Beenox Named Activision's Official Spider-Man Developer

[vansau]

Beenox Named Activision's Official Spider-Man Developer

The developer behind Shattered Dimensions is going to be handling all of Activision's web-slinging games for the foreseeable future.

It's a good time to be a part of Beenox, the developer that created <a href=http://www.amazon.com/Spider-Man-Shattered-Dimensions-Xbox-360/dp/B003ESDQW4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1294944810&sr=8-3>Spider-Man: Shattered Dimsenions. The game had some strong sales and <a href=http://www.metacritic.com/search/all/shattered+dimensions/results>strong reviews, but the best news for the developer came this morning. Today, Activision officially announced that Beenox was going to be "the primary developer on upcoming Activision titles featuring Marvel's famous web-slinger, Spider-Man."

According to the publisher, the game "reinvigorated the Spider-Man gaming experience among critics and fans."

While Activision didn't officially reveal a new Spider-Man game, the publisher's announcement all but confirms that such a project is in the works. The next such game might actually be a spin-off of Shattered Dimensions, as Beenox's creative director Thomas Wilson revealed to Joystiq that he'd like to work on a game based on Spider-Man 2099 or Spider-Man: Noir.

Shattered Dimensions was one of those games that I enjoyed, but I didn't think it was as good as Activision seemed to believe it was. The combat was certainly solid, but I found the game to be a bit too repetitive and linear to have any replay value. That said, Beenox proved it was capable of putting together a decent game with a well-told story; hopefully the developer's next Spider-Man game features some more open-ended gameplay ... and the return of Neil Patrick Harris as the voice of Peter Parker.

Source: Joystiq




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[Onyx Oblivion]

Hmm...

Well, I can see that working. For a first effort, it's supposed to be good. Coulda used a demo, though...

One of those games that kept me on the fence for too long, and then slipped my mind.

 

[Something Amyss]

OMG. A real 2099 Spidey game? XD.

That was one of the only reasons I considered picking up SD. And I still probably will, once it's cheap.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Spiderman is dead. Joe Quesada killed him [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man:_One_More_Day].

 

[Trogdor1138]

Haven't played it yet but it didn't really grab me.

Get those guys that did Spiderman 2 of course, that was an awesome game, where are they?

Oh, right... Developing exclusively for Call of Duty...

 

[uppitycracker]

The combat was certainly solid, but I found the game to be a bit too repetitive and linear to have any replay value.

You just described every single spiderman game I've ever played, although I haven't played shattered dimensions this is the reason why

 

[Littaly]

What is up with Marvel video games lately? Everything that isn't based on a movie seems to be based around a gimmick. Ultimate Alliance 2 had the whole "fusion" deal, Shattered Dimensions played on alternate universes and the new X-Men game seems to be obsessed with choices and destiny.

Looking at the most successful comic based games they seem to be based more around giving the "pure experience". Spider-Man 2, Arkham Asylum, even Origins. Wolverine. They were more about being the character rather than said character dealing with something specific. Am I making sense here?

 

[SamElliot'sMustache]

Honestly, I thought Shattered Dimensions was the weakest effort at a Spider-Man game in the last few years. The story tilted back and forth between non-existant and stupid, combat was easy (except for Noir Spidey, who apparently forgets he has super-powers if spotted by anyone packing more heat than a hobo, and goes limp-wristed), and I found the lack of exploration killed it (seriously, Spider-Man on the PS1 had more freedom to move around. There's barely any wall-crawling or web-swinging in Shattered Dimensions, and when there is, it's usually in a corridor that gives you only one way to go). Not to mention that the gameplay had a heavy dose of that 'like God of War, but..."-syndrome, only without the 'but...'

Guess I know to avoid Spider-Man games in the future.

 

[SamElliot'sMustache]

What is up with Marvel video games lately? Everything that isn't based on a movie seems to be based around a gimmick. Ultimate Alliance 2 had the whole "fusion" deal, Shattered Dimensions played on alternate universes and the new X-Men game seems to be obsessed with choices and destiny.

Looking at the most successful comic based games they seem to be based more around giving the "pure experience". Spider-Man 2, Arkham Asylum, even Origins. Wolverine. They were more about being the character rather than said character dealing with something specific. Am I making sense here?

