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What's with the overall lack of superhero games?

JakeSimJakeSim Member RarePosts: 883
Title. One of my favorite genres. Yet it's lacking tremendously. Overall...not just including MMOs.
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  • WizardryWizardry Member LegendaryPosts: 19,332
    They are all bad games because their sole premise is to cash in on the IP and have to pay large sums for the license.
    A dev could make a super hero game without licensed heroes but that would defeat their purpose which i explained is to simply cash in.Besides to having recognized super heroes would likely not interest anyone.
    So as of now devs have turned to even cheaper game design methods,most of the super heroes are now in house and reside inside of Moba's and fps's like Overwatch.Pretty sad that even using in house assets and not paying licenses,they still get you to buy those heroes.
    Gaming is a sick dying breed right now,everything is geared towards spending money and making money.
    This is not going to change anytime soon because it is too lucrative for developers.Low risk low cost development,taking less time and able to implement cash shops.Point being you might get your super hero game but it won't be a good game.


    RexKushmanjohnisme

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  • MaurgrimMaurgrim Member RarePosts: 1,324
    edited October 2017
    I hate superhero games, I guess a lot of people do hence the lack of superhero games.
    Eldurian
  • CryomatrixCryomatrix Member EpicPosts: 3,223
    I'm not a fan of superhero games either. I could never get into comics. But I did hear CoH was an amazing superhero game. 

    Cryomatrix
    Catch me streaming at twitch.tv/cryomatrix
    You can see my sci-fi/WW2 book recommendations. 
  • MendelMendel Member LegendaryPosts: 5,609
    Part of the problem with comics book games, the IPs cost considerably to use any 'recognizable' character.  Roll-your-own heroes just aren't as popular.  No one ever says "Oooh! There goes The Carbuncle", no matter how much you fiddle with the character generation / artwork and write up a history / origin.   Comics are very much about stories involving Name Brand Heroes, and game stories don't incorporate Hero Du Jour into the story line very well.

    Logic, my dear, merely enables one to be wrong with great authority.

  • FrodoFraginsFrodoFragins Member EpicPosts: 5,898
    license fees for existing ones and it's hard to attract people when you dfon't have the licenses.
  • someforumguysomeforumguy Member RarePosts: 4,088
    I would like to see one that is not based on a known IP, because that can work very restrictive.  Add to that , a skill system that determines your power choices and an elaborate character creation system. Then you have a winner I think.
    People could still create known superhero knock offs, but you could come up with something entirely original too.
  • Loke666Loke666 Member EpicPosts: 21,441
    The action packed combat in super hero movies and combat is far from easy to turn into a MMORPG, at least if you want to use mechanics that have been used in earlier MMOs. It is just far more over the the top then the fantasy combat of Conan and Lord of the rings.

    And let's face it, most MMO devs are conservative and don't like to go too far from the EQ/Wow concept. 

    I don't think it is the license fees as such but I don't think the IP owners would like if Superman and Hulk became classic MMO tanks.

    Basically have no-one figured out really good combat mechanics and group dynamics that would make superheroes justice in a MMO (CoH was still the best try but it got nowhere near what it should).

    Also, the number of unique powers in Marvels and DCs IP makes things hard, most singleplayer games focus on one or a few heroes because of that. Having people travel by webbslinging, superspeed, flying and so on is hard enough, balancing it is a nightmare.

    I still wish someone would do a better try at it though.
    Blaze_Rocker
  • KyleranKyleran Member LegendaryPosts: 43,435
    Raizzeenn said:
    Because they are shit and no one cares about Marvel/DC anymore hence their low sales.
    Wait,  wut? Superhero movies from those two studios hold 4 of the top 10 domestic box office grosses in 2017.

    In fact Spiderman Homecoming just came in at over $850M in worldwide box office topping all others.

    We've still got Thor Ragnarok and Justice League on deck.

    No interest indeed. 

