I thought it would be a good idea to go consolidate and go over all the info we know about the next Arkham game in one place. Let's begin!
Kevin Conroy Is Batman
Yesterday On Twitter, Kevin Conroy inadvertently confirmed a new Batman game again by stating that he can't talk about it.
However, this isn't the first time he has accidentally revealed the game either. In May 2013, at the Dallas Comic-Con, Conroy confused the announcement of Arkham Origins with an Arkham project he was working on. Thankfully, for the studios sake, he didn't actually reveal any details other than that it was being being developed.
From 00:43 to 1:45
"I can talk about it now, we've been working for about 9-10 months on the next Arkham. We all signed these contracts, the studio likes to completely control the roll out of any product. So it's now been announced and it's an unbelievable game. I still can't say anything about the game, but it's just amazing, a huge cast and big story. It took almost a year to write and put together."
Later Conroy clarified that he wasn't talking about Arkham Origins but a new Arkham game coming out later, this twitter post was later removed but luckily got screenshotted (See Below).
Assault on Arkham?
An interesting point made was that Conroy had actually confused the game with Assault On Arkham, a new DCUA being made for release later this year. However, it seems that following yesterday's twitter post, and Conroys repeated use of the word "game" he definitely knows what he's talking about!
I should also add that Troy Baker is listed as voicing the Joker in AOA on IMDB, does this suggest that Mark Hamill is officially done with the Joker and not just because he (SPOILERS) died at the end of Arkham City?
What we know so far:
- A new Arkham game is DEFINITELY in development
- It has been in development for at least 18 months now
- Troy Baker may be the permanent new Joker voice of the Arkham series
A side note/theory before continuing: If we see the Joker again in the next game, could an explanation for Baker's voice be that he was saved by the Lazarus pit and made young again? Hmm!
Domain Registrations
Moving on, the next piece of evidence I'd like to address is the Warner Bros. Domain name registrations following below:
arkhamuniverse.com (Arkham Universe)
batmanarkahmuniverse.com (Batman Arkham Universe)
batmanarkhamarises.com (Batman Arkham Arises)
batmanarkhambegins.com (Batman Arkham Begins)
batmanarkhamdarkknight.com (Batman Arkham Dark Knight)
batmanarkhamknight.com (Batman Arkham Knight)
batmanarkhamlegend.com (Batman Arkham Legend)
batmanarkhamlegends.com (Batman Arkham Legends)
batmanarkhamnight.com (Batman Arkham Night)
batmanarkhamorigins.com (Batman Arkham Origins)
batmanarkhamstories.com (Batman Arkham Stories)
darkknightarkham.com (Dark Knight Arkham)
dcarkhamuniverse.com (DC Arkham Universe)
dcarkhamverse.com (DC Arkhamverse)
thearkhamuniverse.com (The Arkham Universe)
(Credit: Fusible)
Originally, the legitimacy of these domains were weak and as we all know, a lot end up being bogus and only registered to prevent others from taking them. However, there is one title in there that makes it highly believable that the next Arkham title is in there as well. Which one? Well Arkham Origins of course! The others could all end up being duds, but there have been no new reports of Warner Bros. registering any new name titles. These registrations also coincide close to the ten month mark of the games development cycle. By then, a name or selection of names would have been decided at that stage. The title that stands out to most people and myself is Arkham Knight, however it could be any one of them! Arkham Universe could suggest Justice League interactions and various cameos.
Who is developing the next Arkham game?
Isn't it obvious? Rocksteady has been dead silent for almost a year now, and hasn't released a game since Arkham City back in 2011. Warner Bros. also bought a large amount of shares in the company so that's got to say something! Kevin Conroy has also lead the voice in Rocksteady's Batman games as well, further adding to the likeliness of it being developed by them. Who else could actually develop an Arkham title with the amount of skill and knowledge in Batman's world equal to Rocksteady? There isn't anyone. It also coincides with the development cycle Conroy said. There is also no way Warner Bros Montreal have touched it, they only just learnt how to make a Batman game. I personally don't believe Rocksteady would let anyone touch their Arkham continuity and develop a sequel other than themselves. This is why I believe Arkham Origins was a prequel and was only there for a quick cash in due to the large development cycle of Arkham 4. I should also add that job listings for Rocksteady have mentioned "A triple-A third-person action-adventure game” being made. Fuel to the fire!
When will we hear official news about it?
Next month most likely! A few days ago, an IGN writer was invited as well as other press apparently into Rocksteady studios to see an unannounced title.
The twitter post was also taken down, however the writer revealed he could talk about what he saw in a month. This means it's highly likely we'll get an official announcement before then!
Gameinformer has always been the first place to get new details for Batman games aswell, and having the next Arkham game on the cover of next months issue is highly likely!
What platforms will this be released on is currently unknown, however, I wouldn't place my bets on it being a 360/PS3 title. I think Rocksteady's ambition will most likely be next gen only!
That's all folks! What do you guys hope to see in the next Batman game and what are your thoughts on all this?