Cover-Credits:
Esports content creator and interviewer Travis Gafford interviewed epic fantasy and science fiction author Brandon Sanderson to talk about his books and writing. They touched upon the topic of games while discussing Moonbreaker, an upcoming turn-based strategy game developed by Unknown Worlds Entertainment and published by Krafton. Notably, the game is set in an original universe created by Brandon Sanderson. Sanderson then highlighted the importance of having good gameplay to keep the game’s universe alive. The author also talked about why he chose to write for Moonbreaker and how many game companies in the past had approached him.
“A lot of the games I was being pitched were very similar to games on the market. Moonbreaker made something that I hadn’t seen before. That’s probably its greatest strength and greatest weakness because video games are very hard to market something brand new,” Sanderson said.
Brandon Sanderson added that he chose to go with Moonbreaker, not because of its marketability aspects but because it was interesting, and also pointed out that he and his children love Subnautica.
“I’m a gamer,” said Brandon Sanderson
Brandon Sanderson disclosed that he wanted to work on someone else’s game first before turning one of his books into a video game. He said, “I’m a gamer. I had an Atari 2600 when I was a kid. That’s where my entry point was. I have lots of ideas for games.”
Following this, Travis Gafford brought up the topic of Arcane and pointed out how there’s a confluence of books, games, and television series. Talking about this, Brandon Sanderson said, “For years, the prevailing wisdom was there were no good video games to turn into movie or television adaptations, right?” The author pointed out that some of the Mortal Kombat movies were fun. However, the case of games getting turned into movies cannot be undermined, he added.
Brandon Sanderson talks about Arcane & League of Legends
While Sanderson said The Witcher series turned to the books, he noted that Arcane drew its lore fully from League of Legends. “I gave it [Arcane] 10/10. I think it’s a fantastic narrative. So, we’re in an era where…video games as narratives are being taken seriously,” he noted.
Following this, Sanderson stated that he has not played League of Legends and asked, “Am I in trouble for saying that?” Travis joked that it is in fact a good idea and said how League of Legends players and fans have a love/hate relationship with the game.
Sanderson said, “I watch video game content. Like I watch Dunkey and people who played a lot of League of Legends often say they have a love-hate relationship with it. But, regardless, I read up on it when Arcane came out.” He opined that streaming services have created a golden age of middle-form content and narratives in the form of TV series.
In May, Brandon Sanderson in his podcast ‘Intentionally Blank’ called Arcane “a masterpiece” but revealed that he would not play League of Legends any time soon.
