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MMObility: The Chromebook 'All In One' project - Ten pseudo-MMOs
So here we are at the second-to-last installment of my Chromebook All-In-One experiment. This will be the last time I give you a list of games that work well on the Samsung Chromebook, but always keep in mind that some of the other Chromebooks, especially the Samsung 5 550, have more power and do not use an ARM-based chip. What does that mean? Well, some services like NetFlix will not work on an ARM-based machine yet. Spacetime Studios' cache of browser-based titles will not work on this Chromebook yet as well. Don't worry, it's coming soon. Imagine the ARM Chromebook as a tablet with a keyboard attached... it's not a normal netbook or notebook. I also wrote up my wife's take on the Chromebook over at my personal blog. Be sure to check that out. She has been the perfect guinea pig as she pushes devices to their limits, and so the Chromebook has been getting heavy use from her and working wonderfully. Next week, my last installment of this series will be a video and article combo that covers the good and bad of the device, along with my final thoughts. Until then, though, click past the cut and enjoy my list of pseudo-MMOs. These are games that don't quite fit into the MMO category but have a multiplayer aspect to them!
SyFy-Trion project revealed as Defiance
Trion Worlds may be big with its RIFT mojo these days, but the studio isn't looking to be a one-trick pony. We've known that it's had a number of other projects in the works, including an action science-fiction MMO created in conjunction with the Syfy channel. Today we've learned the name of this project: Defiance. Described as a "new entertainment franchise that will seamlessly pair a primetime series with an online video game," Defiance is scheduled for release sometime later this year. We first heard about this MMO a few years ago, although Trion's been fairly mum on the specifics. Video games and TV series working together offer a unique prospect for synergy and cross-promotion, something that hasn't escaped the attention of Trion CEO Lars Buttler. Defiance may also appear on the Xbox 360 if Trion's hiring practices are any indication.
Battlestar Galactica Online E3 trailer divides players... literally
"Human or Cylon... Man or Machine... who will you choose?" asks the maddeningly vague Battlestar Galactica Online trailer. More of a teaser than anything, this trailer will make the rounds at this month's E3, trying to tempt MMO gamers and Battlestar Galactica fans alike with intergalactic conflict. Based on the hit SyFy series, Battlestar Galactica Online pits the remnants of humanity against their created "children" -- robot and cyborg Cylons. The browser based game is set during the second season of the show and should be coming out early this fall on SyFy Games' portal. We took a look at this title back at GDC10, and hopefully we'll learn more about the details of BGO from Bigpoint developers at E3. In the meanwhile, hit the jump, check out the trailer and see if it doesn't get your blood pumping for outer space fighter combat!
Red Faction TV movie being produced by Syfy; ongoing series possible
It looks like THQ and the still awkwardly named Syfy have more than just De Blob in store for their transmedia tryst: Broadcasting & Cable reports that "Syfy has just closed a deal to bring Red Faction to television via a two-hour movie, which will also serve as a back-door pilot." A "back-door pilot," for those of you not in on television industry jargon, is defined by Variety as a "pilot episode filmed as a standalone movie, so it can be broadcast if it is not picked up as a series." So, in other words, Syfy is making a Red Faction movie, ostensibly tied into the new, more "narrative" game expected in early 2011, with the hope of continuing the production as an ongoing series. While discussing his studio's transmedia strategy with Joystiq at GDC in March, THQ's Danny Bilson put to rest any concerns that this project is going the way of the Halo movie. "I'm only doing deals where we have a greenlight, meaning we are on the air; we are being made as a film," Bilson said. "You're not going to read about, 'Oh, this producer is going to do the Red Faction movie,' and you never hear about it again." But that's not the end of this relationship. The aforementioned 2011 Red Faction game "will be produced in conjunction with Syfy Games," adding to the cable channels other ongoing gaming projects, including the Battlestar Galactica MMO and the "Syfy Action MMO" that Trion is working on. Syfy's Alan Seiffert said of the Red Faction deal, "It is the kind of content that fits our genre. It is a great fit for a big Syfy Saturday movie, and if it really works, it is a great back-door pilot." [Via Press the Buttons]
