Summer is around the corner and if theres one thing my Twitter followers know, its that I go to the movies. A lot. I never was able to as a kid, so when
I eventually became an adult, who could say yes to my own whimsical desire to see a movie in the theater, I went. And I havent stop going since.
Since were always chatting about games in more ways than I can count, I thought it was high time we had a list of the top 5 MMOs that I think should be a
movie. So without further ado
#5 World of Warcraft
It seems like an easy enough pick, doesnt it? I mean
how many years have we been hearing that everything was full speed ahead and we should see the movie
any year now? And wasnt it going to be a live action movie? I remember being at an internal Blizzard meeting almost 3 years ago and being told that this
project had been given the green light and was in the works. So, umm
just one quick question from me while were all here then
where the hell is it? I
sure dont see it anywhere yet.
I still say they should have stuck with the idea of just making the movie all CGI. Lets face facts: even if youre not a fan of the game itself, its long
been established that the Blizzard team has some of the very best trailers and cut scenes out there. In fact, Id dare say that until Blur came around and
wowed the world with the first Star Wars: The Old Republic trailer, Blizzard held a virtual monopoly on the title of CGI cutscene Gods. The ideas in the
cutscenes need to be fleshed out into a movie and be put into production as soon as possible. Hear that, Blizzard? Get cracking!
#4 EverQuest
Admit it, you knew there was no way I was going to make a list like this and not put my baby in it, right? While yes, it is true that EverQuest was the
game that sealed my fate and created my obsession with MMOs, it would also make an incredible backdrop for an incredible number of movies. Imagine telling
the tale of a Dark Elf Necromancer going through the hell of gaining his epic weapon (I expect some judicious use of creative license when designing the
weapon, Hollywood no duck sticks!). One of the steps in that quest was to gain the Eye of Innoruuk. In the game, it was possible to get it from a variety
of mobs, but imagine if in the movie, that Necromancer had to kill his own god (Innoruuk) to gain the eye? How incredible of a movie would that make?
Not a fan of Dark Elves or Necromancers? Fine (although youve now officially been labeled as a whacko in my book). How about an event that rocked the game
early in its history? Of course, Im talking about the first War of the Gods, between Cazic-Thule and Firiona Vie? Now that would be a movie to remember.
Think the last two Clash of the Titan films, but not as sucky. The world was in a state of flux, zones around the game were changing, and evil was popping
up everywhere. Grade A movie material right there.
#3 The Secret World
Its no secret (get it
secret? Bwuahahahaaaa) that I was never a fan of The Secret World. I tried the game out after it had been out for about a month and
by then, it had already been ruined by the in-game browser actually being connected to the real world, so any search immediately resulted in nothing but
full solutions. But just because I view the game as a failure that doesnt mean it wouldnt make for an incredibly creepy and exciting movie. All of the
pieces for a great flick are there. The setting is incredibly detailed, the background story of three factions thought to be legends is awesome, and quite
a few of the quests had some pretty sweet storylines.
If you took all of that out of the game and turned it into a movie instead, it could be magical. Even better, imagine it as a trilogy, with each faction
playing a part in individual movies, but the overall theme and perspective in each flick is from only one of them. There could be an overarching theme of
world destruction, and each faction has its own idea on how to fix it (like the basis of the game). The first movie could be from the perspective of the
Illuminati, the second from the Dragon, and the final flick could be from the view of the Templars. I would go see that.
#2 EVE Online
Anyone that knows me at all knows one thing for sure and thats that I love science fiction and think we should have a billion times more of it on
both television and movie theater screens. CCP already has a television show in the works for EVE Online to highlight the incredible tales of intrigue and
betrayal the players have already created. Tagged with the byline of, Based on a true story 20,000 years in the future, it could be a really cool show.
Im certainly hoping it is. If it does well enough though, I think they should branch off into movies.
Aside from the fact that the visuals for the game would translate to the big screen beautifully, I think the stories that could be told are equally
impressive. The strong personalities that could carry a movie based on any of the factions are countless. The theocratic empire of Amarr, ruled by an
Empress, the democracy of the Gallente Federation, or the military might of the Caldari State dictatorship
any one of these would be a backdrop ripe for
the plucking of Hollywood. I hope to see it happen one day.
#1 Star Wars: The Old Republic
Who couldnt see this one coming? Before any detractors start crying foul, give me a minute to explain why I chose it as my number one pick. Out of all
these other games Ive mentioned, which one already has a well-established theatrical fanbase? Thats right
not one of them. With George Lucas out of the
way and Disney in control (like it was for last summers slam dunk, The Avengers), we finally have the chance to get a lot of really cool Star Wars movies
in the future for our viewing pleasure.
Even if you didnt like the game, one thing that cannot be denied is the writing team developed some incredible stories for each class. Some are cooler and
more engrossing than others, but all of them would make a pretty cool movie. If you combined some of them together, especially telling them from the
perspective of the Empire faction, those ideas could go from cool to freaking incredible. I want to look up on the screen one day and see the tale of my
Sith Inquisitor being told. Make it so! [editor: Way to mix your sci-fi catch phrases, dude!]
Think my list is spot on? Have another game youd like to add to the mix? Even if you just think Im off my rocker, let us know in the comments! You can
also always shoot me an email or hit me up on Twitter!