Justin Lambros, executive producer of Iron Man and vice president of Marvel Studios, took a breather from hours of game production to hint at what gamers could expect from the movie-game tie-in of the upcoming movie, Iron Man. Lambros answered a wealth of inquiries on the Iron Man video game (PC, Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation 3, PSP, Nintendo DS), and aspects of gameplay, villain appearances, and customization were addressed.

Gameplay-wise, Iron Man fans and gamers were assured that the Iron Man will not be all about flying and shooting. Lambros explained that the game offers other options for defeating enemies, including a slew of strategic elements for the various enemies included in the game.

And speaking of enemies, villains appearances will include Whiplash, though the extra-terrestrial, legendary dragon Fin Fang Foom will probably not make the cut. Lambros reminded players that Iron Man will adopt the "movie world" (though probably still true to the comic books) of the character, so there are limits to what enemies they will consider for the game.

Storyline also ties in closely with the movie's plot, though the developers may be plopping additional events and stories as game development ensues. Side quests and subplots are a integral part of the game's core features, says Lambros, so players will have plenty to do in-game.

Aiding Tony Stark in his battles will be his own technologically superior weapons. It appears the developers will combine weapons from the movie and weapons from the comics to diversify Stark's arsenal, even if some could make do with a Repulsor alone.

Perhaps to cleave the learning curve, a customization feature was added so the Iron Man armor could be tuned to players' preferences. No exact details were mentioned, but it was hinted that adjustments could be made to "make the suit match the way [players] want to play the game."

More developments on these as they roll in.

We've all seen our fair share of comic book super heroes ported onto the big screen or your favorite console. So when Marvel announced that they would be making an Iron Man movie next year, it was inevitable that Sega would get in on the action and make a video game to coincide with the comic book company's iron-clad warrior silver screen debut.

In an interview with Justin Lambros, Vice President, Interactive, Marvel Studios and Executive Producer on Iron Man (PC, Xbox 360, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, DS), he reveals a few tidbits on how the game will play and how it plans to break away from the mold comic book adapted video games over the years have been critically received.

The plot of the video game will closely follow the origin story of the movie. Fans of Iron Man will be pleased to know that the movie (and consequently the video game) will follow the comic book as closely as possible when it hits the big screen. Lambros also tried to get as much of the cast as possible to lend their voice talents for the game.

Lambros, however, admitted that the scope of Iron Man's controls was something they were still working on. Considering he can soar freely using his suits boosters and take on opponents on land and in the air is a task the developers from Secret Level had to take into consideration. They wanted Iron Man to have all the kinks the original one had - from repulsor blasts to all the fancy upgrades that go with his suit.

Speaking of upgrades, he also mentioned that the game will feature a customization system, similar to how Tony Stark's character constantly updates the features of his Iron Man suit. Players will get the chance to step into the billionaire inventor's shoes as he fights against the villains of the Marvel universe.

Lambros also explained how he planned to change the critical view people have had on video games based on comic book characters during the past few years. This is what he had to say:

There are a lot of unique challenges for each of these kinds of projects. And one issue they always have is with the timeline. Movies just take less time to make then high quality video games, so you have to be out in front of the film's timeline to get over 2 years of development time, which rarely happens, unfortunately. Iron Man is a great character for a video game, so that's a good start.

We've had tremendous cooperation and interest from the film team, which has helped us keep moving forward. We are doing our best to focus the gameplay experience to deliver something fun and different that feels true to the Iron Man everyone will see in theaters next year.

Electronic Arts Chicago has announced in the Comic-con Chicago that it is developing a brand new Super Hero fighting game franchise using the Marvel license. The game is slated for launch this 2008 for both the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360.

The development team handling this endeavor is known for their work on top fighting franchises such as the EA Sports' Fight Night series and DefJam: Icon. The General Manager and Vice President of EA Chicago Kudo Tsunoda shared his thoughts on this and what they plan on delivering to gamers:

We looked at past comic-based games to find out what was missing and what was needed to successfully translate the intensity, excitement and fiction from comics into fighting games. We’re challenging ourselves to make a game that delivers on the Super Hero promises of past top-tier fighting games.

Featuring a great all-star line-up of Marvel Super Heroes and Super Villains with incredible powers that are authentic to the fiction, huge environments and a living world that keeps the gameplay fresh, every battle will be unique; every battle will be like a first edition.

Of course this enthusiasm was shared by the people on Marvel as well, with the Vice President of Interactive from Marvel Entertainment Justin Lambros sharing his sentiments on the partnership with the company:

Marvel Super Heroes are a natural fit in the fighting game genre, so we’re excited to have Kudo and his team of fighting game experts put these characters toe-to-toe against each other on next generation consoles. This is a game that will deliver to both comic book fans and to fighting game diehards.

Fighting game and comic book fans rejoice, because it looks like we're going to be getting quite a treat this 2008. If you want to know more on this, the worldwide unveiling of the EA Chicago/Marvel game and a behind-the-scenes look into its development will be shown on Spike TV GAME HEAD on August 31 at 1:00 a.m. ET/PT.

Take-Two Interactive Software's publishing label 2K has just announced that Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, a game based on the movie, is out now on multiple platforms. By multiple, we mean the Xbox 360, Playstation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii, and the Nintendo DS.

