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While Net play has been around for a few years on PCs and consoles, the worldwide take up of broadband connections, has made MMOGs big business. Games like World of Warcraft and EverQuest claim to have millions of players each one not only paying for the game itself but also a monthly subscription.

Microsoft plans to create a game where they can choose characters from Marvel's range of super heroes such as Spider Man, the Hulk, the Fantastic Four and the X-Men among others - or become a villain. Whether it ends up looking like a world populated by Fathers for Justice remains to be seen.

'Marvel has created some of the most iconic and exciting characters and stories in the past century. We're thrilled to bring this universe to interactive entertainment,' said Peter Moore, Microsoft's corporate VP of Worldwide Marketing and Publishing for Xbox. 'With this next generation of gaming, Marvel fans will finally have the ability to create choices with their favourite Super Heroes, villains and creatures in unbelievable detail.'