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GamerBlipsMarvel Universe Online
What it was: A cross-platform (PC and Xbox 360) MMO based on the Marvel super-hero license. It was especially exciting because it was being developed by Cryptic Studios, the studio responsible for the excellent super hero MMO, City of Heroes. A brief teaser trailer was released for the game, which showed off a varied cast of Marvel characters, ranging from Spider-Man and The Hulk, to Galactus and Doctor Doom. While not much was revealed about how the game would actually play, Cryptic had plans to somehow incorporate the whole history of Marvel comics into the experience.
Above: Hulk smash legal disagreements regarding the use of licensed Marvel characters
What happened: The game was officially canceled last year, with Microsoft claiming that the MMO space had become too crowded for another subscription-based game to be successful. Cryptic has continued development on the game with a new IP, and is expected to release the Atari published Champions Online this July. We may yet see a Marvel MMO at some point though, as the comic book powerhouse has signed a 10 year deal with Gazillion Entertainment, which includes rights to create a massively multiplayer game.
Halo MMO
What it was: In addition to expanding the Halo mythology with the real-time strategy game Halo Wars, the recently closed Ensemble Studios was also working on a Halo-themed MMO from 2006 to 2007. Since the game was never officially announced, details are sparse. But in the wake of the studio's closing, a slew of concept art and screenshots were revealed proving that the rumors of its development were true. Had the game seen the light of day, it looks like there would've been plenty of sexy female versions of Master Chief running around. Meanwhile, the interface looked to borrow heavily from a little game called World of Warcraft.
Above: Concept art for the Halo-themed MMO revealed helmetless shooter babes in Spartan armor
What happened: Not being officially announced means that you can't be officially canceled either, so the reason that the plug was pulled on this one still remains a mystery. But with Ensemble having split into several new studios now, it seems as though this project is finished for good.
Above: Dual-wielding energy blades and scoring Killtaculars in a PvP arena would have ruled
Dragon Empires
What it was: A fantasy MMO developed by Codemasters, which focused on PvP clan battles. These clans would vie for control of a number of different cities strewn across the game's five empires. The game was shown off a few times after it was announced in 2001 and wowed the press with its outstanding graphics, which were quite impressive at the time.
Above: An early screenshot of Dragon Empires from 2002
What happened: Dragon Empires was delayed numerous times before Codemasters finally cut it off in 2004 due to "technical reasons." Apparently, the challenge of supporting such a massive online game was too much for the UK developer to handle.
