Game of Thrones MMORPG Interview

Bigpoint's Max Pfaff tackles an assortment of questions about their as-of-yet untitled Game of Thrones-based MMORPG in a new interview on MMORPG.com. Topics include their relationship with George R.R. Martin, the game's factions, how they're handling magic, and more:
MMORPG.com: What was the hardest part to keep out of the game from the stories?

Max Pfaff: The lore of Game of Thrones is incredibly rich, so it was definitely a challenge to decide what to include in the MMO. At launch, there will be three Houses from Westeros represented, and our goal is to expand the title by integrating all nine Houses eventually down the road. We've selected key themes, locations, and moments from the series to incorporate and capture the overall experience of the lore. What's great about developing an online game is that we have the opportunity to add new content and features over time. As HBO premieres new seasons of (Game of Thrones,) it will provide us with even greater content to draw from for inspiration; the possibilities are endless.

...

MMORPG.com: With very little magic in the books, will we see any in the game?

Max Pfaff: You're correct, unlike many pieces of fantasy fiction; magic in the Game of Thrones lore is more a bedtime story of something that once was in the world long ago. But that doesn't mean it's not there, it's just has a much lower profile than in the average fantasy series. Nevertheless, even now, there are supernatural and wondrous things happening. We are very cautious of this fact. This means that we are not aiming for any major magical elements to be in the game at launch, but there may be some minor elements. Don't expect magic fireballs or any of that sort though, we want to stay as true to lore as we can!