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Arkham action figure line includes Titan Joker, Killer Croc and the Bats
DC Comics is releasing a new line of action figures based on the lead and supporting casts of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City, though you'll have to wait a while to get your hands on them. The line is segregated into regular and "deluxe" figures; the five regular figures (Batman, Ra's Al Ghul, Azrael, a Clown Thug and The Penguin) will find their way to comic shops and toy stores this September.Two of the deluxe figures, Mr. Freeze and Killer Croc, will launch this June, while Titan Joker -- everyone's least favorite part of Arkham Asylum -- won't be available until November. %Gallery-145681%
Batman: Arkham City's Penguin voiced by Nolan North (seriously)
Clearly flexing his vocal chops, voice actor Nolan North is the man behind Batman: Arkham City's most aquatic villain: The Penguin. Rocksteady marketing game manager Dax Ginn revealed as much in an interview with CVG, breaking down the various villains you'll be pummeling as Bats come October. As seen in the trailer above, North's voice acting clearly stretches beyond his most well-known role as pretty-boy adventurer Nathan Drake in the Uncharted series. It could be argued that he's already proven that, given his voice acting contributions to, like, every game ever, but we're pretty impressed with the whole Penguin gig.
Rumor: The Penguin to terrorize Arkham City, his first picture revealed
Rocksteady has been dropping hints about The Penguin's involvement in Batman: Arkham City for a while now -- the most blatant of which being the appearance of the nemesis' Iceberg Club in the game's first teaser trailer. According to ArkhamCity.co.uk, Rocksteady marketing manager Dax Ginn recently spilled the beans about the portly foe's role in the upcoming crimefighting sequel to the Australian Sunday Herald, revealing the very first image of his in-game visage, seen above. According to the site's transcription of the interview, Ginn explained, "The way that penguin has always been portrayed is as quite an aristocratic, well-spoken gentleman who's got these twisted delusions of grandeur." He added, "So we've made him a really horrible, nasty piece of work - but still with the delusion of grandeur. He dresses well, but in a poor taste, and we've made him this brutish, brutal guy but also key into collection fascination that he's had through out the years." We've contacted Rocksteady to confirm the report, as well as Danny DeVito to see if he's collecting any royalties on the title.
Alter-Ego: A closer look at Update 2's troublesome trio
One of the best things about playing DC Universe Online, in my opinion, is the great deal of rich history there is for all the characters. There is also the fact that the iconic DC characters aren't just relegated to the shelves of your local comic book store. Even if you're not the biggest comic nerd on the face of the planet, you've undoubtedly seen at least a few of the iconic characters from the DC universe like Superman or Batman in cartoons on television or at the movies. With Update 2 now live in DC Universe Online, three more names have joined the ever-growing list of in-game characters who have crossed from popular culture into the online world. The Penguin and Two-Face are busy scheming over the future of Gotham, while Mister Mxyzptlk has taken to the streets of Metropolis to play his strange tricks. This week, I thought it would be fun to look a little deeper into the origin stories of the troublesome trio, as the same popular culture that makes these three characters recognizable may also cause some confusion when you run up against the in-game versions -- and their current motives. I should also note, lest the continuity fiends jump on me for it, that these origins are sourced directly from the DC Universe site.
