Marvel announces Xbox 360-exclusive MMORPG

  • By Brendan Sinclair, Tor Thorsen, GameSpot
  • Posted Jul 14, 2005 11:58 am PT

Massively multiplayer games to feature company's comic book characters will be exclusive to Microsoft's next-gen console.

Today at the Comic-Con International in San Diego, Marvel Enterprises announced a deal that gives Microsoft exclusive worldwide rights to make massively multiplayer online role-playing games based on characters from its popular comic books.

Perhaps of more significance to gamers, the two companies revealed that the as-yet untitled Marvel game will be developed exclusively on the Xbox 360, not on the PC like the vast majority of MMORPGs. That means any MMORPG to feature the hundreds of classic characters, such as the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, and Iron Man will only appear on Microsoft's next-generation console.

Marvel's entry into the MMORPG market comes as little surprise. Speculation sparked up last November when the company sued NCsoft, claiming the publisher's highly successful City of Heroes MMORPG allowed players to create characters so close to Marvel properties that they constituted copyright infringement. While the suit is ongoing, NCsoft scored a partial victory in March, when a judge threw out many of Marvel's complaints.

Regardless of the lawsuit's outcome, NCsoft won't be the only competition for Microsoft and Marvel's MMORPG project. Last month, Sony Online Entertainment picked up the rights to make a DC Comics-inspired MMORPG in a deal that also saw the company acquiring The Matrix Online.

Microsoft and Marvel mentioned neither the number of titles covered by the agreement, nor when the first game will be released. However, the announcement does mark the fourth Xbox 360 MMORPG to be announced since the console was unveiled two months ago, following APB, Huxley, and Final Fantasy XI (which is already available for the PC and PlayStation 2). By comparison, the only high-profile MMORPG for the current-generation Xbox was the now-canceled True Fantasy Live Online, although there are rumors the game will be resurrected for the 360.

24 Comments

  • DarkSpidey69

    Posted Jan 23, 2008 11:47 pm PT

    If done right this will be AWESOME. I can't wait. Going to have to kiss that social life of mine goodbye.

  • callumg339

    Posted Jan 22, 2008 11:27 am PT

    =D =D =D =D =D =D =D =D =D =D =D =D =D =D =D =D =D =D =D =D =D CANT WAIT !!!!!
    DC SUCKS!!

  • Whitem1ke

    Posted Dec 16, 2007 7:37 pm PT

    DC owns marvel, maybe not in today's day in age, but if you think of the two most popular Comic book characters...Batman and Superman!?!?!? they are from DC. Plus The Joker is arguably the greatest villain in comic book history!!! DC owns!

  • potnoodleminer

    Posted Nov 14, 2007 9:47 am PT

    Cool!!!! A MMO on xbox will be the best i can't wait

  • boru

    Posted Sep 5, 2007 2:19 pm PT

    Marvel sued City of Heros...pffft. So what if you can create characters close to Marvel's characters...you can never get them to look exactly alike, plus, you can never get the powers exactly alike....even if you do, that character is lost amongst zillions of other characters.

    This, the xbox 360, and the long wait makes me want to go buy City of Heroes. It is dirt cheap now.

  • txmethod

    Posted Aug 17, 2007 9:51 pm PT

    marvel and dc need to hurry up and merge. its bound to happen soon or later...maybe not in my lifetime. think about it. ufc and pride, wwf and wcw and ecw, sprint and nextel, at&t and cingular. superman vs the incredible hulk would be sweet!

  • SouL-Tak3R

    Posted Aug 3, 2007 4:27 pm PT

    Haha yup. Marvel Rules. DC has nothing on them.

  • blackguy87

    Posted Aug 2, 2007 12:51 pm PT

    We all know Marvel rules and DC sucks!

  • lilv8

    Posted Jul 31, 2007 7:31 am PT

    sounds sweet

  • AngelsongCA

    Posted Jul 30, 2007 12:03 pm PT

    I wonder if people will make their own heroes, or use Marvel Heroes.

    Action RPG, or server turn based?

  • GearMaster13

    Posted Jun 3, 2007 7:27 pm PT

    Hahaha that a boy artie. DC does suck.

  • blaster_chief

    Posted May 1, 2007 8:53 pm PT

    god thats sweet

  • atron62

    Posted Dec 14, 2006 1:22 pm PT

    is this just marvel ultimate alliance? i didnt get any info from the trailer

  • Templeburner86

    Posted Oct 26, 2006 6:47 pm PT

    Being a Saga Player this is going to be better than sliced bread.

  • D_Street

    Posted Oct 9, 2006 7:59 pm PT

    I hope you can create a hero like city of Heros and use all the powers in the comic books

  • FGODrauka

    Posted Sep 27, 2006 1:31 pm PT

    On the official Marvel website, it says that the game will be coming out for Vista, the new Windows OS. That spells PC release to me.

  • Evariuda

    Posted Jul 21, 2006 11:47 am PT

    i like it but want it on the pc =p
    So plz marvel bring it to pc PWEAAZZZZEEEE

  • artiebillymac

    Posted Jul 15, 2006 11:12 am PT

    every marvel chacater this is gonna kick ass,

    i agree with

    NateDoggMasta

    DC SUCKS

  • martin_f

    Posted Jun 4, 2006 3:30 am PT

    We need more info on this game pronto!!!!

  • NateDoggMasta

    Posted Mar 9, 2006 6:11 pm PT

    Damnit, I was hoping marvel would go with sony. Thats one less reason for me to get PS3, unless Ubisoft brings back prince of persia and somehow manages to cram one more adventure down our throats (which woudln't make any sense according to the end of pop3, although that game still kicks ass no matter what they do with it). Oh well, I'll start saving up now since Xbox 360s won't be back in stores for another million years....oh yeah, almost forgot, DC SUCKS!!!

  • ZugZug4

    Posted Dec 28, 2005 1:26 pm PT

    The consoles need a good MMORPG. C'mon Marvel!

  • BowmanKCMO

    Posted Dec 20, 2005 7:23 am PT

    This move is going to really disappoint a vast majority of gamers. We own PC's, not consoles. Rethink this, Microsoft and Marvel. If DC puts its product out on both consoles (PS3) and PC, Marvel will fall behind in that war right away. An online PC Marvel game is what I've been waiting for since they started making MMORPG's, and now this news that it will only be produced for the XBox 360? Pfft. I think I'll become a new fan of DC. Why would you NOT make this for the PC too? Makes no sense. None.

  • rocksteady2006

    Posted Dec 15, 2005 6:50 pm PT

    Game with all the characters from the marvel universe would be awesome to say the least. I hope they work overtime to get it out to us gamers.

  • jsl99944704

    Posted Dec 15, 2005 4:29 pm PT

    Cant wait for it.

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