Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

News for nerds, stuff that matters

Slashdot Log In

Log In

Create Account  |  Retrieve Password

Buffy MMO Announced, Firefly MMO Delayed

Posted by Soulskill on Thu Sep 04, 2008 02:05 PM
from the you're-my-kinda-stupid dept.
Zonk brings word that Multiverse, the developer who in 2006 acquired the rights to make a Firefly-based MMO, has announced that a Buffy: The Vampire Slayer MMO is now under development. An interview with Corey Bridges from Multiverse seems to indicate that the Firefly MMO, though delayed, is not dead. He also provides a few details on what the Buffy game will be like. Quoting: "What we're doing with the Buffy game then is releasing it in stages. It will first be a flash-based virtual world, with the full Multiverse server behind it. ... So it will start as a 2D flash-based MMO where you can go on missions and interact with other players. This will extend even once we have the 3D client working, where you can both interact with players using the other point of view. We're going to have these shared spaces where 2D and 3D people can interact. All of this will come out in phases, with staged gameplay coming out. We're sort of blazing a path with this concept, and we're really interested in what this might mean for players of the two versions. ... I'd love to get [a public beta] out to players by the end of the year."
+ -
story

Related Stories

[+] Firefly MMORPG Announced 309 comments
bishiraver writes "Multiverse has announced that they have gained rights to a Firefly Massively Multiplayer Online Game. Multiverse is a company started by several former Netscape employees, and they have developed an engine/network that works for all of their games. They intend to break into the MMO industry by being an MMO publisher of sorts. By standardizing, they can provide a less expensive alternative to the tens of millions of dollars and several years it takes to currently develop an MMO. They have said they will hire out a studio to build the game for them. Corey Bridgets, Massive's Executive Producer, says: 'If you're doing science fiction, you have to really think it out and create an incredibly rich environment that is compelling in its own right, and worth exploring and going back to week after week. That's what Joss Whedon did with Firefly.'"
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
 Full
 Abbreviated
 Hidden
More
Loading... please wait.
  • Buffy? (Score:4, Insightful)

    by SomeJoel (1061138) on Thursday September 04 2008, @02:07PM (#24877121)
    This seems like kind of a flimsy IP to base an MMO on. Aren't there dozens of better choices?
    • Re:Buffy? (Score:5, Funny)

      by moderatorrater (1095745) on Thursday September 04 2008, @02:12PM (#24877209)
      Agreed. I would think that an IP based on a single person in each generation would make for a lousy MMO. Everything in the Buffyverse is about exceptions to rules, and that's believable when you follow a few characters around. But when you get into an MMO environment, the exception quickly becomes the rule as everyone takes the "chosen one" class or the "vampire with a soul" class.

      If only there were an IP they could acquire where it's a whole ass-load of people in far flung areas, maybe like the old west, or space or something, where small groups of people move around performing missions. That's the sort of IP that'd make for a great MMO, IMHO.
      • Re:Buffy? (Score:5, Funny)

        by Babbster (107076) <aaronbabb@Nospam.gmail.com> on Thursday September 04 2008, @02:25PM (#24877439) Homepage

        Agreed. I would think that an IP based on a single person in each generation would make for a lousy MMO. Everything in the Buffyverse is about exceptions to rules, and that's believable when you follow a few characters around. But when you get into an MMO environment, the exception quickly becomes the rule as everyone takes the "chosen one" class or the "vampire with a soul" class.

        To be fair, BTVS ended with the creation of thousands of mini Slayers. And, as a bonus, it would finally give dudes a good excuse to play a hot chick in an MMO.

        • Re:Buffy? (Score:5, Funny)

          by monopole (44023) on Thursday September 04 2008, @02:59PM (#24878015)

          Forget slayer, I wanna be Willow's girlfriend!!!

        • Re:Buffy? (Score:4, Funny)

          by russotto (537200) on Thursday September 04 2008, @03:27PM (#24878447) Journal

          To be fair, BTVS ended with the creation of thousands of mini Slayers. And, as a bonus, it would finally give dudes a good excuse to play a hot chick in an MMO.

          Nope, they're verifying age and nationality. If you're an American guy, you only get to play the buttmonkey. (on the plus side, some of the women will be playing Faith...)

          • Re:Buffy? (Score:5, Funny)

            by Impy the Impiuos Imp (442658) on Thursday September 04 2008, @05:08PM (#24879977) Journal

            Preferring to run around behind a female ass instead of a male one, for hours after hours, days after days, months after months, and now, years after years, destined to be decades after decades, isn't enough reason to always play a hot chick?

            City of Heroes, build slider max, waist slider min, boob slider max, low riders or bikini or skin, tight or short top, Ms. Liberty or Kalinda, notutorialthxbie, go!

      • Re:Buffy? (Score:4, Funny)

        by Zenaku (821866) on Thursday September 04 2008, @02:43PM (#24877743)

        I think there would be plenty of other popular choices for class. I'm pretty sure lots of people would choose witch, hyena-person, ex-demon shopkeeper, cyberdemon, goddess, or dude-who-just-wants-to-be-a-big-snake.

