Hm. Is this exciting news, or just another oddity to add to the life of Michael Jackson?

In less than a year, we’ve now heard news of two officially-licensed Michael Jackson video games in development. The first was The Michael Jackson Experience, a dancing game in the works from Ubisoft, as announced at E3. Today, an MMO has been announced called Planet Michael, that’s effectively a free online virtual world for Jackson’s fans.

Developed by SEE Virtual Worlds, a newcomer to the video game world, Planet Michael will launch in late 2011. SEE says that a full world is being crafted for the game, including “entire continents” based around visuals from his music, his videos and concerts, and global humanitarian issues that Jackson worked with. So as the first screenshots attest, you’ll be able to wander around levels based on Jackson’s videos, such as the stylized cityscape from “Billy Jean” and the graveyard from “Thriller.”

It’s not clear what players will be able to do there, though SEE mentions in its press release that players will be able to take jobs that pay virtual money that can be used for various in-game items. You’ll also be able to contribute to in-world representations of humanitarian organizations and efforts that Jackson supported.

Not that the guy’s already gone but truth be told, Moonwalker which was released in the mid 90′s in the arcades was actually one of the more engaging arcade games of the time. i remember myself in my teens with three of my friends — all playing as MJ. We’d spend Saturday afternoon beating the game.

For its time, Moonwalker had spectacular graphics, faithful and catchy background music and charge moves — yeah, the charge moves where’ you’d press and hold the attack button and MJ would moonwalk while charging up a ball of energy.

And of course, who could forget the special dance moves that would nuke an entire screen of enemies. So that was pretty bad ass. MJ would dance with everybody and blow them up after. Can Chuck Norris do that?