Where all the Marvel games at?

[Johnny Novgorod]

The only two IPs Marvel regularly exploits are the Marvel Vs. Capcom fighting games and Sony's Spider-Man games, each of which is always eagerly awaited but none of which seem to catch on among fans or critics. Cheap movie tie-ins died about a decade ago. Telltale issued one or two Guardians of the Galaxy games Patented Telltale Experiences, as they do. Whenever I don't look a whole new batch of Patented Telltale Experiences have sprouted like shrooms in the muck.

The last MCU movie had something like 30 named superheros. How come not one of them is spearheading Marvel's answer to Rocksteady's awesome Arkham series? Why aren't Disney/Marvel investing in gaming to even begin competing in the one area where DC thoroughly owns? Every year they reap highest-grossing ever rewards in the film department, they can't afford a good dev team to churn out a halfway decent game every couple of years or so?

 

[sXeth]

Lego games mostly. Which I guess is lucrative enough for the house o' mouse to consider it not worth bothering outside. Which kind of funnily are published by Warner Bros, who own DC.

As the specific cases go. Marvel vs Capcom correlates to DC/Netherrealm stuff, and Spider Man correlates to Batman. Both the big comics guys run literally the same amount of stuff (even carrying over into both having Telltale and Lego adaptations).About the only notable blip is DCUO persisting when Marvel's corresponding game vanished into the night late last year.

 

[Saelune]

I want Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

I want Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3.

Word!

Square-Enix is working on an Avengers game. But god only knows when that's coming out. We've only seen a CGI teaser.

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

I'm guessing the initial MCU tie-in games didn't do well enough. Iron Man had sort of ok sales, but was critically panned. Iron Man 2 performed worse on both accounts. So did Thor and Incredible Hulk. Captain America was relatively decent as a game, but sold worst of all. Not what you'd call a good record.

At the same time, smartphones were starting to gain traction, opening up a new avenue for peddling games. I'm assuming Marvel saw this and decided that investing in console games was not worth it. Shoddy as they were, they probably still cost several millions to make. Why take that risk when you could crank out something quicker and easier, for a fraction of the cost, and on a platform with lower quality standards? Just make a cheap runner knock-off, slap a Black Panther paint job on it, be sure to add those sweet, sweet micro-transations, and done.

Cheap tie-ins are still around. Just not really on consoles anymore. The only real exception seems to be the LEGO games, which seem to be selling well enough. Not amazing, but ok. And to a lesser degree, Telltale stuff, although those don't seem to do as well as they used to. Might just be an impression though.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

There's a Marvel game on Mobile I keep seeing pushed everywhere.

 

[Xprimentyl]

How come not one of them is spearheading Marvel's answer to Rocksteady's awesome Arkham series?

It truly is baffling how the gaming industry picks and chooses which trends to glom onto. CoD4, an extremely well realized modern military shooter with tight gameplay spawned an industry saturated in copycats that has perpetuated to this day, but Batman: Arkham Asylum, critically acclaimed and arguably the best video game realization of one of the most popular super heroes of all time, gets little more than a ?great job doing that thing you do? pat on the back from the industry. And this at a time when no one can walk more than four feet without banging their head on yet another super hero movie or licensed merchandise!! Since when does anyone have to identify a popular/hot trend for the gaming industry to milk until the teat is withered, dry and produces nothing more than pus and blood?

I want Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3.

Word!

Worder!!

 

[Trunkage]

I want Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 3.

Word!

Worder!!

Wordest!

I'd even be willing to have another Xman Legends game, that's close enough

 

[Palindromemordnilap_v1legacy]

I think they focus mostly on mobile games and apps. There's that one where everyone's a kid in school that I don't remember the name of, and Contest of Champions which is some kind of fighting thing. I guess they're cheaper and easier to make and you can probably make a pretty penny selling downloadable characters

 

[Tanis]

Because they lack Vision?
>_>
v_v
<_<
^_^


Okay, but, seriously?
I have NO IDEA.

I mean, the LEGO games are all pretty solid.
But, yeah, why not?

The IP is there, but the lack desire is also there it seems.

I'd LOVE to see an action game where you can switch out various Avengers for their skills.

Hell, a 'Space game' where you go around as the Guardians of the Galaxy exploring stuff and trying to get the magical thingie would be cool.
You got the ship, you got the classes, you got the realized universe to go play in.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

I think Marvel is kinda hand-picking devs vs making their own gaming devs. Sony has the new Spiderman game and Square is working on an Avengers game.

