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Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Column: Five Possible MMO Movies
In this week's list, Jon Wood looks at the idea that a successful Warcraft movie could set off a rash of MMO-based films and gives his ideas on five that could be likely candidates.
By Jon Wood on September 15, 2009
The developers over at Blizzard have been creating and expanding the Warcraft universe and the world of Azeroth since 1994 when they launched their first title, an RTS by the name of Warcraft Orcs and Humans.
Since then, and with the launch of their MMO, Blizzard's franchise has become a worldwide brand, its lore beginning to become as well known as some of the stories that make up classic fantasy canon. As with all things popular from other media, Hollywood has taken an interest and sometime in 2011, we're going to see a Warcraft movie, directed by Spiderman and Xena head man Sam Raimi set about one year prior to the beginning of the MMO.
Reading what little information exists about this movie gave me an idea for a more relaxed list this week. We've already looked at movies that would make good MMOS, so I figured I'd take the time to count down the five MMOs that I'd like to see made into movies and no, Warcraft won't be on the list. They're already making it.
Let me start at the outset by saying that I write this with the full realization that none of these films are ever likely to be made. I just thought it might be fun to make a list and to see the discussion that it generates. So maybe it would be better to say that these are five MMO movies I could see bundled together in some discount bin at a Blockbuster some day. So, IF Hollywood were to start making MMO movies en masse, these are the five I think most fitting and likely.
#5 City of Heroes
City of Heroes was the first MMO that I really took the time to get to know. I'm not sure why that was exactly, other than the fact that playing a superhero in a world of over-powered do-gooders just appealed to me. It isn't, though, for nostalgia purposes that I put this one on my list. I just think that with the surge in really good superhero-based movies that have been made recently (I'm looking at you, Ironman, X-Men 1&2, The most recent Batmans and hell, I've give 'er up for The Incredibles as well), that an original IP not so bogged down in the mind-warpingly confusing Marvel and DC universes might actually be cool.
You have to assume that any City of Heroes film is going to be based around the exploits of Statesman and the characters that surround him, doing battle with Lord Recluse and the other denizens of The Rogue Isles. While I thought at first that these heroes would probably be, as characters, not a lot to write home about, I actually read a series of CoH comics a while back that impressed me. They honestly weren't that bad and got me more instantly interested and engaged with the characters than the top two companies ahd with any of their more recent books.
The problem is though that any first movie would have to spend at least its first hour introducing its characters and their origin stories, and that's not even counting the time that would have to be spent making sure that everyone understood that these weren't B-List Marvel heroes.
Visuals to look forward to: Hundreds of unique heroes duking it out with their evil counterparts. It's something we haven't seen yet from the powers that be of the superhero movie world... Mass hero combat. It'd be pretty cool.
#4 Lord of the Rings Online
"But Jon," I know is on the tip of your tongue. "Lord of the Rings already was a movie. Three, in fact... And they were good. They won awards and put the fantasy genre on the map. Are you so dunderheaded and addled that you've forgotten this?"
Fear not, gentle readers. I have not lost track of my senses, but there is one important thing to remember: LotRO does NOT tell the story that was told in the trilogy. It tells a whole new tale ripe to be abused and sucked dry for every last penny if The Hobbit does well when it releases in theatres.
You see, we've all seen it before. We've all seen Hollywood go to the well one too many times, beating the dead horse of a franchise until they sucks the last little bit of profit out of it leaving behind only the empty husk and memories of what it once was. This is the vision I have for the story of The Lord of the Rings Online and the silver screen.
So yeah, I suppose I include this one on my list more out of resignation than anything else with the realization that, if any MMO movie is going to follow Warcraft, it's most likely to be this one. Probably as a direct to DVD release. So am I cynical about Hollywood, MMOs, or both? You decide.
Visuals to look forward to: Poorly made up and computer generated versions of races and characters that were done so well in previous movies. The saving grace here though might be that characters would be able to explore the Mines of moria more deeply. Turbine did a great job in fleshing them out visually, it would be nice to see that translated to a live action screen.
