WebProNews

Tag: Batman

  • Here’s Everything You Need To Know About The Batmobile In Arkham Knight

    After three games, Batman Arkham Knight will finally let players actually drive the Batmobile around Gotham City. That, in and of itself, is a pretty big addition to the series, but Rocksteady isn’t content to just let players drive one of the most recognizable vehicles in pop culture. Instead, they’re building an entirely new experience around the vehicle to help you feel like you really are Batman.

    In a new post on the PlayStation Blog, Rocksteady says they built the Batmobile with three core design tenets in mind. The first is that the Batmobile would be unstoppable. In other words, you’ll be able to smash through pillars, stalls and other obstacles while in the Batmobile. The second is what Rocksteady calls “Instant eject into glide.” As the name implies, Batman will be able to eject himself from the Batmobile at any time and seamlessly go into a glide. The third is “Instant access” – with a press of the L1 button, the Batmobile will come around the corner ready for Batman to jump in.

    As for the design itself, the team admits that the Batmobile design in Arkham Asylum wouldn’t work that well in a city environment. Instead, they went back to the drawing board and redesigned the Batmobile from scratch to look realistic while maintaining its intimidating persona. Here’s the philosophy that went behind the design:

    So with [the Arkham Asylum] design rejected, we actually started with ideas that were driven by a purely pragmatic approach. After a number of iterations, we felt that this never captured the spirit of Batman. While he is not someone who ever shows off for the sake of it, it is very important that you know when Batman is around. He doesn’t build a distinctive vehicle just because he likes to drive a flash car. He drives a unique vehicle for the same reason he wears his cape and cowl – it’s part of his persona of intimidation.

    Batman Arkham Knight will be out later this year on PS4, Xbox One and PC.

    Image via PlayStation Blog

  • Here’s A Look At The Story Of Batman: Arkham Knight

    Here’s A Look At The Story Of Batman: Arkham Knight

    Earlier this month, WB and Rocksteady unveiled the final game in their Batman game franchise – Arkham Knight. The game is said to take place a year after the events of Arkham City, but we don’t know much else beyond that.

    While Rocksteady will be keeping much of the story under wraps until launch, it did share some plot details with Game Informer. Starting off, the team says that Gotham City’s crime rate has dropped to a historic low following the events of Arkham City. The city’s rogues gallery has been working in the dark, however, as they gather their strength for one final attack on the city that they hope will end up with the death of Batman.

    Speaking of villains, all of the villains are now being led by Scarecrow as he attempts to release a new toxin. All of the villains will also be working together to take down Batman as they feel he is the last thing standing in their way of taking over Gotham.

    As for the Arkham Knight name, it refers to a new villain that will be introduced in the game. He looks similar to Batman, but he wields a gun. The thought is that Arkham Knight is the antithesis of Batman in lieu of The Joker no longer being around, but the dev team isn’t saying anything.

    Batman: Arkham Knight will be released later this year on Xbox One, PS4 and PC.

    Image via Game Informer/YouTube

  • David Mazouz Cast As Young Bruce Wayne In Fox’s “Gotham”

    Fox’s new show Gotham has received its big casting parts with the recent addition of the characters Selina Kyle and Bruce Wayne, who will be played by David Mazouz.

    The show is essentially a prequel to Batman, and will focus on Bruce Wayne as the pre-teen billionaire, before he learns to fight, and develops the urge to seek justice.

    Gotham could be compared to Smallville in a way, which focused on the early years of Clark Kent, following his years of growing up in high school with his adopted parents on Earth.

    David Mazouz is 13 years old, and while most people probably do not recognize his name, he has appeared on a Fox show already. He previously played Kiefer Southerland’s mute son on the short-lived show Touch.

    In addition to the casting of Mazouz, the character of Selina Kyle was also just cast. For those that are not super familiar with the world of Batman, Selina Kyle is the real name of Batman’s lover/nemesis Catwoman. The show will be used to give a bit of her history in addition to Wayne’s, as fans of the films have been left in the dark for the most part about where she came from.

    Camren Bicondova, an actress who has not been seen on the screen before, will play Selina Kyle. Her character has been described as “a teenage orphan who is suspicious and wholly unpredictable; a street thief and skilled pickpocket, she’s dangerous when cornered.”

    The plot of Gotham will center around Detective James Gordon, and his efforts to fight crime in the fictional city that everyone has come to be familiar with over time, where ambitious and creative criminals ruled the streets even before Batman rose to power.

