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The Square Enix Shop has revealed several more details for The Joker (based on his appearance from Batman: Arkham Asylum) Play Arts Kai action figure.
"Games based on movies rarely do well with either fans or critics. The movie license seems to make game development extremely difficult for many reasons and recent games based on popular movie characters that weren’t tied to a movie (the Batman: Arkham franchise for example) have set a new precedent for games based on popular characters from other media. Why do games turn out better when they aren’t tied to a movie and what can the industry learn from past successes?"
"While playing through the roughly 15 hour roller coaster ride of a game, these elements craft an experience that Spiderman, Hulk, Harry Potter and James Bond haven’t yet given me in a licensed video game. Instead of swinging from building to building in between thoughtless missions as Spiderman, I more-less fed Scarrecrow to Killer Croc just before scowering the Croc’s lair for an antidote as Batman. Rather than wave my wand at a textureless, funny lookin’ Voldemort in a scene I’ve read about..."
After a spat of DRM drama for a legitimate owner of Batman Arkham Asylum (namely, me), I felt a rant about the pitfalls of DRM done wrong was necessary. There are companies that do it well, and companies that don't. I explore examples of both in this rant.
Brock from GoozerNation offers some suggestions for getting ready to fight crime as the World's Greatest Detective when the game is released on October 18th.
Batman Arkham City is looking to be a must have this fall. Retailers everywhere are offering some great pre-order bonuses. It seems Walmart and Gamestop are giving the gamers the most bang for their buck including free games and digital media. Goozernation has all the details about the pre-orders for Batman Arkham City.
With Arkham City coming out in a couple of weeks, Mike Deneen from GoozerNation decides to dust off the batarang and get around to finishing Arkham Asylum. Read on to see what he thought of the game, and his hopes for the sequel.
"Probably the best thing about number 4 on our list is that she's not a good girl. She's naughty. She's a little bit crazy, but then again, aren't they all? She dresses in a leotard, a schoolgirl outfit, or some combination of black and red goth attire. She paints her face a little more obviously than most women -- all of this while still maintaining some kind of innocence that makes her seem sweet even while threatening you with an oversized mallet. How does she do it? I don't know, but..."
TheMoviePool takes a look at the volatile history between movies and their video game counterparts in order to bring you the handful of games that actually managed to pull it off.
Brock from GoozerNation postulates some fun game combinations, and what great gaming elements from certain games he'd like to see added to other games.
I never thought I’d find myself playing a Batman game, and a good one at that. The simple idea of me playing a comic book game didn’t agree with me for some reason, even though I’m a huge nerd and love Batman.
Can't make it to the San Diego Comic-Con this year? Joystick Division looks at five games you can nerd out with at home when you're not checking the internet for all the latest Con news.
Game locations are everything, they add depth, color, and tension to games, so I decided to go over a few of my favorite landscapes from the past years. Two rules apply, 1. Only one selection per series, and 2. they're from current gen systems. What are yours?
Arkham Asylum reinvigorated the Batman video game franchise in 2009, and this fall's sequel is greatly anticipated. Will the recently announced FPS Gotham City Impostors water down both the Batman license?
These are the games (or types of game) that are a near constant part of Brock Poulsen's (from GoozerNation) gaming collection. He keeps them around because each offers something unique to scratch any specific gaming itch.
In anticipation of this week's release of the long-awaited LA Noire, Joystick Division celebrates ten of the toughest and most hard boiled detectives in video games.
Buying video games can get pretty expensive. Bright Hub presents a few tips for saving cash while satisfying your hobby. Gaming is pricey, after all, but there are plenty of ways to save.
"DC Comics has just announced that this May they will be releasing a new comic series set in the universe established in the worldwide best seller Batman: Arkham Asylum. The comic book, which is written by Paul Dini (the same man who wrote Arkham Asylum) is set one year after the events we played in Batman: Arkham Asylum and serves as a set-up to what occurs in Batman: Arkham City."
"Greetings true believers and welcome to the first entry in a series all about licensed games! If the last sentence didn’t give it away, this week I’ll be looking into the world of comic book video games. There’s a lot to cover with this category, so I’m going to lay down a few ground rules for what I consider a comic book game. First, I’m looking for a game based off of a comic franchise, but not a game that’s based off of a work that is based off of a comic. That means that games like Spider..."
"It’s been a wonderful and sometimes bumpy ride for Microsoft with their Xbox 360 console. Improving in areas that they were weak with the original Xbox, Microsoft has pushed forward and continued to work closely to secure third-party publishing deals to keep their fans happy. It’s no surprise that our Top 10 Xbox 360 Games Since Launch is dominated by third-party software."
We all know Batman is awesome, but there are plenty of other comic book characters whose games would rock just as hard as the Dark Knight's last game. Here are five comic book heroes who should get their own games - and five comic book bad guys.
"More and more companies are opting to release a special or limited edition of their games. Featuring special download or physical goodies like action figures, art books and other doodads, these editions have fans reserving like crazy to pick them up on day one. Case in point: both the Legendary and Prestige editions of Call of Duty: Black Ops are sold out—and they aren’t even out yet! There are plenty of new ones out now (Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, Medal of Honor and Dead Rising 2 among th..."
"Warner Bros and Rocksteady Games finally revealed the name for the sequel to their surprise hit, Batman: Arkham Asylum. Batman: Arkham City is scheduled to hit the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 sometime this Fall."
"3D technology may have been around for generations but the sector has experienced rapid growth over the last year or so. Since James Cameron's Avatar gave cinemagoers a taste of its potential, professionals throughout the entertainment industry have been dreaming up new ways of utilising the hardware. With the launch of 3D televisions and broadcasting services, advocates of the technology are making a bid to ensnare a wider audience. And given that a large percentage of current generation vi..."
"Comic Con 2010 has come and gone like so many before it and we got a lot of exciting news from this past celebration of everything nerdy. In addition to announcements like Street Fighter X Tekken and the mirrored bizarro Tekken X Street Fighter, the show had a lot for everyone. It also proved that gaming has infiltrated every known aspect of the nerd-world. But now that all the announcements are behind us and all the SD cards and Duo Sticks have been emptied onto our hard drives, it’s time to..."
"Two hot racing demos are now available with today's update of the PSN Store. Split/Second for the PS3 takes you for a spin around a track that's rigged to explode to take out your competitors while ModNation Racers for the PSP is a highly customizable kart racer."
It's been kind of weird to see a lack of releases on the Wii and DS the last couple of weeks. Really not much there. Of course, it has also been odd to see the number of new releases on the PS3 and 360 during a time of year that typically doesn't get much in the way of games period. Spring is the new Christmas!
"Mother's day is just around the corner and without a doubt is a day to pay homage to the person who served as a mobile spawn point while we waited in our own personal matchmaking lobby for a full nine months. Sure, flowers and candy would do or a trip to the spa might be the best gift possible for mommy dearest. Maybe even a dinner and movie to remind her of her motherly instincts and how much you certainly love her in one fell swoop. Any of these things would be awesome and in your thankfuln..."
"With the great comic-book adapted films such as Kick-Ass and Iron Man 2 recently hitting our theaters, we thought it only be right to pay homage to the best comic-book adapted video games. So strap on your utility belt, tighten your cape, stretch your spandex, and get ready for the Top 5 Comic-Book Adapted Video Games."
"Lately we have seen a renaissance of gaming tie-ins. Tie-ins can include movies, comic books, novels, and even television series. Big publishers like wringing every cent they can from a popular IP, and thankfully this will often bring fans some extra material about the universes that we've fallen in love with. They aren't always done well, but I would argue that there is an increasing movement towards hiring quality writers and artists for these projects, and it has made for some fantastic ti..."
"CVG has learnt that Rocksteady is recruiting for staff to build brand new DLC for the title - which was released by Square Enix-owned Eidos last year.
(At least, that's how it seems. If the following refers to the Warner Bros-published sequel, then Rocksteady are being very keen beans.)
A message received by CVG today from the studio's UK recruitment agent today read:
'Want to work on DLC for Batman: Arkham Asylum in London? Drop [us] a line.'"
With Splinter Cell: Conviction right around the corner, a look back at previous stealth titles is a must. "stealth" kills however are a dime a dozen, so we here at the Kartel decided to compile a couple of the best stealth kill montages for your sneaky pleasure.
"MI6, the association dedicated to supporting marketing, promotion and advertising professionals in the videogame and interactive entertainment community, hosted a festive awards show to honour the best marketing work in the video game industry, wrapping up the action-packed fifth annual MI6 Conference. Comedian Ryan Stout hosted the evening and kept the crowd laughing. Assassin’s Creed II took home the most gold with seven MI6 Awards, including the highly competitive “Outstanding Overall Inte..."
All Age Gaming's John Elliott takes a look at another developer in AAG's second Developer Profile. This time he profiles the developer who made one of the best games in 2009, Rocksteady Studios.
"When we caught up with Hill at last Friday's award ceremony, we asked him whether there were any other comic heroes or licenses that he'd like to adapt:
"I think one of the things about working on Batman is that you really get to see how good all the villains are," he said.
