When you think spider's webs, you think delicate filaments shimmering in dusty air. Spider-Man's webs, though, are more like woven iron fortresses — just like the one we slammed up against trying to squeeze Activision for more details on the just-announced Spider Man: Web of Shadows.

Little new information was revealed beyond what's already been published, but executive producer Graham Fuchs did elaborate a bit on what we've heard about the role of choice in the game, whereby the player's actions determine whether certain comic superheroes become friends or foes. Which heroes and villains? Will Venom be in it? No comment, but since Fuchs promised "fan favorites that have never been seen in a video game before," comic book aficionados may be able to make some educated guesses based on process of elimination.

Expect open-world, sandbox-style gameplay; at the same time, there will also be a story to progress through, with choices, opportunities and consequences dependent on the means by which the player solves his objectives. One key factor Fuchs emphasized regarding Web of Shadows is that while the publisher's more recent Spider Man games were based on the films, this title plans to cleave closely to the vision as set in the comic books, with more elements drawn directly from the source material.

With the game headed for a launch on every platform — PS2, Wii, DS, PS3, Xbox 360 and PC — you might have visions of motion-controlled web-slinging on the platforms that support it. Fuchs would not confirm or deny, but stated the player will have "more control over Spider Man than ever before."

He added that the gameplay mechanics will emphasize the verticality of the New York City setting, and like the combat system, the city has been rebuilt from the ground up, rather than using any of the structure of previous Spider Man titles.

An official website is now up, where those who sign up can cast their votes on the way Web of Shadows media is revealed, like voting on where the next trailer will take place. The Activision booth at Comic Con also had a sound booth where fans lined up to record their best screams, and the community will also pick a winning screamer to have his or her voice featured in the game.

2:00 PM on Mon Apr 21 2008
By Leigh Alexander
9,318 views
56 comments

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BlinkinPark182 at 02:14 PM on 04/21/08
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Please, PLEASE let this game be better than the last few outings.
karasu is my homeboy at 02:14 PM on 04/21/08
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Yeah yeah. It's easy to hype a game and make it sound great. How can he offer more spidey control than ever before when Spiderman on Wii *which was awful* already did the most you can do.

I'm guessing generic villains and another mess a la Friend or Foe, which had plenty of interviews where the developers discussed how great the game was before it's release.

Spiderman games are quickly becoming like Sonic.
Evdor at 02:19 PM on 04/21/08
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Web-slinging around cities was cool and amazing like 3 games ago.

It really needs a little more to be worthwhile at this point. Having a fighting system that isn't CRAP might help.
Candlejack at 02:20 PM on 04/21/08
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Will it also contain awesomeness? :P
SAKY at 02:21 PM on 04/21/08
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Never before seen villians huh? I would think that the big appeal of games based on comics was the familiar characters.

How about Spiderman with never before seen Spiderman.....Bob Barker!

If you are a gaming company and plan on introducing a new villian to the Spiderman universe then I suggest that Activision hire some GREAT writers and have their best game designers on this.
Fallible at 02:23 PM on 04/21/08
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Deadpool game, please.

I'll settle for a cameo in this one, though.
spiderweb1986 at 02:24 PM on 04/21/08
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Spider-Man villains that have never been seen in a game before?

That doesn't leave a ton of room - even if we're just taking recent games into account, most of the main villains have appeared in them. Hell, even if we just take the three movie-based games into account, that still covers most of the villains since each of the games added three or four extra villains to help flesh out the plot and extend playtime.

So...anyone have any idea of who could possibly be left?
DugDawg at 02:24 PM on 04/21/08
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I vote Howard Dean for best screamer. Imagine running to help civilians only to hear them shout: YAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaarrrrgh!
ban_hammer at 02:24 PM on 04/21/08
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The trailer made the backgrounds look bland, even this art work looks a little bland. Needs more texturing
Jacktherip at 02:25 PM on 04/21/08
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See I can live with the last move inspired games being crap but if this is more closely related to the comics it better be real good. Hmm fan favourites that haven't been in a game before...the Kangaroo?
FeatherNET at 02:26 PM on 04/21/08
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"Expect open-world, sandbox-style gameplay"

My feelings are going to be hurt again.
Sundermania at 02:33 PM on 04/21/08
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Fan favorites who haven't been seen in prior video games... hrmmm.....

HYPNO-HUSTLER! YES!
LaserJudas at 02:33 PM on 04/21/08
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Never-before seen villains in a game, eh?

The Walrus?

Paste Pot Pete?

Stiltman?

Man, this is going to be an AWESOME game.
ph15h needs a nu job at 02:34 PM on 04/21/08
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friend or foe wasn't too great...