Game that should never be movie-ized: Dungeons and Dragons Online
Seriously. Never make this into a movie. Look at my face. Do I look like I'm joking here? Don't. Just don't. I know that I was cynical about Lord of the Rings and the inevitably crappy movie that would result, but that's nothing. That was a joke. A guilty little part of me would watch and enjoy that movie. D&D? Never again.
The Dungeons and Dragons IP has already spawned two films. The second was pretty bad. The first was so painfully terrible, was such a void of anything that even resembled enjoyable that it made me revile Jeremy Irons. At the prospect of what would inevitably be yet another completely mis-handled movie adaptation of the franchise, I say no. Just... no.
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Although it's not an MMO (YET!), I would like to see Mass Effect as a movie. I believe it could rival Star Wars in it's cult following.
Now City of Heroes/Villians would be a kick ass movie, it already reminds me of the last mutant heroes movie, I just forgot the name atm.
I think a Everquest movie is coming http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1122764/
City of Heroes/villains could actually be quite cool if done right. Unfortunately, my personal skepsis, says that this isn't likely to happen (neither getting it made, or that it would be made right, if it was made), and I'm a fan of the game - so I would propably watch it anyway
Tabula Rasa could also make a quite cool movie, but somehow I believe, that even if it got good, people would use all their argumentation powers, claiming it to be a rip-off of some other movie(s) already made
And perhaps it is just me, but I just picture an EVE movie, as an expanded Star Wars movie.. now with 4 factions instead of just Imperial and Rebels.. and with no jedis of course. But other than that I would actually believe that a movie about 4 interplanetary kingdoms at war, which would make all wars on earth look like insignifficant battles, would be a great concept. And if nothing else, then the large spacewar scenes.
I can just imagine it... and though I imagine it as quite cool, I can't stop imagining a Death Star hovering by, in the background at different times
I'm apparently quite bad at imagning movies or quite skeptic :/
I agree with all of them, except City of Heroes. Champions would make a better original super hero movie, out side of DC Comics and Marvel Comics.
While I think a movie of either game could be awesome, I have to wonder, what would make Champions a better contender for a movie, than CoX? I have a little difficult seeing it. In CoX, the Freedom Phalanx Has been around for ages, and the game takes place just after the Rikti War, which could easily be made into a Superhero actionfilled-sci-fi-war-movie, but in the champions universe, while you certainly could make up a script for it, the most talked-about event (or so it seems at least, if you read through the CO website) is the Battle of Detroit, and where this also could be made into a killer script, it has one open fault: you wouldn't be able to used the established signature group, since it wasn't made yet at the time. James Harmon IV (Defender) becomes a hero because of the Battle of Detroit, and forms the Champions a few years later.
Since these high-lighted moments in their respective universe obviously would be the most interesting to make a movie about, it clearly has that fault in the CO universe. You could of course use some completely other characters, but it would just make people wonder, and in that case, you could just as well make it in any other superhero universe
Good read, and I agree, no more D&D movies, ever.
EVE universe would make a great show on SyFy channel on Friday nights, a la Farscape perhaps, and could focus on quite a few aspects of it over time.
As for my own choice, Matirx Online, someone should make that game into a movie, don't you think?
(Just don't make the sequels jump the shark)
As for me, I'd like to see a Guild Wars and/or a Fallen Earth movie.
Yes, I know there have been both fantasy and post-apocalyptic movies, but I like the setting and lore for both of these games particularly well.
I also think The Secret World or Hellgate: London would make for pretty cool film settings.
Of the five games you mentioned, I think I'd be most inclined to see the movie version of Tabula Rasa, based solely on its setting, assuming the five films were all roughly equal in quality.
A Tabula Rasa movie would be awesome. I loved the intro cinematic. Was quite epic.
I'd also love to see a Guild Wars movie.
"EVE universe would make a great show on SyFy channel on Friday nights, a la Farscape perhaps, and could focus on quite a few aspects of it over time."<--I think this is a great idea.
