Marvel's Kid-Friendly Super Hero Squad Getting An MMO

Evildoers, beware! The Super Hero Squad is staking out the MMO space with a new game, Super Hero Squad Online. The PC game, based on kid-friendly versions of Marvel's famous heroes, is being developed by Gazillion Entertainment. The two companies signed a 10-year exclusive agreement last April, and this will be the first game released under that publishing deal. You might remember Gazillion from their work on the upcoming Lego MMO, Lego Universe.

Unlike many MMOs based on licensed characters, players won't be relegated to the sidelines with their created characters. “In Super Hero Squad Online you are not a nameless sidekick," says Jay Minn, the game's creative director. "You’ll swing through Super Hero City as Spider-Man or zap the bad guys with Cyclops’ optic blasts in high-voltage missions. Or you can just hang out in a high-energy, immersive world filled with other Marvel fans!”

Players won't be missing out on customization though, even if they don't have a chance to create a new hero from scratch. The game features player-specific headquarters that can be tweaked and upgraded as their heroes clean up the streets of Super Hero City and Villainville. (Remember, this is a game for younger players.)