News: Comic fanboys... it's time to pick your console.
With DC partnering with Sony to create a PS3/PC/PSP exclusive DC Comics MMO, Marvel has struck back with a deal to bring a Marvel MMO exclusively to the Xbox 360.
"The alliance with Microsoft catapults us into the games category in an unprecedented way. Microsoft is an acknowledged leader in the interactive game space, and backed by their technology, creative and marketing clout, Marvel will establish a strong presence in the burgeoning online gaming arena," said Tim Rothwell, worldwide president of the Consumer Media Group at Marvel Enterprises. "We are very excited to be working with Microsoft to bring our fans what we expect will be a world-class online gaming experience. We also believe online gaming will provide valuable, global exposure to our character brands."
"Marvel has created some of the most iconic and exciting characters and stories in the past century. We're thrilled to bring this universe to interactive entertainment," said Peter Moore, corporate vice president of Worldwide Marketing and Publishing for Xbox at Microsoft. "With this next generation of gaming, Marvel fans will finally have the ability to create choices with their favorite Super Heroes, villains and creatures in unbelievable detail Ч all with the power of Marvel's incredible vision and the Xbox platform."
Those quotes from various X-Men notwithstanding, we don't know a whole lot about the Marvel MMO, not even a rough release date. It will be developed and published by Microsoft Game Studios and MS will reveal more about in a few months. However, I think the key quote is this: The Marvel-based titles will be developed for the Xbox 360 console platform.
So when more than one of these games comes out within a short while of each other, remember, you read it at Gaming Target first.