"The most successful game novels don't simply retell the story of the game itself; they explore the setting, universe and characters in greater depth, giving readers an experience they won't find in the game," Karpyshyn says. "If you haven't played the game, you should still be able to enjoy the novel as a piece of fiction. Similarly, if you have played the game, the novel should offer something fresh and new. And the only way to accomplish this is to do the groundwork: You need to create a deep, compelling universe that can support stories beyond the one told in the game."
It seems that fans agree. Both of Drew's Star Wars novels, which are heavily linked to the Knights of the Old Republic games, have been New York Times bestsellers, while the prequel novel Mass Effect: Revelation helped fans of the game learn more about the characters and universe. In fact, the book has also spawned a sequel, Mass Effect: Ascension, which takes place after the game, providing even more backstory. These books are going a long way to changing the negative perception that game-based novels have, though there is still a long way to go.
"Let's be brutally honest - videogames can easily sell in the millions of copies, whereas books make the bestseller lists if they crack 100,000," Karpyshyn tells me. "For good or ill, there seems to be far more gamers out there than readers. Of course, I'm doing my best to change that, and I like to think more than a few non-readers have picked up my Mass Effect novels and been drawn into the much larger world of sci-fi and fantasy literature."
As the quality of videogame narrative continues to rise, it seems likely that we will see more and more of these types of books. Even a game like Halo, which isn't necessarily known for its compelling plot, has seen the release of six different novels, each of which is considered an official part of the Halo canon. In fact, the fifth book in the series, Halo: Contact Harvest, was a New York Times bestseller in its first week of release. And while great sales don't always mean great quality, they do mean that there is an audience for this kind of literature - albeit one that is slightly embarrassed by what's on their bookshelves.
Andrew Webster is a staff writer for the Opposable Thumbs journal of Ars Technica and a freelancer for a few other places. He keeps his two-dozen-strong collection of Star Wars novels in chronological order.
