Marvel Heroes (June 4, 2013)

Gazillion and Marvel revealed the first details about the Marvel Universe MMO
last night during an event in San Francisco, and some major pieces of
information were announced: Brian Michael Bendis is the head writer, the
game will be free-to-play, and you're going to play as Marvel
characters.

The event was streamed on Marvel's site. Here are the important details from the live blog:

• Brian Michael Bendis is the head writer. He's written numerous comics for Marvel, including Secret Invasion, House of M and Ultimate Spider-Man.
  
• The game will be free-to-play. They emphasized this will be a triple-A MMO for core gamers.
  
• You are going to play as the Marvel characters.
  
• It's going to launch with more characters than any Marvel game to date. Confirmed characters are Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Hulk and Nova. There will be lesser known characters such as Squirrel Girl as well.
  
• The big villain is Dr. Doom.
  
• The story will pull from all source
  material. The comics are the main source, but they'll also pull from
  films, animated series, etc. Bendis also said that players get to create their own continuity.
  
• PC is the only platform they're announcing at this time.
  
• No launch date was announced.
  

You can follow @MMMSociety
on Twitter for more Marvel Universe details. The tweets are currently
protected, so you won't be able to see them until your request is
accepted.


About a month ago, Gazillion and Marvel revealed the first details about their upcoming Marvel Universe MMO during an event in San Francisco. Today, they unveiled the offical logo for the game, which you can see above.

Gazillion is being quite secretive about
Marvel Universe updates in order to give fans some exclusive content.
The tweets on the Marvel Massively Multiplayer Society Twitter page are protected, so you'll need to send a request in order to see them. The logo was posted on the MMMSociety Tumblr page,
which requires a password to view. The password will change every time
something new is posted to Tumblr, so you'll need to keep an eye on the
Twitter page for the details.

As for Marvel Universe, here are the main
details you need to know: Brian Michael Bendis is the head writer, the
game will be free-to-play, and you're going to play as Marvel
characters.

Marvel and Cryptic fans received the equivalent of a comical kick in
the crotch in 2009 – there wasn't going to be a licensed MMORPG for
loyal supporters of Spider-Man and his posse of interesting superheroes.
It was a real shame, the possibilities of Wolverine-patterned spandex,
and the masterminds behind City of Heroes would have been a very
delicious match, but it, sadly, wasn’t to be. Stan Lee and his corporate
gang looked elsewhere to bring their characters to life, with a
subscription fee, and Cryptic would go on to release their once endorsed
product as “Champions Online” a very good MMO in its own right.

But
collectively comic book and online fans alike have felt an itch for the
logo of red and white. Since SOE released their own branded superhero
title upon the world, DCUO, it seemed only fair that Jack Kirby’s
creations get their own virtual world – and wouldn’t you know it? To
follow along this almost apocalyptic plague of Marvel movies rocketing
into theatres, we now have word of a new MMO, Marvel Universe Online.
Well isn’t that just the fanciest thing?

Things
are not what they seem however, and if I was a more immature man, I’d
bet that a villain had gotten hold of the development team in charge of
MUO. Gone are the usual character creation tools, but instead you will
take on the role of one of Marvel’s well established heroes following a
more story driven experience. This creates a flutter of the heart for
any immersive player – this just doesn’t sound right at all, The Silver
Surfer would not spend the majority of his time dancing on a street
light whilst Spider-Man jumps up and down against a brick wall shouting
“LVL 12 DPS LFG!” What would The Avengers think, honestly?
To make
things even scarier is the fact that this game will be free-to-play,
across both the PC and 360 platforms. It is common knowledge amongst
genre fans that this subscription model is akin to the devil, or perhaps
a rampant venereal disease – perhaps gonorrhoea or that itchy one,
crabs. Things indeed look frightening at this stage for MUO, but like
any good horror film, here at MMORPG.com we like to take things slow,
split up in times of increased terror, and force our faces into mugging
smiles that say “well it might not be the anti-Christ when it’s born –
and those haunting cries of “EVIL” coming from the development studio
might just be our imagination”.
So what would this already oddball
sounding game need to do to beat out the competition of City of Heroes,
Champions Online, and DC Universe Online? Well in a very lucky twist of
fate, I have written down a few hopes and desires.

