Obsidian Co-Nets License for Wheel of Time

With Obsidian Entertainment already baiting post-apocalyptic fans by revealing Fallout: New Vegas less than a year from its intended release, the developers are dipping into the more traditional fantasy fandom with its recent announcement of its acquisition of the long-running “Wheel of Time” book license. Fans will recall the beloved book series as Robert Jordan’s (pen-name for the late James Oliver Rigney Jr.) mesh of European and Asian (specifically Buddhist) mythology, published across 12 novels, the last of which is being continued in three volumes by Brandon Sanderson following Rigney’s death. Co-held with Red Eagle Games (who is also prepping a movie production based on the franchise with Universal Studios), the game will be published by Electronic Arts, and has a prospective release on the PS3, 360, and PC.

“The development team at Obsidian Entertainment has demonstrated time and again that they can successfully blend storytelling with technology to craft a superior RPG game experience,” said Rick Selvage, CEO of Red Eagle Games. “Obsidian Entertainment is the ideal development partner to help Red Eagle Games take Jordan’s beloved characters from the printed page to exciting new forms of interactive media.”

“Obsidian Entertainment is thrilled with this opportunity to work with Red Eagle Games in developing games based upon The Wheel of Time series,” said Feargus Urquhart, CEO of Obsidian Entertainment. “The Wheel of Time is a rich universe that lends itself to incredible gaming possibilities.”

“The Wheel of Time is one of the greatest and well-received fantasy series of all time,” said Chris Avellone, Chief Creative Officer of Obsidian Entertainment. “Games set in Robert Jordan’s universe have the chance to deliver on the epic storylines and the complex characters that the series is known for – and this is one of Obsidian’s strengths. It’s a natural fit.”