Today we're officially announcing Mistborn: Birthright, an action-RPG set in the Mistborn world.
To those who have been paying close attention, much of this may not be surprising. The MB:B website went live earlier in the month, and I have tweeted several times about the impending game. In short, we're hoping to do a fun, fast-paced, action game with some RPG elements, cool Allomancy effects, and some (hopefully) killer dialogue. That last part is my job, as I'll be writing the story and most (if not all) of the game's dialogue.
The game will take place hundreds of years before the events of the books, during the early days of the Final Empire. People have often asked me if I will do prequels to Mistborn, and my response has frequently been that I won't likely write them as novels—but I might consider them for other mediums. We're going to try it here, and this will let us do some very cool things to expand the world. And yes, you get to play as a Mistborn.
The game is scheduled for fall of next year, and we're still very much in the preliminary stages of game design. That means that I don't have much to tell you other than what I wrote above. (Though the game's website will be posting screenshots and the like as they become available.)
So, since I can't tell you terribly much about the game quite yet, instead I'll tell you how it came to be. I've been keeping my eyes open for the chance to do a Mistborn game for some time; several chances arose, but they always fell through for one reason or another. I didn't want to give the rights to just anybody. I've been a gamer since my first Atari, and I wanted to do it right.
When Little Orbit first approached me, I was skeptical. I didn't recognize the company, and though they had worked on some professional projects, I didn't see anything in their pedigree that screamed Mistborn at me. However, I like to at least talk to people who are making offers on my work.
And so, I chatted with them. I met with them. And I was impressed. Not only did they have a love for Mistborn, they had more experience at this sort of thing than I'd originally assumed. The company is made up of people who have been in the business for a long time, and they had worked on a variety of games I really love. (They even have guys who were involved in the original Fallout and Baldur's Gate games.)
Their pitch materials were good and very persuasive. But the final thing that convinced me they were right came when we sat down and talked about the type of game we would make. Not only were they eager for me to be involved in the story, our discussions of what would make an awesome Mistborn game were synergistic and exciting. They envisioned the game the same way I always had.
The longer I've worked with them, the more impressed I've been. They keep their promises; they aren't just willing to let me be involved—they seem dedicated to making certain I'm pleased every step of the way. They don't need to go so far—I've said before that I feel an author shouldn't usually have control of game design, but leave that to people who know how to make fun games—but they have gone well beyond what is required of them.
These guys really, really want to make a great Mistborn game. I'm thrilled by what is coming your way when this thing is done.
There's always another secret.
Brandon
The press release follows:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Best-selling Fantasy Writer Brandon Sanderson and Little Orbit team up to bring Mistborn Saga to Video games in 2013
Sanderson to pen original prequel to Mistborn Series for all-new RPG franchise
March 26, 2012 – Rancho Santa Margarita, CA – Little Orbit revealed today that they will be bringing bestselling author Brandon Sanderson's epic fantasy series Mistborn to games late next year for PlayStation® computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Windows PC and Mac.
Mistborn is set in a dark world of ash, mist, and gothic fantasy creatures, dominated by a seemingly immortal villain known as the Lord Ruler. It also follows individuals who use a powerful rule-based magic system known as Allomancy that allows them to temporarily enhance their physical and mental abilities by ingesting and "burning" flakes of metal. Those who have the ability to burn a single metal are called Mistings, and those who can burn all metals are known as Mistborn.
The upcoming RPG video game will feature an original storyline created by Sanderson, set several hundreds of years before the first Mistborn novel, and will focus on a unique combat system that puts Allomancy into the hands of gamers. Players will suit up as Fendin "Fiddle" Fathvell, an arrogant young nobleman who must quickly master his newfound Allomantic abilities before forces at work can destroy his entire family.
"I'm a huge fan of the series, and I cannot wait to get this into the hands of gamers," said Matthew Scott, CEO of Little Orbit. "Between the distinctive magic system, the story twists Brandon has planned for the game, and the rich depth of character skills, we're creating something very unique for players to enjoy."
Sanderson is no stranger to video games. He recently completed story development on the Infinity Blade II video game including the accompanying Infinity Blade: Awakening novella. In between writing his popular Mistborn and Stormlight novels, he is also finishing work on the final novel in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. Sanderson has been labeled "one of the most popular new fantasy writers to emerge in the last ten years."
"As an avid gamer, I'm extremely excited by this opportunity," said Sanderson. "The chance to write the story for a Mistborn game while working with a team of talented developers is, quite literally, living a dream."
For more information visit www.mistborngame.com
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About Little Orbit
Little Orbit is a worldwide video game publisher formed in January 2010 with a focus on licensed-based entertainment products. The company's emphasis is on working with popular creators to extend their vision into games through transmedia storytelling and engaging content for all gaming platforms. Little Orbit has a unique history assisting major entertainment companies to leverage their brands through emerging game channels to help grow and engage consumers. Founded by industry veterans and key development, sales and marketing personnel, Little Orbit is focused on three primary channels of distribution including traditional game retail, non-traditional retail channels, and digital download over the various platform networks.
www.littleorbit.com
About Brandon Sanderson
Brandon Sanderson is the coauthor with Robert Jordan of the #1 NY Times bestselling Wheel of Time novels The Gathering Storm and Towers of Midnight, and a top 10 NY Times and international bestselling author for his novels The Way of Kings and Mistborn: The Alloy of Law, all published by Tor Books in the US. An award-winning author, he is published in 25 languages, with global sales in the millions of copies. His Mistborn saga has become a multi-faceted brand, with a film in development from Paloppa Pictures, and a classic tabletop RPG released by Crafty Games in 2011.
www.brandonsanderson.com
