Five Potential MMO Movies
Anticipated by WoW players for several years now, the Warcraft movie will serve as a prequel to the mmorpg game, beginning at least a year before where the current storyline picks up. Chris Metzen, vice president of creative development at Blizzard Entertainment, announced at BlizzCon 2007 that a brand new, “kick-ass Human” is the movie’s main character -- and it’s not the same one featured in the comic! Boasting big names like screenwriter Robert Rodat (Saving Private Ryan and The Patriot) and Sam Raimi (the Spiderman trilogy), Blizzard Entertainment, who owns the World of Warcraft game, will produce the movie with Legendary Pictures (partnered with Warner Brothers).
The process to bring the the epic story behind the game to the big screen is painfully slow. Raimi, in attempt to fully immerse himself into his work, now enjoys playing a level seventy-two Shaman. Playing the game helped him to both understand its finer points and know where to take liberties with lore and other background elements. One has to wonder, could Raimi have learned the same details and potentially speeded production if he’d stopped at level fifty, and perhaps put the time spent playing from there to level seventy-two into the movie instead?
5 Possible MMO Movies
If Iron Realms decided to take one of its text games to the big screen, Achaea is the obvious choice. The oldest of all five MMORPGs produced by Iron Realms, Achaea is still the most popular and boasts the largest player base. If following suit of other movies inspired by MMORPG or video games, it would obviously start with key elements from lore, otherwise known as the Mythos.
But which part of Mythos? Maya’s legacy with the birth of two strange babes fathered by the Unnamable Horror? Or would it move simply into the Wars of Humanity and flashback to the tales of the Offspring? Or would it move past all that and begin simply with a tale of two brothers, Sahart and Glanos, who both loved and sired children with Enalia, lovely daughter of Pasiphae? There is enough material here to support several years’ worth of episodes for a made-for-cable series!
Casting an MMORPG Film
With the magic of computer animation, the idea of an Iron Realms movie isn’t that far-fetched. I can totally see Paul Giamatti playing a toga-clad Clementius, zapping any mortal who dared using any ill-fated nicknames for the Divine character. And who can’t picture a raw, tribal Nicole Kidman as the cataclysmic goddess Artemis, her lightly muscular form dressed in loosely wrapped vines, with messy burgundy curls with fiery copper highlights framing her heart-shaped face and tumbling over her shoulders. Or best of all, Hugh Jackman as Phaestus! Oh...yeah. For the sake of keeping reality separate from the game, I’d turn in every week to watch Hugh swing a forging hammer -- despite my character’s disdain for the Smith Lord!
Do you agree? Is Achaea the best choice for an Iron Realms movie? Which celebrities would you like to see portraying your favorite Divine characters or denizens -- or even your own character? Explore answers to these questions and leave your comments in the space below!
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Comments
B-movies
I would like to see a movie about Achaea, but I think a b-movie would be so much better than a Hollywood mainstream movie. It could become a cult movie more easly. I do not know whether huge production willl be consistent of the niche gaming experience Achea has to offer.
By the way, Achaea is the best ever!
I, for one...
Welcome this idea! I'd gladly play Faur in a B-movie.
Yeah
Yeah, I'd play me.
I need...
...a specific woman to play Boosteya. I highly doubt I'll find many with Somali looks and Italian attitudes.
I'd play me
I'd play me
me too
Me too
me too
Me too
me too
Me too
me too
Me too
Achaea in 3D would be strange
Achaea in 3D would be strange :D
hmmm
Does largest player base equate to best movie potentional?
In this case yes. Of all the
In this case yes. Of all the IRE games Achaea has the best mythos and ongoing stories.
at the same time, an ongoing
at the same time, an ongoing story would be unlikely to be what is adressed
Aye
But what story to select then? Obviously of the 'modern age'. Rise of Mhaldor? Fall of the first wave of Icons? Wars of Nish?
I actually believe Aetolia
I actually believe Aetolia would be a beteter option than Achaea.
too many vampire movies these
too many vampire movies these days
That
That right there, made me laugh. xD
Which is why it'd be a
Which is why it'd be a commercial success!
Hrm....you have a point.
