Sega to churn out Iron Man 2

by Justin McElroy { Feb 3rd 2009 at 2:24PM }

If the world has felt just a little more mediocre lately, it's not your imagination: Sega has begun work on transforming upcoming Robert Downey Jr. vehicle Iron Man 2 into "multi-platform" video game form. And why wouldn't Marvel want to make a deal like that, after Sega Studios San Francisco (formerly Secret Level) knocked it out of the park with the last Iron Man iteration? 45 percent on Metacritic? Hell, is it too early to sign them on for Iron Man 3?

You'll be able to do your best to avoid eye contact with Iron Man 2 when it crash-lands on store shelves alongside the movie in 2010.

Tags: film-to-game, iron-man-2, secret-level, sega, Sega-Studios-San-Francisco

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Ahmedz @ Feb 3rd 2009 2:32PM

oh boy I simply cannot wait :D

also, am I first?

samfish @ Feb 3rd 2009 2:52PM

Don't do that.

Ahmedz @ Feb 3rd 2009 5:10PM

sorry =(

Brucie_K @ Feb 3rd 2009 2:34PM

Most multi-platform games are mediocre.

I'm talking about the kind of multi-platform games that get released on the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Wii, PC, Nintendo DS, PSP, N-Gage, iPhone, Fisherprice, Commodore and everything in between. You know, MULTI-platform.

Haggard @ Feb 3rd 2009 2:58PM

Don't forget the ones that are still coming to the original Xbox

Brucie_K @ Feb 3rd 2009 3:04PM

Haggard, please.

Be realistic.

Haggard @ Feb 3rd 2009 6:52PM

*points at Madden*

jynxycat @ Feb 3rd 2009 2:34PM

Well, the game can only be better than it's predecessor.

Hashbrown Hunter @ Feb 3rd 2009 3:13PM

....you sure about that?

Tiptup300 @ Feb 3rd 2009 2:38PM

At least the first game had a sweet trailer? Right? That's good?

right?

offday @ Feb 3rd 2009 2:44PM

Why do movie games always suck? Is it basically just because they have to rush it out to be sure it comes out along with the movie?

Kodros @ Feb 3rd 2009 2:51PM

Yeah, pretty much. That and the movie studio trying to micro-manage the game studio during the process. They just end up trying to shoehorn what is entertaining in the movie into the game, which just doesn't always work.

Mr Khan @ Feb 3rd 2009 2:57PM

Kodros is right. Basically, the licensed games we remember best (many of the Star Wars games, Riddick, Goldeneye) weren't strictly tied to the movies themselves. Nowadays, its all coordinated, so that the developer is pressured by the movie distributor to keep things in line with the distributor's wishes, and also to get it out in time to sync up with the movie's release, which generally doesn't go in very well

Licensed games can be fine (Like the great Naruto games for PS3, 360, and Wii, or the various star wars games, Lego ______, etc.), it's tie-ins that are damned to suck

jynxycat @ Feb 3rd 2009 3:13PM

Money is a factor as well.

You have to spend 90 bazillion dollars to get the rights from the studio, leaving developers with beans to work on.

Sheppy (of the Fidlious Clan of Wong) @ Feb 3rd 2009 7:39PM

Actually, you are right. The core problem is in the fact that the developer rarely has enough time to make it good. Let's put it this way. Incredible Hulk? Under a year. Dark Knight? Under a year. Iron man? Under a year. NiGHTS 2? Under a year... and still makes me bitter so I mentioned it without any relevance.

Now imagine this crazy scenario. You, as a studio, now have the rights to make a game based on a lucrative property. Better yet is in the fact that you have prior art. Prior art that was torn apart and shown, piece by piece, where you failed as a game studio. Bad reviews pointing out what did and didn't work, etc. Now you, as this unlikely hero, just secured double the dev time you had last outting which means you now have at least a solid 6 months of just FIXING the core gameplay elements before you even have to look at the whole "movie you're basing you game off of." This crazy scenario, however, is pure fantasy and could never happen.

Or as Lorne Lanning once said, "A developer never wants to make a bad game. But what the developer wants and the publisher demands are two different things."

KiraXD @ Feb 3rd 2009 11:15PM

@sheppy

this is the reason i do have hope for the WANTED game... they arent tied to the movie (hell its already on blu-ray now.) so it gives them the freedom to release it when they deem "Finished"

its the horrible marketing games that ruin it for the 1 or 2 good ones.

also... im so disappointed by the crappy iron man game... i loved the movie so hard, i almost bought the game just based on that... alas... i couldnt give the schmucks money for such a pile.

side note to a good dev:

Please make an awesome Iron-Man game.... please?

