2K has announced that they will be the publisher of Cryptic Studios' upcoming superhero action MMO, Champions Online, based on the pen and paper RPG of the same name.

New York, NY – July 10, 2008 – 2K Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), announced today that it will be the North American and international publisher for Cryptic Studios'™ highly anticipated massively multiplayer online (MMO) action game, Champions Online™, being developed for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft* and Games for Windows®. Champions Online is scheduled for release in spring of 2009.

"2K Games is excited to work with such a talented group as Cryptic Studios," said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. "Given their stellar pedigree and amazing grasp of the MMO genre, we are confident that Champions Online will deliver an innovative and exciting action MMO experience to gamers."

Cryptic Studios, based in Los Gatos, CA and established in July 2000, is one of the leading independent developers of massively multiplayer online games for Windows PC and current generation systems. As an independent, employee-owned company, Cryptic is committed to delivering high quality, innovative cross platform MMO gameplay. Cryptic is best known as the creator of the award-winning City of Heroes® and City of Villains™ MMO titles. Based on the popular Champions™ pen-and-paper RPG, Champions Online will give players the power of total customization for their hero experience while they explore a vast comic book universe.

Read more here.

2k Publishing an mmo, this is a first for 2K isnt it?

Originally posted by jinxit

2k Publishing an mmo, this is a first for 2K isnt it?

Think it is their first MMORPG publish, I have a few 2k published games for example Bioware, Oblivion to name a few of what they publish, but overall many of their games they publish I do/did enjoy. But not quite sure if Champions Online will be a game for me, Though I really enjoy and have enjoyed superhero's since childhood, but somehow with MMO's like CoH i could never identify to be a actual superhero cause everyone is one.

When i picture myself a superhero MMORPG, It would be more like how I see superhero's, for example to be a superhero you also need to have 2 identity's one is You the superhero, the other is YOU the regular Joe/Jane, where the Superhero gets to do Superhero stuff , Joe/Jane will be able to do the side stuff, for example crafting (Hero's need clothing right?), player created shops, run by average Joe/Jane, but superhero's might find something they could buy. Average Joe/Jane can't however change into a superhero when he/she is attacked/combat as that would expose his identity, but since this is a Superhero MMO Average Joe/Jane can call out for help, and Superhero's can respond to those calls. Afcourse A.Joe/Jane can change into a superhero on the spot if he's not in combat or being attacked, but he/she alway's need to be carefull to not expose his identity.

Well maybe or maybe not you get the idea what i would like to see in a superhero MMORPG, and i could go on with idea's about how it could be done, but i have to say i have not really looked into Champoinsonline, so what ever i just said might not even fit in it's setting. But what i said is something I still hope will become some day a new type of Superhero MMORPG.

Doesn't mean that CoH isn't a good game cause I am sure it's a fine game for those who play it, just not what i expect from a superhero MMORPG, but then again I'm just that Niche type of gamer wanting niche things which I keep seeing is definitly not what the masses want. So due tto this i'm not sure if Champions online would be that game for me, I will be looking into it some more.

Originally posted by Reklaw

Originally posted by jinxit

2k Publishing an mmo, this is a first for 2K isnt it?

Think it is their first MMORPG publish, I have a few 2k published games for example Bioware, Oblivion to name a few of what they publish, but overall many of their games they publish I do/did enjoy. But not quite sure if Champions Online will be a game for me, Though I really enjoy and have enjoyed superhero's since childhood, but somehow with MMO's like CoH i could never identify to be a actual superhero cause everyone is one.

When i picture myself a superhero MMORPG, It would be more like how I see superhero's, for example to be a superhero you also need to have 2 identity's one is You the superhero, the other is YOU the regular Joe/Jane, where the Superhero gets to do Superhero stuff , Joe/Jane will be able to do the side stuff, for example crafting (Hero's need clothing right?), player created shops, run by average Joe/Jane, but superhero's might find something they could buy. Average Joe/Jane can't however change into a superhero when he/she is attacked/combat as that would expose his identity, but since this is a Superhero MMO Average Joe/Jane can call out for help, and Superhero's can respond to those calls. Afcourse A.Joe/Jane can change into a superhero on the spot if he's not in combat or being attacked, but he/she alway's need to be carefull to not expose his identity.

Well maybe or maybe not you get the idea what i would like to see in a superhero MMORPG, and i could go on with idea's about how it could be done, but i have to say i have not really looked into Champoinsonline, so what ever i just said might not even fit in it's setting. But what i said is something I still hope will become some day a new type of Superhero MMORPG.

Doesn't mean that CoH isn't a good game cause I am sure it's a fine game for those who play it, just not what i expect from a superhero MMORPG, but then again I'm just that Niche type of gamer wanting niche things which I keep seeing is definitly not what the masses want. So due tto this i'm not sure if Champions online would be that game for me, I will be looking into it some more.

That's exactly what I think - that City would have much more depth if we could play alter egos - our normal selves. In fact, when they announced inventions, I thought they'd implement something like Peter Parker taking pictures of super heroes and selling them and/or Clark Kent buying them, writing an article and reselling it... But I guess everybody is too afraid to go too far from the WoW model... even in a super hero-themed MMORPG.

Oh great another eventual EA owned game .....

Let's hope they do things right, unlike so many other publishers!