.K. Rowling has finally announced her next novel. It’s coming from Little, Brown, doesn’t have a title, isn’t related to Harry Potter and is aimed at an adult audience. I can almost hear you salivating with unbound excitement and lust.

Via Booktrade:

“Although I’ve enjoyed writing it every bit as much, my next book will be very different to the Harry Potter series, which has been published so brilliantly by Bloomsbury and my other publishers around the world. The freedom to explore new territory is a gift that Harry’s success has brought me, and with that new territory it seemed a logical progression to have a new publisher. I am delighted to have a second publishing home in Little, Brown, and a publishing team that will be a great partner in this new phase of my writing life.”

Of course, we find out little-to-nothing about the book, but it’s nice nonetheless to know that Rowling’s ready to break her relative radio silence and has proceeded far enough along with the novel to sign a deal. Any guesses what type of novel she’ll write? More importantly, though, do you think she will fall victim to Stephen R. Donaldson’s theory that fans follow series around, rather than authors?