Smash, scream, roar and play dress up as the Hulk until someone tries to text you on your smart phone in Avengers Initiative. I have never purchased a game like this... but I only recently bought a smart phone so maybe today's the day! So long as I can play as Howard the Duck, I'm happy.

If you've ever had the urge to go around smashing villains as the Incredible Hulk, well, now you can. Marvel has just released a new game, Avengers Initiative, for the iOS and Android platforms. It costs US$6.99 and has in-app purchases (IAP).

You play as the Incredible Hulk while uncovering the story behind the in-game event known as the Pulse, which has conveniently freed super-villains from a prison. Your job, as the big bad green giant, is to smash all the baddies and send them back to jail.

If ISO-8 sounds familiar, it's because the game takes place in the same universe as the Facebook Avengers Alliance game. Like the Facebook game, ISO-8 serves as currency for the game, and lets you buy new costumes for the Hulk as well as enhancements to make your hero more powerful. The game also connects with the Facebook version via Marvel XP (which lets you gain level up for some boosts by earning achievements).

Marvel intends to release three more heroes for the game--based on the silhouettes, we're looking at Captain America, Thor and Iron Man. These add-ons will be free. The first hero is scheduled for release before the end of the year though Marvel declined to tell us who it will be.

(Via CNetAsia)

Marvel (and its games division) has unveiled a brand new game for iOS called Marvel Avengers Initiative. This game has been teased for a little while now, and TUAW was lucky enough to see an in-progress version a few weeks ago. In just a few words, you can call this one "Avengers Blade." It's an Infinity Blade-style action RPG, set in the world of the super-popular Avengers superhero team.

The game will consist of a series of episodes, the first of which will be available at launch. Wideload Software (originally started by Halo's Alex Seropian, but more recently acquired by Disney -- which explains why it's working on a Marvel game) has put together the first episode featuring Hulk. Given that the title is so closely based on Infinity Blade, you can imagine how it works.

You move from point to point around a game world, collecting currency where you can find it, and fighting big foes by swiping and tapping the screen when prompted. Wideload has even brought Infinity Blade's XP and equipment system over, giving Hulk various stat and costume upgrades that not only make reference to classic comic appearances, but also can give bonuses to XP or certain attributes.

(Via TUA)

Marvel's TQ Jefferson tells TUAW that in the company's video games division, he and his team have come up with three main principles to include on big releases. First, they want each game they release to have fun, engaging gameplay, which is really a no-brainer in the crowded market these days. There also has to be a story, and Avengers Initiative begins with the story of Hulk, fighting a battle across the Avenger's floating fortress of a home base.

Developed by Wide Load Games, Avengers Initiative is a good-looking title with tons of spoken dialogue. Marvel/Disney clearly wants to deliver a console quality experience but one that offers a pipeline for microtransactions for extra costumes. Further episodes will likely revolve around other Marvel characters and you can see where this will be an ever-expanding effort from Marvel's game division. The mobile title also hooks into the Marvel XP platform which aggregates points across different games and platforms—like Avengers Alliance on Facebook—into one user profile. It's a solid if pricey debut that seems to promise better playable versions of the Marvel Universe than what fans have gotten recently. You'll be able to download iOS and Android versions tomorrow. (9/6)

(Via Kotaku)

trailer
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0G_jClt992I]

Additionally, an other game has been released (for free) called Marvel Heroes in which gamers can play as street level characters such as the Punisher, Daredevil, Deadpool and Spider-Man as well as big-leaguers including the Thing and Cyclops. Written by Avengers scribe extraordinaire, the game will function as an MMORPG as heroes combine forces to take down Doctor Doom.

It also has an incredibly vast stable of playable characters:

 

  • Black Panther
  • Black Widow
  • Cable
  • Captain America
  • Colossus
  • Cyclops
  • Daredevil
  • Deadpool
  • Emma Frost
  • Hawkeye
  • Hulk
  • Human Torch
  • Iron Man
  • Ka-Zar 
  • Ms. Marvel
  • Nova 
  • The Punisher
  • Rocket Raccoon
  • Scarlet Witch
  • Spider-Man
  • Squirrel Girl
  • Storm
  • Thing
  • Thor
  • Wolverine

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgonbiLW2n0]