US, February 11, 2008 - In an interview with MTV, Microsoft Game Studios Corporate Vice President Shane Kim confirmed that the Marvel MMO has been cancelled. In 2006, Microsoft signed Cryptic Studios, makers of the popular PC MMO City of Heroes, to create a game based in the Marvel Universe. It was expected to tap in to current Marvel comics storylines and feature storylines from yet-to-be-named Marvel writers.
"Marvel and [Microsoft] have agreed to end development on the MMO," Kim told MTV. "It's just something that we felt that, for us and for them, it would be better if we ended development... When we first entered into the development and agreement of the development of 'Marvel Universe Online,' we thought we would create another subscription-based MMO. And if you really look at the data there's basically one that's successful and everything else wouldn't meet our level or definition of commercial success. And then you have to look [and say]: 'Can we change the business model for that? Is that really viable given how far we are in development? And so forth. Does Marvel want to do that?' There's a whole bunch of factors."
This marks the second high-profile MMO to be cancelled. Previously, Microsoft dropped the axe last generation on Level-5's True Fantasy Live Online. Microsoft's original Xbox and Xbox 360 have had a long-standing flirtation with MMOs. So far this has yielded almost no massively multiplayer games on either console.
http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/851/851078p1.html
This means that SonyOnlineEntertainment is now going to win the battle with their title DCComics Online as long as they can get a release. Takes of some pressure hey? (even though I still think Marvel > DCComics)
"Marvel and [Microsoft] have agreed to end development on the MMO," Kim told MTV. "It's just something that we felt that, for us and for them, it would be better if we ended development... When we first entered into the development and agreement of the development of 'Marvel Universe Online,' we thought we would create another subscription-based MMO. And if you really look at the data there's basically one that's successful and everything else wouldn't meet our level or definition of commercial success. And then you have to look [and say]: 'Can we change the business model for that? Is that really viable given how far we are in development? And so forth. Does Marvel want to do that?' There's a whole bunch of factors."
This marks the second high-profile MMO to be cancelled. Previously, Microsoft dropped the axe last generation on Level-5's True Fantasy Live Online. Microsoft's original Xbox and Xbox 360 have had a long-standing flirtation with MMOs. So far this has yielded almost no massively multiplayer games on either console.
http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/851/851078p1.html
This means that SonyOnlineEntertainment is now going to win the battle with their title DCComics Online as long as they can get a release. Takes of some pressure hey? (even though I still think Marvel > DCComics)