Hrm....you have a point.
right
right
I agree.
I agree.
mmorpg movie
who would play tanris
Steve Buscemi
Steve Buscemi
Zork
For some reason I think this would do really well as a movie.
agreed
I agree, maybe a shake camera film
Remarkably Amusing
Please avoid terrible CG graphics, cuz really, #$@# all that. It looks far worse than just going for puppets and claymation. Also, if there's no Claymation Leviathan, then I'm out.
+1 it should all be in
+1
it should all be in claymation!
:o
What an interesting visual that would provide.
And all players have to
And all players have to sculpt their own character and mail it in.
Dragonlance, lol!
Dragonlance, lol!
They have been making video
They have been making video game movies for a while now. Its nice to see it flow over to MMOs aswell.
Film
I can't imagine that a film about achaea would be much fun for anybody that didn't already know the story behind it, unless it was really well made, but that would involve lots of planning and/or money
Agree, besides part of the
Agree, besides part of the fun for me is that it is in text and I find it a funny visual to see a bunch of people going to see a movie that is composed of text.
True
If they did enough of a dialogue about the beginnings it may be helpful to newer players or people who have no idea what achaea is. May even draw more players if done right.
I think that a movie based on
I think that a movie based on the events where Achaea split and became Achaea and Aetolia would be fun!
Seconded
Just... take out the vampires. Call it artistic license.
And the Magi, because... Done
And the Magi, because... Done to death...
Magi :(
Magi :(
Whatever IRE game..
.. would have to give all factions good screen time to not have any bawwing
haha
yeah that's right, X GOT MORE SCREEN TIME THAN ME! WAAAH!
Dear lord
The playerbase already whines that the divine must have it in for their faction because their enemy is always the favouried party, can you imagine what something like more screen time would do?
Issue director Did not give
Issue director Did not give me enough lines.
^
Lol'd
Eh..
This doesn't seem too appealing to me. There's no way a movie would be able to capture the entirety of the game, and just like with movies made out of books, there's no way it would be as good as the game.
I doubt that watching at
I doubt that looking at bunch of people idling for hours in one room would make a huge success in movie industry.
On the other side some grove action could be popular for specific auditory.
Lolz
Lolz
Haha
HAHAHAHA
LOL
LOL
+1
lol
This wins. XD
This wins. XD
+1
would read again
LOL
This made me LOL. Masterful comment.
Weekly TV Show
I could see a weekly TV fishing show. Then you could feature the waters of all 5 games.
Some of the fish i mko are so
Some of the fish i mko are so huge you would think they would just eat you and swim off.
Hell yeah!
Haha... I'd love to see that.
No it shouldn't be a full
No it shouldn't be a full length movie it should be a tv or miniseries on the entirety of the Mythos or the history of each city.
nice
nice read. However, I don't think a movie about an IRE game would really work that well
Agreed. It was interesting,
Agreed. It was interesting, but..yeah. Still cool to think about, I guess!
Casting and movies
Translating a move to the big screen is an insanely arduous process not to be taken lightly. I am definitely not an Achaean history buff, but I do not feel Achaea would translate very well. Making an animated trilogy or small series out of it though *may* be viable. I definitely would like to see them take it some casted level though. An animated feature is really the only realistic choice here as I see it. Just my thoughts.
lawl
I can't think a movie based on a game with a shrinking playerbase in a very specific niche would ever be worth the effort
Shhh! Don't mess with their
Shhh! Don't mess with their effort to stay relevant and cool!
hahahah
too late now! but you're still cool :)
Movie
I'd probably cast my vote for Lusternia, if I were being objective.
Interesting premise
But there's too much history to get a movie in. After all, when was the last time you saw a Dragonlance movie?
Well...
The Dragonlance series is based off an old D&D campaign. There was a D&D movie... but, a DL movie would be brilliant.
Same goes for a Lusternia movie.
And Aetolia.
And... well, any of the IRE games... except Midkemia.
The DL movie had terrible CGI
The DL movie had terrible CGI and awful voice actors. It had so much potential but looked as though it was made 15 years before it actually was.
