News from Mikael Louys, CEO of Megara Entertainment:
We can confirm release dates for Fabled Lands 2 as July 2011 for HD iPad and September for iPhone/iPod touch. Players of the first app will be able to save their character and continue adventuring in Golnir.
Artwork is already under way on FL 3. However, because we are constantly now working on the FL 2 beta, and because of its interrelation with the first Fabled Lands app, Fabled Lands 1.2 and Fabled Lands HD 1.5 are postponed. These updates for FL1 will only become available after the FL2 release.
The Mac version for Fabled Lands is postponed until after the release of FL2. The porting tools for the Mac store are not good enoughalso being at the moment to port such a complex engine of ours. We'll try again in some months, hoping that those tools have evolved.
The good news is that this will give us more time to throw in more content and polishing for the updates to FL 1.2 and FL HD 1.5.
News from Mikael Louys, CEO of Megara Entertainment:
Hey, Fabled lands for Mac? That's sounds great! Great news!
ReplyDeleteIkaros
Excellent news. 3 down, 9 (hopefully!) to go.
ReplyDeleteI just read your twit about Morgan Freeman possessing the rights to Rendezvous with Rama. Exciting news, to say the least!
ReplyDeleteNever mind, apparently it's unlikely that a film of the novel will be made.
ReplyDelete*wipes away tear
I'd rather be interested in printed versions of FL 5+6. Since those were never published here in Germany I'd really like to get my hands on them, now that my english is good enough, unlike 12 years ago.
ReplyDeleteHave I missed any news on the release of those two volulmes?
Me too, Alexander. I enjoyed the FL1 app, but it feels like it's stuck between being a faithful conversion (with some rebalancing since the opportunity is there) and a reimagining of the series with mechanics adapted to fit the platform.
ReplyDeleteI'll always be more excited about the prospect of the new books, and I have high hopes for the tabletop RPG too. That's not to say I won't look forward to the FL2 app, there are some sections of that book that I'm very interested to see what they do with.
Alexander, print editions of 5 and 6 look unlikely at this stage. Print editions on their own are not that commercial - though I wouldn't rule out omnibus print editions with several FL books in one volume, as long as the sales of the apps continue to grow to support that.
ReplyDeleteJames, Megara are talking to us about new FL books (7 and 9, I think) and there is of course no reason why those would have to wait until after all the existing books are converted. Once they have done Book 3 (though there is no contract in place for that yet) that unlocks access to most of the rest of the Fabled Lands books, so further apps could be released in any order.
Hamza, a Rendezvous With Rama script could be made to work. I'm guessing the problem so far has been that attempts at the script have been too in thrall to the novel.
I think i might have missed something, but what is the deal with FL 1.2 & 1.5? Is this a proposed updating of the first book to take account of the changed situation after the player character completes the availiable quests?
ReplyDeleteI think the main modification is to let you save your character, Robert, so that you can then move across into FL 2 when it comes out. Presumably the updates have some other modifications too, but you'd need to look on the Megara site for that.
ReplyDeleteHmm, then I'll probably never be able to read them :(
ReplyDeleteToo bad, now that I got excited about the whole project again. But if you already talk about an omnibus Edition, I would DEFINITELY spend a good sum of money on a big fat hardcover book containing FL 1-12 ;)
On the other hand, what would you think of a print on demand service for th rest of the series?
I'm not ruling out that omnibus edition, Alexander - possibly with 4 books in each volume, so that people who already bought books 1-4 don't have to repurchase those. But it will be a business where the digital versions are propping the print versions up. (The existing books are print on demand btw.)
ReplyDeleteWait all this waiting and were not even getting a paper verison of book 7? :(
ReplyDeleteAnon - well, we could (and may) release Book 7 in print, but the app version needs to come first because there's a *much* larger group of people buying the apps than buying print books. So then we'll look at releasing books 5-8 in one volume, though at a cover price of $30 or more I think we'll number print readers in the dozens.
ReplyDeleteHmm, too bad I don't have any way to use the app versions, so I can't even influence the sales :/
ReplyDeleteThere has got to be some way to get books 7-12. I don't care if they are in print or a computer file. I can't buy these apps until they come to android. I can't afford an iphone, ipad or any other kind of i. It's a shame because it seems that these app sales are driving the whole thing. I don't suppose there is a way for them to work on a PC?
ReplyDeleteIndeed, I had hoped the fabled lands books had been doing quite well on amazon etc. Does this spell the end for the possible blood swords / Way of the Tiger reprints?
ReplyDeleteStill, what I would give to get my hands on the mega book 5-8 edition in print format!!
We'd be only to happy to do the whole series for Android if we can find a developer. Megara are working just on iOS conversions but that doesn't rule out other formats.
ReplyDeleteWe do have plans for Blood Sword *and* Way of the Tiger - and not just on platforms starting with an i, either! I'll be able to tell you more about that pretty soon.
If FL5 and 6 print editions will not happen perhaps we should make the PDF's of these books available again for free download for those who have purchased 1-4 and would like to continue playing.
ReplyDeleteSo much for 5 and 6 "coming 2011". This is how lifelong fans of the BOOKS are rewarded; we buy the reprints of the first four so that the series can finally be completed, and what do we get in return? Not even Harkuna and Akatsurai! I was under the impression that the unwritten books where the ones with the big question mark above them. I guess I was wrong. Fabled Lands on a digital screen? That's not my thing. If I'm doing that I may as well play Neverwinter Nights. What a way to ruin the atmosphere. But I suppose that's just today's generation. Even 'game books' need to be spoonfed to them. Isn't it strange how we see the entire series of Lone Wolf being reprinted in wonderful hardback editions superior to the original prints, aptly titled 'collector's editions', but the Fabled Lands ... I'm not even going to say it.