But my vote of the 5 being made into a movie would have to be City of Heroes.If I remember right the idea was optioned by some production company years ago but nothing ever came of it.
All the elements are there for a good action packed movie.Just needs someone to do it.
And can you imagine what that would do for the games subscriptions numbers?
I haven't really thought about it before, but when you mentioned EVE I was...well...I think that would make a very, very good big budget sci-fi series on tv...or maybe a series of TV movies. You got me hopeing...damn you...hehe.
btw...totally agree. No more D&D movies!!!
Couldn't agree more, I think Mass Effect could be a great sci-fi movie.
The only 'MMO' I would love to see given a proper movie treatment would be Hellgate: London. Sure it has its flaws and was killed off (in the American market) by Namco Bandai, but as a setting for some compelling story, HGL had it in spades. Mankind at the brink of extinction from an interdimensional threat. Small bands of survivors fighting for existence and a burned out world.
I'm one of those that miss the game daily. I haven't seen gameplay any where near as satisfying in any other game, and the lore they were trying to share was never given its due. A film treatment could have character, explosions, and monsters. Make it a fitting tribute to a good game doomed from its start because the people behind it had no clue as to how to make it profitable.
I think it's a tad too late for an EQ movie, but I would sadly probablly still go watch it.
As far as DDO made into a movie. Just because a couple of people managed to get the rights to make a movie based on DnD and failed very badly. Doesn't mean someone else couldn't come along and do it right. I think if I did it myself, it would end up being mostly action and a little story.
I would enjoy a Warhammer movie but not a WAR movie.
The setting of the classical Warhammer fantasy roleplaying game would be great. The dark horror and evil humor of Warhmmer would make a great movie, particulary Jack Yeovils "Drachenfels" would make a fantasy movie in class with certain Jackson movies.
A WAR movie however would be cheesy and superficial. lets stay away from that.
To be honest I think that MMOs so far had a lore that is just to bad to make a good movie.
Hopefully this will change as some companies actually started to hire competent authours to make the lore now. Jeff Grubb (Arenanet, wrote the classic FR series Curse of the azure bonds and a few other good novels) and R.A Salvatore (who works on Copernicus) are 2 good examples.
Singleplayer RPGs usually have a better lore than full MMOs, it is really odd since MMOs have so much resources. There are some with OK lore that uses borrowed IPs but none of them have really made justice to fellows like Tolkien and Howard.
Well, maybe SWG was as good as parts of the original lore, it had nothing worse then Jar-Jar at least.
Don't know about City of Heroes / Villains. There are too many super hero movies out there. It would get lost in the white noise of so many in that genre. I guess I should put the flame suit on for this next part.
I would like to see a World of Warcraft movie but i guess that may actually come to be since they are getting Sam Raimi to direct one in the near future. I am worried about any movie made from an MMO though since the reverse track ( any MMO made from the premise of a Movie ) has never yielded success.
I think it would fit a lot better in a serie or in a Anime than in a actual movie. Eve, the Anime.. It works.
As for D&D, a forgotten realm or Dragonlance movie would still work, but the general crap they made earlier is just crap.
Nice username BTW.
I agree with warhammer and tabula rasa.
Warhammer would be better fantasy movie then wow, at leas tin my opinion and tabula rasa's intro movie was epic. first time I saw saw it, I thought this should be a movie. Has a great story to boot.
I however don't really think that a massive population of super heroes would make a good movie. Alot of cartoons took a stab at it and didn't really turn out. Justice league or the equivilant marvel movie would be enough superheroes in one movie. But not thousands...
EDIT: oh and iagree with some of the other posters. Eve wuld make a really good tv series or at leat a mini series. Maybe stick the Firefly people in Eve's world hehe.
I think it would fit a lot better in a serie or in a Anime than in a actual movie. Eve, the Anime.. It works.
As for D&D, a forgotten realm or Dragonlance movie would still work, but the general crap they made earlier is just crap.
Nice username BTW.
Yeah...and EVE anime might work rather well. That universe has allways intrigued me, so any anime/series/movie that shows up would, initially, get my attention.
