A few years ago, when the "Iron Man" film was expected to hit theatres some time in 2006 or 2007, Activision had nailed down the rights to create a game based on the movie. But now it seems developer Z-Axis, originally slated to make the game for Activision, is going to have some downtime. Sega, in a mild surprise, now has the rights to make games based on both the upcoming film and the popular comic book.
Sega volunteered no immediate information regarding the future Iron Man titles, other than stating the first game would be "coming to next-gen platforms in spring 2008." The film stars Robert Downey, Jr. as the bizarre alcoholic Tony Stark and Terrence Howard as Jim "War Machine" Rhodes. It's Marvel's very first self-financed movie.
"Marvel is recognized as one of the world's leaders in the entertainment industry and Sega is excited to be publishing the next-gen interactive entertainment based on Iron Man, the first Marvel Studios project being brought to the widescreen," said Sega of America President and COO Simon Jeffery. "The Iron Man history is filled with compelling and intriguing characters and stories and with the power of the next-gen systems, Sega will be bringing these characters to life like never before."
And clearly, Marvel is quite satisfied with choosing Sega:
"Sega is an excellent partner to bring our Iron Man franchise to the next generation consoles," said David Maisel, Executive Vice President, Office of the Chief Executive of Marvel Entertainment. "Sega is a powerful force in the video game space and has always been on the cutting edge of the industry. We are very excited to be bringing Iron Man to theaters in 2008 and to team with a great partner to simultaneously introduce Iron Man to the video game world."
When more details come to light regarding Sega's plans for their newly acquired license, we'll be sure to let you know.
Related Game(s): Iron Man