"I really think there's scope to take some of those villains, even some of the not-so-famous ones like Bane, who has a phenomenal backstory, and really work on turning that into something original and fresh.
"That..."
"Last night, the GAME British Academy Video Games Awards ceremony took place in London, with a number of shocking results. While few would argue that Batman: Arkham Asylum found itself up against some tough competition for the coveted Game of the Year award, the fact that Rocksteady Studios walked away with the award will certainly be a boon to UK videogame development. However, another winner is now going to be a benefit to the UK’s gaming public, as the UK’s largest high street videogames re..."
"One of the surprise hits from 2009 was Batman: Arkham Asylum for the PC, Playstation 3, and Xbox 360. The game did what no other superhero game could do before it. It avoided being of terrible quality, surpassed mere competence, and zip-lined its way to excellence. Eidos and Rocksteady Games aren't going to let a good thing go to waste however because the Game of the Year Edition for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 was just confirmed for North America and comes out this May."
With the BAFTA Awards coming up late this week (March 19), AAG's Ian Crane looks at the nominees and does some predictions of his own as to which game will win what category at the famous awards later this week.
At this year's GDC, Rocksteady art director David Hego discussed the risk the company took when rebooting the Batman game franchise, the pressure they faced when adapting well-known characters to a game environment, and why they chose to go with a fairly realistic style for the game...
For a limited time Microsoft Store is having "Buy 1, Get 1 Free" promotion for select Xbox 360 games. While some games are already unavailable popular titles such as Left 4 Dead 2, Forza Motorsport 3 and Batman Arkham Asylum are still eligible for the promotion.
While a Batman: Arkham Asylum movie is pretty unlikely (at least while Christopher Nolan is making Bat movies), that doesn't mean gamers can't speculate as to which actors would be great in a live-action B: AA film.
ComicBookMovie.com have put together a list of the actors they would like to see star in a Batman: Arkham Asylum movie.
The PS3 has been out for a few years now and has gotten a lot of flack for lacking strong titles. Here are a current top five games for the system and unsurprisingly, they're almost all exclusives.
"Warner just announced it’s acquired a majority shareholding in Batman: Arkham Asylum developer Rocksteady.
Rocksteady, currently working on an Arkham Asylum sequel for Warner, is understandably happy about the whole affair.
“We are proud to strengthen our association with WBIE, a world class publisher that we have enjoyed working with since we began developing Batman: Arkham Asylum,” said Jamie Walker, Rocksteady studio director.
Sefton Hill, games director, added: “The Rocksteady te..."
"We all have massive amounts of games we haven't played yet. You might have a brand new game sitting on your shelf right NOW that hasn't been touched. Might still be sealed too! Even worse, you might've paid FULL PRICE on launch day to play this game, and you still haven't done anything more than open it to check out the manual on the crapper.
I'm that guy too"
It is a topic that has been raised before. Why do so many games fall into the trap of having disappointing, inappropriate, or just downright silly end bosses?
Negativegamer.com takes a look at some recent examples, and what they could have done to create a more appropriate end bosses.
Go to the source for the full article.
"Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Batman: Arkham Asylum and Assassin’s Creed II are all nominated for Action, Artistic Achievement, Best Game, Gameplay, and Original Score.
In addition, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves got the nod for Story and, together with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, also received nominations in Multiplayer, Use of Audio and Use of Online.
Batman: Arkham Asylum was also nominated for Story and Use of Audio, and Assassin’s Creed II received i..."
Lisa Foiles was an actress on the Nickelodeon show All That during her teen years, but is now better known as a gamer and one of Kotaku's celebrity columnists.
In a recent interview with original-gamer.com, Foiles discussed how she became a writer for Kotaku, what it's like being a female gamer and a columnist on a game site, and the hate that she has recieved.
Go to the source for the full interview.
""Every year, there is a day that reminds us all of the people we cherish, love, in some cases tolerate and hopefully can call our Player 2. This week ends with Valentine's Day and for those of us who have someone to share the day with, it's a very special day to reaffirm the small commitments. For everyone else though, it's Sunday. In the meantime, there is always going to be at least one character in a game that the average gamer is going to garner a small crush on. Sure, they're digital, bu..."
As far as video games' collectors editions are concerned, Batman: Arkham Asylum always stood out for the quantity and quality of additional goodies added. Maybe that's why the price for collector's edition have been steady for a long time, while other collector's editions drop almost immediately after release. Recently, however, Amazon finally discounted both Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of Batman: Arkham Asylum Collector's Editions to $59.99. That's $40 off retail price and the best price ever ...
"The shortlist for the BAFTA GAME Award 2009 has been announced and you - the British public - will decide who nabs the prize.
Last year 60,000 gamers voted, with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare crowned the eventual winner. This time around the sequel could repeat the feat, but will face stiff competition from the likes of Batman: Arkham Asylum and FIFA 10."
"The story would also have been substantially stronger if the game were shorter. There are a lot of well-designed fights, but the majority of them are not thematically or narratively interesting in themselves. The game would accomplish the same set of story goals, for instance, if it had incorporated fewer of the supervillains at once, and this might also have spared us some boss battles with less-than-inspired play. I liked the transformations that Poison Ivy brought in the landscape, but def..."
Batman: Arkham Asylum was recently released in Japan and its sales haven't been great so far, but the reviewers at popular Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu seemed to enjoy it, giving the game a score of 34/40.
Read below for their opinions on the game.
Forgive the online translation :D
"The other night I was wasting time at our local GameStop looking over what new PC and Playstation 3 titles recently hit the shelves and I began talking to the sales associate about the state of the current console wars. He asked me to name my top 10 currently released Xbox 360 titles and see how many of them are exclusive to Microsoft’s system and how they compared to last-gen gaming; the following list is a result of that conversation. Remember that there are many other high-quality games av..."
Not everybody is a fan of web-comics, but I thought this one was worth posting. Virtual Shackles' recent webcomic No One Likes Superman humorously sums up why a Superman game simply wouldn't work.
Click on the image below for the full comic.
Despite recieving an impressive 34/40 Famitsu score and being heavily pushed by Square Enix, Batman: Arkham Asylum hasn't done too well in Japan, only managing to enter the sales chart at 23rd on Playstation 3 and 42nd on Xbox 360.
Go to the source for the full article.
"The industry has had it perfected for roughly five years now, or since the release of Spiderman 2. What I’m talking about is your controlled character’s ability to cross gigantic cityscapes quicker than you can say “parcheesi.” Quicker, I say, because you might stutter a couple of times.
I should have chosen a different word.
Surprisingly, it got even better from there. Ultimate Spiderman succeeded Spiderman 2, and last year we were lucky enough to get both InFamous and Prototype; the c..."
"Mark Hamill unleashes a fiendish cackle that simultaneously sounds like skin ripped from flesh and fingernails dragged across corrugated iron. If the bowels of hell have a soundtrack, this is it.
But the actor's descent into madness is only momentary and for anyone familiar with Batman: Arkham Asylum, it is all too familiar. In rehearsing his role as Joker, Hamill would laugh to himself in his car: a practice, he jokes, that wasn't so unusual in Los Angeles."
"A BBFC classification for a "Game of the Year" edition of Batman: Arkham Asylum has popped up online, causing quite a stir here at Joystiq HQ. While we all agree that Batman was "a game of the year," the listing offers no clues as to what would be included in a GOTY package. So, allow us to activate detective mode:"
While Batman: Arkham Asylum was universally praised as one of the best games of 2009, the game's Detective Mode feature recieved mixed reactions. Some fans liked it, while others thought it made the game too easy or spoiled the game's graphics.
IGN wasn't a fan of Detective Mode... and they wouldn't mind seeing it gotten rid of in the sequel.
This is a weekly gaming podcast...Ronnie and Andreas are the hosts and talk about their personal games of the year.
They are also doing an Xbox LIVE membership giveaway!
Gaming has its fair share of sexy people, but it also has its fair share of characters who... aren't quite as visually appealing.
Here are Gamescastlive.com's ugliest villains in gaming.
Go to the source for the full article.
The staff over at Spawn Kill have come up with some not so run-o-the-mill game of the year categories and have finally chosen their picks for the year that was 2009. Check it out and let us know if you agree or disagree!
"Square bossman Yoichi Wada has told Edge that western games don’t do well in Japan, and it has less to do with the consumer and more to do with retail outlets that are prejudiced towards “overseas titles”.
“Well, actually, I’ve found the person that is prejudiced is actually the retailer and not the actual players,” he said. “The retailers have a prejudice against overseas titles, and they won’t procure them. But something like Batman: Arkham Asylum, for example, is something that is very ..."
It looks like we might see some Western-developed Final Fantasy games in future. In a recent interview with Edge, Square Enix's president Yoichi Wada revealed that he is open to the idea of a Final Fantasy game being created in the West, provided it is overseen by their Japanese developers.
If this Western developed Final Fantasy does come into fruition, Wada said that he hoped it would fare similarly to Batman: Arkham Asylum, a Western game that "caters very much to the Japanese taste".