        I'm a tenth level werewolf guitarist!

    • Re:Buffy? (Score:4, Funny)

      by philspear (1142299) on Thursday September 04 2008, @02:49PM (#24877837)

      There are dozens of other choices, but none where I can virtually fight vampires AND do virtual cheerleading. Also Buffy has lesbian witches. Therefore no, there aren't any BETTER choices.

        • Re:Buffy? (Score:4, Informative)

          by Mechanik (104328) on Thursday September 04 2008, @03:05PM (#24878119) Homepage

          Vampire: The Masquerade would be a better vampire theme based MMO

          Agreed. Thankfully, it appears that they are working on one [wikipedia.org] already. Although I assume it's based on the new World of Darkness and not the old one.

  • by Qzukk (229616) on Thursday September 04 2008, @02:11PM (#24877193)

    shared spaces where 2D and 3D people can interact

    So what do the 2D players see when the 3D players jump?

  • by goose-incarnated (1145029) on Thursday September 04 2008, @02:13PM (#24877213) Homepage Journal

    ... it will ... so it will start ...this will ... once we have ... we're going to have ... all of this will come out in phases ...we're sort of blazing a path ... I'd love to ...

    To be honest, DNF has a lower vapourware coefficient.

  • 2D people (Score:4, Funny)

    by Alsee (515537) on Thursday September 04 2008, @02:14PM (#24877241) Homepage

    We're going to have these shared spaces where 2D and 3D people can interact.

    We already have that here on Slashdot whenever an evolution-related story crops up.

    -

  • Question (Score:4, Funny)

    by Sta7ic (819090) on Thursday September 04 2008, @02:19PM (#24877339)

    How did this get modded up past the firehose? Buffy, Firefly, and MMOGs have nothing to do with-

    Oh, wait.

  • Hey, now. (Score:5, Funny)

    by Rob T Firefly (844560) on Thursday September 04 2008, @02:19PM (#24877341) Homepage Journal
    I'm flattered and everything, but I'm not sure I really lead the sort of life that's all that worth making an MMO about.
    • by jcdick1 (254644) on Thursday September 04 2008, @02:29PM (#24877531)

      Perhaps this is why the MMO is on hold. They are simply waiting for you to do something fun, exciting, and worth paying a monthly fee to do over and over!

  • by Jupiter Jones (584946) on Thursday September 04 2008, @02:20PM (#24877357)
    Both of those MMOs sound nice. But if you really want my gaming dollars, how about one taking place in the Dr. Horrible universe?

    (Every five minutes your in-game chat would have to rhyme, of course.)

    JJ
  • Most MMOs (Score:5, Interesting)

    by PhasmatisApparatus (1086395) on Thursday September 04 2008, @02:23PM (#24877413)
    Most MMOs focus on two concepts: a unique combat system and different skills to level. A Buffy MMO sounds interesting enough, until you realize that the developers would have to stray too far from the TV series in order to make it a good game.

    First, the combat in the Buffyverse has always been minimal. Buffy explains in painful detail to the vampires why they can't win, and she'll kick their heads in if they try anything. Once an episode, one of them tries somethings. Buffy kicks heads in. End of episode, at least as far as fighting goes.

    As for skills, well, there's not much of that in the series, either. Buffy has always been killing vampires. It's what she does. Giles is always the librarian who has read every book on the occult, but still never notices anything wrong until someone points it out first. +3 intellect/+1 cluelessness. But I am getting silly here.

    The point is, the game will either conform to the Buffyverse, or the game will distort the Buffyverse to make it work. Either way, it cannot end well.
  • give us Firefly ! (Score:4, Interesting)

    by savuporo (658486) on Thursday September 04 2008, @03:05PM (#24878117)

    Spacesim genre on PC has been basically dead since the late great FreeSpace 2. Okay, there was Freelancer which was semi-decent, but nothing compared to the old great hits like Tie Fighter, best of Wing Commander, Privateer, Tachyon, Independence War or even all the way back to Elite series.

    Do not even start about recent flops like Tarr Chronicles, SpaceForce : Rogue Universe or even the entire X series. Eye candy and insance technical requirements bundled with unworkable control schemes not a playable game make. ( A side note: EVE is not a space sim, not the kind that im talking about here )

    Now Firefly universe would be a perfect setting for Privateer-like game. You dont even have to be goddamn revolutionary game designer to pull a triple-A hit on this. Just use the best gameplay elements of the past, make a good story ( hey its not like good sci-fi writers are hard to come by), half decent graphics and playable controls and you have a sure winner on that currently barren field.

    Yes, i we know Elite 4 and Infinity ( infinity-universe.com ) will be ready Real Soon Now (TM) but i dont think advances in life prolonging medicine are happening fast enough to tide all us space simmers over until then.

  • Two levels (Score:5, Funny)

    by cybereal (621599) on Thursday September 04 2008, @03:46PM (#24878719) Homepage

    The Firefly MMO was in private beta but they couldn't seem to figure out why just as you were about to ding level 3 the game would exit abruptly and show you a confusing array of cutscenes from the rest of the content...