Game of Thrones - Westeros Deserves Better @ Kotaku

Kotaku expresses disappointment at the way the rights to A Game of Ice and Fire seem to have been handled. Here's a sample from Westeros Deserves Better From The Game of Thrones Video Games:

Aside from The Wall and King's Landing, you'll be spending most of your time in places either never or barely mentioned in the books, and aside from a few characters like Jeor Mormont and Varys, you'll be spending most of your time talking to people created solely for the game. You're also given a choice of two characters you get to play, and that's it. You're a Red Priest or a member of the Night's Watch.
You can't be a Hedge Knight, you can't be a bandit, you can't be a Bravoosi. You can't even choose your gender. Even by action RPG standards, and not true RPG standards, that's pretty damn limiting.
To me, that's like licensing a Star Wars game and then having the player manage the moisture farm next to Luke's on Tatooine. After Luke's already left. It's got almost nothing to do with the reasons I would want to play a game based on that property.

More information.

I guess the guy hasn't played many of the Star Wars games yet since many have little or no relation to the characters in the movies.

He has a point, though. We're being inundated with sub-par games based on this book series that is now a mega-franchise. Genesis is abhorrent. There was a GoT Farmville facebook game last year. There's this upcoming RPG which looks mundane at best. Why hand off the property to all these hacks?

Originally Posted by darkling
Why hand off the property to all these hacks?

All about the Benjamins.

Originally Posted by darkling
He has a point, though. We're being inundated with sub-par games based on this book series that is now a mega-franchise. Genesis is abhorrent. There was a GoT Farmville facebook game last year. There's this upcoming RPG which looks mundane at best. Why hand off the property to all these hacks?

There is a MMO in the making too…


I don't get why people are frustrated. The games are based on the lore, they don't need to be adaptations of the books. We have TV series for that…

Originally Posted by azarhal
There is a MMO in the making too…


I don't get why people are frustrated. The games are based on the lore, they don't need to be adaptations of the books. We have TV series for that…

Thank you. Sole voice of reason here.

Sir_Brennus, love your avatar!

Well given the games based on the IP have been utter garbage. I think its fair to say its ruining the name and series. Cyanide should be stripped of the license and given to someone else.

I have some hope the rpg will be good but I'm sorry to say given there track record I doubt it.

i would love to play a moisture farmer !

Originally Posted by turian
i would love to play a moisture farmer !

so you'd like to play a toilet?

I understand that the prospects are not entirely favourable with Cyanide not meeting expectations before, but the genre is different and people are known to learn from their mistakes occasionally.

Therefore, I believe it prudent to wait until the game is finished before condemning it. But of course, people are and will always be impatient. Plus, it is so much more convenient to complain about something where hard facts are as yet unavailable and no actual testing has to be done!

Anyway, the criticisms levelled are rather weak:
Only two protagonists? Guess The Witcher must be considered lacking. Not playing as a main character of the books? Personally, I do not want to retrace a well known path, but experience a new adventure. Only few of the favourite vistas from the book in the game? Uh. Alright, I guess that might be a valid point, but does not necessarily invalidate the whole game. Also, if they really commit to a high level of detail for the locations they do have, quality still tops quantity for me.

No not impatient just worried given there past games. One good game wont make you a reputation if your other offerings were failures. If the game is good and meets it's goals great but I'm going in with low expectations.

All I want is a solid rpg and to have fun playing it.