By Alec Meer on November 8th, 2011 at 3:19 pm.
It was rumoured, and then it was confirmed, and then we were all like :(
For it is true: the man of bats will not strike back on PC in 10 days’ time, but instead in 17 days’ time. A small wait, perhaps, but we’ve already had to hang on for almost a month later than the console-folk. Yes, the already-delayed Batman: Arkham City PC port, mooted to be the very bestest version of Brucie-boy’s semi-open-world swinging adventures thanks to various technical jiggery-pokery done with the help of NVIDIA, has been delayed anew. November 25 is the new date, which at least is safely after all Big Three of November’s remaining new releases – MW3, Skyrim, Saints Row 3 – are all done and dusted and we’ll have time to think about something else/sleep.
There’s no word on why the PC version was delayed, and what the state of play will be for the various DLC by then. Oh well. Here’s a Nightwing DLC trailer to tide you over.
He’s like Batman, but not at all threatening.
GOD DAMN IT.
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Wanna know how I got these scars?
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SWEAR TO ME
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OH FFS ROCKSTEADY !!!!
At this rate the PC version will be coming out at about the same time as the console GOTY rerelease.
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It’s probably for the best anyway, as you say, we have far too much to play as it is!
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Yeah it’s fine now, but if it had actually come out at the same time as the console versions that would have been the perfect time. Between this and Renegade Ops I’m definitely going to be more careful about pre-ordering games that don’t have solid release dates.
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m3metix: Yeah, i learned that the hard way with Battlefield 1943 for PC :(
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I don’t have NVIDIA cards in my PC so can I have it now instead, please?
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Same here! It seems a nit strange to punish customers who own the ‘wrong’ brand of graphics card. Would quite like rps to ask the devs about that.
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Not the first time in recent memory that owning the wrong brand of graphics card gets you a significantly inferior experience with a game. And it’s normally AMD owners that get the shaft from devs. I wouldn’t be surprised if the mostly-excellent (bar some config tweaks for cutscenes) Eyefinity support of Arkham Asylum has mysteriously disappeared and only nvidia surround works…
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Don’t blame the developers (or Nvidia) for AMDs lack of a hardware physics acceleration API. AMD could quite easily come-up with an alternative to PhysX if they wanted to, but they obviously don’t think its worth the R&D costs.
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Because quite rightly it is garbage – now graphics cards may be well suited to massive parallelism, and physics simulation – but standard multicore CPUs do more than well enough – and given the bottleneck in almost any single GPU system is in fact the GPU – it is pointless to offload work from a CPU with headroom to a GPU with none.
It’s a useless gimmick, trying (and probably succeeding) in fooling gamers that then need an SLI setup – which is why it is only ever used on particle effects which could just as easily be offloaded to a 3rd or 4th CPU core
Hell with 6 and 8 core CPU’s only a few years from the mainstream (5 years and most gaming systems will have at least 4 cores, with most on 6-8), and possibly as many as 16 threads – It will look increasingly pointless to run such things on a GPU when you can just stick it on a thread or 2.
GPU manufacturers are trying to find a spot where they don’t become redundant in 5-10 years time, just like dedicated sound did. Because general purpose CPUs become so powerful that they can do all the functions GPU’s currently do, and adding a dedicated chip to offload that (as with soundcards now) doesn’t add much, if any performance increase.
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@Starky: Oh how wrong you are! While the CPU is perfectly capable of doing a decent job of actually calculating the physics, the problem lies in getting this information to the GPU on time. When the physics are calculated on the GPU, they are of course immediately available to the GPU for drawing at no extra overhead. When they’re being calculated on the CPU, optimistically, when geometry shaders are available, you have to upload a wad of physics information every frame. Pessimistically, you have to invoke lots and lots of new draw calls at ridiculous overhead.
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@Mistabashi: This argument is like saying that car company A makes cars with round wheels and company B makes cars with square wheels, so we should make two kinds of roads. In the real world, developers need to use an open source physics simulation that can run on the CPU or GPU (with extra effects included, regardless of hardware).
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Awesome! DLC!
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FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
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That’s quite an impressive feat.
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What in the name of holy flying poo is this!