ReplyDeleteNow that you have mentioned Lone Wolf, Mongoose has paperback editions of Lone Wolf in the works, so take advantage of the bundles while they last! As for Fabled Lands, I thought that the 10,000 of each book included "The Court of Hidden Faces" and "Lords of the Rising Sun" as well? Dave mentioned that there's a chance that the apps for 7 and 9 will come after "Over the Blood-Dark Sea" The way I see it, apps for the unreleased books should sell substantially more copies than 1-5, or 1-2 in this case. Remember to keep blogging, tweeting, social-networking, posting, snail-mailing, and so on.
ReplyDeleteMay the blessing of the Three Fortunes smile upon you!
- Mike -
PS:How is Mirabilis faring sales-wise?
Dave - actually I can see Blood Sword working really well on an ipad, with the map based combat system and all.
ReplyDeleteAnon - I feel your pain, but I think the main point of hope is that if books 7 and 9 are released as ipad versions, Dave has to write them (presumably) and surely a book format wouldn't be hard to do.
Not sure why book 8 would be skipped? I worry a bit that the balance might be thrown out as characters from book 4 head directly to book 7 without having stocked up on quests and equipment from 5 and 6. The marketplace in Aku would be particularly missed!!
It's hard not to be sad from this news.
ReplyDeleteWhile I love the digital formats and plan to buy them without hesitation, my first love will always be the classic flesh and blood book copies.
So with books 5 and 6 being unlikely at this point, is there still even a chance to see books 7-12 written and maybe released in an omnibus? If not an omnibus then maybe some other digital format?
My number one desire would be to see the FL series completed regardless of the format. After that my next desire would be to see it in its original format of books, if that's not possible I'll take PDFs or apps. Though the apps would make it hard to leaf through and freely explore the content without having to play within the confounds of the game itself.
-Tazar Yoot
In a perfect world I think we'd all like to see Fabled Lands appearing in both print and digital formats, and the whole series being completed. And we still hope for all of those, but we have to determine the critical path, and that will be to begin with the apps (because they have global reach at no distribution cost) and see where we go from there.
ReplyDeleteBlood Sword would certainly work better as an app than in print. I was never happy with having to include those tactical maps (they were a USP demanded by the marketing people) and the publisher printed them too small to be usable anyway.
Anon (the angry one) please remember we are trying to provide material for the fans, but Fabled Lands LLP is a business and they don't invest in projects just to please me and Jamie. We do our best, but until we win the lottery we can't promise everything overnight - sorry!
Hi Dave, you might reach a slightly larger audience if you flog the books on eBay as well as Amazon and Play. I think there are some people who look to ebay as their only shopping venue. Strange but true.
ReplyDeleteI saw a 1st edition of one of the first 2 books, cant remember which, go on ebay for almost £8 a couple of months ago when the exact same book was on Amazon for under £4 inc postage. Also eBay offers many more international shipping options than Amazon.
I'm not saying sales would jump through the roof or anything, just that you would get a few more and some more publicity about the reprints.
Then again I suppose its quite a lot of hassle for very little monetary gain.
How does this print on demand thing work anyway? Amazon have stock numbers listed for the reprints ATM and say there is more stock on the way. Have they actually bought and stocked them in advance of sales?
Perhaps younger people who rely more on these i devices (say college students and itinerant people) will not even think of spending the time in front of a gamebook. But I think there's definitively a market for the printed editions, especially at the prices mentioned here. I got 1-4 yesterday and sure, it was over 40 bucks, but I know the books are there to stay and they'll be passed down.
ReplyDeleteLike me, I know there are so many fans who prefer the 'real' experience.
Hi Andre - that really is strange. Especially if people are buying a book for £8 on eBay that they could get for £4 on Amazon. I'm not sure - I wouldn't like to think I'm taking money from old grannies who can't figure out buying stuff on the web :)
ReplyDeletePOD means copies are printed to fill each order as it comes in. Amazon could very well have ordered copies to have in hand. We recently discontinued the Mirabilis trade paperbacks on Amazon UK because the hardcovers are about to be released, yet I notice Amazon still have a few copies of those at the lower price so they must have ordered them so as to be able to fill orders quicker.
Anon, the four books cost you over 40 bucks? Not on Amazon, surely? My own feeling is that books are simply too expensive. Not just FL, all books. Publishers can't reduce prices because of the fixed cost of paper, printing and distribution. So apps and ebooks can offer the same content at a price that people deem fair for the content itself. Then if you like a book enough for it to be a keeper, I think you'd buy the print edition despite the premium price. So I don't see digital books replacing print, if anything they could expand the market by encouraging more people to read - and of all those readers, a few will be steered down the funnel to actually buy print books. I'm talking about the view over the next 5-10 years now, when there won't be any high street bookstore chains.
Hi Dave, its really rather strange how some people buy. For instance my ex partner was introduced to online shopping by me about 7 years ago. Eventually she told me that she no longer bothered to look at Amazon for stuff and only used Play as it was 'too much hassle' to work out the postage costs even if it still ended up cheaper. [Since then Amazon have changed how postage is charged considerably].
ReplyDeleteI have also met people who only used ebay and never look at alternate venues.
Obviously they are missing out.
Thanks for the reply.