According to a recent earnings report, Sony has 10 live-service games in the works that will release by 2026, and it is looking to shift away from first-party single-player titles. While some remain skeptical, this model could be used to great effect, with Sony’s line-up benefiting from additional content long after an individual game’s launch. One property in particular that could benefit from this is Marvel’s Spider-Man, using the backdrop of the Spider-Verse to best utilize a live-service model.
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Using Insomniac’s Spider-Man as a Basis
Insomniac Games has proven to be more than worthy of the Spider-Man property, delivering two exceptional titles that bring the charm, heart, and vibrancy of the character to a video game medium. Though some had issue with the first Spider-Man game’s side content and second game’s length, the general combat and swinging mechanics are widely considered to be perfect, capturing the essence of Spider-Man’s comic appearance while giving players a satisfying, intuitive experience.
A theoretical live-service Spider-Verse game would have an immediate leg-up over other live-service titles, featuring mechanics that have already been tried and tested. Simply taking Insomniac’s Spider-Man’s web-swinging and combat mechanics for a Spider-Verse game would already be enough to get most fans in the door. In a similar vein, a Spider-Verse game should use a similar approach to Insomniac when it comes to characterization. One of the best aspects of Marvel’s Spider-Man and Miles Morales is the core relationships in each game.
Spider-Man’s most emotive moments hit hard because Insomniac takes the time to flesh out who these characters are in the particular Marvel’s Spider-Man universe, and makes it seem like their relationships are realistic with long and complex histories. A Spider-Verse game needs to take a similar approach, putting the game’s characters at the forefront, and weaving a narrative that relates closely to their personal motivations and stakes.
How Live-Service Elements Could Work in a Spider-Verse Game
A Spider-Verse game is the perfect place for live-service elements. Much like Marvel’s Avengers, a Spider-Verse title could be constantly updated with new costumes based on the latest MCU and Spider-Verse movies, as well as a range of costumes based on the vast catalog of Spider-Man comics.
As the game would be set across multiple universes, the possibilities are endless. Missions could be added that have the player face off against Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio, or have the player battle the Ultimate version of the Green Goblin from the comics. The live-service model would be a perfect fit for this setting, giving players a plethora of varied content that already has decades of material to draw from.
New playable characters could also be added to the game over time, each with their own unique set of skills and abilities based on their comic/movie counterparts. Spider-Man Noir, for instance, could rely on stealth, whereas Spider-Man 2099 could make use of a unique gliding ability. A Spider-Verse game has an incredible amount of potential, and with a live-service model that constantly adds new and varied content to the game, it could easily be a Marvel fan’s dream.
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