Marvel Not Doing "Crappy" Movie Video Games Anymore?

Sounds like a good idea.

By Tony 'G-Man' Guerrero | Aug. 20, 2009

Bow your head in shame, Tony

This is good news but funny at the same time. According to Joystiq, Marvel Executive Vice President Of Global Digital Media Group (wonder how he fits that on his business card) Ira Rubenstein said Marvel is done making "crappy" movie-based games.

I'm sure you're probably thinking the same thing as I am. Isn't this a no-brainer? I don't think anyone sets out to make a "crappy" video game. Actually, what he was getting at was the actual movie related tie in games. I'd like someone to name five great movie-based video games. Okay, how about three? Are there any? Rubenstein mentioned the decent X-Men Origins: Wolverine game as an example ( Giant Bomb gave it a 3 out of 5). He pointed out how the M-rated game veered off from the PG-13 rated movie.

Rubenstein then talked about the upcoming Iron Man 2 game. He says he wasn't involved with the first and didn't want to be blamed for that mess. He was also excited about the Thor video game. That could be interesting. I just like the idea of no more crappy games. Whoever came up with this idea deserves a raise.

Thanks to ' Kneel Before Doom' for pointing this out.

59 Comments

jloneblackheart moderator on Aug. 20, 2009 at 10:05 a.m.

Were Spider-Man 2 and Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction movie games? Because they were awesome. Otherwise, they all stink pretty bad.

Spardaon Aug. 20, 2009 at 10:08 a.m.

@G-Man said:

"I'd like someone to name five great movie-based video games."

1) Goldeneye 64
2) Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay/Assault on Dark Athena
3) Lord of The Rings: Return of The King
4) Spider-Man 2 (PS2)
5) Stranglehold (although it's not really based on a movie)

;)

Seriously though, I had to think hard to think of five, and if you said any more than five I don't think I could do it. Most Marvel movie games are a mess (Iron Man.....oy vey), and I don't blame him for wanting to stay away. Maybe the Iron Man 2 game and Thor will actually be good, though?

@jloneblackheart said:

" Were Spider-Man 2 and Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction movie games? Because they were awesome. Otherwise, they all stink pretty bad. "

Ultimate Destruction isn't but SM2 is. UD is one of the best comic book games made so far.

xerox_kitty moderator on Aug. 20, 2009 at 10:10 a.m.

I haven't played the Wolverine movie-game, but I wouldn't say that being an M Rating instead of a PG Rating was what made it 'crappy'. That was crappy production & sales marketing that excluded a large portion of their fan base. The may as well just said 'no more R rated movies and no more M rated games'.

Giuseppe Riccadonnaon Aug. 20, 2009 at 10:17 a.m.

I liked Spider-man 3. That was awesome.

LastSon1027on Aug. 20, 2009 at 10:17 a.m.

Good video games that were based on movies are about as common as good movies that were based on video games. So that means NONE!

danhimselfon Aug. 20, 2009 at 10:20 a.m.

I don't care how great people say Spider-man 2 was in my mind it was still crap....Goldeneye was a great game at the time but try playing it now, by today's standards the game is also crap

I think the problem is that the game companies don't have enough time to work on the games and they rush to get them done in time to release them at the same time as the movie....this shouldn't be a problem with the upcoming Marvel movie games seeing as we, the public, have known about the movies for some time now and they (besides Iron Man) are at least a year away so the game companies shouldn't have a problem getting a decent game together in time.....though I still won't be one of the idiots who runs out and buys them the first day the games are released...instead I'll wait like I have and see what people have to say about them before I even think about buying them...a stradegy that paid off pretty well on Web of Shadows and Wolverine Origins

Spardaon Aug. 20, 2009 at 10:26 a.m.

@danhimself said:

"Goldeneye was a great game at the time but try playing it now, by today's standards the game is also crap "

Point is, it was badass when it was released, which was even more unlikely since it was the mid-nineties. Yeah, it hasn't aged well, but when it came out it was good and that's what counts, I think.

You could use that on a lot of games.

jloneblackheart moderator on Aug. 20, 2009 at 10:28 a.m.

The actually story of Spider-Man 2 wasn't great. I just had so much fun swinging around the city and doing the challenges.

Jamiracleson Aug. 20, 2009 at 10:29 a.m.

Spider-Man 2, Wolverine's Revenge, and maybe Wolverine Origins as far as the best Marvel movie Tie-In games go.