The Setting
From
what little details we know, Marvel Universe Online isn't going to be a
traditional experience, which in many ways can be a good thing.
Following set plotlines for individual heroes creates a more definitive
comic book experience in the way that previous games have failed. So
while it is all well and good to create a leather crotched villain
called "Cowboy Groin" it isn't nearly as entertaining to find yourself
in a world inundated with insane looking peers - each grinding the same
villains, nobody seemingly normal around you. MUO has the chance to
create a more authentic superhero experience, albeit with a more linear
tone. So in effect you may be trading some freedoms, but in a sense
gaining a more engrossing and even immersive experience.
In the
somewhat scattered details, there has also been talk of the game
featuring storylines that feed into the actual comic themselves, in
effect allowing fans to play the adventure that is usually inked upon
the page. Following the idea through would be groundbreaking in terms of
interaction, and if executed properly and with a few sidesteps to
quests like "Captain America has lost his gloves, go find his gloves and
bring them back" Marvel might just be golden.
The Fighting
One
of the best developments in recent years in MMORPGs is more interaction
in combat. From Champions Online’s “hold down to power-up” style play,
to DC Universe Online’s out and out brawling, I would love to see Marvel
Universe Online follow in a similar vein. I am thinking Streets of Rage
meets Marvel VS Capcom with extra awesome. Combinations may be tricky
to perform on a keyboard, but with a beat-'em-up style system we might
just have something very special on our hands. I am imagining a world
not dominated by calls of “My gear is X level, while yours is X level,
no fair” but instead annoyed chants of “Button basher! OMG!”

It sounds so peaceful doesn’t it?
One
of the advantages that the developer will have over its superpowered
counterparts is the fact that they are already dealing with a well
developed lore. Playing recognisable characters means that audiences
will already be familiar with the abilities and skills of their chosen
avatar - so from Cyclops' laser infused vision, to Thor's love of
"smashy, smashy, with my hammery" there will be a degree of recognition,
but also a weight behind the moves and even combinations that can be
pulled off. So rather than arbitrarily choosing to excel in mind
zapping powers, we the gamers will know exactly what we're getting into
when we choice to play as a certain hero, and what we can expect when
advanced to a higher level.
The PvP-ing
While
it may be taboo to decline a random duel request these days, I for one
am bored with the whole concept of PvP. While a lot of MMO mechanics
have raced ahead in recent times, this is one element that has largely
stayed the same, whilst the usual suspects line up to indulge in it. It
just all seems so tired, and with the added headache of gear and
specific character builds, I want to see Marvel approach this element
differently.
In the above category I hoped for an arcade infused
style of play, and the PvP aspect would greatly benefit. Instead of
cool-down hot bar abilities, and +10402 Strength tunics, let's do away
with such nonsense, and allow players to take each other on with sheer
ability. Button presses and combos would dictate the pace of combat, and
would really bring some much needed excitement to those of us who see
this aspect of MMO gaming as nothing more stat building, gear posturing,
and little bitch tactics of stabbing and dancing around in a circle. Oh
and some dynamic, less instanced arenas would be better.

The End Gaming
It
is always going to be difficult for any online experience to keep a
players attention for an indefinite amount of time, and the general
thought will be that Marvel Universe Online needs to cater to those
looking for something to do when level caps have been breached and
storylines exhausted. To this I say why?
Marvel are seemingly
creating a game that is driven by storylines, and hopefully this will
make it through development. If each hero has their own plot and
interesting story, we are talking about a lot of hours of gameplay. If
this extends occasionally with new content and new adventures, then
players will once again resume their adventures. This is going to be a
F2P title, and the reason behind repetitive unconquerable end-game
content was to keep players subscribed and paying monthly fees - not the
case here. From what details have emerged, it seems that Marvel
Universe Online is heading off in a different direction, and if this is
story-driven like their comic creators, then so be it. I for one play a
game because it interests me, because it excites me, and because it's
fun. I stop playing when I feel like I've exhausted the content, and
that all the developer is doing is dangling a metaphorical carrot above
my head for me to flail at redundantly. Hopefully MUO will take heed of
this, and realize now every MMORPG needs to cater for those that just
can't let go.
The Closing Comments
From
what we know, Marvel Universe Online sounds different, scary, odd,
weird, and yet profoundly exciting. The idea that we will play as some
of the most recognisable fictional characters is a huge gamble, and yet
with the right plotlines, twists, and turns, it could pay off massively.
The developers are writing their own rules by simply making the above
decision, and so we could be looking at more of an interactive story
than that of a never-ending quest grind. What does the game have to do
to be King? Simply follow its own path, avoid the pitfalls of your
average MMO, and make it the best super hero-based experience they can.

