I co-developed and co-designed the game play of this online role playing game in partnership with Second Life / Electric Sheep and Warner Bros Interactive.
Designed to simulate the terror, isolation and scavenger emotion of the film, SURVIVAL was the most expansive and successful activity and film promotion for Second Life, at that time. We re-created several environment in and around New York City (e.g., Coney Island, Central Park, Columbus Circle, Chinatown, etc.) and staggered the launches so the game experience could evolve with fresh assets over the three month promotional period. Play as either an immune or infected human or an immune or infected dog, similar to the film. We created special attire and equipment including a variety of weaponry to assist players in their survival. The goal was to survive the streets of New York and find various hidden items that would form the tools for the cure in the process. Once all the clues were found, players needed to find the lab and make it there safely to assemble them. If all could be done without being killed, a winner would prevail. To promote the game, we used in world game play footage to produce a rough machinima trailer as well as a series of online campaigns. http://iamlegendsurvival.warnerbros.com/
MACHINIMA TRAILER
WHY & HOW TO PLAY
WHAT AND WHERE TO PLAY
Play as either an immune or infected human or an immune or infected dog, similar to the film. Special attire and equipment including a variety of weaponry was designed to assist players in this virtual world. Several environments were created in and around New York City (including Central Park, Coney Island, Chinatown, Columbus Circle, Brooklyn Bridge) with staggered launches so the game experience could evolve with fresh assets over the three month play period.
IN-WORLD GAME PLAY IMAGES
Entrance to the game play area...
Start of the game play training area. This is where you choose your avatar type (infected or immune / human or dog), clothing, weaponry and additional tools. This is also where you learn gameplay, shooting practice and avatar maneuvers, i.e., running, flight, etc.
Live-action screen which plays the film's trailer and other live action webisodes.
Tunnel entrances denoting how we created separation between the five locations given the lack of space to create the areas true to map.
Darkseeker - aka - infected creature.
Sample of the type and range of guns provided for game play.
Various forms of darkseekers.
An example of how we utilized various items (i.e., posters, warnings, debris) from the film inside the game environment.
Players gathering near Central Park at the opening of the game prior to game play.
Inside of the lab where immune players assemble the parts to determine if they have found the cure. The green glowing circle is for immune players who are either losing strength or have been killed and need to be revived.
In addition to separating the different areas of the game, the tunnels provide danger zones for the immune given darkseekers typically lurk in the shadows preparing to hunt.
Chinatown
Overhead perspective of Coney Island.
End of game play with winner announced.