EDIT: There are always production companies in talks with Raymonds team, its just that there has never been a team with the right vision to do it justice. What Midkemia needs is for something similar to Game of Thrones where a whole series is dedicated to one book. MKO would need 22-24 episodes per book to do justice, though if HBO got the rights I would totally cream.
Definitely Achaea
I vote Bette Midler to play Madelyne.
One day maybe...
Lusternia'd be my vote. But then i'm bias.
agreed
I would just love to see if they can get Lady Gaga to play Mysrai :D
I'd like to see a movie based
I'd like to see a movie based on EVE Online.
An Aetolia movie would bring
An Aetolia movie would bring in the Twilight crowd for sure.
daily
credit
Not
something I would be looking forward to.
Interesting concept, for
Interesting concept, for sure. I wonder how many new players it might generate. Probably not worth it from that point of view, of course..
We don't need a movie
Focus on game development instead.
This sounds interesting.
This sounds interesting.
They really like that Jester
They really like that Jester picture.
text movei?
text movei?
Ahaha, a text movie would be
Ahaha, a text movie would be so appropriate !
it worked for the opening
it worked for the opening sequence of star wars...probably got more 10 year olds to read than Harry Potter did :-)
I believe that's called a
I believe that's called a book.
id watch
do it
Oo
Oo i'd so watch a movie with artemis in it.
Hasn't history taught us...
...to never ever make movies about games?
OMG
I would love to watch it.. Definitely
Woohoo
Where do you get the funding is one question
What about lusternia?
I am not sure about Achaea but I think a neat movie could be made about lusternia, the spark of divinity slowly growing in the main character on their adventures, a retake on the old coming of age story perhaps?
Bad pictures
I would not like a movie because I don't want pictures of players other than those in my mind ! (Same problem with movies from books)
I remember discussing this a
I remember discussing this a DECADE ago (wow time, where'd you go?) with Achaean friends. :P Pretty much fell out of playing Achaea in favor of Aetolia, but I'd still see a film based on the original IRE MUD in a heartbeat.
I'd call it "AFK at
I'd call it "AFK at Springs"
Which means..
We need something new to do? No? Warsystem? Yes?
Movie?
What a silly article.
conflict resolution
Would never happen because the good side wins in movies
I'd go with..
Imperian. Make the movie a bloody war epic with a sparse amount of time spent on the back history and much of the movie shot from the 'frontlines' of battle between the warring city-states.
Daring forest scenes where the trees come alive against demonic masters!
Magi with control of the very elements in a pitched battle with Justicars and Priests invoking divine mandate!
Lesser heroes falling by the droves as true masters of combat wade through and bring about death and ruin!
Fun for the whole family.
This is going to be awesome,
This is going to be awesome, can't wait!
Has any movie based on a game
Has any movie based on a game ever been even remotely watchable?
With no ongoing global-scale
With no ongoing global-scale narrative or plotline in Achaea, you'd have to tighten the lens and focus on a specific organisation to create a story to tell. Which could be interesting, and opens up basically any genre. A heist movie with the Serpentlords. A kung fu movie with the Black Lotus. A rom com in Cyrene. A war movie in Shallam. A 70s blaxploitation-style movie starring a foxy Druid heroine. A neo-noir Occult thriller.
Novels instead?
Why don't IRE look into publishing novels first instead? I believe it will satisfy the craving addicts feel when they can't log in.
novels
IRE books would be cool
i agree
i would read an IRE novel
Not only
Not only would I read an IRE novel, I'd break my wallet for a few.
It would be cool
But turning things into the movie could risk ruining the imaginative interpretation that I love so much about text games!
I have thought of this concept alot over the years of playing Ac
I have thought of this concept alot over the years of playing Achaea and I think HELL YEAH it would make an awesome movie! There is a whole series of movies behind the insane amount of characters, races, classes and quest stories that would be great to see in a movie.
text art
It should all be done in text art
A movie about unresolvable
A movie about unresolvable conflict?
I look forward to these.
I look forward to these.
Elder Wars
A movie about the Elder Wars from Lusternia would be awesome :o
Yes but...
A Lusternia movie would have to be about the Taint Wars. There is no question. There would have to be a brief Dune-like expo of the entire backstory leading up to it, of course, but that's the most relavant and important time=period, and also has some of the most cool stuff going on.