So is this a game that would appeal to fans of the movie or comic book junkies? The answer may surprise you.

Justin Lambros of Marvel Entertainment Inc. said:

With Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, 2K is giving fans of the comic book series and movie franchise a great opportunity to continue the exciting Super Hero experience. Gamers can relive the best moments from the film and also play through additional storylines exclusive to the game.

The President of 2K, Christoph Hartmann, spoke about the game saying, "The Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer video game capitalizes on the capabilities of next generation platforms to bring fun new features to the franchise, such as seamless four player co-op and the radically unique Fusion Attacks." That said, what exactly does this game have to offer and what the hell is a Fusion Attack?

Features:

• Take on the role of any member of the Fantastic Four team and switch characters at any time. Each member has unique special abilities that will help the team get through different situations.
• Unite and fight! Battle in four player co-op with easy pick-up-and-play ability.
• Combine super powers for devastating team attacks with the new Fusion Attack System
• Loads of unlockable features including alternate Fantastic Four costumes, historical comic covers, concept art and more!
• Face enemies from the Fantastic Four universe including Red Ghost, Terrax and Super Skrull.
• Enhance your super powers: use the Wii Remote on the Wii and the SIXAXIS controller on the PLAYSTATION 3 for mega boost attacks.

If you're planning to pick this game up for a friend or a loved one, be advised that it is rated "T" for Teen for all the consoles except the DS version which is rated "E10+" for everyone 10 or older. That said, be sure to keep checking back here for more updates on Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.

Nyko, manufacturer of Xbox 360 accessories, has launched the GameFace 360 Community site. Here gamers and artists alike have found a haven of sorts because they can both upload GameFace 360 faceplates designs of their own creation and download other members' work. Designs can feature pictures, drawings or photos.

Already in the works is a regular GameFace 360 design contest with webmasters, editors and message board moderators, assuring that there will never be a shortage of artistic expression on the site. This is also good news to gamers that like to make their console stand out from the rest. The endless array of choices would make it less likely that you'll have the same faceplate as someone else. If you're an artist, then this is also a great chance for you to let the world (or at least Xbox 360 owners) view your creations.

"The GameFace 360 Community site demonstrates Nyko's commitment to all the loyal gamers that have made our products some of the most well received third party accessories for the Xbox 360," said Chris Arbogast, marketing manager, Nyko Technologies.

Recently Nyko has teamed up with SEGA with its Chromehounds promotion giving users who access the GameFace 360 Community site the opportunity to download the official faceplate design for Chromehounds.

"Customization is an integral element of Chromehounds gameplay," said Justin Lambros, producer, SEGA. "We've pushed this a step further allowing fans of the game to customize their 360 hardware by grabbing the Chromehounds faceplate design on Nyko's site."

The war of the future has begun with three superpower nations fighting for world domination. Commanding giant metal war machines called “Hounds”, players must manage their tower of heavy artillery through giant war zones while engaging in cooperative squad-based tactics, and fighting intense battles against other real-time players via Xbox Live. Strategic planning, quick reflexes and team-based communication are the key to winning the Chromehounds battle.

In an interview with Sega producer Justin Lambros, he reveals some juicy details about the game. According to Lambros the idea behind Chromehounds came about with the team from FromSoftware's constant push for a game that's fully customizable and features amazingly deep online gameplay.

When asked what sort of of mechs ad weapons will be available he says, "There will be an amazing variety of mechs, called HOUNDs, in the game. There will be six main role types, Snipers, Scouts, Heavy Gunners, Defenders, Soldiers, and Tactics Commanders, but players can make any combination of hybrid types as well. You will be able to choose from 2-legs, 4-legs, tank treads, 4 wheels, even hovercraft chassis for your HOUND."

As for the weapons, a variety of armaments available ranging from assault rifles, shotguns, machine guns, sniper rifles, howitzers, heavy cannons, missile launchers, rockets, mines, and even blades for close-quarters combat.

Chromehounds takes advantage of Xbox LSP (Live Server Proxy) which means the developer will be hosting a server to expand the online functionality of the game. This will be showcased in the Neroimus War mode, which is a persistent battleground that tracks squads of up to 20 players as they battle to take over the world in three fictionalized countries.

As for the graphical features of Chromehounds, Lambros spills that high poly models of the HOUNDs wreak havoc in a completely destructible environment that is rendered in beautiful detail with realistic lighting effects, amazing particle effects, and a tremendous amount of subtle touches; like weather effects that leave drops of water on a sniper scope, which really immerse players in the world of the game.

"There are three features that really make Chromehounds a unique mech game: 1) Unprecedented depth in customization options, 2) Expansive online gameplay mode, 3) The role of the Tactics Commander and the importance of communication and strategy in the squad-based combat." Lambros empasized.

Key Features

• Photo realistic visuals bring the game's gritty, war-torn environments to life.
• Strategic gameplay puts the player in the role of 'tactics commander'; manage your squad while testing your reflexes on the battlefield.
• Xbox LIVE support offers cooperative and competitive campaigns for up to 12 players at once.
• Full customisation options present users with thousands of different ways to equip and personalize their mechs.

The release of the much-awaited squad-based multiplayer mech combat developed by FromSoftware and published by Sega, exclusively to the Xbox 360, is slated on June 27, 2006.