NCSoft, Marvel Pretend to Be Friends, Settle

Marvel Entertainment and NCsoft settled their litigation today, according to the press release we received here at Escapist HQ. According to the statement, the two companies are "pleased to announce today that they have amicably settled all claims brought by Marvel and all claims brought by NCsoft and Cryptic Studios, Inc... no changes to City of Heroes or City of Villains' character creation engine are part of the settlement... all parties agree that this case was never about monetary issues and that the fans of their respective products and characters are the winners in this settlement."

I probably won't be too controversial if I say that calling this an amicable settlement is putting a happy face on a stinging defeat for Marvel. One lawyer familiar with the case emailed us to remark that "NCSoft was so thoroughly kicking Marvel's ass that they were begging for mercy just to get out of the thing." And if a lawyer says it, it must be true.