(and capcom... hurry up with marvel versus capcom on psn/xbl... so i can get my "Proton Cannon! - Rupulsor Blast!" on.

samfish @ Feb 3rd 2009 2:50PM

"Sega to shit out Iron Man 2"

Fixed that headline for me, Mr. McElroy. No, no. No need to thank me. It's just what I do.

samfish @ Feb 3rd 2009 2:51PM

Someday I'll learn to proofread my posts so my jokes don't completely misfire.

Dr Jeckyl and Mr ESC. @ Feb 3rd 2009 3:03PM

"Sega to shit out Iron Man 2"

That was already implicit in the image.

Yamikotai @ Feb 3rd 2009 2:52PM

I think I was one of the few who enjoyed the game. And by the game, I mean the demo. And by enjoy, I mean for like ten minutes, flying around blowing things up. Then I got bored :D

Mr Khan @ Feb 3rd 2009 2:54PM

Secret Level (of Iron Man 1 and Golden Axe PS360 fame) haven't been having too good a time of it

I find it odd that they bothered talking about it now. It's another licensed game that's over a year away

Dirty @ Feb 3rd 2009 3:01PM

Ironman, like many other superheros, has so much potential for a good game. But it will sell no matter how crappy it is.

WiredKnight @ Feb 3rd 2009 3:19PM

If anyone's looking for the real reason this game is going to be mediocre, Dirty hit the nail on the head.

wonderweazel @ Feb 3rd 2009 8:14PM

I agree with borntokill, except that Jericho did suck. I mean really suck.

borntokill @ Feb 3rd 2009 3:05PM

Right Justin, because metacritic is really a measure of quality as youve said time and time again.... And whats with the elitest gamer mentality nowadays? Thats 1 of the main reasons why studios are getting downsized and shut down. Because everyone wants to sound smart by prejudging games theyve never played, just based on the logo on the box. And scumbags who claim to be journalist are the worst offenders because they have some sway over whether gamers will give it a chance or outright dismiss it. You should be setting the example and encouraging people to be open minded. Instead, Joystiqs staff (minus a few) are following the trend of so many other sites in crapping on the hard work of others prematurely and doing more damage to our beloved pastime than Jack Thompson ever did.

The Dark Wayne @ Feb 3rd 2009 3:56PM

actually the number one reason studios are shutting down is because they dont have money. Also, there's no reason to be open minded and non elitists to things that genuinely suck

arrrgh @ Feb 3rd 2009 4:39PM

gimme a break borntokill

a sarcastic news post that hits the nail on the head is tantamount to Jack Thompsons legal crusades?

did you seriously believe that as you typed it?

borntokill @ Feb 3rd 2009 5:12PM

@ Dark Wayne,,

They dont have money b/c people dont buy their games b/c everyone thinks theyre a psychic now and know which games suck before theyre even made. Just b/c it says Sega or EA or Eidos or whatever the whipping boy developer/publisher is that month, doesnt mean you know a fucking thing about the quality of the game. Unless you know each member of the development team personally and have seen the preproduction planning on the game in question, then youre just an uninformed, prejudice little prick whos disrespecting and helping to shrink this industry that you claim to love.

@arrgh.

The elitest, "I know a game is shit without even playing it" or "This isnt a 9.0+ so its a rental at best" mentality is far worse than anything Jack Thompson has ever done. Hes maybe responsible for devs being more cautious about taking liberties w/ sex and violence. But hes not responsible for developers getting shut down or having to merge w/ EA, Blizzard, etc. in order to avoid being shut down. The people who act like they are gaming royalty and couldnt sully themselves to touch a clive barkers jericho, or give Iron Man 2 a chance are the ones who are causing the downfall of videogames....That plus Gamestop.

The Dark Wayne @ Feb 3rd 2009 6:47PM

they dont have money because no one has money

borntokill @ Feb 3rd 2009 11:31PM

Uhh no. There is plenty of money being spent. The vg industry as a whole is seeing record profits quater after quater, year after year. 22 billion dollars in profits in 2008. But that doesnt mean a whole lot when only 1 in 5 games are reeping those profits. Why??? theres a few reasons but eltism and used games are the cheif problems.

DangerMouse @ Feb 3rd 2009 3:07PM

Marvel still doesn't get it. Amazing.

