Marvel looking to improve videogames, get into casual
Last week in the middle of the E3 craziness, I escaped for a couple of hours to moderate a panel at AdAge's Madison & Vine conference, which was all about entertainment marketing.
My panel featured Take-Two Chairman Strauss Zelnick, Pandemic president Josh Resnick, T-Mobile director of media marketing Brett Dennis, and Marvel EVP global digital media (meaning he's in charge of videogames) Ira Rubenstein.
I didn't take notes since I was busy moderating, but a few things that Rubenstein, who is new at the job, said during the panel discussion stuck out in my mind. If you, like me, love some Marvel super-heroes and have been disappointed at the quality of some recent games (like the awful "Iron Man"), you may be interested to know:
-He thinks Marvel should start making more games based on its heroes without necessarily tying and timing them to a movie
-When there is a movie, he wants to get to work earlier, even before a script is final. He said he's telling Sega to get started on the "Thor" and "Avengers" games (based on the movies coming out in 2010) now.
-He thinks Marvel should consider making more downloadable and casual videogames based on its properties.
Of course the most interesting question to me, which didn't come up during the panel, is whether Marvel might start using the same self-financing model it has been using for movies (quite successfully this year) and start applying it to videogames. It makes a lot of sense to me that we might soon see Marvel as a videogame publisher.
Chris Morris reports on the business and culture of video games and offers analysis of recent events and industry trends.
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Posted by: knight online noah | March 11, 2009 at 09:10 PM
they really need to get back together with capcom to make sweet love
Posted by: Zios33 | August 26, 2008 at 12:23 AM
Marvel Ultimate Alliance is, by many, considered to be the best Marvel game on the market. They are doing a second one to it, but I think they should also come out with an Xmen Legends 3. They have a formula that works, they should milk it. Every single player of these games wants more characters, so make the next generation of these games with characters that are downloadable (I'd pay $1.99 to have Jean Grey in Ultimate Alliance!) on the PS store or the Xbox store.
They can make other properties as well, but why not put more energy and titles into a franchise that ALREADY WORKS?
Posted by: Liam | July 23, 2008 at 06:01 PM
This would perfect and it makes sense. Marvel should move into video game so publishers don't have to deal with licensing and Marvel can make the games in their style straight up. Creative control did wonders for their films I'm sure it would help with their games.
Posted by: EricM | July 23, 2008 at 12:52 PM
only good marvel game was marvel vs capcom / marvel vs capcom 2
Posted by: Jack | July 23, 2008 at 11:59 AM
only good marvel game was marvel vs capcom / marvel vs capcom 2
Posted by: Jack | July 23, 2008 at 11:58 AM
Oh sweet jesus, please make marvel vs. capcom 3.
Posted by: JoelS | July 23, 2008 at 11:53 AM
Marvel started doing its own VGs I'm not sure how I would feel.
It would be one of those worried anticipation things. As right now the Ultimate Alliance series has been fun. But hey if they decide to go for it more power to them.
Posted by: GeorgeR | July 22, 2008 at 12:05 PM