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Marvel planning Flash game adaptations for download platforms
Marvel executive vice president Ira Rubenstein says that the comics company has been experimenting in-depth with Flash games (not to be confused with games about DC's The Flash), and that it's looking to bring some of its most popular online minigames to console download services. The comic book company's strategy in terms of gaming was "like a TV pilot system," he told an audience at today's LA Games Conference. The plan was to come up with lots of Flash games and deploy them on Marvel's websites very quickly. Now, some hits are emerging (he gave the example of the Super Hero Squad Stark Tower Defense game), and the next step for the company is to focus on improving and supporting those hits on platforms like XBLA, iPhone, and iPad. Rubenstein says "the combination of classic gameplay with a brand twist" like that found in Stark Tower Defense is what's selling with audiences. And he says that big sales like those of Marvel vs. Capcom 2 prove that there's a space for Marvel games on the downloadable game platforms, so it makes sense to invest in Flash "hits" by taking them there. Which is fine by us -- let us know when we can pay our $10 for our Deadpool Match-3 on PSN.
Marvel shows us digital comic service on PSP
Marvel executive Ira Rubenstein was super nice enough to give us a closer look at Sony's new Digital Comics service for PSN at GamesCom -- and we repay him by having a camera that apparently refuses to focus ... sorry. The comics, which Marvel suggests should cost roughly $2 each (Sony has the final say on price), will become available in December. The company isn't currently discussing whether there will be a subscription model. The initial offering of comics will be from the "all audience" category, so we won't be seeing any of the niche Marvel stuff just yet. You can't really see it due to the focusing issue, but the PSP picture is beautiful. We're looking forward to seeing more of the service.
Marvel not doing 'crappy' movie games anymore, says exec
Marvel Executive Vice President of Global Digital Media Group (wow, long title) Ira Rubenstein tells Joystiq that Marvel is done making "crappy" movie-based games. The executive told us that while the company would like to have games tied to the release of movies, each character should stick to their own worlds. He used the recent X-Men Origins: Wolverine game as an example of what the company is looking to do. The M-rated Wolverine game was clearly not based around the PG-13 escapade in theaters. "We are not doing movie-based games anymore," Rubenstein said following yesterday's announcement of Digital Comics for PSN at Sony's GamesCom press conference. "Actually, wait ... we are not doing crappy movie-based games anymore. You can quote me on that." Oh, we did. Rubenstein tells us that work on Iron Man 2 has been in process since the first game wrapped. He wasn't involved in the first one, so he asked us not to blame him for that wreck. However, he swears the second one is going to be good. He's also really excited about the Thor game and seems proud with the team working on it. If Wolverine is any indication of future Marvel games, it seems that Rubenstein is doing his best to make sure fans of the comics won't be served watered-down Hollywood entertainment.
Marvel Comics to share writers and artists with Gazillion for MMO
We were disappointed back in 2008 when we learned that the Marvel MMO project was being shuttered. But, roughly a year after the bad news broke, Gazillion Entertainment announced that they're working on a Marvel Comics MMO. Two, in fact. While a number of comics fans who play MMOs are excited about DC Universe Online (which is slated for release in 2010) comics fans often have their particular allegiances to a certain IP, and not everyone is a huge fan of the DC Comics universe. Marvel purists should have even more to look forward to from the upcoming MMO. Joystiq reports that Marvel Comics will lend its writers and artists to the project. That comes straight from Ira Rubenstein, who holds a senior position with Marvel's global digital media group. Rubenstein made the announcement during the GamesBeat 2009 conference in San Francisco.
GDC09: Marvel getting involved in Gazillion's MMO with art and writers
Speaking at the inaugural GamesBeat conference in San Francisco, Ira Rubenstein, head of the global digital media group at Marvel, stated that the comic book company plans to stand behind Gazillion's future Marvel-based MMO, lending its writers and artists to the project. Rubenstein didn't want to speak for Gazillion, but said that Marvel offers an IP that isn't very common -- a full universe of superheroes that has yet to successfully manifest in an MMO. Considering the 10-year deal Marvel has inked with the "new" company, there should be enough time to get some MMO based on the popular characters out the door.
