Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/First 'Punisher: No Mercy' screens, details revealedhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/26/first-punisher-no-mercy-screens-details-revealed/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/26/first-punisher-no-mercy-screens-details-revealed/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/26/first-punisher-no-mercy-screens-details-revealed/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Just days after confirming that Frank Castle will return to ventilate bad guys in Punisher: No Mercy, Sony has released the first shots from the upcoming PSN exclusive, confirming that a) it certainly looks the part of an Unreal Engine 3-powered shooter and b) the comic icon could use some work on his aim.


In addition to the screenshot salvo, developer Zen Studios' managing director, Zsolt Kigyossy, also answered a handful nagging questions for the official PlayStation blog, noting that the game will support Trophies and character customization, and will include both single- and multiplayer modes. Additionally, a separate GameSpot report confirms suspicions that the developer is aiming to release the game "in line" with the new Punisher feature film, giving fans of Marvel's seminal badass even more to look forward to this fall.


Source - The Punisher: No Mercy - Your Questions Answered

Source - The Punisher: No Mercy Exclusive Q&A - First Details

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]]>marvelpunisherpunisher-no-mercyzen-studiosJason Dobson2008-09-26T09:00:00+00:00Rumor: Marvel's Punisher making video game returnhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/17/rumor-marvels-punisher-making-video-game-return/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/17/rumor-marvels-punisher-making-video-game-return/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/17/rumor-marvels-punisher-making-video-game-return/#commentsFiled under:


It's been more than three years since our favorite comic book antihero last waged a one-man war against video game criminals, but the above artwork, allegedly leaked to 4 Color Rebellion by Marvel editor Ryan Penagos, suggests that Frank Castle, a.k.a. The Punisher, may soon be making a suitably bloody return.

Nothing beyond what you see above is known about the upcoming project, including whether Marvel intends the game to stand on its own, or if the title will serve as a tie in with this December's Punisher: War Zone feature film. The report suggests that more information is due next week. Until then, sic vis pacem, para bellum. If you want peace, prepare for war.

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]]>comic-bookcomicsmarvelpunisherthe-punisherJason Dobson2008-09-17T01:00:00+00:00Rumor: New Marvel vs. Capcom game may be coming 'sooner than you think'http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/26/rumor-new-marvel-vs-capcom-game-may-be-coming-sooner-than-you/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/26/rumor-new-marvel-vs-capcom-game-may-be-coming-sooner-than-you/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/26/rumor-new-marvel-vs-capcom-game-may-be-coming-sooner-than-you/#commentsFiled under:


Though we imagine there are those who will find this rumor too inconclusive and uninformative, anyone who has ever experienced the visceral thrill of watching Mega Man beat the mutant gene out of X-Men's resident pansy, Scott Summers, should appreciate even the slightest glimmer of hope for an encore Cyclops massacre. When asked at San Diego Comic Con 08 if a new Marvel vs. Capcom game was a distinct possibility, Marvel Studios' President of Production, Kevin Feige, slyly answered, "Yes. And maybe sooner than you think."

With two days of cosplaying goodness remaining at Comic Con, could Feige have been hinting at a big reveal still to come during the event? Perhaps, though considering Marvel's main panel took place on Thursday, it's somewhat unlikely. If a new Marvel vs. Capcom title is approaching as swiftly as Feige suggests, though, we're sure to hear something more concrete from one of the two companies involved sometime soon.

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]]>2d-fightercapcomcomic-con-2008comicsfightingmarvelmarvel-vs-capcomrumorGriffin McElroy2008-07-26T12:05:00+00:00Spider-Man: Web of Shadows combat preview looks astonishinghttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/22/spider-man-web-of-shadows-combat-preview-looks-astonishing/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/22/spider-man-web-of-shadows-combat-preview-looks-astonishing/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/22/spider-man-web-of-shadows-combat-preview-looks-astonishing/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,


We've had a love/hate relationship with past iterations of titles featuring our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, though one aspect of every title that we felt was never quite right was the manner in which the beloved web-slinger placed the beatdown upon unsuspecting thugs. Sure, certain games have had entertaining, intuitive combat systems, but none truly captured the way the arachnid protagonist whips up on baddies as he does on ink and paper.