...
"If there is one thing that leaves gamers drooling over themselves in anticipation for an upcoming title, it’s a great trailer. This year treated gamers to more than the fair share of exceptional videos that showcased some exquisitely awesome games. I tried to keep it with titles that have either released in 2009 or will release early 2010, thus there will be no Halo Reach here. Although Reach has an awesome trailer and you can read my trailer dissertation here, I suggest you sit back and for ..."
All Age Gaming has gone through all the Playstation 3 games that have been released to the end of 2009 and have come up with the Top 10 Games on the Playstation 3 so far. Although there are many great games scheduled to release over the coming months, any of the titles on this list are worthy additions to your collection.
"As 2009 came to a close, we posted a weeklong look at our favorite games of 2009. However, those 40 titles (including the eight we ultimately chose to honor as "The Best of the Best") were far from the only good games released last year. And did our picks match up with the rest of the game industry? But most importantly, what we really wanted to know was which game was truly the best game of 2009."
Xboxliveaddicts’ reviewers look back on some of the best Xbox 360 and Xbox Live Arcade games of the decade with scores of 9 or above in this feature.
John Elliott from All Age Gaming has plowed through all the Xbox 360 games that have been released to date and has come up with the Top 10 Games on the Xbox 360. Although there are many great games scheduled to release over the coming months, any of the titles on this list are worthy additions to your collection.
"Everyday since Christmas Day, Electronic Theatre has been looking back at the greatest videogames 2009 had to offer; month by month. Whilst the last thing on your mind at the moment in the midst of the snowfall is likely to be the summer, today we bring you the very best that August 2009 had to offer and the ones to look out for in the January sales."
Want to find out which game truly won Game of the Year in 2009? We've compiled over 50+ lists of 2009 award winners from major media outlets in determining the very best the videogame industry had to offer this year. See if your favorite games made the cut in this ultimate compilation of '09 Awards!
Through January 2nd Best Buy and BestBuy.com discounted several top-selling games to $39.99 including New Super Mario Bros, Assassin's Creed II, Batman: Arkham Assylum, Left 4 Dead 2 and others.
"Afro Samurai
Ar Tonelico II: Melody of Metafalica
Assassin's Creed II
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Battlefield 1943
Bejeweled Blitz
Borderlands
Dead Space: Extraction"
"With there only being a few days left to ensure your internet shopping arrives in time for Christmas, Eidos Interactive and Play.com have team-up to bring you a number of deals of some of the best games form the publisher released in the last twelve months. Available to order now, Mini Ninjas, Championship Manager 2010 and the seminal Batman: Arkham Asylum are all available for a reduced price, along with a number of other titles."
"On this weeks episode Ronnie and Andreas are joined by special guest Craig from TVandLust.net. In news they discuss 2009 VGA's, Sony Considering Premium Subscriptions, Left 4 Dead 2 & Assassins Creed 2 DLC, and New Battlefield Heroes map. For what we have been gaming its Arkham Asylum, Zelda: ST, MW2, Modnation Racers and much, much more!"
It's that time of year when almost every gaming publication reveals their Game of the Year awards. With many great candidates like Modern Warfare 2, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Uncharted 2, Assassin's Creed 2 and Left 4 Dead 2, who will take out GOTY?
So Batman: Arkham Asylum was a success, but what do Rocksteady think now that the hype has died down? In a recent interview with CrispyGamer, Rocksteady discuss how happy they are with fans' reactions the game, their roles in making the game, their favorite and least favorite parts, what they will change for the sequel, and so on.
Go to the source for the full interview
"What a great year it was for gamers. Aside from a few disappointing games and some not so pleasant news this year (Closure of Pandemic Studios), we (and of course you) have been enjoying some great games across all platforms throughout the whole year.
Anyway, we are here at VGarabia.com introduce you to our candidates for the Best Of 2009. We believe that we have created the best list possible for each nomination. You can vote on more than twenty different nominations, from the Worst game..."
"10. Resident Evil 5 - Capcom
Outstanding graphics and the addition of Co-op play to Capcom's long running Survival Horror series place Resident Evil 5 in our number 10 spot. Plagued with controversy over charging extra for multiplayer, an antiquated control system, and what some might call a racial slant to the game, Capcom still managed to craft one of the most entertaining gaming experiences of the year. Now if they could only make the Resident Evil series scary again....ah if wishes were ..."
This week's The Bender features gaming vet Raychul Moore. She comes into the lion's den swinging defending and offending our regular cast. The topics of Lego Rock Band, Star Wars, The Beatles, OnLive on cell phones, Arkham Asylum, and Seaman all come up, as well as our picks for "Game of the Year So Far". Listen live/stream through iTunes here or download the mp3 directly here
"To the left of the desk where I am writing this stands a glass cabinet containing the complete line of Batman Hush action figures, including the Jason Todd as Hush figure, only one of two thousand ever made, pristine in the box of course.
To the right stands a bookcase holding about fifty pieces of Batman literature ranging from Frank Miller masterpieces The Dark Knight Returns, The Dark Knight Strikes Back, and the seminal Year One, to Jeph Loeb’s Batman:Hush and The Long Halloween, to th..."
Clowns can be scary, but can they really be described as "kickass"? According to unrealitymag.com, they sure can.
Go to the source for the Top 10 Kickass Video Game Clowns...
Today Warner Bros. released their supposed 2010 games line-up, including a new Batman game and FEAR 3. Unfortunately that list was quickly taken down, either because it was leaked too early or because it wasn't accurate, so I'll stick this in the 'Rumor' category for now.
Spike TV's Video Game Awards are just around the corner and you can begin to cast your votes. The categories range from GOTY to Best Voice Actor. Hit the jump to see the full list of nominees.
Game Of The Year Nominees are:
Assassin's Creed 2
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Modern Warfare 2
Left 4 Dead 2
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
"Does your gaming friend never seem to be online? Do they never seem to want to play Wii with you? Does their gaming environment consist of a dark room with a chair sitting inappropriately close to the television? If you answered “Yes” to these questions, chances are your friend is a solo gamer — a lone wolf, preferring to lose himself in digital locales free from real-world distractions. This gift guide is written with that gamer in mind."
"Dragon Quest IX: Defenders of the Starry Sky (Nintendo DS) – 4 million units total (all in Japan)
Batman: Arkham Asylum (Playstation 3 and Xbox 360) – 2.63 million units total (1.54 million in North America and 1.09 million in Europe)
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days (Nintendo DS) – 1.22 million units total (0.53 million in Japan, 0.59 million in North America and 0.1 million in Europe
Dissidia: Final Fantasy (PSP) – 0.72 million units total (0.36 million in North America and 0.36 million i..."
All Age Gaming's John Elliott looks at the continuing problem for most gamers on a tight budget, there are just too many good games released just before Xmas! With tough economic times, should publishers scatter game releases throughout the year more? Read on to see John's take on the issue.
"You know what made Batman: Arkham Asylum a multimillion seller above anything else? Respect for the source material. It's a plain-as-the-nose-on-your-face secret that filmmakers finally discovered with modern superhero movies like X-Men, Spider-Man, Hellboy, and Iron Man. For years, game makers didn't respect what made Batman unique."
In what could be a slip of the tongue on Rocksteady founder Sefton Hill's part, a recent interview with Official Playstation Magazine (issue 38) hints off that the team will be working on another Batman game. It's no question that Batman: Arkham Asylum is a major hit this year, with over two million copies sold within weeks of release, as well as it's highly critical appraise. One can assume a sequel has gotten the green light, but an official confirmation couldn't hurt either, Rocksteady.
"Such a broad question obviously has many equally adequate answers, but I argue that one answer stands tall above the others, an element within the game that is so blatant, so obvious that it’s easy to neglect it, to forget it’s even there. That minor detail comprises the voices of Batman, the Joker and Harley Quinn, respectively Kevin Conroy, Mark Hamill, and Arleen Sorkin."
"The essence of chaos seems absent in the game. The Joker is usually supposed to portray a future which is heavy on sarcasm and goe, AA proves to be neither with the Joker's lousy sense of humor and repetitive dialogues. Batman, not for a single moment, seems to be scared of with the chaos in Arkham Asylum. His indifference is most poignant when he rescues Commissioner Gordon who has been his trusted confidant for years. Not connecting with the player is the biggest flaw of Arkham, the charact..."
"There are "too many games out there that deliver lots of average content," Hill tells us in an in-depth new feature interview on the critically acclaimed superhero title, and rather than risk that, he explains how the team was able to ensure a focused feature set that felt well-polished.
Hill explained why the UK-based independent developer chose not to have driving or flying sections in the game: "Some of the things that we really wanted to achieve were for Batman himself, so we didn't w..."
The NPD Group has released their hardware and software numbers for the month of September, representing sales for the United States for the five week period of August 30th to October 3rd.
Notables this month:
Hardware numbers:
NDS: 524.2k (104.84k per week)
PS3: 491.8k (98.36k per week)
WII: 462.8k (92.56k per week)
360: 352.6k (70.52k per week)
PSP: 190....
