Game of Thrones is one of the best series of all time, despite the quality notably dropping off in the later seasons. It was a cultural phenomenon and, while it was airing, sparked a multitude of related games and merchandise. The HBO series rose to its peak in tandem with the surge in popularity of MMO games, which makes it surprising that there weren’t more games in the genre based on the series.
The two most notable offerings were Game of Thrones: Conquest, released in October 2017, and Game of Thrones: Winter is Coming, released in March 2019. The former received mixed reviews, but what about the latter? Does Game of Thrones: Winter is Coming do the series justice?
Game of Thrones: Winter is Coming is the Only MMO Based on the Series
With the sprawling world of the Seven Kingdoms featuring a vast array of locations and characters, it seemed like the perfect setting for an MMORPG with endless opportunities. However, a quality game in the genre never came to fruition while the series was at the height of its popularity. There was plenty of talk about a game being made, as many developers could see that it would attract a lot of attention. Indeed, one studio had an offering in the pipeline for a few years before the project hit a roadblock.
Game of Thrones: Seven Kingdoms was the game in question, developed by Bigpoint and Artplant and officially licensed by HBO. It was announced as early as 2012 and gameplay footage was even shown to fans. It seemed like the ideal title to coincide with the rising popularity of Game of Thrones and could have been an incredible success. Bigpoint was acquired by Yoozoo Games in 2016, though, and the studio opted for a change of direction. The same license was then used to produce Game of Thrones: Winter is Coming.
The title from Yoozoo Games is an MMORTS game that players can play through their browser, on Microsoft Windows, iOS, and Android. The aim of the game is to train soldiers and form alliances with other players to strengthen your control over a certain part of the Seven Kingdoms. It was met with strong reviews, and it appeases fans of the series. However, there were some complaints about the advertisements misrepresenting the gameplay. These clips made it seem like it was possible to get involved with food production, but this isn’t available in the game.
Game of Thrones Spinoffs Have Global Appeal
It’s no surprise that Game of Thrones: Winter is Coming has been a success, as the global appeal of the series is incredible. The only thing that will disappoint fans is that the title wasn’t released to overlap with the series. There have been numerous other Game of Thrones-related games, which have all managed to attract millions of players around the world. Conquest was brought out on mobile, but that came late in the Game of Thrones timeline as well.
The best-known game released in tandem with the HBO series was Game of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series. This was a roleplaying game that featured an original story set in Westeros, designed to interweave with the events of the main series. Another popular game that got worldwide appeal thanks to the booming popularity of online casinos was the Game of Thrones slot from Microgaming. This title allured players in every country that offered internet gambling, and the fact that it is one of the main draws at Swiss online casinos highlights this. Players will often select a site based on the offers and promotions, but the availability of popular games also plays a huge part.
A New MMO is Something That Developers Should Focus on With House of the Dragon
The first Game of Thrones television spinoff will be released in 2022, and anticipation is high about what the prequel will offer. House of the Dragon will show viewers the Targaryen family as it starts to crumble, 200 years before the events of the original series. It will still have a lot of the same well-known and beloved settings and royal houses, meaning that it will be instantly accessible to those who watched Game of Thrones.
House of the Dragon is likely to lead to a huge catalogue of related merchandise of its own, and it represents a prime opportunity for a developer to make an MMORPG that exists alongside the series. HBO knows that franchising its fantasy series to other media is a great way to bring in new viewers, and this is something it enjoyed great success with throughout the lifetime of Game of Thrones. It will have to win a lot of people back, as the gap between the series has been lengthy and many fans may have forgotten why they liked it in the first place, not to mention the widespread disappointment regarding the series’ end.
Lovers of MMOs and Game of Thrones will enjoy playing Game of Thrones: Winter is Coming, and it can be considered a passable game that deals with the subject matter well. However, it would be great if a developer gets in early with a House of the Dragon MMORPG so that players can enjoy it alongside the series.
