Doctor-Doom
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Marvel Heroes rolls out first episode of Chronicles of Doom motion comic series
When Marvel Heroes launches on June 4th, it will begin a super story that finds Doctor Doom wielding a fair share of power. But what about the story behind that story? To reveal just how Doctor Doom rose to power, Gazillion is releasing a short series of motion comics entitled "Chronicles of Doom." Penned by Brian Michael Bendis, well-known for his work creating the Ultimate Marvel Universe, the adventure begins with the villain infiltrating the sanctuary of the Fantastic Four. Watch the first installment of the four-part series after the break. [Source: Gazillion Entertainment press release]
Marvel Heroes admits that yes, it does have a story
It would be a mistake to assume that just because Marvel Heroes is taking the form of a Diablo-style action game it's lacking any substantial lore. In fact, Gazillion chief writer Brian Michael Bendis claims in a new dev diary that the writers have a truly epic tale in place: "This is the kind of story so large that we probably couldn't do it in the comic books without it taking 75 issues." The story kicks off with Doctor Doom as the primary antagonist. Doom has captured a powerful artifact and is in the process of freeing villains from a massive prison. The writing team says that players will learn more about Doom's sinister plan as the game progresses. One of the key tools that the team is using to tell the story is a series of motion comics to give what the devs call an "authentic Marvel experience." These cutscenes are illustrated by the folks at Marvel and voiced by actors who have played the characters in the past. The studio claims that over 9,000 lines of dialogue, including witty banter, will launch with the game. Check out the story of Marvel Heroes after the jump!
Marvel Heroes chief: 'It's very Diablo-like'
Gazillion founder David Brevik opened up in an interview at Comic-Con, talking about Marvel Heroes' strong suits (pun intended). When asked about how this title will keep players coming back for more, Brevik said "It's very Diablo-like: random levels and lots of items that drop. It's very addictive gameplay, as well as lots of endgame content that we haven't talked about yet." Brevik also discussed the game's story, which pits players against a nefarious plot by Doctor Doom. The key parts of the story will be told in over an hour's worth of motion comics. The team is strongly leaning on the Marvel IP to draw in fans and is relying on well-known heroes and classic locations to make geeks happy. When asked why players will not be allowed to make their own superheroes but instead will be forced to play one of Marvel's pre-existing characters, Brevik said that the game's system is just more compelling. While he admits that there could be 20 Spideys all in the same area, he points out that players have the option of switching their active character or choosing a different costume. You can watch the full video after the jump!
Marvel Heroes unveils its first official trailer [Updated]
After months and months of teasing us, Gazillion Entertainment has finally officially released new details about its upcoming new title, the free-to-play Marvel Heroes. The press release claims that the game will take "the MMO category to a completely new level of excitement and engagement" by combining "the energy of action role-playing games with the breadth and immersion of the MMO genre." Players can now get their first look at Marvel Heroes with the title's first teaser trailer, which features gameplay footage interwoven with some rather menacing shots of a certain Victor Von Doom, who seems to have gotten his titanium-plated hands on what appears to be the Cosmic Cube, an artifact that gives its bearer the power to bend reality to his will. We're not sure what Doc Doom plans to do with the Cube, but we know that it can't possibly be anything good. Presumably it will be up to the players to put a stop to Doom's nefarious plans and return the Cube to its rightful place, but until we find out more, head on past the cut and enjoy the trailer in all of its super-goodness. [Source: Gazillion Entertainment press release] [Update: IGN has a preview of the game that discusses in detail its Diablo roots.]
The dark side of Super Hero Squad Online
Who says good guys never go bad? In Villainville, the newest expansion to Marvel's kid-friendly Super Hero Squad Online, players can do just that. Situated beyond the borders of the pleasant Super Hero City, Villainville is home to Doctor Doom's Lethal Legion and his evil minions, and within the dark city's walls and sewers, players go beyond merely fighting the bad guys -- they can become fallen versions of some of their favorite heroes, like Dark Surfer, Red Hulk, Iron Patriot, and Red She-Hulk. Players can also explore the all-new game world and jump into new missions like Abomination Obliteration and MODOK's Mo' Problems. SHSO, which released last year complete with housing and a trading card game, is a F2P browser-based MMO that's heavy on the comic mischief and perfect for a quick superhero-flavored dungeon romp. Be you big kid or small, check out the new Villainville trailer behind the break!
Marvel Universe Online will be free-to-play, penned by Bendis
Move over, Batman: After a few false starts, Marvel's finally poised to become the next big MMO superhero thing. Thursday evening, I attended Gazillion Entertainment and Marvel's live San Francisco reveal of Marvel Universe Online's head writer, the jovial Brian Michael Bendis. Joining Brian for a lively Q&A panel were Gazillion President and COO David Brevik, VP and Studio Head for Secret Identity (fka Gargantuan) Jeff Lind, and VP of Games at Marvel TQ Jefferson. Brian's involvement in the game's story wasn't the only announcement the panelists had in store for attendees -- they almost casually confessed that players will slip into the spandex of iconic Marvel characters and that the game will be free-to-play, making it perhaps the first Western triple-A title to be designed for such a model from the ground up. Because I knew you'd be disappointed if I didn't, I dutifully asked an amused Jeff Lind about PvP, housing, crafting, voice acting, character customization, travel powers, advancement, and all those other goodies, but as you can probably guess, the devs aren't in a position to talk about sweeping systems just yet -- they want to "retain the ability to change [their] minds." So manage thy expectations accordingly! Fortunately, both Jeff and Brian were willing to chat about story, tie-ins, and MUO's niche in an increasingly crowded superhero MMO field, so hit the break for their thoughts and my round-up of the hot topics from the panel.
New goodies, and baddies, coming to Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
Xbox 360 owners, traded in your Marvel: Ultimate Alliance disc yet? If you did, then you'll be missing out on the opportunity to fork over your Microsoft points in exchange for some additional characters. In April you'll be able to purchase either a 'Heroes' pack or a 'Villains' pack for 500 points apiece, or both for 800. Whoever said that Activision doesn't like to make a deal and pass the savings along to you?The Heroes pack includes: Cyclops, Nightcrawler, Hawkeye, and The Incredible Hulk. On the flipside, the Villains group consists of Venom, Magneto, Sabretooth, and Doctor Doom ... which sounds like an 80s hair-band mega-metal tour. Both packs will include new achievements as well, breathing some life back into this game. Hopefully this is a trend that'll continue for awhile, because we like adding some shelf-life and playability to our games. Of course, we're still waiting on additional achievements for Whacked!, but that's a different story.
