Champions Online Preview

Ten Ton Hammer has a rather fanboy-ish preview up for Champions Online.
When I share my excitement about Champions Online, I have been getting a lot of confused looks from my gamer friends these last few days. Champions Online (CO) has been announced for release in 2009 by Cryptic Studios, the same company which created the unique MMOG, City of Heroes and the follow up sister game, City of Villains. Now I will tell you, I got really disturbingly hyped up about this when I read about it last week. I proceeded to tell my gamer friends, both pen and paper RPG and console / PC gamers. A couple knew what I was talking about, but quite a few gave me that blank look when I seemed so excited about it. I weep for the lack of nostalgia among gamers these days. Every time I get that look, somewhere an angel loses its wings.

Let me be the first to tell you: Champions Online is going to be one of the best games of 2009. I should add some caveats. Release could be delayed, or many of the features now envisioned by the development may not make it to release. But keeping in mind the quality products that Cryptic Studios has put out, and the very smooth releases they have had, I have a lot of faith in the quality that Champions Online will have when it is released next year.

An excellent history of quality releases and a pedigree of relatively smooth game launches does not ensure a product will be great. In the case of CO, my faith in the future quality of this product is derived upon the quality of the game it is based upon.