HBO, Bigpoint to Develop 'Game of Thrones' Online Game

COLOGNE, Germany -- HBO has signed a deal with German gaming group Bigpoint to develop a massive multiplayer online role-playing game based on the premium cable network's fantasy series Game of Thrones.

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Bigpoint, which developed a similar MMORPG based on the Battlestar Galactica series, said it will give an exclusive first look into plans for the game next week the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, which runs March 5-9.

As with Battlestar Galactica, the Game of Thrones online game will be free-to-play. The game will be set in the series' fictional medieval world of Westeros and feature plot lines inspired by the show and George R.R. Martin's original A Song of Ice and Fire book series. The second season of Game of Thrones bows April 1 on HBO.

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“With a rich and complex story, expressed through an amazing level of detail, it’s easy to see why the HBO series Game of Thrones has amassed an army of fans worldwide,” said Bigpoint CEO Heiko Hubertz. “We intend to build a game that resonates intimately with its diehard community of followers, while also creating an authentic gaming experience that attracts newcomers to the franchise.”

Norwegian games studio Artplant will develop the game, with a closed beta version expected to deliver this fall. Bigpoint is one of the leaders in the fast-growing free-to-play gaming industry.  The Hamburg-based company has over 250 million registered users worldwide.