Optimaximal @ Feb 3rd 2009 5:09PM

I don't think Marvel have much of a say in it. Despite now making their films themselves, there's a reason the films are linked with the larger studios, as they bring in the finance.

Paramount were probably the ones saying '...and don't forget the movie tie-in game' at the meeting table.

bigd7387 @ Feb 3rd 2009 3:09PM

Sega was right about the Metacritic not meaning much. I always go by playing the game and seeing if I like it. BUT the game quality that Sega has been putting out is poor at best and Ironman was a disaster just like the poor state of the Sonic series. I remember when Sega meant quality and inovation, now they are a top quality shovelware provider.

Dr Jeckyl and Mr ESC. @ Feb 3rd 2009 7:29PM

¬-¬ *sigh

Okay I have to admit Sonic 2006 was really crap but that was the bottom of the barrel actually unleashed happens to be good but like Mortal Kombat series no one is ever going to give credit to the developers whenever they do something good because the internet is place where people minds are so narrow they only understand that is a lot more fun to cause E-drama and make the games a running joke than giving them a chance.

I would like to do a full review of the game but I’m still playing it. I won’t say is great in fact in fact is far from perfect but is actually good and as far games come these days is good to see that pseudo realism is being abandoned for stylish graphics.

Another thing is that Sonic Team almost nailed it this time and they know it but for some reason they still believe letting Sonic run around in 3D is a good idea. Thankfully that’s a small part of the game the rest is the 2D sections that are a lot of fun and 3D sections in which Sonic runs in rails which are also good.

(About Iron man I also played it,controls suck they need to be fixed and the graphics looks very ba din some points.)

Lousy Username @ Feb 3rd 2009 3:09PM

It better not suck donkey balls like the first one...ah hell who am I kidding. :(

nightmare452 @ Feb 3rd 2009 3:10PM

HEY, I actually liked the game a lot. It was a good rental at least. Quite fun actually, reviews were to serious with this game in my opinion.

Am actually looking forward to the second game!!! (for rental purposes of course)

Tez @ Feb 3rd 2009 3:13PM

Meh?

ScottG13 @ Feb 3rd 2009 3:13PM

The first Iron Man game could have been "solid" with probably another 8-12 months development. If this one gets time, it could improve. Heck, the new Hulk game wasn't great, but it was a fun romp for what it was. That's what Iron Man needs to be. A fun Gamefly romp.

WiredKnight @ Feb 3rd 2009 3:17PM

Dammit. It's really a shame they've squandered the potential of Ironman. Stuff like Ironman and Hellboy would be great IPs for games, but somehow their owners don't think it's a good idea to do it properly....:(

dabamf @ Feb 3rd 2009 3:35PM

Maybe they can pull a Spider-man 2 and actually make an above average game?

Maverick Saturn @ Feb 3rd 2009 3:40PM

I think Iron Man is missing the 'Iron'. What Irony :(

Zach S @ Feb 3rd 2009 4:51PM

What does this even mean?!

Maverick Saturn @ Feb 3rd 2009 5:25PM

The game was missing the 'zest' that it was originally panned out to be, or so the trailers made it seem anyway. It was basically Ironman without the 'Iron', which was a shame to be honest, I thought it would we an incredible game.

Zach S @ Feb 3rd 2009 5:52PM

So... he's just... a... man? Or... something? What?!

Maverick Saturn @ Feb 3rd 2009 6:07PM

Lol, look, I was using the name as, hmm, a figure of speech to say the least, the lack of 'Iron', yeah pretty much leaves you with 'man', which is the same as saying the game lacked the 'Iron' I was hoping it would have :) Leaving me with just 'man', aka, 'just another game', rather then what I thought it would be, hoped it would be.

The Dark Wayne @ Feb 3rd 2009 3:54PM

Hey know, come on, there's no reason to call Iron Man 2 a RDJ vehicle. Don't do that

The Dark Wayne @ Feb 3rd 2009 3:57PM

Well, we can only hope that they've learned from their mistakes and will actually make a good game. It probably won't happen, but the possibility of an excellent Iron Man game that truly lets you feel like him is too good to give up hope on

Zach S @ Feb 3rd 2009 4:50PM

Well, I'm not surprised at all- they can probably re-use most of the assets created for the first Iron Man game, thus cutting down costs, and still make the big bucks at retail. I don't know what the numbers are on how well Iron Man sold, but it looked to me like it sold pretty well, despite any critics' scores and/or actual quality.