The superhero game industry could be big business for game developers. Stats put together by https://www.boxofficemojo.com reveal that the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is made up of superheroes such as Iron Man, Thor, and Captain Marvel, has made more than $21 billion at the global box office in total.
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In turn, Disney, which owns Marvel, has tried to give these superhero fans more content to enjoy. Disney is working on Marvel attractions at its theme parks, there are Marvel TV shows, and there are many toys and other pieces of merchandise too. However, one new area where Marvel is trying to find success is in the games industry.
Make it Accessible
One of the most important parts of making a massively successful superhero game is to make it accessible. Superhero movies appeal because they are great for fans of different demographics. From people who have read and loved the comic books to those who just heard about it on social media, superhero movie fans are varied. So, a superhero game would need to appeal to people of different skill levels too and should be easy to understand without having to read pages of lore before playing.
This is one reason why online casino slot games, which often use the characters and themes from hit TV shows and movies, have become popular. Looking at the branded slots on https://www.winningroom.com/en, such as the Narcos video slot, the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire slot game, or the Guns N Roses title, we notice that they all use the most popular symbols and sounds from that brand, without turning away newcomers. You don’t have to have watched all episodes of Narcos or have heard every song in the Guns N Roses discography to be able to enjoy their slot games. In fact, the games themselves might inspire people to look into the TV series or the band respectively.
Add All the Popular Characters
One high profile Marvel video game currently in development is Marvel’s Avengers. Many were happy to see the game officially revealed at E3 2019 and to get a preview of what developer Crystal Dynamics is doing with characters like The Hulk, Black Widow, Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor. However, many were also excited to hear that the studio would be adding more characters after the game is released.
An article by Polygon.com explains that Crystal Dynamics will add Marvel characters such as Ant-Man as free DLC. This was important to fans because, while many understood that the developer would need to keep it to five characters at first, it meant that they would still get to play as their favourite heroes.
Create a New Story
Game developers may feel that it is easier to make a superhero movie tie-in, where a team of scriptwriters has created a great story. The issue is that fans may not want to see that story again. They buy Blu-rays and movie tickets to watch those stories and from a game, they may want something new.
It can be difficult to write a new story that fans will enjoy, but games can do well if developers do the work. A review of Marvel’s Spider-Man from Express.co.uk says that the story is one of the best parts about the web-slinging adventure. Working with the studio and the comic book writers can help developers create a new story.
Companies like Disney are seeing how profitable a superhero game can be when talented developers are able to work on the properties. Creating a great superhero game doesn’t happen quickly but, when given time and resources, developers can make something incredible.