It... likely doesn't have the traditional Hollywood ending, given that two cities are locked outside of time, a forest, another city, and two planes of existance were Tainted beyond recogniztion, anther forest was excised from reality, the remaining city burned to the ground by a war between its own Emperor and Princess, and everyone important to the story either ends up dead, undead, or a giant mutated snake
Yeah!
I couldn't sit out a movie on the taint wars. A movie on the Elder wars would be awesome, but it should end two to three books early, and it could easily have sequels.
Aetolia
Too many vampire movies already :S Also... Vampire class has never once gotten a proper over-haul or update. And no I am not counting 'blood-born' another class that is much newer, I speak of traditional "Praenomen" vampires. Our skills are like 9 years old or more.... yay!
Due to the already-vibrant
Due to the already-vibrant history, Lusternia would make a very good movie, I think!
I'm Vin Diesel for sure.
I'm Vin Diesel for sure.
:)
:)
^_^
^_^
+1
for an Imperian Movie
please the critics
It would be very hard to please the players since their ideas of how things look like, such as characters, would be different to how the producer sees them. Though it can be argued that that same arguement holds true with movies based on books. The only difference is that MUD's are continues and are...alive. And as for storyline, Lusternia will win that prize!!
Many options
So then they should make a different series of movies for each different game...
This will make history
I don't remember any MUDs making it into print or movies yet.
With a movie...
... maybe I can make my friends understand what I am doing all this time looking at a black text box.
Imperian, set during the era
Imperian, set during the era when the Noctusari were taking over Stavenn. Or the Daemon Wars. Or centering on the Night of Sabotage, exploring all the junk that happened leading up to, and after, the event.
But I know that, whatever is chosen, it'll probably never be enough. Always too many characters who were important, events that need to be covered. Even if you focused on, say, Insidian and Sondgroth.. What about all the other Phantoms? The subtle threat of Stavennite infiltration? The court, and how everyone in it was trying not to get knifed for being suspected of betraying Kinsarmar?
Too much stuff to cover. -_-
all I know is that if there
all I know is that if there is a movie and Hhaos is portaryed, I'm claiming intellectual rights :p
All I know is there would be
All I know is there would be rich history if ever there was an achaea game. eh
Video games
Movies based on video games never really turn out so well >.>
Yes!
I think a movie based on Achaea would be great. There is so much in the Mythos that could make for an interesting show.
There's definitely enough lore there for plenty of material
The Mythos is interesting, but really doesn't have enough of a human element to make such a great movie. A better choice would be the story of the Seleucarian Empire. Perhaps a trilogy, following the three parts on the website (the part through the Black Wave, the story of the Wars of Succession, and the third part which tells of what happened after Caterin through the fall of Seleucar at the hands of the Sapient League. (The third part has yet to be written, of course...)
Alternatively, or in addition, something from the modern age might be worth doing. The only problem with that one is that a proper epic movie or movie series (and Achaea absolutely demands an epic-style movie or series) needs to end with the victory of one side, and that has yet to happen. Perhaps the story of Dun Valley would work, or perhaps wait until there's more appropriate material (or make it). (The Seleucarian Empire trilogy has the same problem to a lesser extent; the Sapient League did win, but in the process Nicator's vision has been put on hold, and Lehrinas' Last Prophecy pretty much demands that there's more to the story...)
nice
nice
It all depends on the talent of the writer
A good movie could be made which is based on Achaea and Achaea would make a good setting for a movie, questions like what is the story, what is the plot, How can I relate to the characters and their situations would be more relative. Keep in mind, We all like this kind of thing, what would it take to make an inteesting movie for someone who isn't into Muds?
Part of me would be sad to
Part of me would be sad to see a MUD movie. I like being able to come up with my own mental image of whatever is what!
I don't think an Achaea movie will be a good idea
I don't think it would be a good idea.
i'd love to see the story
i'd love to see the story between Scarlatti and Selene played out, that would be so cool.
Why just Achaea?
Lusternia! Though in all honestly, most likely is Midkemia Online since it already has a solid plot with the book series of it.
shhh
Just say Lusternia, nod and smile.