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Steam still says 18th. Europe was listed as 25th while UK was listed as 18th. US moved from 15th to 22nd.
So is this UK 25th confirmed?
No one, no matter how much they like to side with companies over consumers (because they adopt the unintuitive contrarian position to make up for lack of friends) can argue that this entire PC launch has been a debacle. The worst part is the absolute total silence from WB or Rocksteady. They won’t respond to anyone’s questions on anything. It’s mystifying and infuriating. And they apparently don’t give a damn about how they treat their customers.
The Catwoman DLC mess demonstrated that they don’t even care about console fans either, but because the game came out on time the true depth of their indifference and contempt didn’t show up as clearly.
I’m very seriously considering giving up on the bloody thing. They don’t deserve my money and the delay has genuinely lessened my interest in the game now. I was hyped a month ago, but now I’m just tired and annoyed by the whole thing. Eff’em. The game’s apparently almost identical to Arkham Asylum anyway.
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Sadly yes – confirmed by the WarnerBros Games Twitter account here: http://twitter.com/#!/WB_Games_UK/status/133925660589690881
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I saw this article and thought “I wonder if that guy who started that ridiculous thread about this on the forums has made a lengthy and overly dramatic post here too?”, and then it was confirmed, and then we were all like :(
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:(
Fine, I’m done with it. They’ve treated me with contempt and I’m such an idiot I put up with it for the longest time but now it’s gone too far.
Only a fool wouldn’t feel insulted by their behaviour. They went from no ones, desperate for attention, releasing a demo and hoping for the best, to big shots that piss on us with idiotic pre-order bonuses, incredibly poor value DLC and now this.
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Guess I’m a fool then. I pre-ordered ages ago and can handle an extra 7 days: whatever the reason. Sure I’d like to have the thing on my HDD a week on Friday but there’s always another game to play.
At the end of the day, every minute that passes before the PC version is released it’s costing them money, which I’m sure they’d rather not be spending, so it’s hardly and insult to those of us waiting to play.
As an optimist I’m rather hoping that this means that we’ll get a relatively bug free, PC-optimised game on release.
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I’d rather have a great game when its done than a flawed game early. Delaying the game really does cost them money, and goodwill both from consumers and their supply chain, so I expect they need the time to finish up.
Kudos to them for not pulling a Paradox.
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They didn’t delay the game for no reason and they certainly aren’t going to delay it a second time just for laughs. The game has been delayed for a good reason, either relating to bugs or distribution (with some other possibilities). So go ahead and complain but if they had of released it on time then you would probably be complaining about bugs or having many people complaining that they can’t buy the game.
So I guess you are wrong, some people will side with the company. They haven’t done much wrong, sure they have delayed the game but they have given enough warning. They haven’t told us a lot about why the delay is happening but that doesn’t change the fact it has been delayed. This is in no way a debacle, this is one game coming out a little over a month past the initially announced date.
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First we learn the PC version is delayed until almost a month after the console version. Okay, that’s a pain but at least they’re saying that the extra time is going towards making it the best version of the game.
Then we find out that the Steam version will have THREE (3!) DRM methods implemented on it, the reason for which I can only assume is that a PC-game pirate killed one of the publishers parents and they now hold a lifelong grudge, because no one in the right mind would implement three different DRMs and still expect to keep the same amount of paying customers.
And then us Aussies get a 150% price hike on the game from US$49.99 to US$99.99. Yeah no thanks. Maybe in a year or so in a “bargain bin” Steam Sale. Maybe I’ll have a look at a friend’s pirated copy, which incidentally would be the far superior version to one loaded up with SecurRom and Gawful.
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Ah well, I can wait another week.
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Too right…
Fuck it. Let them really polish the whole thing off for the PC, add a whole slew of predictably needed patches and updates, take out the ‘Press any Key to Start’ menu screen and give us some crazy in game options menu with real options (the kind that every PC gamer invariably goes to first before getting anywhere near playing the game) and release the damn thing in February for all I care.
I don’t understand the importance of release dates. Maybe multiplayer titles have their learning curves and popularity spikes but single player games should be able to be enjoyed the day after release or seven years later. It’s like… All of Mozart’s music is already released, but we aren’t shitting bricks about how late we are for that.
