14 DAY TRIAL // For some reason the idea that television shows are getting the video game transformation treatment, much like movies have been getting in the last few years, is less than appealing to me. When games are used as tie-ins the results are usually mediocre, lacking innovation and soul. When video games are turned into movies something is usually lost and the outcome ends up bland.
Now Buffy: The Vampire Slayer is providing the intellectual property needed for the creation of a new MMO. Development of the game is handled by Multiverse and they are saying that the project is pretty advanced, with a beta stage planned for later in the year.
Movie producer Jon Landau said at the VirtualWorlds conference that "The resources are in place to develop a great MMOG," while the developers are saying that there will be two ways of playing the game. Apparently there will be both a fully 3D version of the MMO and a Flash based 2D version, which already sounds pretty weird without adding the fact that the players of the two versions will be able to switch at will and also to interact one with another. The whole game will be launched from Multiverse Places, which is a new social networking environment created by the company.
Corey Bridges from Multiverse says that the source material is great for making an MMO, stating that "As a brilliant storyteller and world-maker, Joss Whedon crafts stories that expand perfectly into the new medium of virtual worlds. Not to give away too much, but when the Buffy team finished the television series, they created the perfect launching point for an MMOG where everyone will feel like they're an important character in the ongoing story."
The bad news is that the Firefly MMOG is now delayed, mainly because the interest of the public was judged to be low. Firefly is a cult series, which only ran for one season but managed to attract a loyal following with its setting and characters.