In yet another sign that Marvel's stable of superheroes is only growing in popularity, Marvel's Avengers was the top-selling game of September, outpacing every superhero game outside of Marvel's Spider-Man. There was almost no doubt that Marvel's Avengers was going to be a top seller simply due to the characters on the front of the box. Iron Man and Captain America are household names thanks to Disney's ever-growing Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Square Enix's high budget superhero brawler is the fulfillment of an inevitable prophecy. Marvel and The Avengers are a perfect fit for video games, the only thing missing was a publisher willing to spend the millions of dollars required to make a AAA experience in that universe.

Of course, Marvel's Avengers isn't the first time that gamers have had a chance to experience the Marvel universe. There have been plenty of games starring this group of superheroes, including several bestselling franchises of the past. The first two Marvel Ultimate Alliance games were a prototype for today's Avengers, featuring the full breadth of the Marvel universe in a top-down Diablo-style ARPG. Marvel vs. Capcom (especially the second one) is a fighting tournament staple that maintains popularity even during droughts of new releases. Most importantly, Activision's string of Spider-Man and other Marvel branded action games laid the direct foundations for the type of action seen in Marvel's Avengers.

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As beloved as all those games are, nothing beats Marvel's Avengers and the current era of superhero worship. Video Game industry analyst Mat Piscatella reported NPD Group statistics via Twitter which revealed that last month's blockbuster was the top-selling game of September, outselling any other superhero-related releases outside of Marvel's Spider-Man. This means that nothing from WB's Batman: Arkham series or any legacy hero titles have come close to generating the fervor that Marvel's heroes have in the past few years.

It's certainly an impressive feat, especially considering how popular WB's Arkham series has been over the years. The market for video games has been on an upward trend, and this year, in particular, has seen huge growth due to extenuating circumstances. Still, there's no denying that Marvel's heroes have the cultural cache at the moment. It's also worth thinking about how many copies Marvel's Spider-Man sold in its launch month despite it being a console exclusive. It's no wonder Sony secured a new game for the launch of PlayStation 5.

Square Enix definitely has a hit on its hands with Marvel's Avengers, but the question now is whether they can maintain it. There have been reports of issues with player numbers less than a month after launch, as well as delays in communication regarding future DLC updates. Critics have even compared the game to live service failure Anthem, which was on a similar path after it launched in early 2019. The difference between the two is the strength of Marvel's comic license. If The Avengers can outsell the Batman, Square Enix has more time to set the course right and get on track for long-term success.

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Marvel's Avengers is available now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Google Stadia, and PC. Releases on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S are coming in 2021.

Source: Mat Piscatella