Movies
While the thought of having an Iron Realms movie is intriguing, in my honest option, it would be extremely hard to decide which aspects of the games to actually have a movie due to the vast amount of information that is provided with each game. Who knows, maybe a TV series of the Mythos of Achaea would work out, I'm not exactly sure about a movie though.
Books
are always better than the movies
books to movie
Midkemia already has the lore and built-in fan base given the books that have already been written and probably has the highest movie potential
Ha
Ha
good idea for a credit
good idea for a credit
When will it come out?
When will it come out?
Ha^2
Nyvias, you don't agree?
yes, raid in text would most
yes, raid in text would most certainly sell to everyone especially gifted children
I disagree
I think Midkemia would be the better movie, as there are also many books to back up the universe.
Midkemia would need to be
Midkemia would need to be done like game of thrones, as an epic series per book/saga. There would be like between 8-16 sagas easy. HBO, come on.
a
movie?
Any IRE movie would need to
Any IRE movie would need to start with a Star-Wars style text scroll to explain the background, complete with prompt.
Honestly, folks...
Let's not further Hugh Jackman's already-overrated career. The guy is awful.
Well...
I watch movies with Achaea in mind. Legend of The Fist becomes "Monk Bashing 2: Journey to Tasur'ke."
Movie
I think that Achaea would be the best movie hands down. Been out there the longest so more people to relate. I could not play me though. Not short enough :(
Very interesting
Very interesting idea. I would be kind of cool, yet strange too, to see an IRE game as a movie.
Movie cast
I wonder how the races would go over for the general public. Rajamala...?
Nifty!
Cool idea
Anyone
have a camera?
I have a feeling an
I have a feeling an Australian wrote this.... and now every time I see Phaestus IC I'm gonna think he looks like Hugh ^.^
(No subject)
^
^
:)
That would be neat, I'd so watch it.
If I was put in charge of
If I was put in charge of making a Lusternia movie, I would just end up making it entirely about finks. I love those little guys.
Hugh Jackman and Nicole
Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman- hell yes! I would totally watch that movie.
How about a completely new
How about a completely new storyline like, "Here's what we MEANT to happen with the Vertani thing. Never mind that the one guy came in and killed everything and thus started the tradition of hunting every new area that came along. Here's the storyline we all brainstormed up for that event in the first place."
Or maybe just a documentary, "IRE: the Making Of." Oh wait...Ben Gorlick already did something like that.
the Achaea MSN Group
Llewellyn's old Achaea MSN group, has a good deal of Achaea at the time casted, was rather funny to see some of the suggestions people had for each of the Divine and some of the players.
I would love playing me :)
I would love playing me :)
I'll play the precocious
I'll play the precocious extra.
Somehow I feel like a movie
Somehow I feel like a movie with real people would be terrible. Full CGI would be the only way to capture the amount of epic visuals of the mythos, or even of the skills.
^
Spot on
Daes
who could play Achaea Jesus?
An achaea movie would be
An achaea movie would be awesome, but I really have no idea what the story line would be >.>
Stunts and special effects
If anything, the movie/series would require massive player input and collaboration, because let's face it, we built the world. Unlike a book adaptation, this story has a few hundred authors.
I've actually considered this for a while now, and to fully explore each class, you'd need an 18 part series, each delving into a new class where the protagonist from the first film (who studies the first class) encounters the new professions and experiences their abilities. Achaea Episode VI: Rise of the Apostates.
You get the idea. The Jester acrobats would be fantastic to see too, I won't lie. But discussing it recently, I have to say that Bards would be very awkward on film, singing their enemies to death. Not to mention Evileye. Hard not to make that look goofy with the apostate just twitching there while the opponent spasms and locks up.
lusternia movie
I'd love to see lusternia's elder wars made into a movie though I'm not sure anything but an animated movie would work given all the neat stuff in them.
Game to Make into Movie
I think one of the more roleplay intensive IRE games would make better movie fodder. Aetolia comes to mind, although since multi-classing worldwide arrghpee has taken a serious kick to the groin. Midkemia Online would be a good one as well, since it's pretty locked into its lore because it's actually based on a series of books with very good depth and story structure.