    Bruno Heller, who has worked on The Mentalist, has written the script for the pilot, and will serve as the executive producer. Danny Cannon will direct the pilot.

    In addition to David Mazouz and Camren Bicondova, several other unknown actors have been cast in the upcoming series. However, there is one name that people are likely to recognize with the previous casting of Jada Pinkett Smith as Fish Mooney.

    Image via Youtube

  • Batman: Arkham Knight Announced For PS4, Xbox One And PC

    Last year, Warner Bros. Games released Batman: Arkham Origins as a prequel to the much loved Arkham series of Batman games that began with 2009’s Arkham Asylum. While it was a good game in its own right, it definitely felt like something to hold us over until the next proper entry from series creator Rocksteady Games. Well, our gut feeling was on the money as Rocksteady is back with a new Batman game that wraps up the Arkham franchise.

    WB Games and DC Comics announced today that Batman: Arkham Knight will be the final game in the Arkham franchise when it hits PS4, Xbox One and PC later this year. The game takes place after the events of Arkham City with a Gotham City overrun with the usual rogues gallery led by Scarecrow.

    In the explosive finale to the Arkham series, Batman faces the ultimate threat against the city he is sworn to protect. The Scarecrow returns to unite an impressive roster of super villains, including Penguin, Two-Face and Harley Quinn, to destroy The Dark Knight forever. Batman: Arkham Knight introduces Rocksteady’s uniquely designed version of the Batmobile, which is drivable for the first time in the franchise. The addition of this legendary vehicle, combined with the acclaimed gameplay of the Batman Arkham series, offers gamers the ultimate and complete Batman experience as they tear through the streets and soar across the skyline of the entirety of Gotham City.

    The first trailer for the game doesn’t have any gameplay, but it definitely appeals to the Batman fan:

    There’s still no release date for Batman: Arkham Knight, but it will be out later this year. It’s also the first major multi-platform game to skip last generation consoles in favor of focusing exclusively on current generation systems which is exciting in its own right.

    Image via Batman Arkham/YouTube

  • Jada Pinkett Smith Is Happy With Fuller Figure

    Jada Pinkett Smith Is Happy With Fuller Figure

    Jada Pinkett Smith took to Facebook to let the world know that she realizes that she has put on about 8 – 10 pounds, but she’s perfectly okay with it. And while she likes her new curves, she’s a bit concerned that her dress won’t fit come Sunday night when she walks the red carpet at the 86th Annual Academy Awards.

    Smith noticed her extra pounds when a friend of hers posted a picture of the 42-year-old actress with her husband Will Smith and her daughter Willow. The photo was at a UFC match at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

    She wrote on her personal Facebook page that she could clearly see the weight gain but that she liked it.

    Post by Jada Pinkett Smith.

    Perhaps Smith will keep the extra weight in order to pack more of punch for the upcoming Fox prequel Batman series called Gotham. The actress has been cast by Warner Bros. Television to play a villain named Fish Mooney. Never heard of her? That’s because it’s an original character that the new television show has created, she’s never appeared in any of the comics or Batman films. The villain is described as a “sadistic gangster boss and nightclub owner.”

    Imdb.com’s tagline for the one hour drama, “The origin story behind Commissioner James Gordon’s rise to prominence in Gotham City in the years before Batman’s arrival.” The show will be set at the beginning of Gordon’s days as a policeman when he just meets a young boy named Bruce Wayne, perhaps while investigating the murder of his parents.

    Ben McKenzie (Southland and The O.C.) has been cast as the lead character Jim Gordon. Bruno Heller, the creator of The Mentalist, will executive produce and write.

    Image via Jada Pinkett Smith, Facebook

  • ‘Batman: Arkham Origins’ Mr. Freeze-Themed DLC Announced

    Fans of the Batman: Arkham games can’t be blamed for being a bit disappointed with Batman: Arkham Origins. The game arrived buggy on nearly every platform and Warner Bros. recently announced that it has given up on fixing the game. That hasn’t stopped the publisher from pumping out more DLC for the title, except when it comes to the Wii U version of Origins.

    Warner Bros. today announced the latest DLC content for Arkham Origins, a single-player story add-on titled “Cold, Cold Heart.” The content will be released on April 22 on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Steam.

    As implied by the title, “Cold, Cold Heart” is heavily focused on infamous Batman villain Mr. Freeze. The villain’s back story will unfold throughout an icy Gotham landscape that includes Wayne Manor. Players will also get to try out new Batman gear including a new suit, gloves, and “Thermocharged” Batarangs.

  • Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luther Fires Up Twitterverse

    The twitterverse is all fired up over the news that Jesse Eisenberg has been cast to play Lex Luthor in Zack Snyder’s sequel to 2012′s Man of Steel.

    Eisenberg, best known for his Oscar-nominated role as Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network and as nerdy Columbus in Zombieland, will join Jeremy Irons who was cast as Bruce Wayne’s butler, Alfred. They will join Henry Cavill as Superman, Ben Affleck as Batman, Amy Adams as Lois Lane and Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman.

    “Lex Luthor is often considered the most notorious of Superman’s rivals, his unsavory reputation preceding him since 1940,” Snyder said. “What’s great about Lex is that he exists beyond the confines of the stereotypical nefarious villain. He’s a complicated and sophisticated character whose intellect, wealth and prominence position him as one of the few mortals able to challenge the incredible might of Superman. Having Jesse in the role allows us to explore that interesting dynamic, and also take the character in some new and unexpected directions.”

    On many levels, the selection of Eisenberg is surprising. Most believed Breaking Bad‘s Bryan Cranston was a shoo-in for the role and some wonder if the 30-year-old actor can pull off the role that is associated with Gene Hackman.

    Snyder’s choice of Academy-Award winner Irons as Bruce Wayne’s English butler doesn’t seem to be garnering the same negative attention as the casting of Eisenberg.

    “As everyone knows, Alfred is Bruce Wayne’s most trusted friend, ally and mentor, a noble guardian and father figure,” Snyder said. “He is an absolutely critical element in the intricate infrastructure that allows Bruce Wayne to transform himself into Batman. It is an honor to have such an amazingly seasoned and gifted actor as Jeremy taking on the important role of the man who mentors and guides the guarded and nearly impervious façade that encapsulates Bruce Wayne.”

    “It is an honor to have such an amazingly seasoned and gifted actor as Jeremy taking on the important role of the man who mentors and guides the guarded and nearly impervious facade that encapsulates Bruce Wayne,” said Snyder.

    Image via Wikimedia

  • Lex Luthor’s Role Has Been Cast In Upcoming Batman Vs. Superman Film

    Big news is here for fans of superhero films. Something big was revealed today when the upcoming Batman vs. Superman film announced who would be playing Lex Luthor.

    The film has already been delayed, and as fans wait in anticipation for what will be one of the most epic superhero films of all time, every bit of news is exciting to hear about.

    The film is the sequel to Man Of Steel, and will feature the masked dark knight facing off with Superman. This will also mark the first time that Batman and Superman have appeared on screen together.

    The role of Lex Luthor is also one that has been talked about for a while, and it was announced today that the role will be filled by Jesse Eisenberg. On the same day that he was cast as Lex Luthor, it was also revealed that Jeremy Irons would play Alfred, Bruce Wayne’s butler.

    Zack Snyder will be returning as the director, and the film will retain much of the stars that appeared in the 2013 film Man Of Steel including Henry Cavill as Superman, Amy Adams as Lois Lane, and Diane Lane as Martha Kent.

    Snyder made a statement about Lex Luthor as a character and how Jesse Eisenberg will fit in with the role when saying “He’s a complicated and sophisticated character whose intellect, wealth and prominence position him as one of the few mortals able to challenge the incredible might of Superman. Having Jesse in the role allows us to explore that interesting dynamic, and also take the character in some new and unexpected directions.”

    Ben Affleck was also added as Batman, which created a large amount of controversy at the time, and people have continued to criticize that casting choice, even starting petitions to have him removed from the film. Only time will tell how fans will deal with the latest casting decisions. People feared for another disaster that could be similar to Daredevil, and reacted strongly as a result.

    Another addition has already taken place after the addition of Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, which brought on some controversy as well, with people arguing over whether she looks the part of Wonder Woman.

    Lex Luthor is often considered the most notorious of Superman’s enemies, and as Jesse Eisenberg has never had such a role before, it will be interesting to see how he handles it.

    He certainly showed that he could be aggressive in the role of Mark Zuckerberg during the Oscar-nominated film The Social Network. He has also appeared in several other films including Now You See Me, Zombieland and Adventureland.

    People can expect to see Jesse Eisenberg in the role of Lex Luthor, along with the rest of the talented cast, as they take the screen in Batman vs. Superman, which is now set to be released on May 16, 2016.

