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'Resident Evil 4' VR remake hits Oculus Quest 2 on October 21st
Right in the middle of spooky season.
Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate escapes onto Europe's eShop this week
A quick update for European Wii U owners and vigilantes-to-be: the Deluxe Edition of Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate is coming to the eShop on April 10, priced 20 euros/£16. WB Games quietly delayed it last week, but the good news is we're not looking at a repeat of the Scribblenauts Unlimited fiasco. The enhanced version of last year's portable platformer is already out on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC - and on Wii U in North America. Bats returning to the 2.5D belfry will encounter improved visuals a new map system, along with new enemy encounters and difficulties. [Image: WB Games]
Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate breaks out a bit later on Wii U in Europe
European Wii U owners aren't getting the Deluxe Edition of Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate until later in April, Warner Bros. revealed today. A press release confirmed the enhanced re-release of last year's 2.5D bat-former is still coming to Wii U today in North America as well as PS3, Xbox 360, and PC, but the European Wii U version won't hit until later in the month. That delayed date may well be April 17, if the launch trailer's YouTube description is anything to go by. The Wii U version was previously slated to release alongside the other platforms, and Warner Bros. didn't note a reason for the delay. We approached Warner Bros. about the date listed on YouTube, and a representative directed us to the press release. Today's news isn't the first time Warner Bros has had Wii U-related issues, especially in Europe. Blackgate Deluxe Edition is an enhanced version of the Vita and 3DS take on Origins, as developed by the Metroid Prime ex-pats at Armature Studios. In addition to polished up visuals, the $20 Deluxe Edition features a brand new map system, and that's definitely a good thing given our review said the previous system's "2D representation of a 2D view of a 3D world" was as it sounds: not great. Despite that awkwardness, we gave last year's version of Blackgate a plenty respectable three and a half stars out of five - the same score we gave its big brother, by the by. [Image: Warner Bros.]
Batman Arkham Origins Blackgate Deluxe hits PC, consoles April 1
Batman Arkham Origins: Blackgate will receive a Deluxe Edition version on April 1, Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment announced today. The Deluxe Edition will launch digitally on PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U and PC via Steam after Blackgate was previously only available on Vita and 3DS. The transition to consoles and PC isn't a total surprise: Blackgate was spotted on the Xbox Games Store earlier this month and on Steam in January. Batman Arkham Origins: Blackgate Deluxe Edition will include "enhanced high-definition 2.5-D graphics" as well as a new map and hint system. Deluxe Edition owners will be able to unlock a Zero Year Batsuit skin in addition to all the outfits in the game. The game will cost $20 on the PSN, Xbox Live, Nintendo eShop and Steam digital platforms. [Image: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment]
Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate appears on Xbox Games Store
Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate is lurking in the shadows of the Xbox Games Store, a month after it was caught sneaking around Steam. The Armature Studio-developed 2.5D platformer came to 3DS and Vita alongside the main Origins game, and now it's listed to hit Xbox 360 in an HD "Deluxe Edition," with the release date noted as March 25. Let's work what this means by channeling the spirit of Adam West. Hmm,... Steam. Take the "s" out of Steam and you get "Team." Teams... soccer teams... soccer teams get the ball into the penalty box to score a goal. Box! And as we all know, X marks the spot. X... Box. Xbox! The clues all point to a multiplatform arrival in the near future, although we're still waiting on official word from Warner Bros. on any of this. Quick, to the Announcement-mobile! [Image: Microsoft]
Batman Arkham Origins Blackgate review: Dynamic 2.5D
Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate is the latest in the excellent Arkham series, and its first handheld game. It's also the first original game from Armature Studio since it was formed by Metroid Prime expats in 2008. Because both sides of the family tree are so distinguished – and seem so likely to make beautiful children together – my expectations were, perhaps, unrealistically lofty for Blackgate. No, Blackgate isn't an event on the level of the first Arkham Asylum or Metroid Prime. But it is a game that accurately transfers the feeling of Arkham Asylum into a new, smaller format, and a game that embodies both the best and worst of the "Metroidvania" genre.
Armature Studio has non-Arkham game coming 'this Christmas'
Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate developer Armature Studio is developing an additional game to be released "this Christmas," the studio's Twitter feed announced yesterday. Armature's account clarified this morning that the project is "not a phone game" and doesn't involve an HD port of the God of War series for the Vita. Beyond that, however, Armature seems keen to let us wonder what the project could be. With a little under three months left before the day where a magical stranger breaks and enters homes worldwide, there's not much time left for the studio to build hype for their mystery present.
Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate features Mega Man-style boss progression
Batman won't be squaring off against eight Robot Masters created by Dr. Wily, but his upcoming game Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate will still take some lessons from old-school platformer Mega Man. Players will choose the order of boss fights, a la Mega Man, which will lead to more gameplay variety on repeat playthroughs, director Mark Pacini said during an interview with Polygon. The Mega Man comparisons don't stop there, either. Defeating a boss will earn you a specific item tied to that character, which Batman can subsequently use to make future engagements easier. Unfortunately, it's unlikely Bats will get to summon a flying robo-dog during his adventures in Blackgate.
