By Lorin Baumgarten

On this week’s episode of EpicBatleCry, the hosts talked quite a bit about game delays. As you know this is a favorite topic of mine and, therefore, you might be expecting me to write about it this week. Well, I will not. Although – I will say that I still can’t figure out why an industry that makes more money than the music industry and is creeping up on film still cannot seem to manage what the other two forms of entertainment mastered long ago: schedules. I mean, didn’t we all learn about schedules and managing expectations and fulfilling commitments in some intro class in high school? I mean seriously, gaming industry, get your sh*# together when it comes to…wait a minute, wait a minute. I said that I am not going to write about this topic this week, didn’t I?. Sorry. I got a little caught up there. What I dowant to discuss this week is a topic DK brought up on the show in the context of Mass Effect 2, but is an even more interesting question when extrapolated out to the industry in general. That question is: are games being dumbed down and/or diluted in order to appeal to the masses and , if so, are they losing quality and merit because of it?

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Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment today announced Batman: Arkham City as the title for its highly-anticipated follow-up to the award-winning, critically acclaimed hit Batman: Arkham Asylum, which is apparently slated for a multi-platform release in Autumn 2011.

Along with the announcement of the official name and target release window comes an updated description of the game:

Developed by Rocksteady Studios, Batman: Arkham City builds upon the intense, aospheric foundation of Batman: Arkham Asylum, sending players soaring into Arkham City, the new maximum security “home” for all of Gotham City’s thugs, gangsters and insane criminal masterminds. Set inside the heavily fortified walls of a sprawling district in the heart of Gotham City, this highly anticipated sequel introduces a brand-new story that draws together a new all-star cast of classic characters and murderous villains from the Batman universe, as well as a vast range of new and enhanced gameplay features to deliver the ultimate experience as the Dark Knight.

Nice!

That’s about all for now, but those of you going batty over Rocksteady’s latest title can check out the game’s official website for the very latest. We’ll of course keep you posted on all the big details as they emerge. Who amongst you is pumped for this one? Let us know below!

By Lorin Baumgarten

So it’s time to put a cap on E3 2010. I have written all of my hands-on articles and life can return to normal. But before it does, in deference to the main topic on Episode 79 of EpicBattleCry, I thought I would do a round up of some of the things that stood out for me at the show. Not everything that was interesting got written up by me, or written up at all. There was just too much. So here a summary of the highlights of the show, as told by one man who suffered through it with the likes of Brent Adams, Tony Grice, Daniel Kayser, Reuben Moretz, and Aaron Hines.

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The day has finally come. OnLive has launched and I finally have it to play with. I must say, the service is pretty darn cool, though not very functional – yet. I have always been one of the proponents of OnLive, the cloud gaming service that promises the ability to play games, streamed from their servers, on virtually any computer (and later this year on a console). I think the freedom to carry their proprietary MicroConsole with you when you travel, or to play games on a $500 laptop is pretty enticing. Cross platform game saves (PC to console) and the ability to play the game on both is also pretty enticing, to say the least. But there are drawbacks too. A poor or lost internet connection will mean no gaming at all and, when you do purchase games from the service, you don’t actually own them. But do the benefits outweigh the risks? Let’s take a look.
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Through this Thursday, June 10th, the Game Of The Year Edition of Rocksteady’s instant Dark Knight classic Batman: Arkham Asylum is on sale for $19.99 on Steam.

The Game Of The Year edition of the game features 4 extra challenge maps, which are available as DLC for owners of the original version of the game. Also of some importance is that, unlike the console counterparts, the PC version does not come with 3D glasses. While there is a way to use 3D with the PC version, do your research ahead of time and make sure that you understand how it works before you buy the GOTY expecting it.

But all that aside, Batman: Arkham Asylum is a great game and is commonly regarded as the best Batman game ever made. It is definitely worth $19.99 as it offers way more than twenty bucks worth of enjoyment. If you haven’t played this game, this is a good deal for you!

Source

What’s up everyone? DK here with today’s Member BattleCry as we continue our discussion pertaining to your most highly-anticipated, well, ANYTHING of E3 2010. Obviously, there is A LOT to choose from, and we all know that plenty of devs and pubs are holding their cards close to their chests, but in the weeks leading up to the big show, it’s always fun to evaluate the state of our favorite games, companies, or franchises and cross our fingers as we collectively hope for something worth being excited about.