    Image via Youtube

  • Jesse Eisenberg Cast as Lex Luthor in Batman vs. Superman

    After the reveal that Ben Affleck will play Batman in the upcoming Batman vs. Superman movie, it would seem that casting for the movie couldn’t get any stranger. That assumption has now been proven wrong.

    Warner Bros. Pictures today announced that Jesse Eisenberg of Zombieland and The Social Network fame has been cast as Lex Luthor in Batman vs. Superman.

    “Lex Luthor is often considered the most notorious of Superman’s rivals, his unsavory reputation preceding him since 1940,” said Zack Snyder, director of Batman vs. Superman. “What’s great about Lex is that he exists beyond the confines of the stereotypical nefarious villain. He’s a complicated and sophisticated character whose intellect, wealth and prominence position him as one of the few mortals able to challenge the incredible might of Superman. Having Jesse in the role allows us to explore that interesting dynamic, and also take the character in some new and unexpected directions.”

    Joining Eisenberg will be Jeremy Irons, who will have the heroic task of following Michael Caine as Wayne Manor butler Alfred.

    “As everyone knows, Alfred is Bruce Wayne’s most trusted friend, ally and mentor, a noble guardian and father figure,” said Snyder. “He is an absolutely critical element in the intricate infrastructure that allows Bruce Wayne to transform himself into Batman. It is an honor to have such an amazingly seasoned and gifted actor as Jeremy taking on the important role of the man who mentors and guides the guarded and nearly impervious façade that encapsulates Bruce Wayne.”

    Gal Gadot has already been revealed to be playing Wonder Woman in Batman vs. Superman and characters from last year’s Man of Steel will also be returning. Laurence Fishburne and Diane Lane will reprise their roles in the DC Comics universe, as will Amy Adams as Lois Lane.

    Batman vs. Superman was recently delayed one year. Though the movie was previously scheduled for a summer 2015 release it will now kick off the 2016 summer blockbuster season on May 9, 2016. According to today’s announcement, the movie is currently being Chris Terrio, the man who wrote the screenplay for Ben Affleck’s Argo.

  • ‘Arkham Origins’ DLC Cancelled For Wii U

    Since the launch of the Wii U, arguably the biggest third-party series on the console has been the Batman: Arkham games. The console launched with a well-polished version of Arkham City packed with all the extra content already out for other platforms. Warner Bros. followed that up last year by launching Batman: Arkham Origins on the Wii U, though it now appears that sales were not what the publisher had hoped.

    Warner Bros. and Nintendo have announced that the release of further Arkham Origins DLC on the Wii U has been cancelled. According to an email obtained by GoNintendo, the planned campaign add-on DLC for Origins has been cancelled.

    Wii U owners who had purchased a season pass for Origins will have their entire purchase refunded. Refunds will show up in customer eShop accounts as a $20 credit.

    The DLC has not been cancelled for other consoles or PC. This implies that Warner Bros. determined the cost of porting the content to the Wii U to be higher than any potential sales on that console.

    This would stem from the low install base of the Wii U, as well as slow sales of third-party titles on the console. In Nintendo’s quarterly results this week the company revealed that fewer than 6 million Wii U consoles have been sold to date. That compares poorly to the over 4 million PlayStation 4 consoles that were sold during the final six weeks of 2013.

    The DLC cancellation is yet another blow to the Wii U’s third-party lineup. Publishers have recently been leaving the Wii U out of new game announcements or outright canceling their planned Wii U ports of next-gen games.

  • Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck’s Superhero Face-Off Delayed

    One of the highly anticipated films of 2015 pushed its release date back to 2016. DC Comic fans need to wait a little longer to see a Superman and Batman face off. Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck star as Superman and Batman respectively. Warner Bros. originally planned to release the untitled Batman vs. Superman film on July 17, 2015 but moved it to May 6, 2016.The Peter Pan origin story film called Pan, directed by Joe Wright, will take its place. Pan was originally scheduled for a June 26, 2015 release.

    Warner Bros. states that they decided to move the film to “allow the filmmakers time to realize fully their vision, given the complex visual nature of the story.” Currently the production company still has some important decisions to make about the Superman-Batman film, like who to cast as the main villain. The movie, still in pre-production, begins shooting sometime during the latter half of this year.

