Fast & Furious star Vin Diesel appears to be putting his crew-assembling skills to good use, with the news that the team behind 2004's Escape from Butcher Bay title have reunited. Founded by the gravelly-throated thesp way back in 2002, developer Tigon hit the ground running with their first Chronicles of Riddick adventure, before returning to the series some three years later. That second stab at success, dubbed Assault on Dark Athena, opted to reheat the original Butcher Bay experience for the next-gen, and met with similarly strong reviews.
Now, the Diesel-powered games studio is attempting to make it third time lucky, as Vin unveiled Tigon's return to the world of Riddick.
Speaking with Screencrush last week, the action star and avid gamer, explained the fan demand behind the project, and offered some brief insights into the title itself.
"There's this huge concept which is more of a MMO game that would be centered around people being able to play mercs and it's basically the merc trade. There's a very cool game concept behind that."
Given the lack of information available at present, it's unlikely the title has progressed much further than its early planning stages. Diesel's brief description - along with Tigon's noted FPS background - would appear to indicate a Borderlands-like, group bounty hunting title, though that remains only speculation.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time Diesel has talked up his desire to create a massively multiplayer adventure. Back in 2009, the well-known Dungeons & Dragons enthusiast described building an MMO as his "dream project," though he conceded that the cost involved would likely prove prohibitive.
Earlier attempts by Tigon & Diesel to break into the WoW-dominated market include Barca B.C, an overly ambitious RTS/MMO action title, aimed at recreating the scale and slaughter of Hannibal's ancient conquests. Combining the tactical nous of the Total War series, the sandal-clad exploration of Age of Conan and the bloody scuffles of Ryse: Son of Rome, the game began development in 2006, before going M.I.A sometime after 2010.
Given the grand scale, and largely unexplored lore of the Riddick universe, an MMO adventure does appear to make perfect sense, at least on a conceptual level. However, considering Tigon's lack of experience in the field, as well as its history of failed projects, the chances of actually seeing this ambitious title come to life remain relatively slim. We'll have more news on the next Chronicles of Riddick title, if and when it appears.
Are you excited for this latest chapter in the Chronicles of Riddick? Which Tigon project would you most like to see released? Is Escape From Butcher Bay the greatest movie tie-in of all time? Have your say in the comments below.
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Source: Screencrush