They come in threes: Game of Thrones RPG, MMO, and social game invading Westeros

A Game of Thrones - Baratheon

Remember the opening of A Game of Thrones? That spooky forest, that lone patrol from the Wall, the creeping sense of dread as they approached a camp full of mysteriously dead bandits? I loved it. All I could think was, "This would make a great Facebook game."

OK, we're not just getting a social Game of Thrones, but it is one of three upcoming licensed games for George RR Martin's fantasy series. Eurogamer spotted a USA Today story about the various forms that AGOT-games will take, in which we learn that Cyanide is making an RPG "based on an original story by Martin." Bigpoint (Battlestar Galactica Online) is developing a F2P MMORPG. And finally, the social game.

If you've played A Game of Thrones: Genesis, Cyanide's last Martin-related game, or Bigpoint's Battlestar Galactica, you've probably already tempered your enthusiasm. And somehow I suspect a social game will not be the best use of the license. But like Ned Stark, I can be surprised.