    This unexpected filming change creates a conflict for Affleck. He plans to direct a movie called Live by Night after he finishes filming the Superman-Batman film. Live is scheduled for a December 25, 2015 (Christmas day) release. The movie’s schedule change pressures Affleck to quickly finish the film in order to meet the release deadline. Affleck’s other highly anticipated film Gone Girl is scheduled to release on October 3, 2014. His Superman-Batman filming schedule could also interfere with promoting Gone Girl.

    Many other films with huge fanbases are scheduled for a 2015 release, including the new Star Wars movie and Pirates of the Caribbean 5. Therefore, this move might help Batman vs. Superman receive bigger box office numbers.

    The Superman-Batman movie also stars Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Laurence Fishburne as Perry White, Diane Lane as Martha Kent and Amy Adams as Lois Lane.

    Changing the film’s release date puts it in direct competition against an unknown Marvel film. The Marvel movie may change its release date too. If it doesn’t, this makes the real showdown between Marvel and DC, not Superman and Batman.

    Image Via Facebook

  • Katee Sackhoff Hopes for Harley Quinn

    Katee Sackhoff Hopes for Harley Quinn

    The Battlestar Galactica star, Katee Sackhoff, really aims for strong female roles in television and films.

    Last year, she appeared in Riddick with Vin Diesel and is currently scheduled to appear in an “all female” version of The Expendables.

    But Katee revealed lately that she’s also a huge fan of comic books. In an interview with Total Film, when asked if she could see herself in a comic book movie, she said, “Absolutely. I would love to play any of these characters. I’d love to play Wonder Woman.”

    She continued, “I remember auditioning for the Wonder Woman television show and being told that I wasn’t the Wonder Woman type, but if I wanted to play the best friend, I could audition for that. And remember thinking to myself, ‘You obviously haven’t seen my work!’”

    With Batman being one of her favorite series, Sackhoff’s sights are set on one of the fictional character’s villians.

    “I would love to play Harley Quinn. I just think it’s amazing. I mean I think I might give away my firstborn to have an opportunity to play Harley Quinn.”

    Sackhoff has already provided talent for Batman: Year One, a 2011 animated release, where she voiced Detective Sarah Essen. However, playing a villian seems “more fun, more challenging” to her.

    “I love trying to understand the villain, and trying to understand the things they do and why they do them, and I’ve always found [Harley Quinn] and The Joker, you almost can’t understand them. And it makes it so much more interesting because everything’s fair game, and I love that. I loved the usefulness of her, I thought that was interesting, and I just think that it’s a fantastic character.”

    But Batman isn’t the only series she has her eye on.

    “Star Wars meant everything to me growing up. Star Wars was, I mean, it was the first time I remember seeing three movies that all kind of went together. It was just an amazing final understanding of what a trilogy was.” Laughing, she added, “The sad thing is, I never wanted to be Princess Leia, I always wanted to be Han Solo!”

    From 2012-2013, Sackhoff voiced the warrior character, Bo-Katan, in the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

    Referring to the director of the upcoming Star Wars movies, J.J. Abrahms, Sackhoff said, “If J.J. would listen, I would play a rock in the Star Wars movies. I think that they’re fantastic, I think that he’s a great choice, and I’m excited to see what happens in that world.”

    Sackhoff is currently starring in the A&E series, Longmire, which goes into its third season in 2014.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqLP5siirDU

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Henry Cavill Named Sexiest Man; Talks Affleck Choice

    In a recent poll from Glamour magazine, Henry Cavill was named the Sexiest Man of 2013, winning the most votes from 95,000 readers.

    For the past four years, Robert Pattinson (of Twilight fame) had won the title. One would think Pattinson would have gained more mass appeal after his break-up with Kristen Stewart, but apparently the style of the year is huge, muscle-bound, classy (but with rough, bearded appeal) men instead of sparkling vampires.

    Other prominent celebrities on the list include Liam Hemsworth at number 3, Tom Hiddleston at number 4, Benedict Cumberbatch at number 5, Harry Styles at number 6, Chris Hemsworth at number 7, and Justin Beiber at number 10.

    When one wins a sexiest man award, it also brings with it a new level of ethos that makes every statement one makes from that moment on more credible than it previously would have been (by the laws of sexiness). Therefore, fans should be appeased by hearing that Cavill has allayed fears that Ben Affleck will not make a proper Batman in the upcoming Man of Steel sequel:

    “I’m sure he’ll be fantastic above all else. And as a filmmaker, he’s got his own style, you know. He’s not copying anyone else. And he’s also sort of being tenacious in his career. He’s had ups followed by downs and now he’s very up again, and I think that requires and shows a very special strength of character. And it’s something which I enjoy working with because jobs like this require strength of character, they require a dedication to the work and belief in oneself. And Ben has that, clearly.”

