Books As Games

[zachatree]

What books would you see fit to be made into a game. With the rise of more artsy games and episodic format I think it is feasible to make a novel into a game. I had this discussion with a friend yesterday and came to the conclusion that the Song of Ice and Fire series could be made into a great fantasy epic and The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy would make a great adventure game.

 

[Eldritch Warlord]

I think that the story of Beren and Lúthien from The Silmarilion would make an epic(ly awesome) action RPG.

Some [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beren] Wikipedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luthien] articles [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Silmarilion] for the ignorant [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beren_and_luthien].

 

[Xaryn Mar]

Hmmm, I would say the Deathgate Cycle by Weis and Hickmann. Yes there have been a game made before but it only followed the series very loosely. It would of course be a crpg or adventure game.

 

[Crunchy English]

They talked about it, pitched it, put teams together for it and we never saw anything.
I want my Ender's Game... uh... Game! Damn it!

I want to float in a weightless, completely 3D shooter, where I can orient myself anyway I choose and teamspeak with 40 people on each side.

 

[Anton P. Nym]

You're in luck, Hitchhiker's Guide was an Infocom text-adventure... I believe there's a legitimate freeware version on the web.

The guys who wrote Undertow are doing a game in the current Unreal engine based on Ender's Game with Card's input, so you're in luck too.

As for books I'd like to see become games, how about Banks' Player of Games itself...

-- Steve

 

[laikenf]

Time and Again by Jack Finney, would make an interesting adventure puzzle game (point and click maybe).

 

[Xaryn Mar]

Here is a link to an online version of the HHGttG-game http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/hitchhikers/game_andrew.shtml

 

[Total_Meltdown]

The New York Times ran a piece a few days ago, about using games to draw readers. I thought it was a really interesting read, though I'm not sure the author gets what gaming is about, or what makes it fun. (Of course, I could say the same about a lot of the industry itself, but that's a conversation for a different topic.) http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/06/books/06games.html

 

[TsunamiWombat]

Wheel of Time.

Okay, maybe that wouldn't work since the whiny mouth breather doesn't get any magic powers till the second or third book.

 

[CanadianWolverine]

Just about any novel by Matthew Reilly. Reading those books for me is just wonderful action packed rides with pretty decent characters in comparison to say what I consider kinda trashy (as in I feel a bit dirty after reading it) Deathlands series.

http://www.matthewreilly.com/

I am eagerly awaiting his next book in his Captain Jack West Jr series, Six Sacred Stones ended on a cliff hanger worse than the second Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

Also, when I first read the title of this thread, I recalled when I would read Choose Your Own Adventure type books when I was younger =D

 

[Gamer137]

So long as a book based game is better then a movie based game, i'm all for it. We have not had a good movie based game sence Goldeneye.

 

[Halfang]

The Shadow over Innsmouth.

Wait.

Any Lovecraft story.

 

[zachatree]

The Shadow over Innsmouth.

Wait.

Any Lovecraft story.

I concur the Call of Cthulhu story would make a great game.

Here is a link to an online version of the HHGttG-game http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/hitchhikers/game_andrew.shtml

Yay I am glad they made one after all. I have a special place in my heart for text adventures.

 

[Crunchy English]

There was a Call of Cthulu Xbox game, but I only played the first level where you shake down some Cultists besieged in an old house with the police and then stumble across an Elder God...

Did that game turn out good? I don't feel like a played enough to judge.

 

[Xaryn Mar]

The Shadow over Innsmouth.

Wait.

Any Lovecraft story.

Hmmm, I second that although that story has been made a game (The first part of Dark Corners of the Earth are very inspired by that story). My favorite HPL-story to game would be At the Mountains of Madness or perhaps The Case of Charles Dexter Ward.

 

[PersianLlama]

I think that the story of Beren and Lúthien from The Silmarilion would make an epic(ly awesome) action RPG.

Some [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beren] Wikipedia [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luthien] articles [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Silmarilion] for the ignorant [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beren_and_luthien].

I definitely agree.

I want a Temeraire series flight sim and RTS. Dragons + 1700's naval combat, what's not to love?

Also agree with that.

 

[zachatree]

The Shadow over Innsmouth.

Wait.

Any Lovecraft story.

Hmmm, I second that although that story has been made a game (The first part of Dark Corners of the Earth are very inspired by that story). My favorite HPL-story to game would be At the Mountains of Madness or perhaps The Case of Charles Dexter Ward.

At the mountain of madness is really one of the best (perhaps because its long) also Dunwitch horror is one of the more messed up ones and at the same time resting on my list favorites.

 

[xitel]

I vote for some more Forgotten Realms games. There was Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, Dark Allience and it's sequel, and that's about it. The Hunter's Blades Trilogy would make for a great Hack and Slash game, what with the shear number of epic battles they have in them. And by hack and slash I mean Dynasty Warriors style.

 

[TsunamiWombat]

Forgotten Realms makes this D&D fan cry. Those are sad tears, not happy tears.

More Dynasty Warriors style games done in an interesting and fresh way are always welcome though.