A Game of Thrones screens are light on actual thrones, but rich in dragons

by Griffin McElroy on Feb 16th 2011 5:00PM

It's been half a year since Cyanide revealed early concept art for its adaptation of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels. Today, publisher Focus Home Interactive revealed the first pair of screenshots from the series first outing, A Game of Thrones: Genesis, giving us a look at what the action therein will actually look like. Apparently, it's going to feature large, scary dragons. And villagers. And cottages which appear to enjoy being burned to the ground, signifying their approval with an olde-timey thumbs up placard. We think that's what's going on, there.

The publisher also revealed a few scant details about the title -- namely, that it will be a real-time strategy affair, with multiplayer support for up to eight different combatants. Victory can be claimed through force, diplomacy or subterfuge -- though, we imagine we'll be leaning on a healthy diet of all three.

Forplomafuge.

A Game of Thrones: Genesis (2/16/11)

Tags: A-Game-of-Thrones-Genesis, a-song-of-ice-and-fire, cyanide, microsoft, pc, playstation, ps3, xbox

Reader Comments (48)

Until I see a screen of a zombie dragon droppin' a deuce on somebody's throne, I have no interest in this game.

holy freaking crap, I was just day dreaming about a song of ice and fire game, I can't believe this, awesome. A little disappointed that it's an RTS though, would rather have a Dragon Age esque rpg series for it

@TheDarkWayne
Initially, I felt the same way but when you think about the story and what "A Game of Thrones" means (the phrase, not the title of the book) it makes perfect sense that a game based on the series would be a RTS. After all, who would you play as in a "Dragon Age" type game and still be able to get the whole story?? No, I think that a RTS style game is perfect for AGOT...

It is known. :)

@TheDarkWayne
Actually, you might be in luck. This is the first title to take place in the franchise, and the second will be an RPG.

@ArtificeDrake formerly known as Maybe less Dragon Age and maybe more...Heavy Rain + Dragon Age? The length, style and that kinda jazz of DAO but the multiple perspectives of Heavy Rain?

What? Why are there... dragons? What? Purple fire?

Does this take place WAY before the current book's storyline, or after? Or am I getting too obsessed over canon?

@Mutagenaric

Guessing that it's way before, given the "Genesis" subtitle. Though if they want to make a balanced game, they can't exactly do a canon-friendly take on the founding of the 7 kingdoms. The short version went like this:

One side had dragons.
The other side didn't.
The guys with dragons won.

Don't know about you, but I know which side I'd want to play.

In point of fact, the Dornishmen didn't have dragons, and they didn't "lose" the war. Dorne was the only one of the Seven Kingdoms NOT to be conquered; they became part of the formal Seven Kingdoms long afterwards when they married into House Targaryen.

Yes, I'm a nerd.

Sorry for saying this.....
TROOOOOOOGGGGGGGGGDOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!

Hodor!

TROGDOR!

Also, I really hope that there's some actually canon story in this. I'm reading the second book of the series right now.

You shouldn't bother...although the first 3 books are great the fat tard has been sitting on his ass talking up his old works no one cares about and the imminent HBO series rather than finishing the 5th book that was promised 5 years ago now...

@Scotty96

I down-voted you. I just wanted you to know that.

@ArtificeDrake formerly known as

I did too, maybe we should start a club.

@ArtificeDrake formerly known as

I up-voted you. I just wanted you to know that.

@RudyHuxtable

Well, CRAP NO! I meant to upvote SHIG! Cmon Joystiq, reply system fail.

@Scotty96

While I empathize your frustration, I disapprove of your tone.

Doesn't bother me...I've read his ramblings for years about football, Wild Cards, his cat and etc...he doesn't "write" outside of his home yet he is never home...he must be at home on his typewriter to work...

Most people assume they he is delayed cause he's hit writers block and also he's annoyed that people figured out the twist of who's related to who...

funny site that makes fun of his blog, just for fun

http://grrrm.livejournal.com/

@Scotty96

Who's related to who, then?

@Scotty96

I know that I would find myself leaping out of bed each day to write for the benefit of people who like to call me a "fat tard." There's no motivation quite so invigorating as the whining of vicious, entitled little creatures who squeal in outrage every moment I'm not serving their desires. I'm sure that a few more mean-spirited barbs and childish remarks will spur Martin forward to complete his series in a trice.

@Scotty96
You reminded me of Gabe Newell jokes.
A Dance with Dragons delayed five more years.

But seriously, it's been said he has about three chapters remaining to write for the fifth book. ANY YEAR NOW.

@Scotty96

You do realize that he doesn't have to please you, right?

I stand by the Blizzard approach, or Tolkien approach. It's done when it's done, fking deal with it.

Burninating the peasants!

AOE with Dragons?!

SOLD!

I just finished reading the 4th in the series. All the books are awesome imo. Cannot wait for the next in the series. I know he has taken forever but whatever, author's prerogative IMO. I think judging by the title maybe we get to play as Aegon the Conqueror & rule all of Westeros. Although this is a RTS I had really hoped that they would have somehow included all the politicking which goes on in the book somehow.

@arnavdesai As much as I don't care for the RTS form of this, i'd say it's probably one of the best types of games suited to just that. Have you played Warhammer:Dawn of War 2? It had a really cool campaign where you picked your own missions across a planet and across the galaxy and got rewards and allies based on those choices. If they expanded upon that kind of idea, i think it could be perfect

I don't know. This shipping so late after the HBO series starts will probably color my expectations.

I will be expecting Sean Bean with a big sword to appear in this game and that's not likely to happen.

Quite honestly, i'm more excited about Game of Thrones HBO series than this game.

@Verb4tim Agreed!

