While it's well known Disney Playdom is currently working games based on Disney's core brands, Marvel: Avengers Alliance has been in development for more than a year. According to USA Today, Playdom and Marvel were already at work on the game before Disney's 2010 acquisition of Playdom for $563 million put both companies under the same umbrella. Disney acquired Marvel in 2009 for more than $4.24 billion dollars.

Disney Interactive's director of communications, Brian Nelson tells us the game isn't the branded game Disney Playdom's San Francisco-based Dream Castle began staffing for in November either, as Marvel: Avengers Alliance was developed by another Disney Playdom studio, Seattle-based Offbeat Creations.

The game will be a combat RPG set in the wake of "the Pulse", a galaxy-wide disaster that has made New York the target of almost everyone in the entire pantheon of Marvel villains. Players will take on the role of a junior S.H.I.E.L.D agent, tasked with gathering the world's superheroes together into teams to protect the city.

Disney is hoping the game will balance between a casual audience and serious Marvel fans, so despite its source material, the game will not be a hardcore-player focused title. Nelson did not reveal if there would be any connection between the game and the upcoming Avengers movie.

Disney has not announced a release date for Marvel: Avengers Alliance yet, but the game will launch sometime in the first quarter. According to Nelson, there are several more Disney-branded social games on the way in 2012 and Disney Playdom's Dream Castle is still working on what Nelson refers to as a more traditional Disney IP.