Today marked the opening of the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (better known as C2E2). We’re here showing off the Iron Man 2 game in Marvel’s booth, as well as one stage demo per day. There’s tons of comic stuff around, and lots of Iron Man goodies.

The day started out light, as the show was only open to professionals from 10am – 1pm. I took the opportunity to check out some of the other Iron Man 2 stuff at the show.

I found these adorable Iron Man Minimates that are exclusive to the C2E2 show. They include Racer Tony Stark, Nick Fury, Battle Damaged Iron Man, and Battle Damaged War Machine.

Next, I was back in the Marvel booth to check out the Iron Man pinball machine. It seems like a lot of fun, although I haven’t had a chance to play it yet. I’m hoping I’ll get a chance tomorrow!

I was also eager to check out the Iron Man prop auction. Above is the newspaper from the movie, asking who Iron Man is.

Here are some of the costumes from the movie that are up for auction.

This is the Apogee award that Tony Stark gets at the beginning of the first movie.

Back in the Marvel booth, I passed by the Marvel Stage. This is where we are doing our daily game demos and there is other Marvel programming throughout the show.

Back to the space we’re showing the game in. The DS version is on the left, and the X360 version on the right. To the right of the 360, directly opposite the DS version, is the Wii version. We’re happy to have Chicago locals High Voltage Software here to talk about and help people with the Wii version, which they developed.

That’s all for today! Tomorrow should be pretty exciting & crowded. See all the photos on our Flickr feed and check our Twitter for up-to-the-minute updates.

If you’re in or around Chicago this weekend, stop by the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2)! Here are all the details on how to find us and cool SEGA/Iron Man 2 happenings around the show. If you can’t make it, don’t fret! I’ll be updating the Twitter feed and the blog with all the action from the show.

C2E2 is being held Friday, April 16 – Sunday, April 18th, 2010. The show is open Friday for professionals between 10am and 1pm, and is open to the public from 1pm – 7pm on Friday. Saturday, the show is open to the public from 10am until 7pm. Sunday, the show is open to the public from 10am until 5pm.

C2E2 is being held at Lakeside Center at McCormick Place located at 2301 S. Lake Shore Drive in Chicago. We will be in the Marvel booth, which is booth 758.

In addition to hands-on play throughout the day, we have a stage demo set up each day in the Marvel booth. On Friday, the demo is at 2pm, Saturday’s demo is at 3:30pm, and Sunday’s demo is also at 3:30pm.

Although not related to the game, I did want to mention one other event that you won’t want to miss.  On Sunday, there is an auction of Iron Man movie props from 11am until 5pm in booth E352. You can be sure that I’ll check out the goods.

We’ve got Iron Man 2 game posters and other cool stuff to give away at the booth and after the demos, so be sure to stop by and see us! Also, if you’re in a SEGA-related costume, I’d love to take your photo for the blog.

Hope to see you in Chicago!

Check out the latest character render from the Iron Man 2 game… it’s Nick Fury. The character looks quite a lot like Samuel L. Jackson, who plays Nick Fury in the movie and did his voice acting in the game.

SEGA is excited to present the first Behind-the-Scenes video from the blockbuster video game Iron Man 2. This video takes fans deeper into the making of the Xbox360 and the PS3 versions of the game and offers a sneak peek at what it takes to create the most technologically advanced Super Heroes- Iron Man and War Machine, epic enemy characters, devastating destruction and the  cinematic-style fighting mechanics within the game.

Check out this great new video for a taste of what is to come as more of the Iron Man 2 game is revealed.

We’ve also got some new character renders for you. Crimson Dynamo is up above, and General Shatalov (who you met in the previous Enemy Factions trailer) is below the video. Enjoy!

Iron Man 2 will be hitting stores May 4^th for the X360, PS3, PSP, Wii, and DS!

* Although today is April 1st, aka April Fools’ Day, this is no joke!

In case you missed it on GameTrailersTV, here’s the latest trailer for the Iron Man 2 game. It details the enemies that you’ll face playing as Iron Man and War Machine in the game.

