General: Could the Firefly MMO make it Into Black

Stradden

Could the Firefly MMO make it Into the Black?

It’s a common thread in the circles many gamers tend to run in; fan finds show, fan loses show, fan starts letter-writing campaign, fan gets feature film.

Okay, that last part may be the exception, but just such a thing happened to a quirky gem of a Joss Whedon project during the last half decade. For those that missed the massive marketing campaign by the television network five years ago (what, there wasn’t one? That must be why I was watching Enterprise at the time; oh the humanity!) Firefly was a masterful character-driven space western. Sure it sounds cheesy, but oh, how it worked on the screen. Watching gunslingers and rogues drive cattle from the cargohold of their battered freighter one week and infiltrate a 26th century hospital to knock over the pharmacy the next is something nobody should go through life without experiencing. The fans immediately took to calling themselves Browncoats after the disgraced Independent forces of the ‘verse. Represented by the central character of Captain Malcolm Reynolds, the Browncoats of the show were defeated and their war for independence lost at the bloody battle of Serenity Valley in the pilot episode.

Read the whole editorial here.

Sovrath

To be a naysayer here, I don't think it's a good idea.

I'm a huge fan of the series as well as the movie. And quite frankly, though one could argue that world was not so fleshed out as to allow a game to capitalize on adding "new territory", it just doesn't have enough appeal to weather development costs and then to garner the subs.

Let Firefly be the successful yet not so "commercially" successful hit that it is.

Myrdinn

They announced in 2006; I remember that day well. However, I had not heard so much lately...

...and, a game with both a starship (or, in the case of Wheaton's 'Verse, a spaceship in a really *big* system) AND a ground game?

I'm there. So tired of all these xaxtd*mned fantasy games... I'd love to take a gun to every orc, bunny with horns, and talking dog in every 'verse.

(enjoying diplomancy in VSoH... but I'm looking forward to this one, if it hits, and Star Gate: Worlds).

brostyn

Almost every game that comes out based on a movie IP is a horrible, twisted, greed-infested flop of a game. Let Firefly rest in our memories, and on our DVDs, without taint. I don't want to some greedy know-nothing exec making some shoddy third rate game to ruin the Firefly name.

Mariner-80

I loved Firefly the series and the movie. I thought the idea of a Firefly MMO was intriguing when I first learned of it, but I am dubious about its execution, and I also think the silence from Multiverse regarding this MMO is "deafening", as they say -- not a hopeful sign, imo.

It will be interesting to see whether Stargate Worlds can pull off a similar challenge, i.e., translating a popular TV brand name into a successful MMO. The success or failure of Worlds is going to impact STO, Firefly, and any number of other would-be sci-fi MMOs waiting in the wings.

almohada

I ironically made a comment about this on air during my MMO news show this past Saturday.  I can't imagine that while working on the generic engine the Multiverse team has the time or energy to properly invest in making a Firefly MMO work out by supporting whoever they farm the IP out to to make it for them.

This is another vote for just letting sleeping dogs lie.

 

Destroyeron

As another fan of the series and movie I agree that making a game that would actually make us proud would be enormously difficult and require very risky design decisions. I just don't see that happening.

FallonDark

Wishful thinking, but has there been any word what Sci-Fi IP Cryptic Studios is developing? I know rumor was Star Trek, but not sure that was ever confirmed. If it turned out to be Firefly, I'd be doing cartwheels for the next few years until it came out.

ThalosVipav

Would love to see this done. But it would have to be done right and done right the first time.

With the way things have been going in the MMO world as of late, I just dont see that happening.

NeeAnderTall

I agree Firefly should be shelved lest it's memory be ruined by the seeds of greed. It would take a millionaire who felt the same as we all do to invest the money into a project totally devoted to the original vision that was Firefly, a millionaire who was an avid MMO player to know what needs to be in the game to make it pass muster amongst it's harshest critics.

There are ways you can fly your own Firefly freighter in the interim. Mods of Freelancer and the Orbiter simulator have downloads available for you to obtain your own 3D model of your Firefly.

Lancers Reactor for Freelancer mods: http://www.lancersreactor.com/

The Orbiter "A free space sim" also has a devoted following of modders. http://orbit.medphys.ucl.ac.uk/

If there are more like these two, I would be interested to know, as I got started in 3D model downloading and collecting since Starfleet Command. Atrahasis is still making models 5 years on for SFC. http://www.geocities.com/atrahasis1/index.html

To me, these are almost as fun as miniatures, provided you have the model viewers for each format.

Now, If I could just get one app to display them all in a screen saver....

raykor

Despite the popularity of this strategy, I believe that basing a MMOG on an established intellectual property is a bad idea. It does not guarantee you success by any means; you are just as likely to attract fans of the IP as to piss them off every time you deviate ever so slightly. Most importantly, you impose too many creative restrictions on the design of your game.



I like Firefly and I think that anyone wishing to make a Sci-Fi MMOG can easily capture the gritty “feel” of that IP without actually having to license it.

Joshua69

Firefly is quite wicked. and a MMO based of it would be sick

brenth

first off if you havent seen firefly do yourself a favor and make the time!  and watch 3-4 episodes with an open mind    firefly takes a little bit to  sink in  but once it does you will realize its genus.

