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George R.R. Martin, the celebrated author of the Song of Ice and Fire series, has been too busy writing the Winds of Winter, the long-awaited next entry in the epic series of fantasy novels, to find time to play Elden Ring. Martin had a hand in crafting the lore and backstory of FromSoftware's magnum opus, which is the presumptive Game of the Year for many, although we would wager God of War Ragnarok will give it a run for its money.

Martin made the comments during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and picked up by GamesRadar+, where he mentioned the matter, stating that "I have not played it, because people seem to want this Winds of Winter book."

The previous entry in A Song of Ice and Fire, A Dance with Dragons, was released back in 2011. Martin has since published supplementary titles in the series, as well as being involved with HBO's A Game of Thrones and the more recent House of Dragons. Still, fans have been clamouring for the next book for over a decade, as Martin knows all too well. Elsewhere in the interview, he mentions the book is about three-quarters complete.

Martin describes his history with video games, reflecting that "I have, unfortunately, a totally addictive personality. I did play video games a long, long time ago, I played games like Railroad Tycoon, Master of Orion, and Homeworld, and I would get sucked into them. Weeks and months would go by, and I'd be sitting there in my red flannel bathrobe just saying, 'one more game, one more game.' I can't, I gotta go cold turkey on this. This is gonna kill me here."

We can absolutely relate, George. Despite not having gotten around to playing it for himself, Martin was very pleased to see the game was received so well, gifting us all with the following image, which will live on long after we are all dust.

What do you think of Martin's comments regarding Elden Ring? When, oh when, do you think we will finally get our filthy paws on The Winds of Winter? Pray for a better resolution than the TV series managed in the comments section below.

[source youtube.com, via gamesradar.com]