It looks like Black Panther is the latest comic book hero to get his own licensed game. Licensed Games have been a part of the games industry since it began, but in 2009 everything changed when Rocksteady released Batman Arkham Asylum and rather than selling the promise of a game on its license, it sold on its merits as a video game.
Since then the industry has been chasing that same formula some finding success. Despite their dominance in movie theaters, however, Marvel has only recently begun catching up to the lead DC has had in games with Marvel's Spider-Man and Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy as highlights, and of course a few lowlights (I had fun with Avengers okay).
Marvel Games strategy has differed from DC, in that rather than opening studios specifically focused on their Intellectual Property, they've licensed out their strongest IP to acclaimed studios like insomniac, and now EA is taking their swing with Black Panther. Now just how far will this go?
It seems every summer we get more and more old franchises brought back into the modern times whether it's with a Fortnite skin or a full blown game. This year alone some of the best selling games have been based on pre-established multimedia franchises.
Why is this? Well we explore the trend in an increase of games that are "sure bets" against a similar rise in cost of AAA games and a decreasing tolerance of risks in the multimillion dollar budget gaming space.
On July 26th, 2023 - We removed our comments with a shift to a new ad platform. We're still assessing our next steps, but please join us on Discord for any comments, tips, or communication with our team!!