Robert Jordan's popular fantasy series to become a series of games, published by Electronic Arts.
Many years ago I worked in a sci-fi and fantasy bookshop in Sydney, and one of the most common questions the staffe encountered was "Do you know when the next Wheel of Time book is coming?" The series was like crack to its fans, and every new launch saw a huge hub-bub of fantasy afficianados - we even had the author himself, Robert Jordan, visit for a signing, which was akin to having some rock superstar drop in. So, we guess, it makes perfect sense that EA would eventually get its claws into the beloved series, and that's what developer Red Eagle Games has just announced.
Red Eagle and EA will be bring a series of Wheel ot Time games to market, including an MMO. Red Eagles secured the rights across pretty much every platform there is, including mobile devices, so expect annoying market saturation.
The head writer across all the projects is Hollywood veteran Chris Morgan - though, given he's responsible for penning The Fast and The Furious, perhaps Hollywood criminal is a more appropriate appelation. Interestingly, the upcoming film adaptation is being produced by Red Eagles Rick Selvage and Larry Mondragon. We assume this means the games will also tie into the films, offering unified Wheel of Time 'experience', unlike the murkier dealings with blockbuster fantasy epic Lord of the Rings.
The announcement's sparked mixed feelings from fans - some can't wait to get their MMO on in Jordan's massive creation, while others are worried by EA's involvement. Personally, we're a bit torn ourselves - it'll be great to see another big literary MMO, but on the other hand, the first Wheel of Time book left me quite cold. It just didn't grab me at all, and after 50 pages - surely enough time to grab a reader - we put it back on the shelf.
But, remembering those huge lines of fans waiting to get the now deceased Jordan to sign their books, I know I'm in a minority.
Issue: 133 | February, 2012