I sent a polite yet pointed e-mail. Hopefully Verizon realizes how rabid many of us are. Or at least how willing to spend money on quality merchandise related to our favorite shows/movies.

So how exactly do wireless games differ from PC and console video games? I'm guessing this thing isn't gonna have Playstation 2 graphics and crazy controls, but it's not gonna be as low-tech as those initial cell phone games like "Snake", right?

Kris | August 08, 23:59 CET

its actually pretty cool looking. Kind of SNES or that generation. Looks like a fun little space shooter :) Sean just sent me the video.

zeitgeist | August 09, 00:09 CET

I was a trifle worried about the shooter aspect -- Serenity ain't exactly a gunship -- but the info abot the game says you can choose which method you like, shoot or sneak. Sneaking sounds about right.

C. A. Bridges | August 09, 00:21 CET

I've yet to see the video - and I will soon cos I'm gonna voice my opinion right after seeing this - but graphics on mobile phones - while they aren't at playstation/X-box level = have come a long way since snake. There are some quite nifty ones about - you just can't get them for MY phone yet.

Cider | August 09, 00:25 CET

I've seen the video... Serenity has guns. And bizzare alien ships or something shooting at it. Still it seems fun enough - reminds me a bit of Rtype on the Amiga :)

gossi | August 09, 00:27 CET

Just got an e-mail back from Sean. Yeah, it is pretty cool looking. I was always much more a fan of the side-scrolling brand of space shooters (y'know, left to right-moving like the Gradius series), wasn't usually a fan of the bottom-to-top kind. Dunno why the direction of the movement was a big issue, but it mattered to the 8 to 16 year old version of me.

Haven't played a shooter since Squaresoft's Einhander on the original Playstation. This should be fun (we get Verizon up here in Canada, right?). Hopefully Square-Enix will be releasing the Final Fantasy 7 cell phone game on Verizon as well.

Kris | August 09, 00:28 CET

gossi - reminded me of r-type as well or any of a number of other great shooters.

zeitgeist | August 09, 00:30 CET

Sent my e-mail along. It might be a good idea to point out the staggering sales of 'Firefly' in you e-mail. As well as the prescreenings, etc.

Knuckleball | August 09, 00:51 CET

Sent my e-mail and got a very swift response. The game looks shiny, and although there are many similar type games around, none of the others have our BDH's in them. Although the mobile game will put me on, I want a full on X-Box/Playstation game too.

Cider | August 09, 01:06 CET

So the press release about the game comes out four days ago and lo and behold a plea to fans comes out urging them to show support for the game? Hmmmmmmm.

Simon | August 09, 01:25 CET

Sounds a little markety, eh, Simon? Especially when one considers the story of how the movie came to be...

zeitgeist | August 09, 01:39 CET

I'll bite. How'd the movie come to be?

Allyson | August 09, 06:08 CET

Everybody in the 'verse clapped their hands.

C. A. Bridges | August 09, 06:53 CET

Hey, when you're happy and you know it!

Succatash | August 09, 07:01 CET

Yea, I was thinking the same thing Simon. Just doesn't feel right to me. Maybe because of the amount of spoilers that are actually in the game description, or the game makers not being the greatest of companys. I don't know what, but I kinda feels like I'm being played a little here.
Of course I could be completely wrong.

nixygirl | August 09, 07:12 CET

Dear Browncoats,

I need your help!

I sort of suck at my job, but I think that shouldn't preclude me from a fat bonus.

Please harass the hell out of my client so I can sit around doing nothing until they cry UNCLE and buy all my AMWAY to make you go away.

If you do this for me, I'll send you an 8x10 glossy of me eating the juicy steak you earned for me.

THANKS!

Random Person Profiting from Serenity #54128

Allyson | August 09, 07:31 CET

Bahahahahaha Well Done Allyson!

nixygirl | August 09, 07:35 CET

Or it could be on the up and up. Got me. I'm personally in favor of nearly anything that presents Serenity as a profitable enterprise, provided Joss gets veto power over what gets made.

Their release said they were the company that made the wireless Buffy game. True? Anybody?

C. A. Bridges | August 09, 07:37 CET

Still sceptical. The press release sounded like "and so took we our default movie tie-in game, swapped some graphics and wrote Serenity on it". And from what I read now the game is as un-firefly-ish as could be, making it one of too many top down shooters. Question is: does it play well? Does it have ANYTHING special that these other games don't?

Do I want to support a company that claims I would play as Mal when I'm actually flying the ship (or maybe in some levels other vehicles that were also never piloted by Mal), because that doesn't sound like they invested much more research than "how does the ship look like"?

Why do I read "bizarre alien ships" in a world that made it a point that there are NO aliens and that transports usually don't have guns? This sounds like it could be a fun shooter, but decidedly NOT a Serenity game. Or rather, what a "make a quick buck from raping movie licenses"-companies would come up with.

In other words, when the source material is clever and different, why does the tie-in have to be unimaginative and like a million other games? Are mobiles really that useless for anything but platform games and shoot'em ups?

Sure, the marketing effect for the movie would be nice, but is it worth it? How many people would bother to get the umpteenth shooter and then later say "hey, a movie? I played the game for that! Let's go and see it."

Trienco | August 09, 10:12 CET

Yes they made the Buffy wireless game, which got fairly good reviews.

Personally I think it's the latest form of viral marketing or Serenity meets Heinz Salad Cream.

Simon | August 09, 10:21 CET

Yes, ew.

This whole thing smacks of icky-ness. I have Verizon. Serenity with guns? Saying you play as Mal? Alien ships? No thanks.

Who ARE these people? They ain't Browncoats.

Willowy | August 09, 10:21 CET

It's exploitave of a fandom I'll throw done for at the drop of a hat. But hey, if folks want it, they can write. If they feel icky, they can ignore it. Easy peasy.

Allyson | August 09, 10:31 CET

Being one of the few people alive without a cell phone I am probably excluded from this by default. (Sorry, normal phone and email still more than suffices for me) Even if I had one, I doubt I would play games on it. It's tiny. I have a playstation and several computer games for that, with nice large screens. I make calls with a phone. (yeah I know, midieval weirdo)

Is this the only game coming out though? A cell phone game? Nothin on playstation or anything?

And for frag's sake, there are no guns on Serenity and there are no aliens in the 'verse'!

EdDantes | August 09, 19:25 CET

I also don't have a mobile phone and a couple of my friends are also in the Luddite club. I remember thinking one time when there was a group of 4 of us together, all between 25 and 26 none of whom had mobile phones, how rare that that must be in this day and age, especailly in the UK. What makes it even more remarkable is that we're all "geeks" (without getting into all the definitions from that previous thread).

Paul_Rocks | August 09, 20:24 CET

I have a Spyro the Dragon game on my cellphone that is almost on par with the GBA games from that series (slightly smaller scale, but quality).

Ed's comments about being phoneless reminded me of the reasons I started using one. I separated from my ex-husband 5.5 years ago (and later divorced) and felt more secure about living/traveling alone. It's funny the things these threads bring to mind. I just came from the "love" thread!

Anyway, I'm up to my fourth phone, still divorced (my ex has remarried and has a new baby) and very happy!

brownishcoat | August 09, 21:02 CET

That makes three of us, I also don't own a cell phone. Heck, my home phone irks me enough when it rings at the most inappropriate time, why would I want to carry one? Back to topic, something didn't 'seem' right when I first read this message to the Browncoats. Just my opinion.

Frag, heh. I see someone else is a BSG fan.

Madhatter | August 09, 21:25 CET

I own a Tracfone (pay as you go) but it is strictly for the car and hardly ever used. We got it to have in case of an emergency. I don't understand the appeal to have a phone with you at all times. Had to laugh when my husband and I went to a mall last year for Christmas shopping and saw so many people walking around talking on cell phones while they were with someone else. Whatever happened to having conversations with the person you are with? I for one don't want to be interrupted while I'm out having fun by a telephone call.

Madhatter - lots of us are BSG fans!

[ edited by Firefly Flanatic on 2005-08-09 19:38 ]

Firefly Flanatic | August 09, 21:37 CET

I *do* have a cell phone - bought it three years ago when my father was dying and I wanted to make sure I could be reached any time. I only give the number to family and good friends and I used to only have it on when I was at work. Due to my increased activity with Browncoats, I use it more now than I ever did before - I'm at work longer, for one thing :). It does make me feel a little more secure if I'm travelling at night by myself, but I don't feel the necessity of playing video games on it. It's handy to have but not essential.

samatwitch | August 09, 22:06 CET