Hollywood IPs don't have the greatest track record when it comes to
making the transition to the MMORPG space, but celebrated film director
James Cameron recently told IGN that he thinks his Avatar franchise is up to the task.
In an interview that touches on 3-D entertainment, single-player gaming,
and real-world themepark rides, Cameron also says that "Avatar is a
perfect IP for an MMO." The massively multiplayer portion of the project
seems to be in its infancy, as the director notes that the fictional
universe established in the 2009 blockbuster needs to be fleshed out and
expanded via the upcoming sequels before consumers can fully grasp how
big Avatar really is.
"The film is really just a leaping off point," Cameron says, "so we've
got to create a rich and diverse world that lives well beyond the
films." This isn't the first time that scuttlebutt about an Avatar MMO
has hit the intarwebs. Cameron's producing partner Jon Landau floated the topic in early 2010, and UbiSoft originally planned to release an Avatar MMO in conjunction with the film's holiday 2009 debut.