Hot publisher picks up the rights for the Marvel character...

Only a few months ago, Activision held the rights for Marvel's Iron Man, and it looked like things would be heading that way 'til 2009.

For whatever reason, the deal between Activision and Marvel broke down.

Now, the saga has taken a new twist, as Sega have now snagged the rights for Iron Man, including the comic books and the movie, which is set to hit the big screen in 2008.

The first fruit of the multi-year deal is likely to be a game based specifically on the movie, which will be targetted at the next generation console platforms - and the agreement between SEGA and Marvel also apparently paves the way for SEGA to produce at least one additional Marvel superhero property on next-gen consoles.

The Iron Man history is filled with compelling and intriguing characters and stories, and with the power of the next-gen systems, SEGA will be bringing these characters to life like never before," enthused SEGA of America president and COO Simon Jeffery.

So, there we have it. Sega are looking to expand as a third party, and this is an excellent way for them to do so. Let's see what they can do with this franchise.