2009 has been a great year for us gamers. While there are still a few anticipated AAA titles to come, we have hand picked 6 games that have already been released that will more than likely be on the shortlist for the 2009 Game Of The Year.
"How can a video game be scary? Unlike horror movies where you're stuck watching some hapless victim succumb to scary stuff, video games empower players to fight back. Or at least run away. It's October. Time to identify horror-gaming's essentials.
Some of the scariest experiences I've had in my life come from video games. I can remember running from the family computer room in tears after a wax skeleton in an Are You Afraid of the Dark game chased me through a basement.
My chest still g..."
The newest episode of The Bender here for you to take on your daily walk, morning drive, or even as background noise as you play your games. Intern Perry is out covering VGXPO stuff, so Mike and James fight over the good and bad of Arkham Asylum, and the new Intern Richard joins in as we hate on IGN and Activision for many reasons. We got all the other news of the week covered, so listen and enjoy. Listen live / stream through iTunes or download the mp3 directly here
"Batman: Arkham Asylum has one of the most refreshing takes on stealth in quite a while. As much as I love Metal Gear Solid and Splinter Cell, it is nice to have something different with the stealth genre, and Batman does just that. You don’t hide in a cardboard box until you know exactly where all of the enemies are going to be and when. You don’t commit suicide the second you’re discovered because you know waiting for the alarms to go off will be more irritating than doing it over. Instead, ..."
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A year ago nobody suspected that Batman: Arkham Asylum would be a success. In fact, most gamers were appropriately wary of a brand new Batman game. So it was a pleasant suprise when the game actually turned out to be good.
Gamasutra.com takes a look at how Rocksteady and Batman: Arkham Asylum managed to take people by surprise...
Snarkasaur of Spawn Kill goes into lengthy detail about the two Arkham Asylum DLCs available to Xbox Live and PSN users. Is it worthy of such a bat-tastic game?
The debut trailer for the Japanese version of Batman: Arkham Asylum was released today at the Tokyo Game Show, and it looks like the game won't have Japanese voice acting, despite Japan having it's own voice acting for the Batman: Animated Series. (Though I'd personally say the Japanese voices from the Animated Series aren't quite as memorable as the American ones).
It will be interesting to see if Batman: Arkham Asylum does well in Japan. It has already recieved quite a bit of attention f...
Batman: Arkham Asylum has been universally praised as one of the best games of 2009, but were reviewers glossing over the bad points? No doubt B:AA is a fantastic game, but thestartscreen.com believes there were a few problems that need to be fixed before a sequel is made. Go to the source for the full article.
Eidos continues its support for Batman: Arkham Asylum by releasing the free DLC pack "Prey in the Darkness" in this week's update. The pack will include the Heart of Darkness (a combat challenge) and Hothouse Prey (a predator challenge). The pack is already available on LIVE, and PSN users can expect to see it in tomorrows update.
Batman Begins and The Dark Knight arguably brought the Batman franchise back into the mainstream. But for Batman fans, Arkham Asylum did a much better job at portraying the comic book series they all know and love.
PS3center.net explains why Arkham Asylum outdoes the new Batman movies.
Go to the source for the full article.
"I asked myself “what game coming out this year could possibly dethrone Arkham Asylum?” So I assembled this list of upcoming major video games in the name of knocking them all down. If any of these games actually do turn out to be better than Batman, then I may slip into a state of depression and drop out of school. If Prototype wins the award, then I’ll simply conclude that the gaming media is crooked and driven by behind-the-scenes shenanigans."
"Eidos Interactive Ltd and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment have today announced that the number-one selling Batman: Arkham Asylum has shipped in excess of 2.5 million units to retail since launch."
Spawn Kill writes about the upcoming race for this year's GOTY crown, and a few of its main contenders. The article also covers how GOTY is usually determined and how the chances are looking for certain contenders this year. Teabags also reveals his hand, guessing that huge sales will stand for nothing as he hopes Uncharted 2: Among Thieves will rise to the top.
The Batman: Arkham Asylum "Insane Night" DLC was released today and if the free-ness isn't enough to convince you to download it, then these videos might be...
"One of the incentives to play Batman: Arkham Asylum on PC (outside of a lower price and PhysX graffix) is the ability to create custom skins. The community has quickly gotten to work and flooded the official forums with screen grabs of the various outfits modders have designed. Aside from the obvious The Dark Knight and classic Bats skins, there's a neat Green Lantern variation and, pictured above, a recession-conscious Batman opting for Old Navy–esque cargos instead of the usual rubbery expe..."
This week's Zero Punctuation has Yahtzee taking on Batman: Arkham Asylum with his usual wit and satire. While admitting that the game is actually quite good (as we all know it to be) he still manages to find a few things to gripe about.
"Published by Eidos, Inc. under licence from DC Comics, Batman: Arkham Asylum on PC is set for release this Friday, 18th September 2009. The game features stunning NVIDIA PhysX technology that allows for the creation of incredibly realistic worlds full of interactive materials and objects. PC gamers can experience intense realism and fully immerse themselves in Batman’s journey into Gotham City’s asylum for the criminally insane."
"The Batman franchise has hit some rough patches in the past and none of the multimedia expansions (movies, video games, televisions shows) of the original comic book have really “hit the mark.” Perhaps the closest thing to the authentic experience is the animated series starring Kevin Conroy as the Caped Crusader--and that’s why Batman: Arkham Asylum is the video game Batman fans have always wanted. Conroy and Mark Hamill return to battle it out as arch nemeses Batman and The Joker and this..."
"Eidos Interactive Ltd. and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today announced the Insane Night Map Pack, a free downloadable map pack for the critically acclaimed Batman: Arkham Asylum. Beginning September 17th, the Insane Night Map Pack will be available from PlayStation Store, Xbox LIVE Marketplace, and Games for Windows LIVE Marketplace, and offer gamers two new Challenge Maps to hone their FreeFlow Combat skills and test their Invisible Predator prowess."
Snarkasaur of Spawn Kill has a very fresh take on the mega-popular Xbox 360/PlayStation 3 title Batman: Arkham Asylum. This time though, there's a bit of a different approach being taken – albeit a much more appropriate one – to reviewing this game. Check out the full article to see what he's done.
"The Man of Steel, perhaps even more than the Dark Knight, has been the subject of some of the worst game outings, ever. I still have nightmares of flying through rings (or trying to, anyway). And with the rather lackluster “Superman Returns: The Game,” Supes just hasn’t had a game to match his star power. I think that would be easy to change.
The first thing to do is to logically take a look at all of Superman’s powers. There’s a fair deal of them, but let’s look at the major ones: Flight,..."
It has only been 2 weeks since the game's release, but Batman: Arkham Asylum has already sold almost 2 million copies. Who would have thought a licensed game would ever do so well?
The NPD Group has released their hardware and software numbers for the month of August, representing sales for the United States for the four week period of August 2nd to August 29th.
Notables this month:
Hardware numbers:
NDS: 552.9k (138.225k per week)
WII: 277.4k (69.35k per week)
360: 215.4k (53.85k per week)
PS3: 210.0k (52.5k per we...
Good news for gamers who were worried that Batman: Arkham Asylum's new DLC would be console exclusive. Eidos has confirmed that the DLC that was announced yesterday will be coming to all consoles.
"Did you illegally download a cracked version of Arkham Asylum for the PC? Hope you enjoy playing with a Batman who has conveniently forgotten some of his moveset, rendering the game unbeatable.
In an amusing little thread on the Eidos forums, one pirate came to innocently report a bug, claiming that instead of gliding when the appropriate input was given, the Dark Knight would instead just spread his wings and fall to his death in poison gas.
Quoth an Eidos admin in response:
quote"Th...
Okay, we all knew this was coming, just not when.
If you haven't already heard, we can expect some Batman: Arkham Asylum DLC next week. According to the in-game ticker, the free DLC will arrive on consoles in nine days, which lands on September 17.
The ticker also promises more DLC info later.
[ Discuss in the Batman: Arkham Asylum forum ]
Following on from our Top 5 Xbox 360 list, All Age Gaming's John Elliott looks at the tough decision that PS3 owners face over the next few months in what game(s) to purchase by giving us his Top 5 games to get for the Playstation 3 this holiday season.
All Age Gaming's John Elliott looks at the tough decision most of us face over the next few months each year, what games(s) do I buy with so many good ones coming out? John gives us his Top 5 games to get for the Xbox 360 this holiday season.
"The presentation of Batman: Arkham Asylum is fantastic. While the incredibly – and interestingly – detailed asylum itself steals the show, the character models are finely detailed and well animated. The cut-scenes are smoothly presented, and their slightly crisper character models are perhaps the only noticeable mark between the two console versions. While the PlayStation 3 release offers little to complain about, the Xbox 360 cut-scenes do appear of a slightly higher quality. The score and v..."
"I’m sure a lot of you already reading this have Batman: Arkham Asylum by now on your console of choice (PC gamers need to wait another few weeks).
