Before the explosive success of Homeworld. While Martin's interest in video games hasn't completely disappeared, providing the foundation for Elden Ring's expansive lore, he's stated that a few games in particular made him quit playing "cold turkey" due to his "addictive personality."

It shouldn't be too surprising that Martin had an interest in strategy games, given the complex and intertwining plots found in his fiction. And any video game enthusiast will understand why he had to step away from gaming. It's hard to get anything else done when that Sid Meier's "one more turn" feeling kicks in, so it's a good thing Martin did throw in the towel, or we might not have a Game of Thrones universe at all.

Game Of Thrones Creator George R. R. Martin Spent Hours Playing Strategy Games

Martin's Addictive Personality Made Him Go Cold Turkey On Video Games

In a 2022 interview available on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert YouTube channel, Martin pointed to Railroad Tycoon, Master of Orion, and Homeworld as being some of his most played strategy classics before hanging up his gaming hat for good. On The Colbert Show, Martin was promoting The Rise of the Dragon's release and was eventually asked about his involvement in Elden Ring and his larger interest in video games. Martin had this to say:

I did play video games a long time ago, games like Railroad Tycoon, Master of Orion, and Homeworld. I would get sucked into it, and weeks... months would go by, and I'd be sitting there in my red flannel bathrobe just saying, "One more game, one more game...." Finally I said, I can't, I gotta go cold turkey on this."

Stephen Colbert laughs at Martin's Railroad Tycoon example, though it's completely understandable why Martin would cite this as a reason for quitting gaming. Railroad Tycoon was one of Sid Meier's original simulation games that was hugely popular in the early 90s, and prefaced an avalanche of new Sid Meier's strategy games throughout the decade and beyond, including the first Civilization game that spawned the "One More Turn" mantra. In one of his "not-a-blog" posts, Martin also mentioned Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a Japanese series of tactical games based on the classic Chinese novel.

Martin's Obsession With Homeworld & Master Of Orion Make Perfect Sense

George R. R. Martin Wrote Science Fiction Before Fantasy

Believe it or not, George R. R. Martin didn't start out writing fantasy, and his early writing was actually in the science fiction genre. This will not come as a surprise to fans of his science fiction work, or to anyone like me who thoroughly enjoyed Nightflyers, a 2018 Syfy show based on Martin's early novellas from the 80s. That said, his obsession with games like Homeworld and Master of Orion makes a lot of sense given his love for all things sci-fi.

The fact Martin played Homeworld obsessively is a sign he had great taste in video games, and it's considered one of the most influential real-time strategy games of all time. Homeworld was the first RTS game to allow three-dimensional movement in space. The original Homeworld has since received a remaster and is available to play as part of the Homeworld Collection — but if you want to read Winds of Winter anytime soon, you might not want to tell George about it.

Game Of Thrones Probably Wouldn't Exist If Martin Didn't Quit Gaming

It Speaks To How Good A Game Is If Someone Like George R. R. Martin Can't Stop Playing

While Martin speaks about games like he was kicking a bad habit, I would argue this is a testament to the impact that these specific video games had on him as a writer and creative. He didn't quit these games because he didn't like them; he quit because they were too much fun, and he simply wouldn't get anything else done if he continued to play another round of Railroad Tycoon.

If Martin hadn't quit gaming, there's very little chance we'd even have the first A Song of Ice & Fire books, much less the Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon TV series and spin-offs. So, while there might be a lesson here about doing things in moderation, I think it's interesting to consider the impact of his obsession with these classic strategy games on Martin's future ion projects. In particular, I doubt he'd have been as eager and ionate to work on Elden Ring if he'd never been "sucked in" to a game of Homeworld.

George R. R. Martin's Involvement With Elden Ring Was Inevitable

Given Martin's Past Interest In Video Games, It's No Wonder He Answered FromSoftware's Call

While George R. R. Martin tried to quit video games for good, it seems he was fated to be involved with them eventually, even if in an entirely different capacity as a world builder. When FromSoftware reached out to Martin for help with establishing Elden Ring's foundational lore, his previous obsession with gaming likely had something to do with him accepting the gig. FromSoftware founder Hidetaka Miyazaki stated in an interview with GamesRadar that Martin shared a "ion for the fantasy genre, and for games as well."

Martin also happened to be familiar with the Dark Souls games when he first spoke with Miyazaki about Elden Ring, and Miyazaki noted that Martin "was so ionate about the same things, and [showed] that pure joy and sense of curiosity for these fantasy worlds." The connection Miyazaki and Martin shared is what made Elden Ring so successful, and it showcases the power of collaboration across genres, mediums, and cultures.

"There's no doubt Martin's history as an obsessive gamer drove his ion for the world-building contributions to the Elden Ring universe."

George R. R. Martin may not play video games anymore, but his impact on the video game industry and gamers worldwide is undeniable. His involvement with Elden Ring was not just a matter of happenstance, and there's no doubt his history as an obsessive gamer drove his ion for the world-building contributions to the Elden Ring universe. Martin created an elaborate and beautiful foundation for Elden Ring to become one of the most original and successful games of the modern era.

George R. R. Martin's eclectic body of work extends from literature to television to film and ultimately to video games as well. In the early 90s, Martin was playing the same addictive games as anyone else, but eventually gave them up to focus on writing. And while it's a good thing he did, the respect he shows for video games and the ion he put into his later involvement with Elden Ring prove a greater appreciation for the medium. Maybe after he finishes Winds of Winter, he could dust off a classic like Homeworld and enjoy "one more game."

Sources: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert/ YouTube, Not A Blog, GamesRadar