Gamecloud JMS interview

[Chris Springob]

JMS talks about releasing the B5 scripts, and past efforts at developing a B5 video game:

http://www.gamecloud.com/omg.wtf?lolz=2281

 

[Shaal Mayan]

I wish WB would stop making noises and allow someone to make a video game or possibly negiotate with Sierra about releasing that verison.

 

[vacantlook]

Just to be organizational, I'm gonna bump this thread over to the B5.related forum since the interview is all but one question focused on the B5 scriptbooks and the idea of a B5 game, making the interview primarily about B5 and less about jms himself and any of his non-B5 projects.

 

[darth_librarian]

J. Michael Straczynski - I've been up to my ears on deadlines, so the only one I've played of late was the latest iteration of Doom, which needless to say I cheat-coded my way through for the most part. Who has that kind of time?

Glad i'm not the only one...

 

[GaribaldisHair]

... or possibly negiotate with Sierra about releasing that verison.

That one definitely is not going to happen. Ever.

Computer game technology and expectation has moved on so far and so fast since Into The Fire was in production that any game company would realistically have to start over from scratch if any B5 game was to be commercially successful now.

 

[darth_librarian]

The video game industry is in a pickle due to the massive rise in consumer expectations.

The cost of hi-rez images and hi-poly 3D models, as well as purchasing or dveloping the engine to run them is huge, let alone level design and development.

To do B5 justice, a new game would need a massive budget.

Its a shame, as Into The Fire was so great, it looked like being the next best thing since X-Wing or Tie Fighter (my favourite games ever really). Games with this level of depth are rarely made these days, all the money goes on FPS games. Space combat sims are now seemingly done by fans based on open source engines (StarShatter, Vega Strike and Freespace Open Source).

I'd love a B5 space game. That works on the Mac!

 

[Shaal Mayan]

You know I never have understood why In to the Fire was cancelled to begin with the company said they cancelled it because they thought B5 would not make any money right..It seems to me that Sierra wasted more money by making the game,having close to completion then they cancelled it.Take about a waste.I was thinking of maybe a retro type release of Into the Fire of having the game bundled with it.

 

[darth_librarian]

Sierra was in a mess at the time and needed to cut back on development costs. ITF was despite being 80-90% complete an expensive product with limited returns due to its license (i.e. warners would take a large cut of the profits) and had been subject ot delays.

At the time, Crusade had just been canceled and B5 was potentially not as strong a license as we all know it is.

Loads more info at http://www.firstones.com

It still ranks amongst one of the most stupid decisions ever taken though. I hate the company for at least not selling it on and have rarely touched their products since.

 

[darth_librarian]

Looks like this has been noticed all over the web, i've seen it on a variety of gaming news-sites...

http://www.bluesnews.com/

Hopefully someone will notice... I'd sign up for a MMORPG B5 game in a heartbeat (not that my GF will even let me near World of Warcraft, but there we go...)

 

[Pobman]

Yeah, it certainly does seem to be making it's way round the net. This is from Eurogamer

Babylon 5 creator and all-round genius J. Michael Straczynski has hinted that a massively-multiplayer online game based on the incomparably superb sci-fi series could be in the pipeline.

Did one of us write this?

They even mention the script books in this article. Definite fans!

Edited to include last sentence

 

[darth_librarian]

That last article was great! Cheers!

Too right it is - after all, an MMO would feature plenty of NPCs wandering round in the background, and the best bit about Babylon 5 was always the millions of extras wandering around performing ridiculously exaggerated movements whilst wearing stupid hats.

Thats funny cause its true. I watched some of Season Five last night. The exagerated looks of shock or worry whenever Bester came onboard from various lurkers /security guards was hilarious.

I also remember one time in S2 the camera opens up on a couple having a fight in public! Never would have happened on Trek...