Take-Two taking Champions Online

Publisher picks up international distribution rights for Cryptic Studios' latest superhero-themed MMOG; PC, Xbox 360 release due in spring 2009.

If juggling comics-come-to-life massively multiplayer online games were a superpower, Cryptic Studios would be powerful enough to open its own school for the gifted. Best known for the now-NCsoft-owned superpeople-themed MMOG City of Heroes/Villains, Cryptic was also developing Marvel Universal Online for Microsoft before its quiet cancellation.

Like one of its games' superheroes, Cryptic quickly bounced back, taking the work it had done for the Marvel MMOG and turning it into Champions Online, a new massively multiplayer project for the PC and unspecified consoles. Today, the mystery platform was unmasked when Take-Two Interactive announced that it will publish the game for the PC and the Xbox 360 under its 2K Games label.

Today's announcement offered few new details about Champions Online. The game will be an offshoot of Hero Games' 1981 pen-and-paper role-playing series, which Cryptic now owns the rights to. (The game's next analog installment is due out in 2009.) Promising "billions" of customization options, the game will let players create their superhero's name, backstory, costume, powers, abilities, and archenemies.

Champions Online is slated to arrive for the PC and Xbox 360 in spring 2009. Like any superhero, it will have a nemesis in the form of Sony Online Entertainment's untitled DC Comics MMOG, which is in development for the PlayStation 3 and PC.

45 Comments

  • ChudWarrior

    Posted Jul 14, 2008 9:11 am GMT

    Sweet, about time. Hopefully Sony will share its DC comics MMOG, but I doubt it.

  • rachkovsky

    Posted Jul 12, 2008 5:07 pm GMT

    this sounds weird like donuts and balogne stuck in queen latifah's butt like being hidden from her mom

  • Gifted_One

    Posted Jul 12, 2008 2:27 am GMT

    I have a feeling this would not be a game I would purchase at full price.

  • jfolds1

    Posted Jul 12, 2008 1:32 am GMT

    Fully destructible environment.. complete with little ai construction workers that rebuild

    and i'm game

  • Jebril

    Posted Jul 12, 2008 12:26 am GMT

    Im not gonna lie....this sounds like a sham, but who knows this could be my future addiction

  • makemeweak

    Posted Jul 11, 2008 3:27 pm GMT

    I'm really looking forward to this game! They did an amazing job with COH/COV.

  • ObiKKa

    Posted Jul 11, 2008 11:53 am GMT

    LOL, LOL! I love this, I love this too much! Didn't any of you see the irony in that the content & codes that Cryptic had been creating for the Marvel-licensed project had been modified in some ways, and is still appearing on the SAME Microsoft's platforms in the guide of a new IP!!?! Isn't that funny!? Probably Microsoft's still the happy man! Lol, hehe.

  • Dav_id83

    Posted Jul 11, 2008 4:40 am GMT

    This could help TT and finally tell EA to p**s off once and for all isn't it strange EA want to buy them out and all of a sudden TT are being better at business.

  • jazreal

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 7:54 pm GMT

    Looks cool and i agree with some of you who are dissapointed about the Marvel U cancellation....stinx!!!! And....i wish(and this is JUST me) that MS would revive TRUE FANTASY ONLINE now that mmo's are the flav of the month peace and Godspeed

  • combatsoldier

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 7:04 pm GMT

    This one looks great and im very excited about this one.

  • Gruug

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 6:40 pm GMT

    I just watched the video on CO. I was expecting so much more. The graphics just don't look right to me. Also, I question the fact that we are getting a cross platform game that won't take full advantage of the mouse-keyboard but instead is geared to gamepad use. This to me is just another example of dumbing down the control interface to use the simplier console scheme. Again, I was looking forward to this game but now I think I will pass. T2, this one may not be a good choice if you want to keep EA away.

  • dn3datomiced

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 4:07 pm GMT

    I can not wait. It's going to be fantastic. I love Champions, I love Cryptic, and I love T2. How could I not be happy about this?

    WOO!

    *ahem* Sorry.

  • Wezker619

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 3:44 pm GMT

    yeah I can't wait to be a Champion in 2009

  • Hokkie

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 3:44 pm GMT

    This is great news for the game. now give us some movies!

  • Ranma_X_basic

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 3:11 pm GMT

    It sucks that cryptic cancelled the Marvel MMO. but no matter champions online sounds like it'll be good. Can hardly wait to play it when it comes out next year.

  • Swampthing

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 2:37 pm GMT

    CHAMPIONS has been under development by several different companies BEFORE it finally landed with Cryptic. They only got the rights to develop the title after doing COH. This is the same game that originally was being developed for the Amiga. Description is exactly the same: multiple people playing at the same time, based on the Hero game rules and it was going to have "scenarios" which you could solo or handle with groups. Of course today we'd call them quests. But development was stopped and restarted so many times, it became a frequent topic in the old USENET comp.sys.amiga.misc newsgroup as to whether it would ever come out. Lots of discussion on GEnie and Delphi as well... while most of you were probably fetuses! Years later it resurfaced and died. And now again it's resurfacing with still another company, and I'm fairly confident it will probably never see the light of day.

    Development even switched platforms multiple times... from Amiga to Amiga 1200, to Mac, to the PC. Yes, it's all the same game... do a little research guys.

    Was it an MMO? That term originated many years later with EQ, prior to that they were all just called interactive online environments. Just like HABITAT, CLUB CARIBE, RABBITJACK CASINO, etc.

