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New Syfy Defiance teaser kinda reminds us of Firefly
It's not often that we get to write about cool film or television trailers here on Massively, so... thanks Trion! As you're probably aware, the company's Defiance MMO shooter is entering beta later this month. As you're also probably aware, the game is being developed in concert with the TV show of the same name, both of which will debut in April. Yesterday, Syfy released a slick new teaser for the show, and while it doesn't feature any game footage or really mention the MMO at all other than in the closing tag line, we squeed a bit at the Firefly-esque music and the general awesomeness on display. See for yourself after the cut. [Thanks to Segun for the tip!]
Defiance show set for a two-hour premiere in April [Updated]
It's understandable if you've kind of forgotten about how Defiance is meant to be specifically tied to a show on the Syfy channel. Past reveals about the game have focused on gameplay, not actors and broadcast times. But if you're looking forward to immersing yourself in the full Defiance experience from the ground up, mark your calendar for April, as the first episode of the series is set to air then. The series will premiere with a two-hour episode on April 15th at 9 p.m. EST. A Monday night slot isn't the most promising placement for a new show, but it might be a temporary placement until the show performs well. (Or poorly.) This also points to a launch for the game sometime in April, as the two are meant to exist side-by-side from the start. Keep an eye on the game's first beta test later this month to see what happens next. [Update: Trion has clarified that in fact, Monday at 9 p.m. EST is considered Syfy's premier primetime placement and that the show will remain in that slot throughout the season.]
The Perfect Ten: New MMOs to watch in 2013
Oh, I had a great Perfect Ten prepped as the first list of the year, but my meanie-face editor slammed on the veto button and told me, point-blank, that I was going to be counting down the best MMO prospects for the year. Then she drove a lawnmower through a Nordstroms while huffing paint thinner and throwing empty cans at the security personnel. Even so, her idea is probably more interesting than what I had. Let me give you a few notes on today's list because I sense that I'm going to tick more of you off than normal here. My goal was to sift through the possible releases for 2013 and pick the 10 most promising, both in "will it actually launch this year?" and in its potential for success. The combination makes it a tough call because some of these will undoubtedly be delayed to 2014 or beyond and some of these we still don't know as much as we'd like about them. But who cares? Let's have some fun and kick this year off right. Here are my picks for new MMOs to watch in 2013.
First Defiance beta event coming January 18 for PC players
Trion has revealed that its first beta event for the upcoming open-world shooter Defiance will take place from January 18th through the 20th. The shindig will be PC-only (Defiance will release in April on both consoles and personal computers). Advanced Beta Mission 1 will see players transported to a futuristic San Francisco Bay area where they will take on the role of an ark hunter. Ark hunters are genetically enhanced individuals described by Trion as "part treasure hunter, part mercenary." The beta will feature full access to Defiance's tutorial, Mt. Tam, the Waterfront competitive multiplayer map, and the Shadow War and Arkfall open-world boss battles. Trion is now accepting beta signups. [Source: Trion press release]
Von Bach Industries website offers Defiance beta signups, lore
Trion has taken the wraps off a new promotional website for Defiance. The site is an in-character affair festooned with videos, lore, and of course a beta signup form for the upcoming MMO shooter. Testing starts in just over 28 days and the company says spots are limited. The website is the home of Von Bach Industries, a corporation responsible for harnessing EGO technology in the world of Defiance. The tech, which was "brought to earth by Votans and brought to life by Von Bach Industries," serves as a lore-appropriate explanation for the game's user interface. In other words, it's "a symbiotic neuro-muscular bionetic implant [that] alters its host at the genetic level, providing encyclopaedic heads-up intelligence while simultaneously unlocking and managing corporeal-maximization, or EGO Powers."
