On the graphics end, it might be better to modify an FPS engine, like the DOOM3 engine. You will get better graphics, and if you are simply generating a TV show, you don't really need the scalability that an MMO provides. And the graphics for most failing MMOS are not that great. You could distribute the machima via a youtube like service that is specific for machima.
You might even get a completely new form of media, because it is not necessary to distribute a machima as a straight up video.
Viewing it could be like 'ghost' mode in an FPS, viewer gets to pick the angle from which the drama is watched.
If you read 'Count Zero', one of the ideas there is that going online into a 3D chat didn't really catch on until there were realistic human faces. I think this is a really insightful concept. It will be important to spend a lot of time on getting faces just right, so that humans react to them in the same way that they react to actors.
Looking at a human face is a really big part of TV viewing for a lot of people. We are conditioned to be attracted to them.
One of the characters in Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson mentions that accurate modelling of human facial expressions was a key component in the success of that world's VR environment.
Fictional anecdotes are even less like data than real-life anecdotes, but I think it says something that when humans try to annotate text with emotions, faces are the closest graphical analogue:
:) :( O_oThere are a few reasons why I think this MMO would make an awesome engine for this startup.
1. The character customization system includes the ability to design clothing and tattoos for the character. If you don't like the wardrobe included in the game, you can design your own.
2. There is an equally extensive toolset to modify your character's physical appearance.
3. The customization was a main selling point for this game. People were supposed to be able to sell the clothing they designed in game and even exchange the virtual currency for more play time. This emphasis on user creativity means that the average APB player is probably more likely to begin playing with the intent to create their own content.
4. The studio that now owns the game didn't have to eat a $100 million loss, so they don't have to get a huge amount of money if they sell the game again. This combined with the fact that it failed once, and might again would ensure that there wouldn't be any competitors.
P.S. Another possible solution would be to just license the engine to create your own game. This is a common practice in the game industry and is usually far cheaper than trying to purchase a complete game.
I think if someone could you use what you are suggestion to produce really well written movies/series for markets such as our would be very successful.
It would be: 1. Local 2. Better than most other local stuff.
You could theoretically make a lot of money going to various countries such as Kenya and making quality stuff based on the local culture etc.
You would also be profitable while gaining experience/momentum to later launch into other more developed markets.
Makes sense?
(1) buy up a near dead MMO, preferably one with impressively realistic character graphics.
(2) retool it as a machima authoring tool
(3) hook it into kinect for motion capture
(4) leverage the userbase to crowdsource additions to the 3D library.
With just this talented hobbyists and unfunded indy talents would begin to swamp Hollywood in an flood of "good enough" tv shows, shorts and full length films.