Marvel Universe Previews and Interview

Remember when we told you that former Diablo and Hellgate: London designer David Brevik had joined Gazillion Entertainment to lead the Marvel Universe team? Well, apparently David and crew hosted a promotional event last night that revealed the very first details about their superhero MMORPG, which means we have two new previews and an interview to bring to your attention.

IGN:

Gazillion, who recently launched another massively multiplayer online game with the Marvel License (which they obtained in early 2009) — Marvel Superhero Squad Online — also revealed that, like SHSO, Marvel Universe players will be playing as well-known heroes and not as heroes of their own creation.

Heroes named as being in the game thus far include Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Spiderman, Wolverine and Nova, though the developer also stated that Marvel Universe will “launch with more characters than any Marvel game to date.”

Gazillion was adamant that, unlike SHSO which is aimed at a younger audience, Marvel Universe has a core gamer focus. There will be no subscription cost, instead opting for a free-to-play model, and will launch on PC with “other platforms to be announced.” They did not say whether Marvel Universe would be web browser-based like Superhero Squad Online or would require a client download like most other MMOs.

PC Gamer:

According to Brian, (no corner of the Marvel Universe will be left unturned,) although he was likely referring to over the game’s lifetime, not necessarily all at launch.

You will play through existing stories that are told in the comic books.

The game world exists within the canon Marvel Universe this is not an alternate reality scenario.

Marvel Universe is being made primarily for adults (as opposed to Gazillion’s other kid-focused Marvel MMO, Marvel Superhero Squad). They want to target core gamers first, and also make it accessible for everyone else.

And then Massively has a Q&A with lead writer Brian Michael Bendis:

Now when you’re saying “adult,” you don’t actually mean “adult,” right? You mean the game systems are more mature, more complicated?

I’m not commenting on ratings or anything like that, but I’m saying this is an MMO. It’s going to have depth; it’s going to be for gamers. And gamers are — I don’t know if I want to say mature [laughing] but at least they’re an older audience, and gamers want depth. And the challenge for us is to make a game that is both accessible and deep. Both are very important. I think that’s Blizzard’s secret sauce — to make things accessible so you can hop in and understand what’s going on fairly quickly, and yet there’s enormous depth if you want that. They don’t throw it in your face in the first hour, but it’s all there.