DICE 08: Shane Kim talks Marvel MMO cancellation, Alan Wake
by Justin McElroy 
{ Feb 11th 2008 at 10:15AM }
Besides hearing about how great Fable 2 is going to be (answer: very) we were especially intrigued by Kim's reluctance to pin down Alan Wake as a 2008 title. Also, though we were disappointed by the cancellation of the Marvel MMO, we have to admit we agree with the reasoning: In short, Microsoft noticed the dozens of subscription-based MMO carcasses that littered the road and decided that, perhaps, advancement was unwise. We heartily concur.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Zac @ Feb 11th 2008 10:24AM
if Microsoft did an MMO that offer no or minimal cost over regular live subscription, I'd sign on at least for a while to give it a shot. I'm not paying 10-15 a month for an MMO, but if comes in at under 5 with Live, I'd be pretty receptive.
FOXHOUND @ Feb 11th 2008 10:29AM
Exactly. People have enough expenses as is, without paying for umpteen-thousand MMOs out there to play. And c'mon... let's face it, the MARVEL MMO would've just been CITY OF HEROES/VILLAINS at best anyway. MARVEL eff'd up by not sponsoring it(in fact, if I recall correctly, they tried hitting them with a lawsuit too).
WhoMe @ Feb 11th 2008 1:54PM
Why would it cost less? Xbox live doesn't diminish the costs of an MMO afterall. I mean you pay for Live just to be able to play online and get stuff sooner but that's it. There's no MMO servers or anything. MMO servers are expensive.
Joshua Kleier @ Feb 11th 2008 10:28AM
s h i t
Spaniard0069 @ Feb 11th 2008 10:33AM
No surprise there with the Marvel MMO. I almost forgot about Alan Wake. From what I've seen and read about it, I think it will have the same quality and impact as Bioshock.
baby sea tuna @ Feb 11th 2008 10:34AM
Alan Wake plz! Been patiently waiting for like 2 years now.
Well, at least I'll have Condemned 2 and another Silent Hill to scare the shit out of me in the meantime...
Spaniard0069 @ Feb 11th 2008 10:39AM
Yes they did try to sue and they failed miserably.
baby sea tuna @ Feb 11th 2008 10:39AM
Sorry to ask but, what to "SOW" and "LFG" mean? I'm only a beta or gamma-level nerd.
FOXHOUND @ Feb 11th 2008 10:42AM
sow = son of(a)whore
lfg = looking for(a)group
...I swear, people are lazy if they have to "backronym/retronym" the above.
Justin McElroy @ Feb 11th 2008 11:02AM
It's Spirit of the Wolf. Are there no EQ nerds here?
DreWamek @ Feb 11th 2008 11:05AM
SOW = Spirit of Wolf. Makes you run faster.
Mr.ESC @ Feb 11th 2008 11:29AM
I used to be a NWN Geek.
Clerics FTW.
MasterInsan0 @ Feb 11th 2008 11:43AM
That was probably one of the most annoying things about playing a Shaman in EQ. You walk into a city and suddenly you get like 20 tells saying "I can has SOW?". At first you could charge a little for it, or people would tip for it, but eventually people just expected it. You were a Shaman (or later on a Druid), and so you were there to SOW.
It's sad how little things have changed since EQ.
THE WICKER MAN (BWF) (GT: Dalek Prime) @ Feb 11th 2008 12:17PM
Tuna the fact that you didnt know this is a good thing.
FOXHOUND @ Feb 11th 2008 12:39PM
Srsly. I had to look on wikipedia. :\
xGeneral DEATHx @ Feb 11th 2008 12:46PM
I thought "LFG" was "Look For Gold". Show's what a n00b I am in the world of MMO's.
Batzarro @ Feb 11th 2008 10:42AM
Yes Spidey, I DID want it. Seems like I was the only one, though. Oh, well, I'll just wait until the NEXT MMO to hit consoles. It'll probably feature the fantasy middle ages...AGAIN...