It truly is baffling how the gaming industry picks and chooses which trends to glom onto. CoD4, an extremely well realized modern military shooter with tight gameplay spawned an industry saturated in copycats that has perpetuated to this day, but Batman: Arkham Asylum, critically acclaimed and arguably the best video game realization of one of the most popular super heroes of all time, gets little more than a ?great job doing that thing you do? pat on the back from the industry. And this at a time when no one can walk more than four feet without banging their head on yet another super hero movie or licensed merchandise!! Since when does anyone have to identify a popular/hot trend for the gaming industry to milk until the teat is withered, dry and produces nothing more than pus and blood?

Huh? The gaming industry has milked all the cows dry with regards to Arkham combat. They copied the shit out of that from Sleeping Dogs to Mad Max to Uncharted 3. Even Warner Bros copied it with the Middle-earth games. I guess getting the licenses for comic book characters is either hard or pricey. Infamous and Prototype basically tried making superhero games with original characters last-gen.

 

[Xprimentyl]

I think Marvel is kinda hand-picking devs vs making their own gaming devs. Sony has the new Spiderman game and Square is working on an Avengers game.

It truly is baffling how the gaming industry picks and chooses which trends to glom onto. CoD4, an extremely well realized modern military shooter with tight gameplay spawned an industry saturated in copycats that has perpetuated to this day, but Batman: Arkham Asylum, critically acclaimed and arguably the best video game realization of one of the most popular super heroes of all time, gets little more than a ?great job doing that thing you do? pat on the back from the industry. And this at a time when no one can walk more than four feet without banging their head on yet another super hero movie or licensed merchandise!! Since when does anyone have to identify a popular/hot trend for the gaming industry to milk until the teat is withered, dry and produces nothing more than pus and blood?

Huh? The gaming industry has milked all the cows dry with regards to Arkham combat. They copied the shit out of that from Sleeping Dogs to Mad Max to Uncharted 3. Even Warner Bros copied it with the Middle-earth games. I guess getting the licenses for comic book characters is either hard or pricey. Infamous and Prototype basically tried making superhero games with original characters last-gen.

I?m not talking about the combat, I?m saying that everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief when FINALLY, a good Batman game hit the market, one that was true to the character(s) in pretty much every way, yet the industry didn?t take that as a hint that just maybe the other dozens of popular heroes might be ripe for a true-to-form outings themselves? The newest Spider-Man on PS4 might be the case, but he?s arguably not been done well since Spider-Man 2 two gens ago. And Superman, anyone? Hello?? At best, the industry does forgettable movie tie-ins, but even those have fallen off (thankfully.) No one has taken a character/team and committed to doing him/her/them justice despite consumers showing the industry it?s something we?re eagerly receptive to. Prototype and Infamous were great ?super power? games, but being [then] new IPs, didn?t have expectations (standards, maybe?) to meet, but consumers know what we?d want from a good Iron Man or Fantastic Four game; why doesn?t anyone try? REALLY try?

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

I want an Avengers HQ tycoon. Building defenses, labs, dorms, recruiting heroes and training them and sending them out into the world. Maybe Evil Genius, Marvel Avengers edition.

 

[sXeth]

I?m not talking about the combat, I?m saying that everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief when FINALLY, a good Batman game hit the market, one that was true to the character(s) in pretty much every way, yet the industry didn?t take that as a hint that just maybe the other dozens of popular heroes might be ripe for a true-to-form outings themselves? The newest Spider-Man on PS4 might be the case, but he?s arguably not been done well since Spider-Man 2 two gens ago. And Superman, anyone? Hello?? At best, the industry does forgettable movie tie-ins, but even those have fallen off (thankfully.) No one has taken a character/team and committed to doing him/her/them justice despite consumers showing the industry it?s something we?re eagerly receptive to. Prototype and Infamous were great ?super power? games, but being [then] new IPs, didn?t have expectations (standards, maybe?) to meet, but consumers know what we?d want from a good Iron Man or Fantastic Four game; why doesn?t anyone try? REALLY try?

I mean if you want the actual practical reason.

Disney barely cares about video games to begin with. The few concessions they do make towards them are prettymuch exclusively to big AAA publishers.

AAA publishers barely care about third party IP, because its not worth investing serious effort in a property they might lose the ability to capitalize on. They'll jump right in for a quick cash in job, but they won't invest unless they control the IP a la Warner Bros.

 

[Xprimentyl]

I?m not talking about the combat, I?m saying that everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief when FINALLY, a good Batman game hit the market, one that was true to the character(s) in pretty much every way, yet the industry didn?t take that as a hint that just maybe the other dozens of popular heroes might be ripe for a true-to-form outings themselves? The newest Spider-Man on PS4 might be the case, but he?s arguably not been done well since Spider-Man 2 two gens ago. And Superman, anyone? Hello?? At best, the industry does forgettable movie tie-ins, but even those have fallen off (thankfully.) No one has taken a character/team and committed to doing him/her/them justice despite consumers showing the industry it?s something we?re eagerly receptive to. Prototype and Infamous were great ?super power? games, but being [then] new IPs, didn?t have expectations (standards, maybe?) to meet, but consumers know what we?d want from a good Iron Man or Fantastic Four game; why doesn?t anyone try? REALLY try?

