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What does Disney buying Marvel have to do with us?
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.
GDC09: Joystiq interviews Gazillion VP about Marvel MMOs, Lego Universe and where the publisher came from
Gazillion. Up until a couple weeks ago, the word was representative of numerical hyperbole, and now it represents a publisher with massive venture capital backing and the MMO rights to major IPs like Marvel and Lego. We had a chance to interview the company's VP of Marketing Paul Baldwin -- with a fire drill intermission -- during GamesBeat 2009 last week. We asked him pretty much anything we could think of ... you know, considering we knew almost nothing about this new publisher.Joystiq: We're here with Paul Baldwin, who is the vice president of marketing at the "newly founded" Gazillion Entertainment? What's the deal there?Baldwin: Newly announced. The company was in stealth mode since 2005, so we've been around for a while, but we are "newly announced."You guys just appeared on the scene and got the Marvel license. I can tell you, we spent hours the day we first heard of the company, just calling up several journos and PR asking, "Who are these guys?" So, who are you guys?Good question, I have to first say that I was amazed myself that we were able to keep the company quiet since 2005, additionally when we acquired NetDevil in July of '08 and obviously we were very excited to get Jumpgate and of course Lego Universe, then we also acquired a company in Seattle, and we've been slowly building up the Marvel Universe studio, Gargantuan, in San Mateo, and throughout this period we were able to keep it quiet, which, once again, really surprised all of us. As I mentioned, the company started in 2005. At that point, we had kind of modest goals, frankly. We had an original IP, which is going to be a big client, high production quality -- World of Warcraft-like production quality -- coming out. That was the first product we had actually on tap.
Marvel Comics to share writers and artists with Gazillion for MMO
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
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]
Shane Kim talks MMO stumbles
Shane Kim knows (and he know we know) that Microsoft has had some problems in the MMO department, and he even takes the full blame, saying "It's a tough and challenging space that's evolving all the time – a lot of shifting sands. We haven't been able to crack the code." Listen, Kim (can we call you Kim?) we can sympathize. Lord knows we burned through enough cash on our ill-fated lifeguard MMO Endless Deep End. And though we can't help you crack the whole code, we can offer an important first step to MMO success: Release one.We know, it's a small thing, but you'd be surprised how many miss this important step. Though we're giving him a hard time, we're betting NCsoft wishes they'd had a Shane Kim on staff when Auto Assault was being workshopped. "Everyone please leave the room," he'd say, as he loaded his syringe and slipped on rubber gloves, Auto Assault huddling in the corner. "And for the love of God, whatever you hear, do not come in."
Shane Kim: Microsoft feels 'bad' about MMO failings
Shane Kim, former Microsoft Game Studios guru and recently appointed VP of the Microsoft Interactive Entertainment Business, recently spoke to EDGE magazine on his company's failed attempts at massively multiplayer online games. Specifically, MS canceled Marvel Universe Online earlier this year. Way back on the original Xbox, True Fantasy Live Online, once thought to be the original Xbox's savior in Japan, was also canceled. On Microsoft's trouble with MMOs, Kim said, "I'll admit MGS has not had success in the MMO space," also noting, "We haven't been able to crack the code." Kim says that he believes MS "made the right decision" in canceling Marvel Universe Online but adds that "there's nothing to say those titles can't be successful on 360."Part of the problem, according to Kim, is the "tension" between what developers want to create and Microsoft's need to maintain a "stable and secure environment on Xbox 360." In other words, it sounds like developers aren't too keen on the controls that Microsoft places on Xbox Live. Kim concludes that Microsoft is "getting very close" to solving the problem, but that the company has been slow to deliver an MMO experience, noting "we feel bad about that."So do we, Shane. So do we.
Microsoft's Shane Kim on Xbox 360's MMO failures
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 ...
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]
Microsoft Game Studios' 2008 in Gaming: A Yearbook
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/xbox/2008_Yearbook_Microsoft_Game_Studios'; Interested in seeing what you'll be playing on your Xbox 360 in the coming months? X3F has compiled the 2008 Microsoft Game Studios Yearbook for you, a list of this year's exclusive graduating class with a detailed account of each title's current status and the stories surrounding them.The 2008 Microsoft Game Studios Yearbook chronicles the graduates, like the soon-to-be released Ninja Gaiden II, and the titles that didn't make it to grad, like Alan Wake. Yep, he had to be held back for a semester or two. Or maybe three, we just don't know yet.Ladies and gentlemen, allow us to introduce the 2008 Microsoft Game Studios graduating class ...
