Do you think Marvel Universe is an MMO?

"Everyday we take the Massive daily posts and bring them to Dragoon discussions. We would like to thank Massively for their original content."

So Gazillion is working on an adult-oriented Marvel game that's been described in some quarters as an MMO. One small catch, though, is that Marvel Universe Online won't be allowing players to create their own characters.

While the final product remains to be seen, MMORPG fans are rightly skeptical. Aside from the obvious questions like "are there even enough Marvel superheroes to fill one MMO server" and "how many Spider-Men/Wolverines/Hulks will be visible at any given time," there are many warning bells echoing in gamers' heads.

The biggest question in my mind is whether or not MUO should even be called an MMO. Its primary competition, DC Universe Online, attempted to stretch the boundaries of the genre by delivering a multiplayer console brawler with a (semi-functional) chat box -- but at least it still allowed for personalization. Marvel Universe Online is taking the feature-regression theme found in current-gen titles one step further by eliminating the ability for players to actually make a character. Today's Daily Grind offers two questions for your early-morning consideration. Do you think Marvel Universe Online is an MMO, and if so, what has happened to MMO design such that we're now to the point that character customization is simply another item for the scrap heap (along with crafting, housing, etc.)?

TH