HisDarkMaterials.org

SEGA did an interview with Dakota Blue Richards and asked her about her experience as a voice actor, her gaming experience and The Golden Compass game.

Please also see the high resolution photos taken at the interview, and play SEGA's The Golden Compass Minigame and collect downloadable wallpapers!

Where does the action start?

This is the all-important question – should the computer game start in the same place as the book and film, or with being such a unique platform should it be treated differently?

IGN blogwriter TheGoldenCompass reports on a set visit for SEGA for the video game adaptation of The Golden Compass. The blog images include a close up of the alethiometer and a draft of its inscription.

It’s no easy feat taking a book and adapting it for the big screen. Similarly, it’s not a walk in the park to make a video game based on a movie, especially when the book is already out and game designers have their own preconceptions about the material. Without close collaboration the game and movie would turn out very differently. Even relatively simple things like making sure characters in the game have the same clothing as they do in the movie could go horribly wrong if no one saw the action progressing on-set and passed along relevant information and pictures to the game developer.

Wired Magazine has an interview with Daz Berg, the lead designer of The Golden Compass videogame:

Shiny Entertainment took on quite a challenge when they chose to develop the videogame version of The Golden Compass. Not only do they have to please fans of the book and the movie, but they also have to deliver a gaming experience that can stand on its own merits. Then there's that whole "licensed property" stigma that has to be overcome.

We discussed the demands of bringing such a beloved tale to life in videogame form with lead designer Dax Berg.

Sega and Shiny Entertainment have released a trailer for the upcoming The Golden Compass videogame. It offers a 3 minute insight in the progress of the game, including in-game footage and interviews with key artist and designers working on the game at Shiny as well as a detailed look at some of the characters.

View the trailer here or directly on YouTube.

Game Informer Magazine writes: The announcement of "The Golden Compass" game is super-exciting for some and completely off the radar for others.  The biggest question is how to make this world into a fun game.  Sega has recruited developer Shiny, known for Earthworm Jim and games based on "The Matrix" trilogy. This will be Shiny's first project after the departure of founder David Perry and the signing with developer conglomerate Foundation 9.

"A majority of the core team is still intact during (the transition) and we are constantly learning how to better bring a film experience to an interactive format," says lead designer Dax Berg. "No matter how much we love the book, the film, or the universe, it is our goal to create the gameplay first, and then wrap the narrative of the universe around that. If you try to do it the other way you often do not end up with a solid game."

IGN reports on the Golden Compass game: It was stressed how much more expansive the game will be than the movie. The Golden Compass will take place over 11 levels, and will allow players to explore many of the locations that they only manage to catch a quick glimpse of in the film. What's more, two of the levels of the title will be exclusive to the game, and will feature locations pulled directly from the His Dark Materials universe.

The three characters that players will use will have different abilities available to them as well. Lyra will have the option to use the alethiometer to solve puzzles, as well as unlock bonus content and acquire various power-ups. Players won't have to decipher the device's symbols and answer its questions to proceed through the game, but if they do, they'll receive an advantage over certain sections. Pan, on the other hand, will need to use his shape shifting abilities to maneuver around environmental challenges, while Lorek will need to use his size and clawing abilities to defeat opponents.

Sega recentely featured some new screenshots of the upcoming The Golden Compass game. They include a scene with Lyra running on rooftops and an overview of Lyra's Oxford. The earlier scene where Iorek fights of wolves was updated with an character interface, showing something what could be a life- or strength bar, weapons and such.

Thanks to Marco Chávez Lozano for the tip!

Develop Magazine writes that The Golden Compass game for mobile devices will be designed by British company Code Monkeys.

In the USA and Canada Shiny and A2M have already been signed by Sega to develop the console and handheld versions.

Playfuls.com reports on the Golden Compass game briefly, but also posts two screenshots: one of Iorek fending off wolves with Lyra on his back and another of Lyra in Arctic gear in a room which may be on a ship. The article also reveals that there is an official website for the game.  Unfortunately, there is very little on the site so far.

BusinessWire reports: SEGA® of America Inc. and SEGA® Europe Ltd. today revealed details regarding the development of the video game adaptation of the highly anticipated theatrical release, The Golden Compass, based on the first book in the award-winning trilogy, His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman. The game is being developed for multiple platforms and will ship in fall 2007, just prior to the opening of the New Line Cinema motion picture on December 7, 2007. Featuring pivotal environments from the movie, the vivid characters are brought to interactive life, featuring the likenesses of the movie’s impressive cast, which includes Daniel Craig as Lord Asriel and newcomer Dakota Blue Richards as Lyra Belacqua.