    B)
    Loke666GruntyPo_ggNildenMrMelGibsonScot

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  • MikeBMikeB Community ManagerAdministrator RarePosts: 6,555
    We do have Avengers Project in the pipe. Not a whole lot of info on it, though. Disney's just recently started shifting focus away from mobile games on Star Wars/Marvel over the last two years or so. It's gonna take a while to spin some of these projects up, but they're coming.

    I'm looking forward to seeing what pops up over the next couple of years. I've been getting my fix on mobile, but it's not ideal.
    KyleranMadFrenchieMrMelGibson
  • KajidourdenKajidourden Member EpicPosts: 3,030

    Ship of heroes as well.

    Should be interesting to watch it develop.

    To answer the question there's just a lot of expectations for superhero games.  EX: If your character is supposed to be a flying super-strength user people expect to be able to pick someone up, fly 200' in the air and drop them.

    Things like this set people up for disappointment, they don't think about technical limitations, only about what a superhero "should" be able to do.

    It doesn't help that the superhero genre naturally creates this issue with the wide variety of powers, whereas most fantasy/sci-fi games don't have to explain why x can't do y.

  • anemoanemo Member RarePosts: 1,903
    Because the action scenes in the "superhero" genre exist to offset the story/consequences/character development/emotion.   

    MMO's are only starting to do the action to a competent level, and are usually kind of bad at story.

    Practice doesn't make perfect, practice makes permanent.

    "At one point technology meant making tech that could get to the moon, now it means making tech that could get you a taxi."

  • esc-joconnoresc-joconnor Member RarePosts: 1,097
    Loke666 said:
    The action packed combat in super hero movies and combat is far from easy to turn into a MMORPG, at least if you want to use mechanics that have been used in earlier MMOs. It is just far more over the the top then the fantasy combat of Conan and Lord of the rings.

    And let's face it, most MMO devs are conservative and don't like to go too far from the EQ/Wow concept. 

    I don't think it is the license fees as such but I don't think the IP owners would like if Superman and Hulk became classic MMO tanks.

    Basically have no-one figured out really good combat mechanics and group dynamics that would make superheroes justice in a MMO (CoH was still the best try but it got nowhere near what it should).

    Also, the number of unique powers in Marvels and DCs IP makes things hard, most singleplayer games focus on one or a few heroes because of that. Having people travel by webbslinging, superspeed, flying and so on is hard enough, balancing it is a nightmare.

    I still wish someone would do a better try at it though.
    I agree with you on the over conservative studios, but disagree on the difficulty in making hero combat entertaining. I think the cool moves most fantasy games have are a lot more like super powers than fantasy sword play. Sure magic could give the same effect, but that even applies to non-magic characters. I've just been playing GW2 as a revenant, and some of the powers are more like Nightcrawler with swords than a fantasy warriors.

    Despite the so-called heroes games in the works right now I don't see anything to look forward to in this genre either.

    I don't think the IP is the problem either. The most successful hero game so far has been CoH, with it's own IP. And most online games you don't get to be the main characters. 

    People with the dough in gaming are pretty much clueless money grabbers that can't believe their choice to make a low budget flop could possibly be the reason their brilliant game failed. Must be the type of game, the genre, or the timing.
    Blaze_Rocker
  • iixviiiixiixviiiix Member RarePosts: 2,256
    How about magical girls game ?
    anemo
  • sayuusayuu Member RarePosts: 766
    Wizardry said:
    They are all bad games because their sole premise is to cash in on the IP and have to pay large sums for the license.
    A dev could make a super hero game without licensed heroes but that would defeat their purpose which i explained is to simply cash in.Besides to having recognized super heroes would likely not interest anyone.
    So as of now devs have turned to even cheaper game design methods,most of the super heroes are now in house and reside inside of Moba's and fps's like Overwatch.Pretty sad that even using in house assets and not paying licenses,they still get you to buy those heroes.
    Gaming is a sick dying breed right now,everything is geared towards spending money and making money.
    This is not going to change anytime soon because it is too lucrative for developers.Low risk low cost development,taking less time and able to implement cash shops.Point being you might get your super hero game but it won't be a good game.


