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Sci-Fi Channel Merging TV Show with MMO

Erik J writes "In a fairly bold (and quite possibly stupid) move, the Sci-Fi Channel has announced plans to use missions and campaigns of players in their own developed MMO to shape and guide a new 'ongoing' television show. They hope to have the project up and ready to air by 2010, as they work with game developer Trion World Network to create 'the ultimate merging of the TV and gaming mediums.'"

9 of 216 comments (clear)

  1. Oh, I Can See the Dialog Now ... by eldavojohn · · Score: 5, Funny

    "A television show that is on once a week isn't enough. The fans today want the experience to go beyond that. 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." Director: Ok, now this is the epic part of the battle where the character you play, PigBenis69, thrusts his cyberknife through the aliens throat so be very very passionate with the dialog.
    Actor 1: *makes stabbing motions* "Omg j00 g0t wtfpwnedbbq! I am teh quigley dpwn und3r! ..." I'm sorry, I'm having a really hard time pronouncing all of these ... symbols.
    Director: No no no, that was brilliant! Now let's get a take of the next line.
    Actor 2: "What are you talking about, Pig, I totally out DPS'd you. You act all 1337 but your gear is L7."
    Actor 1: "H4xx. Oh, go cry home to your mother, SirWankenstein, this phat lewt is mine!"
    Director: Cut, print, that's a wrap! Now everyone prepare for The Barrens chat scene where thousands herald the deeds of PigBenis69. Remember, this scene is crucial as the dialog is a roller coaster ride of intelligence and will earn us our coveted TV-MA rating.

    Could be worse I guess, they could have secured Uwe Boll to direct it ...
    --
    My work here is dung.
    1. Re:Oh, I Can See the Dialog Now ... by weeboo0104 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Fat chance. That dialog was far more coherent than anything Boll has ever directed.

      --
      It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. -Frederick Douglass
  2. Can't wait... by TripMaster+Monkey · · Score: 5, Funny

    I, for one, would be very interested in watching The Leeroy Jenkins Chronicles. ^_^

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    ~ |rip/\/\aster /\/\onkey

  3. Re:Tonight on SciFi! by eldavojohn · · Score: 5, Funny

    Next week, watch as people complain about the latest changes ... So it'll be like Archie Bunker ...

    ... and kill 10 of the local wildlife for a trader! ... meets Little House on the Prairie?
    --
    My work here is dung.
  4. This will not work. by bistromath007 · · Score: 5, Funny

    When the Internet thinks it can leak into the TV, it will just put penises everywhere.

  5. You left off the griefers. by khasim · · Score: 5, Funny

    During the alien invasion, half of the "defenders" turn and attack the other defenders. Maybe the aliens have mind-control powers?

    Meanwhile, other defenders are busy looting their fallen comrades.

    Still another group of defenders is busily arranging items to spell out the word "FUCK" on the battlefield.

  6. Make it more like Temptation Island. by Ukab+the+Great · · Score: 5, Funny

    They could name the show "Last Virgin Standing"; during epic battles they could have hot babes attempt to seduce top scoring players away from fighting.

  7. Sounds like a PR stunt by Moraelin · · Score: 5, Insightful

    TBH, this sounds more like a PR stunt for the MMO than anything relevant to the Sci-Fi channel.

    I mean, think about it in the context of existing MMOs: sure, the quests are fun, but would you really want to see a TV show about most of them? Let's assume you're a SF fan, in fact a SW fan. (Role-play a bit, if you aren't;) Would you want to see SWG footage on TV?

    Or maybe you're into medieval fantasy? Well, exactly which of WoW's (or EQ2's, or whatever) quests would be great fun to watch on TV?

    This week we follow the adventures of grunt Horribly Polygonal and his trusty sidekick Tusked Girl, two simple hunter-gatherers, as they slaughter Durotar Tigers by the dozen, unaware (yet) that only 1 in 10 Tigers has a skin. And will they manage to pull voodoo trolls one at a time, while the rest of the tribe wanders obliviously 10 ft away from the fight? Or will Tusked Girl get impatient again and over-aggro? Watch them meet a new group member and enjoy the suspense of finding out: is he a n00b and gonna get them wiped? Is he going to leave the group immediately after he gets the last skin?

    And next week we can follow them through the Barrens, as they slaughter about 100 Zebras to get 4 hooves each. (You'd think that being asked to bring 4 hooves, would mean one zebra, right? Shows how much you pampered city-folk know about hunting.)

    Or watch Tamriel the wise druid preserve the balance and harmony of nature... by slaughtering bears wholesale and waiting for them to respawn. Then slaughtering them again. 'Cause he just got bored of alchemy and went leatherworking, so now he needs leather to grind it up. (Remember, kids: living in harmony with nature means taking all you want, but not more than that!)

    Don't get me wrong. In the game it's fun. But 99% of the stuff I did in MMO's, even _I_ wouldn't want to see it on TV.

    On the bright side, as a SF fan, I am looking forward to a new SF MMO. Nothing against medieval fantasy as such, but God knows there's no need for 99% of the market to be medieval fantasy. It's nice to have a choice. So I'll probably buy it anyway. But, still, just saying, I doubt that the whole Sci-Fi channel thing is more than a PR stunt.

    --
    A polar bear is a cartesian bear after a coordinate transform.
  8. No. by eclectro · · Score: 5, Funny

    You complicate the dialog to much;

    Leeeerrooooy Jenkins!!!

    --
    Take the cheese to sickbay, the doctor should see it as soon as possible - B'Elanna Torres, "Learning Curve"