@tk.: Man, you just broke my heart with that WoT remark

schizorogue

@Spoony Bard: If change is blasphemy, then I'm for it. There's a reason I don't read Spider-Man any more (okay, there's the whole "Clone Wars" thing, so two reasons): nothing ever changed. It's like endlessly rereading books 7 through 11 of the Wheel of Time series; at a certain point you realize that it's never going anywhere, so you just stop caring.

I was sad that this got cancelled, but honestly probably wouldn't have the time for it anyhow. Perhaps it's just as well.

tk.

after being apart of the final fantasy 11,star wars galaxies and world of warcraft(FF11 being the longest)..i thought it was time to concentrate on the other great games coming out(normal kind)...however,if any game could get me back into MMO gaming,this could be it

C'mon microsoft,if FOX can do it with Family guy,then surely you can do it with this

metallicorphan

@CaffeinatedGuy:

C'mon ... what's with the blatant self advertising??!! Not only do you write out your website address, but post a YouTube video too. That's bad taste, seriously. Put your website address in your profile page, where it belongs.

dead_red_eyes

@0bsessions: Well I may have got the wrong idea about there wealth then but they have got lots of movies out recently making a fair bit of cash (spider man, iron man, whatever else) so I doubt funding an MMO would be so hard. Games cost less to make than movies so how can they make CGI heavy movies and not a game (which as I said they could have another dev assist them with)? I agree they may not be willing to put all that cash upfront but if it's as good as they say then I doubt it would be such a terrible adventure.

Llost

So are there going to be any petitions? One for the game to come back to life and one for the executive getting the boot?

Trowble (XBL/PSN)

@DaiMacculate: Heheh. :)

I saw him at the Wizard World a few weeks back here. The amount of polarization around him and Joe Quesada is nothing short of astounding.

Joe Q, of course, being the reason that Mary Jane and Peter Parker are no longer together.

BLASPHEMY!!!!!!!!!

Spoony Bard

i would much rather see a marvel mmo than a dc one -_-

demonknightinuyasha

"Speaking with Marvel writer and universe architect Brian Bendis,"

If by Architect you mean the alcoholic contractor who manages to lower the value of your building and compromise its structure in the name of "renovation", then I totally see how that applies :P

DaiMacculate

I wish the gaming industry was truly ran by gamers. Oh how amazing it could be... *begins to daydream*

Slust

So a Marvel MMO for Xbox and a DC Comics MMO for Playstation. What's next? A Donald Duck MMO for Wii?

Lootskin

There's some confirmation of one of the PR leaks from a couple of weeks ago. He confirmed that Marvel:UA 2 involves the Civil War storyline. I'm definitely looking forward to that.

As for the Marvel MMO, I'm bummed to hear that it was summarily executed by someone at MS for apparently no reason. I could at least understand if it wasn't shaping up to be very good, but if Bendis can believed, it was actually turning out pretty well. Frankly I'm a bit surprised that anyone would cancel a project that involved Marvel properties. It seems to me that they can print money using those licenses.

MSUSteve

Secret Invasion. Noooooooooooooooooooooo!

That would be horrible. It would be like playing WoW as a Tauren in good ol' Horde goodness, then for the sakes of being cool, turning green, getting a wrinkley chin, and killing both Horde and Alliance.

Just say no to Skrulls.

Salen

@Llost: Because they're not a "hugely rich" company. A lot of people get the wrong idea because of the huge success of their movies recently, but Marvel, as a company, is less than a decade removed from bankruptcy. They've long since regained their footing, but financing an MMO on their own, with absolutely no experience making video games in-house, is a recipe for disaster.

As for the people hoping Sony picks this up, well, damn I hope not. Does anyone else remember the last couple licensed MMOs Sony had their hands in? Star Wars Galaxies and Matrix Online anybody?

0bsessions

still breaks my heart.

