Marvel aiming for fewer, smarter games rather than "smash and grab" tie-ins

Marvel Entertainment games boss TQ Jefferson has said the comics publisher can now afford to be more "selective" in its partnerships with games companies, and wants to up the quality of its output as a result.

Jefferson told Polygon that the company's success in movies and TV has given it the mainstream whammy to start "attracting better partners in the gaming space".

"We're talking to people now who have strong vision and great teams that can actually execute, and we're not as concerned with hitting a date. [We're] wanting to hold out for quality and have things go out when we're ready," he said.

"We are looking at smarter, more interconnected experiences, more interconnected narrative," he added, noting that Marvel wants games to share elements with each other and with the broader Marvel universe of comics, films, TV and beyond.

The executive said Marvel now looks for true-to-character experiences and compelling stories.

"We're being much more selective and measured in how we approach partnerships. I think in the heyday of the movie licensed game, it was just, 'Let's churn out something, let's do the the smash and grab, get the money and get out' and most of those games sucked, to be perfectly blunt," he said.

Today's gamers are more discerning than those who lapped up shitty licensed titles, apparently.

"We're pushing more quality now than we ever have in the past and if that means fewer games, that means fewer games," Jefferson said. "As long as we're hitting a high quality bar and holding ourselves to a higher standard."