| David Cherry 2005-06-17, 8:38 pm |
| LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - A literal battle of the superheroes is
shaping up in the highly volatile world of online games.
Sony Online Entertainment Inc. and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
are set to announce Friday an exclusive long-term licensing agreement that
will let gamers share a universe with DC Comics' Superman, Wonder Woman,
Batman, the Sandman and other action immortals.
The companies also disclosed that Sony Online had acquired Warner's "The
Matrix Online" game. All 25 staff members currently operating the
subscription-based massively multiplayer online game have been offered their
existing position under the new ownership.
"We see DC as a very valuable brand," said Jason Hall, senior vp at Warner
Bros. Interactive Entertainment which, like DC Comics, is owned by Time
Warner Inc. "There's a lot of opportunity sitting in the DC universe, and
we're looking at those gems and how to present them in a compelling way to
the consumer."
Sony Online already has demonstrated expertise in this arena with such
significant hits as the "EverQuest" franchise, "PlanetSide" and "Star Wars
Galaxies: An Empire Divided." It also brings economies of scale to operating
these labor-intensive properties.
"By working with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, we will fuse the
knowledge SOE has in the online space with some of Warner Bros.' phenomenal
properties," Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley said. "SOE
will work closely with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment to maintain
the authenticity consumers demand from the DC Comics franchises and the
existing 'The Matrix Online' game."
Sega of America will continue to manage distribution of "The Matrix Online,"
while Warner will oversee content development and relinquish operational
involvement. Ubisoft withdrew from its involvement with the property in
early 2004.
"Our goal is to deliver quality content and consistently advance our key
properties within the online games space," Hall said. "We've done just that
with 'The Matrix Online.' Because of our compelling work in developing and
launching that game, we can now move it over to the leaders in the MMO
space: SOE."
Sony Online will be creating a DC Comics game for the PC and next-generation
gaming platforms, scheduled to be released in late 2007.
"DC has got a very large depth and history to it," Smedley said. "And it
isn't a bad thing that 'Batman Begins' just came out, then 'Superman' next
year and 'Wonder Woman' after that."
Another advantage of the Sony-Warner pairing is the Station Access Pass,
which gives unlimited access to all of Sony's MMO (massively multiplayer
online) games for $21.99 a month. Hall said this means all 600,000 existing
Station subscribers could minimize the risk and hassle of experiencing "The
Matrix Online" or the upcoming DC Comics game because they already are
included in the monthly fee.
"We believe strongly that the cable model is the right one," Smedley agreed.
"You're bringing a lot of high quality to the consumer at the right price."
DC's won't be the first superhero MMO game. In 2002, Marvel Enterprises Inc.
signed a worldwide licensing agreement with Vivendi Universal Publishing to
create an MMO based on Marvel's more than 4,700 other characters, including
Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk and the X-Men. According to a Vivendi
spokeswoman, that project is currently on hold.
DC Comics will, however, be taking on NCsoft's "City of Heroes" MMO.
Launched a year ago, it has more than 130,000 registered users, all of whom
pay a monthly subscription fee of $14.95 in addition to purchasing the boxed
game for about $30.
Smedley said he was unaware of the Marvel MMO status but wasn't concerned.
"I will put Super-Man against the X-Men any day," he said. "And 'City of
Heroes' was massively successful, but now we're bringing the world's No. 1
comic into the MMO space."
Hall was similarly unfazed by any potential competition. "DC is really where
the classic archetype of the superhero lives, and there is nothing else like
it," he said. "We're partnered with arguably the leader in this space for
the longest period of time, and we're pairing them up with one of our
largest properties. It's a great setup for success and for the experience DC
fans want to have."
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
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