TheIrishNinja

@CaffeinatedGuy:

I dont mind a bit of self promotion here and there,but in your case its getting a bit ridiculous,so either stop spamming the place or pay kotaku for the privlage.

Anyways....Yeah,damn you faceless Exec!I wanted to hang out with Deadpool :(

Tom Clancy's Samuraidino

You can bet money that the faceless Microsoft Exec who killed off the project was none other than Shane Kim.

beem

@Sollus: I agree, it could have been crap but unless they show us what it was like then it's useless just saying it was beautiful.

I wish they didn't pull the plug on it just cos it'd be cool to see what it'd end up like but it's a game and games get cancelled sometimes just like eight days and getaway 3 were canned. If this game is half as good as he says then why doesn't Marvel (a hugely rich company) just make it themselves or have another dev help them make it?

Llost

Meanest kotaku article title ever.

TomSkylark

I'm glad that "some guy at Microsoft who we'll never know" decided to pull the plug on this.

It's amazing that MS gets anything even remotely cool done.

cello

Of course it was gorgeous and fantastic to that guy. He works for Marvel.

Sollus

Doesn't PS3 have a DC Universe MMO game coming? Yeah, I suppose having both on the same console would be overkill. But what good food for fanboy wars this would have been! "My Hulk 360 ownz your Batman PS3!"

slomo788

Civil War in the next Ultimate Alliance game?

Sweet

stune

now I'm even sadder knowing Bendis was working on it. He is one of the more talented writers at Marvel.

TakuFangirl

Interesting.. Damn those faceless execs. If only they had a face maybe they could appreciate it.

Greg

www.caffeinatedgames.com

+ Watch video

CaffeinatedGuy

Hopefully some new MMO, such as Age of Conan, will start generating a profit and detracting people from World of Warcraft to show to Microsoft that publishing an MMO would be worthwhile. While i really wanted to see this game come true, i understand the mysterius Microsoft executive's logic in that with World of Warcraft dominating the MMO scene, there isn't much point to publish one when it will never by hugely successful when its competing with WoW, although i wish it weren't true. So hopefully some turn of events, like a new mmo showing real competition to WoW, will convince Microsoft to complete this project.

Pbombas

@Kanoopy:

[en.wikipedia.org]

Maybe they should pitch the game to Sony, maybe they might pick it up. Fucking suits ... always messing things up for the rest of us.

dead_red_eyes

Oh, well.

UCB-Disco

There is far too much potential in the words "Marvel MMO" to ignore. I would love for this to someday come to fruition.

chuffhoncho

secret Invasion?

Kanoopy

Looks like that "rumor" about Ultimate Alliance that Activision and Microsoft said wasn't true IS true.

Nice.

Archaotic

Just one great MMO on a console, is it really too much to ask?

Super_Koopa

Bendis!
is a genius.

Sullyville

If Sony does pick this up, they will own the comic-to-games industry. Maybe it would be an extra incentive to have all comic games made on PS3 then ported out. Then again, Microsoft will most likely have some of the patents and creativity and won't sell it. I hate Corporations.

Cennus

Note to self:

Steal Bendis's laptop.

DiscipleofJamzy

You son of a BITCH, Bendis. You say all of that and you won't show it to us? You don't think that people seeing what could have been will make us want it more? get us to do more ABOUT it. Demand it, raise the dead?

It's been done before.

Spider-girl.
Jericho.
The list goes on.

Damn you Bendis! You evil genius!

Tietsu

Brian Bendis... ewwwww

SPESSMAHREEN

house of m?

oh, please, no...

presto117

Perhaps if the DC MMO is successful, Microsoft will re-think things? I suspect that a Marvel MMO would be more popular, due to the number of recognisable characters.

EvilSuperSean

@schizorogue: If it makes you feel any better, I actually really enjoyed Knife of Dreams. Just not the bulk of the 3200 pages after Lord of Chaos that led up to that point.

tk.

