Defiance, the SyFy Channel TV show that ties into Trion Worlds’ MMO of the same name, has been renewed for a second season. Filming for 13 new episodes of the show will begin in Toronto this August.
Defiance is unique because the franchise’s creators have promised that events in the show will effect the world of the MMO, and that players’ actions in the game will similarly effect how the story of the show unfolds. While the connection between the show and the MMO has been limited so far (the game features weekly quests inspired by the latest episode in the TV series,) the staff of the TV series has hinted that the connection between the show and the game will be much deeper in the second season. “”I’m intrigued to see what happens once the game is socialized,” said Grant Bowler, who plays the TV series’ main protagonist, Jeb Nolan, in an interview with The LA Times. “They’ll establish a type of society, and we can explore that power structure and use it to create commentary to insert into the show. The idea of game politics as social more has never been explored. We’re standing on the edge of this thing, and there’s no horizon.” Bowler says he plays the game himself; he makes an announcement via Twitter whenever he’s about to play the game, and he encourages fans of the show to play with him.
This is the second bit of good news concerning Defiance to come out this week: a few days ago, Trion Worlds announced that the MMO had registered its millionth user. While the game had a rocky launch (what MMO doesn’t?,) and the show’s pilot episode was greeted with a mixed reception from critics, it appears that Defiance has managed to live up to its ambitious premise.
Defiance’s first DLC expansion, which adds a new playable race to the game, will be available later this month for $10.