2008 Yearbook: Microsoft Game Studios
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/xbox/2008_Yearbook_Microsoft_Game_Studios'; After a solid year for the Xbox 360 in 2007 many thought the system could never showcase the same amount of quality exclusives in a single year.In the 2008 Microsoft Game Studios Yearbook, we've compiled a list of this year's graduating class with a detailed account of each title's current status and the stories surrounding them.From heartbreaking cancellations, surprise feature announcements and expected sequels, the 2008 MGS Yearbook is filled with fun facts and information on your soon-to-be favorite titles. Also included in the yearbook are special joke awards given to each title that releases in 2008 that poke fun at the details most commonly argued about in the comments.From Ninja Gaiden II to Alan Wake, the 2008 Microsoft Game Studios Yearbook will have something for everyone.Ladies and gentlemen allow us to introduce the 2008 Microsoft Game Studios graduating class ...
ION 08: Taking an MMO community from pre-launch to live
Yesterday was the final day of ION 08, but that didn't mean there weren't some incredbly great panels to attend. "Taking Your Community From Pre-Launch to Live" was just one of these panels and to make things even better it included some previous speakers I quite enjoyed hearing from.This time around the moderator was Steve Danuser (38 Studios) while Craig Dalrymple (Sony Online Entertainment) took a panelist seat along with Katie Postma (Firesky), Meghan Rodberg (Turbine) and Victor Wachter (Cryptic Studios). It's important to point out that all the panelist are in fact community managers, as opposed to Steve Danuser who is the lead content designer and director of community development for his company. However, Danuser was previously a community manager for EverQuest II.%Gallery-23015%
The Daily Grind: Do you miss Marvel Online already?
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
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-16922%
The Digital Continuum: Superhero standoff
Lets face it, the superhero genre is a bit of a niche right now in massively online games. That's not to say it doesn't have lots of potential, but there is certainly a more limited user base to garner steady subscriptions from than, say, fantasy. Ever since Marvel Universe Online got canned, the future was starting to look a bit murky for fans of the super-powered MMO -- at least until recently.
Champions Online and Cryptic Studios information bonanza
When news broke about Champions Online, it was because Game Informer Online had revealed the cover to their newest issue. We've got our hands on that issue and after pouring over its contents several times over, we're prepared to imbue you -- our readers -- with as much information as possible. There's a lot to know and a lot to get excited about, not to mention something of a bombshell from Cryptic Studios about the outcome from the sale of the City of Heroes property.
Marvel Universe Online: how would it have worked?
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?
Jack Emmert explains Cryptic's Champions choice
When the news hit that Cryptic Studios' next massively game would be Champions Online, a lot questions cropped up about what we could expect from the game. One of the biggest questions or the only question for some players -- is why? Jack Emmert explains in the first developer blog post on the new official CO website. In the end, it wasn't anything surprising that made Jack stand up and say, "Lets do Champions." It was something incredibly logical and a bit nostalgia-fueled as well, but in a good way.
The Daily Grind: Will Microsoft bring another MMO to market?
Microsoft have made it big-time with what is largely a market-follower strategy. Let others take risks, open new markets, make mistakes and find solutions, and then use that experience to move in with a best-of-breed application. Granted, opinions may vary as to how successful the implementations are tactically, but it is sound business sense nonetheless. However, this doesn't seem to be working quite so well in the MMO space. Mythica was canceled, True Fantasy Live Online, and Marvel Universe Online as well. Possibly others that we haven't heard about. And that's not counting MMO properties that they've sold off. The problem with the bandwagon business strategy is that MMOs take a fearsomely long time to assemble, and markets do change. Microsoft also hates being an also-ran. At the end of the day, Microsoft could produce a very credible MMO if they're willing to take the long-view. What do you think? Can Microsoft suck it back long enough to take the long-view, or are they likely to keep canceling in the hope of hitting that one perfect product that hits the market at exactly the right moment?
The Digital Continuum: Star Wars mystery developer
In the last couple of weeks, a lot has changed in the future outlook for upcoming massively games over the next few years. Marvel Universe Online is officially canceled, but in its place rises Champions Online like a shining beacon for fans of the superhero MMO -- although there is always the chance that Marvel could continue to pursue MUO with another developer.However, the change I'm most curious about involves the Star Wars IP, which according to rumors is definitely being developed, but not by Sony Online Entertainment or Bioware. If true, that changes a lot of things. It partly changes Bioware's upcoming massively game into something else entirely. However, the biggest change is that a Star Wars MMO is coming, but from somebody we haven't thought of yet. After the many woes of Star Wars Galaxies and the later success World of Warcraft has seen financially -- Lucas Arts wouldn't want this done in any way other than impeccably well.So then, who have they chosen?
David Perry on MUO cancellation: "huh?"
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.
