The Secrets of the Anticipated "Marvel's Spider-Man" Videogame
There's little over a month left for the official release of "Marvel's Spider-Man", on September 7th, but videogame enthusiasts that will attend the Festigame event during the weekend will have the chance to test a preview of the Playstation exclusive title, which has been named by several specialized media as one of the most anticipated games of the year.
"What makes this game special is that it's an original story, it's not based on any movie," says Jacinda Chew, Art Director of Insomniac Games, the company that developed it. "Here we see a completely original Peter Parker. We are talking about a Spider-Man that has more experience, that has been protecting New York City for eight years already. Peter has already graduated from college, he has bills to pay, and an unstable relationship with his ex-girlfriend, Mary Jane. Dealing with his personal problems and his superhero problems, we'll see how his two worlds collide. This creates a very interesting dynamic for players."
Chew celebrates the collaboration spirit of Marvel, the comic book publisher where Spider-Man was born and that still owns its rights. "I see them as an extra point of reference. What I like about working with them is that obviously, they have all the information, so if I have a question I can look in their archives because they have decades of reference. In a way, it's made it easier for us, because there's already a basis to create the character."
¿How can you make such a well-known character your own? "What I do is look at what makes a design a classic, what makes it timeless, and what makes it modern. In Spider-Man's suit that we designed, we kept the classic: the red and blue colors, the spider web pattern. At the same time, I wondered what would motivate a man in his twenties in this day and age, and you'll notice that our Spider-Man doesn't wear boots because a young man in New York City would prefer sneakers. Besides, he has a white spider on his chest instead of a black one, and that's related to the plot of the game," the artist explains.
Chew started in the videogame industry over 15 years ago, in the PlayStation 2 era. Since then, the market has changed radically. "The graphics, obviously, have improved a lot, and also the game experience. But for the gamers, the internet and social media have had a huge impact, and for us, as developers, it's fun to interact with them and have feedback," she comments. But clarifies: "We listen to people, but we don't necessarily let the fans vote on how we make a game. We focus on what we think is good."