    Cavill’s comments support the vision held by the sequel’s producer, Charles Roven: “We wanted a guy who had a certain age and a certain gravitas to what he had done in terms of his recent work. If you take a look at The Town and Argo, he plays a couple of serious guys in those movies. He’s a big man. He’s also a mature man. As you see him and Henry together, one definitely has much more experience just by looking at him. That’s what we wanted, particularly juxtaposed against our Superman.”

    Not only did Cavill opine about the choice of Affleck as the next Batman, but he also spoke on looking forward to working with Affleck’s version of Batman on stage: “The next instalment, as we all know, is involving another rather important character, and i’m looking very forward to that interaction, because ultimately they’re two sides of the same coin. How they interact, how they clash and how they ultimately aim towards the same goal is going to be an interesting relationship, and I look forward to playing that with Ben especially.”

    While not much information has been released concerning the Zack Snyder directed Batman vs. Superman flick, Roven’s vision coupled with Cavill’s and Affleck’s attitudes toward the project should make one excited. Even if one has some skepticism left in them, at least this clash of comic book titans paves the way for a Justice League movie, something we have all been itching to see since the success of The Avengers franchise.

    [Image via YouTube]

  • ‘Batman: Arkham Origins’ DLC Map Previewed

    Only weeks from its release, Batman: Arkham Origins is now one of the newer big titles to receive big discounts from online retailers on “Cyber Monday.” With the spotlight on, Warner Bros. today has released a preview for the first DLC content for Origins.

    Titled Initiation, the content will be a “challenge map” add-on for players to test their skills in. The add-on is part of the Origins season pass, though it is not the “all-new story campaign” DLC that has been promised for season pass holders. Initiation does, however, come with two different Bruce Wayne skins.

    In Initiation, players will take on the role of Bruce Wayne before he became Batman, while he was still honing his ninja skills with Kirigi. Through four challenge maps, players will be challenged to take on scores of new enemies and use stealth without Batman’s many tools. They will also have to take on some sort of “final test.”

    The content has been previewed in a new trailer. It shows off a bearded Bruce Wayne making his way through a variety of training scenarios:

  • ‘Batman: Arkham Collection’ Bundle Announced

    Normally game publishers wait a year or two since their latest game release before offering their anthology or heritage series collections. Given the lackluster response to the release of Batman: Arkham Origins at the end of last month, though, Warner Bros. isn’t waiting for it to age.

    Warner Bros. today announced the Batman: Arkham Collection. The bundle comes with all three of the Arkham Batman games: Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham City, and Batman: Arkham Origins. The collection has been confirmed only for the UK, where it will launch on November 22 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.

    The bundle comes only with a game disc for Arkham Origins. The bundle will come with download codes for the digital versions of Arkham Asylum and Arkham City. Warner Bros. has essentially made the previous two (better reviewed) Batman: Arkham games into a value add for Origins.

    No price has been announced for the new bundle, but gamers in the UK looking to get into the series can probably expect to pay more than the retail price of Origins.

    PC gamers will also get the best of the deal, as the versions of Arkham Asylum and Arkham City included in the PC version are both “Game of the Year” editions will all the game’s DLC included. The PlayStation 3 version of the bundle will also come with the “Knightfall” DLC for Arkham Origins.

  • ‘Batman: Arkham Origins’ Out Today

    In the U.S. it’s odd to see a non-Nintendo game released on any day other than than a Tuesday. Warner Bros., however, has decided to buck the trend and release Batman: Arkham Origins today, a Friday, for consoles and PC. The move could have something to do with the impending release of Battlefield 4 and Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag on Tuesday, October 29

    The game is the third in the critically acclaimed series that began with Batman: Arkham Asylum and continued with Batman: Arkham City. Origins is a prequel to those games, featuring a young Bruce Wayne masquerading as an inexperienced Batman. Villain Black Mask takes the role ob big bad, leading a team of classic Batman villains (including The Joker, Bane, Penguin, and Deadshot) in an attempt to assassinate Batman on Christmas Eve. The game takes place in an open-world Gotham City that is larger than the city section seen in in Arkham City.

    As shown in the game’s launch trailer, Origins plays much as the previous games in the series have. Batman will use his bat-suit and an assortment of gadgets to solve mysteries, take down villains, and bash in the heads of henchmen. The Batman: Arkham combat style, which has since been copied by many action games in recent years, has been further refined.

