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Games ■ ■ ■ ■ COMIC-BOOK CONTENT AND CHARACTERS REMAIN POPULAR VIDEO GAME FODDER by john gaudiosi Spider-Man. Batman. X-Men. Superman. T ey are the heroes of the comic-book world. And during the past several years, they have be- come box-offi ce stars, as well. T ey have even proven their mettle in the video gaming realm. In the near future, we can expect other super- heroes to join them on screens large and small as even more of these heroes and villains prepare to burst onto the fi lm and gaming scenes. As usual, superheroes were in vogue at this summer’s annual Comic-Con International show, where more than 126,000 comic- book, video game, and movie fans converged on the San Diego Convention Center. Indeed, Comic-Con is the place for all things superhero. And this year did not disappoint. For ev- ery big Hollywood spectacle like T or, Green Lantern, and Captain America, there was a game (and fi lm) in develop- ment, as game publishers, including those in the massively multiplayer online (MMO) arena, look to connect directly with comic-book fans. At this year’s show, Sony Online Entertainment’s DC Uni- verse Online made its fi nal pre-launch appearance, as it pre- pares for its debut on the PC and PlayStation 3 next month. And Stan Lee, the man who brought some of the most popular comic-book characters of all time to life, has col- laborated with Activision to bring the Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions game to PC, console, and handheld fans, who will have to wait a few years before seeing the new reboot of the web slinger on the big screen. DC UNIVERSE ONLINE T ese latest 3D virtual escapades of characters—some of whom have been around for 70-plus years—are collaborations between existing 2D artists from the comic world and 3D artists from the game world. Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) has spent the past fi ve years working with DC Comics to bring this universe to life in an MMO game that will, if successful, live on for decades with new stories and characters. “T e unique thing with this game is that you’re playing with iconic characters from the DC universe,” says Marv Wolfman, the longtime DC Comics writer who is crafting the stories for the new MMO. “Bat- man and Superman aren’t in the background in this game. Sometimes you’re fi ghting with them, sometimes you’re fi ghting against them, sometimes you’re just joining them on a mission. T ey’re right next to you. And you can be working alongside both the superheroes and super- villains, depending on the character you create.” Wolfman developed an original story with Jeff Johns, DC Comics co-publisher, that focuses on a future catastrophe that impacts the present-day world. In order to prevent this outcome, super heroes and villains must join together. “Lex Luthor realizes that he’s made this horrible bargain with the devil himself, Brainiac, and knows he screwed up, so he actually comes back in time to the present to warn the heroes, and creates a whole new legion of heroes and villains,” explains Jim Lee, co- publisher of DC Comics and executive creative director for SOE’s DC Universe Online. “Hence, in the game, you have all these players creating their own characters and jumping into the DC Universe to avert this horrible outcome. T e thing is, we’re not sure if you can completely trust Luthor, and you don’t know if he’s playing everyone to build up to some other grand betrayal in the future where he, not Brainiac, ends up on top. T ere are a lot of diff erent games going on, and there’s a bit of a mystery to it. T at’s the story line that we’ll start off with at launch, and then we’ll explore it and, ultimately, fi nish it with the endgame.” Connecting the printed comic-book world with the online game, DC Comics will publish a new comic book, also called DC Uni- verse Online, which will follow the game’s central story and further fl esh out the world. Lee notes that in addition to spotlighting main- stream characters—Wonder Woman, T e Flash, Superman, and Batman—the comic will off er secondary characters more exposure. In addition, superheroes and supervillains custom-created by players will be included in the pages of the comic. October 2010 23