Filed under: Marvel Universe Online

What does Disney buying Marvel have to do with us?

by Shawn Schuster Aug 31st 2009 at 4:30PM

Filed under: Super-hero, Business models, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Comics, Marvel Universe Online

Earlier today, it was announced that Disney is buying Marvel for $4B, divided among the current Marvel shareholders. This type of news is nothing groundbreaking, and it probably doesn't affect you, as an MMO gamer, right?

You're mostly right. Disney's purchase of Marvel will certainly affect the enormous hold that Marvel has on general gaming now (in a good way, we hope), but don't forget there's also a Marvel MMO in the works. When we asked Gazillion Entertainment how this purchase will affect their Marvel Universe Online project, we were told that all they can relay at this point is a quote from Lowell Singer, Disney's senior vice president of investor relations: "On the video game front, Marvel has some smart licensing agreements with some of the best video game manufacturers in the business. As these licensing deals expire we have the luxury of considering what's best for the company and the products."

Gazillion also reminded us that their MMO licensing deal with Marvel is until 2019.

Marvel Universe MMO will release in 2012

by Krystalle Voecks Apr 2nd 2009 at 8:00PM

Filed under: Super-hero, Launches, New titles, News items, Marvel Universe Online

If you've been concerned about the potential supersaturation of superhero titles in the MMO space, it looks like you've got just a wee bit less to worry about. According to a recent interview with MTV's comic site, Splashpage, Simon Phillips, Marvel's president of worldwide consumer products, said that the Marvel Universe MMO won't release until 2012. The idea is to time the release of the MMO to better align with the one-two punch of the Captain America movie in 2011 and the Avengers movie in 2012. So, we're looking at approximately three more years before we can put our hands on the finished Marvel MMO, and geek out by swinging along with Spidey.

Stepping back, it's also an interesting move strictly from a tactical standpoint. City of Heroes will be 8 years old, Champions Online will be 3 years old, and even DC Universe Online will be at least a year or so old, depending on the final release date. Computer hardware will most likely have moved ahead by then. So is it crazy to push it out so far into the future? Or crazy like a fox? Only time will tell in this superheroic battle of titles.

Gazillion VP shares plans for Marvel Universe, Lego Universe, and beyond

by James Egan Mar 30th 2009 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Super-hero, Jumpgate Evolution, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, Marvel Universe Online, Casual, LEGO Universe, Kids

If you've been reading Massively over the past few weeks, it's likely you've heard us mention Gazillion Entertainment. They're a company that seemingly came out of nowhere and revealed that they've acquired NetDevil (thus Jumpgate Evolution and LEGO Universe) and have two MMOs based on Marvel Comics IPs in development; Super Hero Squad is geared towards kids while Marvel Universe is aimed squarely at older comic fans.

Our parent site Joystiq managed to get some face time at GDC 2009 with Gazillion's VP of Marketing Paul Baldwin who explained a bit about the company and their plans for the MMO industry.

Marvel Comics to share writers and artists with Gazillion for MMO

by James Egan Mar 26th 2009 at 3:00PM

Filed under: Super-hero, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Marvel Universe Online

We were disappointed back in 2008 when we learned that the Marvel MMO project was being shuttered. But, roughly a year after the bad news broke, Gazillion Entertainment announced that they're working on a Marvel Comics MMO. Two, in fact. While a number of comics fans who play MMOs are excited about DC Universe Online (which is slated for release in 2010) comics fans often have their particular allegiances to a certain IP, and not everyone is a huge fan of the DC Comics universe. Marvel purists should have even more to look forward to from the upcoming MMO. Joystiq reports that Marvel Comics will lend its writers and artists to the project.

That comes straight from Ira Rubenstein, who holds a senior position with Marvel's global digital media group. Rubenstein made the announcement during the GamesBeat 2009 conference in San Francisco.