The reason they're coming up with gimmicks is because the developers they get are hacks (though I think X-Men: Destiny incorporating choices is a good idea, especially since those comics have always been about characters making choices that effect everyone else). Though, in a way, Shattered Dimensions is the pure experience of Spider-Man comics since "One More Day," what with it being on the spectrum between bland and idiotic (they even had Dan Slott, the current writer of the comics, provide the, *ahem*, 'story' for the game, for lack of a better term).

 

[Shirokurou]

Good for them. ShatDim was a good game. Could've used more free-roaming though.

And Spider-man 2099 is one of my all-time fave superheroes, so I hope he shows up again in the next Spidey game.

Oh wait... the next game will be a tie-in to the rebooted movie...

 

[Littaly]

-snip-

The reason they're coming up with gimmicks is because the developers they get are hacks (though I think X-Men: Destiny incorporating choices is a good idea, especially since those comics have always been about characters making choices that effect everyone else). Though, in a way, Shattered Dimensions is the pure experience of Spider-Man comics since "One More Day," what with it being on the spectrum between bland and idiotic (they even had Dan Slott, the current writer of the comics, provide the, *ahem*, 'story' for the game, for lack of a better term).

Yeah, I'm not gonna give up hope on X-Men: Destiny just yet, it looks like it could possibly be a 'meh' title pushing one central gimmick, but it's a bit too early to tell. I guess I'm just trying to not set myself up for a disappointment, because I would really like to see a good current gen X-Men game. The closest thing there is is Legends, and that was a while ago :-/.

 

[ImprovizoR]

They should make a free roaming Spider-Man similar to Treyarchs "Web of Shadows". That game was awesome. The only thing it missed was being able to free roam after you've completed the game.

 

[RowdyRodimus]

Honestly, I thought Shattered Dimensions was the weakest effort at a Spider-Man game in the last few years. The story tilted back and forth between non-existant and stupid, combat was easy (except for Noir Spidey, who apparently forgets he has super-powers if spotted by anyone packing more heat than a hobo, and goes limp-wristed), and I found the lack of exploration killed it (seriously, Spider-Man on the PS1 had more freedom to move around. There's barely any wall-crawling or web-swinging in Shattered Dimensions, and when there is, it's usually in a corridor that gives you only one way to go). Not to mention that the gameplay had a heavy dose of that 'like God of War, but..."-syndrome, only without the 'but...'

Guess I know to avoid Spider-Man games in the future.

I'm in 100% agreement with you here. I thought the game was shit and is the only Spidey game from the last 10+ years I didn't finish. In fact, after a few days of the boring gameplay and even worse story, I sold it off. I never sell off Spider-Man stuff, hell I kept Friends and Foes for god's sake.

I didn't get why so many critics liked it. It felt like it was developed for the Wii and they bumped up the graphics just enough to put it on the HD systems. Although when I said that out loud, of course I was told that I just don't like anything that is popular. But really what is worse, genuinely not liking something that everyone else seems to or saying you like something you don't just because everyone else says they do?

But yeah, looks like my days of buying Spidey games is over for a while also.

 

[RowdyRodimus]

They should make a free roaming Spider-Man similar to Treyarchs "Web of Shadows". That game was awesome. The only thing it missed was being able to free roam after you've completed the game.

Oh no, not Web of Shadows. Remember how much people bitched about it even though it took the best parts of SM 2 and got rid of the balloon type missions and made what is probably the best Spider-Man game ever?

I never got how people panned Web of Shadows and then turn around and say this POS was awesome. Sure it had internet darling Neil Patrick Harris in it and more importantly (to me at least) the guy who did the voice of Spidey in Amazing Friends and Bumblebee in Transformers, but it was like four half assed games shoved together with a crap story and took away everything that makes Spider-Man the kind of character he is and made it a point A to point B affair.

 

[SamElliot'sMustache]

I never got how people panned Web of Shadows and then turn around and say this POS was awesome.

Fanservice. Lots and lots of fanservice.

 

[FogHornG36]

Awww... thats too bad... i guess im done buying spider man games for some time... played the last few spider man games, they were trash, spider man turned into a 13 year old and every time he makes a jokes now it just makes me facepalm, the last spider man game i loved was two, open world, it wasn't all cell shaded it had some grit, and the voice actor for spider man didn't sound like he was 13.