14 DAY TRIAL // Chair Entertainment has officially announced that it is no longer working on the video game it was developing based on the science fiction novel Ender's Game from well known author Orson Scott Card, with the project probably set to move to a different developer.
Speaking to Joystiq Donald Mustard, who is the co-founder of Chair Entertainment, has stated, “We have and had an amazing design for the Ender's Game game,” but, “one of Epic's primary objectives is to create original and unique franchises. I don't know that Ender's Game fits into that strategic objective anymore.”
Chair Entertainment was acquired by Epic Games, the company behind the Gears of War series and the Unreal engine, in May 2008, just a few months after the Ender's Game based video game was announced.
When directly questioned about whether the video game will ever be delivered Mustard added, “So, probably not. Not from us,” but he went on to also say, “If anyone decides they want to make it. I have some ideas I'd love to talk to them about.”
The company has already worked with the writer on the Shadow Complex universe, with Orson Scott Card delivering a novel set in the same space.
The Ender's Game video game was supposed to use the Battle Room concept that was describe in the novel, where armies made up of kids that were prepared for a conflict with non human forms of life are engaged in mock battle in a zero gravity environment.
Ender's Game also describes complex military space battle simulations that the kids then undergo, with a wide array of tactical challenges included.
Both the Battle Room and the simulations are well suited to be brought into the video game medium although they might be more interesting as downloadable titles than as AAA retail releases.