Way back in June 2007 (in internet time, that’s actually three lifetimes,) I wrote about some juicy tidbits that science fiction writer Orson Scott Card mentioned in regards to a possible game based on his Nebula award winning novel Ender’s Game. If I thought I was excited then, it paled in comparison to the reaction I had upon seeing my inbox today.
As much as I would love it if the game took on the full storyline of the novel, its been clarified that that won’t be the case, and that’s probably for the best considering how internal much of the story development is. The game will focus on the memorable Battle Room and is actually being created solely for digital distribution by Chair Entertainment, who also aided Card in the making of Advent Rising.
N’Gai Croal over at Level Up was kind enough to share with us his interview with the founders of Chair, Donald and Geremy Mustard. When asked about the details of the game, the brothers had this information to offer:
“Our main objective is to create a game that remains authentic to the books and offers an exciting gameplay experience for all levels of gamers, whether they are longtime fans or new to the “Ender’s Game” series. Our team will be working closely with OSC so that everything from the way the characters look, to the different uniforms of the teams, to the Battle Room itself is authentic and helps to really bring the universe to life for gamers.”
While the excitement is high, so is the worry — Ender’s Game has been an integral part of many a childhood, and the fear is always there that the game could do a poor job of capturing whatfans most loved about it. Still, I remember thinking when I read it that if the Battle Room was real, I’d want to spend a lot of time there, since as a kid I envisioned fighting in there myself. My hopes are high for this one.
Hit the jump for the legal talkings and such.
[Thanks N’Gai — you made my day!]
CHAIR ENTERTAINMENT GROUP SECURES INTERACTIVE RIGHTS TO ORSON SCOTT CARD’S BESTSELLING ENDER’S GAME SERIES
First-Ever “Battle Room” Video Games to Bring Classic Literary Series to Life
Salt Lake City, Utah – January 29, 2008 – Chair Entertainment Group, an independent video game production company and creators of the award-winning Undertow, and bestselling author, Orson Scott Card, today announced their partnership to create the first-ever video games inspired by the legendary “Battle Room,” featured in the beloved literary classic, Ender’s Game. Ender’s Game is an award-winning, international bestseller and one of the most popular science fiction novels ever written.
Under the terms of the agreement, Chair has obtained the exclusive rights to develop Ender’s Game “Battle Room” video games across all next-generation consoles, handheld platforms, and PC. In collaboration with Orson Scott Card, Chair will begin development later this year with the first offering expected for release via downloadable platforms.
“I have been a huge fan of Ender’s Game since I was ten years old, so it is a true honor for our team to be entrusted with creating the first video game inspired by this classic story,” said Donald Mustard, creative director at Chair Entertainment Group. “Our goal is to create an authentic Ender’s Game experience that delivers awesome gameplay and can be enjoyed by both longtime fans and gamers new to the series.”
“From the moment I started working with Donald Mustard and his team at Chair, I knew that these were the guys I wanted to do the first Ender’s Game video game,” said Orson Scott Card. “It’s not enough to slap the Ender’s Game name on just any game–it has to be exciting, memorable, and endlessly replayable. Chair shares my understanding of this and I am looking forward to working with them to ensure the game is as authentically Enderish as possible.”
In the fictional Ender’s Game universe, humanity is at war with an alien species known as the Formics, and Battle School is the training ground for the future leaders of Earth’s International Fleet. Taken at a very young age, Earth’s most brilliant children undergo a rigorous training designed to teach advanced military theory where strategic and tactical glory is won in the null gravity battles known to the elite students simply as the game! Through simulated war games and training conducted in the Battle Room, the children rise through the ranks of Battle School to become Earth’s only hope for victory.
The two parties previously collaborated on the Chair Entertainment Group property Empire, which the Company introduced in 2006 with the launch of an Orson Scott Card-written bestselling novel of the same name. A feature film based on Empire is in development by Warner Brothers and Chair has future plans for video games and comic books based on the property.
Gamers and long-time Ender’s Game fans are invited to share their thoughts on Orson Scott Card’s popular website, www.hatrack.com, and the official Chair forums at: www.chairentertainment.com/community/forums/
About Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card is the award-winning author of the national bestsellers, Shadow of the Giant and Shadow of the Hegemon, and of the beloved classic, Ender’s Game, published by Tor Books. He is a professor of literature and writing at Southern Virginia University and lives with his family in Greensboro, North Carolina. For more information on Orson Scott Card, please visit his official website: HYPERLINK “http://www.hatrack.com” www.hatrack.com
About Chair Entertainment Group
Founded in 2005, Chair Entertainment Group is an independent video game production company committed to creating blockbuster entertainment franchises through development of its original intellectual properties. In 2006, Chair launched its first original property, Empire, as a best-selling novel written by Orson Scott Card. A feature film based on Empire is in development by Warner Bros. and Chair has future plans for video games and comic books based on the property. In November 2007, Chair launched Undertow, an award-winning underwater action shooter for Xbox LIVE Arcade. Additional information, artwork, and gamer forums can be found at: www.chairentertainment.com.
