Red Eagle Games has announced that their MMO based on Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series will be distributed by EA.

MALIBU, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Red Eagle Games today announced they have signed a strategic distribution agreement with Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) for games based on Robert Jordan’s beloved fantasy series, The Wheel of Time.

Red Eagle Games will develop and publish a line of stand-alone games on all major videogame platforms, including consoles, personal computers, handheld systems and wireless devices. The games will be distributed by EA. In addition, Red Eagle will launch and operate a massively multiplayer online role-playing game that encompasses the themes, characters and world of The Wheel of Time, which will be distributed at retail by EA.

“The Wheel of Time is a blockbuster global brand and our relationship with EA Partners will ensure that Red Eagle Games’ products are made available to consumers around the world through familiar retail channels,” said Rick Selvage, Chairman and President of Red Eagle Games.

“EA Partners is excited to team up with Red Eagle as their global distribution partner for games based on The Wheel of Time series,” said David DeMartini, senior vice president and general manager of EA Partners. “The Wheel of Time series has a massive worldwide following and we’re excited to help give Red Eagle Games’ interactive products a blockbuster launch on the global stage.”

Read more here.

So long as all they do is distribute it...

EA's MMO section is growing.. I wonder if they'll have something like Sony's STATION PASS in the future...

I cannot like this...first Universal get the right to the movies and now this...And the last book hasn't even been released yet!

Yes i'm over reacting but I don't care, I love this series and it's bad enough the thought of movies are bouncing around but an mmo and a series of dodgy EA-console-horrors to boot!?

May the Light have mercy on us all!

Originally posted by blazeuk

I cannot like this...first Universal get the right to the movies and now this...And the last book hasn't even been released yet!

Yes i'm over reacting but I don't care, I love this series and it's bad enough the thought of movies are bouncing around but an mmo and a series of dodgy EA-console-horrors to boot!?

May the Light have mercy on us all!

Forget the fact that it clearly stated them as distributors and not developers. Might want to learn to read sometime this century. 

What the fudge is a Wheel of Time, is it some messed up version of Wheel of Fortune?

Well, sorry, don't wanna derail the thread. I just wanna get in before the huge wave of "ZOMG LAWL I HATE EA LAWL THEY RUIN GAMEZ LAWL" comes in.

After all my dealings with EA in the past, if they handle any of the game support like they do for other titles they distribute I will stay well clear of this game.

Just having the EA logo on box will turn alot of people off.

Originally posted by mackdawg19

Originally posted by blazeuk

I cannot like this...first Universal get the right to the movies and now this...And the last book hasn't even been released yet!

Yes i'm over reacting but I don't care, I love this series and it's bad enough the thought of movies are bouncing around but an mmo and a series of dodgy EA-console-horrors to boot!?

May the Light have mercy on us all!

 

Forget the fact that it clearly stated them as distributors and not developers. Might want to learn to read sometime this century. 

They said the same thing about Warhammer.

Originally posted by Aethios

Originally posted by mackdawg19

Originally posted by blazeuk

I cannot like this...first Universal get the right to the movies and now this...And the last book hasn't even been released yet!

Yes i'm over reacting but I don't care, I love this series and it's bad enough the thought of movies are bouncing around but an mmo and a series of dodgy EA-console-horrors to boot!?

May the Light have mercy on us all!

 

Forget the fact that it clearly stated them as distributors and not developers. Might want to learn to read sometime this century. 

 

They said the same thing about Warhammer.

And what about it? Did you forget Mythic is still developing the game?

Originally posted by mackdawg19

Originally posted by Aethios

Originally posted by mackdawg19

Originally posted by blazeuk

I cannot like this...first Universal get the right to the movies and now this...And the last book hasn't even been released yet!

Yes i'm over reacting but I don't care, I love this series and it's bad enough the thought of movies are bouncing around but an mmo and a series of dodgy EA-console-horrors to boot!?

May the Light have mercy on us all!

 

Forget the fact that it clearly stated them as distributors and not developers. Might want to learn to read sometime this century. 

 

They said the same thing about Warhammer.

 

And what about it? Did you forget Mythic is still developing the game?

Yes mythic develop the game but EA handles the customer support and its their bad support that will ruin the game in the end.
 

As long its not another WoW-clone, i will try it.

What about a George R R Martin "The Song of Ice and Fire" MMORPG. If that would be as the books it would have FFAPvP and no safezones, just as the books.

<3 Wheel of Time =))

i wonder how combat works in this.  do you spend 12 pages describing how your character's dressed, and then the other person counters by taking a 4 hour bath?

Need to change the news title to:

General: EA to Destroy Wheel of Time

should make for a very long lasting MMO seeing as it takes three books to describe a guy riding his horse into a town...