I mean if you want the actual practical reason.

Disney barely cares about video games to begin with. The few concessions they do make towards them are prettymuch exclusively to big AAA publishers.

AAA publishers barely care about third party IP, because its not worth investing serious effort in a property they might lose the ability to capitalize on. They'll jump right in for a quick cash in job, but they won't invest unless they control the IP a la Warner Bros.

Makes all the sense in the world. I don?t like, but it makes that sort of bitter sense that permeates the gaming industry nowadays.

But my questions are more rhetorical (if that?s the word?) than anything. I?m saying remove the constraints and realities you?ve outlined, why hasn?t any dev/publisher jumped on the opportunity to make a quality super hero game like Rocksteady did with Batman. The current obsession with heroes nowadays and the oversaturation of FPSs and now battle royale titles, why hasn?t someone thought to peel themselves away from the herd and nail it in a much lacking genre of quality licensed heroes games? Spider-Man has been treading water forever, but he?s not the only one with interesting, playable abilities that could be properly realized with the right attention to quality. Hell, half the creative process is already done: you know which powers, what costumes, names, cities, villains, etc.; you just have to draw it up and code it! (I know that?s a gross oversimplification, but I want what I want, so logic and reason are optional.)

 

[sXeth]

Spider-Man has been treading water forever, but he?s not the only one with interesting, playable abilities that could be properly realized with the right attention to quality. Hell, half the creative process is already done: you know which powers, what costumes, names, cities, villains, etc.; you just have to draw it up and code it! (I know that?s a gross oversimplification, but I want what I want, so logic and reason are optional.)

Well that is the sticky bit of course.

Let's take Iron Man, arguably the face of the MCU (arguably Cap is as well, but thats more of a standard brawler game by its nature). We'll even assume you can afford good old RDJ to lend his voice to the character, which is a hell of a hurdle expense wise likely.

What even are Iron Man's powers that we're making gameplay out of, and what kind of game would it be?

That seems to be where most of the time there's a struggle. Like Ultimate Alliance (which is much lauded even in this thread) there was a certain lack of definition to various powers to keep them distinct from each other.

 

[Pseudonym]

I've found this here list:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_video_games_based_on_Marvel_Comics

Quite a few of them have been made though slightly less so in recent years. There are a million marvel things comming out daily though, you sure you want even more of that?

 

[immortalfrieza]

You got me. I think a big part of it is that the Batman Arkham games have pretty significantly raised the bar as to what is acceptable when it comes to superhero games so most are too scared or lazy to bother to measure up. The Batman Arkham games replicated the experience of being a superhero and specifically Batman to an extent far beyond what other video games have managed up to that point, with only the Amazing Spider-Man games managing to match it, and that's no surprise since a lot of Arkham's mechanics were borrowed and adapted to fit Spider-Man. I'd like to see a Superman game along the same lines someday soon myself, as in one that plays like you are Superman, something no game has ever come even close to.

I'm looking forward to the next Spider-Man game, it seems like it's going to continue what the Amazing Spider-Man games did mostly, which is great. Hate the new costume though.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

There are a million marvel things comming out daily though, you sure you want even more of that?

Not at all, I just find it strange that despite how they're so thoroughly curb-stomping every corner of every market they don't seem to even be trying to compete on the videogame front. People mention LEGO but those games do every aspect of pop culture anyway.

 

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

The last MCU movie had something like 30 named superheros. How come not one of them is spearheading Marvel's answer to Rocksteady's awesome Arkham series? Why aren't Disney/Marvel investing in gaming to even begin competing in the one area where DC thoroughly owns? Every year they reap highest-grossing ever rewards in the film department, they can't afford a good dev team to churn out a halfway decent game every couple of years or so?

I'm fairly sure I'm not saying anything that isn't public knowledge, but I can tell you there is a host of Marvel games in the works. They have partnered up with Square Enix who are basically making nothing but Marvel games right now exclusively. You may remember that they announced Deus Ex was "on hiatus"...this is the main reason.

If you web search "square enix marvel games" you'll get loads of hits with more info. But in short, there *ARE* multiple games in the works, in the early/mid stages of development *and* they will be tied into the MCU (ie. continuity). All Squeenix studios are involved with Eidos Montreal (Deus Ex, Tomb Raider, Thi4f *spit*) first among them. The first game in my understanding will be an Avengers title.

But yeah, Marvel and Square Enix are partnered up, there are multiple games planned and in the works, it's all Squeenix is working on in fact, the first will be Avengers and they will have continuity with the MCU. You just need to wait.