DVR alert! Catch the WORLD PREMIERE of the brand-new enemy factions trailer for Iron Man 2 tonight! The trailer will make its debut on GameTrailers TV, airing on the Spike network tonight (March 19th) at 12:30 AM eastern (9:30 PM Pacific).

The trailer reveals the foes that Iron Man and War Machine will face in the game, including a boss of epic proportions. I don’t want to reveal more than that right now… you’ll have to see the trailer yourself.

If you miss it tonight, don’t worry. It will be featured on the GameTrailers website throughout the weekend.

SEGA is excited to release some all new screens and character renders for Iron Man 2: The Video Game. With epic bosses and huge enemies to face, gamers can choose to play as War Machine or Iron Man for both on-the-ground on in-air combat. With all new melee moves and high-damage weapons to choose from, Iron Man 2:The Video Game is the cinematic gaming experience no one can resist.

Available on May 4^th for 360, PS3, Wii,DS, and PSP. 

All of the images are available for viewing and download from our Flickr feed.

Screens

Wii

Next Gen

PSP

Characters

Tony Stark

James Rhodes

War Machine

Iron Man

We’re excited to announce that the Iron Man 2 game will feature the voices of Don Cheadle and Samuel L. Jackson in an expansion of their roles in the upcoming movie. Don Cheadle will voice James “Rhodey” Rhodes (aka War Machine), while Samuel L. Jackson joins as S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury. I put the full press release at the end of this blog for you.

We are also releasing the pack front images for all platforms today. I’ve put the PS3 and Xbox 360 images below. You can download these and see the Wii, DS, and PSP pack fronts on our Flickr.

Press Release

IRON MAN 2: THE VIDEO GAME GETS TALENTED

SEGA Announces Voice Talent Featured in the Upcoming Video Game

SAN FRANCISCO & LONDON (March 5, 2010) –SEGA® of America, Inc. and SEGA® Europe Ltd. today announced that Iron Man 2: The Video Game will feature the voices of renowned actors Don Cheadle and Samuel L. Jackson. Expanding their roles from the upcoming Iron Man 2 summer blockbuster from Marvel Studios, Cheadle voices Tony Stark’s close friend James “Rhodey” Rhodes – the powerful War Machine – while Jackson joins the game as S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury. Together they round out a cast of characters that transports fans into a deeper and more authentic cinematic video game experience.

Packed with favorites from the movie and comic book worlds, Iron Man 2: The Video Game offers gamers a chance to choose between Iron Man and War Machine, as they battle through hugely destructible indoor and outdoor environments. Tony and Rhodey both come equipped with their own distinct assortments of fully customizable, earth-shattering weapons, as well as vicious melee combat moves, all of which will come in handy against the likes of Crimson Dynamo and other classic Marvel foes.

“With an original story line, an exclusive new song tied in to an incredible soundtrack, and the voices of Hollywood’s top leading men, Iron Man 2: The Video Game offers a video game experience that has something for any kind of gamer,” said Sean Ratcliffe, Vice President of Marketing, SEGA of America. “With the intuitive new control system, this game brings fans of all ages and gaming abilities an Iron Man experience they can enjoy.”

Iron Man 2: The Video Game will be available on May 4th, 2010 for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, Wii™ and Nintendo DS™ system. For more information, please visit the official site at www.ironman2game.com or to download screenshots, videos and art, please visit the SEGA FTP site at http://segapr.segaamerica.com.

About SEGA® of America, Inc.
SEGA® of America, Inc. is the American arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA® Corporation, a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home. The company develops, publishes and distributes interactive entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. SEGA of America’s Web site is located at www.sega.com/usa

About SEGA® Europe Ltd.
SEGA® Europe Limited is the European Distribution arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA® Corporation, and a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home. The company distributes interactive entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. SEGA Europe’s web site is located at www.sega-europe.com.
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At our PR event last week, I had a chance to sit down with Matt Fraction, who writes The Invincible Iron Man comics and co-wrote the story for the upcoming Iron Man 2 game. I gathered up questions from Twitter, Facebook, and right here on the blog, added some of my own, and put them to Matt. We asked, he answered!

