During a dinner on Monday night with Microsoft's Shane Kim and Kudo Tsunoda, we got the chance to quiz the former about Microsoft Game Studios' rationale for abandoning Marvel Universe Online MMO. After years in development, the console-bound MMO died a slow and painful (-ly vague) death. The culprit: Kim tells us, "We don't have a heritage in MMOs."

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?