I’m also sure there are a lot of you out there who have held off on Batman, for a number of reasons: maybe you’re not a Batman fan, maybe you’re saving for other big hitters like Halo ODST and Uncharted 2, or maybe you’re just sitting on the fence waiting to see what people really think when the hype has died down.
That’s why I’m going to do ..."
"Batman’s latest epic, a creepy hunt through Gotham’s loony bin, has received an unimaginable level of praise and admiration. What Metacritic describes as “Universal acclaim” is what I call a “blogsplosion”, where every forum I lurk on, every blog I plug into Google Reader and every podcast I subscribe to has come down with Batman fever.
And with good reason – Arkham Asylum is a top product that nails atmosphere and gameplay in liberal helpings, kicking off this year’s triple A holiday with..."
"This will be a debateable article for many of you, and some will simply say it is a cry piece about not having the right console, or a PC for that matter. However, to the open minded, this is a true reflection on how we have all been affected, penalised, punished or, dare I say it, betrayed by the games we love and hold dear to our hearts for simply not having the right gaming platform."
After a brief hiatus and a little tooling in the inner workings behind Binge Gamer, The Bender podcast is back with a tighter show. We hit up the piracy topic (ie the lines being drawn between downloading something versus selling something downloaded), talk a little about the Shadow Complex controversy, and of course how the G-Force demo is kind of cool. Listen live/stream through iTunes by clicking here or download the mp3 here
All Age Gaming's Phong Nguyen bring's us the 9th AAG "The Week That Was". In this week's edition he talks about a possible Wii price cut, V8's in Forza 3, God Of War and more!
"Batman: Arkham Asylum’s score in the upper 90% from many reviewers, implies that it is of the calibre of such titles as Metal Gear Solid, Gears of War, Mario Galaxy and Resident Evil.
BAA is a very good game, a game that any Batman fan will be happy with. Unfortunately such review score systems bring with them the misunderstanding that all gamers need to play this game. People with little interest in The Dark Knight universe may find themselves baffled at how this game could find itself in..."
"The Dark Knight is definitely looking good for 70 years old. Rocksteady Studios, previously known for Urban Chaos: Riot Response took the helm of development for this episode. Batman Arkham Asylum provides some frantic action and nail biting plot twists. Is this next generation console debut more then skin deep?"
"The most obvious question in the history of obvious questions: is Rocksteady working on a sequel to the almost universally acclaimed Batman: Arkham Asylum? Shall we ask Paul Crocker, AA’s lead narrative designer? Oh, go on then.
“We’re just waiting to see if people like the game,” said Paul."
All Age Gaming's John Elliott takes a look at the latest video game to feature the superhero, Batman. Batman: Arkham Asylum is an impressive looking game, but does the game live up to the legend that is Batman. Read on to find out.
"In a specific sense, this week's rant is about Arkham Asylum. In a larger sense, it's about the importance of unity between character and gameplay scenario. Not in a Prototype, "I'm a hero in cut scenes and Hitler through gameplay" sort of way, but more in a "the ending of Arkham Asylum was bad for these reasons" sort of way."
To show off how good Batman: Arkham Asylum will look on a PC using PhysX, the game's publisher Eidos have released this trailer.
"With the launch of the newly redesigned PlayStation 3 throughout Europe today, Electronic Theatre has taken the time to find out how both high street and independent retailers across the UK have been responding to the new hardware proposition. With the Xbox 360 having received a price-drop prior to the weekend and many retailers still carrying stock of the PLAYSTATION 3 unit, it comes as little surprise to find that the high street stands as a very competitive arena currently."
It seems the exclusive PS3 Joker DLC didn't tip Batman: Arkham Asylum's sales in the UK. According to Gfk Charttrack, 55% of sales went to the Xbox 360 and 45% to the PlayStation 3.
It is currently topping the sales charts.
Batman: Arkham Asylum has recently been released and, judging by first impressions, it looks like it is living up to the hype. Still haven't decided whether it's worth a purchase or not? This might help you make up your mind. Click on the source for the 10 Reasons You Must Play Batman: Arkham Asylum.
"Following the announcement that Batman: Arkham Asylum has entered the Guinness World Records yesterday, Eidos Interactive has released a new trailer to celebrate the European launch. Batman: Arkham Asylum is available now on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and comes very highly recommended."
For a long time PS3 owners believed they've been recieving the short end of the stick when it comes to getting exclusive content for multiplatform games. But with the PS3 exclusive Joker DLC, many people were left wondering why Sony have chosen now to start buying into the exclusive content deals, and whether it could mean a change of tactics for the company. Sangria of n4g.com takes a look...
Here is yet another one of Gametrailer's infamous graphics comparison videos. This time it's a comparison between the 360 and PS3 versions of Batman: Arkham Asylum. Who knows why they even bother with games that are practically identical...
"No release this year seems to have had as much hype surrounding it as Batman: Arkham Asylum has. Since its announcement and the first release of videos, everyone was asking the same question: could this be the first great Batman game in years? The answer is a resounding yes."
"With the news of the official restructuring of the Xbox 360 pricing strategy yesterday, it appears that retailers are beginning to take action with their existing stock. Electronic Theatre contacted a number of UK high street retailers today, both national chains and independent retailers, and discovered some quite shocking results."
Batman: Arkham Asylum Wins Guinness World Record for ‘Most Critically Acclaimed Superhero Game Ever’
"Today the highly anticipated Batman: Arkham Asylum game has not only arrived at retail, but has also been awarded a Guinness World Record for the ‘Most Critically Acclaimed Superhero Game Ever’."
The Batman: Arkham Asylum Collector's Edition came packaged with a full-sized Batarang and was incentive enough for many fans to fork out the extra cash for that edition. But many gamers were left disappointed with what they ended up with. Rather than recieving a sturdy piece of memorabilia worthy of being called a "collectable", they instead got a cheap plastic model stuck to a plastic stand that had been heavily scratched to look "authentic".
Discuss in the Batman: Arkham Asylum forum
Superhero games are usually seen as crappy games. Take a look at the Watchmen game for example. Batman Arkham Asylum breaks the mold from the opening cinematics to the revealing of Poison Ivy's bush.
We've seen the entire Resident Evil 5 story boiled down to one scene, now it's Batman: Arkham Asylum's turn. Here is the entire game summed up in 90 seconds.
Go to the source for the video.
And, of course, there are major spoilers.
Still haven't decided whether Batman: Arkham Asylum is worth a purchase? Spike TV might be able to help with that! All the forces behind Batman: Arkham Asylum join Spike's Geoff Keighley to delve deep into Gotham's lore and uncover what makes B:AA so insanely (pardon the pun) fun. Here is Spike TV's Batman: Arkham Asylum Launch Special...
It looks like the Joker DLC isn't the only free DLC that Batman: Arkham Asylum will be getting. You may have noticed the little "New free downloadable content coming soon!" on the game's loading screen.
DLC is always nice, but free DLC is better.
Batman: Arkham Asylum has been released today and, judging by first impressions, it looks like it is living up to the hype. Still haven't decided whether it's worth a purchase or not? This might help you make up your mind. Go to the source for IGN's Top 10 Reasons We Love Batman: Arkham Asylum...
"Being a tough, manly superhero is all well and good, but beating up criminals and wearing a skintight spandex costume is only part of the deal. All of the biggest and manliest of heroes have a few deadly and beautiful female villains to do battle with. And seeing as how Batman is the biggest and most manly of them all, it's no wonder he has quite a few femme fatales to contend with.
With the release of Batman: Arkham Asylum this week, we felt like celebrating the women who make Batman's c..."
Batman: Arkham Asylum launches tomorrow in North America (Friday in Europe), and with that Eidos has saw fit to release a trailer in order to promote it. Check it trailer below; hit share for a bigger version.
Note the PC release has been pushed to September 15, but in the meantime you can play the demo over and over again.
"Electronic Theatre has had the privilege of playing Batman: Arkham Asylum at several preview stages, and has never come away less than impressed. And so it comes with great satisfaction to deliver the news that the final production is no less enjoyable than that which we’d seen previously. Finely crafted and expertly paced, Batman: Arkham Asylum stands alongside GoldenEye 007 and Spider-Man 2 as being videogame experiences that deliver an engrossing portrayal of their subject matter."
Going a little deeper than the History of Arkham trailer, this Gametrailers retrospective video takes a look at the disturbing history behind Gotham's Arkham Asylum and it's patients...
Discuss in the Batman: Arkham Asylum
"Thinking about preordering Batman: Arkham Asylum? Now would probably be a good time. You can get the game on Amazon.com for $51.99, eight dollars off the PS3 version's regular price of $59.99. Considering that Amazon offers free shipping on all orders over $25, this is a pretty sweet deal.
Of course, opting for the Super Saver shipping means you'll probably have to wait a week or two to get your game. One day shipping brings the game's price to $61.97, and two day shipping knocks it to $59..."
Nvidia's running a special promotion involving the Caped Crusader. If you purchase either a GeForce GTX 260, GeForce GTX 275 or GeForce GTX 285 graphics chip, you'll receive a coupon allowing you to download the PC version of Batman: Arkham Asylum for free. So if you're looking to upgrade your graphics card, you might want to consider one of these Nvidia products.