So then, let’s turn things over to EBA regular TimOverkleeft for a super-hero-sized Member BattleCry that is anything but a joke…
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Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group announced via press release today the acquisition of a majority stake in Rocksteady Studios, developer of Batman: Arkham Asylum, one of the most critically acclaimed games of 2009 and one of the better selling ones too with over three million units shipped worldwide.

“Rocksteady demonstrated its professionalism and extraordinary development abilities with Batman: Arkham Asylum,” said Kevin Tsujihara, president, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group. “This arrangement is a great strategic fit and we are very pleased to solidify our relationship with this talented development team.”

“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, studio director at the London based Rocksteady Studios. Sefton Hill, games director, added, “The Rocksteady team is very much looking forward to creating more great games based on widely recognized Warner Bros. brands like Batman.”

“With the successful release of Batman: Arkham Asylum, a franchise that is a key focus for Warner Bros., Rocksteady has proven that they have the expertise to create hit games with mass appeal,” said Martin Tremblay, president, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “We are currently working with Rocksteady on the sequel to Batman: Arkham Asylum and look forward to bringing the continuation of the franchise to fans worldwide.”

“We are delighted to be deepening our relationship with London-based Rocksteady Studios, one of the UK’s most respected games developers and 2009 recipient of the VGA’s coveted ‘studio of the year’ award,” said Josh Berger, president and managing director, Warner Bros. UK. “Rocksteady clearly has the talent, expertise and technology to make great games and we are fortunate to continue working closely with them as we further expand our games portfolio.”

So, there ya go…Hopefully the deal will lend itself to making the next Batman game even better…Of course, only time will tell. We’ll keep you posted on any new details as they emerge.

Hey everyone, DK here with today’s Member BattleCry which, as you might suspect by this week’s topic starter, has to do with an idea on how to implement Microsoft’s Natal into a true gaming experience. It comes from EBA Member TheCrisisKing and asks, “What could Superhero games be like with Natal???” Grab your favorite cape (or tights) and hit the jump to check it out…
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Happy Monday everyone! Hope you had a good weekend and rockin’ Holiday! We’re kicking off this week’s Member BattleCries with a post by Axe Head Vamp who delivers a huge shout out to those developers that aren’t afraid to try new things. In a sequel-driven industry, I agree that it’s refreshing and rewarding to see new IPs emerge and succeed. Here’s our Member BattleCry of the Day:

Vamp says:

My EBC goes to the developers trying new IPs and actually putting an effort on getting a good quality game out with support and also to the gamers for supporting the new IPs such as Batman AA, Borderlands, Dragon Age. I think that by us supporting the new IPs shows them that we really appreciate new and innovative ideas and that we will support it if it’s a great game and not one of those generic shooters or the shovelware that we see at the stores.

Got something you wanna say on the matter? Just use the comments section below. Got a different topic you’d like to submit as a Member BattleCry? Then head here, Cry Havoc and let your voice be heard!

PRESS RELEASE

SPIKE TV’S “VIDEO GAME AWARDS 2009″ PLANS GLOBAL DOMINATION

7TH ANNUAL EVENT WILL BE BROADCAST IN MORE THAN 180 COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES WORLDWIDE

Two-Hour Event Premieres LIVE On Saturday, December 12 At 8:00 PM ET

Halo: Reach To Exclusively Premiere At VGAs, Plus Spectacular First Looks At
Never-Before-Seen Titles Set To Rock Gaming Consoles In 2010 And Beyond

Nominees And Categories Honoring The Best In Video Games Announced With Sony’s Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Topping List With Eight Nominations

Voting Begins Today At VGA.Spike.Com and GameTrailers.com

New York, NY, November 18, 2009 – Spike TV today announced the nominees and categories for the biggest world-wide event ever to celebrate the video game industry, the 2009 “Video Game Awards .” The seventh annual “VGAs” will be a global event, broadcasting in over 180 territories and countries and gathering megastars from the worlds of video games, Hollywood, music, sports and more to honor the outstanding achievements within the video game industry during the past year. The two-hour event, taking place in Los Angeles, CA, will premiere LIVE on Spike TV Saturday, December 12 at 8:00pm, ET/PT (tape delay west coast). Beginning today, fans can vote for their favorite nominees at VGA.Spike.Com and GameTrailers.com.
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