Battlestar Galactica MMO Game in Development

The end of the modern day Battlestar Galactica was a sad day for sci-fi fans, but those who are into online gaming can relive some of the good memories this as Bigpoint and Unity are currently developing a browser-based Massively Multiplayer Online Game based on the TV series.

The game will be straight-forwardly titled Battlestar Galactica Online, which is described in the press release as follows:

Players will be able to choose to play as cylons or humans in a constant struggle to control the universe or just survive its perils. A blend of tactical space combat, exploration, and mission-based gameplay will provide a diverse experience. The dramatic missions will define the game's overall storyline, enabling the player to delve into mysteries of the Battlestar universe. Battlestar Galactica Online will create a new standard for web games, with beautiful 3d graphics and innovative game mechanics bringing a new level of game play to browser based MMOG. Assets from the television production will be integrated into the game to deliver an even more authentic experience.

While the prospect of a browser-based game means that we won't be expecting graphics that'll stress even the modest versions of modern GPUs, but the tech demos from Unity3D show that browser gaming can go well beyond Bejeweled.

Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam served as Tom's Hardware News Director during 2008-2014. He entered tech media in the late 90s and fondly remembers the days when an overclocked Celeron 300A and Voodoo2 SLI comprised a gaming rig with the ultimate street cred.
  • tipoo
    Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.
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  • *rollseyes* Not another MMO...
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  • luman
    So you take this hugely popular series and spin it off into a *browser-based* MMO? What? I think it should be made right, as a true blue executable. I'm not sure how popular it's going to be given we have Eve, Star Trek, and soon to be Star Wars. Unless it's going to try and innovate, and be a "real" MMO demanding some serious hardware I just don't see it drawing a solid base.

    It almost sounds like they'd have to roll it out like Lord of the Rings given that the story behind Battlestar isn't (as?) open-ended like Star Trek was.. It's more A to Z, linear.
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  • visa
    tipooBears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.Right on!

    I was intrigued until the browser-based part. I'm sure they'll also try to slip in some ridiculous romance between Apollo and Starbuck that will just keep going, and going, and going....
    Reply
  • Ed Brown
    Another Frakkin' crappy shovelware MMO based on a damn good franchise (MONTHS of development ffs - and smartphone capability?!?).

    Oh well, it has happened before and it will happen again, sadly.
    Reply
  • loucipher
    This is almost certain to be a travesty. BSG has a very definite ending, and it isn't one which would allow a continuation of events flying around fighting in space. Which means it can't be a sequel and stay even remotely true to the show's story. Which leaves two options: prequel or side story. A prequel is doable, as you can go through the first cylon war, but given that it ends with an armistice and the disappearance of the cylons, the endgame would be a bit of a letdown. Which leaves us with a side story. This would be a bit of a challenge, as you could either dump players on other battlestars, which don't exist according to the show, or on Galactica. The latter option presents its own problems, as you can either rehash the existing story or embellish it, which would be difficult to do without compromising the quality of the story.

    Whatever path they take, I'm not hopeful. And being browser-based worries me even more. Granted, browser based games have made great strides in the past few years (Quake Live, anyone?), but you just can't get the same degree of power and control over the hardware you can with a standalone engine.
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  • randomizer
    Being browser-based isn't so bad. The Tiger Wood's online game doesn't look half bad for a browser-rendered game. If all you can think of is Runescape then you need to go and find out what you can actually do in a browser.

    Of course I don't like MMOs, so I have that against it.
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  • ColMirage
    Launch Vipers!!!
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  • Yeah, right... And will it be designed and charged for by someone like Cryptic ? We saw it with Star Trek Online and gamers simply will not accept franchised software from companies incapable of providing reasonable gameplay and support.
    All the people burned by Star Trek Online will be sitting on the fence with me until it really proves it is more than hype.
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  • alextheblue
    lumanSo you take this hugely popular series and spin it off into a *browser-based* MMO? What? I think it should be made right, as a true blue executable. I'm not sure how popular it's going to be given we have Eve, Star Trek, and soon to be Star Wars. Unless it's going to try and innovate, and be a "real" MMO demanding some serious hardware I just don't see it drawing a solid base.WoW doesn't really demand serious hardware... you shouldn't need hardcore cutting edge graphics to make a fun MMO, although it IS a nice bonus. Anyway, while I liked the new BSG series, I don't think it's that popular among gamers. Even among sci-fi MMO fans, its going to lose out to Star Trek, Star Wars, and EVE/DUST. Even if they made a full-fledged MMO, I don't think anything would change that fact.

    Plus its a whole lot cheaper this way. I don't think any company is going to put a year or two and lots of money into a BSG MMO, when the sad truth is that it probably won't be able to draw enough people to stay alive and grow. Especially if they charge the standard $50 box + $15/month to keep money flowing in. It would probably be like Tabula Rasa all over again anyway.

    No, I think it was this, or nothing. Maybe they would have been better off with nothing, only time will tell.
    Reply