Batman-Arkham-Asylum
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Steam deals today include Batman, Audiosurf, Deathspank, Kane & Lynch 2
Steam has a big "Give and Get" sale going on throughout the weekend, with a couple of daily deals mixed in for good measure (and your post-download pleasure). Musical racer Audiosurf is a steal at $2.50, and we can't imagine hiring better heroes than DeathSpank and Batman for just over $10 each. Have a look at the full list: Audiosurf -- $2.50 Batman: Arkham Asylum GOTY Edition -- $10.20 DeathSpank -- $10.04 Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days -- $5 Indie Story Pack (includes Gish, And Yet It Moves, Jolly Rover, Puzzle Agent and Recettear!) -- $4.99 EVE Online: Tyrannis -- $5 Defense Grid: The Awakening -- $2.50 Cities XL 2011 -- $29.99 As of 10PM EST, you have 15 hours left before the daily deal concludes. This counts for Steam's nifty gift packs too, which offer several copies of a game to be distributed amongst your pals.
DC Direct's NY Comic Con offerings full of gaming all-stars
Wondering what those announced, but mostly unseen DC Direct gaming figures look like? We spotted them this morning at the NY Comic Con, casually posing in a glass case. Most of the items aren't for sale until later this year -- we might find that more troubling if it weren't bank account depletion season (read: Q4).%Gallery-104665%
Batman: Arkham Asylum contains hidden clues about Arkham City
It turns out the new Batman: Arkham City game recently announced by Rocksteady in Game Informer has been in the planning stages for a while -- there are hints in Batman: Arkham Asylum that the cape and cowl adventure would expand its borders. A secret room hidden in the back of Warden Quincy Sharp's office has actually held concept art and a map of the upcoming sequel this whole time. Players who finished the Spirit of Arkham quest to 100 percent the game will also know that Sharp has some extra agendas goin -- and don't forget that one of the domains registered by Warner Bros. for the sequel is "StopMayorSharp.com." So it appears that Rocksteady has already built story ties between the two titles. Lead narrative designer Paul Crocker also tells GI that the second game will "shed new light on the events you saw in Arkham Asylum," too. Hopefully that means we'll (spoiler!) finally find out what's up with that little surprise scene after the credits.
Batman, Phantasy Star Universe hit XBL Games on Demand
We're not sure how it happened. We could have sworn that Too Human was the only new release on Xbox Live Games on Demand this week (it was the only one listed by Major Nelson, after all). And yet, somehow, Batman: Arkham Asylum has appropriately emerged from the shadows as well. Joining the Dark Knight is Phantasy Star Universe, which recently received a shot in the arm thanks to a new update and a free expansion. Arkham Asylum can be had for a steep $40 (the GOTY Edition costs $50 in-store), while Phantasy Star Universe is $20. As usual, pricing and availability vary by region. Xbox.com: Add Batman: Arkham Asylum to your Xbox 360 download queue ($39.99) Xbox.com: Add Phantasy Star Universe to your Xbox 360 download queue ($19.99)
SDCC 2010: Up, up and away at the DCUO panel
Are you pumped for DC Universe Online after watching the recent "Who Do You Trust?" trailer or our own interview with John Smedley? We can hardly blame you -- it's tough being a superhero waiting in the wings. While we count down the days until its November 2nd launch, there's a lot more DCUO goodness to be had. Massively was on hand at the DCUO panel at this year's San Diego Comic-Con, where Jens Andersen, Chris Cao, Marv Wolfman, Jim Lee and Mark Hamill (who is reprising his voice work as the Joker) were on hand to answer questions about DC's upcoming title. Hit the jump for the full skinny on time travel, heroes, villains and Bat-shark repellent.
