Skip to main content

Long read: The beauty and drama of video games and their clouds

"It's a little bit hard to work out without knowing the altitude of that dragon..."

If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

Trion doing Sci-Fi Channel MMO

"This is the Holy Grail," says telly network.

Fresh-faced developer Trion has revealed a meaty partnership with the Sci-Fi Channel to simultaneously create an MMO and telly series to launch and evolve together over time.

The project has no name but will be set roughly 100 years in the future and open up alongside the television series. The show will also mimic the visual style of the virtual world as well as use significant in-game events on air.

"This is the Holy Grail for us without a doubt; this is ground breaking, and I don't say that lightly," Dave Howe, president of the Sci-Fi Channel, told the LA Times.

"A television show that is on once a week isn't enough. The fans today want the experience to go beyond that.

"For example, we can tell them that there will be an alien invasion at a certain place in the game, at a certain time, and to be there with all their friends and be ready. The outcome depends on them. And then that battle will be part of the universe in the show."

The MMO will give the telly program valuable information on what sorts of characters and storylines are generating the most interest, and it will be able to mould future episodes around its finds.

Trion opened its doors in 2006, and revealed its first project as a fantasy MMO designed by Might & Magic creator Jon Van Caneghem. It also is yet to be given a title, but is described as a seamless persisent world altered by your enormous battles and dynamic content.

Trion has also become an official developer for PlayStation 3, although there is no word on what it will be making for it.