Close on the heels of the cancellation of its long-in-development multiplayer online game "Mythica," Microsoft has revealed plans for "Vanguard: Saga of Heroes," a new game it's producing with two of the creators of Sony's "Everquest," which pioneered the multiplayer online fantasy gaming genre.
Title will be published by Microsoft Game Studios and developed by Sigil Games Online, a company formed in 2002 by "Everquest" co-creators Brad McQuaid and Jeff Butler. Sigil signed an exclusive publishing deal with Microsoft soon after it was formed, and "Vanguard" will be the first game to result from the partnership.
When it canceled "Mythica" last month, Microsoft said competition in the online multiplayer game space had simply become too crowded. Company is apparently betting that the cache of two "Everquest" creators will help it break through against upcoming competition such as an "Everquest" sequel from Sony and VU Games' "Worlds of Warcraft."
Neither company provided any information on when "Vanguard" will be released.
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