The figure was disclosed as part of an LA Times report on some restructuring going on at DC Comics, and we’ll presume was provided by Warner Bros, who as a publisher can get hold of timely sales data without too much hassle. We’ll also presume that the figures are worldwide sales, and not just for North America.

Nice to see a DC Comics game not only get it right, but be rewarded for doing so.

Warner shakes up DC Comics to compete with Marvel [LA Times]

It sounds like this audio is taken from the character audio histories, which we saw as unlockables in Arkham’s well-received demo. Wonder if we’ll be hearing more from Amadeus Arkham.

History of Arkham Asylum Trailer [GameTrailers]

From now on, when this happens, we’re not going to point to other notable multiplatform releases where the PC version was delayed. We may as well point to the times a PC version is not delayed, since they seem to be in the minority.

It’ll instead be out on September 15 in the US and September 18 in Europe (Ed’s note: Out September 24 in Australia). To sweeten the deal, the game will now be supporting Nvidia’s PhysX technology. Doesn’t sound like much, but the increased level of in-game physics certainly helped add a little something extra to the PC version of Mirror’s Edge, so hopefully it makes a difference here as well.

To put it simply, it’s because the game promises to take the best bits of what you love about the Caped Crusader and weave them into a single experience.

“This is the Batman movie I would have liked to have written,” said Paul Dini, the Emmy-winning TV writer who penned Batman: Arkham Asylum. “This is him with all the good stuff.”

Dini started from a clean slate in writing the plot, not connecting it to any existing storyline. It’s a story Dini is sure gamers will like.

“Nobody loves a good Batman story more than I do,” he said.

Buzz building for ‘Batman: Arkham Asylum’ game [CNN]

If you don’t know Polish, the narrative gets in the way, but you can watch Bats skulk around Arkham’s grounds and get a feel for the stealth takedowns the game is engineered to deliver.

I was particularly impressed by his ziplining up to a guard tower and clonking a sniper, forehead-first, into the railing. Of course, it required the guy to be completely oblivious to a 200-pound man grappling to the floor he was standing on, but hey. It’s Batman. Also, what’s up with the x-ray vision mode?

Later, Batman lays out some pretty gruesome hand-to-hand combos – you can see the finisher coming up when the camera speed slows down. The combos deliver you bonuses for varying your moves, so, button-mashers be warned.

Finally, this may be in Polish, but everyone can get that load-time joke at 5:40 right? Right? Otherwise, that’s one hell of a cameo for this game.

Batman Arkham Asylum Gameplay Beta [YouTube, thanks excaliburps]

Despite his moniker as the World’s Greatest Detective, the Dark Knight’s video game appearances rarely tap into his vast skills as a sleuth.

While Batman: Arkham Asylum is certainly no comic book CSI, and who would want it to be, it certainly remembers that Batman is a detective first and a slugger second. Asylum asks gamers to think their way through the game not only when trying to solve puzzles, but when quietly taking out a room full guards and even busting heads.

What Is It?
Batman: Arkham Asylum is a third-person action game with a heavy emphasis on fighting, stealth and good old-fashioned detective work. The game isn’t based on any particular existing story in the world of Batman, but rather taps into the vast history of comic books, movies and TV shows to create its own storyline set in the infamous asylum.

What We Saw
While I played through the first two chapters of the game, there are some strict rules about certain chunks of the game’s story that I cannot talk about.

How Far Along Is It?
Due out in August, the build I played was set to me in May to help me judge the game for an E3 Game Critics award. Eidos later said judges could write previews based on the build.

What Needs Improvement?
Polish: The game is shaping up nicely, but it still needs a bit of polish to smooth out the rough edges. Specifically, I’d like to see a bit more done on character models to deal with things like the occasional flesh-colored mohawks on bad guys, lip-syncing and general lighting issues.

Bats: As much as I’ve been enjoying the character design and aesthetic of this latest Batman, there is one thing that really bugs me. Every time you take out a bad guy a camp of bats appear and swirl around him for a second Initially it looks kind of neat, but the effect quickly loses its charm.

What Should Stay The Same?
Vicious Fights: The fighting system used in the game is pretty straight forward. One button delivers an attack, another delivers a stunning attack. A third button is used for counter-attacks. You can also double tap a button to dodge. These simple single-button attacks are all weaved together with a heavy reliance on timing and the ability to shift between targets by moving the thumbstick in different directions. The results can be stunning when dealing with a room full of enemies, which is typically the case. This whole fluid combat system is back-up with stunning slow-mo finishing moves delivered to the final bad guy in a room, which gives the game a cinematic flare.

