What's Going On With Lego Marvel's Mess Of A Release?

If you're in the futuristic megacities of Americaland, you'll likely know that you can buy and play Lego Marvel Super Heroes on Steam right now. You've been able to for a week or so. If you're in, say, Britain, you may not know that you too can't. Except, until recently, you could buy it! Just not play it. It's been fixed now, but for a while there, Steam had it as a "coming soon" with a release date in the past, and a store page that let you buy it with no warnings. Just, when you went to install it, it got stuck. So what happened there? And why isn't it out in the UK for another two weeks?

This is all rather a big shame, really, since the game is absolutely splendid. Our review will be up tomorrow.

We've contacted both Warner and Valve to find out what happened, and indeed what is still happening. Because it's rather serious that the game was presented as available, and willing to take your money, but then not playable. The situation's resolved, but I count me amongst the number of those who are affected. (COUGH-VPNLETSYOUPLAY-COUGH.) Neither has got back to us at the time of publication.

As for the massive delay, I expect we'll eventually be told (if we're told) that it's something to do with localisation, etc. But of course, a) why wasn't that finished for release? and b) it seems to be fine for the UK, and there's a UK Steam store.

It remains deeply mysterious why the release of TT Games' Lego series is seemingly always such a mess. We've never managed to get review code out of anyone, and with some games, have been entirely unable to find out even who is doing the PR for it. That's not good PR! In the case of such a massive title as Lego Marvel, the lack of promotion is deeply mysterious. Try to find out about it on TT Games' own site:

The only mention I can find is from the 10th January. Warner's game page is a dreadful mess, and doesn't acknowledge the game exists. Lego's own site mentions it, but it's not easy to find from their homepage. Which also reveals a demo, by the way. "It might be a good idea to get your parents to help with this." My mum flat-out refused.

Perhaps they just don't care, knowing that the money will pour in through console retail, and they'll surround their palaces with another moat of liquid gold. But when such love is clearly being poured into the game, it's such a shame to see such dismissive disdain shown for it at release.