Savok @ Feb 11th 2008 10:55AM
Trust me, you weren't the only one, not by far.
Batzarro @ Feb 11th 2008 11:10AM
It's okay, the game's in a better place now. It's up there in heaven with Shenmue 3 and the Unseen and True Fantasy Live...
Korova @ Feb 11th 2008 12:48PM
I cant believe they could not go ahead with a Marvel MMO - so many great story lines that everyone knows! I am sure that Marvel and the corporate dividend sucking losers that own it just could not attract the creativity required to move the superheroes into the 21st century and onto the internet. They are just afraid to take risks with their "properties". Even George Lucas is more agile than Marvel.
UltimateQ @ Feb 12th 2008 8:25AM
I'm hardly a big fan, or even a steady player. But have you given City of Heroes/Villains a try? I don't know how it compares. I don't play it. But I've never heard anything overly critical about those games.
ck @ Feb 11th 2008 11:21AM
Alan Wake! Man, I was hoping it would come out this year, but that hope keeps fading. I have a bad feeling it's going to come out too late for people to care...or that the hype extended over these past 2 years will be too much for the game to overcome.
Mr.ESC @ Feb 11th 2008 11:34AM
Damn, I bought my Xb360 for Dead Rising, Gears (back when I thought it was an exclusive) and Dead Rising. While Dead Rising alone pretty much justified the Xb360 I really wanted to play Marvel Universe Online.
Alan Wake well the graphics are great but it looks like a rip off of Alone in the Dark.
justly @ Feb 11th 2008 12:09PM
They need to get cracking on the next crackdown ASAP!!!
THE WICKER MAN (BWF) (GT: Dalek Prime) @ Feb 11th 2008 12:19PM
Yes more Crackdown please! I would also like to complain to the manger about that Alan Wake I ordered and have yet to receive!
modified @ Feb 11th 2008 12:18PM
Microsoft has really cold feet when it comes to MMOs. I think the real reason they canceled the game is because of a design problem. You can't have 10,000 Wolverines running around.
THE WICKER MAN (BWF) (GT: Dalek Prime) @ Feb 11th 2008 12:21PM
If Marvel can manage to have 10,000,000 Wolverines im sure M$ could handle it. Where is the big Bendis summer crossover where everyone figures out its not the Skrulls that have secretly invaded, but an army of wolverines! "We are Wolverine and we are LEGION!"
embassy @ Feb 11th 2008 12:25PM
man if gears 2 comes out its a wrap.
another piece of info i find more interesting than the marvel MMO shenanigans is that Kim basically confirms that the Mass effect trilogy is a MGS property and that if it indeed *does* go multiplatform that it'll be published by MGS and not EA.
aln wake looks ok, but im banking on fallout to be this years Bioshock/Oblivion.
and Rare really needs to come through with banjo...their other offerings so far haev been..."ok" at best imo.
VampireHunter Z @ Feb 11th 2008 12:43PM
MMOs really die a lot. So many MMOs are announced but not many released. The investment in making such a huge game is just too much for the profit that will be made.
Plus if they allowed everyone to be the same character that would suck. And if you can't be the character you want because someone else choose it that would suck too. It was just a bad idea.
ThornedVenom @ Feb 11th 2008 1:20PM
I'm pretty sure they're pussying out in front of WoW.
They're the corporate industrial types, not risky innovators: they'd only invest in relatively secure ground.
NukeAssault @ Feb 11th 2008 1:54PM
Alan Wake better comesout this year....dont make me bust a cap.
mietha CAG @ Feb 11th 2008 3:53PM
Horseshit. A marvel MMO would have exploded and pushed the console. Fucking idiots. How many dead MMOs do you see with a license the power of marvel? SWG is a total piece of shit, and it's still around. MMOs haven't done well on consoles because all but EQOA have totally sucked. Make it decent, not even good, but decent, and they would have made a killing on it.
Dio @ Feb 12th 2008 10:29AM
So what, does this make the lawsuit against CoH/CoV meaningless?