Sega plans flurry of movie-related games

Games publisher Sega has signed a deal with Marvel Entertainment, adding superheroes Captain America, The Incredible Hulk and Thor to its list of licensed characters.

The firm only recently signed a deal to bring Marvel's Iron Man to console, handheld and PC platforms in conjunction with the 2008 movie release from Paramount Pictures, starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges and Terrence Howard.

Sega has already assigned a developer to work on the Hulk game, which is expected to be released to coincide with the 2008 Universal Pictures film of the same name.

Simon Jeffery, president and COO of Sega of America, said, "The Iron Man game, which is being developed internally at Sega, is using next-generation technology. It's a collaborative process. We work closely with Marvel Studios, with (Iron Man director) Jon Favreau and with the design and FX teams. It is vital that the game feels like the movie; it is being designed primarily on the next-gen gaming systems."

Part of that collaborative process will include incorporating film cast members into the game with likenesses and voice work. Marvel has worked with Activision to get key members from the Spider-Man and X-Men casts involved with voice acting for the game.

During the past two years, Sega has stayed away from Hollywood licenses, but now it is extending its relationship with movie studios. It is developing games based on New Line's His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass, which will launch in November with the film. The firm is also reinventing the Alien franchise through a deal with Fox and it recently released a game based on Paramount's Charlotte's Web.