Warhammer Online
What kind of game was it? Warhammer Online was released in 2008 and was supposed to be one of the often-cited “WoW-killers”. Indeed, interest in the game was very high at the time, as the Warhammer world was the major inspiration behind Blizzard’s Warcraft.
At launch, the game was also quite successful, selling over 1.2 million units and at its peak had around 800,000 players online.
It was one of the 3 important MMORPGs that were released in 2008 and were supposed to breathe new life into the genre.
Warhammer Online was set in the Warhammer Fantasy world and offered a typical theme park experience alongside the known races and professions. Therefore, there were quests, dungeons, raids, and a clear focus on PvP between the opposing Warhammer factions.
What was so great about it? As already mentioned, Warhammer Online focused strongly on PvP. The two factions eagerly fought each other, and there was always a major brawl happening somewhere.
This created more balance and reminded players of the Realm vs. Realm battles that were first introduced in the PvP classic Dark Age of Camelot. Today, ESO, among others, uses a similar system in PvP.
Additionally, the grim and dark atmosphere of the Warhammer Fantasy world attracted many fans of the tabletop game to the screen. So, if you wanted to play brutal greenskins, wicked dark elves, or hulking imperials, you had your fun in the beginning.
Why did it have to die? However, the fun didn’t last long. The game caused controversy even before its release when developers had to withdraw promised capitals of individual races.
The content drought quickly spread after release and proved once again that in MMORPGs, it is crucial to keep players entertained with a lot of post-launch content, rather than just providing them with a spectacular experience during the leveling phase.
Additionally, Warhammer Online felt unfinished at launch. Various bugs that were deemed “game-breaking” spoiled the fun, and these issues were only slowly and inadequately fixed.
Eventually, it was clear that Warhammer Online in this state was no longer sustainable, and there were brief attempts to transform it into a free-to-play MMO. However, since the license from rights holder Games Workshop was expiring anyway, it probably wasn’t worth the effort for the publisher, and the game was discontinued in 2013.
However, those who wish to experience Warhammer Online again can have lots of fun on the private server Return of Reckoning even today.
Marvel Heroes
What kind of game was it? Marvel Heroes has one of the most absurd stories in MMO history. It was an action-brawler MMO featuring Marvel heroes, released in 2013, and felt like a typical, soulless licensed mess at the time. MeinMMO editorial director Schuhmann once wrote about it:
When Marvel Heroes was released in 2013, I tried it and found it really awful. It was a disaster, and I uninstalled it after a few hours. For me, Marvel Heroes was a typical case of “They want to milk a huge license with Marvel, and the quality of the game doesn’t matter because fans will play it just for the license.”
Gerd Schuhmann, editorial director at MeinMMO
The game was simply a Diablo clone without any major unique features. However, then a transformation occurred with the developers. Under the well-known Diablo chief David Brevik, Marvel Heroes was significantly redesigned and became a really good game.
What was so great about it? After the overhaul, Marvel Heroes was briefly a very good action MMO. You played as one of many Marvel heroes and smashed through typical Marvel locations. The selection of heroes was massive, and each hero had unique skills and a completely different gameplay style.
Constantly, new heroes were added, coinciding with the booming new films of the MCU. Additionally, there were always big events with special buffs and extreme loot drops for even more variety and gameplay fun.
If you wanted the typical action RPG feel and fought through Hydra minions or Ultron drones with Iron Man and Co., you had great fun. At least until things went downhill again.
Why did it have to die? In 2016, Marvel Heroes was actually in great shape. Then David Brevik decided to focus on other projects. That wasn’t inherently a problem, but soon afterward, Marvel Heroes was released on consoles under the title “Omega”. However, this was a different, streamlined version that stretched the team’s resources thin.
As a result, updates for the PC version were delayed, which frustrated players. Then scandals about the head of the development company came to light. Alleged rumors reached Marvel owner Disney, which triggered additional problems.
In any case, things happened quickly. The Disney license was revoked, banks wanted their loans back, and only six months after the console launch, Marvel Heroes was dead.
