Shane Kim on Marvel Universe Online MMO cancellation
by Christopher Grant 
{ May 15th 2008 at 9:15PM }
Of course, previous experience isn't a necessary ingredient in success (fun fact: World of Warcraft is Blizzard's first MMO!) and after rattling off the forces Microsoft could marshal in its pursuit of bringing an MMO to the Xbox – financial resources, first-party console support, a robust online component, a proven developer, a stellar license – Kim agreed. "All those reasons are why we started the project." But MUO still failed to make it to market, recalling Microsoft's many previous attempts to successfully deliver and sustain an MMO: Asheron's Call 2, Mythica, the console-targeted True Fantasy Online, and Vanguard (read more here). At what point will the company give up, consider its lesson learned? "I would never say we're done," Kim said confidently.
So why does Kim think a company with Microsoft's significant resources continues to fail to bring an MMO to market? "It's a hits-driven business ... it's all about quality, all about hits." But he's not ready to give up yet. He says Microsoft has "learned the lesson" that it takes a lot of people to create and serve an MMO (good lesson!) and that he's reminded of how little success its had in the MMO space. In other words: MMO-icrosoft hopefuls shouldn't fret. The corporate behemoth will undoubtedly try again. How many lessons could there possible be left to learn?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ApolloIV @ May 15th 2008 9:21PM
Nerf spiderman. Buff Hulk. Dare Devil is so imba. Such is the life of an MMO
Sam @ May 15th 2008 9:26PM
As fun as MMORPGs might be, I for one do not like the idea to pay 15 bucks a month on top of the $50 a year for online play. Money doesn't grow on trees.
I feel like someone will say after this, "but it does come out of Wiis!"
Youthinized @ May 15th 2008 9:28PM
This was one of the reasons for me to get a 360 with a Marvel MMO in the horizon.
I was sad when they canceled it.
Misfit Toy @ May 15th 2008 9:34PM
I didn't care too much for this title anyways. But I am anxiously waiting an MMO. I alt between playing WOW and Lord of the Rings Online. I'd much rather play these on my console than my PC. Come on Microsoft. Get with the program.
Kujel @ May 16th 2008 12:34AM
/\ That's the first good MMO idea I've ever heard.
Misfit Toy @ May 15th 2008 9:36PM
For a one-time fee of $199 you can buy a lifetime subscription to Lord of the Rings Online. I love the lifetime membership idea. That way I don't feel guilty for not playing it ALL the time. Sort of like that gym membership.
Blue_Falcon @ May 15th 2008 9:36PM
I love the idea of a Marvel game having every one in it (on a grander scale than the Ultimate Alliance games), but in hindsight, I don't think it would have worked so well.
Everyone would have basically been the same 3 characters with a handful of people player as characters that even the most loyal Marvel fan would have trouble recognizing. Folks like Groot and Hornet would get drowned out in a game full of a million Wolverines (which I suppose would be fairly accurate, given the fact that Wolverine is seemngly in just about every Marvel book being published)
Oh well.
colin @ May 15th 2008 11:16PM
wolverine sucks! guess who i would be ...
iNZoW @ May 16th 2008 7:09AM
Spider man ?:P
hotnutz @ May 15th 2008 9:39PM
Wow.. that's pretty candid for Microsoft. I tend to respect companies/people more when they admit they are not good in certain areas instead of saying we can be everything for everyone. Very refreshing!
Misfit Toy @ May 15th 2008 10:57PM
That would be Sony's job...
JZig @ May 16th 2008 2:58AM
Yes. Our game will have cake.
Poisoned Al @ May 15th 2008 9:47PM
"hOW DO i MINE FOR wEB?"
...
I'll get my coat.
Nick Ritch @ May 15th 2008 9:48PM
This would not work anyways. No one would want to play a MMO based on marvel that would not allow you to be one of the main characters. And if they did allow you to be a main character you would have like a billion wolverines with some spidermans, hulks, and avengers in between. For example everyone was sooooo excited about starwars galaxies; then they realized how boring it is to be a moisture farmer that will never be a jedi and they all quit.
