Marvel Should Be Making Better Games

Everyone remembers the days, not too long ago, when every action- or animated-movie had a licensed game to go along with it. Most of them were pretty terrible, but a fair number of them were actually good. Games like Shrek 2, Ratatouille, and countless James Bond games were all brilliant. The idea of making these games was that a consumer, after enjoying the movie, would see the game and pick it up. In most cases these games were shameless cash grabs, and eventually the public realized how poor quality they were and stopped buying. Lower profits made companies lose interest in funding these games, so aside from the occasional Pixar tie-in, those games are no longer put on shelves. Fast-forward to today’s world; Marvel has one of the biggest movie franchises of all time with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Every year, they release several movies, from iconic to obscure heroes. Characters like Vision and Ant-Man, who were once niche characters, are now just as known as Hulk or Captain America. In addition, there’s also the X-Men movies, which are owned by Fox, but still too big, both financially and critically, to ignore. So, with all this success on the big screen, it begs the question: what is Marvel Games up to? The answer is decidedly disappointing. The vast majority of games that Marvel have created recently are mobile. They hit all the marks, including an endless runner with Spider-Man; a puzzle game; a touch-based fighter; and a pinball game, among others. While most of their work is mobile, they do make other games. Lego Marvel Super Heroes and Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes both strongly contain Marvel properties, but, at the same time, both are clearly advertised to children. Sure, they’re fun for everyone who is open enough, but they don’t offer the same experience that a game for older audiences would. If you’re an MMO fan and have a PC, there is Marvel Heroes, but again, that’s a “free-to-play” game that contains micro-transactions. Marvel Games’ mentality is best seen in their recent re-release of High Moon Studios’ Deadpool game. They didn’t upgrade the graphics or remaster it in any way, they just straight-up ported it. Obviously, the company is looking at quick money with minimal work. They’re not looking to make another Marvel vs. Capcom or Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, and that’s really unfortunate. With all the newfound popularity of many formerly infamous characters, the possibilities for the kind of experiences they could create are endless. Instead, they make “free” apps with micro transactions. Ultimately, this is very disappointing. I’d love, personally, a new story-based fighting game using Marvel’s intellectual property. Take a look at what Warner Bros. has done with the DC Universe. They helped Rocksteady make four critically acclaimed Batman games with the Arkham Games. These games pushed the boundaries of what could be done with a licensed property. The same goes for Injustice: Gods Among Us, which was made by NetherRealm Studios, the people who made Mortal Kombat! If this kind of work can be done with DC, who so far haven’t had much success in the movie industry, imagine what different studios could do with the current lineup of Marvel characters. I’d love to fly around an open world as Iron Man or travel the Marvel galaxy as Star-Lord. With so many popular franchises, it’s such a head-scratcher why Marvel wouldn’t think to make something with some more density than a mobile game. It was announced awhile back that Telltale Games, the makers of games like Tales From the Borderlands and The Walking Dead, would be making Marvel Cinematic Universe games in 2017. No word has been heard since then about the deal, and based on its more recently announced Batman game, it seems probable that it has fallen through. Back in 2014, Capcom, the makers of the Marvel vs. Capcom games, reported that their contract with Marvel had expired, meaning that not only could they not make a new Marvel vs. Capcom game, but they couldn’t even update Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Activision had to recall all of their Marvel-licensed games from store shelves in 2014 upon the expiration of their contract. It’s certainly more than clear what Marvel Games’ intentions are at this point, but it’s also very hard to watch them go down this path with many iconic and beloved characters held hostage.