Pop culture week kicks off here on
One Shots with a submission from Massively reader Tanek.
While I like many of the references to pop culture I see in MMOs (Star Trek, Firefly, Oprah Winfrey), it is the slightly more obscure ones that stand out for me. Like one that can be found on the Jade Sea in Guild Wars: Factions. Zenos, a Luxon famous for his writings about his squad's adventures, had tragedy hit his last expedition.
As it is told by one of his crew: "On our last journey into the far reaches of the Big Green, Zenos' longtime partner and best friend, Bestenon, was unexpectedly eaten... completely devoured... by a mysterious monster of the unknown. And so we prepare for one more expedition, not for knowledge, or even for gold. No, Zenos seeks revenge against the monster, and we, his loyal crew, will join him"
It is, of course, the plot of the movie The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. As you continue the quest and gather up a squad for a new expedition to find the mysterious monster on the Jade Sea, each person you meet is another reference to a character in the movie. Here you see a screenshot of Zenos himself, planning his last, greatest adventure.
We're celebrating pop culture in our MMOs this week. Developers sneak references in all over games, whether it be via NPCs, quests, or items, and we want to see your favorites. Grab a screenshot, tell us a bit about what it is, and send it to
oneshots@massively.com. We'll be featuring the best of these all week.