Im not your fanboy type, sure I called my self a trecker in the past and still do  but thats nothing NOTHING! compared to the emotion firefly invoked and still does   especially with the plite of the show parrelleling the crew.

do I think a good MMO about firefly can be produced?  I havent seen a game company that could reproduce the charactor detail and the drama required   so im a bit pesimistic     but using the analogy of SWG and EVE  I might see how that might work,, (though I like to walk around in my ship) (and SWG is currently an example I use on how NOT to make an MMO) (and the griefers in EVE drive many people away blowing up unarmed multimillion credit ships just because they can makes anyone cancel theiur account.)

that being said im still hungry for a excelent scifi mmo  that is immersive,, where I can captin my ship,, haul cargo,  fight battles,, smuggle,,  and yet stilll have some of the realities of fuel and maintence and breakdowns   that all other games gloss over that truely make a game come alive.

therain93

Originally posted by brenth


first off if you havent seen firefly do yourself a favor and make the time!  and watch 3-4 episodes with an open mind    firefly takes a little bit to  sink in  but once it does you will realize its genus.

if there's a scene that sold me in the beginning, it was this one....

http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2008/03/firefly-fridays.html

Sovrath

Originally posted by therain93


 
Originally posted by brenth


first off if you havent seen firefly do yourself a favor and make the time!  and watch 3-4 episodes with an open mind    firefly takes a little bit to  sink in  but once it does you will realize its genus.

if there's a scene that sold me in the beginning, it was this one....

 

http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2008/03/firefly-fridays.html

LOL.. yeah.. I remember that one. It sort of somes up the show now doesn't it.

Guintu

Originally posted by brostyn


Almost every game that comes out based on a movie IP is a horrible, twisted, greed-infested flop of a game. Let Firefly rest in our memories, and on our DVDs, without taint. I don't want to some greedy know-nothing exec making some shoddy third rate game to ruin the Firefly name.

I almost agree with you.  The Siderman games for the Xbox were pretty good and so was The Hulk.  But yes most movie and TV IP games suck.  Why?  Because the movie developers want the game to come out the same time as the movie (or while the TV show is at its peek).  Instead of taking their time to make a game that not only goes well with the movie/show, and has good game play, they just capitolise on the fans love for the movie/show.  The thing is people buy them, so they keep doing it, over and over.  A good movie comes out, a crappy game comes out about the same time.  If people didn't buy the games, then maybe they'd get a clue and make the games better.

I think a Firefly mmo might be ok if its made by a dev that loved the show and movie, because they would put care into the game, to make it as good as it can be.  As long as its people who care about the game, they could make it good unlike SWG which was probably made by people who hated Star Wars or never saw it.

cthornett

I like the idea of a game, but not an MMORPG. Firefly was all about the interaction between the characters and would be far more suited to a single player  RPG, where scripts, environments and character interplay could be controlled. I realise this is MMORPG.com, but hey, not every new game should be an MMO of some kind.

Sabbicat

I would never consider myself a browncoat but I absolutely loved the show and the movie. If they could make this a sandbox type 'verse with the ability to pick a side and do things your own way. Be a browncoat and stick it to the man. Be a mad reaver and stick it to whom ever gets in your way or be from the central planets and stick it in your pants. Just so long as the have the consorts I'm there.

SonofSeth

Shiny!

abel5405

I serously doubt that such a MMO could be produced.  It would be such a niche game, some what like Rise.  The drama that pulled you in were the characters and how they played in the story line, not the phew phew shoot'm up parts if I'm making sence.

SOE built a community in SWG though the time lines were scewed so some of the hardcore move/book fans say and look what happened.  It was crushed.

As much as I enjoyed the Fire Fly series and the movie Serinity, I say it would not fly as a main stream MMO as the RP is gradualy being lost in the MMORPG.

yayitsandy

i liked firefly and serenity but lets face it , it is a failed franchise . no one in thier right mind will produce an mmo based on this . whats the point ? theres far more lucractive franchises our there waiting to be done and others like star wars that need to be done well . joss weadon should stop flogging this dead horse and get back to what he does well . the buffyverse .

 

 

 

 

SabbathSMC

I think with very careful handling of how everything works this could pay off big. People are looking for a great SCI-FI game.

I think some things that have already been mentioned are key.

#1 be able to walk around the ship

#2 have plenty of ground areas to play on the planets.

#3 Allow the players to choose sides. There are truely 3 sides to this.

#4 Have your ships need a real crew. I realise this would be forcing grouping to work correctly but lets face it these ships dont work on a one man show. Sure allow you to fly take off etc.But to work really well you need a crew.

#5 your characters are set up to be crew specific classes. Capt, Gunner ETC....

That way the game keeps the more to true form.

Do I see this happening? I doubt it as always they will muck it up.

dickie6845

I personally think that a Firefly MMO would be awsome. If they don't follow the mistakes others have made in the past. For one...SWG per CU was fun because it was almost a Sandbox Game, unlike today's edition of SWG NGE.  The reason EVE Online is such a great game is that it is a Sandbox Game, but players are trapped inside their ships.

 Firefly MMO would be a great game if it was a full Sandbox Game.  Where you could have miners and traders, gunslingers and assasins, whores and companions.  Everything you need is there, plenty of land adventures dealing with landlords or space adventures running booty. Rivalry between compete crime syndicates as well as perhaps a rekindling of the old war (or maybe even a new enemy REVERS!).

I think it could be done.

I would like to see it done.

But then again I would like to win "The Power Ball" lottery. I don't think thats going to happen either.

 

jmd10222

If it is done right It might be make it. If it is a good Sci-Fi MMo and lets face it there really isnt any great ones out there,it could make it on that merit alone.

Elshira

Yeah I agree, if done right it could do very well.   Be great to see the different worlds, Reavers, a companion class hehe.  

It would be shiny.

_Shadowmage

I see several problems with a firefly MMORPG.

First off the universe isnt that big. Its basically a single solar system with planets and moons.

Second - everyone would want to own a spaceship. That just doesnt fit with the universe. ITs like everyone wanting to be a Jedi in SWG.

Third - as much as I like the movie / series - it was the character interactions and different stories that made it great. So a great single player RPG but a mmorpg - I dont think so.