The King's Quest Novels thread!

[Arkillian]

Urgh- OK, so I've ordered te first 2, but the frieght is like... double the price of both books T.T Should've seen that coming T.T Oh well- $15 NZD for a book I can't get in NZ isn't too bad...

[dark-daventry]

Below I have included the covers of the trilogy for everyone to marvel over. Of course, the Floating Castle is my favorite cover. Seriously, I want The Floating Castle made into a game RIGHT NOW! Get on it, IA! Pretty please? With cherries on top? And whipped cream, too!

[Arkillian]

By March, I will likely be drool over the book along with you DD 

[Baggins]

Dark, Daventry the scans over on KQ Omnipedia, can be linked to, btw. They aren't bad scans, but I probably should update them when I get a chance.

[Blackthorne]

We had considered "The Floating Castle" but we decided we didn't want to do another game with Alexander as the protagonist.  After making KQIII, we were sick of the dude - and we felt Graham needed another adventure for his younger years.


Bt

[dark-daventry]

Dark, Daventry the scans over on KQ Omnipedia, can be linked to, btw. They aren't bad scans, but I probably should update them when I get a chance.

I haven't had a chance to take a look at the Omnipedia. For the sake of time, I did a quick google search. Interesting side note: The very first result on Google for "The Floating Castle" is the product page for the actual novel. The one we're talking about right now. I find that awesome!

By March, I will likely be drool over the book along with you DD 

Better get a bucket. The book is certainly drool worthy. I just wish it was a picture book The cover itself is amazing. The darkness of it, Alexander's defiant stance... The book really reflects this darkness well. You know, I'm tempted to take pictures of me holding the books. Not uploading the pages, for legality reasons, but just fun little photos to show the books in a "real world" setting.

We had considered "The Floating Castle" but we decided we didn't want to do another game with Alexander as the protagonist.  After making KQIII, we were sick of the dude - and we felt Graham needed another adventure for his younger years.


Bt

Well, it's nice to know the thought was considered. Will it ever be re-considered after KoS? Btw, you guys better still make games, commercial or otherwise, after your SQ2 remake and KoS games. Otherwise, you'll be getting an angry e-mail from me. Both IA and AGDI make high quality games, and I'd like to see both continue. I don't expect any details of future projects, and I'm not asking for details either. I'm just making it clear that you guys had better still make games after your current two.

[Baggins]

The question remains, will Activision allow them to make another game after KoS? I've been curious about how they managed to gain a license for that game even. TSL had a hard time making getting a license, and even using the "King's Quest" title, on an original game.

I'd also like to know what happened to Quest for Infamy? Has that been totally scrapped or just on the back burner?

[dark-daventry]

The question remains, will Activision allow them to make another game after KoS? I've been curious about how they managed to gain a license for that game even. TSL had a hard time making getting a license, and even using the "King's Quest" title, on an original game.

I'd also like to know what happened to Quest for Infamy? Has that been totally scrapped or just on the back burner?

As far as I know, Activision doesn't actually own the rights to the novels, do they? I'm not a legal expert, and so I'll leave the discussion of the legality of KoS to Blackthorne as he's the person most likely to know. But I'd like to see IA make some original games. I mean, based on what they've done so far, I'd most certainly pay for any commercial endeavors they embark upon. They've shown remarkable talent. I think they deserve a reward for that talent.

As for Quest for Infamy, I think it's been scrapped altogether. I'm not sure though.

I wish they'd put out more KQ novels. I'd buy em, for sure.

[Baggins]

Well read the publishign info in the front of the books, you'll see everything in the novels is copyrighted to either Sierra, or the authors of said novels, and published through Berkely Boulevard by special arrangement by Sierra. It's like most published licensed take Star Wars for example, the Sierra maintains certain rights to the material, whereas publishing house may have its own rights to aspects of the material. Starwars has its "Lucasbooks" division that controls ownership/publishing" rights for the books (whereas Bantam or Del Rey publish the books).

This is one of those nebulous limboesque aspects in publising world, where the publishing house can't just go and republish the books without Sierra's 'special arrangement" or in this case Activision's permission (they would need their due). But on the same token, Sierra/Activison wouldn't necessarily have the right to go and republish it in full without the publisher/author's permission either.

With one of the author's dead, who knows what that causes. But in theory as is the case for Star Wars books, Lucasfilm can move the publishing of the books over to another company, if they wanted to.

But ya, without a new reprint publishing contract/arrangement with Sierra, Berkely Boulevard could actually be breaking copyright laws if they reprinted the books. Since they would in effect making money/using characters that are copyrighted to Sierra without Sierra's express permission. Since most companies tend to be extremely protective of their ips, I highly doubt Sierra would have given them an "unlimited" printing contract. The contract is likely limited to the single printing.

