George R.R. Martin's video game work is years behind him

George R.R. Martin's video game work is years behind him

This story about video game writing, boiled down, in 0:51 minutes.

What's the fuss?

George R.R. Martin, the author of A Song of Ice and Fire, also wrote for the upcoming fantasy adventure game Elden Ring. A recent interview had shed light on his contributions and his time commitments to help bring the game to light.

The situation

The studio FromSoftware, developer of the Dark Souls franchise, is famous for creating a new genre of video game - Soulslike games. 

  • This odd title represents a certain type of action game that are overall extremely difficult with rich settings and extensive lore. 
  • The latest upcoming entry in the series, Elden Ring, stands apart from its predecessors due to the involvement of the one and only George R.R. Martin.

The mastermind of Game of Thrones took a break from his novels to create the overarching backstory of the game's universe. 

  • In a recent interview, the author indicated that his work on the game was completed years ago, with the world steeped in both fantasy and science fiction. 
  • With the game now progressing without him, maybe he can finally get back to finishing his own series.

Boiling it down

George R.R. Martin's involvement in the game is certainly welcome, but a surprise given his previous statements that video games "aren't art, yet". 

  • The author argued his case that virtual reality hasn't become sophisticated enough to fully immerse players in new worlds.
  • Despite the claim, he's certainly a fan of the medium stating he's "lost a few novels" due to avidly playing video games in the 80s.

The fact is, VR or not, games require narratives for the player to attach themselves to in order to drive their engagement, and you don't get stronger than George R.R. Martin. 

  • Here's hoping after his experience with Elden Ring has changed his mind.

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