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]
