Sci Fi Channel Announces MMO/TV Show Hybrid
Some time ago, there was a rumor that the Stargate MMORPG being produced by Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment was going to generate story arcs for the shows themselves, an ambitious endeavor if there ever was one. The rumor was dismissed, and everyone went about their business. Recently, the rumor re-appeared in conjunction with the Sci-Fi Channel’s latest deal with Trion. Though it has no affiliation with the Stargate franchise, the announcement of a radical new take on online gaming turned out to be true. While this is a spectacular example of Ray Kurzweil’s predictions in concerns to where we’re headed in a technological sense– man entering the virtual world to a greater degree, blurring the lines between organics and machines even more– that doesn’t mean it’s destined for success. There’s the human element to consider, as well as Sci Fi’s incredibly dodgey track record.
Moderating MMOs and online roleplaying sites takes patience, a lot of time, a lot of skill and an incredible amount of stamina in concerns to dealing with everyone’s petty problems, saying nothing of the kinds of conundrums that arise from what gets put on the show and what doesn’t. When you break down the fence between the people behind the cameras and the audience, you’d better be ready to deal with the vast array of new problems that crop up as a result, especially in the age of ‘me me mine’ entitlement. Add that Sci Fi Channel may not give any rights whatsoever to the users that generate the content for the show and we could be talking about multiple lawsuits looming in their future. Will this collaboration be based solely on the privilege of seeing one’s work published? And really, what will ‘work’ even entail in this medium?
Taking away all the potential problems on both sides of the fence, it could be unbelievably creative and wildly dynamic, making use of a pool of professional writers to create story threads for the players to work off of on a weekly basis, allowing their scripts to morph and change dependent on what occurs within the game’s metaverse. It could be one of the most immersive plot lines we’ve ever seen from a channel that’s been effectively kneecapped by its own poor choice of content (however hilarious that content may be), providing motivation for people to get involved and contribute to a rich environment that continues to expand and develop.
In the words of the infinitely quotable Marshall McLuhan, the medium is the message– with those words in mind, what message is carried in this medium? Me personally, I would like to believe that the message is one of fostering creative communities, encouraging artistry and intellectual integrity of those that might not be lucky enough to get that encouragement from their peers and loved ones, turning them away from the cold, individualistic mediums of aesthetic and materialism.
‘Snakehead Terror’ is a fine example of where Sci Fi has gone horribly, horribly wrong.
In conclusion, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: since this is a lot more likely to be profit driven rather than community driven, I just hope they know how to handle the kinds of backbiting and in-fighting that will undoubtedly come from this endeavor if it’s executed poorly. Anyone who’s ever done any kind of text-based online roleplaying can tell you: even without the many worries raised over the creation of the first l33t-speak TV series, ‘creative disputes’ and sandy urethras can shut down a game– and in this case, an entire show– permanently.
