Trion Worlds has released a trailer for its upcoming sci-fi MMO, Defiance, which will be played alongside a television show being developed by Syfy.
The video, which debuted on G4 (if you can’t tell by the gratuitous extra graphics), is being released to coincide with E3, the major video games conference, at which much of the year’s gaming news will be announced. The video gives us a lot of footage of the game, and just a bit of what they’re doing so far with the television show.
Judging by the video, it seems that the game will focus on raiding – a mechanic that requires players to team up with one another in large groups to take on massive enemies.
The game will be set in San Francisco, while the television show is slated to be a character drama shot in St. Louis.
Nevertheless, they will be connected by this very interesting version of Earth which has been partially terraformed by an alien race – combining the visual elements of two distinct ecosystems.
The show’s story centers on the new Mayor of St. Louis and the leadership of the resistance against the alien occupation. Events in the show will have a dramatic effect on the changing scope of the game, and visa versa.
Essentially, it’s a grand experiment in interactive entertainment, and I, for one, hope that it succeeds. Simply put, the potential for this kind of media integration is vast, and it would be a shame if no one ever tries it again, just because Syfy couldn’t pull it off. Seeing some of the shows effects here gives me a lot of hope and expectation for the show, as the production values look pretty high for a second tier network. Unfortunately, I personally find the raid mechanic of MMO games to be boring, but it seems to sustain the massive player-base of World of Warcraft, so I guess there is a call for it.
Here’s the official synopsis of the show:
Set in the near future, Defiance introduces a world where humans and aliens must learn to live together on an exotic new Earth that has been transformed by alien terra-forming machines.
Bowler plays Jeb Nolan, the law keeper in a bustling frontier boomtown that is one of the new world’s few oasis of civility and inclusion. Nolan is a former Marine who fought in the alien conflict and suffered the loss of his wife and child in the war. The trauma transformed him into a lone wanderer in the wilds of this new and dangerous world, bringing him to the town where his peacekeeping skills make him a valuable addition this new community.
The dramatic tapestry of the series and the intense action of the game will exist in a single universe, evolving together over time to tell an overall story that is more powerful together.
Defiance, the show and the game, are currently planned for a Spring 2013 debut.