And yeah...if they put some money into it and get some of the goog D&D writers to coloberate, it might be good. I'd prefer Forgotten Realms over Dragonlance though...
Hehe...you got a related username I see. Mine is a salute to my heritage...plain and simple :)
Of the 5 listed I think Tabula rasa has/had the best content to work with ( to make a movie of I mean ). It did indeed immediately set the atmosphere with the intro movie . You actually felt like you were entering a "movie " . I still think it's a shame it was canned after just one year and am hopeful someone will pick up the license .
I think Tabula Rasa might make a better series than a movie... think Stargate but with logos abilities and uglier aliens.
1. World of Warcraft - Already in the making.
2. Eve Online - Its in space so why not. We haven't had a good space flick in ages.
3. Guild Wars - It has a really good story for all of its's campaigns. Infact better than WoW.
4. City of Heroes - It can work, people like super hero movies.
5. Tabula Rasa - It reminded of me War of the Worlds. Still a shame this game does not exist today. All it needed was some love that NCSoft was unwilling to give it because they want Aion instead.
guild wars anime with 4 seasons each setup in its own game 1. prophecy
2. factions
3. nightfall
4. eye fo the north
5. gw 2
using the henchman as main characters guildwars ftw !!!!!
"Honestly, I would hope that if a Warcraft movie were ever made, especially if it were to be set in the Age of Reckoning, that the main character be a Witch Hunter."
Warcraft = Warhammer?
DDO or even the Eberron world would be pretty confusing for a movie. The two D&D movies were very poor examples of the elements that folks have come to expect in D&D. PnP Dungeon Masters have been plotting poor to incredible stories for thier sessions for years. Record of Lodoss Wars is an example of a D&D session taken and translated to anima with success. It can be done but it would have to have the elements we are about to see in the Hobbit films to win. Even the D&D animated series from the '80's is a much better success at translating content. As mention above, Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms and Greyhawk would be much better translations for a film if done with professionials that believe and know what they wish to capture in the story. I believe one of the D&D films was directed by no less than a non-film pro D&D player.
EVE would be a great movie. Even just making The Empyrean Age novel as a movie would rock.
Dark, morally complex storytelling with hardly anything in the way of aliens (even the Jovians were human once.) It'd be awesome.
As an aspiring filmmaker, I personally have looked into MMORPGs as well as other genres of video game to make into movies. Most are disappointing. City of Heroes, coincidentally, I had already considered attempting to acquire the option(an option is filmmaking lingo for an exclusive license for a certain number of years to possibly make a movie) for. The design of it would make a great superhero movie to be honest. Lord of the Rings Online would be a horrible game to use. Lord of the Rings has tightly guarded rights(to the point The Hobbit almost got canceled) due to it's connection to the Tolkein Trust, and people would not respond well to one than isn't based on one of the books because that is what they expect. DDO could make an excellent film if done by the right person. That person would have to be to D&D what Peter Jackson was to Lord of the Rings to make it effective. Also, due to the failures of the first two films, even though I personally liked the first one, in spite of its corny humor and mediocre writing. If I were to do a DDO based movie, I would more likely wait until DDO Unlimited has set in and call the film Stormreach. Most movie goers and gamers have a short enough attention span that after a couple years they will forget the original name of the game. Slipping D&D into the credits to give credit and also making an excellent film should work. One MMO I was suprised not to see was Everquest. The back story for EQ is just as rich as both WoW and Final Fantasy. In the end with Everquest, making it into a film, as with many other MMOs, are making a choice about characters. Aion, in time may also become a filmworthy MMO. In the end, Hollywood is a slippery slope to be treaded on carefully. Every major studio makes around 12-15 films a year(including their subsidiaries), and only about 5 ever become major hits. A few of the ones that are made are finished by never see the light of day. A few are dismal failures and most fall somewhere in between. I think the Warcraft film will only appeal to the masses for the same reason Epic Movie did.............herd mentality(one leads, the rest follow). On the other hand, Sam Raimi is an excellent producer who has been around since the 70s at least. I am pretty sure that we will see Sam's brother, Ted Raimi, in Warcraft, since he is in everything his brother produces(plays the nerdy assistant to Jonah Jameson in the Spiderman flicks, Joxer on Xena, and played a small but central role in one episode of Legend of the Seeker during Season 1). I would also expect to see Bruce Campbell since he tends to show up in alot of Sam Raimi's work as well.