Marvel signs 10-year contract, sees an MMO in its future

by Krystalle Voecks Mar 17th 2009 at 9:00AM

Filed under: Super-hero, MMO industry, News items, Marvel Universe Online

After the deal with Cryptic and Microsoft fell through, we weren't too terribly sure we'd ever hear another peep out of Marvel insofar as getting a game into the MMO space. However, it would seem that they've given it some thought - or more likely, thought about all the money that's here to be made - and decided to proceed on getting their own MMO into the market anyway. According to a story from the Wall Street Journal, Marvel has signed a 10-year deal with Gazillion Entertainment (previously NR2B Research, per VentureBeat) that will encompass not only a Marvel Universe online game that will tie into a Cartoon Network series, but also a renewal of the Marvel Universe MMO project for PC and consoles with Gazillion's subsidiary, Gargantuan Studios.

Considering that Champions Online is in closed beta already, DC Universe Online is showing some pretty solid previews, and City of Heroes is still chugging along with a devoted player-base, it's going to be an uphill battle from the word go for this Marvel MMO. Sure, there will be comics loyalists who prefer the Marvel universe to the DC universe, but with four superhero MMOs to choose from? Everyone involved should remember that in MMOs, no amount of retconning will help a game that doesn't bring its best from the start.

[Via Joystiq]

Microsoft's Shane Kim on Xbox 360's MMO failures

by Samuel Axon Jul 29th 2008 at 11:00AM

Filed under: Interviews, MMO industry, Marvel Universe Online, Consoles

EDGE spoke with Microsoft Game Studios corporate VP Shane Kim about the MMO genre's failure to come to fruition on the Xbox 360 game console. Two MMOs that were planned for the platform -- Marvel Universe Online (an in-house project) and True Fantasy Live Online (developed by Factor 5) -- were cancelled. Check out the interview for all the quotes, but we have the gist of it here.

While Kim noted that the cancellation of those specific games was "the right decision," he also said "there's nothing to say those titles can't be successful on the 360."

Some critics (such as NCsoft) disagree. They argue that the Xbox Live service is too restrictive for an MMO developer's workflow. "I think those are real challenges ... we work very hard to create a stable and secure environment on Xbox 360 and that's where you see that tension," said Kim. "I'm sure we can solve that problem though in a way that is good for MMO developers and customers because we want that content: and we're getting very close. But we're late with that, and we feel bad about that."

A part of the Marvel MMO lives on ...

by Michael Zenke Jul 8th 2008 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Super-hero, Marvel Universe Online

Despite the cancellation of the Marvel Universe Online project, it appears some part of that virtual world lives on. In an interview with Brian Michael Bendis, the site ComicMix site asked about the connection between comics and games. Likely expecting some off-the-cuff discussion of new titles, we were very pleased to see Mr. Bendis respond with a few details about the now-deceased Cryptic Studios world. Bendis, along with being the much-respected writer of Ultimate Spider-Man, was also an executive producer on the project.

Bendis told the fan site that a piece of the MUO gameworld still exists within his personal laptop. The "X-Mansion" level of the game was completed - and is playable - and as no one will ever be able to see it. As Bendis puts it, "I think that MMO was a phenomenal idea that was extremely well executed and it went away because some guy at Microsoft who we'll never know pulled the plug on it before it even got underway."

[Via]

The Daily Grind: Do you miss Marvel Online already?

by Michael Zenke Mar 14th 2008 at 8:00AM

Filed under: Culture, MMO industry, New titles, The Daily Grind, Marvel Universe Online

We barely new ye, Marvel Universe Online, but already you're gone. In your wake you've left so many questions. What would the three-way tights fight have been like? What would your gameplay, world, and community have been like? Why did you leave us, after all the rumors and questions? Why is Jack Emmert so darn bitter? And most of all, what is your clone-brother Champions going to offer us?

What about your questions, Massively readers? Were you looking forward to swinging through NYC with Spidey or taking on the Sentinels side-by-side with the X-men? What kind of character would you have made? Who would you have allied yourself with? Have you turned back to the loving embrace of City of Heroes to assuage your angst? And, most of all ... are you still a true believer?