City
of Heroes, Champions Online, DC Universe Online, and now Marvel
Universe Online - each have their merits, and each their own unique
twist on the genre, which will be the monarch of the genre? Time will
tell.

Throughout the course of the game, the players will run into any
number of iconic villains from the Marvel universe, such as the
Sentinels, Venom, and Magneto. In addition to a large number of
easily-recognizable enemies, the players will be taking control of a
wide range of heroes that already exist within the Marvel cadre. There
are currently around 25 heroes for the game that have been announced,
such as Wolverine, Deadpool, the Hulk, Thing, and even Rocket Raccoon.
Every one of these characters is also intended to have an extremely high
number of different costumes to wear, giving the player a solid array
of options on what version of their favorite heroes they want to play as
they go through the world.
This will help to reduce giant packs
of identical characters running around on the screen at the same time in
the same area, as well (though obviously you will still see multiple
Wolverines and such). These costumes will be found in the game through
real-money purchases, but in keeping with the "really completely free"
motif, they will also be craftable by the player, and found as item
drops. One point the panel was also very clear on is that this will not
be a "pay to win" type of free game, where all of the best gear is
immediately available through purchase if you give them enough of your
money. Gear however, will not be gear in the traditional sense
of most RPG games. The acquisition and wearing of gear will only have a
statistical effect on the character, leaving the costumes as the only
way to change the appearance of the heroes.
The Gazillion team has
gone to great lengths in the design of this game to give every
character their own unique role, so that even heroes that seem extremely
similar have vastly different abilities. For example, let's take a look
at Deadpool and Wolverine. Within the Marvel world, both characters are
violent melee combatants with bad attitudes. Within Marvel Heroes,
Wolverine is intended to fill a melee-only, area of effect DPS role.
Deadpool, on the other hand, is designed as both a melee and ranged
combatant, specializing in single-target damage.

This
also helps Marvel characters act exactly like you would expect them to,
with Deadpool running toward an enemy and shooting them, switching to
melee and taking out enemies one at a time, while Wolverine just charges
into the fight, claws flashing, cleaving through enemies. This is
compounded further by implementing a system very familiar to players of
Diablo 2, in which character skills can be applied across different
paths as they level up. This means that identical characters can still
differ from each other in skill set, and thus be suited to slightly
different roles, with different particular strengths and weaknesses. In
addition to the varying role of individual and multiple characters,
Marvel Heroes is being designed in such a way to help continue to break
the mold of "power trio" games. You won’t have to worry so much about
the “trinity” in MH, because that’s just not how the game is designed.
This
idea allows players to really play whoever and however they want, not
boxing anyone into playing specific roles, or a specific character who
is "the best healer" or "does the most damage." Medals will also be
obtainable through gameplay, possibly representing something akin to an
achievement system, but this was not discussed at great length. One very
particular gameplay point they talked about was the function of flight
for characters that have that ability. Flight, they claim, will be "true
flight" allowing you to go over and around things, and not just some
cheesy "hovering" nonsense.
One feature attendees were very
curious about was the possible appearance of PvP activity in the game.
While the speakers stated that there was currently no PvP system in
place, they did seem to react positively to the idea, mentioning that it
would definitely be something they would look into, possibly hinting
that it was already something they were working on. Along a similar
vein, they gave a suspiciously vague answer when it was asked if players
could eventually take on the role of villains within the game. While no
actual information was given on these topics, it almost seems likely
that these two ideas could be related. An individual in the panel was
also quite curious about how the endgame would work, to which it was
replied that it was being designed in such a way where it could be
compared directly to the endgame of Diablo 2. This is not surprising,
given Dave Brevik's involvement in both games.

As
a special bonus to those that did make time to attend the panel, closed
beta key codes were given out, as well as knowledge of the most recent
character to be designed and input into the game - Jean Grey.
Undoubtedly, over the coming months, more and more characters,
information, and maybe even gameplay previews will be released to the
general public. Until then however, potential interested players will
have to hope for entry into the closed beta and remain patient until a
more widely available source of information, and the game itself, is
released by the masterminds at Gazillion.