I don't think Midkemia would
I don't think Midkemia would be good to make a movie out of cause lets face it and movie based on a book pretty much sucks...but at the same time movies based off of games suck too...examples of both being eragon, super mario bros., dungeons and dragons...etc, etc.
What about this idea??
What if we did like a series of movies?? Like start with Achaea, and then go with the others, becuase all of them have alot of history that would be pretty cool to see in a movie, besides, I would love to see a Mhun Druid, Xoriani werebear, and a Dracnari during the taint wars!!
Not sure if making a movie is
Not sure if making a movie is a good idea for a text based game. Players might watch it and think "wow, that looks just like I imagined it", but having seen a movie totally limits people's fantasy- especially new players would probably only imagine it like they have seen in the movie. That would probably reduce the fun of going around and reading all the descriptions to create your own imagination of the places. If everyone sees the same before their mind's eye, it's the same as a graphic based game.
can't imagine it would please everyone
and people who don't know the genre would likely be confused as can be.
They might like the story and
They might like the story and the awesome effects that might be thrown at them for reasons they don't understand, though.
Shallam
Politics would make a good movie.
lusternia movie!
I think the elder war books of lusternia would make a fantastic movie (series)? anyway they're really good. even if you don't play go read them.
I would like seeing
I would like seeing Lusternia's history with the Elder God Wars against the Soulless as a movie. But then I'm terribly biased.
Do an Anime
No need to worry about limitations in animation.
High Jackman ...
... as Phaestus would rock hard!
I played this awesome MMORPG recently
Called Star Wars they should make it into a move. Oh wait.
This... Completely this.
This... Completely this.
Dragonlance!
Dragonlance!
I was going to say something
I was going to say something contentful, but instead I'll just say that Nicole Kidman is surely too pale and waif-y to be Artemis.
Old Achaea times..
Not any of the recent stuff.
Well...
They ran out of good original ideas a while ago and resorted to remakes of everything....least movies based on games ought to be good. They did surprisingly well with Green Lantern when I thought they'd ruin it horribly
I'd watch it!
I'd watch it!
movie
A movie on the mythos of Achaea would be epic!
Straight to Youtube?
Straight to Youtube?
Indeed
Indeed
Achaea's Mythos and history offers a lot of choices!
The story of Nicator and his followers until the Black Wave will be quite a story for an episodal animation or live-action show. Highly abbreviated, it can also make for a great movie!
The founding and early history of Cyrene sounds good as well, even just reading it from HELP CYRENE. The ascension of Mhaldor and the two cities of the Ithmia into significance also make for interesting stories.
The early Mythos could do for a short-length film or series.
In any case, Achaea, having a well-founded Mythos and history, offers many choices for an IRE movie! I'd dream of seeing one someday.
Taint Wars would be best for
Taint Wars would be best for Luternia.
A movie of the Mythos would
A movie of the Mythos would be amazing. I've read it quite a few times now, and I bet watching it would make it a lot more interesting instead of it feeling like a chore to read.
Well...
A movie remake of a game with "Lust" in the title might be mistaken for soft-porn.
A new chaos war!
the opening montage of the first one would be so sweet, then a new, epic battle against oblivion!
Casting
Delphinus must narrate if we're going to hear about the times of old (as per Werin's suggestion).
Andy Dick = Dji
Jeremy Irons = Sarapis
Vinnie Jones = Hyperlith
Yes, yes, this is all starting so well
would be interesting,
would be interesting,
someone took one too many
someone took one too many hits off the pipe to be coming up with this #$##!
That would be an interesting
That would be an interesting artisanal submission - a short film based on lore!
the lore would make for nice shorts in some cases
especially Lusternia's. Not sure how you would go about weaving in "current events". Can't see a film based on a text game having much more than a cult following, tho.
oo.
I like Tarkor's idea of Hugh Jackman as Phaestus. haha. That would be pretty awesome.
Please no.
Please no.
Part of me would definately
Part of me would definately be crushed at seeing my mental images being put into someone else's views of things...but I'd still want to see it.
So long as it wasn't too
So long as it wasn't too serious.