Possible Arkham Asylum sequel names dropped in domain registrations
It appears Warner Bros. went on a little domain-shopping spree for its Batman: Arkham Asylum sequel. Domain digger Superannuation has unearthed over a dozen new registrations by the publisher that reference the Dark Knight or events in the first Arkham Asylum game. Several of the domain names suggest a range of possible "Arkham" titles for the sequel, including: Arkham City, New Arkham, Rise of Arkham and City of Arkham. There's also one domain that references Warden Sharp and his run for mayor. We've listed all the new domain names after the break.
Mark Hamill plans to retire from Joker role after Batman: Arkham Asylum 2
In an interview with IGN UK, voice actor extraordinaire Mark Hamill -- also involved with something called Star Wars, we're told -- revealed that he won't be revisiting the role of Joker after the release of Batman: Arkham Asylum 2. According to Hamill, he was reticent to take up the mantle for the sequel, saying, "My answer to [developer Rocksteady] for the sequel was, 'Guys, we're never going to be able to top the original.'" He added that he had intended to leave the role on "a high note" with his work on the original Arkham Asylum. However, once Rocksteady told Hamill of its intentions for the sequel -- swearing him to secrecy in the process -- he agreed to reprise the role, though he's adamant this will be the last time. "This will be my last, there's no question about that," said Hamill, "but it's the last hurrah." Whatever Rocksteady has planned, it was obviously enough to get Hamill back on board, and that's reason enough to be excited, right?
Batman: Arkham Asylum action figures available Jan. 2011
Didn't like the ending to Batman: Arkham Asylum? Well, grab a stop-motion camera and make a whole new one with the action figures when they release January 12, 2011. The "Series 1" figures include Batman, Joker with Scarface, Scarecrow and Harley Quinn. Each figure has "multiple points of articulation," comes with display base and stands between six and seven inches tall. There's currently no price on the dolls, but can one really put a price on creating a better Arkham Asylum finale in stop-motion? [Via BigDownload, ComicsContinuum]
Final Fantasy XIII, Dragon Quest IX, Batman sales lead Square Enix fiscal year
Square Enix had a good fiscal year (ended March 31, 2010), but its games division had a very good year. Final Fantasy XIII sold over five million units globally during the period, with the Japan-only release of Dragon Quest IX coming in second with 4.26 million units. Thanks to the company's acquisition of Eidos last year, the company could count on some Batman: Arkham Asylum cash, with the pointy-eared detective's critically acclaimed title selling 3.24 million units -- it's a shame Square won't get a piece of the sequel. Squenix's games division had sales of ¥109.9 billion ($1.18 billion) in the last fiscal year, up an impressive 128 percent over last year. With the Dark Knight out of the picture, Square Enix will have to depend on its other western franchises, including Kane & Lynch, Deus Ex and the games of Ms. Croft. Source [PDF link] -- Results Briefing Session for the Fiscal Year ended March 31, 2010
LG and Microsoft announce South Korean partnership
Korean television manufacturer LG and Microsoft have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding representing a new partnership in South Korea between the TV maker's 3D sets and Microsoft's Xbox 360 consoles, Engadget reports. A press release on the subject (wobbily translated from Korean) seems to say that the 360 will be sold in the region with 3D games in-tow and an LG 55/47LX9500 LED, possibly starting in June. Unfortunately, no details of the partnership could be confirmed with Microsoft or LG reps in the States as of this publishing. That said, a Microsoft rep told us: "As we've said before, 3D games are available today on Xbox 360 and will continue to evolve. Today, you can buy a 3DTV and wear glasses to play games like Avatar, and more titles like Batman: Arkham Asylum are on the way. The promotional partnership with LG announced in South Korea today is specific to the South Korean market, but is further evidence that as 3D adoption grows, Xbox 360 will support 3D games and entertainment." Given that statement, we don't see the partnership having global implications just yet -- not to mention the game being played above is Avatar and the two games mentioned by Microsoft are known to be 3D enabled. But hey, at least we got this hilariously awkward image of Microsoft's Alan Bowman playing games with LG's marketing strategy lead, right? [Via Engadget]
Finding a new dimension for gaming at the 3D Gaming Summit
A small crowd of movie and game producers met this week at Universal City in Los Angeles for the first-ever 3D Gaming Summit, to sit down and discuss the trend of 3D imaging in gaming and film. Much of the talk at the summit was speculative -- with almost no actual consumer devices on the market and nearly none within price range of the average consumer anyway, gaming in 3D isn't much more than an idea at this point. Most of the technology companies in attendance are still working to get content producers to use their systems to create games and films rather than selling hardware directly to consumers. Still, the panels and discussions at the summit offered an interesting look at what many believe to be the eventual future of the industry. From a lunchtime interview with Mortal Kombat and Resident Evil director Paul W.S. Anderson to a Playstation Move demo (and a panel moderated by a Joystiq editor), the 3D Gaming Summit showed off a lot of guesswork, a few interesting demos, and a few big holes that will need to be filled if 3D gaming is going to ever take off.