However, a recently released video from Shaba Games, developer of the upcoming Spider-Man: Web of Shadows, has boosted our spirits significantly, displaying the kind of aerial acrobatics and swift brawling we've always hoped to see in a Spidey title. Now, as long as they can avoid any glaring graphical issues or frequent cutscenes showing Peter Parker bawling his eyes out, Web of Shadows could be one of the better adaptations of the Spider-Man comics to ever hit the market.

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]]>combateaelectronicartsmarvelshaba-gamesspider-manspider-man-web-of-shadowstrailertreyarchweb-of-shadowsGriffin McElroy2008-06-22T13:30:00+00:00Rumor: Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 wages 'Civil War'http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/16/rumor-marvel-ultimate-alliance-2-wages-civil-war/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/16/rumor-marvel-ultimate-alliance-2-wages-civil-war/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/16/rumor-marvel-ultimate-alliance-2-wages-civil-war/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

civil war
One more revelation from yesterday's massive exodus of games out from under the corporate shroud: Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 will be based on Marvel's "Civil War" miniseries, which introduces the Superhuman Registration Act. The act requires anyone in the United States with superpowers to register with the government and thereby reveal one's civilian identity. In the comics, the act creates a rift between those heroes who advocate (and, with the help of sanctioned villains, enforce) registration and those who forcefully oppose it. A supposed marketing survey suggests that Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 will follow a similar storyline: "Select your side in the conflict and assemble your team from a roster of 20 Marvel Legends, including Hulk, Wolverine, Spider-Man, Venom, and the Human Torch."

The game will apparently feature a "fusion" system, whereby superpowers from one character can be combined with another, "such as fusing Spider-Man's powers with Storm's to give Spider-Man lightning webs." How about combining Superman's heat vision with Green Lantern's power beam to grant Superman green rays of burning light that shoot from his eyes and can take the shape of ... anything! (Take that Scorpion!) Er, oops ... wrong universe.

[Via NeoGAF]

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]]>activisioncivil-warmarvelmarvel-ultimate-alliancemarvel-ultimate-alliance-2mua2James Ransom-Wiley2008-06-16T12:00:00+00:00Rumor: Spider-Man vs. Marvel Zombies creeping to Wii, 360, PS3http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/15/rumor-spider-man-vs-marvel-zombies-creeping-to-wii-360-ps3/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/15/rumor-spider-man-vs-marvel-zombies-creeping-to-wii-360-ps3/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/15/rumor-spider-man-vs-marvel-zombies-creeping-to-wii-360-ps3/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Guaranteeing us an ample amount of heebie jeebies in the near future, the supposed megaton marketing leak has revealed Spider-Man vs. Marvel Zombies for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii, where our second favorite webbed superhero takes on foes and former friends now zombified, from Marvel Zombies series.

According to a reported screengrab, the T-rated game takes place in an open city, a "free swinging environment in war torn Earth, 2149." Just a reminder: all of this is still a rumor, so don't get your hopes up until there's an official announcement.

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]]>marvelmarvel-versus-zombiesmarvel-vs-zombieszombiesRoss Miller2008-06-15T23:40:00+00:00THQ investor presentation reveals release windows for Super Hero Squad, Master Mindhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/14/thq-investor-presentation-reveals-release-windows-for-super-hero/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/14/thq-investor-presentation-reveals-release-windows-for-super-hero/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/14/thq-investor-presentation-reveals-release-windows-for-super-hero/#commentsFiled under:


THQ, despite receiving some bad press regarding their bottom line, still has investors -- as such, they still have presentations explaining to their investors how breathtaking their games are. We usually gloss right over said morsels of self-congratulation, as they rarely contain anything other than boring sales charts and demographic research, but a recent THQ investor informer actually contained some new, worthwhile information concerning the company's plans for next year.

