According to this story from Develop, Marvel wants to get a lot more involved in the development of video games based off of their characters:
Although a major force in terms of licensing its properties to third-parties, Marvel has prior precedent in ‘seizing its destiny’ to control how owned material is transferred to other mediums; it opened the Marvel Studios film division in 2004 to directly manage the writing and production of films based on its characters, following the mixed fortunes of its properties when handled by Hollywood studios. Its first films, The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man, appear next year accompanied by Sega’s tie-ins.
Marvel certainly has the talent in-house to start replicating its Marvel Studios strategy in games development when it possibly looking at projects for the following year; a few months ago it appointed former journalist turned Sega and LucasArts exec Justin Lambros as VP of interactive at Marvel Studios and executive producer in forthcoming Marvel-based video games.
Plus, a recent job posting at Monster.com says the company is seeking a CFO-like figure with experience in “the management of content development and/or interactive publishing business” and “interactive or online casual gaming planning and deployment” to help further define Marvel’s interactive strategy.
The story goes on to speculate as to whether the allegedly cancelled Marvel MMO had anything to do with this new direction. Possibly, but it’s not as though there’s been a flod of stellar Marvel games prior to that point (Marvel Nemesis I’m looking at you).
Hat tip: Kotaku.
December 12th, 2007 at 9:46 am
I’m sad that Sierra didn’t get to keep the Hulk license. “Hulk: Ultimate Destruction” was the awesome!
December 12th, 2007 at 10:05 am
Had a blast working on the punisher and ghost rider game for marvel…i think this is awesome news. I see it as more freedom to make the games relate to the properties themselves much better.
Jimmy
December 12th, 2007 at 10:56 am
Hopefully this will mean the games will be based upon the Marvel Universe proper, with less emphasis on Ultimate Marvel.
More sandbox type games starring Marvel heroes would be most desirable.
December 12th, 2007 at 11:09 am
I think that Ultimate Marvel Alliance is easily one of the top 3 comic games ever; why mess with a good thing?
December 12th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
I think video game development arm is a natural extension of the movie studio they started. It wouldn’t surprise me if their primary goal is to create subscription-based games (MMORPG, MMORTS and Card games).
I just hope they learn a lesson from manga/anime properties in that the continuity is unadulterated regardless of its medium.
December 12th, 2007 at 5:45 pm
If they do take another shot at MUO, I really hope it goes multi-system. Being a PS3 guy, I hated how it was 360 exclusive while I got DC Online (blah).
December 13th, 2007 at 10:33 am
In 2001 I proposed to Bill Jemas that Marvel enter the video game world more aggressively. I never understood Marvel’s continued focus on disposable action-oriented titles.
Marvel is an untapped stable of talented writers and artists, and could possibly be the American equivalent of Japan’s powerful Square-Enix.
By considering moving in the direction of not only doing MMORPGS, I asked (and continue to question) why Marvel has never considered episodic offline RPGS (ala Final Fantasy), or completely original IPs written by Marvel writers with epic stories (ala Mass Effect). Can you imagine the success of, say, Runaways if that first self-contained story arc had been a completely interactive action/RPG? I’d argue that we’d be looking at a Runaways movie and toon by now.
The decision by Marvel to continue to push button-mashing action titles from a company known for compelling storytelling and art, makes me think that Marvel might not realize it’s own potential.
December 15th, 2007 at 10:39 am
I agree with Shola. I think Marvel has the potential to make great RPGS and perhaps give Square Enix the motivation to stop making lame FF’s. Ever since Final Fantasy 7 and 8 and 9 the franchise has gone down hill in terms of quality.
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