Electronic Arts announced that it is developing a game based on Black Panther, the superhero of Marvel. EA will use Cliffhanger Games, a recently formed AAA game development studio, who will have the responsibility of staying true to the character of the comics. The reveal comes on the 57th anniversary of the debut of Black Panther, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby for the 52nd issue of The Fantastic Four.
In accordance with the press release, Black Panther It will be a singleplayer with focus on narrative. EA is betting on this genre, after years of focusing on multiplayer, and the most recent proof is the franchise Star Wars Jedi or the new game Hombre de Hierro which is under development. To ensure the success of the project, the studio will be led by Kevin Stephens, former head of Monolith Productions during the development of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and its sequel, Middle Earth: Shadow of War.
We are dedicated to giving fans an experience Black Panther definitive and authentic, giving them more agency and control over their narrative than ever before in a story-driven video game. Wakanda is a sandbox rich in superheroes, and our mission is to develop an epic world for players who love Black Panther and they want to explore the world of Wakanda just as much as we do.
The game is in a preliminary phase of development, so we will have to wait a few years to know the first details. According to Stephens, Black Panther will make players feel what it’s like to take up the mantle of Wakanda’s protector in unique story-driven ways. The studio will work closely with Marvel Games to ensure that they remain faithful to the source material.
Hombre de Hierro and Black Panther could become EA’s workhorses
In a world where F2P games loaded with micro transactions lead, ads like the game of Black Panther either Hombre de Hierro surprising, especially when it comes to EA. It’s not a secret that FIFA, Apex Legends either The Sims are the most important franchises for the studio in terms of revenue. The problem is that the sale of consumables or loot boxes has played against the company, which is accused of predatory practices.
The bet on the games singleplayer is backed by hits like Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and its sequel, Jedi Survivor. EA knows that can sell millions of copies of a game of Hombre de Hierro if you focus on a well-done narrative experience. Same with Black Pantherwho has behind him the person in charge of one of the games of The Lord of the rings most recognized of the last decade
The press release includes two sentences that could give us a clue of what awaits us: “an expansive and reactive world” and “a superhero-rich sandbox”. Black Panther could be inspired by The Shadows of Mordor with missions or procedurally generated enemies (procedural) where we use other superheroes. It’s likely that EA will take a crack at the latter, with costumes or cosmetic items that he could cash in to unlock.
If we learned anything from Marvel’s Avengers the thing is You can’t create a superhero game without compelling story or mechanics.. Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal’s game failed to harness the potential of the license and is close to death. EA can’t afford a similar luxury with names like Hombre de Hierro either Black Panther.