Superman Returns: The Videogame – Interview With Executive Producer Chris Gray

Getting a boost from the success of the “Superman Returns” movie, The Superman Returns: The Videogame is set to soar to retail shops this fall. David Craddock of comics2film.com had a chat with Executive Producer Chris Gray, hoping to change the way gamers view superhero movie-based games. Let’s face it, these breed of games don’t do too well on the charts for the simple reason that they fail to duplicate all the good things from the movies they are based on.

What will perhaps set the game apart from others movie-based games is that the storyline will not be limited to that of the movie. It’ll be joined by characters and storylines from the Superman of yesteryears. Expect 50% movie and 50% original elements. It sure is an interesting fusion, but how’d the development team incorporate 60 years of Superman with the new movie’s plot?  That’s where the villains come into the picture. They bridge the gap between the the movie and the history of Superman.

With virtual Metropolis spanning 80 sq. miles, it’s where all the action is. Objectives come randomly in the game. So if there’s some strange events brewing, you can fly down to investigate. The team has recently squeezed in playable Bizarro levels, so you know that means – you can wreak havoc in the city.

As Superman, you’d have access to several “powers” including heat vision, Freeze Breath, Super Breath, Super Strength, etc. You can also unlock brawling combos as you gain experience.

When asked how will Superman Returns prove game critics wrong on their notion that movie games don’t quite live up to the hype, Gray said, “From day one we knew we needed to make more than a movie game, and that helps tremendously. SupermanÂ’s history is so rich with moments, why wouldnÂ’t we want to include them in the game? The additional content allows us to deliver an action-packed experience that never lets up. For example, the movie only shows you a taste of Metropolis, whereas, we allow you to get completely immersed within and interact with it.”

Superman Returns: The Videogame will ship later in 2006 for PS2, Xbox, GameCube, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, PSP, and PC.

Getting a boost from the success of the “Superman Returns” movie, The Superman Returns: The Videogame is set to soar to retail shops this fall. David Craddock of comics2film.com had a chat with Executive Producer Chris Gray, hoping to change the way gamers view superhero movie-based games. Let’s face it, these breed of games don’t do too well on the charts for the simple reason that they fail to duplicate all the good things from the movies they are based on.

What will perhaps set the game apart from others movie-based games is that the storyline will not be limited to that of the movie. It’ll be joined by characters and storylines from the Superman of yesteryears. Expect 50% movie and 50% original elements. It sure is an interesting fusion, but how’d the development team incorporate 60 years of Superman with the new movie’s plot?  That’s where the villains come into the picture. They bridge the gap between the the movie and the history of Superman.

With virtual Metropolis spanning 80 sq. miles, it’s where all the action is. Objectives come randomly in the game. So if there’s some strange events brewing, you can fly down to investigate. The team has recently squeezed in playable Bizarro levels, so you know that means – you can wreak havoc in the city.

As Superman, you’d have access to several “powers” including heat vision, Freeze Breath, Super Breath, Super Strength, etc. You can also unlock brawling combos as you gain experience.

When asked how will Superman Returns prove game critics wrong on their notion that movie games don’t quite live up to the hype, Gray said, “From day one we knew we needed to make more than a movie game, and that helps tremendously. SupermanÂ’s history is so rich with moments, why wouldnÂ’t we want to include them in the game? The additional content allows us to deliver an action-packed experience that never lets up. For example, the movie only shows you a taste of Metropolis, whereas, we allow you to get completely immersed within and interact with it.”

Superman Returns: The Videogame will ship later in 2006 for PS2, Xbox, GameCube, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, PSP, and PC.