GDC08: Cartoon Network's FusionFall

by Akela Talamasca Feb 26th 2008 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Galleries, Screenshots, Trailers, Video, City of Heroes, City of Villains, Lineage, Lineage 2, Culture, Game mechanics, Lore, New titles, News items, Opinion, Star Wars Galaxies, Tabula Rasa, Ultima Online, Toontown Online, Free-to-play, Marvel Universe Online, Hands-on, Casual, Massively Hands-on, Massively Event Coverage, FusionFall

We were invited to check out Cartoon Network's upcoming kid-focused MMO FusionFall, and while clearly still in development, it shows a lot of potential. Developed in part by Korea's Grigon Entertainment, makers of Seal Online, QRing, and Gambledon, this is a title with a great deal of pedigree under the hood. Among the notable names on this project are Sam Lewis, former systems and content designer for Star Wars Galaxies; Robert Knopf, recently of Ultima Online; and Richard Weil, the community relations manager for many MMOs, including City of Heroes/Villains, Lineage I and II, Tabula Rasa, and Auto Assault.

With so many experienced and creative people behind it, FusionFall definitely stands to make a splash in the 8 - 14 year old demographic that Cartoon Network is shooting for. This isn't to say they don't have a few challenges ahead of them, however. We'll explore this, and show you the trailer, after the break.

Gallery: Cartoon Network's FusionFall

O'hare Airport really hasn't changed that much

I dunno... Stranglethorn Vale just isn't the same after Cartoon Network got ahold of it

Marvel Universe Online: how would it have worked?

by Akela Talamasca Feb 22nd 2008 at 7:30AM

Filed under: Super-hero, Game mechanics, Lore, New titles, PvP, Opinion, Marvel Universe Online, Roleplaying

Here's a question I haven't heard anyone ask. I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Marvel Comics geek; I know what both MODOK and AIM stand for; I remember Wolverine from when he wore those silly little eye-wings and whiskers on his mask; heck, I recall Nick Fury heading up the Howling Commandos. So I was pretty excited to hear about the Marvel Universe MMO. I had fantasies of playing as my favorite character (Adam Warlock, in case anyone's interested) until I realized that the game couldn't possibly work that way.

Think on it for a second: how many players would want to be Gambit, or the Hulk, or the Punisher? If even just two people, then there's a problem with identity. Even if you were to get around the problem with a suffix, i.e., Punisher213, then the brand has been diluted, and it no longer means anything. So, how would this MMO have worked?

David Perry on MUO cancellation: "huh?"

by Chris Chester Feb 14th 2008 at 4:30PM

Filed under: Business models, Interviews, MMO industry, Marvel Universe Online

Eurogamer caught up with David Perry, former Shiny Entertainment big-wig and now localizer of many free MMOs for Acclaim to ask him, among other things, for his reaction to the recent news that Marvel Universe Online has been officially canned. Perry reacted with some surprise, pointing out Marvel is one of the biggest and most prolific mainstream intellectual properties on the market today, with all the money swirling around the box-office success of Spiderman, X-men, The Hulk, etc. He reasoned that if you take a team just as good as Blizzard and set them to work on a Marvel MMO, it'd be even bigger than WoW.

We take Perry's point, but there are a number of factors to consider with this story. First of all, there's a certain danger in developing an MMO for a console environment, especially at this stage in the system's life. The Xbox 360 launched in Fall of 2005, meaning it's probably closing in on the midway point in its life-cycle. In a genre where games like Ultima Online and Dark Age of Camelot are still making money, being halfway through a five year life cycle doesn't bode well for long-term profitability. And second, whose to say Shane Kim even related the full story? This whole affair could be far messier than we can tell at this juncture -- we may only find out what really happened with time.

Cryptic announces Champions Online, their new superhero MMO

by Akela Talamasca Feb 14th 2008 at 5:45AM

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, City of Villains, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Marvel Universe Online, Champions Online

Stop the presses! Eurogamer tackles the scoop by Game Informer magazine that Cryptic Studio's new MMO, to be developed for both PCs and consoles, will be another superhero game called Champions Online. Scoop indeed; the news isn't even up on Cryptic's site!

While it may seem strange to set up yet another superhero-themed MMO while City of Heroes/City of Villains is still getting lots of play, this could be Cryptic's way of reusing assets created for Marvel Universe Online. No word yet on whether the title has anything to do with the classic roleplaying game Champions, which is itself all about superheroes, but the addition of 'Online' to the name might be an indicator. We'll be going to GDC where Cryptic will probably announce this, so keep your ears on!