I liked the old school Beat em ups. I still got Maximum Carnage and Seperation Anxiety. The Neversoft Spiderman is still one of my favorites (stop making fun of me.) The first two movie games were decent/goooood. Ultimate was decent. Then there was three oh noes.
Spoony Bard at 02:35 PM on 04/21/08
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@Sundermania: AHHH...you took my vote! Dammit!

[progressiveboink.com]
Spoony Bard at 02:35 PM on 04/21/08
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For those that don't remember/know:

The Hypno-Hustler is a jive-walking black soul Disco singer who uses his goggles and evil boots of death to hypnotize music lovers, alongside his backup band, "The Mercy Killers."
Moonshadow101 at 02:41 PM on 04/21/08
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Going by that screenshot, the villain is the same guy that's throwing black shit up all over the walls in condemned 2.
Nawara_Ven at 02:44 PM on 04/21/08
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Whew, I was under the impression from the headline that the villains would be ENTIRELY new, which would be bad, considering that there are 45 years worth of badniks to chose from.

Killer Shrike! And The Headmen! And who could forget Dr. Noah Boddy!
Zenian at 02:45 PM on 04/21/08
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Needs....more....Shocker....

Yes hes been in past video games, but hideously under played SNES games....
Crippl3 at 02:47 PM on 04/21/08
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Better have Slyde.
SLYDE PUNCH!
DARTH_TIGRIS at 02:49 PM on 04/21/08
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TypeFace CONFIRMED!!!
Rombo at 02:50 PM on 04/21/08
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Afraid to say it Leigh, but I think you may be wrong. There are loads of villains that haven't been in any of the games, especially very recent ones. As for 'fan favourites'... that could mean anything really. Activision really isn't giving much away here :\
SAKY at 02:51 PM on 04/21/08
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guess I should read, "fan favorites that have never been seen in a video game before,"

forehead, meet hand *smacks*
Machete_Bear at 02:59 PM on 04/21/08
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So his last name is "Fuchs?"
William "Killer" Shatner at 03:01 PM on 04/21/08
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Arcade? I hated that fucking villian...
ph15h needs a nu job at 03:03 PM on 04/21/08
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@Spoony Bard: The Hypno Hustler was akward...

Hydro man... rofl. I remember him. Mary Jane had his powers in the cartoon...
ArmyofJuan at 03:04 PM on 04/21/08
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Well lets see, we have morlun, morbius, will-o-wisp, chameleon, hydro-man, hobgoblin (who is completely different from green goblin fyi), mister nagative...yea im running out of villains that they havnt put in a game yet. Theres a lot more but a lot of them are dumb like stilt-man.
tk. at 03:11 PM on 04/21/08
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@killershatner:casual gamer or casual killer: Arcade was in a Spider-Man/X-Men game for the SNES (which was frustratingly hard).

Hobgoblin would be an interesting choice, no matter how much they've screwed up the character. I don't recall ever seeing Kraven or Chameleon in a game, but Kraven's pretty dead and Chameleon doesn't seem terribly exciting.
Milihpen at 03:11 PM on 04/21/08
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WTB Madame Web.

Also, Wiimote controls...hmmm..
Could you possibly be able to target on the screen where you want to shot web?
daschupa at 03:15 PM on 04/21/08
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Well at least Jim Lee isn't making some lame villain like he did in Batman: Rise of Shitsu (or whatever it was called). Still, if this is true and we get such classics as "the Jackal", maybe it's time to look up Rob Liefeld's number to take a crap in this version.
Silent Predator at 03:16 PM on 04/21/08
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@Spoony Bard: And here I was thinking Spidey had a pretty strong rogue's gallery. To be fair, some of those characters have the potential to be good with some good writing.

I mean, c'mon, a Nazi covered in bees! How awesome a concept is that?
Aethyr at 03:18 PM on 04/21/08
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The only villains left are the super-obscure and lame ones. There's a reason they haven't been included in the games until now.

I'm cautiously optimistic about this game. (emphasis on cautiously)
Kandoh at 03:24 PM on 04/21/08
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I desperately hope swinging around the city is as fun as it was in Spidey-2.
Spoony Bard at 03:24 PM on 04/21/08
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@SilentPredator: All you have to know.

