Read About the Marvel’s Avengers Game That Never Happened

The Marvel’s Avengers game by developer Crystal Dynamics is out now. Its beta has already managed to impress the fans, as over six million players have participated in the beta drop. Like most other superhero video games, this one is also a third-person action-adventure. However, the world almost got a first-person Avengers game.

The story penned down by CNET writer Mark Serrels for the first-person game was quite unique in every way. Not only did it show the realities of game development, but also talked about a game that could’ve been absolutely game-changing for the superhero genre.

An Avengers game was in the works way before the 2011 Marvel’s Avengers movie came out. This was also before Chris Evans was cast as Captain America in the MCU.

THQ Studio Australia was handed the responsibility to develop an Avengers game. Programmer Charles Henden revealed how excited he was to work on the project. At one point he even asked, “What comic books should I buy?” There were sparse details provided regarding the same, but the team had already begun working on it.

Suddenly, the scene shifted as the then general manager of THQ, Steve Middleton, along with a core group from the art team was let go. This is when Christian Dailey took over the reins as a game-director. His arrival completely changed the way the game was shaping up.

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A first-person Marvel’s Avengers game?

Dailey was the one who suggested that the game should be first person, as it looked too familiar. The team took the time to come to terms with this, but eventually settled upon the decision. When THQ presented this idea to Marvel, they left them surprised, but in a good way. Thus began the journey of a first-person Avengers game.

While working on superheroes, Dailey was not particularly fond of Captain America. Every other superhero had some spectacular ability, but Cap only had his shield. He suggested that Cap should have a gun instead. Of course, this idea did not sit well with Marvel and they eventually shot down the idea.

Increased pressure on the team and a change in work timings

But things took a different turn with the arrival of two Americans, Rex Dickinson and Lex Powell. Along with their idea of bringing stability to the IP, they also brought about the dreaded change of having to work overtime. All of a sudden the team went from a 38-hour workweek to a 70-hour week. One of the designers eventually lost it and wreaked havoc in the office. This resulted in him losing his job after being unable to deal with the pressure.

But this was when things started falling apart for THQ. The global economy was still recovering from a financial crisis. Meanwhile, the Australian economy was also going through a transition. All of these factors eventually led to the project being canceled. THQ also eventually filed for bankruptcy in 2012, almost a year after the Avengers project was called off.

This story is unique in every way considering it could’ve possibly given the world its biggest Marvel game, almost a decade ago. Even though the game never saw the light of day, it makes for a rather interesting read for those from the gaming community.