Sci-Fi Channel Mixing TV With MMO Gaming

Let’s face it: the relationship between TV and gaming has been spotty at best over the years. Fusing the two has mostly resulted in either horrible TV shows or horrible games. Still, the Sci-Fi channel is hoping to change that by bringing the two forms of entertainment together in a new and unique way. Recently, the company announced that they were working on creating a franchise for a television series and an MMORPG, with significant events happening in both:

“A television show that is on once a week isn’t enough. The fans today want the experience to go beyond that,” [president, David] Howe said. “For example, we can tell them that there will be an alien invasion at a certain place in the game, at a certain time, and to be there with all their friends and be ready. The outcome depends on them. And then that battle will be part of the universe in the show.”

How they plan to tackle the large discrepancy between mass raiding parties and individual characters remains to be seen. But Sci-Fi and Trion (who will head up the gaming side of the project) are confident that they will be able to provide a completely unique experience for both TV audiences and gamers alike, particularly since the game could help them keep track of which characters garner more interest and thus shape the story to match. Right now, no plot details on the franchise or even a title have been released except that it may take place 80 to 100 years in the future on Earth. In addition to this, Howe has mentioned that the series will incorporate heavy green screen effects, much like in 300. It’s certainly an interesting idea that could either be widely successful or simply fall flat; there are really too many factors at work here to make a very accurate guess as to which it may be.

Via LA Times