City of... the movie. Yikes.... but... intriging. Hrm. Don't do it from the FP's pov; have a detective type/minor hero work into seeing them in action; perhaps, the one that warns them of the first Rikti invasion? That way, the FP/Regulators/etc. are just larger than life superheroes that bang out the fight in the end (and you have a LOT of killable heroes in the last showdown).
Eve: Better be a darn series. I'm talking BSG/Babylon 5/etc. space opera. Have five year story arcs, etc.
I do hope so. EQ1 told a great story for those that read all the quests and went to the GM events
Tabula Rasa would be nice.
I sort of agree- the D&D movies put me off of fantasy mmo/rpg movies. WOW,LOTRO,Aion,etc-may the good lord spare me!
dude the first d&d movie was awesome, it got me to look into d&d more, how could you say it was horrible
I would like to see a well made EVE movie. The universe is very interesting. I like the fact that it was #1 on this list!
Fallout also needs to be made into a movie IMO.
cheers.
If you really stop and think about it, MMOs are perfect for episodic television. Plenty of content to use for each weekly episode.
I really like this list being an eve player for 3 years i would personally love to see an eve movie or even show i mean the players in it have done things that were front page news worthy such as the infiltration and complete robbery of that one corp (cant remember the name) i remember reading about it in the news and the space battles would be excellent i could just imagine seeing a huge space battle and then a titan rolling in and destroying everything it would be epic.
also if anyone could provide a link to the eve clear skies i would very much like to check this out
I agree I think Forgotten Realms would make a killer movie or series of movies I mean the stories for Baulders Gate Baulders Gate 2 Icewind Dale were awesome and I loved the NWN 2 storyline and there is alot of debth for that. Dragonlance would be an awesome one too very good depth there too. Problems with D&D and D&D 2 is they just took some of the D&D aspects and put them on screen did not even use any of the indepth worlds in D&D.
Also Talba Rasa, Eve Online (I think a anime series would be good but a high budget SyFy series like Stargate or Battlestar would be cool), CoX I would see because I love superhero movies overall, Hellgate : London had a good story basis and storyline and would make a nice movie, Guild Wars WOW they could do mutiple movies maybe 1 for the 3 base campaign settings 1 for EoTN setting and 1 for GW 2 setting (can't see seperate movies in all 3 base campaigns settings but it could be done). A Matrix Online movie would basically be a sequel to Matrix Revolutions lol. Now some movies that would be intresting for old school is a AO movie (I liked the AO animated web series they had for a while) also maybe a DAOC one. I would be fine with a Warhammer movie always wanted one Asheron's Call Movie would be cool. Hey a UO or Ultima movie (mostly based off old school ultima would be cool).
Just thought of another movie that would be cool even though it is not a MMO would be Might and Magic based off imho the last great M&M games World of Xeen (IV - Clouds of Xeen and V - Darkside of Xeen).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=As8cmHb-aKU
I know there is a better quality version out there somewhere but that is where I first saw it.
What the hell is this block of text. Is it punctuated? Did anyone even bother reading it? I know I didn't. Someone needs to slap this kid and teach him some proper english grammar. This kind of mess should be banned from My Internet.
Original links from the EVE-O forums: link
And do not forget to watch Clear Skies 2 too: link
I do not know if I would like an EVe movie but I would certainly like it as a TV series (the anime suggestion sounds fine).
EDIT: For good measure, this Day of Darkness movie from EVE is pretty nice too.
Uhh ok LOTR ruled it was the best Book to Movies ever made in my opinion.