Armature Studio worked on an unreleased Mega Man X FPS, 'Maverick Hunter'
Armature Studio, the Austin-based developer formed from Retro Studios talent, was working with Capcom to create a new Mega Man X FPS, Polygon reports. Maverick Hunter would have kept X's weapon stealing ability and the platforming from the side-scrolling games, and added a deeper story and a new look, including armor by Adi Granov, who designed the armor for the Iron Man movie.Capcom canceled the project, like other recent Mega Man games including Mega Man Universe and Mega Man Legends 3, likely coinciding with the departure of series producer Keiji Inafune. Armature prototyped it in early 2010, Polygon's sources said. The site has five videos of the unreleased game, along with several gameplay details.Perhaps Mega Man didn't need this "gritty" reboot treatment, but on the other hand, it would have been a game, which is an increasingly rare thing to happen in that series.
Armature Studio assisting with Metal Gear Solid: HD Edition on Vita
In 2008, staff from Metroid Prime developer Retro Studios broke off to form a new company, called Armature. Though it was initially partnered with EA, nothing has come of that deal, and to date no projects have come out that are officially attached to Armature.It's quite a surprise, then, to see the studio's name on this Japanese website for the PlayStation Vita version of Metal Gear Solid: HD Collection. Its name is listed as co-developer along with fellow Austin studio Bluepoint Games, who was responsible for the console versions (and many other HD remakes of this generation).So if you decide to pick up Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3 in handheld form this summer (June in Japan), you'll be playing the first game(s) by Armature Studio!%Gallery-150439%
Armature Studio hiring for 'unannounced project' with 'unannounced publisher'
The last time we heard from Armature Studio, the developer founded by ex-Retro Studios executives, it had signed a multi-game agreement with EA. That was in fall 2008, and there hasn't been a peep from Armature since then -- until now. The Austin-based developer is up to something! And hiring people to do that thing that it's up to! A newsletter sent out by the former Metroid Prime dev announced that "We are staffing up for the initial stages of an exciting unannounced project with an excited unannounced publisher!" That "unannounced publisher" bit puts the status of Armature's "long-term, exclusive" deal with EA into question. Perhaps the Armature deal was affected by the EA Blueprint closure -- in any case, this announcement is potentially great news for the millions who loved Metroid Prime and want to see more from the people who created it. Oh, and it's also potentially great news for engineers, designers, animators, or visual effects artists looking for a job in Austin.
AGDC: We talk to Jack Mathews of Armature Studio
Earlier this week, EA announced that the three developers (Jack Matthews, Mark Pacini, and Todd Keller) who jumped ship from the Nintendo-owned Retro Studios back in April would be forming their own development house, Armature Studio. They were courted by several big companies (read: as big as EA, and/or bigger) and finally signed a long-term publishing deal with EA to develop games for all consoles. Pacini said, "What really gets me going is that now, no platform is off limit. That is just something we didn't have the ability to do before." Both Retro and Armature are located in Austin, TX, so the timing of the press release was meant to be a part of the Austin GDC. Even though this same team worked on the Metroid Prime series, it's itching for more knuckle-blasting, thumbstick-twiddling, button-mashing fare. After the jump you can read our interview with Jack Mathews and find out what sort of platforms the new studio will be developing for. One thing we did learn: they're not making any MMOs.
Retro Studios vets form Armature, sign publishing agreement with EA
Back in April, we reported three key staffers at Retro Studios had vacated their offices and turned in their letters of resignation. These three individuals were design director Mark Pacini, art director Todd Keller and technology engineer Jack Mathews. Speculation was the three left to start their own company. Well, that's what happened.The three have announced their new company, Armature Studio, has signed a "long-term, exclusive" publishing deal with games giant Electronic Arts. Armature and EA were both, obviously, excited about the move. "We are very excited about trying to rethink how games are developed for this generation of consoles, and our partners at EA have been nothing but supportive in this pursuit," said Pacini. "What really gets me going is that now, no platform is off limits. That is just something we didn't have the ability to do before." "I can't begin to describe how thrilled I am to be working with the talented team that created such an amazingly well-crafted series of games," said Louis Castle of EA, whom would be acting executive producer on the future Armature games.With Retro Studios making such wonderful games on Nintendo hardware, it would appear these three key players aren't going to be favoring the Wii, sadly. Pacini really wants to see what the other consoles are about, commenting that "now, no platform is off limits. That is just something we didn't have the ability to do before." [Via Joystiq]
Former Metroid Prime devs found Armature Studio, partner with EA
If you'll recall, three of Retro Studios' key developers – Mark Pacini, Todd Keller, and Jack Matthews – left the Nintendo-owned studio, famous for the Metroid Prime series, last April. Now the trio has announced the formation of an entirely new entity: Armature Studio. Armature isn't your run-of-the-mill developer though – a "core creative team" will be tasked with creating new intellectual properties and then partner with an external development team to implement the design. It's an outsourcing model (think Wideload) that allows smaller creative teams the ability to develop AAA titles. But while the model is great, it's not very valuable without a publishing partner to help get those games out there. Cue: "a long term, exclusive publishing deal with EA" – presumably the secretive EA Blueprint, since that imprint's Louis Castle is serving as executive producer for the Armature titles. For the guys at Armature, they're just excited to "rethink how games are developed for this generation of consoles." Yup, "consoles" – no longer limited to Nintendo hardware, Pacini says, "What really gets me going is that now, no platform is off limits." Xbox 360? PS3? Gizmondo?
