Champions Online is obviously set on Earth, but a version of Earth that is different from our own. Could you tell us a little bit about what separates the world of Champions Online from our own?

Champions Online is definitely and alternative version of the world we know. That being said, it is firmly grounded in the history of Earth. Key elements of that history we know remain, but the concept and consequences of having super powered beings on the planet have been folded in, making for some distinct differences. Millennium City - one of the major zones in our game - is a perfect example of this. In the Champions Universe, Doctor Destroyer assaulted Detroit on July 23rd, 1992 and in a last ditch effort to defeat the numerous heroes that came to battle him, razed a huge portion of the city with an orbital bombardment cannon. The fires weren't under control until the next day, and President George Bush declared the city a disaster area. This lead to the creation of the Millennium Project - a joint venture between the federal government and numerous private firms to rebuild and this create a city of the future.

Can you tell us a little bit about the Monster Island zone that was recently revealed?

Located just a few hundred miles from Japan is a place where gigantic monsters battle each other for supremacy, evil entities search for artifacts of power, and villainous organizations scheme and collaborate. This is Monster Island, a place where even the mightiest heroes come face-to-face with enemies powerful enough to give them pause and cause to join forces.

How does Monster Island provide a unique experience from the rest of the game world?

The crisis that serves as an introduction to players for this zone is structured as more of a massive open mission that is scaled to work for groups of 1-5 heroes. This makes it very different from what players will have experienced in the Millennium City, Canada, or Desert crisis areas. There are also several giant creatures that roam the island, requiring large groups of heroes to work together to defeat them. Finally, there is a rumor of a strange flying creature that sits atop one of the peaks on the island, guarding incredible rewards - but it will take a commitment of both power and resources to defeat it.

Does Monster Island come from the original IP lore, or is it a Cryptic invention?

Monster Island is another of the fantastic setting we get from the original Champions paper-and-pencil game. While the designers at Cryptic put their own creations and villains into the game, we have an incredible palette of enemies and places from which to draw upon and we take full advantage of that everywhere.

How much will players who are familiar with the IP be surprised by some of the lore decisions that have been made in the MMO version of the game?

Probably the biggest thing we have done is refresh many of the costumes from some of the older heroes and villains, bringing them up to date aesthetically. We also make smaller adjustments to origins and timing of events to fit within the story lines of the game, but we've worked very hard to maintain the world that has been so popular amongst tabletop gamers for close to 30 years.

The Champions Online Daily News reports an open beta date in the middle of August. Is that accurate?

Cryptic hasn't yet released any details as to our ongoing beta schedule, so I can't really speak to what other sites say.

What is Cryptic's overall view on the open beta phase? Is it considered to be a testing phase, or will it be primarily marketing based?

We look at all of our beta testing to be a bit of both, actually. We're always getting feedback, working out issues, and looking to our testers to help us make the best game possible. We also want to get the news out about what we're doing, what's coming up next, and so forth to our beta community because we know they're passionate about the game and can help us spread that excitement.