Review Fix chats with author Steve Jackson who discusses his book series “Sorcery!†and its success as an app on the iPad. More than a digital book, publisher inkle has brought the series, originally published in the ‘80s, alive in more ways than one on the iPad.
Review Fix: How did you feel originally when the books were becoming video games?
Steve Jackson: There have been other digital versions of the books but I was especially excited when Jon Ingold & Joe Humfrey of inkle said they wanted to enhance the original adventures by building in new features. I especially wanted this version of Sorcery to be more than a translation of the original gamebooks to digital format. More than just reading text from a screen.
Review Fix: Were you ready for the success of the first game?
Jackson: As it happens I was on holiday with some of my game-playing friends the day Sorcery 1 was published. I got a text from Jon saying the launch was going even better than he expected. And favourable reviews were coming in. It was all taking off. This was exciting. I desperately wanted to come back home as soon as I could. Nothing I could do of course, but I just wanted to be nearer where it was all happening.
Review Fix: How did you feel the first time you played the games?
Jackson: I guess when I first played the adventure I was subconsciously expecting screens full of text, like previous Sorcery apps. But right from the start, it was promising much more than that. Just the way the text appeared was… stylish. Then when I tried out the original features, like combat and the spell system, I loved it. Suddenly I realised this was something new. Something special.
Review Fix: How much of a role do you play in the development process?
Jackson: When we originally met at a pub in Richmond to discuss the project, I can remember saying I’d really like to see Sorcery come into the 21st century. Using the iPad processor to make much more game features than had been done previously. Well they really took that to heart and already had plans along those lines. I’m no coder so I wasn’t so much involved in the development process itself. Maybe my main contribution was paying for the beer.
Review Fix: What other video games do you play?
Jackson: I like strategy games like Civilization and RPGs like Diablo and Fable. But these days I mainly play apps. Especially conversions from old favourite boardgames, like Ticket to Ride, Caylus, Carcassonne, Lost Cities, Tikal. Particularly like the ones where you can play online against mates.
Review Fix: What should fans of the books and first game expect in this one?
Jackson: New features. I don’t want to spoil anything, but inkle have been busy building in new stuff. And they have written a huge amount of new adventure text for Part 2. They’ve set themselves high standards to keep up with. Sorcery 3 & 4 will be challenging.
Review Fix: How do you want these games to be remembered in connection to the books?
Jackson: When I said the inkle apps bring the original into the 21st century, I guess that’s how I’d want them to be remembered in relation to each other. Paper and print in the 20th century; digitally enhanced in the 21st century. And still around in the 22nd century? My great-grandchildren will hope so.
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