Marvel should buy back the rights from Microsoft and start an in-house development team. This was obviously ended my someone in the MGS chain of command, starting with Shane Kim, whoever has taken Peter Moore's place, and Robbie Bach. What I don't understand is why they completely killed it. Vanguard was similarly killed while I was working there, and it was great to see the developer Sigil ressurect it and get Sony to publish it.

Rob Phelps

I think Marvel properties are better suited for games like Ultimate Alliance. Small to medium scale multiplayer beat the crap out of everything on the screen with established heros works better than an MMO IMO. UA and even Xmen Legends were great for what they were.

MMOs really tend to water down the franchise. I could see where the concept would be cool, but I really don't have any desire to drop into a server with 500K Wolverines and Spidermans.

NickinNOLA

@CaffeinatedGuy: That sure doesn't look like the Marvel MMO, because really, that game looks like it really sucks hard.

Furysetzer

I agree with what some other people have said what if Sony was to pick up the rights to finish the Marvel MMO. I do wonder if SOE could handle both a DC and Marvel MMO. But it would be cool to see none the less. Because at least the Marvel game would come out on the PC too. If Sony can not pick up the Marvel MMO a Marvel game would be cool to see.

BlackIceJoe

@CaffeinatedGuy: Stop promoting your game, lest you want the Ban Hammer.

I really want a Marvel MMO. With full involvement of Bendis. Damn you Microsoft!

Thorax

if you watch the dvd that came with Gears of war, you can see how this happens, the m$ "contact" with epic was name dropping so she could get things that she didnt want in the game changed....
I think the people m$ put in charge of the games are in the wrong jobs,,,,

juscallmeweasel

So MS goes through with Too Human's prolonged development period, throwing buckets of money into it while Dyack constantly shits on its target demographic, and at the same they decide to drop a sure thing like a fucking Marvel MMO for the 360 when the only competition it would be going against in that genre is a bad looking PS2 port? Holy shit MS, first you drop Level 5's awesome looking True Fantasy Live and now this? DO YOU HATE MAKING MONEY?

Polyh3dron

Best case scenario:

Sony scraps the DC MMO that nobody gives two shits about and brings the Marvel MMO back to life.

Scott3D

Lets see, can M$ execs be more out of touch and useless... after this one i must say, no.

Lets analize the situation, is there any good MMOs on a console? No.

Is Wow ever going to come to the XBOX? Doubt it.

So is there anything we can use to make an MMO with, that is a sure thing? Yeah we could make a Marvel MMO. Hah hah haha hahaha, that wold actually make sence... better not.

I say give the rights to Blizard or something, at least they care and take their time to make good games. And they make money on the PC like nobody have ever done before.

Krumm

Isn't this the one that's being stripped of it's Marvel credentials and being redeveloped as Champions Online?

markusdragon

Not sure how that one would have worked out. I assumed that the established heroes (all the Marvel IP's) would have been the equivalent of the important NPC's in WOW and players would have generic heroes. I wonder if they would have gone down the whole City of Heroes vs. City of Villains path to allow PvP. Well, I guess it's back to the drawing board for them.

gr8asianman

I'm still not entirely sure how a Marvel MMO would work...wouldn't there be thousands of 'Wolverines' running around on EVERY server?

If the did the City of Heroes thing and had everyone make a generic superhero...well, then it's not really Marvel anymore. You woudn't need the license at all (plus it's already been done)

I'm sure there's an answer to this question, but I just don't see it.

Aggrotank

If I ever find out who "pulled the plug" I'm gonna murdalize them! Stupid son of a bitch!

JustOneFix

Some "faceless Microsoft exec" wasn't faceless at all, in fact he's pretty well known. Shane Kim, who has been the antithesis of his former position holder Ed Fries, was behind the plug pulling.

Whereas Ed believed in projects, let them grow and gave real and honest contructive criticism and yet still allowed them to grow and continue...Kim has done the total opposite, killing projects left and right with absolutely no creative vision.