And yes i've read the books...and no movie will ever be like those books.
WoW movie would have to be a cheap badly done Anime/Comic cartoon and you'd have WoW the movie same poor graphics the game has for sure. or Just do a warhammer movie cause WoW is a ripoff of that.
I totally agree a Guildwars movie should be in the Works...Way best MMO
Eve online space moviie pretty much been done over and over.
Tabula rasa would probably flop like the game or go watch Starship troopers again..
the rest arent that great pretty much marvel movies rehash
A well-done EVE movie/series would be awesome! So amazing stories could be told of New Eden. *dreams*
Fantastic article by Jon Wood but I have to say I think you missed the boat with your #1. I think an MMO movie not based off specific lore but rather thousands of people being butthurt over gear they couldn't get or instances they didn't meet gear requirements for would be much better. The last act would be everyone logging on to their repective game's forums and raging/trolling eachother. Now that's a movie that I'd watch.
http://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Half+left/fan-developer-eve-online-movie-blows-my-socks-off-127747.phtml
I am sure Lord of the Rings will be remade, it is what Hollywood does, but I doubt very much it will ever be done better than the existing movies. How you can say they did not tell the story is beyond me, the movies are much longer than normal so they could fit in as much as the story line as possible.
Yeah an EVE movie or tv show would be pretty good huh? I'd watch it.
I agree with three... but LotRO movie and WAR movie, no. LotRO could work as one, but I doubt any self respecting movie company would bank on hurting already hugely successful movies by creating one based on game lore. Especially movies that stem from books that are considered classics in their own right.
Warhammer as a game turned out bad enough, I don't want to see them hurt it further by trying to create a game that's just a glitch and start with 1/3 of the material cut from it.
Two that should have been on the list.
In replace of LotRO, how about an EverQuest movie. EverQuest has enough lore and time period to support a well developed movie. It also is a classic in the MMO world and no self respecting MMO player can talk senseably without at least having played a little EQ.
In place of the Warhammer movie, how about Guild Wars: Flameseeker Prophecies movie. Guild Wars, although not considered by everyone to be an MMO, is undoubtably well written. The plot is well developed with plenty of twists, betrayals, and progression. Leading to a well structured end plot for the HP mish. It wouldn't take much adaptation to pull a movie out of the game and it would be well worth it as an award winner.
Has anyone considered an Anarchy Online movie? With its encapsulating sci-fi setting and rich lore, how could you go wrong.
My Top 5 Picks for MMO Movies:
5. Lineage II
4. Everquest (1 or 2) or use EQ2 and have EQ1 as a prologue in the movie
3. Eve Online
2. Tabula Rasa
1. Anarchy Online
Personally, a Champions/CoX movie would be the last thing I'd want to see. The market is saturated with superhero movies. The only way I'd be remotely interested is if it takes the tongue-in-cheek satirical path like the CoX mini-ads for each update.
I think Tabula Rasa has the best basis for either a TV series or set of Movies. The backstory was one of the best aspects of the game, imho. However it should not be based in any small way on Starship Troopers, which is only marginally better than Battlefield Earth. Whoever liked that movie should do themselves a big favor and go read the book. While I'm not sure that anime is necessarily the best medium for it, I do think that it would rock if done like the opening scene was done.
As for the EVE universe, based on what I've read, it would be another great source for a TV series especially once Dusk 514 launches. But as was previously mentioned, the player base provides all the plot anyone could ask for. You can't make up better stuff than reality like the takedown of BOB. That was truly epic, and I don't even play the game, but I found myself following the events.
How about Asheron's Call? This game had some really good plot arcs that could serve as the basis for movies.
As for Anarchy Online, the only question I have is this: Will we have to sit in the theater for hours before the movie manages to become watchable?
I'd watch an EvE movie, and a Warhammer Fantasy (or 40K) movie. I'd even watch a D&D movie. The huge caveat is they would all have to be done by Peter Jackson. To date he is the only person in hollywood who has demonstrated that they have the understanding and intelligence to present such gaming related based IPs in the proper form. The first 2 D&D movies gave light to the level of "seriousness" that prevails in hollywood about these things "geek". I'm tired of the "reality tv, cool kids" who have never roled a 20 sided dice in their life getting tapped to bring these IPs to the big screen.
