Did you love the action packed space western from Joss Whedon called Firefly? Did you moan when it ended but became elated again at the arrival of Serenity on the big screen?  Well, if you bellowed a resounding YES to those questions, you could soon become elated again. Are you an MMO gamer who loves role playing? Multiverse, a game development company involved in producing MMO games and 3D virtual worlds are in development on a MMO game based on the popular Firefly series.

Launch dates on the game are unclear though Multiverse and 20^th Century Fox have been in communication over the project. The plans began in 2006 and progress has suffered delays since then. Though, the deal still stands and you can monitor the progress at Firefly MMO.

Fans of the series have been commenting in blogs on the creative requirements of the game. A high point is whether or not an episodic approach will set the pace for the storyline. Though, it is likely that more of a free role playing environment will be created to follow the style of current MMOs. The current space MMO games allow players to go it alone or join fleets. It may be important to retain this style as it is the accepted norm within the space MMO paradigm.

Multiverse co-founder Corey Bridges commented back in 2006 at the inception of the project stating:  “It’s our hope that Firefly’s passionate and dedicated community of fans will enjoy the chance to become part of the story as they develop and explore the worlds of Firefly.”
Multiverse Press Release, 8^th Dec 2006

Multiverse will be responsible for the graphics and the programming tasks - client and server code.  There will be collaboration occurring between the developers and the Firefly content developers to ensure that the game engine fits the Firefly profile capturing all the excitement of the ‘western in space’.  There may be opportunities for freelance developers to play a part; it could still be a dream job for the Firefly fan with top notch game development skills.

It became apparent to the company that jumping quickly on the 3D band wagon was the innovative direction.  They developed an enterprising platform for hosting 3D worlds that can be downloaded at http://www.multiverse.net. Games and business services, much like Second Life’s business model, have emerged from the platform.  The client is free to download and this allows you to play all of the MMO games on offer.

It is true to say that since Serenity, nothing has been seen of the gallant space crew. So Firefly fans will be thrilled to see this game rise from the ashes of what seems to be a dead franchise.  Fox are very aware of the huge fan base and what the devoted fans need – to see Firefly in action.

Let’s hope that the space cowboys of the intrepid Firefly crew will be returning. Fans can hope for the return in digital format within an MMO game or a refreshed franchise TV series.  Where the MMO is concerned, role playing in this story should be a fanatic space adventure for the craving fans offering thrills in an immersive world just like the current MMOs hosted today.

Watch this space cowboy!

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