Love Robert Jordan but the Wheel of Boredom just dragged imo..

and as far as EA handling this in any way,  they are just seeing dollar signs (yet again)

from a very well known and popular series..

i wonder how combat works in this. do you spend 12 pages describing how your character's dressed, and then the other person counters by taking a 4 hour bath?
 

should make for a very long lasting MMO seeing as it takes three books to describe a guy riding his horse into a town...

I loved the series, still do, and am patiently waiting for the last book....BUT these two responses are VERY funny.

As for the MMO,it will be a disaster.

The wheel of time series is ALMOST all about character.Theres more internal conflict  and exploration within the characters of the books, than external conflict in the wars that take place.

No way in heck a bunch of MMO dinosaur devs will ever capture that.AND that means all your left with for the player to embrace,that the devs can create,is small conflicts which will be pointless in the games world except for the "neato" "new powers" that will come thru leveling as players run back and forth from pointless combat to pointless combat.....

Run here kill that.Over and over.In a world condensed down and made far too small.

Great. A game that will never end. . . :D

While I haven't kept up with the book series since about book 5 or 6, they weren't bad stories and this would make a great setting for an MMO, as long as it is done right. I'll have to keep an eye on this one and see how it looks to shape up. Who knows, might get me interested enough to go back and start reading the series over again and keep up with it.

Originally posted by daarco

As long its not another WoW-clone, i will try it.

What about a George R R Martin "The Song of Ice and Fire" MMORPG. If that would be as the books it would have FFAPvP and no safezones, just as the books.

I wonder what the writer would think if he saw his books being described like this :) At the same time I wonder how a writer would incorporate safezones in a novel :)

"Crybaby Jr was used to being robbed and stripped naked on every corner of the street. It was soooo unfair, but he refused to give up hope for better times. He once heard people talk about a city called HappyJoyJoy. Where a gas was spreaded, called Peace'n'LoveYeYe. A gas that suppresses any feeling of hate and anger and turned the city into a peacefull haven for people that wanted to avoid the dangers of the civil war that was going on.

He couldnt wait to reach that legendary city and to participate into the local traditions like citing poems, flower arranging and some strange custom called cyb0rz. He wasnt too sure about the sideeffect the gas caused that made people talk like mental overacting actors in a Shakespeare play though. "

I for one am happy but skeptical about the games. There is one game already that should be burned and erased from history so we don't need another one of those pieces of crap. EA is only going to distribute it which is not too bad however they need to be careful when dealing with it since there are a lot of hardcore fans (like me) who will be very displeased if the game turns out to be a POS. I will keep a careful eye on matters and reserve judgment until after the games finial release. Also this game has just been announced and with book 11 (or 12 depending on if you count the prequel) releasing in fall of this year I highly doubt that the game will drop before the finial book.

"Wheel of Time" not a bad series but come on,as a MMO ?If someone wants to make a book series into a MMO why not "Thieves World" that whole series is about magic,stealing,and fighting.It has humans,monsters,gods and everything else that a MMO runs on.

As for ea I think everyone else has already said what needs to be said.

And yet again a publisher/developter duo thinks it can make a successful game merely by using a popular setting. When will they learn that good gameplay cannot be replaced by a well-known (albeit interesting) game world. Of course Red Eagle (whoever they are) might actually end up making a solid MMO, but with the way games like Conan, WAR, and LotRO have gone, I'm guessing we can expect the same old stuff.

Originally posted by Ascension08

"ZOMG LAWL I HATE EA LAWL THEY RUIN GAMEZ LAWL" comes in.

Minus the laughing, these were my sentiments.  I appreciate the anticipatory response and believe such a prediction is justifiable given the quality (or lack thereof) of EA games historically.  Although they may not be involved in the development, I've been cancelled a number of games because the distributor's mismanagement of delivery, customer service and my account information. 

While we're putting out our favorite book series, I want an MMO based on the Malazan Book of the Fallen! I call dibs on Karsa Orlong! That dude kicks everyone's ass, especially Chuck Norris!

Incoming Song of Ice and Fire series, surely.

Originally posted by Aethios

Originally posted by mackdawg19

Originally posted by blazeuk

I cannot like this...first Universal get the right to the movies and now this...And the last book hasn't even been released yet!

Yes i'm over reacting but I don't care, I love this series and it's bad enough the thought of movies are bouncing around but an mmo and a series of dodgy EA-console-horrors to boot!?

May the Light have mercy on us all!

 

Forget the fact that it clearly stated them as distributors and not developers. Might want to learn to read sometime this century. 

 

They said the same thing about Warhammer.

Mythic is owned by EA. Big difference. Altho things can always change and if EA smells money, then they can always buy up Red Eagle sooner or later.

Only future will tell.