
Half of coding an MMORPG is hiding the statistics. Wired News reports that the criminally unappreciated Firefly is set to return as a massive, online role-playing game, thanks to an agreement between Multiverse and Fox Licensing. A charming collision between Western settings and futuristic technology (think live-action Cowboy Bebop), Firefly was a show marked with witty writing and memorable characters, but marred with abysmal ratings and a quick cancellation. Fox Licensing's Adam Kline believes that "Multiverse can deliver an experience that will remain true to the original series, while enabling a whole new level of personal involvement for fans."
Though hardcore Whedon fans are sure to be overcome with seizures of delight upon hearing this news, two crucial points need to be taken into consideration. The first -- Multiverse only develops the technology and tools necessary to create an MMORPG. For Firefly, they'll be hiring a team of seperate developers to realize their vision and not just do, as they say, "a reskin of World of Warcraft or Star Wars Galaxies." The second -- the massively multiplayer aspect of the genre implies that each player will have a unique character, with the show's core cast making celebrity-like appearances at best. Is Firefly's universe alone compelling enough for its own game?
Looks like we'll have to wait until gorram 2008 before we can answer that one.
[Thanks PapaZeb, adg1034]



















(Page 1) Reader Comments
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Youch. If this thing ever goes gold, you can count me the hell out unless the original creator is involved.
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I'm so torn :S
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Is the universe compelling enough in itself? It's a good base, but the real key to success, aside from, you know, gameplay, will be the community that comes in. A pre-built fan community can potentially take this to good places.
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It would be an interesting universe to run around in that's for sure.
BTW, get the DVD set. THAT'S the way to experience this yes, CRIMINALLY underrated series.
Oh man, Wash. I wish they hadn't of done it...
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I adore Firefly, and I think the universe is easily compelling and rich enough to support the game.
But I worry, *really* worry, that the developers won't get it and won't do it justice. They need to be hiring Joss and tapping into the superfan Browncoat community for input on this one.
I was scared the movie would suck too, but after all was said and done, I think it was an admirable job. If they can impress me similarly, I'll be joining up.
And that's saying a lot... My pc is an Athlon 1GHz, with a 64MB video card from 2 years ago... me playing this game is going to involve the purchase of a modern gaming rig whenever the thing is released, but I'll set down my Wiimote and do it in a heartbeat if they get it right.
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yes of course the universe is rich enough! and this will give the creators ample excuse to expand it. If joss whedon is heavily involved in the storys, environment and charachters, I cannot seeing this go terribly wrong at all. in fact it will have awesome potential. if not... well there will be outcry, but it will all be up in the air weather its good or not.
either way, Im in.
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It's basically like pirates in the 16thC. Mal goes around does odd jobs and deliveries and steals from Alliance colonies. Thats how the game will probably be.
I'm happy they mentioned SWG. It means that they know the mistakes of SWG. They better not repeat it.
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How does this relate to Firefly? Well, there's a mod site out there were you can change one of the in-game ship models to the Serenity as well as add music from the show.
A pretty good make shift Firefly game, actually. Minus Jayne, of course.
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In my opinion, Firefly could make an interesting MMO. The key here would be to obviously make it far less complicated than Eve or something similar that involves space flight. Your 'Clans' would be ship crews or somesuch and instances/dungeons could be planetside or space side.
But then there's the issue of every player would want to be the 'star'. If you can't be the star, the theme loses its appeal rather quickly. The series focused on crews and their interactions. How do you convey that in a game where a majority of players would want to level and have their own goals in mind?
Will this game see the light of day? Probably not, I think. Just like I seriously doubt the Star Trek MMO (As much as I'd love the idea of it) will see any real success.
A quick search of the web, however, shows several text-based MMO's on Firefly that appear to be successful. "Into the Black: A Firefly MUSH" appears to be the oldest and most successful and there's "Serenity MUX" and a couple others that seem to have closed up shop but still have websites.
Of course, you'd have to be very old school to enjoy those games. No graphics, etc. Hard to get involved in that sorta stuff since MMO RPG and text-based RPG are radically different creatures. Let alone I seriously doubt any of them have level or any other goals except for cooperative story telling.
Here's to hoping the graphical MMO does at least come out. But if it's going to embarass the awesome television series, then I'd rather it not.
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There are several ways they can go with this... it is pure curiousity that will keep my eyes on this one.
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but will i would happily pay more that £20 (over WoW and SWG) a month play and keep the servers up. i have played WoW and SWG and would love this alot better!!!
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And yes, one of the things i love most about firefly is the universe, and i think they need to tap Joss Whedon as a resource, and they can get this good.
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