Paramount's Rango gets an online world

Paramount Pictures has teamed with browser-based game developer Funtactix to create an online game based upon its upcoming animated feature "Rango."

The game, dubbed "Rango: The World" will bow alongside the film on March 4 and allow fans to create an avatar and explore the movie's world with friends and strangers. Players will interact with characters from the film – minus Johnny Depp's titular chameleon – and complete quests and play minigames.

The title marks the first major usage of Funtactix' new technology, which is specifically built to tie in with film.

“Rango: The World is the first announced game that uses our revolutionary ’The World’ solution, which lets us bring animation film assets into a web-based game without compromising fidelity or authenticity,” said Sam Glassenberg, CEO of Funtactix. “Rango is a visually groundbreaking feature; combining the film’s assets with our technology provided the perfect springboard for us to permanently raise the bar for browser-based games and bring the world of Rango to the massive audience of fans on the web.”

"Rango: The World" will operate independently of the console tie-in games for the film.