Last year Quantum Mechanix and Spark Plug Games announced at San Diego Comic-Con that they had managed to wrangle the whole original cast to reprise their roles in Firefly Online, the upcoming massively multiplayer game set in the ‘verse of the beloved sci-fi series. We have not heard a lot about the game since then, but a series of recent interview videos has confirmed that the crew of Serenity has been in the studio recording voice-overs (and having a great time).
The most recent video, above, shows Nathan Fillion back in the saddle as captain Malcolm Reynolds and chatting with fellow actor Adam Baldwin (coiner of “#GamerGate” and Firefly character of the iconic hat Jayne), who also has his own interview video. The other cast members featured so far include Summer Glau (River Tam), Ron Glass (Shepherd Book), Jewel Staite (Kaylee), Morena Baccarin (Inara), Alan Tudyk (Wash), Michael Fairman (Niska), and Sean Maher (Simon Tam).
The only major cast member still MIA is Gina Torres (Zoe). Michael Dorn (Worf, Star Trek: The Next Generation) is apparently in the cast portraying an important Alliance officer. It would also in no way hurt my interest in the game if they managed to get Christina Hendricks (Saffron) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (the Operative) back as well.
All of the interview videos and more are available on Firefly Online‘s website and YouTube channel. Although players will create their own original characters for the game, the show’s cast will exist as important NPCs within the game for you to talk to and take missions from.
Full versions of the interviews can be viewed in The Cortex, Firefly Online‘s companion app launched earlier this year on Steam, iOS, and Android. The Cortex serves as a portal for information about the upcoming game as development proceeds, for managing your profile once the game launches, and for earning points that can be converted to in-game currency.
The app is free, but dropping $5 on the Big Damn Hero package will net you additional behind-the-scenes content, bonus quests and items once the game launches, and a detailed, three-dimensional map of the whole ‘verse, with information about every planet and additional show trivia. The map includes a Trade Route mini-game and a scavenger hunt to unlock in-game rewards. It is also an excellent resource for anyone playing the Serenity pen-and-paper, role-playing game.
Firefly Online, set to arrive in Spring 2015 for Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android, is a strategic role-playing game that casts you as captain of your own, customizable ship. Assemble a crew with diverse skills and take on jobs all over the ‘verse. The game was first announced at San Diego Comic Con 2013, and was given a trailer the following year.