And if Uwe Boll has in fact played D&D (or Drakensang) then it just cements that he should be catapulted off this planet into the vaccum or space...and let him figure out how to take the next breath.
ugh, i think they would all be bad movies honestly. How many game to movies were actually good (I can only think of FF7: Advent Children atm). If they made any of these into movies it would have to be CGI or Anime, because a live action movie would just be corny as hell. Actually I would rather watch them as a series of DVDs instead of in a theatre. Making a movie of any of these wont explain too much of the current story, it will be a rushed mess. They can only explain so much within a 2hour time limit.
MMOs should come out with an anime series to explain the lore up to the current expansion, that would be great. They can release the dvd the day the new expansion comes out to explain everything that happened in the last expansion.
just my thought on this.
at least someone liked D&D movies, good for Hollywood!
IMO Guild Wars could be a great movie. It's one of the great game that has top line story. If worked out properly one or two sequel wouldn't be impossible even. But please not like Resident Evil, scriptwriters should show minimum respect to the original story.
This. I was pretty young when playing the Xeen series from Might & Magic, but it sure left an impression on me and was part of my fantasy gaming upbringing. I still have the maps that came in the boxes! :)
If not a movie, I would love to see these games re-done with todays game technology. Updated graphics and gameplay and you would have (imho) a massively popular game series.
At age 34, I have played many games in my life. Another series that was amazing to play from the start was Ultima. Anyone remember Ultima Underworld (I & II). The first underworld game had a story so immersive and awesome that I still remember it today. Getting locked in some very old caves and having to crawl your way into the deepest parts of the cave system in order to find a way out (and save the day!) was amazing.
The Wolfenstein series was awesome fun, too. Remember the first one? lol.. I don't think anyone would have the patience to play games like that these days.
I didn't mean to hijack things here. As to the original topic, I would absolutely LOVE to see an EverQuest movie. For those that have spent the time to read up on the Lore of EQ, there is plenty for a great movie. Hell, there's plenty for a series if you ask me.
Acidon
I think WoW movie would get lots of viewers even if it would suck just because of the huge fanbase.
The only way any of these will make a good movie is if the people involved with it forget that their source material is a game. I'm only familiar with Warcraft and D&D so I won't comment on the others, but both of these have some amazing stories and characters that could be brought to the screen. If the writer/director/editor/whoever approaches the material this way, as a story about some characters, with some event(s) happening around them. Also, they need to keep in mind that movies are a much more limited medium that video games.
One has 2-2.5 hours tops to have the plot and characters introduced, conflicts resolved, and the story brought to a reasonable satisfying ending (a little foreshadowing is good if a sequel is planed, but don't leave everyone hanging). If I'm following the storyline in warcraft though, what do I have? 3 titles which take dozens hours to work through (Warcraft I-III), and WoW that can pretty much take all the time it wants to explore various plotlines, characters, and settings? You don't have this luxury in a move, so the scope has to be limited from the very beginning. Tell the story of Arthas' fall, or Drizzt's escape from the Underdark, or something else limited in scope and no more.
I would love to see a Warhammer movie. The humor that greenskins bring with them in every Warhammer game, the lore including the Chaos Gods, etc... make a great movie concept, better than Warcraft.
Other than that, the Tabula Rasa clip has huge movie potential as well.
I do not know if it has been said, but as far as DnD movies...I would love to see a well financed Dragonlance movie based on the original novels and secondly a Forgotten Realms movie...but if they are going to be low budget and have to make cuts I would rather them not be done.
Actually, I'd see an EVE movie looking and tasting a lot more like something like the Alien series, with a pinch of Firefly. Actually, you could even throw some Chronicles of Riddick in there (crazy space religion WHAAAT). And a dash of Battlestar Galactica. In the beginning you want to start the movie with the arrival in New Eden and subsequent "holy crap, we're trapped in another galaxy". Fun!
i think Anarchy Online would be a bad ass movie.