    In addition to Origins, Warner Bros. today also released Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate, a handheld companion game related to the console and PC game. Blackgate takes place after the events of Origins and adapts the series for play in a 2-d/3-d hybrid style. It is available today for both PlayStation Vita and Nintendo 3DS.

  • Batman Mask And Violent Drawing Found in Colorado Shooter’s Apartment

    Many of the readers here at WebProNews have memories of the awful tragedy that took place in Aurora, Colorado in July of last year. During a midnight viewing of Christopher Nolan’s “Batman: The Dark Knight Rises,” a young man named James Holmes, aged twenty four, burst into the feature, about thirty minutes in, and commenced with a fifteen-minute-long reign of terror, releasing tear gas into the crowded theater before proceeding to shoot randomly into the crowd.

    Over 70 people were injured, and 12 people died, often in the act of shielding loved ones or in attempts to escape. The tragedy brought the nation together under a dark cloud of grief and mourning, sparking a huge outcry on Twitter and an official response from President Barack Obama.

    Over a year has passed since that terrible day, and the trial for defendant Holmes has been in the works, and is currently in the throes of pre-trial. Prosecutors have been seeking the death penalty as penance for Holmes’ atrocious crime, but they face the obstacle of proving Holmes was sane during the shooting spree. Holmes’ attorneys have admitted that their client was the shooter, but are trying to argue insanity, thus vying for a lesser sentence. Prosecutors are currently contesting evidence to undermine the insanity plea.

    It recently came to light that Holmes had the day of the shooting marked on his calender with a “unique symbol,” as well as a batman mask bearing the same symbol and a violent drawing. FBI agent Leslie Kopper testified that they had come across the items on July 20th of last year, shortly after the shooting took place. He did not explicitly describe the “unique symbol,” but did go on to say that the violent drawing had been found in a notebook, describing it as “some kind of maze game involving a serial killer.”

    The defense has argued that this evidence, as well as other evidence found in the apartment, should be dismissed, since the police force and other investigators did not have a warrant at the time of the search. Prosecutors and police argue that they were entitled to the search and that the evidence is valid on the grounds that Holmes had said he had explosives in his apartment, and that, due to the imminent danger, they did not have time to wait for a warrant.

    [Image courtesy of HalloweenCostumes.com]

  • Drunken “Joker” Arrested in Maine

    Police in Pittsfield, Maine arrested a drunken man dressed as the Joker early Sunday morning, after the aspirant Batman villain wrecked his car.

    Authorities say 64-year-old Dennis Lalime struck multiple trees and rocks with his 2002 Buick Regal, a little after 2 a.m., though he wasn’t injured. A man with house near the crash called the police, and when they arrived, they found Lalime covered in Joker makeup.

    Lalime was returning from a Halloween party in Old Town, and was said to be cooperative.

    In related Joker news, mass-murderer James Eagan Holmes has been looking for a ladyfriend. It was recently reported that he’d set up accounts on Match.com and Adultfriendfinder, from behind bars. Oddly, some women go for this sort of thing, and a number of prison groupies do exist.

    Holmes had dressed as the Joker as well, during a 2012 massacre at a Aurora, Colorado “Batman” screening. Twelve people were killed, and 70 were injured in the attack. Holmes has since submitted an insanity plea.

    The Joker character was created by Jerry Robinson, Bill Finger and Bob Kane, and first appeared in Batman #1, in the spring of 1940. The Joker is portrayed as being a highly intelligent psychopath, with a warped sense of humor. The character was most famously portrayed by the late actor Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight,” which earned him a posthumous Oscar.

    With Halloween right around the corner, the Joker didn’t even make the list, as one of the top ten most popular costumes, according to Halloween Express. Batman comes in at number 5, and Spider Man’s “Carnage” comes in at number 1.

    Image via the Somerset County Sheriff’s Department.

  • Here’s 17 Minutes Of Batman: Arkham Origins Gameplay

    Batman: Arkham Origins has a lot of fans anxious as it’s the first game in the franchise not made by Rocksteady. The new developers at Warner Bros. Montreal assure us that they’re doing everything to make this prequel game just as good as Rocksteady’s previous efforts, but it’s hard to believe those kind of statements without actual gameplay footage to back it up.

    Well, you asked and it has been granted to you as Warner Bros. Games has just shared nearly 17 minutes of Batman: Arkham Origins gameplay footage. With this, anxious fans can finally see just how WB Montreal has adapted the gameplay from Arkham City.