Q: Ins0mnia from Twitter asks: What connection is there for you from comics to games? How did you get involved in writing the story for Iron Man 2?

Matt: I play games when I should be writing comics. Comics are my job, and writing Iron Man is part of that job. I had some involvement in consulting on the Iron Man sequel, and I think when SEGA was getting the story going with the Iron Man 2 game, they talked to Marvel and Marvel suggested having me be part of the writing team on it. The writing of the Iron Man comics is what got me to the movie stuff, and I suspect that’s what got me to the game stuff too.

Q: jibajaw from Twitter asks: What was the first home arcade game you ever played? What was the last game you’ve played?

Matt: The first would have been Combat on the 2600. The last game I played would have been before I came to New York and was either Bayonetta or Darksiders, I can’t remember which.

Q: What did you think of Bayonetta?

Matt: I think it’s effing crazy! I love it. It’s like somebody took God of War and decided to make it not make any sense. I love it. It’s so very foreign and so very alien. It’s ridiculous and bezerk and entertaining. And I have a short attention span, so that works out well for me.

Q: Are there any classic SEGA games that you’re really fond of?

Matt: I played lots of SEGA games over the years! I have fond memories of Sonic. In fact, the songs still get stuck in my head from time to time. SEGA is a long and storied brand.

Q: What can you do differently in games that you can’t do in comics? Now that you’ve done both, which do you prefer?

Matt: They are both different. They each have their strengths, and I like doing both very much. I would really like to continue doing both. In games, you can move the camera and do a lot with audio. There are a lot more cinematic grammar in game writing than there is in comics. You take some stuff away from the viewer or reader, but you give them back a lot of stuff, too. Just being able to spin a camera through a room was a big thing. There’s a lot of stuff you can do with cinematics that comics don’t allow for – motion and sound are the most basic, but that opens up an entire new realm of storytelling tools.

Q: slimsammy from Twitter asks: Was your transition from the different universes of iron man difficult? Seeing as the ComicBook version of him has more depth.

Matt: It wasn’t, probably because I had practice with the movie stuff. I was looking to create a parallel experience. My primary concern was character issues, keeping Tony Tony and Pepper Pepper. I have a pretty limber imagination when it comes to comic continuity and parallel worlds. It was pretty easy, all things considered. I just kept my eye on the ball and hoped for the best.

Q: DJ Fob Fresh from the SEGA blog asks: Is the story strictly from the upcoming movie or will we see any other comic book story arcs in the video game?

Matt: It’s a parallel experience to the comic and the movie. There’s stuff from both, but there’s a lot of stuff in the game that hasn’t been in the comic or the movie. It’s not “play the film”… it’s a different world. But it is a parallel narrative. You’ll be on familiar ground even if the chronology is different. But it’s not an alienating thing if you’re a fan of the books or the films. It’s pretty easy to get right into it.

Q: TDSpidey616 from Twitter asks: Is the Iron Man Annual drawn by David Aja still in the works as well as using the Mandarin?

Matt: It is still in the works, but it will not be David Aja, to my great regret. Life gets in the way of schedules, and David and I will have to rendezvous on something else later. I don’t know that they’ve announced the artist yet or if I’m allowed to. It’s going to be two parts actually, so it’s not just an annual. It will be a two-part thing. And yes, it’s about the Mandarin.

Q: DJ Fob Fresh from the SEGA blog asks: Any notable hero/ villian cameos? Are there going to be any post-Civil War, Death of Captian America missions in there?

Matt: Yes, there are cameos. No death of Captain America stuff.

Q: Miles DX from the SEGA blog asks: My name is Jeremy, I’m currently attending SCAD (Savannah School of Art and Design) in hopes of becoming a comic book penicler.  In a comic script, does every panel have to start with a description of the type of scene, for example, wide shot, close up, establishing shot? Or as long as you describe the scene you can leave it up the the penciler to decide what type of shot the draw the panel as?

