If you talk to the folks heading up Motive’s recently announced Iron Man video game, you quickly learn what a fantastic fit Iron Man is for the kind of stories this studio likes to tell.
“He’s one of the most well-known and beloved characters in the world,” says Executive Producer Olivier Proulx. “That alone makes it an immense privilege to make an Iron Man game. Tony Stark has charisma, levity, and complexity, which lets us explore some compelling character arcs.”
“Right, I love how his strengths—and flaws—make him a very human, very complex character,” agrees Senior Producer JF Poirier. “That gives us the ability to tackle a lot of themes and tell stories that’ll feel original, fun, and powerful.”
Another thing you pick up very quickly talking to the team is how many of them have a long history in Marvel fandom. Franchise Development Director Maëlenn Lumineau, for example, calls Iron Man an “all-time favorite, from the comics to the movies.” Olivier and JF grew up reading Marvel comics too, and both remember Spider-Man as an early favorite—for Olivier, it was the ‘90s TV series, while JF cites the early-’00s films as reviving his childhood passion for the comics.
Creative Director Ian Frazier, meanwhile, remembers a very early love of the live-action TV series The Incredible Hulk from the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. And his parents, apparently, remember this even better: “My parents tell me that when guests would come over, I would take my shirt off, cover my chest in green marker, and run around growling at them. …I have no recollection of this.”
“We’re trying to kind of absorb everything,” Ian says, “but when in doubt, we’re going back to the comics, the source material for everything Marvel.”
There’s an undeniable excitement that comes from working with a partner like Marvel, who stands at the forefront of the pop-culture consciousness. “I get to share this experience with my kids!” JF says. “And knowing we’re working on something that’s so meaningful to so many people is extremely gratifying.”
“Bringing such an iconic character to players is a great honor,” Maëlenn agrees, “and a little daunting. We want to do it justice!”
You might think that would be a bit nerve-wracking, but remember: This studio has already worked with another pop-culture juggernaut for Star Wars™: Battlefront II and Star Wars™: Squadrons—and much of the Iron Man project team worked on one or both of those games. Ian, who also worked as creative director on Squadrons, cites that game in particular as being excellent preparation for this project. “Flying,” he says, “is so fundamental to the fantasy of being Iron Man. And although it’s a very different game, with Squadrons we spent three years figuring out how to make the act of flying a compelling experience”
Olivier, meanwhile, has more direct experience working with Marvel Games. Before coming to Motive, he spent nine years at Eidos Montreal, culminating with the launch of the critically-beloved Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. “I’m incredibly excited to continue working with Marvel here at Motive,” he says. “They are fantastic partners, bringing passion, authenticity, and support when needed—while also encouraging us to create something new, fresh, and unique.”
Of course, creating such a massive project takes time, and the team is really just getting started. “We’re in early stages of development,” says Olivier, “in pre-production. At this stage, we’re building the character arcs; doing visual research work on art direction, character design, and environment design; testing and prototyping gameplay ideas…”
“...writing the story,” continues Maëlenn, “identifying our cast, researching the cities we want to create—it’s a very exciting time!”
“But the game is still very far away,” Ian says. “And that’s part of the reason we wanted to start talking about it right now: We’re building a team to make this amazing Iron Man experience, and the easiest way to do that is to say, ‘Hey everybody! If you want to make an awesome Iron Man game, give us a call!’”
“I really think this project is a rare, career-defining opportunity,” Olivier says. “It’s not every day that we get the chance to build a game based on one of Marvel’s most iconic characters—much less to have such creative freedom to make it our own. And we’re surrounded by highly talented individuals, bringing their best work every day without big egos getting in the way.”
“Everybody has a voice,” says Maëlenn. “We communicate transparently, we gather and listen to feedback from our team and partners very regularly—everybody has a really collaborative mindset: At Motive we are stronger as a team.”
“On top of that, we provide comfortable work conditions, with a flexible work model and professional growth opportunities,” Olivier says. “Motive has momentum, and a clear plan for success in the coming years. It’s a great place to be.”
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