Having only read the books myself once, but living with a walking encyclopedia on the world of Westeros, I was very, very, very excited when I heard the books would be coming to TV. Hearing that they'd be done by HBO made me even happier because the story wouldn't be glossed over or sugar coated.
The first episode in my opinion was definitely a good introduction to the story. You get a general feel of the characters, their back stories and their current situations. However, you're also deeply left wanting to know more about certain characters, like Ned Stark's sister that Robert mentions, or Jon Snow's mother (still an on-going debate between me and my living encyclopedia).
As far as the sex, violence and language go, I feel they are totally in line with HBO's standard, and in line with the book. People who complain about there being too much and compare GoT to Rome, may I remind you of all the graphic sex scenes and nudity in that show? At least in GoT (so far) we have not had full frontal nudity shots, like the one received from Octavia (I'm pretty sure that's in the first episode...?).
I think this show has real potential and promise. People who aren't familiar with the world of Westeros might have a hard time accepting some of the things in the books, like the Doth'raki wedding scene, but there scenes in Lord of the Rings that can be hard to accept the first time round too ;) All in all, I am happy with the show, I believe it has stuck to the book much better than most book-to-TV adaptations, and wait on pins and needles for the next episode.
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