Maybe, just maybe, we want to be part of a popular zeitgeist on the net and read all the reviews and bibble as it hits our collective conciousness but with the consoles already having their cake, that becomes meaningless in this instance. Going on about the ending of Portal might be meaningless for someone that’s never played it yet and annoying for someone that finished it five years ago but it doesn’t diminish the enjoyment that the one player has at the time, or at least I certainly don’t think it does.
Take a look at Skyrim. Did I play Oblivion? Am I excited? Yes to both. Am I going to get it any time soon? Nope. I don’t want to run it on a computer that will struggle in the slightest. I would rather wait for some early patches. I would rather wait for some mods. I would rather wait for some tweaks to performance or FoV to surface. I would rather wait for the inevitable DLC to be bundled into a game of the year edition.
So let them take their time. I’ll be playing games from the last decade instead.
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That’s how I feel about these sorts of things.
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I can’t say I mind this. Arkham City was going to have to compete with Skyrim for my play time and that would have just made it hard to concentrate on either of them.
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People who make/buy games for consoles are immoral, this just confirms that fact.
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Great! Now if only AssRev will also be delayed then I can happily continue playing BF3 MP
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Maybe sales of the console version are unexpectedly strong and they don’t want to mess with that momentum.
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No biggie. Won’t have time to buy this until Christmas anyway.
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Lets see, PC strategy for Batman. Delay the PC release so that it comes out right after MW3 and Skyrim, the two most anticipated PC games of the year.
I think its smart to delay it another week. I think it was stupid to delay it in the first place though.
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At least that’s a failure (competition from Skyrim / MW3) the marketing bozos can understand when the PC sales are disappointing, instead of blaming it on piracy.
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The beginning of the trailer made me think “Oh no! not that same scenario *again*!?!”. I mean with Batman I’ve already been there three or four times… Then it’s the same all over again but with a guy with electric sticks. Hmm.
I’m not the target for this stuff, evidently.
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At first I was “huh, typo?” and then I understood what you did there with the tag… Very clever Mr.Meer. Very clever indeed.
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I think the RPS Archive division should update the corporate Tagging policy with a new tag for “PC-Version Delays”, so pre-orderers can have a sorrow-shrine to peregrinate to.
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I’m definitely not pre-ordering the next game.
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I will pirate the SHIT out of this game.
Then buy it later.
BUT STILL! That’ll teach em.
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I don’t see how that helps anyone. If you pirate it chances are you will complete it, so why would you then buy it?
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Quiet you.
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@ Dick Socrates
Deep breath. Perspective time.
Millions of children dying from starvation.
Vicious dictatorships brutally persecuting their civilians on a daily basis.
A global economy based entirely on debt, measured only in terms of growth and dedicated to using up every resource available as quickly as possible.
Seven extra days to wait for a game.
Edit: RPS comments thread constantly failing. That’s it, I’m calling my lawyer!
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Hey, just because there are big problems, it doesn’t mean we can’t have small ones too :)
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So what? Even if they suddenly announced that they are postponing the game three months to sell some more inferior console copies, because Microsoft AND Sony paid them to do so, and during those three months they are gonna develop paid DLC for the PC version which will be free for console players, who would care?
Why are you people angry about something that doesn’t exist yet, as far as the serious gaming world is concerned? To me, the game doesn’t exist yet, no matter if it’s finished, and no matter if console people are playing an inferior version of it. When they decide to sell it, I will buy it.
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Yeah but it does exist and it is basically finished.
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I IS SURPRISED. No, wait. The other one. I IS HUNGRY. No, not the one. But it’ll have to do for now.
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Pretty amazing that we live in a time where a Batman console game gets delayed to make sure the PC version runs good, and has everyone working.
Meanwhile id Software releases Rage, and basically doesn’t seem to care if it runs good on PCs or not.
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No need to worry guys, they wont be delaying the Nightwing DLC! It’ll be available for purchase on day 1!
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Is Assassin’s Creed: Revelations not out on the PC next week like the consoles? I would’ve thought that should be in a “Big November” list. Well, unless Ubisoft have already announced some bullshit DRM for it of course.