Today an embargo was lifted off websites, allowing them to release their Batman: Arkham Asylum reviews, and boy have the positive reviews come pouring in! With the majority of reviews scoring above 9/10 and the game's metacritic ranking currently at 91, could Batman: Arkham Asylum be a contender for Game Of The Year?
For more reviews, check out the review thread in the forums.
Even though Batman: Arkham Asylum won't hit stores until Tuesday, the Joker DLC is already available for download. This PS3 exclusive DLC includes Joker Challenge Maps and the ability to play as the Joker. You could go download it right now, but be aware that you won't be able to play the challenge maps until you get the game.
GameTrailers.com reviews the eagerly awaited Batman: Arkham Asylum, giving it an excellent score of 9/10. Check the source to watch the review in HD.
Discuss in the Batman: Arkham Asylum forum
Whether or not you believe that Eidos is fixing Batman: Arkham Asylum's reviews, you have to admit that this looks like the game of the summer, and possibly one of the best games of 2009. With all of the review scores mainly in the 90s or so, I'm getting more and more hyped about this.
Now hurry up and get here.
Discuss in the Batman: Arkham Asylum forum
In this new trailer for the upcoming Batman game by Rocksteady, we get to hear from the founder of Arkham Asylum and some of his previous work, we also see some gritty shots of Arkham itself.
The trailer itself left me feeling quite amazed at how creepy and down right demented Arkham looks, I hope it has the same effect on some of you, enjoy!
The Official Playstation Magazine (US) has recently reviewed Batman: Arkham Asylum and they were very impressed, giving the game a fantastic score of 5/5 and calling it "the Batman game you've been waiting for".
They praised the "wonderfully produced" cinematics, the "challenging" boss battles, the "fresh" locations, and the voice work that "helps bring the world to life". Their main complaint was how some gamers might have difficulty in mastering the control system.
We'll have to wait t...
"These laws are written in stone... and shaped like gargoyles.
Batman is a hero who operates on a set of rules. You know, wussy stuff like "thou shalt not kill". No idea where he got that one from. Anyway, the game also has a set of rules – a set of commandments, if you will, and with its release just around the corner we figured we'd reveal them to you..."
"When quizzed on the possibility of more support for social networks and iPhone releases, Livingstone simply replied with a reinforcement of Eidos’ commitment to “exploring all platforms”, and creating “platform specific experiences”. He then denied a seemingly left field question about Rocksteady acquiring the Hitman licence, stating that it was “absolutely not true”, and “pure speculation”. Given that IO Interactive retains the development rights to the franchise, Electronic Theatre would be..."
"In summary, I was happy with the maps on show but I couldn’t help but feel that there may not be much variety in the final game. Still, it’s a nice little extra that will, at the very least, guarantee a couple of hours of playing time on top of the single player game and will be great for those who just want to pick-up-and-play Batman: AA without the story."
IGN have revealed a bunch of new Batman: Arkham Asylum screens featuring Joker's right-hand gal Harley Quinn and her sexy new look. She'll be there to torment Batman throughout the game... except when she's having a little "me time", of course. Needless to say, her personality is as charming as ever!
There are also two new Gametrailers videos and an IGN video showing brief encounters Batman will have with Harley at the beginning of the game.
Discuss in the Batman: Arkham Asylum forum
S...
"Further to the extensive conference line-up was the opportunity for both press and attending public to sample some of the latest titles, along with a handful of yet-to-be-released games. Eidos proved to be on good form, as seems to have been the case more-often-than-not recently, showing both Mini-Ninjas and Batman: Arkham Asylum on Xbox 360."
There have been alot of games delayed or cancelled this year. But that doesn't mean there still aren't any games worth checking out in the next few months.
Go to the source for VideoGamer's list of Top 10 Games That Will Save 2009...
Where would Batman be without his gadgets? Here's a fun little trailer showing a handful of the gadgets you will get to play with during Batman: Arkham Asylum.
Minor Spoilers:
GameInformer Magazine recently reviewed Batman: Arkham Asylum and they were very impressed with the final product.
They praised the "beautifully designed" gameplay, the "amazing" storyline, the "reality-warping vein of Eternal Darkness" moments, and the design of Arkham itself - comparing the "strangely mesmerizing" atmosphere to Bioshock's Rapture.
GameInformer's main complaint was the disappointing final boss battle; "A good idea gone to waste". Despite that "major letdown", they calle...
With Batman: Arkham Asylum recieving very positive impressions from both pro-reviewers and gamers alike, it looks like it is shaping up to be the superhero game that fans have been waiting for.
Go to the source to read why Joystickdivision believe Batman: Arkham Asylum could impact the entire superhero genre.
Batman: Arkham Asylum forum
"25 Things About Me: Batman
1. My favorite color is not black, despite the fact I'm seen wearing it all the time. Black happens to be the only color my Batsuit comes in and it helps me hide in the shadows.
2. It's been rumored that I have been with many women and while I have been with most, there is only one I would like to get to know: Harley Quinn. It's just a shame that she's nuts about the Joker.
3. Arkham Asylum is not the best place to be a security officer at. Many of the crim..."
"-Able to play as The Joker in eight Challenge Map which will be released as downloadable content on August 25th on the PlayStation Network. This DLC will be free.
-There will be a "Batman Arkham Asylum Batcave Outpost Apartment". Apparently, this will be only for PlayStation Home. It will contain items such as the Batsuit, Batmobile, and Batwing, along with various Bat-gadgets. This content on PlayStation Home will be free.
-The comic book "The Road to Arkham" will be given to PSP owners vi..."
If the other behind-the-scenes videos weren't enough for you, here's another one.
Here Rocksteady talk about the design of the eerie Arkham Asylum, how they made the character animations and fights so fluid, and how they believed Batman deserved a game that matched his fame.
"Edinburgh Interactive, part of the Edinburgh Festival, will deliver a lively mix of conference sessions, games screenings and free gameplay across 13th and 14th August 2009 at Edinburgh Corn Exchange in the heart of Edinburgh. Come along and join Electronic Theatre this Thursday and Friday to play some of this year’s biggest titles including Batman: Arkham Asylum and Nintendo’s Wii Sports Resort among others."
The Trophies for Batman: Arkham Asylum have finally been revealed. The game has 48 trophies in total, 20 bronze, 11 silver, 1 gold and 16 secret trophies!
And, of course, they are the same as the 360 Achievements list.
Go to the source for the full list of Trophies.
Discuss in the Batman: Arkham Asylum forum
The new multiplatform Arkham Asylum demo is out and the world is loving it. I think we have great things in store for us when the full game is released later this month. The videos at the source show the game's opening cinematic as well as the demo gameplay.
We announced the PSN and XBL versions of the Batman: Arkham Asylum demo were available last evening, however the PC version came a little later, today.
Grab it from the official website below or either of the sources to your right). Be warned it's not exactly optimized for size...
Note the PC version's launch has been delayed to September 15 for North Americans and September 18 for Europeans.
The Batman: Arkham Asylum demo has been released on PSN and Xbox Live today and, if gamer impressions are anything to go by, it's definitely worth checking out for both Batman fans and non-fans alike.
Discuss the demo in the Batman: Arkham Asylum forum.
If that wasn't enough, a bunch of new trailers have also been released. Go to the source for the new videos.
Playstation Beyond recently reviewed Batman: Arkham Asylum and, despite being worried about the game when it was first announced, they were pleasantly surprised with the final result.
They praised the nostalgic characters, the "complex" gameplay, the "storyline that picks you up and never let's go", and the design of Arkham with the Joker playing "a pivotal role in executing a moody, dark, and dank atmosphere". They even went as far as to call it "one of the best videogames of 2009 so far"...
If you've been lookin' forward to Batman: Arkham Asylum, we've got some good news (for US customers at least): Amazon currently is offering a promo for the game whereby you can receive the console version for $48 (free shipping) or the PC version for $40 -- just use the coupon code 5OFFARKM.
Note the pre-order comes with a free comic, too!
"The consumer demo for Batman: Arkham Asylum, published in the United Kingdom by Eidos Interactive, will be available for the Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 and Games For Windows LIVE worldwide on August 7th, 2009, it was announced today. The full game will be available at retail stores nationwide in the United Kingdom beginning August 28th."
"Think of a great superhero game. No, not a good one — there are plenty of those around — but one as essential as, say, Grand Theft Auto IV or BioShock. You’re struggling, right? That’s because there aren’t any. Or rather there weren’t any until Batman: Arkham Asylum came along. After an extensive hands-on, exploring the majority of the enormous Arkham Island – we’ve come to the conclusion that not only is this Batman’s best game to date, but quite possibly the best superhero game ever made. A..."
Batman: Arkham Asylum's release is just around the corner, so if you haven't been keeping up with news on the game, here is Gametrailers' preview...
At this year's Comic-Con International, Neoseeker got a chance to speak with Batman: Arkham Asylum director Sefton Hill, of Rocksteady Studios in London.