Skipping past the slightly humorous claim that Smackdown vs. Raw 2008 is the unattributed "#1 Fighting Game", THQ revealed release windows for three of their "bigger" properties: an entry in their long-held but never used Ultimate Fighting Championship franchise (Spring '09), their youth-oriented crime fighting title Marvel Super Hero Squad (Fall '09), and a Fall 2010 release window for their adaptation of Dreamworks' upcoming film Master Mind, echoing the movie's initial release date. This information was immediately followed by hopeful sales charts to prove that the company will, in fact, still be in operation in 2010.

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]]>dreamworksinvestorinvestorspresentationmarvelmarvel-super-hero-squadmaster-mindmastermindrelease-datereleasedatethqufcultimatefightingchampionshipGriffin McElroy2008-06-14T20:30:00+00:00Microsoft Game Studios' 2008 in Gaming: A Yearbookhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/23/microsoft-game-studios-2008-in-gaming-a-yearbook/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/23/microsoft-game-studios-2008-in-gaming-a-yearbook/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/23/microsoft-game-studios-2008-in-gaming-a-yearbook/#commentsFiled under:

Interested in seeing what you'll be playing on your Xbox 360 in the coming months? X3F has compiled the 2008 Microsoft Game Studios Yearbook for you, a list of this year's exclusive graduating class with a detailed account of each title's current status and the stories surrounding them.

The 2008 Microsoft Game Studios Yearbook chronicles the graduates, like the soon-to-be released Ninja Gaiden II, and the titles that didn't make it to grad, like Alan Wake. Yep, he had to be held back for a semester or two. Or maybe three, we just don't know yet.

Ladies and gentlemen, allow us to introduce the 2008 Microsoft Game Studios graduating class ...

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]]>alan-wakebanjo-kazooiebanjo-kazooie-nuts-and-boltsfable-2gears-of-war-2halohalo-warsmarvelmarvel-universe-onlinemicrosoftmicrosoft-games-studioninja-gaiden-2ninja-gaiden-iinuts-and-boltspeter-jacksontoo-humanviva-pinataviva-pinata-trouble-in-paradiseyearbookRoss Miller2008-05-23T11:00:00+00:00THQ gets rights to new Marvel brandhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/thq-gets-rights-to-new-marvel-brand/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/thq-gets-rights-to-new-marvel-brand/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/thq-gets-rights-to-new-marvel-brand/#commentsFiled under:


We're not sure if you've heard (you're not really the target demographic, after all) but Marvel is creating a new kid-friendly brand called the Marvel Super Hero Squad that will put (adorable) heroes like Iron Man, Hulk, Wolverine, Thor, Fantastic Four and Captain America into "Super Hero City" and pit them against (adorable) villains like Doctor Doom, Loki, etc.

Not only will the Squad's media assault be waged in cartoon and action figure form, they'll also be making the trek into video games, an expedition that THQ announced this morning that it would be heading up. We don't know if the characters that other companies (like Sega) have rights to will appear or if their deals are exclusive, but luckily for hero-loving tots everywhere, we know all questions will be answered when the game is released (we're betting on multiple formats) next year.

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]]>breakingnewsmarvelmarvel-super-hero-squadthqJustin McElroy2008-05-08T08:55:00+00:00Marvel Comics hires former Sony exec as digital media VPhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/25/marvel-comics-hires-former-sony-exec-as-digital-media-vp/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/25/marvel-comics-hires-former-sony-exec-as-digital-media-vp/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/25/marvel-comics-hires-former-sony-exec-as-digital-media-vp/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Marvel Comics has announced the hiring of Ira Rubenstein, a 12-year vet of Sony Pictures where he oversaw digital distribution, casual and mobile games including properties such as Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, as well as mobile titles like Spider-Man 2: The Hero Returns and Ratchet and Clank: Going Mobile.

His new role will be much the same as the executive vice president of Global Digital Media at Marvel, where he'll handle digital distribution of content across across all platforms, as well as lead Marvel's charge into mobile and casual games -- meaning we'll know where to place the blame when someday we're coordinating the drapes in Stark Tower from our mobile phones.

