Marvel announced that they have created a new position within the company in order to maintain better control of game development. In that way Marvel hope to achieve better interaction with game developers working on Marvel characters, including betetr management of the creative content.
More than five Marvel character-branded video games will be released between now and December 2005 through existing video game license agreements with Activision, Encore, Universal Games and THQ. Ames Kirshen, the person who landed the new Marvel position, will be responsible for overseeing the full Marvel video game development slate including the final production of the highly anticipated Spider-Man Movie II game and ongoing production of the Fantastic Four video game, both of which are being developed by Activision. In addition, he will lead the effort in exploring new opportunities in game genres where Marvel is currently either not represented or is under represented.
Prior to joining Marvel, Ames Kirshen spent the past six years with Warner Bros. and DC Comics where he helped produce major game titles such as Ubi Soft's Batman: Vengeance and Batman: Rise Of Sin Tzu and Atari's Superman: Shadow Of Apokolips.
Licensees sold over 6 million Marvel-based video games in both 2002 and 2003. Video game titles scheduled for release over the next several years include:
Marvel Character Video Game Line-Up
Spider-Man II Movie Activision Summer 2004
X-Men Legends Activision Fall 2004
The Punisher THQ Fall 2004
Fantastic Four Activision 2005
Iron Man Activision 2005
The Hulk 2 Vivendi-Universal 2005
Marvel Universe MMP Vivendi-Universal TBA
