In theory, this sounds kind of interesting. NBC Universal’s SyFy Channel and game developer and publisher Trion Worlds will be bringing a new kind of T.V. show to the summer of 2012. The show, entitled Defiance, will follow the general plot of a future Earth populated both by humans and by aliens. But here’s the kicker:
Meanwhile, online gamers will be able to enter the exact same world by playing on either the alien or earthling side and creating characters that populate the wider society. This, in turn, will help to provide some of the narrative undercurrent for the TV show. So should the leader of a vine-covered city be toppled online, it may later be mirrored in a writer’s script.
“You are basically a participant in the same fictional universe that the TV characters participate in,” explains Lars Butler, CEO of Trion.
On the other hand, this is fairly reminiscent of a certain Will Wright idea. We’re curious to see how this turns out.
–Lana Polansky