Defiance producer discusses EGO, payment models, and more
Although games have been based on other media such as movies, television shows, and comics, no one has blended an MMO and a media property into one interactive world. No one, that is, until Trion Worlds and Syfy teamed up to create Defiance. In a recent interview, Defiance Producer Robb Hill talked about various aspects of the upcoming game, including content, cross-platform interaction, the payment model, and more. Acknowledging that new content can't be released on a weekly basis, Hill explained the plan for keeping things fresh in-game. He highlights that besides the competitive multiplayer system, players can continually redo encounters and net new rewards. Hill also elaborated on the game's EGO system, describing it as an implanted AI device that grants players the ability to survive the harsh environments and also gives special abilities like cloaking and super speed. The in-game HUD is actually a manifestation of the EGO, giving players information and updating as missions progress. Regarding cross-platform interaction, Hill said that although it is possible (the dev team is currently playing together from different platforms), the public will not be able to in the commercial game. He stated, "Sony and Microsoft aren't too keen on us doing that, so no. We're not allowed to." Although the payment model has not been 100% decided, Hill also noted that the development team is leaning toward players buying the box then choosing if they want to buy piecemeal or subscribe to get the downloadable content free.
Must See HDTV (December 10th - 16th)
It's that time of year, when our favorite TV shows go one winter break. There's a sudden flood of fall finales, so while most will be back in a few weeks/months, don't be surprised when your DVR is looking a little thin next week. Look below for the highlights this week, followed after the break by our weekly listing of what to look out for in TV, Blu-ray and videogames. Syfy 20th Anniversary Special Love it or hate it, the network formerly known as Sci Fi celebrates 20 years on the air tonight. The stars from some of its most loved shows will be stopping by to talk shop and celebrate with nods to shows like FarScape and Battlestar Galactica, as well as newer ones like Alphas and Haven and a peek at upcoming content like the platform-spanning Defiance. (December 10th, Syfy, 9PM) College football The bowl season kicks off this weekend with the New Mexico bowl and Idaho Potato Bowl, but that's not all of the college football there is. Also keep an eye out for the Division II and III championships Friday night / Saturday afternoon if you'd like to get a preview of what a college football playoff is like.
Learn about the races and cultures of Defiance
Defiance is continuing its march to release with another making-of video. This time, the subject is the culture, makeup, and languages of the inhabitants of Defiance. While this deals with the town of Defiance in the TV show Defiance, it has some bearing on Defiance the MMO. You're not likely to have to learn an alien language to fully enjoy the game, but a little insight into the lore and world-building is always a good thing, right? Skip below the cut to learn about the different races and how to say "that's all folks" in a made-up, alien tongue.
Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome is coming home any way you want, YouTube's up first
Arguably the best science fiction series in some time, Battlestar Galactica aired its last season almost three years ago with a few spinoffs since. The latest spinoff movie is the prequel Blood & Chrome which tell the story of young William Adama and his trials on the Galactica during the first Cylon war. The 97 minute feature film will be initially available online as 10 episodes via Machinima Prime between November 9th and February. Then it will premiere on the Syfy channel and finally become available on Blu-ray, DVD, On Demand and digital download on February 19th, 2013. We'll be interested to see how this unorthodox release window works out for Universal Studios Home Entertainment, in the meantime more details are available in the full release, along with a trailer after the break.
