A year ago the future of Marvel video games seemed to rest squarely on the shoulders of Disney Infinity. Disney Interactive and Marvel built the second iteration of their toys-to- life game on a Marvel foundation and continued to support a growing roster of superheroes as one of the three pillars Disney Infinity 3.0 would stand upon.
Then news broke ahead of E3 2016 that Disney was abruptly shutting down Disney Infinity and shuttering Avalanche Software, the in-house studio responsible for the game’s core development. In the blink of an eye Marvel video games were once again left for mobile and online gamers.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun with them while we wait for bigger releases, and it would actually be a surprise if they didn’t keep squeezing the juice out of this very rewarding franchise. Besides Marvel films and mobile games, we can also find some entertaining gambling games based on this universe like the Marvel online roulette provided by Playtech, where you can find all of your favorite superheroes in just one click away.
During the Sony E3 2016 press conference it was announced that Insomniac Games, Ted Price’s studio behind the likes of Ratchet & Clank, Resistance and Spyro the Dragon, were working hard on a new Spider-Man video game in conjunction with Sony and Marvel. The PlayStation 4 exclusive’s first footage is absolutely amazing if you haven’t seen it yet.
Now the future of Marvel video games is arguably brighter than it’s ever been. PS4 Spider- Man has blockbuster hit written all over it and could open the door for more AAA Marvel video games in the future. While all the Spider-Man attention was pointed at Sony, Marvel put out their own announcement online with some interesting new tidbits about what the future of Marvel video games holds. Here’s a quote from the article that touches upon what Marvel and Insomniac Games hope to achieve with Spider-Man:
“The Marvel Games team is determined to deliver authentic Marvel experiences filled with our magic mix of action, drama, humor, romance, social relevance, and jaw-dropping awesomeness. This all-new Spider-Man game and our partnership with Sony Interactive Entertainment and Insomniac is a direct result of our wholehearted dedication to creating the best Marvel games the world has ever seen!”
Notice anything? Pay close attention to the last sentence. The article specifically says the “best Marvel games” i.e. plural. True, they could be talking about the existing iOS and gambling games, but a little further down in the article proves they aren’t. In fact, the article concludes by stating, “keep watching the skies for more surprises from Marvel Games in the months to come.”
It’s clear Marvel has begun a transformation, a new direction in the post-Disney Infinity era that will guide them into the future. If Spider-Man’s early tease is any indication then their plan is bound to succeed.