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]]>marvelmarvel-comicsmarvelcomicsmobileJason Dobson2008-04-25T12:30:00+00:00Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 pushed to 2009 ... or not [update]http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/22/marvel-ultimate-alliance-2-pushed-to-2009/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/22/marvel-ultimate-alliance-2-pushed-to-2009/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/22/marvel-ultimate-alliance-2-pushed-to-2009/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Update: It looks like Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 won't be delayed after all. UGO's original report misconstrued a statement on the conflicting launches of Activision's two Marvel properties. Both Ultimate Alliance 2 and Spider-man: Web of Shadows are still scheduled for release in 2008.

Original: Despite Activision's early claims of mass-Marvel action in 2008, it appears that the sequel to Marvel Ultimate Alliance won't be hitting shelves this year, after all. The delay is possibly an attempt to avoid dividing sales between the title and Spider-man: Web of Shadows, which is due out this fall.

Reporting from the NYC Comic-Con, UGO Gamesblog spoke with an Activision representative, who stated that the action RPG sequel will not be seeing a release in 2008. The original game (pictured above) was released in 2006 to largely favorable reviews.

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]]>activisionmarvelmarvel-ultimate-alliancemarvel-ultimate-alliance-2marvelultimateallianceScott Jon Siegel2008-04-22T13:58:00+00:00Iron Man demo hitting Xbox Live Marketplace tomorrowhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/17/iron-man-demo-hitting-xbox-live-marketplace-tomorrow/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/17/iron-man-demo-hitting-xbox-live-marketplace-tomorrow/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/17/iron-man-demo-hitting-xbox-live-marketplace-tomorrow/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Sega has kindly informed us that an interactive snippet of gameplay from its upcoming Iron Man game will become available for download on the Xbox Live Marketplace sometime tomorrow. Players are invited to become literal cans of whoop-ass, with Marvel's metal-clad superhero aiding them in the destruction of tanks, jets and other things that explode when you punch them a lot.

PlayStation 3 owners will have to make do with our impressions for now, though a PSN demo is scheduled to arrive "soon." Iron Man is out for every console ever on May 2, the same day they release a movie of the same name. What a coincidence!

Gallery: Iron Man

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]]>DemoIron-ManMarvelPSNSegaXBLMXbox-LiveLudwig Kietzmann2008-04-17T21:00:00+00:00Spider-Man: Web of Shadows confirmed for all current platformshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/17/spider-man-web-of-shadows-confirmed-for-all-current-platforms/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/17/spider-man-web-of-shadows-confirmed-for-all-current-platforms/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/17/spider-man-web-of-shadows-confirmed-for-all-current-platforms/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,


It seems we'll be donning our tight-fitting Spider-Man costumes and matching cavalier attitudes sooner than expected, as we head off to the store to purchase Spider-Man: Web of Shadows. The humiliation better be worth it this time, Activision! Confirming earlier rumors, the publisher has announced (via IGN) that Spidey's next "free-roaming, open-ended" adventure will be hitting the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, Wii, DS, PSP and PC, courtesy of Shaba Games and Treyarch.

Not much is known about the title, but the official website hints that you'll be able to influence the game's "direction and outcome" and choose which characters in the Marvel universe to ally yourself with. The central theme seems to be "control," though as the trailer (embedded after the break) rightly points out, we can't know what it really means ... until we lose it.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

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]]>ActivisionbreakingnewsMarvelShaba-GamesSpider-ManSpider-man-web-of-shadowsTreyarchWeb-of-ShadowsLudwig Kietzmann2008-04-17T16:59:00+00:00Joystiq impressions: Iron Man (Xbox 360)http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/01/joystiq-impressions-iron-man-xbox-360/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/01/joystiq-impressions-iron-man-xbox-360/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/01/joystiq-impressions-iron-man-xbox-360/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,


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.

Gallery: Iron Man



In the category of things to be punched, you'll encounter enemy tanks, helicopters, turrets and other contraptions that litter the game's large, open-ended environments. Stationary or slow-moving objects are easiest to deal with, as Iron Man can employ his projectile weapons from afar before delivering a close-up, contextual coup de grâce which, much like those found in God of War, allow him to his tear enemies apart. Replace the blood with showers of sparks and you'll have a pretty good idea of how those actions work. There's also a modicum of forethought involved in these assaults, with Iron Man being able to allocate his energy to four different aspects of his suit, namely thrusters, weapons, shield and melee ability.

