Talk of Grand Theft Auto IV possibly hurting Iron Man's opening was clearly wrong. According to Variety, the movie made $104.2 million during its opening weekend, proving Paramount's Rob Moore right when he said that young males can carve out two hours to see Iron Man.

Variety did explore GTA IV's impact on the home video market recently, which showed no major releases targeted at the young male demo for the week. Probably the best comparison would be to see how the Iron Man video game did in sales when NPD comes out next month, and we know we're going out on a limb on this one, but we're pretty sure GTA IV won that battle.

Of course Iron Man is yet another movie cash-in, a title that will sit on the shelf and call to you as you march out the cinema with glitzy, superhero shenanigans still fresh in your memory. But aside from all that, wanting to play as the eponymous, metal-clad cad is a desire that doesn't just come from the foul wells of corporate synergy and marketing. Nigh indestructible and capable of dishing out destruction from the palm of his hand, it's no challenge to see the appeal in controlling Iron Man -- a literal can of whoop-ass.

It does come as a major concern then, when his in-game movements display more than a little clumsiness. It's not entirely Iron Man's fault -- he's a flying tank that performs best when it maintains momentum and moves in a straight line -- but the 3rd-person action shown to us by a Sega representative seemed hampered by the controls and camera. While there's a great sense of speed and freedom conveyed by soaring across a desert, it's only when Iron Man cools his jets and starts punching things that issues arise.

Much to our (elated) surprise, the Iron Man video game is looking good. Adding a few more mega fonzies to our Cool-O-Meter is the addition of a few actors from the film. Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard and Shaun Toub will all lend the voices to the game, according to a Sega press release.

To catch up the few people who live under a rock, Downey plays Tony "Iron Man" Stark, Howard plays Lt. Colonel James Rhodes (who later becomes War Machine). Toub has a more minor role, playing fellow Afghanistan captive Yin Sen. We wonder if he'll fill in the same role as Bruce "Don't call me Ash" Campbell in the Spider-Man games as a tutorial guide. The Iron Man game is expected to arrive just before the film's May 2 release.

[Via Press Release]

If there's one thing that can make us more apprehensive than a movie-based-game, it's a comic book-based-movie-based-game. We've found that the fewer levels of adaptation a product is forced through, the better off it is for it. However, after watching the VGA premiere trailer and the recent "Iron Flight" trailer for Sega's Iron Man, we must admit, it's becoming difficult to maintain this trepidatious front -- the game looks rad. Between the Black Sabbath, the missile suplex, the blue stealth armor, and the halving of not one, but two tanks, we're pretty sure the pleasure centers in our brain just burst. We highly suggest checking out that trailer while we attempt to drive to the nearest emergency neurologist.

We know, we know, it's just a video clip. And yes, we know that we've been burned by sexy trailers for mediocre licensed games before. But this new trailer for Iron Man (shown during last night's Spike VGAs) is just so freaking good, we're finding it hard to keep our cynical composure.

How about when Iron Man throws a fighter jet, or when it grabs a missile and redirects it? How about the original gray armor? Awesome. Everything here is. There is one thing that troubles us though: At one point, Tony Stark flies through a ring. If it's a stylish move, all's well, but if Iron Man's going to get into some Superman 64 shenannigans, things are going to get hectic.

Yes, perhaps we have heard of practically all the games Sega says they're showing at E3, but we now know a bit more specifically when we'll get our soon-to-be-E3-cramped mitts on them. Due this fall are Bleach: Shattered Blade (Wii and DS), NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams (Wii), SEGA Rally Revo, PS3, Xbox 360, PSP, PC) Sonic Rush Adventure (DS), Universe at War: Earth Assault (PC) and Virtua Fighter 5 (Xbox 360). In the holiday season, expect Ghost Squad (Wii), The Golden Compass (Multi), Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii, DS).

Next year, look for Condemned 2: Bloodshot (Xbox 360, PS3) in February, Iron Man (Multi) in spring, Universe at War: Earth Assault (Xbox 360) in Q1, The Club (PS3, Xbox 360, PC) in winter, and Space Siege (PC) at some point during the year. If you want to learn more about any of these, we've taken the liberty of posting the whole release after the jump.

A limited number of the Avengers assemble! It may lack the punch of the standard battle cry, but it seems to be the one on Sega's lips as they add The Hulk, Thor and Captain America to their character roster. What unites these three characters? Are there a handful of designers at Sega with a bold vision to bring these favorites to life on consoles ... or could it be that all three are the subject of forthcoming blockbuster films? Well, Reuters says that Sega's already got a team on The Hulk in anticipation of the June 2008 film starring Edward Norton, if that helps narrow it down.

Sega is already creating an Iron Man game internally for consoles in conjunction with the Robert Downy Jr. flick due out next year and Reuters reports that the game is being made "using next-generation technology," so it should be an instant classic. We're anxious to see what Sega does with the heroes, but allow us to make one small suggestion: Wiimote + Thor's hammer = funtastic. That's all we're saying.