G4's The Feed reports that NBC and Bigpoint (a video game developer) announced today that they are working on a Battlestar Galactica massively multiplayer online role-playing game, called Battlestar Galactica Online. Sounds good so far, right? Well, it's going to be browser-based.

According to The Feed:

Players will be able to choose to be Human or Cylons, and the game will be a blend of tactical space combat, exploration, and mission-based gameplay featuring 3D graphics directly in your browser. Assets from the television production will be integrated into the game to deliver an even more authentic experience.

It's difficult to imagine any browser-based MMORPG turning out well. It would seem to take a full install to create any RPG with enough depth and substance to be engaging. Even the commenters on The Feed's article pretty much unanimously express disappointment at the browser-based aspect of the game.

Browser-based games, being smaller than typical computer games, are also cheaper to develop. Perhaps NBC doesn't feel that the market of gaming BSG fans is large enough to invest a substantial amount of money in. I guess we'll just have to keep holding out for Star Wars: The Old Republic.