Re: Glorantha: The Movie

From: David Dunham <david_at_...>
Date: Fri, 9 Mar 2001 08:27:10 -0800


Reinier wrote

> my mind refuses to accept that Glorantha has not proved
> licensable to the likes of Diablo/Baldurs Gate/and Their
> Proliferating Imitators.

Greg has occasionally tried, and people have certainly asked him on occasion. I don't know if any money changed hands before King of Dragon Pass, but I know it was not the first time Greg had licensed a Glorantha computer game. It's just the first one to be completed.

> Sheesh, the setting alone would blow those
> games away. You could even (please don't nuke me for this suggestion)
> make a go of the setting within - ack - <wince> a computer DnD rules
> system. There, I've said it. Look, it's only meant as a way to get
> broader appeal, OK? I love the HW rules, but at the end of the day
> when I play one of the PC RPGs I don't pay much attention to the
> rules system but to the story. Glorantha has plenty of that.

I wouldn't expect the rules of a computer game to resemble at all a paper & dice game (certainly not one as flexible as Hero Wars!). Each media has its own strength.

> I used to cover the computer/video games industry as a stock analyst
> and know their products well. They seem to suffer from Not Invented
> Here syndrome when it comes to RPGs, but they are far, far behind pen
> and paper in their development. Maybe some of us could convince them
> not to reinvent the wheel?

As a stock analyst you probably know one of the real reasons many of them don't license: game companies would prefer to create their own valuable intellectual property they can then license to someone else, rather than pay someone for stuff they can't then use again.

I do sometimes feel constrained, but then Glorantha was also a great springboard from which to create a cool computer game, so it probably balances out.

And I would certainly do it again if I could find funding again. If anyone has a million or two rattling around (or is a pal of the Sultan of Brunei), let me know... (Actually, I think there are a bunch of Glorantha games I could do for less, but most games on the shelves these days have a development budget in that range.)

David Dunham     A Sharp     david_at_...
Voice/Fax: 206 783 7404     http://a-sharp.com
Efficiency is intelligent laziness.

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