DangerMouse @ May 15th 2008 9:49PM
To whom it may concern,
Please give a limited license to Capcom to allow them to re-release the Marvel Vs. games. Now plz. Thx.
Sincerely,
DangerMouse
Dirty @ May 15th 2008 9:50PM
From the past few days of interview "revelations" I feel like purhaps Shane Kim is out of touch with
A. The Xbox 360 team
B. Gamers in general
What a dumb a-hole
Knight Marquise @ May 15th 2008 10:03PM
Dirty..
I'm sure you've got your finger on the pulse of the gaming community, what the hell could a corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios POSSIBLY know about the xbox 360 and gamers compared to you and your "feelings".
Dirty @ May 15th 2008 11:23PM
Knight,
Im sure your aware but there are plenty of Vice Presidents out there in the gaming industry that could care less about the actual games. Kim is a product manager type, more concerned with the bottom line that the games themselves. Kim came up the ranks from within microsoft. What he cares about it making the Micrsoft Games studio profitable. Im sorry that my "feelings" as a gamer are out of touch with the pulse of the industry considering I actualy play games and spend my time reading blogs about games, I must be fucking clueless.
Knight Marquise @ May 15th 2008 11:59PM
Dirty,
I'm sure you're correct that there are many VP's that don't have a clue. I don't personally know Kim, neither, I suspect, do you.
Anyways, I've had to deal with employees thinking they know more then me (the owne) this week, so just a subject that struck me wrong. Sorry for coming off like an ass..it was uncalled for.
Kujel @ May 16th 2008 12:30AM
dirty with the games released under Shane Kim's leadership I think he's not out of touch with gamers but MMO fans, though I do think his main goal is the bottom line.
Jonah Falcon @ May 15th 2008 9:54PM
Champions Online will be an Xbox 360/PC MMORPG by the City of Hero devs, using the assets from the Marvel MMO.
And it'll have crossplatform servers, too.
colin @ May 15th 2008 11:18PM
will it have cake?
BlaqueBeird @ May 16th 2008 5:23AM
If I said yes to cake, I'd be lying.
Kujel @ May 16th 2008 12:25AM
MMOs bring out bad shit in people and support the negative stereotype that gamers hangout in a darkened room and spend 15+ hours a day in front of a screen. Before anyone flames me I know NOT all MMO fans fit this stereotype but these kind of players get a lot of attention and it hurts all gamers.
noam @ May 16th 2008 1:42AM
Hell with that, I want that picture without joystiq bubbles & in desktop size, anyone got it? :D
DSK UK @ May 16th 2008 6:53AM
The only way i'd play any MMO on the 360 is if it was an incentive for a gold membership (i.e. gold members play for free/ reduced rate, silver have to pay more)
crsh @ May 16th 2008 9:16AM
Seems like MMOs are just about the only type of PC games they can't kill by force-porting to consoles.. Sad about the Marvel MMO, happy about the X360 marketing twits getting a dose of reality check.
ryking19 @ May 16th 2008 11:55AM
Hasn't anyone ever heard of Final Fantasy XI online? I'm not too sure, but last I checked it was an MMO that includes the PC, Playstation and the XBOX 360.
ZeroCorpse @ May 16th 2008 1:16PM
If NCSoft can step up with a City of Heroes variant on Xbox 360, I'll be happy. I hear Champions Online is promising.
mietha CAG @ May 16th 2008 2:04PM
One of MS's biggest blunders this gen. They are probably basing their potential success on FFXI. FFXI's numbers suck not because it is a console MMO, but simply because the game itself sucks. With sony bringing the agency, and very likely a game with Everquest in the title, MS is going to be left out in the monthly cold. There is a rumor that AoC is coming to the 360 (I'll believe it when I see it), but that's is funcom's party, not MS's, and they can't see that much money out of it. A Marvel MMO would have killed, plain and simple.
Psaakyrn @ May 16th 2008 3:21PM
I don't know about you, but I consider Diablo 2 battlenet to be an MMO...