<s>
Mythica	B-Protocol
was	O
a	O
never-released	O
massively	B-Protocol
multiplayer	I-Protocol
online	I-Protocol
role-playing	I-Protocol
game	I-Protocol
(	O
or	O
"	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
"	O
)	O
based	O
on	O
Norse	O
mythology	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
under	O
development	O
by	O
Microsoft	O
Game	O
Studios	O
(	O
MGS	O
)	O
for	O
Windows-running	O
PCs	B-Device
until	O
it	O
was	O
cancelled	O
in	O
early	O
2004	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
with	O
most	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
,	O
one	O
would	O
have	O
needed	O
to	O
purchase	O
the	O
game	O
software	O
and	O
then	O
subscribe	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
service	O
,	O
paying	O
a	O
monthly	O
fee	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
December	O
2003	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
was	O
sued	O
for	O
trademark	O
infringement	O
and	O
unfair	O
competition	O
by	O
Mythic	O
Entertainment	O
,	O
the	O
developers	O
of	O
the	O
competing	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
Dark	B-Protocol
Age	I-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Camelot	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mythic	O
claimed	O
in	O
the	O
lawsuit	O
that	O
the	O
terms	O
"	O
Mythic	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
Mythica	B-Protocol
"	O
were	O
so	O
close	O
as	O
to	O
cause	O
consumer	O
confusion	O
,	O
thus	O
infringing	O
on	O
Mythic	O
's	O
trademark	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
May	O
25	O
,	O
2004	O
,	O
three	O
months	O
after	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
cancelled	O
,	O
Mythic	O
Entertainment	O
announced	O
that	O
the	O
case	O
was	O
settled	O
and	O
that	O
Microsoft	O
agreed	O
to	O
not	O
use	O
the	O
Mythica	B-Protocol
name	O
on	O
new	O
online	O
computer	O
games	O
and	O
to	O
not	O
register	O
it	O
as	O
a	O
trademark	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Also	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
deal	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
gave	O
Mythica-related	O
trademarks	O
and	O
domain	O
names	O
to	O
Mythic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
February	O
12	O
,	O
2004	O
,	O
MGS	O
announced	O
the	O
cancellation	O
of	O
Mythica	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microsoft	O
claimed	O
the	O
cancellation	O
was	O
not	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
lawsuit	O
,	O
and	O
cited	O
the	O
competitive	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
market	O
and	O
a	O
desire	O
to	O
not	O
"	O
spread	O
ourselves	O
out	O
over	O
multiple	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
projects.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
time	O
,	O
Microsoft	O
operated	O
Asheron	B-Application
's	I-Application
Call	I-Application
and	O
Asheron	B-Protocol
's	I-Protocol
Call	I-Protocol
2	I-Protocol
,	O
and	O
was	O
planning	O
to	O
publish	O
Brad	O
McQuaid	O
's	O
new	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
:	O
Vanguard	B-Protocol
:	I-Protocol
Saga	I-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Heroes	I-Protocol
for	O
PC	O
and	O
True	B-Protocol
Fantasy	I-Protocol
Live	I-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
,	O
an	O
anime-esque	O
MMOG	O
for	O
the	O
Xbox	O
console	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
as	O
with	O
Mythica	B-Protocol
,	O
the	O
latter	O
game	O
was	O
never	O
released	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
commentators	O
said	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
that	O
the	O
cancellation	O
was	O
evidence	O
that	O
the	O
(	O
English	O
language	O
)	O
massively	O
multiplayer	O
market	O
had	O
become	O
saturated	O
,	O
though	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
,	O
released	O
in	O
November	O
2004	O
,	O
subsequently	O
became	O
the	O
most	O
popular	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
in	O
the	O
West	O
with	O
over	O
3	O
million	O
Western	O
subscribers	O
as	O
of	O
December	O
2007	O
.	O
</s>
