Superheroes have held a certain appeal ever since they became a common pop culture touchstone. There's something exciting and uplifting about these people with extraordinary abilities that want to make the world a better place. It's even more empowering when characters like these get their own games, and players can live the fantasy of being that superhero, using those powers and doing those fantastical good deeds. Superhero games are hardly a new concept, but it's been a while since Marvel or DC's icons have taken the market by storm the way that Spider-Man is doing right now.
From the 80s to early 2000s, superhero games were all over the place. Lots of developers were working with IPs like Spider-Man, Batman, Superman, and the X-Men to produce content for the exciting new genre of entertainment provided by home gaming consoles. Superhero games didn't disappear completely after that, but they weren't being mass produced or necessarily good. Now, Spider-Man is on many peoples' minds when they think of iconic video games from recent history, and the character is only getting more video game attention coming up. His blockbuster video game got the most attention that any superhero game has gotten in a long time, and if he keeps up this success, he might single-handedly revive the genre.
The Dawn of a Series
Everything started when Marvel's Spider-Man released in 2018 for the PS4. It was a tremendous success, selling many millions of copies and receiving thunderous applause from players and critics alike. There's tons of fronts on which the game was able to succeed. The environment of New York City is crafted with tremendous care and full of details, both from real life and Marvel's imagining of the city. Everything from an expansive combo system in combat and a long list of gadgets crafted by Peter Parker made fighting intense and exciting, while also giving the player the wide range of abilities befitting Spider-Man.
Marvel's Spider-Man captured the fantasy so successfully that it's evolving into a new franchise of PlayStation exclusives. Spider-Man: Miles Morales was the opening star of Sony's Future of Gaming event back in June. It promises to be an exciting spin-off of the first game, starring one of the most beloved versions of Spider-Man outside Peter Parker himself. The odds are also good that there'll be a Marvel's Spider-Man 2 for the PS5, since there's already rumors drifting around about the game's content. Even if the rumors are false, Sony is almost certainly going to try replicating its success with the first game.
A New Gaming Powerhouse
Now it's not just Spider-Man that's getting a lot of attention in this industry. There's a lot of eyes on the upcoming Marvel's Avengers, the next major superhero video game hoping to sweep comic book fans off their feet. Although it isn't solely his affair, Spider-Man's appearance in the PlayStation version shows that he still has an impact on games like this. The move may be controversial, but it's certainly getting Avengers a lot of attention. Superhero games weren't exactly dead before the 2018 hit came onto the scene, but they surely weren't dominating the market the way that Spidey did.
It's not unlikely that the overwhelming success of Marvel's Spider-Man means that more attention will be paid to superhero games that he has nothing to do with. For instance, the first Batman: Arkham game in five years is supposed to be revealed later this year. After Spider-Man rejuvenated the genre, it's the perfect time for Batman to come forward with his own blockbuster. With the stage set, this seems like the perfect time for comic book companies to look into new video games for heroes that haven't gotten their own games in a long time. Between the MCU and Spider-Man's console success, there's a lot of people ready to see some heroes in action.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales is in development for PS5.