When approaching nimbler targets such as fighter jets, Iron Man appears to become a bit more unwieldy. Attempts to grab or fire at a circling jet seemed severely hampered by an inability to lock on to the target and keep it in the camera's view. As annoying as the constant reorientation is likely to be for players, we imagine it's much worse for poor Tony Stark who's spinning around in an enclosed, metal suit. GAME OVER: You drowned in your own vomit.

That isn't to say Sega's take on Iron Man constantly evokes nausea. His in-game model is clearly the graphical star, and an array of different suits is sure to please the superhero fashion police. Naturally, the game's story and environments all go "beyond the movie" (look for that phrase on the back of the box), with developer Secret Level delving into Marvel's catalogue of comics for additional characters. Provided the movie isn't complete rubbish, it'll be hard to begrudge fans who just want to grab an incoming missile and hurl it back like an explosive javelin.

Still, if one were to sever the Iron Man connection and examine this as a straight-up action title, the apparent targeting and camera flaws would push it into a wishy-washy mass of overlooked titles. There's still time to address these concerns, but with the movie demanding companionship across all current platforms in May, not that much time.

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]]>Iron-ManIronManMarvelSecret-LevelSegaLudwig Kietzmann2008-04-01T11:05:00+00:00The Incredible Hulk trailer looks incredibly blandhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/29/the-incredible-hulk-trailer-looks-incredibly-bland/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/29/the-incredible-hulk-trailer-looks-incredibly-bland/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/29/the-incredible-hulk-trailer-looks-incredibly-bland/#commentsFiled under: , ,


We all heard the resounding groan that resulted when fans of 2005's well received Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction learned that Radical Entertainment and Vivendi would not be creating the video game adaptation for the upcoming cinematic stab at the muscle-bound, chartreuse hothead. Well, after watching this debut trailer for The Incredible Hulk, we'll see your groan, and raise you an extremely disappointed sigh.

Throwing Ultimate Destruction's havoc-wreaking formula to the wind, the adaptation will apparently focus on our favorite lesser-known pastimes of the green meanie: moving very slowly, getting repeatedly knocked over, and being stomped on by robots. If this trailer is any indication of what we can expect from the final product, we think we'd rather spend $60 to have Lou Ferrigno pummel us for a few hours. It would be much less painful, and he could probably use the cash.

(We're joking, of course. We love you, Lou. Please don't hurt us.)

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]]>edgeofrealityhulkincredible-hulkincrediblehulkmarvelsegatheincrediblehulkultimate-destructionGriffin McElroy2008-03-29T13:30:00+00:00Iron Man trailers are increasingly awesomehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/16/iron-man-trailers-are-increasingly-awesome/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/16/iron-man-trailers-are-increasingly-awesome/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/16/iron-man-trailers-are-increasingly-awesome/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


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.

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]]>blacksabbathironflightironmanironmangamemarvelsegatonystarktrailerGriffin McElroy2008-03-16T19:30:00+00:00Dave Perry 'stunned' by Marvel MMO cancellationhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/15/dave-perry-stunned-by-marvel-mmo-cancellation/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/15/dave-perry-stunned-by-marvel-mmo-cancellation/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/15/dave-perry-stunned-by-marvel-mmo-cancellation/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Dave Perry believes Microsoft may have made the wrong choice in canceling Cryptic Studio's Marvel Universe MMO. In a recent interview with Eurogamer, the Shiny Entertainment founder expresses his surprise at the decision to halt the game's development, saying it was "absolutely stunning."

According to Perry, the Marvel license easily eclipses the mass-market popularity of World of Warcraft, and for that reason could be an actual competitor to Blizzard's behemoth. Though he is disappointed by Microsoft's decision, he understands that the cancellation was likely due to financial concerns, as it's difficult for large companies to ascertain whether sizable investments in MMOs will ever see any return.

Dave Perry is currently developing free-to-play MMOs at Acclaim, as well as tackling a number of side projects, including the direction of a entirely user-generated racing game. We like your ambition, Mr. Perry, but we do recommend picking a less intense photo for your "about" page (as seen above). It scares us a little.