@Verb4tim

yeah, no shit.
This totally reeks of a crappy movie tie-in.
In this case, GUILTY until proven innocent! ;)

@Draugdraugr

It can't be a tie in if the one thing we know about the game is that there is a big angry dragon in it.

At most, it'll probably be like the last PoP game, where they just hope the name will be enough to hoodwink the kind of people that would buy a tie in game to begin with.

Regardless, I wish I liked strategy games more. I still haven't finished SC2 or DoW2, despite them being objectively great.

And the dragon comes in the niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight!

Yeah, the use of Dragons in "Game of Thrones" makes absolutely no sense...

@BigBadBob113

That's a bit incorrect. If it's Dany's dragons all grown up, or Aegon's dragons from way back when, well then they make perfect sense.

@RudyHuxtable

Except neither of those things happened in A Game of Thrones...

@Chareth Cutestory

Not trying to be a dick here, but aren't you splitting hairs now? "A Song of Ice and Fire" features dragons and dragons were used in battle, correct? Yes, I know, and you're right, dragons weren't in combat in "A Game of Thrones". But they probably opted to use the title "A Game of Thrones" because it has more exposure now on account of the TV series. Cool?

rofl

Winter is coming.

@doc j
+Rep for saying that first. Wish it was me, though.

Also
http://isadancewithdragonsoutyet.com/
:(

@Havok

Haha. I hadn't seen that one before.

http://iswintercoming.proboards.com/

Love that for the title of "Is Winter Coming?"

ugh. thoroughly disappointed that this is an RTS. would have much preferred a focused, in-depth, meaty look at one character in an RPG than the clinical, removed feel of commanding-from-on-high of RTSs. just my 2cp tho.

@NegativeZero68

While I agree, do you really think anyone could do the books justice in an RPG?

It just sounds like a lot to chew, and I don't know who would have a big enough mouth or an empty enough stomach to do it well.

@Chareth Cutestory I think you're right in that it would be impossibly difficult, but people can dream. As a huge, Elder Scrolls style RPG, with a giant budget, it could be done well. The world is just so well created, so well crafted, that _that_ element doesn't have to be imagined by videogame developers... But thinking of a non-cheesy way to possible tie the story together, given how there is no central protagonist, would be really difficult... without making some lame "Forest Gump" pseudo character.

It'll never in a million years ever happen, but a videogame with the depth of Song of Ice & Fire would pretty much make me wet.

@Chareth Cutestory

BioWare probably could. but saying that it's difficult shouldn't mean "well since it's hard let's settle for mediocre"

Omg I've never been so freaking excited and so freaking disapointed at the same time in my whole life.

I literally said "HOLY SH*T GAME OF THRONES VIDEOGAME YES" then .. looked at it .. read description .. and sighed. You cannot have dragons in a Game of Thrones videogame. Not to spoil the greatest fantasy story ever or anything, but there ain't no fire breathing, big ass, winged dragons in Game of Thrones.

I'm in the midst of Storm of Swords, almost done, and pretty much every night I fall asleep thinking about how it could be adapted into a seriously huge videogame, but allas, this is what we have... a generic medieval-style RTS that doesn't even follow the story.

@The Albatross

If this is set 250 years before the books then there would indeed be huge dragons 3 of them to be exact. The largest was Balerion the Black Dread. Aegon I the Conqueror claimed all of Westeros with them.

Balerion, Vhagar, and Meraxes were his dragons. Also the same dragons that melted the stone walls of Harrenhal.

It'll be nice to have a modern medieval fantasy RTS that isn't total war (I do love the Total War series don't get me wrong)

I should really get 'round to reading that series...

A Game of Thrones: Genesis

A Game of Thrones screens are light on actual thrones, but rich in dragons

A Game of Thrones: Genesis (2/16/11)

Reader Comments (48)

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 5:03PM Dizazter said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 5:10PM TheDarkWayne said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 5:35PM ArtificeDrake formerly known as said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 6:49PM RedViv said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 8:10PM TheDarkWayne said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 5:11PM Mutagenaric said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 5:23PM ComicShaman said

Posted: Feb 17th 2011 4:54AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 5:11PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 5:56PM Richard Jae said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 5:13PM KeenCommander said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 5:20PM Scotty96 said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 5:28PM ArtificeDrake formerly known as said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 5:58PM Shig said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 6:02PM RudyHuxtable said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 6:03PM RudyHuxtable said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 7:14PM doc j said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 8:57PM Scotty96 said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 9:26PM Skie said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 11:13PM ComicShaman said

Posted: Feb 17th 2011 1:39AM Havok said

Posted: Feb 17th 2011 8:19PM Punkrawk Bbob said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 5:40PM EaserSmoot said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 6:04PM Tephlon said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 6:12PM arnavdesai said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 6:38PM TheDarkWayne said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 6:15PM arkweld said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 6:37PM Verb4tim said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 6:48PM BigBadBob113 said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 8:16PM Draugdraugr said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 8:47PM Chareth Cutestory said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 6:41PM IggyFandango said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 6:47PM BigBadBob113 said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 7:22PM RudyHuxtable said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 8:48PM Chareth Cutestory said

Posted: Feb 17th 2011 1:44PM RudyHuxtable said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 7:01PM Playace said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 7:11PM doc j said

Posted: Feb 17th 2011 1:08AM Havok said

Posted: Feb 17th 2011 1:35AM doc j said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 7:16PM NegativeZero68 said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 8:53PM Chareth Cutestory said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 10:58PM The Albatross said

Posted: Feb 17th 2011 12:54AM NegativeZero68 said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 10:55PM The Albatross said

Posted: Feb 17th 2011 2:26PM Tethadam said

Posted: Feb 16th 2011 11:10PM Integral said

Posted: Feb 17th 2011 5:55AM Dumac said

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