Years ago, it was announced that a MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) was to be developed by Cryptic Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios exclusively for Windows using a license from Marvel, called Marvel Universe Online.It was stated that MUO was to draw from over 60 years of Marvel history, while leaving the door open for future story lines for years to come. Awesome, right? Well, yes. But then that ball was dropped.
On February 11, 2008 a Microsoft spokesperson referred to it as "an inability to compete" with the current MMO marketplace. Less than a week later, Cryptic Studios announced that development would continue using a new IP license of The Champions, a superhero-based role playing game, and MUO eventually became Chanpions Online.
A little more than a year later, Gazillion Entertainment signed a ten year deal to produce Marvel games, including a MMO based in the Marvel Universe. Gazillion's first Marvel title was Super Hero Squad Online, a more kid-oriented game.
Last Thursday, Thursday evening Marvel's community manager tweeted, "Follow/join the @MMMSociety to get the hints & clues about the #MarvelU #MMO. There may even be a hint today..." Well, "today" came and went, but if you head over to the MMMSociety page, you'll find a protected Twitter account with only an avatar and description, which says, "The Marvel Massively Multiplayer Society is your gateway to the Marvel Universe, Marvel's upcoming epic MMO." The protected account suggests the teaser on the Marvel Twitter page may have been premature, but it's likely we'll see some news very soon.
Now dubbed simply Marvel Universe, the game has some pretty stiff competition already in play: not only the Champions Online game that the original MUO eventually became, but earlier this year Sony Online Entertainment launched the highly successful DC Universe Online, or DCUO for short.
But will it actually see the light of day? Only time will tell.
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