While I wouldn't pre-order your copy just yet, Multiverse has announced plans to create a Firefly MMOG.
Here's a Wired news blurb about the announcement, though looking at the trailers from the 'upcoming games' section of Multiverse's website it doesn't appear like it's going to be on the cutting edge of graphics quality.
Not because I think there's anything bad about Firefly, just because I think that any MMO based on a franchise that's character driven will fail for the same reason: people will get tired of playing a game where they mimic more interesting characters. It doesn't give enough depth for an MMO.
Star Wars Galaxies did quite poorly: Who wants to be a bantha herder when you can be a Jedi or a Han Solo copy?
the Matrix mmo failed: Every character a rip off of Neo. That and, of course, the game sucked.
Look at the ones that did well: EQ, WoW, DAOC, Ultima: none of them had existing stories and characters that people would rip off.
SUMMARY: <p>Recently Multiverse and Fox announced that they would create a Massively Multiplayer game based on the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303461/">Firefly TV series</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.multiverse.net/press/pr20061207.jsp?cid=6&scid=9">Here</a> is Multiverse's press release.</p>
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I think it could work, as long as they dont try to continue the Firefly/Serenity storyline as part of the game. The Firefly universe really is great and I think it'd be cool as hell if it were implemented like EVE space-play and AO, or something, planetside play. I'd say FPS on planetside but I realize the vast majority of MMOers wouldnt go for that.
WoW and Ultima had existing stories and characters in their universe prior to the move into MMOG realm. I think gameplay and design has more of a factor.
The game could easily flop but it's still neat they are making one.
I miss Firefly :(
Fricka
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What im curious about is how are they going to handle day to day interactions. Yes FireFly had some fighting but it wasnt not nearly as prevelant as say WoW or EQ. It was more social/economic interactions, with smuggling, selling and buying.
I took a look at some of the trailer videos they have posted on their site.
The Firefly MMO might as well go ahead and make its peace with its dear and fluffy lord.
Yup, my sentiments are that Fox doesn't care one bit about Firefly, and Multiverse only cares about it from the aspect of getting their name into the public. Will they risk putting in a bunch of money to develop a good game, or are they just using Firefly as a way to advertise their Multiverse engine?
While I don't see a Firefly MMOG turning out well (unless a well known MMOG developer ends up getting into the mix), any MMOG that has a 'Kung-Fu Geisha Space Hooker' class always has a fighing chance in my books .
I have a dream that one day a Firefly game will be made by Bioware. And when this happens, and when we allow Bioware to make a Firefly game, all of the Browncoats will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the the old busker, "Take my love, take my land, Take me where I cannot stand. I don't care, I'm still free, You can't take the sky from me!"
We should take a TV show that works really well, which has no competent competition, stop production...and then make an MMO.
Best of luck to them, but I think this is, quite possibly, the dumbest thing they could do with the franchise. They did a P&P RP system which was supposedly cool (never looked at it, only heard it was supposed to be cool) and I thought that was reasonable. I'm not saying that there aren't still problems which need to be addressed in the MMO genre, I'm just saying I don't think that this is the best thing to do.
If they based it off EVE, it could rock. EVE is a social and politically driven universe. Then you wouldn't need classes, just skills a ship and a agenda
Somehow, I don't really see this working any better than the Matrix MMO. I mean I would love it if it were to be a great success, but to quote that other franchise "I've got a bad feeling about this".
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