Reality gaming
"X Quest" is a reality T.V series from Fox Broadcasting Company, and produced by Imagine television. The show is the brainchild of Halo co-creator, Alexander Scropian and Jim Banister who now heads Spectrum Mediaworks, a company comprising of 'experienced and innovative entertainment producers, game creators and networked media experts.'Also involved in the creation are some of the materminds behind space movie, Apollo 13.
Their aim is to focus on how to engage audiences via a single media, whether it be on TV, PC or console. Now, Spectrum MediaWorks are fusing together reality and gaming in a way never approached before.
Seropian told Boston news that, "Entertainment convergence is something that has been talked about for a long time, but the multiple media distribution pipes are now in place to create properties that can work on multiple levels."
The reality T.V show and the the MMO, due to released on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, will be released at the same time, they are expected to debut early next year.
So what is X-Quest?
"X Quest" is based on an "aspirational pyramid" approach that Seropian said starts with two teams of seven contestants that enter the cramped compartments of a space simulator and partake in a month long series of missions within the virtual world. Viewers can watch the adventures unfold on Fox.
Gamers will be able to enter the world via Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 and interact with reality show contestants, according to Spectrum MediaWorks, and events in the game will have a direct impact on the TV show. Seropian said the game also will be designed to offer the best MMO game players the chance to appear on Season 2 of the TV show. Thus gamers can "aspire" to climb the pyramid from video game to virtual reality TV show contestant.
This game sounds almost too fantastic to be true, if you're a fan of both reality TV and games you'll be frothing at the mouth at the mere thought of this game. However I think they'll find that a certain Channel 4, Johnny Vaughan show thought of the idea for the reality series first :Space Cadets
Source: Spectrum Media
