Hollywood director Roland Emmerich is venturing into the world of Web3 gaming with a new live-action television series based on the game “Space Nation.” Working alongside producer Marco Weber, Emmerich intends to delve into the game’s rich narrative and universe, but rather than opting for traditional network or streaming platform routes, they are pursuing unconventional distribution strategies.
Weber explained that the team aims to align the show’s production with the game’s philosophy. Their plan is to fund a substantial portion of the series budget through their own token and in-game economy.
“Space Nation” is a massively multiplayer online (MMO) game that allows players to step into the shoes of starship captains. Leveraging blockchain technology, the game incorporates a token-based economy and enables the trading of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) within it.
Emmerich, Weber, and a talented team, including Jerome Wu, a former project manager at Blizzard-Activision, and game developer Tony Tang, spearhead the development of “Space Nation”. Emmerich is known for directing iconic films such as “Independence Day” and “2012.”
With an impressive initial funding of $50 million, the project is designed as a transmedia platform, aiming to extend beyond gaming. The team has already launched animated shorts featuring the in-game character “Zoey” and has released a beta version of the game for PC users.
Despite facing challenges in integrating NFTs into mainstream MMOs, “Space Nation” is carving out its niche in the competitive space opera genre, which includes established titles like “Eve Online” and “No Man’s Sky.” As the project progresses, Emmerich and Weber are determined to innovate the gaming and entertainment landscape through their ambitious vision for “Space Nation.”