Under the lead of Fries, Microsoft had a significant and growing stable of 1st party Xbox titles. Where are they now? Can you name 1 heavy hitting 1st party Xbox title? I'm not talking Exclusives. I'm referring to INternally developed or Microsoft owned studios. He even managed to run Bungie out the door.

And if you doubt me, here are a few titles that Kim is single-handedly responsible for killing:
True Fantasy Live Online, Marvel Universe, Citizen Zero, The entire stable of 1st Party sports games...

These are just a few. Sorry, just been very unhappy with the way Kim has handled the Xbox 1st party support. Fries was a creator...Kim is a businessman. That's why he'll simply rely on 3rd party support.

/rant off

Archmagnus

What if npc Scarlet Witch says "No more mutants" and a third of all player characters suddenly went poof?

osteofight

Go on Sony, even you couldn't muck this up!

Rybo5000

Why must an MMO be supported by a monthly fee? Guild Wars has done failry well through expansions. And microstransactions have been a major success with Xbox Live. That type of structure isn't necessary by any means. I think you can make an MMO on the 360, and support it through extra content. If players truly want to experience the added content, or have access to more aesthetically pleasing gear, better positions in ques for groups or even more varied races and archetypes, they'd be willing to pay for such things, with a fractitional cost to the developer.

The mentality of a successful console MMO is only minimized by the fact that no one has really ever tried. I'm sorry but EQ and FF11 don't count. I'm talking, a true blue MMO made exclusivley for a console, with console mentality in mind.

PSO was the closest we've ever had, and that was nearly a decade ago. It can be done, with a developer that has enough creativity and vision, and a publisher with enough money and steadfast determination to succeed.

Archmagnus

Problem with MMOs on consoles (especially the 360) is that you're going to have to convince people that they should pay an additional $14.99/month on top of the $50/year access fee.

NickinNOLA

Isn't always amazing how the cancelled games, unreleased comics and unfilmed scripts so often achieve LEGENDARY status and people complain about what will never be even though we've usually never seen any of it?

Bendis, I love your books, but I can't completely trust your gaming taste.

As for the rest of us, with Sony's DC game still being developed, so you seriously think there wasn't a GOOD reason why MS discontinued development of this?

DARTH_TIGRIS

@Archmagnus: Depends what you're looking for. Guild Wars is a different experience than WoW or EQ because it focuses on towns and instances, whereas the traditional MMOs are running entire fully fleshed worlds. If you run, say, a Marvel MMO where you only have a few "social" areas (like Stark Tower, Shield HQ, X-Mansion, etc), you probably wouldn't need the type of backend server hardware that you would need for a persistant NYC.

Most MMOs require fees to offset the server cost and support staff. Or in the case of WoW, print money. Even though WoW is the exception to the MMO rule IMO, most other companies are going to look at their bottom line and say they want a piece of that action.

You also haven't seen a console MMO because no console had a HDD until recently. Its hard to develop one if you aren't sure that the majority of console owners have the HDD. It isn't that much of a problem now since the 360 and PS3 both have HDDs, but the HDD is still a relatively new feature for consoles.

Honestly, I've always viewed MMOs as a sucker bet for gaming companies. Its like a blackjack table where you can make a sidebet of $5 that pays off 500:1 odds if you pull down Two Queens. Sure you might hit that once, but you'll waste the $5 bet on thousands of other hands. Most MMOs fail within 12 months. Even when you break it down, only one MMO has ever really been a massive hit.

NickinNOLA

I hope the writing in MUA2 is better than the first one.

Shinryoma

@Llost: Most of the Marvel movies are made by big studios that originally licensed the characters from Marvel, so while Sony made tons of cash on the spider-man movies alone, Marvel only got a few million from it.
They recently made their own studio and have put out Iron Man and Incredible Hulk, but it will be a while before you can call them rich

Oasx

They should totally do a Secret Invasion game, with an updated version of whatever engine "The Thing" on the PS2 used. Heh.

Uzumaki_Kiba