Engadget goes ghost hunting -- exploring the gadgetry of paranormal investigation (video)
The rendezvous point is as nondescript as these things come -- a giant convenience store off the side of the freeway, a big cardboard box out front, filled to the brim with pumpkins in anticipation of the upcoming holiday. Stacey Jones approaches us timidly at first, calling my name in our direction, as two of the crew members puff on cigarettes in the unseasonably frigid air. She'd apparently mistaken some other folks for us a moment earlier, a group of college students in hoodies and baseball caps, and is clearly a little embarrassed by the whole experience. It's the first and last time words like "timid" and "embarrassed" can be accurately applied to a middle-aged mother of an adult son who hunts ghosts for a living in central New York State. Group identified, she announces, "We'd better get going. It'll take about an hour to get there." Disappointing news, after the five it took to get to this roadside rest stop. But we nod and smile and get back in our respective cars. She's careful not to reveal the location until we arrive, for concerns of privacy. I've studied her a bit online. A self-described "ghost cop," YouTube is littered with videos of her leading camera crews through abandoned hospitals, in search of dead people apparently desperate to relate some bit of information to her. The location, however, isn't as classically horror movie as we'd imagined or hoped in the car ride up. It's quite idyllic, really -- a beautiful 100-year-old building off the side of the road, 200 yards from a truly stunning old church. Outside the front door, a small signboard advertises a monthly waffle breakfast. Decidedly more ominous are the two graveyards that flank the buildings, with tombstones dating back to the early 19th century, generations of farmers under the ground that may well outnumber residents in this sparsely populated locale. The weather, too, is doing its part to set the scene -- strange, gray clouds hanging low in impossible shapes. "The light," says one of the crew members, as we park and begin the unpacking process. "It's...oversaturated." Sounds seem to travel remarkably well in the cold, crisp, pre-storm air. I step across the road with the show producer, to gather b-roll of 150-year-old headstones, still able to hear every word that Stacey says, as she describes her entry into this strange and oft-maligned world, how her son became possessed by demonic forces on an investigation in a graveyard as a teenager. It's a story she'd recount for the Discovery Channel five years ago, coupled with basic cable dramatizations, portrayed by actors bearing slightly resemblances to their real world counterparts, if you're willing to afford them the advantage of a good squint.%Gallery-168911%
New making-of video chronicles Defiance's cinematography, writing, and music
There's a new Defiance making-of video floating around YouTube this week (that's Defiance the TV show, not Defiance the MMORPG). Sure, they share the same universe and will purportedly affect one another, but the three-minute clip that we've embedded for you after the break focuses exclusively on the writing, cinematography, and music for the show. The Syfy series' crew is composed of veterans from the network's much-loved Battlestar Galactica reboot, and writer/executive producer Kevin Murphy says fans will notice the same vibe when the "eclectic immigrant drama" kicks off in April of 2013.
'Defiance' blends basic cable sci-fi, MMO shooter action when it launches in spring 2013
With shows like Battlestar Galactica, all of the Stargates and even Eureka on ice, where will Syfy go when it runs out of places and/or marginal celebrities to tell ghost stories about? One answer may be a show slated to debut next spring called Defiance, which will depict an Earth populated by humans and aliens alike trying to pick up the pieces after years of war between the two have left the planet in pieces. The twist here is that the show will run along concurrently with a massively multiplayer shooter being developed for the PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 from the makers of RIFT that takes place in the same world. The team behind it has been posting content about the making of both sides of the project recently (check out Massively by Joystiq's coverage for more info), as well as a trailer for the TV show, which you can check out after the break. We're not sure if this will go over with any more of a splash than Syfy's usual Saturday night monster-of-the-week flicks, but at least they're trying. We'll be keeping an eye out for this one in April one way or another because really what else would we do, watch Revolution?
Defiance takes the lid off of its open world PvP
"Player vs. player in Defiance is like nothing console players have ever seen," promises Trion Worlds Creative Lead Bill Trost. "Everything's different, everything's fresh, every time you play." Thus begins Trion's latest Defiance dev diary, this one focusing on the game's open world PvP system. The team has dubbed this system the Shadow War and said that it is integrated fully with the game's PvE experience. Players have a choice whether to participate in it or not, but the action will be happening across a shared landscape. Why is it this way? The devs say that they didn't want a typical FPS experience, in which players went through a solo campaign and then hit the reset button for multiplayer. The progression between PvE and PvP is the same, although there are special outfits for hardcore PvPers. We've got the full dev diary for you after the break, so don't be shy!
