Sega signs three more Marvel superheroes

Stephen Withers
Thursday, 19 April 2007 03:11

Business IT - Technology

Sega has extended its deal with Marvel, picking up the rights to create games based on comic book and movie versions of Thor, The Incredible Hulk and Captain America.

The company is already developing a game based on the Iron Man movie due to appear in May 2008.

"We have already seen Sega's passion for the Marvel Universe through the early development of the Iron Man video game, and we look forward to working closely with them over the next few years to maximize the potential of these franchises in the interactive entertainment space," said David Maisel, Marvel Studios' chairman.

The first title under the expanded agreement will be based on The Incredible Hulk movie scheduled for a June 2008 debut. Although the 2003 Ang Lee directed Hulk didn't achieve the same success as the previous year's Spider-Man, Marvel clearly thinks the green giant still has legs. Company officials referred to "an all-new action-packed storyline" that will "return the larger-than-life superhero to the roots of the long-running comic series and television show".

Unlike the Spider-Man and X Men franchises, the forthcoming Hulk and Iron Man movies - as well as those planned for Thor and Captain America - are being produced independently by Marvel.

"As Sega continues to create games that are built from the ground up to appeal to Western audiences it makes perfect sense to work with a powerhouse like Marvel," said Simon Jeffery, president and COO, Sega of America.

"Captain America, The Incredible Hulk and Thor are icons that people are already familiar with and love, so our goal is to give gamers the ability to play out their fantasies by actually becoming these Super Heroes.  Fans can now not only watch them in movies and read about them in comic books, but also literally control their actions through the video games we are creating.  We look forward to bringing these icons to life like never before and putting the power in the hands of the fans."

Console, handheld and PC versions of the games are planned.