Once you move into the realm of fan remakes, IA would have to gain permission to not only use the KQ name, characters etc, but possibly also need to get authors, and publisher's permission as well. Otherwise they are infringing on the anyone involved with controlling those copyrights. Of course that depends on if the developers have all the intention of keeping everything on the up and up, and within legality.

[Arkillian]

This is why I hate fandom. If it's non profit (like TSL) then I don't see why they hate people doing impressive games like this if it's properly credited. To do a fandom of a fanstory... urgh. So many permissions to ask. I'd MUCH rather go OC on stuff I want to put effort into so I own it all. I'd hate to battle the big guys on a free project or low profit project like that

[Baggins]

Technically the novels fall into the realm of Profic I.e. professionally and officially licensed, rather than fan story (with profic the writesr need not actually have to be fans even, but someone licensed to do a tie-in).

Fanstory or fan fiction on the other hand is more like the fan games working out side of copy right. Fan fiction authors are technically infringing on on Sierra's ip. Granted I've never really seen big companies go after fan fiction authors.

Profic on the other hand usually involves a company like Sierra or Lucasfilm offering contracts with book publishers to make an 'official' licensed product, which not only will Sierra make money from it, but also will the publisher.

I've recently had to go through the professional publishing hurdles myself in order to get permissions to use photography for journal article I've written. One of the places wants two copies of the book in return, or at least a PDF of final edited manuscript for their permission to use the photo. Though normal articles although professional are quite a bit different than fiction rights.

We haven't even gotten into the topic of 'fan license' were developers get permission from a company to make a fan game or something but for no profit. In some cases it seems the owner of the Ip wants to retain all copyrights to the material, other times it seems to be just distribution rights? I don't know how much different the licenses were between vivendi and activision. We'll never really no any of those particulars.

[Cez]

I actually think IA's take on adapting one of the novels is a genius idea. Finally, we get to play a "new" full vga KQ game, where we don't know the story (if you haven't read the book) or how to solve the game. And that's awesome!

[Baggins]

Well, as I understand even knowing the book, won't help you "solve the game". It's more of a loosely inspired, adaptation, of the story.

It might be like the GK novels by Jane Jensen, you can't really follow those and solve the GK games directly (especially with the novel for the Beast Within). Gabriel's actions to get clues are very different. For anyone who has complained that there were minor cosmetic changes between KQ6 novelization and the game, GK novels go far beyond that.

Like I said, KoS (the novel) doesn't really have an "inventory" or puzzles. Graham doesn't carry much on his person throughout the entire story (and in the latter half he doesn't even wear clothes for obvious reasons), its mostly about a long journey to reach the 'kingdom'. So I.A' is going to basically have to design items and puzzles all from scratch. It's sounding whatever they come up with will be more their own, than KoS itself.

That's not a bad thing, it's certainly going to be more original, than making an adaptation of a previously released game. A strict KoS adaptation wouldn't really make a good adventure game by itself.

In the same way, if GK novels had come out first, they wouldn't have made 'good games' if strictly followed. Vice versa, the games wouldn't make good novels, if they novels had been strict adaptations of the games. Liberties have to be taken for the media being used.

[Lambonius]

IA's KOS bears only the loosest plot resemblance to the book that inspired it.  Nearly everything in the game itself is entirely original.  As for a fan license...we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.  As for future games--we'll keep making them as long is it remains fun for us to do so.  Otherwise, what's the point?

[Cez]

Even better then.

[Baggins]

Well, I think one of their pictures for KoS, even shows a "slok", a creature from SNW, if that gives an idea, how much they changing things. That tree with the hedge around it looks like something inspired by Morowyn the wizard from the Floating Castle.

In another picture it looks like there is a dwarf and another human in the woods; there are no dwarfs in KoS. While there is a gnome, Graham never encounters a gnome nin the woods, nor with another human.

[Lambonius]

Yep.  And pretty much all of the screenshots on the game page are out-of-date now, too.    Not to say a version of those shots won't be in the game, but things have been considerably refined since then.

[Baggins]

Heh heh.

Also Graham doesn't have a beard, , like he does in the story.

[Blackthorne]

We tried putting a beard on Graham, but he looked like Jerry Garcia instead of Graham, so off it went.


Bt

[Baggins]

No seriously? Can you release that prototype sprite? This I have gotta see.

I was thinking with a beard he might look like Josh Mandel's conceptual avatar.

Come to think of it his costume doesn't match up with the ones graham was described as wearing in the story, or on the cover art.

As for the woods in the original story actually he only woods seen in the story were the Old Woods. While he does travel to them with Valanice, he only encounters the faeries there. There is a later area that Graham travels through described as a thorny woods, but the trees are described as being short scraggly trees in small patches, the area is generally pretty sparse, rocky and barren, Graham travels with a minstrel through that area for a ways. There isn't even any snow in that area when Graham travels through it.