Marvel Heroes Omega – The Final Curtain 2017.12.31

This is a transcript for one of my YouTube videos on the final shutdown of Marvel Heroes Omega servers.

Hello Marvel Heroes fan, my name is Wilfrid and I have spent around 4,000 hours playing this game. I have also spent US$660 supporting Marvel Heroes. And once upon a time, I was a one-off game reviewer with Stuff magazine. I have written an article for Marvel Heroes 2015. In it, there was an interview piece with Mr. Brevik, the then-CEO of Gazillion. I have played Marvel Heroes since closed beta back in March 2013.

In the past few weeks after Gazillion has gone silent on their forum and social media, every morning I woke up, I would check my phone and read the news collated by Google based on my browsing preferences. I was expecting some news from Gazillion because they just could not stay silent for that long. I have speculated the various possible outcomes as I have shared with you in one of my recent videos. In the morning of November 17, the news has arrived. And the official statement from Gazillion says:

We’re sad to inform our players and our entire Marvel Heroes family that Marvel Heroes Omega will be shutting down. The Marvel Heroes servers will stay on until Dec 31, 2017, and we’ll be removing real money purchases as soon as possible. Players will be able to play the game entirely for free once this sunset period commences. We will share the exact date things go completely free as soon as we can.

We’ve had the privilege of entertaining and collaborating with our players for over four years. We’re extremely humbled by that privilege and wanted to get this message out: Thank you. Thank you to our players, our tireless employees, and everyone involved in the life of Marvel Heroes, Marvel Heroes 2015, Marvel Heroes 2016, and Marvel Heroes Omega.

In the past 36 hours, many of you contacted me through YouTube, Steam, Blizzard Battle.net chat and the official forum asking how I feel. Shocked, yes. Sad but not unexpected. The feeling is best described by the first thing that came into my mind when I read the news.

It is like this. You used to play with your neighbor’s dog a lot in the past, not because he is the most popular dog in the neighborhood. But rather, you have developed a bond with him that many cannot comprehend.

Not too long ago, the dog has grown sick. You don’t play with him as much, though occasionally you give him a rub on his tummy when you see him. You know dogs don’t live forever but you wouldn’t expect him to be gone anytime soon.

Then one day, you read the news from a vet saying that your neighbor’s dog is terminally ill. He has to be put down by this New Year’s Eve. You are shocked, yes. Sad but not unexpected.

And that was exactly how I felt.

According to Gazillion, from now till the server goes dark, we shall be able to play this game entirely free. I logged into the game late last evening after a long day at work. I scrolled through all the costumes that are now within my grasp and the rest of the team-ups that I now can unlock. That includes all the pay for power items that I now can afford as well. Instead of being happy, I felt even sadder. I looked at my heroes coming alive with voice-over and animation, all I could think of was ‘what it could have been’.

What it could have been had Gazillion not abandoned the PC platform?

What it could have been had Gazillion put the veterans first?

What it could have been had Gazillion listened and worked with us to make this game better?

I am not angry. Instead, I am disappointed with the wasted opportunities. I don’t regret the time and money I have put into the game for vast majority of that investment was made when the game was still fun to play. I don’t regret playing this game for there are many good takeaways.

Fond memories!

My first hero was Ms Marvel. I love her voice acting; I love her sparkling fists; and I love her agility. Besides, she has great legs. I did not know the character. But I read her up after playing this game. In a way, Marvel Heroes the game has over time introduced me into the Marvel Universe.

Fond memories!

I have left the game briefly after its launch. Emma Frost brought me back to this game. She has taught me that it is okay to be a villain turned hero. She has also shown me that it is okay to be naked in a superhero game so long as you look as good as a diamond. And she was totally fun to play, destroying everything that crossed her path.

Still, more fond memories!

I used to have a supergroup called Red Riding Hood with a local presence. They have followed me through World of Warcraft, Firefall, Diablo 3, and Guild Wars 2 – just to name a few. We would organize social outing whenever a Marvel movie hit town. When we met, we would call each other by our favorite in-game superhero names. There was a Dr. Strange and there was an Ironman. My wife was Rocket Raccoon and they just called me Lace since I couldn’t and still can’t decide on which my absolute favorite is. There were others too. And those were the good times. Looking back, everyone except me has left round about the time when Mr. Brevik left Gazillion as the CEO. Deep inside, I feel there is an unspoken connection on Brevik’s departure and the state of the game thereafter.

Motivated by the review piece that I have written for this game by serendipity, I have decided to put up videos on YouTube hoping that more would get to know this game. Back then, there were not a lot of online resources explaining how this game works. So I took the time to figure things out and I shared my findings on YouTube.

Over time, I think I have achieved what I have set out to do and I am blessed to have a passionate and caring community in my channel. Some of you have spoken in the past on how I can do better. And, unlike Gazillion, I have listened. Your support has been the sole motivation for me to continue even when the time is bad. That is another takeaway that I deeply treasure and will deeply treasure in time to come. I have learned so much from you and from this journey.

On a more personal note whereby I am not in the liberty to share the details, this game and the comic book heroes were with me through some of the most trying and difficult time of my work and life in the past couple of years. In my most recent trip to a hospital when someone I love lied on a bed in an operation theater, I drew strength from reading the Inhuman series in the waiting room while the operation went on beyond scheduled end time. A story whereby everyone is unique and abnormality to our eyes is just a feature to the Inhumans. A story whereby triumph shall unfold given time. A story on why sacrifices have to be made. And a story whereby love conquers everything in the end. During those days, I would log into the game and play Black Bolt and Medusa. Through them, I found comfort and inner joy.

The above is just my personal story. I am sure there are plenty that you have experienced in your life, through the comic book heroes and through this game.

What would I do from now till the end of this year? I have planned to continue covering this game till the server goes dark, as I have promised. Perhaps play a different hero each day. I will also continue making videos of different games and genres. I would love to continue our connection here in my YouTube channel. Because we are gamers at heart. Our path will cross.

The transcript of this video can be found in the link at the description below, in case my accent gets in the way. Thank you very much for watching this. My channel will go on. But you have already known that.

May Odin bless you in all that you do. See you!

3 thoughts on “Marvel Heroes Omega – The Final Curtain 2017.12.31

  1. Kenneth Nyström

    Ragnarök are upon us.
    And we all know whats about to happen.
    Rejoice my friend, because a new world (a whole bunch of them infact) is about to take shape in its place.

    And that my friend is the key not to the future, but also the past.

Leave a Reply to Dex Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.