Matt: It’s a learning curve. I always try to write specifically for the guys I’m working with. I will write more tightly controlled as I start, and then as we get familiar with each other, opening it up. If I have a specific shot in mind, I’ll call it. When I feel like I know how I need to write for an artist, it gets shorthanded. I just write what I think the beats are and let the artist find the shot. So you don’t have to, but everybody is different and there is no right or wrong. What you need is a writer that knows how to write for you and to get the best out of you. If that’s somebody who calls shots, great. But you’re the visual storyteller and you should have the freedom to tell the best story that you can. It’s all collaborative. You have to figure out how you work together and understand that it’s a process, not a system. It’s going to evolve and change as you evolve and change.

Q: Miles DX from the SEGA blog continues: Also, in a comic script, what is the average amount need to descibe the scene? I know you need to describe the scene as best you can so the penciler knows what to draw, but what is the recommended amount to write without going overboard?

Matt: There’s no overboard. Alan Moore writes three page descriptions for a single panel. I’ve taught a class a couple of times and I start off by reading the script for chapter 1 page 1 of “From Hell”, which is a shot of two guys on the beach and it’s literally three pages of text. And then I read page 1 panel 1 from a Garth Ennis “Punisher” story that’s also two guys on a beach, and it’s one sentence long. There’s no right answer to that.

Q: Miles DX from the SEGA blog continues: What is Marvel’s standards when it comes to storyboards? What I mean is what are the required dimensions for the storyboard, and are they mostly done on computers? If they are done on computers do you use tablets?

Matt: That stuff I don’t know. Find C.B. Cebulski on the internet – he’s Marvel’s art submissions guy. That’s not my department. I do know that the Marvel guys go down to SCAD once or twice a year to headhunt to look for kids and teach seminars and stuff. You should find those guys when they come down. But the art stuff is outside of my wheelhouse, ultimately.

Q: Tony from Twitter: How long are you planning on being on Invincible Ironman?

Matt: Until they pry it away from me. I have an end in mind, and I’m just shy of the halfway point to that. Conditions change, and if I can keep going after that, great. But maybe something comes up and I have to leave or want to leave, who knows. For now, they will have to pry it from my cold, dead hands. I’m having the time of my life doing it.

Q: Ins0mnia from Twitter: Do you have anyone to look up to?

Matt: Absolutely. Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez, Grant Morrison, Ellis, Brubaker, Jason Aaron, Jonathan Hickman, and more. I’m very fortunate that I get to be friends with people that I’m a fan of. Comics have never been better than they are right now. I read a ton of them for inspiration, and just because I’m a fan.

Q: What inspires you?

Matt: Everything. Absolutely everything, every day of my life. Stuff comes from everywhere.

Q: helloimandrew from Twitter: Can you  name any other boss in the game, and will there be armors to unlock?

Matt: I can name different bosses in the game, but I won’t. Yes, there will be different armors to unlock. Some of the easter eggs will be performance-based. So the better you play, the cooler Tony’s closet gets.

Q: What tips can you give for aspiring comic writers?

Matt: Write every day. Find artists to work with and produce stuff. Learn by doing. I had to write a whole bunch of bad pages before I felt secure enough to show professionals what I was doing. And even still, I write bad pages all the time. I think you have to allow yourself to fail, allow yourself to suck. When you do that, you give yourself the freedom to get better. I wish I had learned this way sooner than I did, but if it’s what you want to do, it’s not a hobby or a game, it’s not something you do when you’re bored. It’s a craft. You need to work on it every single day, and suck every single day until you start getting better. It took me a long time to learn that being a writer is more than just thinking “gosh, I’d like to be a writer”.  You have to treat it like a job. If you treat it like a job, you’ll be treated like a professional.

We’re excited to announce that Lamb of God, a two-time Grammy-nominated heavy metal band, is creating an exclusive song for the Iron Man 2 game! If you’re not familiar with the band, there’s some info below. I’ve also included the press release at the bottom of this post.