Britshadowon Aug. 20, 2009 at 10:35 a.m.

I always liked ET for the Atari 2600 . . .

But seriously, I'm not a big fan of Marvel movie-based games. I do like Marvel games in general, though, and think that Capcom needs to get that license back . . .

kneel before doomon Aug. 20, 2009 at 10:35 a.m.

Wolverine Origin the video game almost have nothing to do with the movie, that's what made it decent.
Movie games usually have very little production time and are often based on a 2 hour movie, and it's really hard trying to make it longer
without conflict the story in the movie, it doesn't feel right to add stuff that's not in the movie.
I like the idea that Marvel trying to make decent comic games instead of crappy movie based games,
That I suggest Marvel release a comic game when a block-buster movie came out, not base on the movie but events in the comic,
doesn't even have to be the same title, I'm sure it's gonna sell a lot better.
BTW: Thanks for comicvine to post this story

Aronmoraleson Aug. 20, 2009 at 10:37 a.m.

I really want Wolverine, the explicit gore and violence is killer (no pun intended).

samversiononeon Aug. 20, 2009 at 10:37 a.m.

In my opinion, movie related games all stink really because the developer is forced almost to keep the game in line with the movie unless they happen to have creative freedom over whole game which usually isn't the case. I'd rather see a movie tie in game that deals with a story outside of the movie but still ties into it somehow. A game that tells a story that just wouldn't fit into the movie due to time restraints.

Spardaon Aug. 20, 2009 at 10:53 a.m.

@samversionone said:

" In my opinion, movie related games all stink really because the developer is forced almost to keep the game in line with the movie unless they happen to have creative freedom over whole game which usually isn't the case. I'd rather see a movie tie in game that deals with a story outside of the movie but still ties into it somehow. A game that tells a story that just wouldn't fit into the movie due to time restraints. "

Most of the good movie-based games to this. Instead of being directly based off of the events in the film, they usually make a story related to it, like Chronicles of Riddick (which is much more fun than the actual movie). Unfortunately, it's pretty rare to see that happen, although it has been getting better lately.

ZMannZillaon Aug. 20, 2009 at 10:53 a.m.

@danhimself said:

I think the problem is that the game companies don't have enough time to work on the games and they rush to get them done in time to release them at the same time as the movie.

Pretty much this. Also, keep in mind all the talented, seasoned video game designers are working on The Next Big Thing, leaving the inexperienced, just-got-out-of-gaming-school nooblets to do the movie franchise and Sports Game 200X sweatshop labor. Also, some games are just there to keep a steady stream of indifferent revenue coming in (I'm looking at you, Disney Interactive).

Naheroon Aug. 20, 2009 at 10:55 a.m.

so are they saying they quit making video games or are they actually going to put some goddamn passion in their work for once

EisforExtinctionon Aug. 20, 2009 at 11:05 a.m.

I find they have more success in making a game with the same character that the movie is based on but doesn't follow the same story. When a video game studio is forced to follow the movie exactly they usually have a great deal of trouble and understandably so.

LordAndrewon Aug. 20, 2009 at 11:08 a.m.

According to a GameSpot interview. Stan Lee seems to legitimately enjoy comic-based games. But if Marvel wants to make sure that the games are enjoyed by other people, great! Shouldn't they have been doing that from the start?

samversiononeon Aug. 20, 2009 at 11:31 a.m.

@Sparda:@Sparda said:

" @samversionone said:
" In my opinion, movie related games all stink really because the developer is forced almost to keep the game in line with the movie unless they happen to have creative freedom over whole game which usually isn't the case. I'd rather see a movie tie in game that deals with a story outside of the movie but still ties into it somehow. A game that tells a story that just wouldn't fit into the movie due to time restraints. "
Most of the good movie-based games to this. Instead of being directly based off of the events in the film, they usually make a story related to it, like Chronicles of Riddick (which is much more fun than the actual movie). Unfortunately, it's pretty rare to see that happen, although it has been getting better lately. "

Yes. "Movie" games are better when they don't follow the movie script. I for one really don't want to play a game based exactly on the movie I just watched. There is no fun in that. Half the fun of playing a game is the story line. It's not fun if you already know what happens.

Omg chrison Aug. 20, 2009 at 11:35 a.m.

about time but the only good comic video games for me was the spiderman games

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