GDC09: Marvel getting involved in Gazillion's MMO with art and writers

by Alexander Sliwinski { Mar 24th 2009 at 5:39PM }

Speaking at the inaugural GamesBeat conference in San Francisco, Ira Rubenstein, head of the global digital media group at Marvel, stated that the comic book company plans to stand behind Gazillion's future Marvel-based MMO, lending its writers and artists to the project.

Rubenstein didn't want to speak for Gazillion, but said that Marvel offers an IP that isn't very common -- a full universe of superheroes that has yet to successfully manifest in an MMO. Considering the 10-year deal Marvel has inked with the "new" company, there should be enough time to get some MMO based on the popular characters out the door.

Tags: gazillion, gdc-2009, ira-rubenstein, marvel, marvel-comics, marvel-entertainment, mmo

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

The Dark Wayne @ Mar 24th 2009 5:44PM

If it follows the same idea of meet and work with the real heroes I think i'd rather play this.

plasalai @ Mar 24th 2009 5:54PM

i would quit WOW if there was a decent marvel universe mmo

Premature ejaculation man @ Mar 24th 2009 6:53PM

I don't think there's enough superheroes in that picture. Needs at least 30,000 more.
Lazy artists

inferno @ Mar 24th 2009 9:42PM

I can't see an MMO based on Marvel or DC being any good. People who play in those universes would want to BE Spiderman or Wolverine or whoever. But that won't be the case. They will be their own superhero.
Only way I can see it having a remote chance is:
- If they were to promise to start featuring heroes from the game in comics themselves. Either camo appearances or a full blown series for top hero at the end of every year or something. But then that only benefits the hardcore, the casual player won't care about that cause he knows he won't ever play enough.
- Allow GMs to control actual heros or villains from Marvels Universe. The key here is allowing players to interact with actual heroes from the series. Not dumb AI or static heroes standing on the corner while innocents are being beat down one block away waiting for Captain Nobody to save them. This will make players feel more immersed int he universe. Then of course you would run into problems if the GMs don't "act" out the characters well, purists to the comics will complain.

Don't get me wrong, i will more than likely try it. I love MMOs. But I see it as an uphill battle to place players in a world with thousands (had to increase this estimate after that pic) of established, bad-ass superheroes. And they are, well, nobody.