Whedonesque Mobile : Comments on 15098 : Browncoat Gamers Rejoice!

January 04 2008

Browncoat Gamers Rejoice! More info on the Multiverse/FOX Firefly MMO.. ETA: Unfortunately the information comes from an one year old press release.

While the news that FOX had licensed Firefly to Multiverse for an upcoming MMO is old, this article sheds a little more light on the intertwining of the two companies. It insinuates that FOX will have more involvement than the average licensee.

[ edited by Simon on 2008-01-04 08:20 ]

Muggi | 03:52 CET | 24 comments total | tags:

This is just a rehash of older articles, Muggi. The FOX stuff was in the first press release, I think.

As far as I know this has gone into development hell. Forget a 2008 release - they haven't even chosen a developer yet to begin making it.

gossi | January 04, 04:19 CET

They got this from sliceofscifi.com, and I'm not sure where that came from. They said there was a press release, but I don't see it on Multiverse's site. A number of us have been to Multiverse's forums asking about progress, and we've been told that it's still going, but can't get any information. What worries me is that it's not on the "Upcoming Games" page, all though it is still in the forums. They apparently have a booth for Game Design Conference next month, so maybe they'll give us some hope then.

micjwelch | January 04, 05:53 CET

My heart skipped a joyous beat, and then I realized the headline meant computer gamers ...

I feel old :)

Ghalev | January 04, 07:53 CET

Ghalev, I had a similar skip. I still refuse to call video game fans gamers. In my world, gamers use pen, paper, and dice, and sit around a table...

kishi | January 04, 08:04 CET

This will be a tricky thing to pull off, given how little of the Firefly universe we got to see. So alot of important details (all the central planets except Ariel and Persephone) will be left up to their design.

I just hope they pick a skilled development company, as opposed to whichever one will work the cheapest/most efficiently. Even if there are off details and bugs etc..., a game with a dedicated and loving developer almost always comes out well.

El_Smacko | January 04, 08:09 CET

Incidentally, a friend of mine who works at Multiverse recently mentioned that they're hiring game developers. If you're interested (and qualified!), email me off list and I'll put you in touch. [My first name at special hell dot come.]

RayHill | January 04, 08:27 CET

Ghalev and kishi,

You got the Serenity Role Playing Books right? I don't RPG but I love the books...especially the first one. Lots of 'verse info.

[ edited by Anonymous1 on 2008-01-04 06:30 ]

Anonymous1 | January 04, 09:26 CET

Kishi: We are family :)

Anonymous1: Yep!

[ edited by Ghalev on 2008-01-04 07:20 ]

[ edited by Ghalev on 2008-01-04 07:20 ]

Ghalev | January 04, 10:18 CET

sounds cool if it happens.

alexa | January 04, 10:44 CET

They got this from sliceofscifi.com, and I'm not sure where that came from.

The slice of scifi article takes its info from a press release dated December 8, 2006. I'll amend the entry to show that.

http://www.multiverse.net/press/pr20061207.jsp?cid=6&scid=9

Simon | January 04, 11:17 CET

Bleh, my bad.

Muggi | January 04, 11:58 CET

We can always hope for the Verse to expand further. It deserves all the recognition it can get. I don't play videogames, but a quality Firefly RPG could bring me to the dark side.

Valentyn | January 04, 12:31 CET

Bleh, my bad.

I wouldn't worry about it. The story is getting picked up elsewhere and at least people who come to the site will get the full story.

Simon | January 04, 14:48 CET

Irrespective of whether or not this annoucement is old, I can't wait for this game to come out. But I do agree with El_Smacko that we haven't seen enough of the 'verse besides a few planets and moons. Anything new belongs to the mind of Joss Whedon so it would only be appropriate if Joss were employed to continue to develop the concept (if he his willing to do so).

One thing I would like to see is the characters of the cast of Serenity reserved for the real-life actors. So, that way Mal, Zoe, Wash, Jayne, Kaylee, Inara, Simon, River and Book as well as Niska, Badger, Saffron etc. can all adopt the roles played by Nathan, Alan, Adam etc. via the online game.

shinyscouser | January 04, 15:03 CET

I fear for this game, even the best MMOs generally suck. I just hope we get lots of information about the verse itself, and that someone in the original developing team has some input.

I'm still going to get the game, the earlier you get a MMO the better you do generally, it is harder to jump in around 2 years down the line (although it can be done, hehe...)

Vortigun | January 04, 15:54 CET

One thing I would like to see is the characters of the cast of Serenity reserved for the real-life actors.

Not a MMORPG player (cos of how i'd get hopelessly addicted in about 2.7 seconds and then giggle in a slightly unhinged manner as it sucked my life away ;) but by and large, I think they disallow people from playing the "real" characters, mainly because almost everyone would want to so you'd have 30,000 Kaylees wandering around or 120,000 Han Solos - which is not so much with the variety of roleplaying or a well rounded gaming experience.

Wish 'em the best of luck with this, even if it's not really my bag.

Saje | January 04, 16:59 CET

Does anyone else think it's not going to happen?

Simon | January 04, 17:22 CET

Does anyone else think it's not going to happen?

Wouldn't surprise me...

Vortigun | January 04, 17:31 CET

I'm not getting my hopes up too much...

Valentyn | January 04, 17:36 CET

I still refuse to call video game fans gamers. In my world, gamers use pen, paper, and dice, and sit around a
table...

In my world gamers game in every medium available to them. Thus, I have pen, paper and dice as well as a capable PC and a console or three :)

And, no, it wouldn't surprise me if this never happened, which is pretty much what I said the first time around. I used to be an ~~addict~~ avid MMORPG player (and beta tester for MMORPGs). Saje is not wrong about how they can eat up every spare moment. Anyway, my money's on this never happening, and no offense to the Multiverse people, but if it did happen I wish it would be on a platform that doesn't look like it hails from nearly a decade ago graphically. Not that pretty pictures are everything, but they are part of an immersive experience.

zeitgeist | January 04, 17:40 CET

Does anyone else think it's not going to happen?

Raises hand. They've paid a good wack of money for the license, but it's very very early days for the company. The fact the original press release mentions a possible 2008 release date is hilarious, given they haven't even chosen a developer to start designing the game yet.

Obviously, no offense intended to the Multiverse people. I'm one of their signed up developers and I think the platform has promise, but... realistically, they aren't going to be launching a revolutionary game any time soon I suspect. And if they do release a substandard Firefly game, word of mouth will kill it. That's the joy of the fandom - it's very, very vocal.

gossi | January 04, 22:08 CET

Zeitgeist, I agree: I'm a gaming omnivore myself, and turn down no form of gaming.

But for whatever reason, my first instinct at seeing the word "gamers" is to parse it the same way I've been using it daily for more than 20 years, rather than the newer way I've become accustomed to seeing it over the last few years :) I wonder how gamblers feel about it, since "gamer" was their word for a century or more before any of the rest of us ran off with it ...

[ edited by Ghalev on 2008-01-05 02:38 ]

Ghalev | January 05, 01:54 CET

Ghalev - they're probably less grudging about letting those of us who use dice into the club, eh? ;)

zeitgeist | January 05, 20:54 CET

And cards! Dice and cards :)

And plastic hand puppets and cardboard spinners, but that was just that one TSR game in the 80s so we can sweep it under the rug ...

One of my favorite quotes about gaming comes from Benjamin Franklin, and depends on the reader not realizing what he's actually referring to: "Keep flax from fire, and youth from gaming."

Ghalev | January 05, 22:28 CET

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