1.City of Heroes = A No No for me as a movie, I like my superhero's to have something mystical, but then again regardless that I am a Superhero fan I for some reasons can not get into MMORPG's like CoH/V, ChampionsOnline. But please do make a movie about CoH/V cause I am sure lots of people will look forward to it, perhaps I will even go and see it, but would not be looking forward to it.
2. Lord of the Rings Online, really not sure how this would work out, okay put Peter Jackson on the helm and they might become awesome, but think he's pretty busy the next couple of years with projects like The Hobbit 2011, Adventure's of Tintin 2011, presumed Halo the movie 2012.
3. D&D, definitly want a movie from that, but this time let it be done so it justify's the serie and not like the former movies where one (the first) was kinda alright but very lowbudget not really enjoyeble, the other one slightly bigger budget but they made a wierd type of comedy flick of it, both didn't do justice towards the IP, let someone please do the IP justice.
4. Tabula Rasa, already heavy inspired by movies like StarshipTroopers and War of the Worlds and plenty of other al ready made Sci-fi movies, so it wouldn't be anything special apart from it's title perhaps.
5. Warhammer only if made like their intro movie, feel the same way about the World of Warcraft movie as I feel if it's done like their CGI intro movie's it will do the games justice.
6. EVE, awesome space sim with a touch of MMO, don't think a movie can do it justice, but will agree if done as a serie, think BSG/StarGate there can be lots of creativity in making EVE a tv serie.
Oh and .......I did enjoy the read
EVE-Online is the ONLY 1 mentioned that I would have any real interest in watching, either as a Movie or a HBO/SyFy series...
In fact I think a Series would be great, possibly based upon Actual events occuring in the game as time goes on...
Events that Real People are playing a part in , not just the NPC side of things...
The major Alliance conflicts and Sov Wars ongoing and so on...
Difficult as that might be to do, it could make for Great TV...
I think Eve would work better as an hour network drama. I don't play the game, but everyone says how deep it is and about the politics and economics add depth and so on. A movie would probably be made by Michael Bay and have 1 hour 55 minutes of ships blow up and 5 minutes of plot. That wouldn't do justice to the game. The only problem with the TV series is that most of it would take place on stations, planets, etc and no in the ships which would cause a disjoint with the game.
Now a CoX movie would work. You don't have to spend the whole movie showing how they got their powers. Who said the origin has to be the central plot? Spend the opening credits showing what their powers were and maybe a bit of background. That's all you need. Remember the newest Hulk movie? OK bad example. Remember Watchmen? They didn't go into the origins of every character (just one as a subplot).
You don't even have to write a whole new plot. Just pick one of the better story arcs and fluff that out to 2 hours. Dark Watcher's arc comes to mind.
Kinda a bad example. Dr Manhattan was the only hero with physical powers. Ozymandias could be pointed out to have the next super powers with his speed and genius but thats about it. Oz would not be a hero of the film either. Manhattan's orgin was significant in that his appearance was to show the transition of the heroes into the new age with real powers and how they impact our world which is part of the story.
I would imagine a CoH movie would be handled much like "Hero High" with giving the audiance this setting to start. Intro characters and learn thier story in thier own words as the plot goes.
While Dr.M was the only one with superpowers, you don't need superpowers to be a super hero. Why did Night Owl start fighting crime? Is Ozzie a mutant or the peak of human ability? Batman, Mystery Men, and Punisher had superhero movies but didn't have powers (or if you want to be technical, minor powers). For the most part the better superhero movies are the ones with an origin in them. But that could be because sequels tend to be worse regardless. I'd like to see the best effort of a movie be made with the heroes already having their powers.
I agree about "Hero High", but I can also see a Watchmen style history during the opening credits. One of the trailers for City of Heroes did a good of this showing Statesman fighting crime during Prohibition, WWII, etc with his costume changing and seeing other heroes.