In a move that may mean the beginning of the end for player-created content in games, comic book publishers Marvel have claimed that the Massively Multiplayer Online superhero simulation City of Heroes is in breach of copyright codes. The company points to tribute-style game personas designed, developed and maintained by subscribers to the City of Heroes service that are based upon those characters in their hallowed halls, like Spidey, the Hulk and the X-Men.
CoH may have taken the template of comic book culture as inspiration, however this does not imply that they set out to step on Marvel's toes. All they did was provide the tools for the generation of characters. What players do with them, and how they modify them off their own steam, should ostensibly be of no one's concern. A result in Marvel's favour may mean a real limitation on any future gamer-generated creativity within virtual worlds.
Perhaps after witnessing the tremendous success of CoH, Marvel may feel they've missed out on a potential cash cow and are licking their wounds with their financial prowess. As Gamespot suggests, this move may point to a future Marvel Massively Multiplayer Online Game.
Intelligent and eloquent discussions about the implications of this suit on the future of player-rights are currently underway at Terra Nova and /..
