The video game world is bringing together the unlikely duo of rapper Master P and actor Seth Green.

Master P's P Miller Enterprises is partnering on the development of an original hip-hop-themed role-playing game with Green and Matthew Senreich of Stoopid Monkey Prods. (Robot Chicken) and ShadowMachine Films (Moral Orel).

Play the Industry will enable gamers to enter a 3-D world and then work their way through up to stardom either as an athlete, power broker, hip-hop artist or other character.

Many of the details are being worked out, including whether this will be a disc-based or online-only game. But Senreich suggested that the final product likely will be more akin to The Sims, the popular online experience from Electronic Arts, than a fighting or shooting game.

"You can play agent, you can play mogul, you play all sorts of different characters," Senreich said of "Industry."
 

Although in its early stages, Stoopid Monkey and ShadowMachine already are working on a script for the game, talking with developers about taking on the project and lining up financing. The partners hope to have a developer on board in the next several months and a release by late 2009.

"We really want to take the time and make sure we do this right," Senreich added. "But the good thing we have going into this is we are developing the creative ahead of time, and we're very close to having that up and running."

Master P was the one who approached ShadowMachine principals Alex Bulkley and Corey Campodonico with the game concept. Campodonico said they were immediately interested -- and not just because hip-hop and gaming have proved to be such a solid combination in titles such as Def Jam: Vendetta"and 50 Cent: Bulletproof.

"Master P is at the forefront of so many new things, including putting new 'clean' albums that are not derogatory and don't have cursing and that sort of stuff," Campodonico said.

The partners also are taking a broader long-term approach, noting that while the game is the first goal, they hope to migrate the Industry concept to multiple platforms, including a motion picture, reality television show and clothing line.

Green is co-starring in the Walt Disney Co. feature Old Dogs, and he continues supplying the voice of Chris Griffin on Fox's Family Guy.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter