Star Trek Online is a natural choice for a massively multiplayer game: multiple interesting factions and classes, space and ground combat, and the exploration of strange new worlds. (Read Morgan's hands-on preview here!) This has inspired us to comb over our favorite television shows and see how well they'd translate as an MMO. And because we obviously know how to develop video games ourselves, here are our pitches for Five TV Series That Should Be MMOs. Interested publishers can make checks payable to "Andrew Pfister," and I'll see to it that the development process gets started immediately.
Number Five: Saved by the Bell
Factions: Bayside, Valley
Classes: Class Clown, Jock, Geek, Rich Girl, Cheerleader, Honor Student
Example Quest: Beat Valley!
The Pitch: Hmm...let's see. The starting zone could be a junior high out in Indiana...player skills could include "Time Out," "Zack Attack," and "So Excited"...the guild hall can be The Max...you uh, you fight against...uh...screw it. Put something crappy on Facebook and the hipsters and nerds will buy it just because it's ironic. I know this because I own and proudly wear a Bayside High gym t-shirt. There's the business plan.
Number Four: Joss Whedon Online
Factions: Good, Evil, Sarcastic
Classes: Watcher, Slayer, Vampire, Space Vampire, Werewolf, Space Werewolf, Spaceship Captain, Vampire Spaceship Captain, Doll Vampire Spaceship Captain
Example Quest: Hire Captain Drusilla to take you through the Mars hell-mouth, slay 20 corrupted Dolls, rescue Neil Patrick Harris, and make it back to Earth before 6th period math.
The Pitch: Obviously, we're just going to hire fanfic writers to do the bulk of the design.
Number Three: V (The 80s Version)
Factions: Visitors, Resistance, Friends of the Visitors, Fifth Column
Classes: Soldier, Pilot, Spy, Ambassador, Discredited Scientist
Example Quest: The Starchild is being born! Defend the Resistance medical lab with your pew-pew lasers until the delivery is complete!
The Pitch: My childhood memory tells me that the 1983 version of V is far superior to the 2009 reboot, so we're going with that (V Online 2 can be the updated one). Invading alien army takes control of Earth, with a human resistance force sprouting up to take it back? Aside from the thousands of logistical, technical, marketing, and design problems, how could this possibly not work as an MMO? You've got: laser guns, evil lizards, rad uniforms and sunglasses, espionage on both sides, aerial battles, and 80s Michael Ironside. I repeat: 80s Michael Ironside.
Number Two: Deadwood
Factions: Lawmen, Pinkertons, Merchants
Classes: Saloon/Casino/Bordello Proprietor, Sheriff, Road Agent, Gold Miner, Doctor, Drunk
Example Quest: Bring 10 dead bodies to Wu.
The Pitch: It is not out of want that we propose this new entertainment, but it is truly a f***'in necessity. That you f***in' *******ers stand in the f***in' way of our blades and our commerce, the building of towns and assembling of posses to defend against the hostile tribes, our thieving and whoring...that you would deny even the simplest f***ing amusement of a god-damned horserace is so great an insult that I might run my knife across your neck. But first, do us the courtesy of looking at our f***ing design doc, to which then you can rightly reject this modest f***ing proposal, while still preserving your own dear life.
Number One: Seinfeld
Factions: None
Classes: None
Example Quest: You get up and go to work. There's a quest. That's a quest.
The Pitch:
Andrew: And it's about nothing?
Patrick: Absolutely nothing.
Andrew: So you're saying, I go in to Blizzard, and tell them I got this idea for an MMO about nothing.
Patrick: We go into Blizzard.
Andrew: "We?" Since when are you a designer?
Patrick: (scoffs) Designer. We're talking about an MMO.
Andrew: You want to go with me to Blizzard?
Patrick: Yeah. I think we really got something here.
Andrew: What do we got?
Patrick: An idea.
Andrew: What idea?
Patrick: An idea for the MMO.
Andrew: I still don't know what the idea is!
Patrick: It's about nothing!
Andrew: Right.
Patrick: Everybody's doing something. We'll do nothing!
Andrew: So, we go into Blizzard, we tell them we've got an idea for an MMO about nothing.
Patrick: Exactly.
Andrew: They say, "What's your MMO about?" I say, "Nothing."
Patrick: There you go.
Andrew: ...I think you may have something here.
Comments
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gamerwiz101
lol seinfield
gamerwiz101
i'd love to see a mmo on "night court" lmao
BONERJAM
What is the deal with MMOs? There online, there massive and multiple people play them but there still boring.*
*All said in Jerry's annoying/funny voice.
kyuubi08
heroes would be another amazing mmo
cmdluke
@kyuubi08
yes, i believe a Heroes MMO would work quite well.
Patriculus1989
I love the Seinfeld one. Made my day. Just finished watching an episode (first episode) too.
Pyro_XX
I could see Joss Whedon one actually being good if it was done right they had the shows set up to have a good universe for a game as long as its not like the buffy game it will do good
Juicelee
"the wire" would make for a fantastic mmo
you could go street soldiler, corner man, to king pin to supplier
on the cops side you could move up the rank from being a beat cop to detective to leutenenant to major
and there is alot of grey area on both sides so being a good cop isnt always being a good cop
and being street soldier you dont always need to sell drugs and kill people to level up
but have we forgotten the greatest TV show that would make the most awesome pvp mmo?
heres a hint:
THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!!!!!
yes highlander would make a fantastic mmo with the most exceptional pvp to date you go around killing immortals to get stronger and stay alive you have a host of skills everything from sword fighitng to gunplay to hand to hand combat also the strategy involved in taking out your opponent could be not only based on your skills but being able to use the environment around you would be be key..
DM818
Though there have been many more space based MMO's recently I think that Firefly is a perfect fit for an MMO
SauceDP43
I would like to see A-Team as an MMO. Road Warrior would also be cool to see even though it wasn't a TV show.
Wozman23
I'd play a Heroes MMO, but only if I could be the Haitian. I'd just follow people around all day so they could never use their powers. Then, when they become completely pissed at me, I'll just wipe their memories and repeat the process the next day.
MxxPwr
The Venture Brothers Online
swordgoatz
I think a black and white Twilight Zone MMO could be really cool. A little like that side quest in Fallout 3.
How about a Rocko's Modern Life MMO? "Rocko's Modern World"?
rukdreg
actually, a western themed MMO would be pretty sweet, Deadwood-themed or not
ThataUFO
I've always thought Thundercats would make a kick-ass MMO.
I'd be Snarf or Tigra for sure.
Plus Cheetara caused my first boner, true story.
scottyrob82
I think Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters From Beverly Hills should be one. If you don't believe it was a real show google it and see epically awful the show was.
gambit1023
How bout a House or Law and Order:SVU....I'd play those....Lie to Me could work too
Flight_Eagle
Flameo on that Seinfeld moment. Flameo.
But seriously... And i assume this would be part of the Joss Whedon Online...
FIREFLY!
But i'd like it by itself. I would sooooo play that!
dogsanty
love v-version new and 1983 v-verioni gut v on my xbox360.
dogsanty
love to play mmo of v. and firefiy.
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