Ramayan MMO coming from Sony

NEW DELHI: Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) said it is teaming up with Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Comics to launch a massively multiplayer online (MMO) video game, based on comic book series Ramayan 3392 AD, initially for the PC.

Virgin Comics will serve as a creative consultant on the project, and its efforts will be spearheaded by company president Suresh Seetharaman, who also oversaw development of the comic series. Also involved is filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, a co-founder of Virgin Comics who created Ramayan 3392 AD with Chopra.

Ramayan 3392 AD is based on the Hindu epic, Ramayana.

The move will mark a cultural shift in gaming content developed by major publishers. As till now most of the MMO games have typically been based on Western-derived science fiction universes or fantasy worlds derived from the works of foreign authors.

Sony Online Entertainment is a part of Sony Computer Entertainment America, a division of global electronics maker Sony Corp.

Virgin Comics' Ramayan 3392 AD debuted in late 2006. The comic re-creates one of India's greatest epic legends as a futuristic tale that employs many characters and settings from the original epic.

No release date has been announced for the game.