It occurred to me earlier that when the HBO series of AGOT airs next spring, it will obviously stir up a lot of interest in George RR Martin's world from people who had no idea it existed before. It's pretty inevitable that there will be an increase in the number of people willing to try out the LCG. I was wondering how you guys would expect this to impact the game, if at all? Would you welcome a large increase in the number of players? I've only been playing the game a week and the feedback I've got from these forums has been nothing but friendly, pleasant and generally welcoming to the GOT LCG community, so I don't expect this to be an issue for many of you. However, do any of you feel that AGOT is one of those things that you would hate other people to get in on - it makes you feel special that you are one of a select few who recognise its brilliance and would hate to see your exclusivity ruined by the popularity of the tv series? Sort of like that amazing band that you saw at a tiny gig and only you out of your friends know of them, then resent the fact that a year later they are number 1 with millions of fans.

Lots of people I know complains that "the world of Magic is not friendly 'competition' walk over the 'fun to play'"... sinceraly i play competitive (at least i would like :-)) but first of all i wanna have fun also loosing a game... as long as the friendship I feel in our forum, in our live tournaments, in our OCTGN2 matches will remain all newcomers will be welcome from my side :-)

Since I don't think any influx of players that might come about because of the HBO series would be some sort of "bad element" to the community, I say the more the merrier.

But the effect I really hope for from the series is that it puts a fire under GRRM's @$$ to get the next book out (a little piece of me likes to believe the next book is ready, but has been held back to be released soon after the HBO series so as to capitalize on awareness/interest that the series might generate).

Nothing is going to come of the HBO series unless FFG aggressively markets stuff around it. People that watch it on cable - that aren;t gamers - aren't actually going to be likely to go try a weird card game and start hanging out in comic shops.

They MIGHT be temptes to go check out the books - and that's where FFg might be bale to capitalize. There was an interesting article in monday's NYT about hwo Barnes & noble and Borders and adjsuting to the increase in digital readership - 8% of all book sales is now for platforms like the Kindle and the Nook. Thsi means that the big chain booksellers are opening up a lot of shelf space for things other than books - like toys and games.

Teh Core Set needs to be in Barnes and Noble - and probably wiht a sticker or a cardboard cut out referencing the HBO series. THAT might net us some new players.

And the freaking Dance coming out before world peace would help as well. Don't get me started.

LetsGoRed said:

Ditto to that.

Stag Lord said:

There isn't enough cross-over between HBO viewership and gamers who are not already aware of the game to see a big impact on, oh, Gencon attendance or even League Night. The people that do pick up the game because of the series are more likely to be the casual, board-game level players. It's fun, but they're nor going to go much beyond the Core Set.

I also imagine that a lot of people who got into the AGOT franchise specifically through the show would be disappointed to pick up a CCG that used artists' renderings, rather than actual shots from the scenes in the TV show.

finitesquarewell said:

Unless they were to delve deeper, and pickup the books.

Even then, it would be a struggle. If there was a card game of Lord of The Rings (with artist drawings and not shots from movies), I would still have trouble thinking of those drawings, over the people from the movies.

On the subject: I agree with Red. The more, the merrier. Though I will admit, that I do enjoy having a smaller community filled with people I am glad to share a game with, instead of a big game that has players I would rather not associate with.

I don't believe the show will help pick up a big amount of players. There will be some, and maybe even a few of them will become competitive, but I doubt it would be many, if even at all.

Well there is a larger pool of gamers than the agot pool.

So: If FFG markets AGOT, then other gamers that have not heard of ASOIAF before HBO, or were put off by the size of the books, may discover the game.

I'd have to agree with the previous statement. I'm sure there are many gamers out there who haven't tried or even heard of AGOT. The HBO series probably won't be attracting a whole lot of non-gamers, but it might hopefully attract those who aren't really too familiar with AGOT the LCG. I know when my girlfriend asks what I play in my spare time, I struggle to explain the IP to her. Maybe I can bridge the gap via the show. I'm sure there has to be a couple of others in my shoes.

I have high hopes that the show will bring a new group of people we haven't seen before. Yes, there might be a couple of bad apples but any growth is good in my opinion.

I don't know, there isn't nearly the stigma attached with being a gamer like there used to be, so I can see people that might not have picked it up before doing so. I mean, there has to be one first product that makes every gamer actually become a gamer. I don't see why I high profile television show wouldn't do so for many people. Granted, I see the novels as actually gaining the most from this. Just look at the Sookie Stackhouse novels. How many people have picked them up now because of True Blood that would never have thought to pick up something from the "Vampire Romance" section beforehand? But still, reduced as the bleed over may be, I expect quite a few people to check out the books and then to also check out the game and related products from there.

I agree, growth would be good. I taught a friend last week but he has never read any of the books. My other friend I taught on the weekend and he picked up the first book to read on his flight home. his wife was interested in the HBO series and the HBO series should help with my fiance and getting her to understand the IP. FFG needs to find a way to market the game with HBO, maybe even go so far as to include some cards in any DVD boxed sets that come out eventually, everything ends up on DVD sooner or later.

It probably won't happen due to licensing with HBO (among other factors), but it would be cool to have a set of chapter packs or even a new version of the core set with 3 x of every card that uses scenes from the show instead of art.

I do agree that the game has the potential for growth among other gamers who have never heard of agot before, and I would not expect it to attract an influx of negative play experience players, as in general it seems those types of players flock to games based on what prizes they think they can win.