The superhero genre’s popularity has since spilled out of the movies and TV to now reach almost everything. Some could even go as far as stating that superheroes now have a tight grip on the whole entertainment industry. And with the likes of Batman and Spider-Man almost always present everywhere you look, we cannot help but agree with such sentiment. However, the gaming space is a different beast entirely. While a certain something may be revered in other forms of media; it can be seen as unpopular by gamers. This got us thinking: “Are superhero games unpopular?” If not, what is its current state?
Current State of Superhero Games
Superhero games are arguably at the peak of their popularity nowadays. Yes, it may be attributed to the fact that superheroes are the present kings and queens of entertainment media. However, we believe the current quality of superhero games plays a huge role in bolstering popularity as well. Not only are they more faithful than ever before to their source material, but they also manage to compete quality-wise against the best games of today.
DC games such as Rocksteady’s Batman Arkham series and Marvel games like Insomniac’s Marvel’s Spider-Man have been very successful and received critical acclaim from both fans and critics. These games offer players the opportunity to experience the world of superheroes in an interactive and immersive way. It allows them to take on the role of their favorite heroes, and sometimes, even villains.
While some superhero games may not be as popular as others, this is true for any genre of games. Like its contemporaries, the genre also had more than a couple of failed projects. Take, for example, the recently-nixed Marvel’s Avengers game by Crystal Dynamics. The undisputed worst game in the history of the industry, Superman 64, is a superhero game! The point here is that not every release is a hit. There will always be a couple or more that just miss the mark and, thus, are seen as unpopular. Worst case scenario, they become popular for how bad they are.
How Superhero Games Become Popular
The popularity of a game can depend on many factors such as marketing, timing of release, and quality of the game itself. Superhero games have a dedicated fanbase, and the continued success of games such as the aforementioned Batman Arkham and Spider-Man series proves that there is a demand for quality superhero games. A few years back, you wouldn’t necessarily expect superhero games to be among the most anticipated game releases year in and year out. Nowadays, however, we are just in that precise situation.
It’s also worth noting that the popularity of superheroes themselves has only grown in recent years, with the success of Marvel’s cinematic universe and DC’s extended universe. This has created a renewed interest in the genre, which has also helped to drive interest in superhero games. We believe that as long as the whole superhero genre remains popular in other forms of media, its grip on the gaming industry should widen as well. Barring anything significantly disastrous happening in the specific genre, we can see superhero games being the most popular gaming genre of the next generation. Yes, we honestly believe that!
In conclusion, superhero games are not unpopular, and in fact, have been a staple of the gaming industry for many years now. While not all of them are successful, there are plenty of examples of popular and critically-acclaimed superhero games that have captured the imaginations of players around the world. Although some may think that the popularity of such games cannot go any higher anymore, we couldn’t help but disagree. To us, the era of superheroes is just beginning.
