What’s more we’ll be getting content updates that ties Ascent to events from the HBO TV show. The studio is working hard to ”evoke all the feelings of the series.” There’s no good or evil.
It’s no Lord of the Rings deal, says CEO Jon Radoff of Disruptor Beam, as there’s no ”clear cut good and evil” forces in Westeros; that’s ”not very dynamic” for social games.
”In Game of Thrones Ascent, you can evoke all the feelings of the series. Westeros is a fascinating world for players to play in and be able to live out similar dramas and political intrigues that happen in the show,” said Radoff in an interview with [a]listdaily. He doesn’t think it’s ”a good environment about classic single player gamers.”
”I have nothing to say about any games that might be set in the same universe,” he continued, indirectly referencing Cyanide’s RTS and RPG games, of which both disappointed critically.
”Traditionally, most RPGs are about beating up monsters and getting loot; that doesn’t work well in Westeros, but it’s a good universe for a strategic gameplay. For us, it was about looking at the authenticity of the world and Game of Thrones Ascent really reflects those type of things you see in that world. Part of it is swearing allegiance to certain houses; we’ll talk about the particulars over the coming weeks.”
Despite not being a gamer, author George R.R. Martin ‘gets it’ affirms Radoff.
”He’s an interesting guy, he likes games but hasn’t played a lot of games and isn’t on Facebook or Twitter, but he still gets it. He’s a genius - he doesn’t have to use it to understand the experience.”
”He gets the use of the web-based experience and he gets what makes it memorable. He wants the content of the books, with the adventure and treachery, and likes the idea that we’re going to bring those actions to life in the game.”
Game of Thrones Ascent will go through ”multiple phases of closed beta,” before moving on to an open one. Right now they don’t want to speculate on when the public can try their hand at some underhanded treachery in Westeros. The studio will be using virtual items to fund the free-to-play Facebook title. ”We want to make it quite comfortable for everyone, whether they’ve played social games or not,” said CEO Jon Radoff.
”You have to pay close attention to engagement and not build something people have been playing for years; you have to create something with depth.” Let’s hope Disruptor Beam can do Game of Thrones justice.