Marvel MMO officially put to rest

by Chris Chester Feb 11th 2008 at 1:00PM

Filed under: Business models, Interviews, New titles, Marvel Universe Online

I have to confess, I had been holding out hope over the last couple months that the rumors circulating of Marvel Universe Online's imminent cancellation would prove to be unfounded. The very idea of a Marvel-endorsed super-hero game being developed by the guys at Cryptic to be released on the Xbox 360 platform was almost too much for my fanboy heart to handle. Alas, it was not to be. Steven Totilo of MTV's multiplayer blog sat down with Microsoft's Shane Kim to talk, among other things, about the cancellation.

Kim first confirmed that the cancellation rumor was true, and stressed that the decision to cease development was amicable on all sides. He cited the competitiveness of the MMO market as the primary reason for cancellation. Evidently, Microsoft felt that they couldn't make a sufficient profit to justify the costs of development using a traditional subscription-based model. He also said the game was too far along in development to switch to another business model, like an ad-supported or RMT model. Perhaps the only silver lining in this story is that Cryptic is now free to develop new IPs. Those, of course, will have to wait until Cryptic's media blackout ends.

The Digital Continuum: A Cryptic future

by Kyle Horner Jan 19th 2008 at 11:00AM

Filed under: Super-hero, City of Heroes, Opinion, Star Trek Online, The Digital Continuum, Marvel Universe Online, Rumors

These days, if you don't keep your head down, a rumor about Cryptic Studios is bound to hit you in the face. In fact, quite a few of them probably already have at this point. It all started with a letter to the community. After that plural hit, it wasn't just Marvel Universe Online that people were chattering about, but upcoming "projects" from Cryptic Studios as well. Ever since they managed to take one of my favorite things in the world -- superheroes -- and turn that world into a fun and successful massively game, I've loved the people at Cryptic.

So it was with plenty of excitement that I discovered Cryptic would be handling the Marvel Comics license for their next massively game. Unfortunately for all of us excited fans -- of Cryptic, Marvel or both -- the entire operation went into super-secret-silent mode. Aside from CoX news, (which came from a different team at Cryptic, now NCsoft NorCal) we haven't heard even a faint murmur of information. After a while, this leads to lots of speculation about whether or not Marvel Universe Online is canceled. So far, there still hasn't been any additional official information on the game and all we are left to is pure speculation.

What could be in the future for Cryptic Studios? Nobody knows except them, but that shouldn't stop anyone from guessing.

Predicting the MMO landscape in 2008

by Mike Schramm Jan 2nd 2008 at 2:30PM

Filed under: World of Warcraft, Fantasy, Puzzle, Sci-fi, Age of Conan, Dark Age of Camelot, Events, real-world, Expansions, Launches, PvP, Warhammer Online, The Agency, News items, Opinion, Star Trek Online, Marvel Universe Online

It's that time of year again-- before 2008 starts, everyone and their brother is going to throw out some predictions about what will happen with MMOs this year. So here's a Massively roundup, and a little meta-analysis of what might happen in this Year of the Potato.

Let's start with our own Zenke-- he says Wrath won't make it out in 2008, The Agency and Warhammer will hit big, and Dark Age of Camelot and Vanguard are on their way out. He's also got Tabula Rasa sticking it out for the year, and claims that a major MMO (Age of Conan?) will be delayed past 2008.
Ancient Gaming Noob is next: he also says Wrath is shipping late, but goes against popular notions to say that Star Trek Online will be released to cheers from fans on all sides. He also says the biggest story of the year will be Age of Conan's "titties," and that will throw a scare into the "adult" MMO market. He also says, tongue firmly planted in cheek, that Bioware is not actually making an MMO, and the announcement of that will "only spur greater excitement and speculation as to what kind of MMO BioWare is making." Funny.
Keen of Keen and Graev expects Warhammer to go gangbusters, but also says Funcom will have trouble with the nudity in AoC, causing them to patch it out. He has Wrath "bombing," but at least he thinks it'll make it out.

Lots more predictions for 2008 (including our own) after the jump.