Apologies if I’m being a bit thick.
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Pffft. WB are just pretenders to the throne of PC version dickery – Ubi mastered it years ago (with the exception of AC1). AC:R was already established as delayed to the beginning of December for the PC version.
It was kind of expected, basically, so it wasn’t big news and that’s probably how it slipped under your radar.
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Ah I see. Thanks for clearing that up!
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Well now it clashes with Zelda.
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This game was a priority buy for me.
But now I will buy one of the other major titles on offer this week.
If I buy Skyrim I won’t have the time to play Batman until january or februari next year.
So I might even skip it and wait for the cheap complete GOTY or gold edition to be released.
Assassin’s Creed Revelations is an interesting title for me also, but they are suspiciously silent about the DRM for that game. I do not trust Ubi at all.
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Skyrim done and dusted? Uhuh, what?
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his suit looks tighter than that of catwoman’s…..really really weird.
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Seriously regretting my pre-order now, I won’t have any time at all to play Batman. Great.
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I don’t like that his escrima sticks are electric. Hitting people with sticks is cooler than poking people with tasers.
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Steam sale GOTY it is, then.
this november won’t cost me a penny if this keeps up….
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I was half-expecting the alt-text on the main image to be: “Problem?” or “U Mad?”
4chan, what have you done to me!? WHAT HAVE I BECOME!?
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Honestly, I just finished Arkham Asylum and I’m currently downloading Oblivion from Steam. Living under the rock that was WoW for the past 5 years has its advantages.
…and I can afford a neato 3D screen in December.
Any news on a “girl, pull that zipper up. dagnabbit!” skin pack for Catwoman? I can’t stand what they did to her.
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Is this another console port or is it going to have PC graphics rather than xbox style? The only difference being if its not much different I wont buy it for my pc but will rent or get it second user for my xbox. I am not an archaeologist so there is no sense me paying a premium for ancient trash.
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Gut feeling sez this isn’t a run of the mill console port and that’s the reason for the delay. It’s the poster child for NVidia and that fluttering paper thing of theirs after all.
If Arkham Asylum is anything to go by then we’re in for a treat. XBox controller for Windows might be a plus, though.
You can trust my word. I’m Batman after all….
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Personally, I dont give a damn if they delay a game for the PC as long as it is to make it a PC game, rather than another shoddy, cynical console port.
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No comments on the discount on Steam? 20% off if you own Arkham Asylum or Lego Batman. That looks like a very good price to me (39.99 USD). What I would like to know if it’s pre-oder only, since I’d rather buy it when I will have time to play.
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I was seriously pissed off at the original delay. This additional delay made me cancel my pre-order, which I made back when the game was still thought to have a simultanous release date on the PC. They don’t even bother to offer an explanation, let alone an excuse. I’m done being jerked around, they obviously don’t care so why should I give them any money?
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Well, MW3 will be done (by the end of tonight, for many people) but I don’t see Skyrim -or- Saints Row the Third being done for most people in just a week or two. Much less both. Because I will own both.
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Instead of this, they could just have made the full game on PC and then dumbed it down sufficiently for it to run on consoles. That way it wouldn’t have been a console game with a few PC-only details either, but rather a game built to be utilize everything the PC has to offer. Oh wait, this makes far too much sense.
I mean, the PC is objectively better than consoles. No one that isn’t a moron will deny that gaming PCs are technically superior to consoles. So make use of it.
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FFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
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And I bet these changes will just fuck up AMD performance, if it already isn’t (This is a TWIMTBP title).
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In today’s world of day-0-beta, I don’t care. Why would I want to pay more fore less, only to get it earlier? I see only two reasons possible:
1. want to support developers – like I did with Witcher 2. I even haven’t installed the thing till some patches (and weeks) later.
2. want to play multiplayer with my fellows for some reason. But it usually hurts (thanks to the “beta” part) and isn’t as much fun anyway, until some time later.
This game doesn’t fulfill any of these two criteria, so…
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I would have bought this if it had came out at the same time as the console version. There was no other decent games at the time.
But now as it is with Saints Row and Skyrim coming out first. I’m going to wait till this comes out much much later when its either on offer or a package. There loss, just saying.
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