Pirates of the Caribbean Online

[ShannonA]

It looks like Disney is getting into the MMORPG business with Pirates of the Caribbean Online:
http://disney.go.com/pirates/online/index.html

Besides the fact that they should have released it to coincide with the movie, if they really wanted to catch the buzz, I'm unconvinced that they're going to be able to do anything with a licensed franchise that everyone will have forgotten about in another 6-12 months, absent another movie, but I don't know what designers they have involved with it.

[Jack]

I'm unconvinced that they're going to be able to do anything with a licensed franchise that everyone will have forgotten about in another 6-12 months,

I think you're underestimating the longevity of the films. Sure the public can have a short attention span but the characters and plots in this series I think can really go the distance.

All that said, the game will have to be good. If not...it's not gonna sell on its license and stick around.

Also, as long as no one else follows suit...and it seems they won't, these films have the pirate genre sewn up in the public awareness for the forseeable future.

Which I admit mystifies me. Hollywood used to be so good about giving a decent chunk of genre films (admittedly or varying quality). Now superhero films and crappy slasher horror is about all that gets a breadth of films.

[Dr. Moonthunder]

Getting into the MMORPG business again, you mean. Remember Toontown Online?

I suspect they'll get players enough for the reasons Jack enumerated. And the other Jack--Captain Sparrow--has become a sex symbol for preadolescents.

[C.W.Richeson]

That's pretty rotten timing since it will get to compete with Pirates of the Burning Seas (http://www.burningsea.com/pages/page.php?pageKey=home), which is looking pretty nifty.