Fun Stealth: I’m not a huge fan of stealth, it’s not my style and I don’t like have it forced upon me. Batman’s take on stealth, though, is a whole other story. Instead of slinking around trying to avoid the bad guys, Batman uses his arsenal of gadgets and the shadows to stalk and take down enemies one at a time, leaving those still standing quaking in their bad guy shoes. Take downs including gliding from the shadows to deliver a face full of Bat boot, sleeper holds, and hanging upside down to knock an enemy into unconsciousness.

Light Detective Work: One of Batman’s cooler gadgets is his cowl vision, which allows him to scan an area for enemies, trails, scents and clues. You can activate the cowl at anytime in the game. While active, it shows an X-ray version of everyone on screen. If you look directly at a person it will also tell you their current heart rate and even state of mind. This is great when you’re trying to sneak up on people, letting you know if they’re relaxed or scared out of their minds. You can also use it to follow trails. At one point in the game, for instance, you have to follow a bad guy by searching for the smell of the alcohol on his breath. The detective work in the game is delivered in such a simple, straightforward way that it manages to add a little nuance to what would otherwise be a straight-up action game without distracting from the central theme of the game.

Voice Acting: Batman: Arkham Asylum is a joy to listen to both for fans of Batman and those new to the hero. The game features voice work by Kevin Conroy, Arleen Sorkin, Tom Kane, and even Mark Hamil;l as The Joker. Everyone involved delivers in the game.

Story: Instead of latching on to the latest movie, a TV show or plucking a story from the vast library of Batman comics, the developers decided to create something wholly new and it’s the right call. Arkham Asylum opens with Batman escorting The Joker back to his favourite high-security mental ward. Shortly after his arrival though, things go sideways and Batman finds himself trapped in an asylum run by the inmates. The game takes place not just in the asylum but in the wider world of Arkham island, a perfect setting for this open-ended adventure game.

Challenge Modes: These modes are outside the single-player campaign, adding a bit of replayability to the single-player game. There are two types of challenge modes. In one you fight a stream of bad guys, taking on as many as you can until you finally succumb. In the other you use the stealth mode to try to quietly clear a room as quickly as possible.

Final Thoughts

Batman: Arkham Asylum

What Is It?

It’s a Batman game that doesn’t suck. It’s a little bit Splinter Cell, it’s a little bit Batman punching men in the face really, really hard.

What We Saw

I was able to play through the game’s first level, in which the Joker is dragged into Arkham, then escapes, captures the warden, and locks Batman in. There was a brief tutorial, then some punching, some kicking, then some bataranging, then some sneaking.

How Far Along Is It?

Game was originally “finished” a few months back, then delayed. It’s due out in August. It looks 100% done.

What Needs Improvement?

Swingy-Swingy: You can use a grapple hook to swing from the rafters. But it’s implemented a little too simply for my liking, as it’s done entirely on autopilot.

What Should Stay The Same?

Fatman: Batman is a big, strong man, and that’s how he controls in the game. He’s heavy, has a real sense of weight and power to him, and both combat and movement are perfect for the character.

Punch in the Face: the game’s obviously heavy on combat, and the combat feels great. It’s simple, with only a few moves and counters, but feels really well implemented, as Batman responds to changes in direction quickly and both the standard and “finishing” moves are brutally satisfying.

Animated: You a fan of the old animated series? Many of the voice actors are reprising their roles, with the characters appearance and behaviour similar to their animated predecessors as well. If you enjoyed the cartoon as a kid, this is the cartoon after it’s grown up alongside you.

Final Thoughts

From what I played of it, Batman felt like an accomplished brawler, with copious amounts of Batman fanboy service layered atop it, like icing on top of a dark, mysterious cake.

The latest video documentary for the real-time strategy game Halo Wars takes a look at the individual units appearing in the game, from hordes of Spartans to swarms of Locusts.

Seeing the units in Halo Wars up close and personal like this, even a moderate Halo fan like myself can’t help but get a little excited, especially at the prospect of finally getting to see whole squads of Spartans in action. I especially like the allusion that campaign lead Jerome Jones makes regarding controlling a squad of Spartans versus controlling the ultimate Spartan, Master Chief.

It’s like if Batman was here now, and you heard stories that there used to be twenty Batmans, and that was when they could really kick ass.

Yes, Master Chief is the Batman of the future.

The first twenty minutes of Batman: Arkham Asylum say a lot about the game: we’ve got the voice cast of the 90s cartoon, action-stealth gameplay and the writer that brought us episodes of Animaniacs and Lost.