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]]>crypticcryptic-studiosdave-perrydaveperrymarvelScott Jon Siegel2008-02-15T13:00:00+00:00EA Marvel fighting game no longer in development, partnership dissolvedhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/29/ea-marvel-fighting-game-no-longer-in-development-partnership-di/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/29/ea-marvel-fighting-game-no-longer-in-development-partnership-di/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/29/ea-marvel-fighting-game-no-longer-in-development-partnership-di/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Bad news for true believers (or maybe good news): EA and Marvel have dissolved their game development partnership, discontinuing development on EA Chicago's Marvel fighting game, as well as confirming that no further Marvel titles will be developed under Electronic Arts.

The partnership was first entered back in early 2004, and resulted in 2005's critically-derided Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects. The EA Chicago-developed fighter would have been only the second title developed in the Marvel/EA partnership. GameTap speculates that the deal may have fallen through after the recent resignation of EA Chicago studio head Kudo Tsunoda.

Despite the setback, Marvel still plans on pursuing further video game projects in the future (good news for true believers? Or maybe bad news).

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]]>eaea-chicagoeachicagomarvelScott Jon Siegel2008-01-29T07:38:00+00:00Big surprise: Guitar Hero 4, Call of Duty 5, and Tony Hawk 11 confirmedhttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/03/guitar-hero-4-call-of-duty-5-and-tony-hawk-11-confirmed/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/03/guitar-hero-4-call-of-duty-5-and-tony-hawk-11-confirmed/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/03/guitar-hero-4-call-of-duty-5-and-tony-hawk-11-confirmed/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Activision's biggest pre-merger franchises are all (GASP!) getting sequel treatment. In a fact sheet concerning the Activision Blizzard deal (PDF file), the publisher lists Guitar Hero 4, Call of Duty 5, a new Tony Hawk title (which would be its 11th iteration), a James Bond game and a racing title with the recently-acquired Bizarre Creations, as well as licensed titles with Dreamworks and Marvel.

None of these sequels come as a surprise, as they are all critical and commercial successes, but this is the first official confirmation of their existence. According to Activision Blizzard's earlier conference call, 50% of Activision's revenues are derived from franchises it owns outright, including Guitar Hero and Call of Duty. It should be noted that as well that all three franchises also have competition from rival Electronic Arts in the form of Rock Band, Medal of Honor and Skate. No word on project release dates for any of the sequels.

Read - Fact sheet [Warning: PDF file]

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]]>activisionactivision-blizzardbizarrebizarre-creationsblizzardcall-of-dutycall-of-duty-5cod5eaelectronic-artsguitar-heroguitar-hero-4guitarherojames-bondmarveltony-hawkRoss Miller2007-12-03T13:55:00+00:00Marvel Universe Online source of cancellation rumorshttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/13/marvel-universe-online-source-of-cancellation-rumors/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/13/marvel-universe-online-source-of-cancellation-rumors/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/13/marvel-universe-online-source-of-cancellation-rumors/#commentsFiled under: ,


No doubt amused by a ridiculous process of elimination that prompted game developers to rush to their keyboards and confirm the continued existence of their upcoming third-person role-playing whatever-em-ups, 1UP has revealed that the first-party Xbox 360 title supposedly skirting around cancellation is none other than Marvel Universe Online. In an echo of True Fantasy Live Online's demise, the MMO has reportedly run into "serious, potentially stalling, development troubles," the least of which is likely to be the monotony resulting from everyone playing as Wolverine.

Aside from a mysterious source, 1UP cites a suspicious inability by the project's collaborators to outright confirm the game's on-going development. Though Microsoft insists that Cryptic's recent sale of two Cities has no bearing on Marvel Universe Online, the developer hasn't so much as mentioned the game when discussing upcoming projects. Not a particularly convincing chain of evidence, but it does seem a tad quiet when shook.

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]]>Cryptic-StudiosMarvelMarvel-Universe-OnlineMarvelUniverseOnlineMicrosoft-Game-StudiosRumorLudwig Kietzmann2007-11-13T19:15:00+00:00