Defiance TV show gets a new trailer
Remember that TV show that's attached to a game? Or wait, is it a game attached to a TV show? Either way, the bundle of entertainment potential that is Defiance just got a little more real. The TV series now has a new trailer -- and this one's longer than 15 seconds! The show and game are both due out in April, 2013, and you can get your fill of the trailer by clicking that convenient "continue reading" button down below. Defiance-the-game will take place in the same world as the TV show. Players in this "transmedia revolution" will fight against creepy alien creations, thugs, and each other.
Former EVE Online bigwig now producing Defiance for Trion
Earlier this year EVE Online players wondered what had become of Nathan Richardsson. The former CCP executive producer (known in internet spaceship circles as CCP Oveur) quietly disappeared after having been a major presence at multiple Fan Fests and in the online community since 2004. Now we know that Richardsson jumped ship to sign on with Trion, where he is currently serving as both the Vice President of Development and as the Executive Producer on Defiance. "Defiance is the future of entertainment, and the collaboration between Trion and Syfy means you have two powerhouses blazing a trail that will fundamentally change the way both gamers and viewers consume entertainment," Richardsson says of the third-person shooter and its television series tie-in. "It's amazingly ambitious and exactly the kind of immense challenge that I've been looking for." [Source: Trion press release]
New Defiance video showcases set design
The nice thing about having a game that's tied into a show is knowing that the environment will receive lots of loving attention. For example, Trion Worlds and Syfy teamed up to provide a look at what the sets for the Defiance TV show. Given that the TV show and the Defiance MMO are going hand-in-hand, we think this is a good place to start imagining what the upcoming game will look like. The team also talks about a lot of the theory of the town of Defiance. The town is a melting pot of strange alien technology and earthbound invention and is meant to show tremendous life and potential despite the having gone through a devastating war. Skip below the cut to get an eye on the goodies yourself. [Source: Trion Worlds press release]
Get under your desks: Syfy debuts 'Nuclear Family' on Xbox 360
Xbox 360 is getting some explosive exclusive content on October 1 with Syfy Digital's third original series, Nuclear Family. Nuclear Family follows a family in a post-apocalyptic world as they struggle to survive and find their missing child, who was lost in the "mysterious mega-explosion." The whole plot sounds a bit like The Warriors and Revolution's long-lost love child.All 20 episodes of Nuclear Family will launch on Xbox 360 exclusively via the Syfy app, followed by a simultaneous release on Syfy.com, Hulu, VOD, the Syfy mobile app and Roku on October 15.
DVR alert: Dishonored on Face Off tonight
Syfy's special-effects makeup competition, Face Off, will feature Dishonored on tonight's episode. The artists will be tasked with creating creatures and makeup that evokes Arkane's steampunk-inspired setting of Dunwall.Given the stylized looks of Dunwall's citizens, it'll be interesting to see how the contestants avoid going overboard. Face Off is on at 9PM Eastern/Pacific.
New Defiance trailer short, but sweet
Ah, the smell of plasma guns in the morning. Although clocking in at only 15 seconds, the new Defiance teaser trailer released by Trion Worlds and Syfy packs in brief action clips from both the upcoming television show and the MMORPG. The trailer, premiering as a commercial on the Syfy channel last night, whets the appetites of fans eager to try out this new multi-media project that intertwines gaming and television. The game and show are both set to launch in April 2013. Catch a glimpse of the action in the video after the break. And for more info about Defiance, check out Massively's hands-on experience at E3.
Gamescom 2012: Behind closed doors with Trion Worlds
Germany is crazy about MMOs. Proof of this was the Gamescom attendance of almost all major players in the genre, showing off what they had in store. Trion Worlds -- known well to fans of RIFT, Defiance, and End of Nations -- was no exception. The studio gave us a closer look at some of what it's got in store for us: RIFT's first real expansion, Storm Legion, and brand-new third-person sci-fi shooter Defiance. Jump past the break to read all about them.
