Byline: John Gaudiosi
“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” opens today, but the Walt Disney Co. also has high hopes for the property in the strikingly different media of massively multiplayer online games. “Pirates of the Caribbean Online” will become a reality next year when Disney Online reveals an original story set within the mythology of the “Pirates” film trilogy.
Disney Online Virtual Reality Studio vp Mike Goslin knew he wanted to create an MMOG based on the theme park ride even before 2003’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” grossed nearly $654 million worldwide. He brought with him an intimate knowledge of the attraction from his work on an award-winning virtual reality ride for the Disney Quest zone in 1998, which gave him hours of access to Disney World.
Goslin said that after the success of “Black Pearl,” Disney took a step back and developed the two new films from even more of a long-term franchise perspective. A core team went back and created a mythology around the world of the films–in addition to the stories of the two sequels–from which the books, video games and other manifestations of the intellectual property could be drawn.
“When you start to look at this mythology, we were able to realize just how rich this world is,” Goslin said. “There’s a lot going on with the characters and enemies in dais world. We became familiar with the direction that the two films were going and embarked on an original, parallel story that will encompass hundreds of hours rather than the two to three hours each film takes up.”
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There will be plenty of elements from “Dead Man’s Chest” in the game, including the Kraken, Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) and his crew of undead aquatic creatures, Cutler Beckett (Tom Hollander) and, of course, the anchoring trio of Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley). Goslin said he hopes to get the likenesses of all of the principal characters from the films. Discussions are under way with key actors to provide voices for the game.
“We’ll allow garners to interact with the main characters from the films through frequent, staged interactions,” Goslin said. “The linear story line allows for cut scenes that set up the game’s chapters.”
Depp already lent his voice to “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow,” released June 28. The title was developed by Seven Studios and Bethesda Softworks and distributed under license from Buena Vista Games.
The “Pirates” MMOG will have an original villain named Jolly Roger, inspired by the Disney theme park attraction. (He’s the pirate who warns people to turn back before the ride ushers visitors into its subterranean world with a waterfall plunge.) Players also will interact with villains from the films, but the game is set in a parallel universe that won’t track with the linear films.
A release date has not been finalized, but the game is expected to launch at least by the time the third film, “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End,” hits theaters in May.
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Goslin said his team is weaving together story and characters from the first two films, along with settings from the third. Before embarking on an adventure, players will form a crew of four to 10 people. Goslin said most missions have been designed for at least six crew members.
Familiar elements from the films include Port Royal and Fort Charles plus such ships as the Black Pearl, the Flying Dutchman and the Endeavor.
“We’re thinking about letting a crew take the Black Pearl out for a spin,” said Goslin, who added that when players encounter film ships such as the Flying Dutchman and the Endeavor, it will be tough to sink them.
Goslin is working closely not only with Jerry Bruckheimer’s core film team but also other divisions of Disney Interactive. While there will be no overlap between the “Pirates” MMOG and the recently released “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” PlayStation Portable and Game Boy Advance games from Buena Vista Games. Goslin meets regularly with the creative teams behind the next-generation “Pirates” games (also due next year from BVG), as well as the people working on the “Pirates” cell phone games. That opens the door for some potential cross-over, especially in the mobile gaming space.
Paying to play MMOG subscription market share All others 10% Star Wars Galaxies 1.4% Everquest II 1.4% Everquest 1.6% Final Fantasy XI 4% RuneScape 6.3% Lineage II 10.4% Lineage 12% World of Warcraft 52.9% SOURCE: MMOGCHART.COM, JUNE Note: Table made from pie chart.
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