We've already seen / heard a lot in terms of gameplay, but what's Batman without a psychological mind-*bleep*? Hill teases at some story-driven twists throughout the game, and explains Rocksteady's mentality behind creating a true Batman experience.
Square Enix today announced their lineup for GamesCon taking place from August 19th through to August 23rd. This is the first time Square Enix and Eidos will be showcasing their diverse range of games together.
But what's missing? Well, Dragon Quest IX for one...
At this year's San Diego Comic-Con, Rocksteady games producer Sefton Hill, writer Paul Dini, Batman's voice-actor Kevin Conroy, Joker's voice-actor Mark Hamill discussed how Batman: Arkham Asylum came to be, what fans will love about the game, the possibility of a Joker game in the future, and what Hamill and Conroy plan on doing in future.
Go to the source for the full article.
Discuss in the Batman: Arkham Asylum forum
Batman isn't all about beating up baddies. Sometimes he needs to be stealthy too. Here is the latest Batman: Arkham Asylum trailer showing the stealth gameplay in action...
Discuss in the Batman: Arkham Asylum forum
Whether you believe the rumor that Eidos are "fixing" Batman: Arkham Asylum's reviews or not, the first review has been released nontheless. Popular UK gaming mag 'GamesMaster Magazine' were very impressed with the game, giving it a score of 96/100 and calling it "One Of The Finest Games Of This Generation".
Discuss in the Batman: Arkham Asylum forum
"Several mags have their review code already, but have to sit on their reviews until a hateful embargo expires at the end of the month. But Eidos, ever the helpful fellows that they are, have been offering a way around this embargo. If you dedicate the cover of your mag to Arkham Asylum and guarantee a score of at least 90%, Eidos will allow you to run the review early."
Over a week ago Gamestop had countdown on their website, counting down to a "special announcement" for Batman: Arkham Asylum. Well today the countdown expired and the special announcement was this... Scarecrow has been revealed as a villain in the game and any fans who pre-order the game from Gamestop get a special "Dem Bones" Scarecrow Villain Challenge Map.
Discuss in the Batman: Arkham Asylum forum
A few months ago it was revealed that PS3 owners would get exclusive DLC for Batman: Arkham Asylum in the form of a playable Joker ...
But many people were left wondering whether the DLC would be a timed exclusive or not.
Yesterday Rocksteady confirmed that the Joker DLC won't be coming to the 360 version of the game at all. However there is more DLC planned for release on both consoles.
Discuss in the Batman: Arkham Asylum forum
Newest Batman: Arkham Asylum trailer called "Playing the Game," in which the devs talk about gameplay elements like gadgets and stealth. This game looks like it might actually do Batman justice by letting players utilize all of the Dark Knight's skills.
And in case you missed the first one, here is the "Inside the Asylum" trailer...
While IMDB isn't the most accurate source of information, the site has a new list of characters that will apparently be appearing in Batman: Arkham Asylum. Go to the source for the list of characters.
Warner Bros won't confirm or deny whether the news is correct, obviously wanting to keep any more characters under wraps for now.
I'll stick this under the "rumor" category :)
Eidos and VideoGamer are inviting a select few people to play Batman: Arkham Asylum this weekend. One downside: It's only in available to people who can make it to London this Saturday.
The first handful of people to comment on this videogamer.com article will be given the opportunity to play the beginning of the game.
Earlier, Eidos released a "Villains" trailer showing off a few of the bad guys we'll see in Batman: Arkham Asylum. PR recently came out with some additional villains info, in the form of character profiles.
The profiles cover physical stats, brief background information, and special abilities -- for Bats, Joker, Killer Croc, and Mr. Zsasz.
Mark from OzBoxLive goes to E3 and gets a one on one interview with the Game Director of Batman Arkham Asylum and finds out a few unique features of the game.
"I’m about 3-4 hours into an early build of “Batman: Arkham Asylum,” and while I’m limited due to embargoes on what I can talk about, I wanted to call attention to a rather unique feature which is reminiscent of something that came up in last year’s “Prince of Persia.”
In that game, you couldn’t die. Even if you ran out of health or fell off a cliff, your friendly neighborhood mystical princess flew in and saved you. Batman obviously doesn’t have a handy helper that follows him around, but ..."
Here's a brand spankin' new Batman: Arkham Asylum trailer, featuring some of the villains you will face during the game...
Discuss in the Batman: Arkham Asylum forum
"CBR is back with our continuing series of interviews with the team behind the upcoming “Batman: Arkham Asylum” game. Over the past few months, we have spoken to Senior Producer Nathan Burlow and Writer Paul Dini, who gave us some insight into how the project came together and what the game's storyline will be. This time around, we will be focusing on how the creative team approached the art design of “Batman: Arkham Asylum,” and what influences they drew from in putting together the look of t..."
"With its potent combination of no school and dangerous UV rays, summer is a great time for gamers. In the past, very few good games would come out between mid-June and mid-September, but based on the wealth of great titles on deck, those days are officially gone. Take a break from the blazing sun and enjoy some serious play time with these ten terrific summer games."
"Even though I had quite some expectations before I got to play this beta code, Batman: Arkham Asylum more than delivered. This will be the ultimate Batman game and a really nice super hero simulator that you just cannot afford to miss out on."
Many gamers will tell you that games have become a lot easier in the last few years, with many games even offering hints, tips or pointing you in the right direction when you get stuck. But when do games become too easy? When does in-game hand holding begin to ruin the game experience?
We've all heard about Nintendo's upcoming "demo play", a feature that allows players to ask for hints if they get stuck in certain games, and even offers the option to let the game take over until you want t...
Still not convinced that Batman: Arkham Asylum is shaping up to be a great game? Maybe a list will help :D
Go to the source for 8 reasons fans will go crazy for Batman: Arkham Asylum.
Batman: Arkham Asylum forum
"This being just a brief glimpse of the game at hand, we can't help but feel 'giddy' about the official release, anticipating the first, fun 'Batman' title since SNES days. Keep your eyes peeled for this one, it's going to be a blast."
"This video takes a look at what went into choosing the characters, locations and story for this potentially historic video game.
The creators of this game know that you want good gameplay and good fan service, and this looks like it might be the first comic game to deliver both, especially compared to other titles in the DC Universe. Besides, isn't any excuse to get Mark Hamill to do the Joker's voice a good one?"
The achievements for Batman: Arkham Asylum have finally been revealed. No doubt the PS3 trophies will be the same.
Go to the source for the full list of Achievements.
Discuss in the Batman: Arkham Asylum forum
"In the world of Gotham and The Joker, Batman's greatest strength isn't his fists, wealth or technology, it's his brain.
Despite his moniker as the World's Greatest Detective, the Dark Knight's video game appearances rarely tap into his vast skills as a sleuth.
While Batman: Arkham Asylum is certainly no comic book CSI, and who would want it to be, it certainly remembers that Batman is a detective first and a slugger second. Asylum asks gamers to think their way through the game not only..."
So, you like comic books? Do you like DC comics? GET OUT OF HERE, MARVEL FANBOY. No, kidding.
Seriously, if you're interested in Warner Bros. and Eidos' upcoming multiplatform title Batman: Arkham Asylum, then this in-depth / hands-on preview-demo-write-up-thing might warrant a gander. Senior producer Ames Kirshen takes some time to lead us through the first part of Arkham Asylum, and based on what we know, this might actually be an awesome game.
Batman fans might be pleased to he...
The Joker and Jigsaw are the wickedest minds in gaming history. This year we will see who reigns supreme between both asylums. Set traps, use mind tricks, kill or be killed is the name of the game and The Joker along with Jigsaw will test you later this year on Xbox360 and Playstation 3.
"Batman: Arkham Asylum is a highly-anticipated release for Eidos, demonstrated by the publishers’ decision to have the game available to play on the show floor at this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). As one of only three games being shown by the publisher – with Mini-Ninjas also on-hand and Just Cause 2 available behind closed doors – to say that Eidos are confident about Rocksteady’s vision of the Dark Knight would be to put it mildly."
"We have just received word that PlayStation 3 demo kiosks are starting to receive Batman: Arkham Asylum demos. The game will be releasing on August 25th, so if you would like to take an early peek at the game head down to your nearest PS3 demo kiosk."
"Eidos have today announced the three major titles that will be on show at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), June 2nd-4th, 2009. The Eidos booth, located at South Hall Booth #2422 will feature Batman: Arkham Asylum, Mini Ninjas and Just Cause 2."
"I'm guessing that many of you missed the Spike TV special Thursday night that previewed E3. No worries. I have the highlights and the trailers for you. Take a look to see new trailers for the Batman game, Brutal Legend, DJ Hero, Mass Effect 2 and Just Cause 2.
Oh yeah, there is also a trailer for the new Bethesda game, called Brink. I broke the videos into two parts. This one has the big ones and the news of the night."
"The available code offered two Challenges Rooms, looking near-complete as if to suggest that the version demonstrated accurately portrayed the version that would eventually ship on a retail disc. The Challenge Rooms play continuously through multiple rounds increasing in difficulty until the player is defeated."