    you act like gaming used to be some utopia where one could game till their heart's content without spending a dime cause the people that made game in "ye olden days" did so out of the goodness of their hearts and not for money. . .

    hate to break it to you, but it has always been about money. . .
    ConstantineMerus
  • Po_ggPo_gg Member EpicPosts: 5,749
    JakeSim said:
    Title. One of my favorite genres. Yet it's lacking tremendously. Overall...not just including MMOs.
    I'm puzzled... there's 2 (3 if you count diablo clones as MMO :wink: ), and 4 (or 5) in the planning.
    For a fairly niche subgenre I wouldn't call that "lacking".
  • esc-joconnoresc-joconnor Member RarePosts: 1,097
    Po_gg said:
    JakeSim said:
    Title. One of my favorite genres. Yet it's lacking tremendously. Overall...not just including MMOs.
    I'm puzzled... there's 2 (3 if you count diablo clones as MMO :wink: ), and 4 (or 5) in the planning.
    For a fairly niche subgenre I wouldn't call that "lacking".
    I think he means the games are lacking. There are some excellent fantasy games, sci-fi games, but i can't think of one great hero game.
  • TamanousTamanous Member RarePosts: 3,025
    When everyone is super ... nobody is.

    Going to the main issue with the genre forever.
    KyleranConstantineMerusHariken

    You stay sassy!

  • Loke666Loke666 Member EpicPosts: 21,441
    I agree with you on the over conservative studios, but disagree on the difficulty in making hero combat entertaining. I think the cool moves most fantasy games have are a lot more like super powers than fantasy sword play. Sure magic could give the same effect, but that even applies to non-magic characters. I've just been playing GW2 as a revenant, and some of the powers are more like Nightcrawler with swords than a fantasy warriors.

    Despite the so-called heroes games in the works right now I don't see anything to look forward to in this genre either.

    I don't think the IP is the problem either. The most successful hero game so far has been CoH, with it's own IP. And most online games you don't get to be the main characters. 

    People with the dough in gaming are pretty much clueless money grabbers that can't believe their choice to make a low budget flop could possibly be the reason their brilliant game failed. Must be the type of game, the genre, or the timing.
    Most superheroes powers are limited and works to implement but Superman, Thor and a bunch of others wont really work. Also, powers that aren't that OP like superspeed is far to add well into a multiplayer game.

    So a superhero game with more limited powers can be done with limited new mechanics, but if you want the over the top heroes it is hard.

    If I had to choose a superhero IP with more limited powers I think I would set it in Gotham, the powerlevel is easier to set there and you have a great bunch of villains to use as well. It would also have way more star power then anything you make up as you go.

    X-Men, Avengers or Justice league would be very hard to turn into MMOs.
  • Po_ggPo_gg Member EpicPosts: 5,749
    I think he means the games are lacking. There are some excellent fantasy games, sci-fi games, but i can't think of one great hero game.
    But while lacking is just an objective, quantitative term, quality is subjective :wink:  Personally I think CO is really good, and DCUO is fun too.
    Tamanous said:
    When everyone is super ... nobody is.
    Except... Bicycle Repairman!  https://youtu.be/U01xasUtlvw
    Loke666
  • JakeSimJakeSim Member RarePosts: 883
    Po_gg said:
    JakeSim said:
    Title. One of my favorite genres. Yet it's lacking tremendously. Overall...not just including MMOs.
    I'm puzzled... there's 2 (3 if you count diablo clones as MMO :wink: ), and 4 (or 5) in the planning.
    For a fairly niche subgenre I wouldn't call that "lacking".
    Alright, take this perspective. You're saying there's 2-7 games rn. Now, look at the typical fantasy genre in itself or even space/scifi. there's an abundance. Or, we can just take the standard survival genre that is peaking right now. They are all well beyond 2-7 games in total.

    The genre is lacking. 2-7 is extremely limited in comparison to all the other genres out there. ;) It is lacking.
    Azaron_Nightblade
    Please come check out my stream. All the love is appreciated! 