    Just like in Arkham City, Arkham Origins is set in an open world. This is a pre-Arkham Asylum Gotham City so players can expect things to look a little different. Players can also visit the Batcave to make new gadgets, train, practice new battle tactics and more.

    After watching this extensive gameplay preview, it’s pretty obvious that WB Montreal isn’t trying to dramatically change the formula. That should allay any fears that fans may have regarding the gameplay, but we still don’t know entirely what to expect from the entire narrative. Prequels are rarely ever good, but you can never count Batman out.

    Batman: Arkham Origins launches October 25 for PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U and PC.

    [Image: BatmanArkhamVideos/YouTube]

  • Batman Vs. Superman Begins Shooting This Weekend

    It appears as though Warner Bros. and director Zack Snyder is slated to shoot a sequence for the highly anticipated Batman Vs. Superman.

    Whaaaa, you say?

    It looks like the scene will take place in Los Angeles at the East Los Angeles College campus. In what sounds like a scene from The Dark Knight Rises, this will be a huge crowd scene at a football game, and it sounds as though the first 2000 attendees will be given t-shirts.

    Here is all you need to know, brought to you from Campus News.

    Warner Bros. Pictures new untitled Superman/Batman project comes to film at East Los Angeles College Weingart stadium during halftime of the Oct. 19 Husky football game.

    Zack Snyder, who directed films such as this past summer’s blockbuster Man of Steel, and other movies like 300,Watchmen, and Sucker Punch, directs the upcoming film.

    ELAC and Victor Valley College will kickoff the game at 6:30 p.m. At halftime, the stadium will transform into Gotham City University home stadium.

    Warner Bros. Pictures announced through a press release that Snyder and producers of the film are looking for people in the Los Angeles area, preferably ELAC students, to be extras for the upcoming film.

    The stadium will be made into the backdrop for a football game between Gotham City University and rival Metropolis State University.

    The first 2,000 people who sit in the filming area of the stadium will receive T-shirts designed by Snyder for those participating in the filming and prizes will be raffled throughout the night.

    The crowd will sport Gotham Citys colors, black and gold.

    The film will shoot three takes of three plays during halftime. The crew will be capturing the actors and crowd’s reactions.

    ELAC’s College event and Venue Coordinator, Ernest Burnett, said that the filming will be about 20 minutes during halftime. The second half of ELAC’s game will follow the film shoot.

    Snyder decided to use ELAC’s stadium to support ELAC and the community.

    “They could have done this on a night when we didn’t have a home game. They wanted to support the school,” Burnett said.

    ELAC has approached the feature film industry to gain revenue for the college. Features films want to use ELAC because it’s a film friendly school.

    “Our visibility among the film community is higher than a lot of schools and I have to give a lot of credit. The experiences of the people that have come and shot here are very good. Because students know the deal now, like they notice the production truck and then move on to class, it’s more common,” Burnett said.

    “Feature films don’t usually use community college campuses, because feature films’ schedules change and we can’t accommodate. But we want their business because they come for weeks not just a day. We want to make a lot of money over a small smaller amount of time,” Burnett said.

    “It’s also a big opportunity for us (ELAC), and to cheer on our Huskies. Victor Valley is not a bad team,” Burnett said.

    (Lead image via FanSided)

  • Batman: Arkham Origins Is Also Coming To Mobile

    Batman: Arkham Origins has only a few more weeks until it has to prove whether or not it lives up to the high pedigree set by Arkham Asylum and Arkham City. Even if it doesn’t, you’ll at least have a stellar looking mobile game to play.

    At New York Comic-Con, WB Games announced that it’s bringing a scaled-down version of Batman: Arkham Origins to mobile devices. Like Batman: Arkham City for iOS, this version of the game doesn’t feature any of the open world exploration mechanics that fans have come to expect from the franchise. Instead, the mobile iteration focuses exclusively on combat.

    Check it out:

    What makes the mobile game stand out from its predecessor is that it plays more like a one-on-one fighter this time around. That’s because the game was developed by NetherRealm Studios – the team behind this year’s Injustice: Gods Among Us.

    If you want an on-the-go, yet more console-like Batman experience; you might want to check out Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate. The 3DS and PS Vita spin-off title will take the Batman franchise into a direction it has never been before – as a side-scrolling Metroidvania action RPG.

    [Image: BatmanArkhamVideos/YouTube]