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Buffy MMO Announced, Firefly MMO Delayed

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."

33 of 209 comments (clear)

  1. Buffy? by SomeJoel · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This seems like kind of a flimsy IP to base an MMO on. Aren't there dozens of better choices?

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    1. Re:Buffy? by moderatorrater · · Score: 5, Funny

      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.

    2. Re:Buffy? by Babbster · · Score: 4, Funny

      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.

    3. Re:Buffy? by Zenaku · · Score: 3, Funny

      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!

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    4. Re:Buffy? by philspear · · Score: 3, Funny

      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.

    5. Re:Buffy? by PrescriptionWarning · · Score: 3, Insightful

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

    6. Re:Buffy? by monopole · · Score: 5, Funny

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

    7. Re:Buffy? by kitsunewarlock · · Score: 3, Funny

      Heroic Class. Gotta wait some years for those expansions.

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    8. Re:Buffy? by Mechanik · · Score: 3, Informative

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

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

    9. Re:Buffy? by russotto · · Score: 3, Funny

      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...)

    10. Re:Buffy? by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 5, Funny

      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!

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    11. Re:Buffy? by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 3, Funny

      Oh, there'll be problems, alright.

      Post 3269: Nerf Watchers!!!
      Posted by SMGRulz416, 3:44 AM 12 July 2010

      the watcher class is supposed to be a support/utility class but they can beat a purped slayer easy!!! (Ed. Note: loaded with purple quality equipment and upgrades) Once they get the att accolade (Ed. Note: Ancient Tiki Taboo accolade, a reward for completing a long quest arc) they can use it to stun or debuf (Ed. Note: refers to the ATTs power to debuf the defense of a target by 90% or stun the target, either for 10s, 2 hour recharge time) buffs (Ed. Note: "buffs", i.e. slayers, i.e. Buffies, not to be confused with buffing someone) but since they also can delay-cast any spell on their glasses then zap it when they want, they can cast the debuff on their glasse, go find a buffy, zap stun, zap debuf, then beat on her, when 10s is up re-stun with 5s watchun (Ed. Note: watchun, bvsbbsspeake for inherent watcher stun ability) then more beats and poof she hm's. (Ed. Note: Hellmouths, or goes to the Hellmouth, where dead characters come back to life.) pvp its way worse they denad the stake and pop it on a lamp for the hps (Ed. Note: take the buffy's best wooden stake, usually teh bravery stake, hence de-nad, i.e. de-balls, i.e. de-bravery-ify, and expend it on a low level vamp yard trash to get the ash left from the disintegrated vamp, which is worth tons on the hall pass market because it's imbued with the method of destruction, in this case the 1-use-per-week special stake.)

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    12. Re:Buffy? by Macgrrl · · Score: 3, Funny

      The Collectors edition comes with tissues.

      Surely it comes with cheese slices.

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      Sara
      Designer, Gamer, Macgrrl in an XP World
  2. Flatland: An MMO of Many Dimensions by Qzukk · · Score: 4, Funny

    shared spaces where 2D and 3D people can interact

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

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  3. Can Hardly Wait(tm) by goose-incarnated · · Score: 5, Funny

    ... 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.

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  4. 2D people by Alsee · · Score: 3, Funny

    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.

    -

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  5. Re:repeat after me by arth1 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    If someone could invent an MMO that was immune to being overtaken by koreans and 13 year old boys (of any age), perhaps I would want to play it. As it is, the AGGR0, LULZ crowd ruins every single one of them -- there's no way to pretend you're part of a story when a kid runs up to you and asks you whether you want him to powerlevel you "reel cheep", or is named YO M0+H3R.

    As for the kind of people who are Buffy fans, that should speak for itself.

  6. Question by Sta7ic · · Score: 3, Funny

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

    Oh, wait.

  7. Hey, now. by Rob+T+Firefly · · Score: 4, Funny

    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.

    1. Re:Hey, now. by jcdick1 · · Score: 3, Funny

      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!

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    2. Re:Hey, now. by Bicx · · Score: 3, Funny

      go outside with a steak knife and kill 1000 squirrels. Take the skins and return them to the nearest marketplace to sell. Then maybe they'll have a backstory for ya.

  8. The status is *not* quo... by Jupiter+Jones · · Score: 4, Funny

    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

    1. Re:The status is *not* quo... by PrescriptionWarning · · Score: 3, Funny

      With my freeze ray I could stop the Buffy MMO

  9. Most MMOs by PhasmatisApparatus · · Score: 5, Interesting

    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.

  10. Re:repeat after me by Setherghd · · Score: 4, Insightful

    As in, thirty year old men who behave like thirteen year olds.

    Go to 4chan. There's tons of them. You'll see.

  11. Re:Already is a FireFly MMO by Drooling+Iguana · · Score: 4, Informative

    You mean like Vendetta?

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  12. give us Firefly ! by savuporo · · Score: 3, Interesting

    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.

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  13. Re:WHAT? by Nathrael · · Score: 4, Funny

    Hey, come on. On the Internet, we are all 18 year old girls.

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  14. Re:What about 4 dimensions. by cthulu_mt · · Score: 4, Funny

    Dungeons & Dragons is a 5 dimensional game:

    Strength
    Dexterity
    Constitution
    Charisma
    Wisdom

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  15. Re:Flash? by PeanutButterBreath · · Score: 3, Funny

    With a property like BTVS, you have to strike while the iron is hot! If they wait to have a worthwhile game to offer, Buffy's relevance may fade.

  16. So.. by Tsoat · · Score: 4, Insightful

    you know when people are high and they come up with really great ideas like breeding and selling hamsters? This sounds kinda like one of those ideas...

  17. Two levels by cybereal · · Score: 4, Funny

    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...

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    I read the script, and I think it would help my character's motivation if he was on fire. -Bender
  18. Too Many MMOs by hoofinasia · · Score: 3, Funny

    seriously? Lets make everything an MMO.

    Just announced! Slashdot MMO! play any one of 5 classes informative, funny, insightful, interesting, troll!

    Epic level cap of +1 to +5! Ability to ignore comments I mean players below level 2!