Rumor: Mr. Freeze and Talia al Ghul to appear in Arkham Asylum 2
The original Batman: Arkham Asylum's large cast of antagonists was awfully daunting for any detective to face off against -- even if that detective has pointy ears and is equipped with exploding Vaseline. Two reports have begun to circulate about the first pair of villains we'll be buffeting with all manner of bat-shaped weaponry in Arkham Asylum 2: Talia al Ghul (daughter of immortal mastermind Ra's al Ghul), and everyone's favorite horrible pun-smith, Mr. Freeze. According to Gaming Target, Talia's appearance was confirmed on Twitter by her apparent voice actor, "Castle" star Stana Katic -- though any Tweets to that effect have since been pulled. Freeze was similarly confirmed by voice actor Maurice LaMarche (who voiced the latter half of "Pinky and the Brain") in an interview with the GeekCast Radio Network. These certainly seem like reasonable choices for the next game's cast -- however, we're going to pray that if Mr. Freeze is actually included in the game (in a capacity greater than his cameo in the first Arkham Asylum), his dialogue won't sound anything like, well, you know. [Thanks John!]
Batman: Arkham Asylum for $27 at Amazon
At this point, it should be pretty clear that God wants you to have Batman: Arkham Asylum. The game has frequently been subject to some killer deals and Amazon is adding another one to the pile today. At this very moment, the online retailer is offloading Xbox 360 and PS3 copies for the sanitarium-sent price of $26.99. If you still don't have the game and refuse to buy it at that price, well, maybe you belong in Arkham with the Joker. Unless you're holding out for the Game of the Year Edition, in which case maybe you could be forgiven. Maybe. [Thanks, Henrique]
Batman: Arkham Asylum ... the action figures!
Holy late money grab, Batman! It appears that in the June 2010 issue of Toyfare magazine will reveal a cadre of the Batman: Arkham Asylum characters in action figure form (as pointed out by Previews). Though the issue will miss the May release date of Bats' Game of the Year edition, it'll arrive on store shelves by early June. June's issue is said to feature "a sneak peek at some of 2010's hottest video games and hottest video game toys," including the Dark Knight, among others. The listing also notes that DC Direct, makers of, well, lots of other video game action figures, will apparently be tasked with putting little Bats and crew together. It probably doesn't hurt that the "DC" in DC Direct is of the DC Comics variety, owners of the Batman IP. All will be revealed on June 9, so get your Bat Credit Card at the ready, folks! [Via Big Download]
GameFly sale: Bionic Batman and the Brutal Beatles
Here's the good news: According to our budget-minded buddies (budgies?) at CAG, GameFly has a sale on several appealing Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 titles, including Batman: Arkham Asylum (360 / $19.99), Bionic Commando (360 / PS3 / $9.99), Brütal Legend (360 / $14.99) and The Beatles: Rock Band (360 / $21.99). We also spy some stellar deals on Red Faction: Guerrilla (360 / PS3 / under $15) and 2D fighter BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger ($19.99 / $24.99). GameFly games are guaranteed to be in working condition and include manuals and cases. And here's the bad news: The sale comes to an end on March 30. Also, our industry is woefully ill-equipped to produce a product called "Bionic Batman and the Brütal Beatles" and will succumb to creative and financial bankruptcy long before you ever get to play something of such magnificent magnitude. Oh well.
