‘A Game of Thrones: The Board Game’ 2nd Edition

Fantasy Flight Games has announced a Second Edition of its A Game of Thrones: The Board Game (MSRP $59.95). Each of the 3-6 players the game accommodates has control of one of the great houses of Westeros in this epic struggle for control of the Iron Throne that is based on George R.R. Martin’s bestselling A Song of Fire and Ice fantasy novels, which are currently being adapted for television in the extremely popular HBO series Game of Thrones. FFG will debut the Second Edition at Gen Con, and release it during the fourth quarter.

The timing could hardly be better. Dynamite and Bantam are launching their comic book/graphic novel adaptation of Game of Thrones in the fall, and given the tremendous impact of the HBO series, Q4 should be the perfect time to debut a new edition of the game and take full advantage of traditionally strong holiday board game sales. Read more

‘A Dance With Dragons’ Awaits ‘Game Of Thrones’ Fans

With "Game of Thrones" off the air until next year’s second season, now is as good a time as any to start reading "A Song of Ice and Fire," the novel series that provides the foundation for the HBO fantasy epic. It’s an especially good time to come on board considering that "A Dance with Dragons," the fifth book in the series, is finally in stores after six years of delays. Needless to say, it’s straight to the local book shop after work.

Though we’re still years away from seeing "A Dance with Dragons" on the small screen (assuming, and hoping, that "Game of Thrones" lasts long enough to make it that far), it’s never too early to get excited for more "Thrones" mania. After the jump, find five reasons why we’re looking forward to dancing with "Dragons" in George R.R. Martin’s latest adventure.

A fair warning — if you haven’t read up to "A Feast for Crows," there be spoilers beyond the jump. Another fair warning — this is NOT a place for "Dragons" spoilers. If you’re already deep into the book, keep the plot reveals to yourself!

Winter’s Here, Finally!
Did we mention that it took "Dragons" six years to get here? Yes, we did. What we didn’t mention is that it’s been eleven years since we saw POV chapters from Daenerys Targaryen, Jon Snow or Tyrion Lannister. That’s right: to borrow a quote from "Almost Famous," ELEVEN! That’s way too long to be apart from our favorite "Ice and Fire" heroes. Now, we’re reunited, and all is well.

A Stark Contrast
Riffing on the previous point, "Dragons" is bound to give us a much healthier dose of the Stark family than we were treated to in the most recent "Ice and Fire" novel, "A Feast for Crows." In "Crows," George R.R. Martin focused much of his energy on the Lannister clan and the goings-on at King’s Landing. With "Dragons," we’ll once again spend time with Jon Snow on the wall and Bran Stark beyond it. Hopefully we’ll see some more of Arya in Braavos and Sansa — err, Alayne — in the Eyrie, too, though their screen time is likely small compared to other members of Team Stark.

There Be Dragons
The title kind of gives this one away, doesn’t it? We know that dragons are back in the world of "Ice and Fire," courtesy of the trio of fire-breathers tagging along with Dany and her crew. We met them as infants. Now, they are growing. What can we expect from Viserion, Drogon and Rhaegal in "Dance"? And are there other dragons to behold, either in Westeros or the lands beyond?

Hail To The Queen
Dany ranks as one of our all-time favorite characters in the "Ice and Fire" saga, which is an impressive feat considering how far removed she’s been from the main cast all this time. But in "Dance," she’ll have the opportunity to engage at least a few of our most loved heroes and hated villains, including the delightfully ambiguous Tyrion Lannister; the wicked dwarf has fled Westeros and is undoubtedly on a collision course with the last scion of House Targaryen. We can’t wait to see what happens if and when they meet.

Spring Comes Closer
While we’re trying to stay focused on "Dragons," it’s hard to not look past this latest book and towards the future of "Ice and Fire" as a whole. We officially have five out of seven books in our possession, and with the HBO series picking up so much steam, it’s suddenly not out of the realm of reality that GRRM’s epic tale will reach its conclusion within the next decade. Perhaps we’re being too optimistic — especially given the bleak nature of this story — but we’re feeling pretty darn good about the "Song of Ice and Fire."

Have you picked up your copy of "Dragons" yet? Let us know in the comments section and on Twitter, but keep it SPOILER-FREE please!

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Sean Bean Has Been Cast In HBO’s ‘A Game of Thrones’

Sean Bean famously played Boromir in The Lord of the Rings, so it seems natural for him to have been cast in the lead role of Lord Eddard “Ned” Stark in HBO’s upcoming adaptation of A Game of Thrones, the first book in George R.R. Martin’s Song of Fire and Ice series of fantasy novels.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Tom McCarthy will direct from a script by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who are also executive-producing.

