Feature: 'E3 Report: New Practices in Licensing and Ancillary Rights'

In today's feature covering the extensive developer sessions held at last week's E3 Expo, Vincent Diamante reports on a panel featuring five professionals from both sides of the game/IP machine, talking about the challenges facing licensed content for the next generation of game creation. In part of the piece, the panelists discuss the recent changes in the market, as well as their perceived game review problems: ""Spider-Man [for PlayStation/Dreamcast] changed the space of licensing," says [Marvel's Ames] Kirshen. For him, the quality of the graphics and game design raised the bar in terms of what a licensed game could be, and what he believes we are seeing right now is a "renaissance" in comic book and superhero video games." While the general landscape of gaming may have changed, there is a perception of licensed games that is slow to change in the hardcore markets. This can be seen in game websites and magazines like EGM who, both Alexander and Kirshen argue, will knock a game's review score down a point because of its licensed content. "You might see games that are reviewing 75 or 80, and in our minds that's a 90," says Kirshen."" You can now read the full Gamasutra feature on the subject (free registration required.)