"Thousands of gamers, anime fans and cosplayers of widely varying quality descended on ExCel, an exhibition centre in London, for one of the biggest events in the collective industrys’ calendar today, the 15th MCM Expo. Running for two days, 23rd May and 24th May 2009, those few Electronic Theatre readers who managed to miss today’s show may just have enough time to organise the necessary travelling arrangements, and grab that Bomberman outfit they’ve been saving for a special occasion."
"The Batman: Arkham Asylum is co-ed facility, housing many of the caped crusader’s most legendary adversaries, including the Joker and Bane, as well as more feminine foes, like Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy.
Our first look at Poison Ivy in motion offers a peek at how Eidos and Batman: Arkham Asylum developer Rocksteady have interpreted the 43-year-old character. She’s not just green-thumbed, she’s green everything-ed. And depending on where your judgment of where Poison Ivy’s clothing begins ..."
New video featuring the Free-Flow Combat system of Batman: Arkham Asylum, making use of Batman's repertoire of hand-to-hand moves. Kinda funny how the game director sounds like a character out of Fable II.
If this doesn't get you excited for the game, I don't know what will... except maybe Nightwing ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥(and so on).
"Once expected in June, Rocksteady's stealth-action PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 game will now hit "at the end of summer," implying a release no later than September 22.
"This additional time will allow us to ensure Batman: Arkham Asylum is of the highest quality for gamers," Warner and Eidos explained in their statement."
"In Batman: Arkham Asylum, enemies attack you from all angles. Groups of The Joker's henchmen rain down successive punishing blows, one after the other. Only by mastering the timing of attacks and countering will you understand the true meaning of 'freeflow combat' and help Batman discover what's really going on at Arkham Asylum..."
"Over the coming months BatmanArkhamAsylum.com will be the main resource for all the latest news and information on the game; including the new screenshots, videos and announcements, along with features and insider content such as developer Blogs, interviews, Podcasts and more."
With the release of what looks to be the first truely great Batman game right around the corner, I decided to do a little research to find out if this will be the definitive Batman experience. What I came up with did not leave me with much hope.
"It’s all rather simple…the upcoming Batman: Arkham Asylum is a really intense, stealth-action game by Rocksteady and published by Eidos. We were recently given permission for an interview but figured that instead of sending in questions we thought would make for an interesting interview, we agreed we would do something a little different."
News of essentially the first (free) DLC for the PS3 Version has been released, and it is in the form of a Playable Character, who is none other than The Joker. Available upon release of the game, the character will be played in Challenge Maps from the game. Additional details related to the character can be found in next months Playstation: The Official Magazine
"When Batman: Arkham Asylum reaches shops this summer, the Dark Knight will be taking a fully loaded arsenal along with him for the ride. At his disposal is a complete suite of gadgets and accessories that includes everything from a sonar resonator and a Batclaw to an explosive gel aerosol. Batman will need to make use of it all to take down the insane criminals that prowl Arkham Island.
The collector’s edition of Batman: Arkham Asylum, published by Eidos, features a full array of iconic co..."
"Batman: Arkham Asylum continues to look like the best Batman game we've ever seen, and this video is no exception. Consider, if you will, the fact that these cutscenes are all done in-engine and aren't pre-rendered.
Drooling aside, we're getting our first look at Batman favorite, Bane, a drug-enhanced brawler who has managed to break the Dark Knight's back. Behold his kick ass intro in the game:"
Great episode of The Bender here. Not a super long episode like last week, instead we are now on a real schedule, no chit chat, all game talk. We debate the downloadable content being on the disc as well as an old topic of review scores... plus all the gaming news of the week. Grab us on iTunes by clicking here or just get the mp3 by clicking here.
"Big releases recently have had some decent collectors editions of themselves but others are nothing more but cheap crap that nobody wants. This isn’t the case for Batman: Arkham Asylum, this CE is stuffed full of assortments that comic book/video game fans will rejoice over. Batman: Arkham Asylum currently has a release date of June 9, 2009, so everybody interested in this should head out now and reserve a copy before it sells out."
"“It’s as close to perfect as we’ve ever come, it looks amazing, plays beautifully and has a rich twisting storyline with enormous replayability. I’m confident enough to say that it will set a new benchmark for licensed games and it’s going to establish itself as one of our best games ever.”"
"While the screenshots have been raining in of late, and a handful of CG trailers have been doing the rounds, Eidos thus far have demonstrated very little of in-game footage of their forthcoming Batman: Arkham Asylum. It comes as great relief then, that those plucky folks over at Blend Games have decided to host what is likely to be the first of many gameplay walkthrough videos."
GameStop.com posted a page to pre-order the Collector's Edition of Batman: Arkham Asylum. The page listed extras that came with that edition of the game, but took them down soon after. It now says the contents are to be determined.
The list included:
-12" Batarang
-DC Encyclopedia
-Bonus DVD
-Soundtrack
-DLC Pack #1
This also tells us that there will be DLC for the anticipated game, although what was included in the DLC was not revealed.
The Collector's Edition has a price tag o...
The latest trailer for upcoming title, Batman: Arkham Asylum has been released. This game just looks more and more interesting the more we get to see. A must buy for fans of the superhero.
"In this first episode of Season IV
- News and Announcements - with Tash
- Xclusive Interview - Mark Serrels (Australian 360)
- XBLA Game of the Week - Bomberman Live
- Group Discussion - Games of 2009
- Competition - Win Australian 360 + XBLA Game
Head over to www.OzBoxLive.com now and download the latest episode. You can also subscribe via iTunes, sign up to out email newsletter and become a fan on our FaceBook page.
And as always we are looking for Xbox Live members to..."
"Completely unlikely comparison, eh? Yes, I know. However, some readers began comparing them because of the amount of detail in the Batman: Arkham Asylum screenshots. In fact, while putting this comparison together, the 6400x3600 HD screens from KZ2 and Batman crashed the photo program several times. Yes, thats how much HD these games are carrying."
"Eidos has been doing their part in sharing new assets of the caped crusader with the press, and were doing our part in sharing those assets with our readers.
The new screenshots detail some more Batman-beat-em-up action, as well as some Joker-getting-chocked-by-Batman and some Croc-about-to-get-pummeled-by-Batman scenarios."
Unigamesity considers 2009 to have the potential of becoming the biggest year in gaming and presents us with their list of the most anticipated PC games of the year. Check out the quote for the full listing (10 games).
"One is a pure, bubbly and pretty-as-pink princess who rarely reveals even the skin of her ankle. The other is a sassy, sexy and no-nonsense computer program who has spent her entire existence in the nude. Within the tightly linked and extraordinarily small world of videogame voice acting, however, these two women are the exact same person."
"The following screenshots look spot-on amazing. And in all honesty, I think I can safely say that I can't wait to play this game. I can't spot any clipping issues between the models, despite Batman's proximity to the bad guys, and the lighting and texture work are simply amazing."
In this weeks The Bender, Perry the Intern is back again, he dukes it out in a Christmas themed video game quiz against James. Allison and Mike debate the issue of review scores for video games. RIP to Majel Roddenberry and Free Radical studios. Plus a look at the upcoming video game movies (28 of them). This is almost a 2 hour episode, so load it up in the iPod and take it in the car with you. Enjoy!
"Batman fans around the world will be excited to learn that Mark Hamill of Star Wars fame and leading television and stage actor Kevin Conroy will lend their voices to the Batman: Arkham Asylum videogame, co-published by Eidos, Inc. and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Known as the voice of Batman and Bruce Wayne for over fifteen years in various animated films and television series, Kevin Conroy will repeat his role as the Caped Crusader, while Mark Hamill..."
"Electronic Theatre has just received the latest Batman: Arkham Asylum trailer from Eidos. The trailer is included in the European packaging of Batman: The Dark Knight released on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK today. Enjoy..."
"Batman: Arkham Asylum keeps a keen balance between gung-ho acrobatics and shadow-based play. As a superhero, the average goon Batman would come across would of course be little more than a stepping-stone towards his final objective and this factor is clearly evident in the game..."
Gametrailers.com premiered the first teaser for the upcoming Batman: Arkham Asylum game on 360/PS3.
Unfortunately not much is shown besides some seedy looking environments, however we are treated to a Mark Hamill voice-over at the very end.
Brand new screenshots of the fothcoming PLAYSTATION3 and Xbox360 release, Batman: Arkham Asylum. Screenshots include The Joker, location shots, Batman himself and others...
With a nod to anyone who has appreciated the meniacal laughter of The Joker from the animated series- Mark Hamill has signed on to provide gamers with audio for that chilling cold character that we are all used to in the upcoming Arkham Asylum game.
Also related - there is a contest in the works to allow winners to have their own cell in the asylum in game - complete with your own personal touch of homicidal scribblings on the walls.
![Box shot of Batman: Arkham Asylum [Europe]](http://i.neoseeker.com/boxshots/R2FtZXMvUEMvQWN0aW9uL0FkdmVudHVyZQ==/batman_arkham_asylum_frontcover_small_sSJPzJJs9LVYzl0.jpg)