[www.dragonhero.com]
noamjamski at 03:29 PM on 04/21/08
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@Moonshadow101: That will be featured in the next game, "Spiderman versus the Meat Sacs."
SuperFox at 03:30 PM on 04/21/08
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@ArmyofJuan: Morbius was in the Wii/PS2 version of Spider-Man 3, while Chameleon was in the Xbox 360/PS3.
iameleveneight at 03:34 PM on 04/21/08
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CARDIAC!
LeChuck at 03:43 PM on 04/21/08
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Um... has Venom ever been in a game before? How about Doctor Octopus? Rhino? This is hard.
DaiMacculate at 03:45 PM on 04/21/08
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I wish I could get excited about Spiderman...ever since Marvel basically took the character back from JMS and proceeded to shit all over him (see Civil War, New Avengers) and take away all the good stuff JMS built up on title, I just can't bring myself to care.

I think they had the right idea with Friend or Foe (which I didn't play), target the kids market. Thats where the "hardcore" spiderman fan mostly resides, these days :(
spiderweb1986 at 03:48 PM on 04/21/08
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@tk.: Kraven was in the Xbox version of the tie-in game for the first movie, and was apparently in the Spider-Man 3 tie-in as well.
Balius at 03:55 PM on 04/21/08
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Clings to the vision set in the comics? Awesome. "New Game +" better involve a pact with Mephisto.
Sam_Lowry at 04:01 PM on 04/21/08
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"fan favorites that have never been seen in a video game before"

Like what, Ant Man?
Seriously, can you think of any superheros that you'd want to see in the game that haven't yet been in any type of video game?
Winterbringer at 04:06 PM on 04/21/08
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"With the game headed for a launch on every platform - PS2, Wii, DS, PS3, Xbox 360 and PC"

That pretty much means it will be crap.
Balius at 04:39 PM on 04/21/08
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...I'm having a hard time coming up with anything Marvel that has never been in any video-game and that people consider favorites. If I think hard enough, and double-check the list I come up with, I can certainly come up with some enemies and heroes who haven't made it into video-games yet...but it wouldn't be a list with anyone remotely popular on it.

Pretty sure Beta Ray Bill's never been in a game, for instance.
Spiral at 05:01 PM on 04/21/08
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I'm taking this as "villains that have never been seen in a TREYARCH video game before", so Spiderman, Spiderman 2, Ultimate Spiderman, Spiderman 3.

So stuff that has been in the NES like Carnage is fair game.

@Winterbringer: It will probably be like Spiderman 3: one developer for the nextgen 360/PS3 consoles, and then a different developer and game for the stripped down lastgen consoles and wii.
Balius at 05:26 PM on 04/21/08
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@Spiral: "Carnage" was in Ultimate Spider-man.
StartRunning at 06:32 PM on 04/21/08
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Maybe The Spot!

Hey, the trailer looked epic enough, but I'm still incredibly apprehensive about this game....
DaiMacculate at 06:45 PM on 04/21/08
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@Balius: Actually, you could skin Thor as Beta Ray Bill in Marvel: Ultimate Alliance apparently?

"Beta Ray Bill appears as an alternate costume for Thor in the game Marvel: Ultimate Alliance."

[en.wikipedia.org]

This disturbs me greatly...even though I like Beta Ray Bill I thought you were probably right, but double checked google and damn!

Basically, I was just as surprised as you ;)
kidnicky at 07:06 PM on 04/21/08
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How are you guys forgetting THE BIG WHEEL?!
pokebud at 07:19 PM on 04/21/08
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doppleganger spiderman, man spider, the jackal
peAr_nectAr at 08:38 PM on 04/21/08
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@Spiral: Did you ever play The Sinister Six on the NES? I wish they would just remake that game: Doc Ock, Hobgoblin, Vulture, Mysterio, Electro, and Sandman all in one game. Yes, please?
Balius at 09:58 PM on 04/21/08
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@DaiMacculate: Shoot. I was sure nobody would have found a reason to put him into a game. It might be harder than I thought.

@pokebud: Doppleganger was in "Spider-man and Venom: Maximum Carnage" for the SNES and Genesis. I don't recall any Man-Spider at all.
Fireblast at 10:55 PM on 04/21/08
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@jonathan: Activision games are becoming like Sonic.
Shinryoma at 11:42 PM on 04/21/08
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That art up there is by Gabriele Dell'Otto right? I love his style.

Also, I can't come with a favourite that didn't appear in a game yet.
vln at 02:43 AM on 04/22/08
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In all the spidey movies/games they didnt even use 10% of the marvel villains.. there are tons of villains left to use.. i dont know if they only use villains from the spidey story line or villains from marvel like they should.
but if its the marvel line they have lots to choose from.

i'd personaly love a Mr Terrific cameo/character.. never seen him before.. right?
cheeses at 03:07 AM on 04/22/08
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@BlinkinPark182: When a sentence like "with the game headed for a launch on every platform" gets used, you can just bet this'll be another Spider-man gem.
Rushed, rubbish, ported bullshit for everyone! Go, Spidie!