It seems like the world is now divided into two types of people—those who talk about Game of Thrones every chance they get, and those who can't believe others are talking about that silly show again . Either way, everyone knows what Game of Thrones is. It's a television show that has turned into an important worldwide cultural trend.

So what's the secret of its success? For one, the show is based on a series of popular books called A Song of Ice and Fire , which has allowed for consistent storytelling. There's less of a risk of the television writers running out of ideas. Another thing that sets Game of Thrones apart is the show's high production values. On average, one episode costs around US$6 million to make. That's a full US$4 million more per episode than regular shows on cable television. Game of Thrones' higher budget allows for a cast of quality actors and huge battle scenes with advanced special effects.

Still not sure about the show's popularity? Well, perhaps it's the fact that Game of Thrones has more violence and adult themes than other shows. Or it might be that the line between "good" and "evil" is often not clear in the show. You might like a character in the beginning, only to see them do something horrible that changes your opinion in the end. On the other hand, an evil character might perform some unexpected act of mercy. Or maybe your favorite character will just die horribly, without warning. That's another feature of Game of Thrones : major characters have very short lifespans.

In truth, the show's success probably stems from a combination of these factors. Whatever the case, its audience continues to grow with each passing season. Love it or hate it, Game of Thrones isn't going anywhere.

全球觀眾似乎一分為二： 一方是只要逮到機會，就以《冰與火之歌：權力遊戲》這部影集為話題而聊個不停；另一方則是無法置信竟然還有人在聊這部愚蠢的影集。無論如何，《冰與火之歌：權力遊戲》可說是家喻戶曉。這部電視影集儼然成為重要的全球文化指標。

那麼這部影集成功的秘訣為何？第一，這部影集改編自小說《冰與火之歌》系列暢銷書，劇情連貫，電視編劇較不用擔心靈感斷炊。第二，讓《冰與火之歌：權力遊戲》與眾不同的是該劇龐大的製作經費。平均起來，一集影集的製作成本約為600 萬美金，相當於每集的製作費比有線電視台一般的影集還要多出足足400 萬美金。《冰與火之歌：權力遊戲》的鉅額預算裨益這部影集聘請優質的演員陣容，運用先進特效建構出磅礡的戰爭場面。

還是對此影集擁有高人氣感到不解嗎？好吧，或許是因為《冰與火之歌：權力遊戲》比其他電視影集出現更多暴力和成人鏡頭，又或者是正邪之間的界線在劇中並不明顯。你可能剛開始很喜歡某個角色，最後卻因其暴行而改變主意。另一方面，陰險的角色也許會有出乎意料的慈悲行為。抑或是你喜愛的角色會在無預警的情況下慘死。這就是《冰與火之歌：權力遊戲》的另一特點：主角的生命如曇花一現。

事實上，這部影集的成功大概綜合了上述所有因素。無論是什麼原因，每一季結束後，影迷均有增無減。不管大家接受與否，《冰與火之歌：權力遊戲》仍屹立不搖。