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Marvel Games Head Talks Arkham Series' Influence On Spider-Man
In an interview with Gamespot, Marvel Games executive producer and vice president Mike Jones discusses the plans for Marvel's shared video game universe and the possiblility of a Defenders game.
When asked how Insomniac's upcoming Spider-Man title was influenced by Batman's Arkham series, Jones praised how developer Rocksteady Games incorporated the character's DNA into the game's design.
"When I look at Arkham's mechanics and story and think about where it sits in the pantheon of DC and gaming, it's massively successful and innovative not just as an action game, but as an experience. Even if you took Batman out of it, those games would still be compelling to play," Jones said. "Rocksteady and DC didn't rehash stories that you had seen or heard; of course, they took inspiration from the animated series and the films, but at the end of the day, it felt authentic. The recipe that those games created resonated with everyone, myself included."
Jones added that Spider-Man's movement and acrobatic fighting philosophy were paramount in designing the game's core mechanics.
In discussing what other big and small characters Marvel Games plans to represent next, Jones teased a potential Defenders game on the horizon.
"There are characters like Spider-Man, Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Defenders, which are all properties that have a natural awareness and fan affinity. And we absolutely want to make sure that we deliver on those, but I think we're also interested in plucking some characters from obscurity that you may not have not heard of and making a game around them."
Given Spider-Man, the Avengers, and the Guardians of the Galaxy already have video game projects attached to them, it stands to reason that mentioning the Defenders as a big-name property could have been more than just a slip of the tongue.
[Source: Gamespot]
Our Take
Judging from the combat and stalking shown off in the E3 demo, it's clear that Insomniac's Spider-Man might have taken a few tips of the hat to the Arkham series. But that's not a bad thing, and it's exciting to hear that Marvel Games is treating their projects with just as much care and consideration for the source material as their movie counterparts.
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