Newsbriefs: FireFly Goes MMORPG, GRAW 2 Confirmed, 1500 Years In Battlefield

Author: by Staff

[UPDATED: 4:00pm PST] Today's regularly updated newsbriefs include news of Multiverse bringing cult television space Western Firefly to the online MMO space, and Ubisoft confirming development of Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2, and players spending 1,500 years inside Battlefield 1942. - Representatives from publisher Electronic Arts have announced that more than one million online rounds of its popular Battlefield 2142 have been played since the game launched on October 18th. EA officials point out that the total sum of online play comes to a total of 1,500 years worth of time spend in Battlefield's world, and 8.9 billion bullets fired. EA also points out that Swedish developer DICE is busy at work on patches to refine the online experience. - Online reports from across the net have confirmed that new launch units of the Nintendo Wii have included a wrist strap seemingly of higher quality and thicker material than those included with North American units. Users in Australia and the UK have reported the thicker wrist straps were included with their Wii remotes, but whether this is a direct response to reports of strap breakage and subsequent injury and damage to various living room items, as recently confirmed by Nintendo as under investigation, or simply the result of differences in local manufacturing has not yet been confirmed. - A report from Wired has highlighted information concerning an upcoming massively multiplayer online game adaptation of Joss Whedon's cult television space western, Firefly. According to the new report, The Multiverse Network, a network of MMOGs and the makers of a free MMOG technology platform, expects to announce later today that it has signed a deal with Fox Licensing to turn the short lived science fiction drama into a MMORPG. "We see virtual worlds as an extraordinarily promising new entertainment medium," commented Fox Licensing's vice president of media enterprises Adam Kline in an e-mail. "We believe Multiverse can deliver an experience that will remain true to the original series, while enabling a whole new level of personal involvement for fans." While the television series itself was cut short after a handful of episodes, Firefly's fan following has been nothing short of zealous. The movement even helped spur a feature film based on the continuing misadventures of Capt. Mal Reynolds and his motley band of smugglers who travel the galaxy aboard a rather humble ship named Serenity. - Officials from Ubisoft officially confirmed the development of Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 for the Xbox 360, as well as the PlayStation 3, PSP, and PC. The anticipated sequel is being again developed by Ubisoft’s Paris and Red Storm Studios, and is expected to ship worldwide in spring 2007. Ubisoft notes that among the list of additions and enhancements being made to the upcoming game, players can expect new environments, and improved AI, and expanded support from in-game characters and weapons. - The latest updates on Gamasutra sister alt.gaming weblog GameSetWatch include news of the completion of the Bloodspell machinima, a spotlight on Tobold's MMORPG Blog, and a GameSetPics update on the arcades of Las Vegas. - The latest updates from Gamasutra sister website Serious Games Source include edutainment firm Kaibridge Games the online availability of a new PC game titled Bone Monkeys vs. Dinosaurs, which is aimed at educating children about dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals. - Also updated today: the latest Gamasutra job postings, including openings from Blue Fang, Concrete, Nexon America, Pandemic, Ping0, and the Rochester Institute of Technology.