The trade paper also reported that Mark Addy is in final negotiations to join the production. Kit Harrington, Jack Gleeson and Harry Lloyd also have come aboard:

The books revolve around a battle among seven kingdoms and between two ruling families for control of the Iron Throne, the possession that ensures survival through a 40-year winter to come.

Bean will play Lord Eddard “Ned” Stark, known for his sense of honor and justice, who becomes closest adviser to King Robert (Addy).

Harrington will play Jon Snow, Bean’s bastard son, and Lloyd will play Viserys, a powerless ruler who seeks to marry off his sister to a powerful king. Gleeson will play Joffrey, King Robert’s son.

Peter Dinklage also is in the cast for the production, which is in the pilot stage and begins shooting in October in Ireland.

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‘A Game of Thrones’ TV Pilot Adds Cast Member, Director

On last week’s Slice of SciFi, we brought you news that filming on the pilot for “A Song of Fire and Ice: A Game Of Thrones” would begin later this year in Ireland.

Now comes word on who will direct the pilot and one of the lead actors for the series.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, actor Peter Dinklage has been cast in the pivotal role of Tyrion, the Queen’s brother who is treated as an outsier because of his size. Dinklage has worked in genre-related shows on television before, notably CBS’s “Threshhold” a few seasons ago.

Dinklage will be reuniting with his director from “The Station Agent,” Tom McCarthy for the series’ pilot.

“Thrones” is slated to film in the third quarter in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in what the country’s First Minister Peter Robinson hails as “the first TV production of such vast size and scale that has been filmed in Northern Ireland.”

Video Review: A Game Of Thrones – The Roleplaying Game

Since the announcement that there is going to be a pilot episode filmed based on ‘A Game Of Thrones’ by George R. R. Martin, there has been a lot of interest in the project.

In accordance with the excitement and anticipation generated by the announcement, here is a video review of ‘A Game Of Thrones Roleplaying Game’ by Kurt Wiegel of Game Geeks.

George R. R. Martin’s Bestseller Comes Alive

Countless readers have followed “A Song of Ice and Fire,” George R. R. Martin’s masterful epic fantasy series. Now, the knights and nobles, politics and poisons, creatures of darkness and powers of blood of Westeros and beyond are yours to discover—and make your own.

An OGL Roleplaying Game and Reference Guide for A Game of Thrones

• This complete OGL rule book explores the setting of the best-selling fantasy series as never before, from the factious continent of Westeros to the exotic Free Cities to the expansive plains of the Dothraki Sea.
• Includes dozens of customized character classes and prestige classes that capture the spirit of the setting, enhanced by the new social maneuvering rules of Influence and Reputation.
• Provides a comprehensive encyclopedia of characters, places, houses, and alliances, with detailed insight on integrating the setting into your campaign.
• Details the first novel in the series, A Game of Thrones, presenting a wealth of material about the dynamic and mysterious lands of the Seven Kingdoms.
• Includes a pull out poster-sized map of Westeros.
• Every fan of George R. R. Martin will want this comprehensive encyclopedia of his beloved series — even if they aren’t gamers. Read more

HBO Greenlights Pilot For ‘A Game Of Thrones’ Fantasy Series

HBO has given the greenlight to film a pilot based on George R.R. Martin’s bestselling fantasy novel series A Song of Fire and Ice. The show will be titled A Game of Thrones, named after the first novel in the series. Martin has planned seven books in the series, and the plan is to turn each book into a full season of television.

David Benioff (25th Hour, Troy), who is executive producing the series with D.B. Weiss (I Am Legend Prequel), says that “High fantasy has never been done on TV before and if anybody can do it, it’s HBO. They’ve taken tired genres and reinvented them — mobsters in The Sopranos and Westerns with Deadwood.”  While supernatural and sci-fi have boomed in recent years, it does seem extremely odd that the fantasy genre hasn’t been tried in primetime, especially considering the huge box office and critical success of the Lord of the Rings films. The only fantasy television series that comes to mind is Xena: Princess Warrior, and that was syndicated and… uh, bad.

Sure, dragons, magic, and even swords cost money (Thrones has all three), but in the last decade sci-fi television shows have pushed the boundaries in the visual effects department. The producers claim that Thrones is more character centric, and most of the action takes place off screen – a formula that has worked well for Battlestar Galactica.

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