Firefly Reborn as Online Universe

[Gundampilotspaz]

Like Capt. Mal Reynolds stumbling in after a bar fight, the short-lived but much beloved sci-fi series Firefly will soon make an unexpected return, not as a TV show, but as a massively multiplayer online game.

Now that's shiny.

Multiverse, maker of a free MMO-creation platform, plans to announce Friday morning that it's struck a deal with Fox Licensing to turn the show into an MMORPG in the fashion of Star Wars Galaxies or Eve Online.

The "Browncoats," as Firefly's most devoted fans are known, have been campaigning to bring the show back almost since the moment it was canceled in late 2002. Now they'll get their wish, albeit in a new form.

"We see virtual worlds as an extraordinarily promising new entertainment medium," said Adam Kline, Fox Licensing's vice president of media enterprises in an e-mail. "We believe Multiverse can deliver an experience that will remain true to the original series, while enabling a whole new level of personal involvement for fans."

Canceled in the United States after only 11 episodes, Firefly has become the Star Trek of 21st-century sci-fi fandom: a show that seemed to remake the genre even as it stayed faithful to the conventions of "hard" science fiction, like engine room problems and menacing hordes lurking on the edge of known space.

What made the show special was the wry, often self-deprecating humor of its characters, from the captain with the checkered past to the unwittingly sexy engineer, the dull hunk of a mercenary with a girl's name, and the mysterious young woman passenger with special gifts.

http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,72263-0.html

:D

*does the happy dance*

[Siendra]

Why in the name of god would you do the happy dance? This is a licensed property and an MMORPG.

There's, like, a 1% chance this could turn out well.

[Arcane]

Why in the name of god would you do the happy dance? This is a licensed property and an MMORPG.

There's, like, a 1% chance this could turn out well.

Not true. The Age of Conan MMORPG is looking amazing so far. The Warhammer MMORPG is looking pretty spiffy as well.

With that said, I think this game will be pretty hard pressed to beat EVE Online by the time it comes out. But I'll definitely keep an eye on it.

[Gundampilotspaz]

Why in the name of god would you do the happy dance? This is a licensed property and an MMORPG.

There's, like, a 1% chance this could turn out well.

FIREFLY

[Belial]

I'll keep my fingers crossed, but my hopes low.

[LeadingMan]

Yeah, I gotta agree with the haters. Great property, but giving it to a very unproven group like that very possibly could spell disaster. I mean, Warhammer, Conan, Marvel Online, DC Online, those are being created by some high profile and experienced talent.

This reeks of failure despite the inherent coolness of the universe.

Edit: Besides there's still that whole half the MMO market owned by Blizzard, the rest owned by high profile games like Everquest 1 2 and such, while everyone else fights tooth and nail over 1-2% of the market... thing...

[Nega-Brent]

Forget the game and invest the money in hiring hookers for Sci-Fi channel executives in order to convince them to buy the rights to the show and renew it.

[winterlong]

I never really got into the series, but I think that I would be more interested in playing the game.

[Belial]

I'm installing Multiverse only other software to date and will report my findings later.

[Baltar]

I have a roomate who just did a happy dance over it. He hates MMOs btw. I hope it's decently pulled off.

[Siendra]

Forget the game and invest the money in hiring hookers for Sci-Fi channel executives in order to convince them to buy the rights to the show and renew it.

That's actually a really, really good idea...

[Gundampilotspaz]

I never really got into the series, but I think that I would be more interested in playing the game.

Someone needs to hold you down and force feed you Firefly!

[Baltar]

The P-A comic today was really good about the firefly MMO.

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/12/11

[Gundampilotspaz]

The P-A comic today was really good about the firefly MMO.

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/12/11

That is fucking awesome.

[Ceraziefish]

I'll keep my fingers crossed, but my hopes low.

I feel pretty much the same. It could be really cool; but the chances are it could not be.

I also don't really see why there's a reason for this to exist when EVE is around. *Shrug.* Not everything has to be licensed, after all. Spaceships are still cool, even if they aren't licesnsed spaceships.