BAFTA announces 2010 Video Games Awards winners, goes batty for Batman
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts handed out its 2010 Video Games Awards in London this evening, but it was a resident of Gotham City who came away the big winner. Although Uncharted 2 bagged yet more trophies -- Best Action Game, Best Use of Audio, Best Story and Best Original Score -- Rocksteady's Batman: Arkham Asylum came away as the Academy's choice for Best Game of 2009. Other notable winners include Flower (Artistic Achievement), LittleBigPlanet PSP (Best Handheld Game) and Wii Sports Resort (Best Family Game). You can see the full list of winners by category after the break. Congrats, Bats!
Batman: Arkham Asylum GOTY edition coming to NA in May
Whew, that was a close one. We were really hoping to get another opportunity to purchase Batman: Arkham Asylum again, but it seemed Rocksteady and Eidos had planned to keep the game's Game of the Year edition exclusively overseas. Fortunately, it seems they've changed their minds -- an Eidos press release just confirmed that the expanded version of the game (which includes four extra challenge maps and 3D support) will be getting a stateside release. Whether you missed out on 2009's surprise superhero smash hit, or whether you were just disappointed by its lack of extra dimensions, you'll be able to get your fix when Batman GOTY ships sometime in May.
Batman: Arkham Asylum GOTY edition's packaging, trailer revealed
Not only does the Game of the Year edition of Batman: Arkham Asylum add TriOviz 3D, it comes with Batman and Joker-themed 3D glasses. They're not exactly what you would imagine Batman and/or the Joker wearing to watch something in 3D, but they are decorated in the style of the two characters. They're like one of those old Halloween costumes with the picture of the character you're supposed to look like printed on the front. In case you haven't heard about this Arkham Asylum thing until now, you can see a trailer for the Game of the Year edition after the break. You'll be able to pick it up on March 26 -- but only if you're in Europe, Asia, or Australia, as those are the only regions for which this edition has been announced.
Batman: Arkham Asylum GOTY Edition not coming to North America
Uh, remember how we kind of got your hopes up with the promise of Batman in 3D earlier today? Well, we hope you North American readers didn't rush to your local game emporium to pre-order the "Game of the Year" edition, as you probably would have gotten laughed at. Warner Bros. confirmed to Joystiq that Batman: Arkham Asylum Game of the Year Edition -- with the 3D feature -- is only coming to Europe, Asia and Australia. We also learned that, no matter what territory you live in, 3D is not a feature that's being added to existing copies of the game. If you want all three dimensions, you're going to have to pony up for the GOTY edition. This may seem tough now, but if you, Charlie Bucket-style, convince yourself that it's better just by itself (the third dimension standing in for golden Wonka ticket here, of course) we're sure you'll pull through.
Batman: Arkham Asylum GOTY Edition includes 3D glasses
If you were planning to ignore the Batman: Arkham Asylum "Game of the Year Edition" (perhaps you're still stinging from the disappointing collector's release) you may not want to stop caring just yet. While we're unexcited by the promise of "six additional maps" on the disc (there are six available for download at the moment -- we have to assume those are the same ones), we're intrigued by CVG's report that the box will include special glasses for use with a newly added TriOviz 3D effect. The TriOviz tech, if you're unfamiliar, works with regular HD and SD sets, and doesn't rely on red and blue lenses, meaning colors are preserved. We'd love to give it a shot, but not so much that we'd re-buy Arkham Asylum to do so. Here's hoping there's a way for us early adopters to check out this new dimension of institutional insanity. [Update: Sadly, it sounds like this isn't gliding into North America.]