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  • JakeSimJakeSim Member RarePosts: 883
    MikeB said:
    We do have Avengers Project in the pipe. Not a whole lot of info on it, though. Disney's just recently started shifting focus away from mobile games on Star Wars/Marvel over the last two years or so. It's gonna take a while to spin some of these projects up, but they're coming.

    I'm looking forward to seeing what pops up over the next couple of years. I've been getting my fix on mobile, but it's not ideal.
    Mobile is where I have been getting my fix as well. Fairly hyped for the Avengers Project, but i'm not holding my hopes high. I am also awaiting the new Spider-Man game. But, that requires a PS4.
    Please come check out my stream. All the love is appreciated! 

    TWITCH: @JakeSimTV
  • JakeSimJakeSim Member RarePosts: 883
    Personally, I do not fully agree with the "because Marvel and DC have their rights argument". You can still make a superhero game. A number have been done before and yes, they have their rights to certain things.

    Infamous
    Infamous 2
    Infamous Last Light
    Champions Online
    Crackdown
    Freedom Force
    Prototype (kind of)
    City of Heroes
    All the new superhero MMOs in development

    All I'm saying is that it's been done and it's possible. Yes, they're limited in a way due to powers and what not.

    Please come check out my stream. All the love is appreciated! 

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  • dave6660dave6660 Member UncommonPosts: 2,699
    Tamanous said:
    When everyone is super ... nobody is.

    Going to the main issue with the genre forever.
    That issue exists across the entire mmorpg genre and not specific to super heroes.
    JakeSimBlaze_RockerHariken

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  • Po_ggPo_gg Member EpicPosts: 5,749
    edited October 2017
    JakeSim said:
    Alright, take this perspective. You're saying there's 2-7 games rn. Now, look at the typical fantasy genre in itself or even space/scifi. there's an abundance. Or, we can just take the standard survival genre that is peaking right now. They are all well beyond 2-7 games in total.

    The genre is lacking. 2-7 is extremely limited in comparison to all the other genres out there. ;) It is lacking.
    That is true, but I also added "a fairly niche subgenre" and for that it's not a bad number.
    Superheroes never was the mainstream, even in the peak of Silver Age superhero comics were a minority if you look the published comics as a whole. And the wast majority of their share is split between DC and Marvel - both have their own game already. True, Marvel's is just a crappy diablo clone instead of a real MMO, but they've backed out of that project 10 years ago sadly.

    Then there's CO, with the Champions IP - a great pick after Marvel left, the best, most customizable superhero Rpg system, a really good base for an MMO.

    And, pretty much that's it. No big(ger) IPs left.
    You can build a game with writing your own (that's what the games in planning do) - good luck with that, raising enough awareness in the "noise" of the heavily saturated market.
    You can pick an "indie" one, there are really good ones, but that's still just a small advantage compared to the previous route (just ask Moore or Millar/Romita how long lasted the elevated interest after the movies... and you barely can find better ad for your IP than the big screen. Or the smaller screen, ask Bendis how much more people knows his -btw. awesome- Powers, now that it had a show with two seasons...)

    What I try to say is, 3-5 games at once is probably the maximum we will see on the market. And mostly just indies will arrive (and leave) the market, I don't see any bigger studios suddenly realise, that their calling is to make a superhero MMO :smiley:
  • Loke666Loke666 Member EpicPosts: 21,441
    JakeSim said:
    Po_gg said:
    I'm puzzled... there's 2 (3 if you count diablo clones as MMO :wink: ), and 4 (or 5) in the planning.
    For a fairly niche subgenre I wouldn't call that "lacking".
    Alright, take this perspective. You're saying there's 2-7 games rn. Now, look at the typical fantasy genre in itself or even space/scifi. there's an abundance. Or, we can just take the standard survival genre that is peaking right now. They are all well beyond 2-7 games in total.

    The genre is lacking. 2-7 is extremely limited in comparison to all the other genres out there. ;) It is lacking.
    Space/Sci-fi is a way broader definition, that is why there is more there. Almost all MMOs are high fantasy for some silly reason, everything else is lacking, not just super hero games.
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