Marvel heroes flock to SEGA

SEGA has tied up videogame rights to three more Marvel properties: The Incredible Hulk, Thor and Captain America.

The publisher's exclusive, multi-year global licensing agreement with Marvel will allow it to develop and distribute games for console, handheld and PC platforms based on the original comic books and forthcoming films.

The first title will be based on the upcoming film, The Incredible Hulk, and is set to release in the same timeframe. Unless the film's late. You wouldn't like it when it's late.

Games based on Captain America and Thor will then follow, although the timing of those two films has yet to be determined, and so the games are still some way away.

Marking the deal, SEGA of America president and COO Simon Jeffery called Marvel "a recognised leader and innovator in the entertainment industry".

"As SEGA continues to create more games that are built from the ground up to appeal to Western audiences it makes perfect sense to work with a powerhouse company like Marvel," he added, cementing his place on Spider-Man's Christmas card list.

"Fans can now not only watch them in movies and read about them in comic books, but also literally control their actions through the video games we are creating." Literally? "Literally."

SEGA is already set to create an Iron Man game to tie in with the summer 2008 film of the same series, and Marvel Studios chairman David Maisel hinted that the relationship forged through that deal played into the extension of the partnership.

"We have already seen SEGA's passion for the Marvel Universe through the early development of the Iron Man video game, and we look forward to working closely with them over the next few years to maximize the potential of these franchises in the interactive entertainment space," Maisel said.

So, watch out for more on those three as they actually get round to making them.