Pirates of the Caribbean, the film that brought a great squall of financial success for Disney has inspired the studio to create a new video game for the movie’s gamer fans. The people over at yahoo.com explain:
Disney Online will offer the legions of fans who have flocked to see Captain Jack Sparrow in movie theaters a chance to star in an original video game adventure for free with “Pirates of the Caribbean Online.” The massively multiplayer online game, slated to launch in the spring in conjunction with the May 25 theatrical release of “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End,” will bypass retail and be available via a free download at www.PiratesOnline.com.
Gamers can choose to play the free version of the game, which will incorporate about one-third of the game world and content. Gamers who want to upgrade to the full “Pirates Online” experience will be charged a $9.95 monthly subscription, which offers such extras as more customization options and characters and the ability to take part in tournaments and engage in player-to-player combat.
The story will also be a new one; it takes place in an alternate universe, with a new story arc that introduces Jolly Roger as a nemesis. Players must help Sparrow get his crew back together to find the Black Pearl and restore order. It will span hundreds of hours of gameplay, and Disney Online will launch free expansions for the game every two to three months.
This sounds a lot like Disney wants the Pirates game to become the next Warcraft, which, is pretty smart. With the massive success of the film series why not go for the gusto and try to get inspiriation from the massively successful Warcraft? People can play this game for years and still find new things, they can work together like pirates on a ship, it sounds like what most people want in a game.
Do I think fans will continue to be interested in Pirates for that long? Probably not. However if the online version starts off great and continues that way with talented creators and designers at the helm then the game may in fact far surpass the movies. Will it? Don’t know, haven’t seen the game yet.
Just like a ship bound for a brave new world, much of “Pirates” success or failure will have to do with the crew on board.