  • MissionaryMarr

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 2:30 pm GMT

    Okay this is definately not the same project as the first Champions game Swampthing is thinking about although I to remember that one. Second the platforms for this game were announced when I first read about this game here on gamespot.

  • redskinStu

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 2:23 pm GMT

    FOXBAT...this time he's fighting for his life!

  • 09231991

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 1:55 pm GMT

    So basically the PC is the only one to get both and the 360 and PS3 get only one, that sucks. The 360 one you play as a superhero and from the looks of it, in the PS3 version, you play as a supervillian. I guess for people who own both it'll entice them to get both but for those that only own one, like me, sucks for them. But the customizable options (BILLIONS OF OPTIONS!!!) sounds really cool, Can't wait

  • guynamedbilly

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 1:16 pm GMT

    Perhaps there was a Champions game being developed ages ago, but it wasn't this one, and it wasn't an MMO. Cryptic just started developing this a short time ago. Facts are funny like that, they always prove someone right or wrong in the end.

  • DustinB

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 1:16 pm GMT

    Swampthing, read the article. This only became champions after Marvel Universe Online was canceled. It's not the same people at all. Cryptic has only been a studio since 2000.

  • comelstr

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 12:58 pm GMT

    Oh Man

    Now i can make Niko Bellic as a Superhero HELL YA

  • DthBlayde

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 12:48 pm GMT

    Swampthing:
    Thats impossible considering that Cryptic Studios only came out a couple years ago with City of Heroes. While the Champions RPG dates back to the 80's, *this* game is not the same one you're thinking of.

  • oli54321

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 12:12 pm GMT

    Um, wasn't this in GameInformer ages ago with specified platforms?

  • Winsauce

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 12:06 pm GMT

    I've every confidence in Cryptic. Can't wait

  • Swampthing

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 11:39 am GMT

    I've said it before and I'll say it again in a repost:

    Um guys... you DO know this game has been in development LONGER than Duke Nukem Forever, right? It was originally slated as a release for the Amiga computer but never made it out the door. Back in the day, it almost became a joke about how many more delays it was going to face. If I recall correctly, development time on this one is approaching FIFTEEN YEARS. If the same folks are behind this project, I have SERIOUS doubts about it ever seeing the light of day.

  • GhostyMcboo

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 11:33 am GMT

    Marvel online would suck anyways. What, would five people play as Spidey and three play as Wolverine, with a couple DD's in there? Or would you create a lame-ass no story avatar that witnesses all the carnage.

    Wouldn't work in a "massive" setting anyways, so why not make a fully customisable MMORPG. It's the same reason FFXI was so-so... your character is just a pawn, and the real heroes, you simply watch, or fight alongside only near the end.

  • Farzan777

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 11:22 am GMT

    Another PC and 360 exclusive baby. Cant wait

  • nofriekinlemons

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 11:14 am GMT

    yes, they gave a cheer when marval online went down and DC went to the PS3 but there back better than ever

  • Vulpis

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 11:04 am GMT

    BTW, a bit of bad phrasing in this article--'The game will be an offshoot of Hero Games' 1981 pen-and-paper role-playing series, which Cryptic now owns the rights to.' Might want to specify that Cryptic has the online rights--that line makes it sound like they own Hero itself.

  • cheerios3d

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 10:53 am GMT

    Sounds awesome hope its free to play after purchase

  • Ranteal

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 10:48 am GMT

    Yuck. Its no Marvel online. Think I will be jumping over to my PS3 for the DC one here. At least there characters I know, not some lame ones made in 1981.

  • Guts5

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 10:33 am GMT

    Awesome! I can't wait for this one!

  • Tripwolf

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 10:29 am GMT

    This right here is the game to watch. These people are determined to make a quality product which will rival WoW. I CAN'T WAIT! Wooot!

  • Mc1csmo

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 10:19 am GMT

    Pay to Play, bet the house on it. No MMO of any high calibur is free to play anymore. It's too appealing a revenue stream.

    As for the game, the jury is out just yet. I have high hopes. I enjoy CoH/CoV but it became a horrible grind before long. More an issue, I LOVED Champions and played the table top for awhile. I so loved the rules (though they were so exploitable!). I can't imagine they will still to that ruleset, but I hope they adapt the same flavor and ability to choose your special affect and damage type, and the basis for what you did. Creativity flourished in that method and it's so constricting in other games.

  • ColdfireTrilogy

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 10:14 am GMT

    Well, another fish in the pond for everyone to nibble at. Hope its decent at least, sounds like its gonna be aimed at hardcore RPers from the sound of it.

  • NisiThanasi

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 10:13 am GMT

    Throw this in the trash!

    Q1 2009, Aion: Tower of Eternity!!!!!

  • yucky_straw

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 10:11 am GMT

    i bet it won't be free to play online.

  • Jersalaw

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 10:05 am GMT

    I hope it's a little more involved then COH was. COH was decent but it had a lot of repetitiveness. Not that most mmo's don't at some point, but it didn't give enough diversity.

  • kos1085

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 10:01 am GMT

    This sounds great as long as it is free to play online after purchase.

  • nickythenewt21

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 9:57 am GMT

    Sounds stupendous! I can't wait!

  • shadow6six

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 9:52 am GMT

    This sounded great until I was reminded that EA is merging with Take Two

  • jjdomo

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 9:48 am GMT

    sounds like this could be more interesting than the standard MMO . . . we'll see though.

  • DiscGuru101

    Posted Jul 10, 2008 9:43 am GMT

    Hopefully, it will have all the features of CoH/CoV and more. Also, please have plenty of non-humanoid monsters and entertaining A.I. Please.

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