Broken Frontier

Marvel Studios and Sega have signed a deal for the release of three video games based on upcoming Marvel film projects: The Incredible Hulk, Captain America, and Thor. A developer is already at work to bring the jade giant to consoles, PCs and handhelds.

The agreement for the three games, slated to be in gamers’ hands the same date the movies hit theatres, followed out of Sega’s previously signed deal to do a game based on Marvel’s Iron Man character, a film version of which will be released in May 2008.

At the moment Sega is working with Marvel to try and get Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man/Tony Stark) and Edward Norton (Hulk/Bruce Banner) to lend their voices and likeness rights to the game adaptations.

The agreement also gives Sega the right to produce games based on both the Iron Man and Incredible Hulk films whether or not any sequels will be made. When it comes to Captain America and Thor, Sega can go ahead on those projects regardless of where either film version stands in development, though the gaming publisher hopes one or both will see a 2009 release.

David Maisel, Marvel Studios chairman, told The Hollywood Reporter, "These franchises represent three of Marvel's most popular characters and lend themselves to captivating game play. We have already seen Sega's passion for the Marvel universe through the early development of the Iron Man 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."

President of Sega of America Simon Jeffery followed that comment by saying "It's a collaborative process. We work closely with Marvel Studios, with (Iron Man director) Jon Favreau and with the design and FX teams. It is vital that the game feels like the movie; it is being designed primarily on the next-gen gaming systems."

After landing the rights to three more Marvel game adaptations, Sega’s dark days appear to be in the past and finds its plate filled with a multitude of licensed properties, among which games based on the His Dark Materials trilogy (New Line Cinema), and the Aliens franchise (Fox).