Spider-Man (series)

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***Marvel's Spider-Man*** (also referred to as ***Spider-Man*** or **Insomniac's Spider-Man**) is a series of open-world action-adventure video games based on the comic book character of the same name, licensed by Marvel Comics to be developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation line of consoles, as well as personal computers.

Insomniac's *Spider-Man* series is inspired by the comic books, film and television adaptations, publication history and mythology of the Spider-Man character and supporting cast. The games are set on Earth-1048, an original universe that is part of the larger Marvel multiverse. The narratives follow an experienced Peter Parker introduced eight years into his crime-fighting career as he takes on various threats in New York City and serves as mentor to the younger Miles Morales, whose rise into his own Spider-Man persona is depicted throughout the games.

Between 2000 and 2014, video games based on the Spider-Man character and its supporting cast were primarily handled and published by American company Activision. The declining quality of Activision's games during the late 2000s and early 2010s led to termination of the partnership in 2014. Marvel eventually signed off a deal with PlayStation maker Sony, who brought in then-long-time collaborator and current subsidiary Insomniac Games, developer of *Ratchet & Clank*, to conceptualize and develop the first game.

Insomniac's work on the *Spider-Man* license received critical acclaim, particularly for the writing, production values, combat, web-sligning traversal mechanics and characters, though some criticism was pointed at the open world structure employed by the first two installments. The series also enjoyed strong sales, with over 33 million copies sold by 2022.

## Games

### Full releases

 *Wolverine* | TBA | Insomniac Games | PlayStation 5

### Future

In an interview with SkillUp following *Spider-Man 2*'s release, Intihar teased the possibility and scope of a *Spider-Man 3*, comparing the first entry and *Miles Morales* to 2008's *Iron Man* and *Spider-Man 2* to 2016's *Captain America: Civil War* in terms of series escalation, and said on a future installment, "I think it’d be pretty epic". In a separate interview with Insider, senior narrative director Jon Paquette acknowledged the popularity and demand for a *Venom* spin-off, saying, "We're gonna listen to the fans and we're gonna ask ourselves, 'Okay, what do the fans really want?'"

A data breach conducted in December 2023 revealed additional titles planned after the release of *Spider-Man 2*, including a *Venom* game and a full sequel titled *Spider-Man 3*. Two *X-Men* games, serving as sequels to *Wolverine*, were also named in the files.

## Reception

### Critical

* *Spider-Man* (2018) - 87/100
* *Spider-Man: Miles Morales* (2020) - 85/100
* *Spider-Man 2* (2023) - 91/100

### Commercial

The *Spider-Man* series enjoyed strong commercial success since its inception. Between *Spider-Man* and *Spider-Man: Miles Morales*, the series sold over 33 million copies of May 15, 2022, becoming one of publisher Sony's best-selling franchises.

2018's *Spider-Man* sold over 3.3 million copies within 3 days of its launch, and at the time was Sony's biggest game launch within that timeframe. Sales increased to 9 million copies by November 2018, 13.2 million copies by August 2019, and an estimated 20 million copies by November 2020. 2020's *Spider-Man: Miles Morales* sold over 4.1 million copies by the end of 2020, which increased to over 6.5 million copies by July 2021.

## References

1. ↑ https://www.escapistmagazine.com/insomniac-suggests-marvels-spider-man-3-would-be-pretty-epic/
2. ↑ https://www.insider.com/marvels-spider-man-2-video-game-venom-spinoff-2023-10
3. ↑ https://www.theverge.com/2023/12/19/24007570/insomniac-games-hack-wolverine-x-men-ryhsida
4. ↑ https://www.ign.com/articles/insomniac-spider-man-33-million-copies
5. ↑ https://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2018/09/21/ps4s-spider-man-just-broke-god-of-wars-sales-record-with-3-3-million-copies-sold-in-3-days/?sh=6a74c3761244
6. ↑ https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-continues-to-enjoy-great-success-spider-man-up/1100-6464233/
7. ↑ https://www.gamesindustry.biz/sony-acquires-insomniac-games
8. ↑ https://www.vg247.com/spider-man-ps4-20-million-sales
9. ↑ https://www.ign.com/articles/marvels-spider-man-miles-morales-sold-41-million-units-in-2020
10. ↑ https://www.gamesindustry.biz/ps5-is-the-fastest-selling-playstation-as-it-hits-10-million-sales-milestone