Xbox “passed” on exclusive rights to share the Spider-Man video games.
The Microsoft-created games console passed on the opportunity to own the license to create the Marvel superhero branded games in 2014, which handed the rights to Sony’s Playstation -one of their biggest competitors - after their deal with Activision lapsed.
Jay Ong, the vice president of Marvel’s game department contacted both, saying: “We don’t have any big console deals with anyone right now. What would you like to do?’ Since Microsoft was more interested in focusing on its own properties than licensed games, it passed,” according to the new book ‘The Ultimate History of Video Games, Volume 2’ by Steven L. Kent, which was shared via ResetEra.
He also said: "I sat down with these two execs from PlayStation third-party, Adam Boyes and John Drake, in August 2014, in a conference room in Burbank. I said, "We have a dream that this is possible, that we could beat Arkham and have one game at least and maybe multiple games that could drive adoption of your platform."
Nintendo was suggested as an possible partner but like Microsoft, they were more interested in developing their own properties, despite eventually making the 2019 game ‘Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3,’ which was exclusive to their Switch console.
Marvel were reportedly unsatisfied with Activision - who held the license to create games connected to the ‘Spider-Man’ film trilogy starring Tobey Maguire and two Andrew Garfield ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ movies respectively - and the standard of their offerings.
Jay told the company - which has helped create games such as the Sims franchise - that they “would find a better home for the Spider-Man IP.” In response, they replied: “Good luck finding your unicorn,” before the 2018 smash-hit Insomniac Games’ Spider-Man, which are developing a Wolverine game.