Lamb of God is a self-described “pure American metal” quintet from Richmond, VA. They have been together for over 15 years and grew from a relatively unknown group to leaders at the top of the heavy metal ladder. Having recently completed a tour opening for Metallica, Lamb of God continue to bring the music their fans are begging for. Enjoying sold-out concerts around the world, Lamb of God have had released several albums including Sacrament which landed in the top 10 of the Billboard charts, became the top selling metal album of 2006, and earned them their first Grammy nomination. The band is made up of guitarist Willie Adler, Willie’s drummer brother Chris Adler, bassist John Campbell, guitarist Mark Morton and vocalist Randy Blythe. Their most recent album Wrath was released in March 2009 and made it to No. 2 on the Billboard charts and earned them another grammy nomination.They are about to embark on an international tour taking them around the world with stops all over the Europe and the US.

Ask Lamb of God

If you’ve got questions for Lamb of God, leave them in the comments here. I’m hoping to have some Q&A time with them soon, and I want your voices to reach them directly! Ask them about their history, albums, songs, or the brand new song they’ve created for the Iron Man 2 game. Whatever you want… the floor is  yours!

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“IRON MAN 2: THE VIDEO GAME” BREAKS OUT THE HEAVY ARTILLERY WITH LAMB OF GOD

Exclusive New Song Created For Game

SAN FRANCISCO & LONDON (February 9th, 2010) –SEGA® of America, Inc.  and SEGA® Europe Ltd. are excited to announce that two-time Grammy-nominated heavy metal superstars Lamb of God are creating an exclusive song for the upcoming blockbuster title – Iron Man 2: The Video Game. The all-new song serves as the perfect complement to the non-stop super-powered action of the game on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, and Wii™ video game system. Iron Man 2: The Video Game will be in- stores across North America on May 4th, 2010.

A third-person action-adventure shooter, Iron Man 2: The Video Game teams the
finesse of Iron Man with the brute strength of War Machine, who makes his grandest
appearance as a playable character in any video game to date. The game is based on the cinematic universe featured in Marvel Studios’ Iron Man 2, in theaters beginning May 7, 2010 and features an original story written with the help of Eisner-award-winning Iron Man comic author Matt Fraction, that introduces players to popular Marvel Super Villains exclusive to the game, such as Crimson Dynamo.

“The music of Lamb of God definitely evokes the intensity of Iron Man action and we are very excited to have them working with us for the game,” said Sean Ratcliffe, Vice President of Marketing, SEGA of America. “This new track will add even more atmosphere to the cinematic gaming experience that Iron Man 2 brings to the table.”

Lamb of God has been together for over 15 years and grew from a relatively unknown group to leaders at the top of the heavy metal ladder. Having recently completed a tour opening for Metallica, Lamb of God continue to bring the music their fans are begging for. Enjoying sold-out concerts around the world, Lamb of God have had released several albums including Sacrament which landed in the top 10 of the Billboard charts, became the top selling metal album of 2006, and earned them their first Grammy nomination. The band is made up of guitarist Willie Adler, Willie’s drummer brother Chris Adler, bassist John Campbell, guitarist Mark Morton and vocalist Randy Blythe. Their most recent album Wrath was released in March 2009 and made it to No. 2 on the Billboard charts and earned them another grammy nomination.They are about to embark on an international tour taking them around the world with stops all over the Europe and the US.

“’We knew we had something special and intense when we wrote this track and working with SEGA has been nothing short of incredible.” Says Chris Adler, Drummer for Lamb of God “A few of us are real game and comic fans so the partnership with SEGA has been really exciting and we can’t wait to play the game and hear our music as Iron Man kicks a**.”

Iron Man 2: The Video Game will be available on Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, Wii™  video game system and Nintendo DS™ system. For more information, please visit the official site at www.ironman2game.com or to download screenshots, videos and art, please visit the SEGA FTP site at http://segapr.segaamerica.com.

About SEGA® of America, Inc.
SEGA® of America, Inc. is the American arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA® Corporation, a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home.  The company develops, publishes and distributes interactive entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.  SEGA of America’s Web site is located at www.sega.com/usa

About SEGA® Europe Ltd.
SEGA® Europe Limited is the European Distribution arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA® Corporation, and a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home. The company distributes interactive entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. SEGA Europe’s web site is located at www.sega-europe.com.

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