Take a chance on DC Universe Online's Update 2
Are you ready to stand up to the diabolical plans of the Penguin and take your chances with Two-Face? For the heroes and villains of DC Universe Online, today is the day to do just that, as Update 2 is out on the live servers, ready to offer all manner of new challenges to those willing to heed the call. Aside from all the great new endgame, Legends, and holiday content we heard about in talking with Chris Cao a couple of weeks ago, there's a whole slew of bug fixes and improvements in this wide-reaching update. Among the many things that have been fixed are several animation bugs, feat issues, and oh-heavens-yes, those incredibly annoying bugs that stopped players from being able to complete quite a few instances. Add in the ability to bring back friends into instance groups if they get dropped, several new UI changes and more, and you have a great patch that's chock-full of things that DC Universe Online players have been clamoring for. Be sure to pop over to the DC Universe Online forums and check out the enormous patch notes for Update 2. Also, check out our gallery below for lots of Update 2 art goodies! %Gallery-50201%
Chris Cao: DCUO's Update 2 is all about "chance"
We heard some tantalizing details of what Sony Online Entertainment has planned for DC Universe Online's March patch a few weeks ago when Game Director Chris Cao and Art Director and Mark Anderson sat down on the Stickam chat to offer a teaser of what players could expect. Following up, we had a chat with Cao to find out some more specific details on what exactly our superheroes can expect coming in March. According to Cao, the primary theme for this update is "chance," which is reflected both in our chance to face off against The Penguin as boss and in the addition of Two-Face/Harvey Dent in Legends PvP play and as an instance character. That fifth-dimensional trickster Mister Mxyzptlk is likewise being introduced to the game as part of a holiday event themed around St. Patrick's Day. We knew most of this from the Stickam chat; that's why we went digging deeper for the scoop on DC Universe Online's development. Check it out behind the break! %Gallery-50201%
Alter-Ego: A closer look at Update 2
Thanks to a webcast earlier this week from Game Director Chris Cao and Art Director Mark Anderson, we now have an idea of what's to come in the March DC Universe Online patch, also known as Update 2. As anyone who plays the game can tell you, there are certainly a number of fixes and updates that need to be made: PvP exploits, UI tweaks and fixes, grouping mechanic help, raids and more. As such, I thought it would be a good time to dive into some of the things that Cao and Anderson mentioned during their video chat and take a closer look at what we can expect and at how these changes may bring some good and potential bad into the game. So gather up your ideas and opinions on DC Universe Online's upcoming Update 2, caped crusaders, and let's get rolling!
SOE teases The Penguin's appearance in DCUO Update 2
Now that the first monthly patch is live in DC Universe Online, it's a good time for the development team to take a moment to reflect on what was good and not so hot in this first update -- as well as let us know what's planned for the next step. Game Director Chris Cao and Art Director Mark Anderson sat down to talk with fans about just that through SOE's Stickam account earlier today and did just that. In next month's update, which is being called Update 2, players will have the chance to face off against The Penguin as the DC Universe Online team continues the gang war storyline that is currently in game. Along with The Penguin are a series of penguin henchmen players will battle, including robot penguins! Two-Face will also show up in game to take part in the ongoing gang war and to become a new Legends character for players to unlock. Knowing SOE, we'll likely see a reveal of more information on Update 2 and The Penguin sometime in the coming weeks. We'll be certain to keep an eye out for any umbrellagrams and bring you news as it develops!
DC Universe Online gets first game update, SOE has more on the way
The first major update for DC Universe Online is now available for both the PS3 and PC versions of the game (just a day or so after the first buyers' subscription plans kicked in). The patch includes a new eight-player raid inside the Batcave; a number of new missions based around Catwoman and other DC luminaries; some "Love is a Battlefield" holiday content and the long-awaited Auction House functionality. Sony is also streamlining the social UI quite a bit, answering players' wishes for an easier-to-use chat system. And if that's not enough updating for you, Sony has started revealing what's coming next in an interview over at PC Gamer. More bugfixes are incoming, including fixes to issues around voice chat and grouping. In future content, Sony's Chris Cao says that The Penguin is going to get his due, as well as the Flash and some of his associated heroes. It all sounds fun -- SOE promised to push updates quickly on this one, and this free content is its first delivery.
Pop-Block uncovers Arkham 2 teaser's mysteries
digg_url = 'http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/20/pop-block-uncovers-arkham-2-teasers-mysteries/'; During the most recent Spike VGAs, we were treated to a teaserific Batman Arkham Asylum 2 trailer from the folks at Rocksteady Studios. Lo and behold, the teaser contained far more info that our time-constrained brains could catch during the game's unveiling -- info later picked up on by GameTrailers.com's Pop-Block (found after the break). Did you spot the Penguin's famous Iceberg Lounge around the :43 mark? How about the fact that Joker's control center resides on the upper floor of a Roman Sionis-owned (aka "Black Mask") building? And look, if you caught the black cat stalking the bedlam of the street from an overlooking catwalk (which Pop-Block postulates is a Catwoman reference), we're downright impressed. If only you could apply that kind of focus and attention to your schoolwork, young man!
LEGO Batman trailer shows off multiple in-game characters
In the video above for upcoming LEGO Batman, we get a glimpse into some of the co-op fun (which you might have seen already), as Batman and what we're assuming is Nightwing (been awhile since we read a comic, sadly) tear through downtown Gotham. They're not the only visible characters, however, as the Penguin gets some face time in also. And, speaking of downtown Gotham, the city really is brought to life incredibly well in the game, wouldn't you say?%Gallery-13236%
