On PC Batman: Arkham City

Following the completion of development of the console editions of Batman: Arkham City, Eurogamer has word from Rocksteady on what to expect from the Windows PC version of the action/stealth sequel that was recently delayed until next month. "We're really aware of all the different SKUs," says game director Sefton Hill. "What's great for us is we have gamers who are real console gamers and gamers who are PC gamers. I guess, generally, I would consider myself more of a console gamer. I do play more of my games on console. But then we have people in the office who are really hardcore PC players, and they will always pull me up and say, we need to sort this out, we need to sort that out." Here's specifically what he says about the PC edition:
"We got a lot of credit on the first one, about how well it played on the PC, and how well-refined the controls were," Sefton said. "It's because part of our attitude is always to listen to those people. We want to make the best game we can for all SKUs."

"If you do have a super powerful high-end PC, you are going to see higher detail textures," Hill explained. "You are going to see a more richly realised world. But having said that, given there are so many console gamers in there, we're always fine-tuning to get the game to run super smooth on Xbox and PS3. The console versions look great as well.

"All of the source textures and assets are done at a very very high res and we make them work on all the different SKUs. People will really love the PC version when it comes out.
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34.
 
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City
Sep 27, 2011, 08:46
34.
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City Sep 27, 2011, 08:46
Sep 27, 2011, 08:46
 
Fletch wrote on Sep 26, 2011, 20:36:
"If you do have a super powerful high-end PC, you are going to see higher detail textures"

Am I the only one who has "higher detail textures" near the bottom of their "Console Port Bitch List"? I don't understand why PC gamers give that such a priority, or why developers throw it out there as if it was. My list is almost entirely gameplay and interface issues.
I will second this. If the game is imposable to play because of horrible UI and control whats the point of high rez textures?
33.
 
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City
Sep 27, 2011, 00:27
33.
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City Sep 27, 2011, 00:27
Sep 27, 2011, 00:27
 
Am I the only one who has "higher detail textures" near the bottom of their "Console Port Bitch List"? I don't understand why PC gamers give that such a priority, or why developers throw it out there as if it was. My list is almost entirely gameplay and interface issues.

I generally find low-res textures pretty distracting. I placed greater importance on UI, of course, but low-res textures aren't at the bottom of my list.
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32.
 
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City
Sep 26, 2011, 21:11
32.
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City Sep 26, 2011, 21:11
Sep 26, 2011, 21:11
 
Mastaba wrote on Sep 26, 2011, 12:45:
I don't quite understand all the hate directed towards GFWL. I've never had to pay to use it. It's never stopped me from playing a game because of techincal issues. No one forces me to shop on the GFWL client. And it stays out of the way while playing the GFWL games, just like Steam does. I suppose its still fashionable within some niche to "hate" anything remotely associated with Microsoft, as a means to show nerd cred.
1) Corrupted save files.
2) Having to enter a serial key every time you reinstall, rather than saving it to your GFWL account.
3) Encrypted save files, which make it more difficult to backup your game.
4) Slow login / login problems, which prevent you accessing your save content.
5) Poor patch handling / update procedures.
6) Games that like DiRT3 use GFWL to input text, meaning rather than just letting you type with the keyboard it first has to open the overlay.

The only worthwhile feature is the friends / invite functionality, though it isn't worth the inconvenience it causes. I had saved games corrupt on Batman: Arkham Asylum and GTA IV, causing me to lose all my progress.

And it's worrying that the ONLY thing that Rocksteady can come up with is 'higher resolution textures', which EVERYBODY takes for granted. The PC platform supports DX11, which allows for hardware tessellation, DirectCompute for physics and a whole host of other features not available on consoles. It supports 3D. It supports displays with a higher colour gamut. And PC interfaces usually sport a more detailed interface, due to the user's proximity to the screen. And yet they can only come up with ONE point and keep repeating it? And then they talk up the console versions?
"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance."
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31.
 
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City
Sep 26, 2011, 20:36
31.
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City Sep 26, 2011, 20:36
Sep 26, 2011, 20:36
 
"If you do have a super powerful high-end PC, you are going to see higher detail textures"

Am I the only one who has "higher detail textures" near the bottom of their "Console Port Bitch List"? I don't understand why PC gamers give that such a priority, or why developers throw it out there as if it was. My list is almost entirely gameplay and interface issues.
Avatar 10520
30.
 
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City
Sep 26, 2011, 14:44
30.
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City Sep 26, 2011, 14:44
Sep 26, 2011, 14:44
 
entr0py wrote on Sep 26, 2011, 14:41:
necrosis wrote on Sep 26, 2011, 14:27:
You do understand that just firewalling it does not fix the issues right? People have had issues with it just existing. I was one of them till some patches fixed my problems. But others still had tons of issues.

No I didn't know about those issues, I was responding to Elessar's troubles. That would suck. It does make me wonder what sort of deal they've reached with Microsoft to include GFWL. Because it does nothing useful in the game, and it's not designed to be DRM.

I had similar issues with Fallout 3 and DLC. Pissed me off to no end. I ended up just buying the GOTY CD about a year later just to get out of the issues I was having. I literally leaped for joy when Zenimax said they were switching to Steamworks for New Vegas. I've literally had zero problems with Steam. A few inconveniences? Yes (i.e. the PC validation), but overall so much better.

GFWL is just a steaming pile of offal that should be bagged and buried in the desert.

^D^
"Never start a fight, but always finish it."
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29.
 
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City
Sep 26, 2011, 14:44
29.
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City Sep 26, 2011, 14:44
Sep 26, 2011, 14:44
 
Rental.
"The horse I bet on was so slow, the jockey kept a diary of the trip." - Henny Youngman
28.
 
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City
Sep 26, 2011, 14:41
28.
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City Sep 26, 2011, 14:41
Sep 26, 2011, 14:41
 
necrosis wrote on Sep 26, 2011, 14:27:
You do understand that just firewalling it does not fix the issues right? People have had issues with it just existing. I was one of them till some patches fixed my problems. But others still had tons of issues.

No I didn't know about those issues, I was responding to Elessar's troubles. That would suck. It does make me wonder what sort of deal they've reached with Microsoft to include GFWL. Because it does nothing useful in the game, and it's not designed to be DRM.
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27.
 
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City
Sep 26, 2011, 14:28
27.
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City Sep 26, 2011, 14:28
Sep 26, 2011, 14:28
 
Verno wrote on Sep 26, 2011, 14:08:
I don't know, I think when the PC gaming industry still refuses refunds that everyone has a valid right to bitch about technical problems even if there is a workaround. I remember being furious when I couldn't use my bought and paid for DLC for FO3. Sure there were workarounds eventually but I was literally forced to pirate something I had already paid for instead. There's nothing redeeming about the GFWL interface, it doesn't bring anything to the product. I agree that it shouldn't overshadow what a kickass game Arkham City will likely be however.

I hope that the game is as well done a port as the first game and that GFWL just leaves me the fuck alone
GFWL and FO3 is the poster child of how much GFWL sucks a pile of shit.

Oh whats that? You installed your game to a drive other than C:? Oh well, your DLC won't work then!
26.
 
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City
Sep 26, 2011, 14:27
26.
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City Sep 26, 2011, 14:27
Sep 26, 2011, 14:27
 
entr0py wrote on Sep 26, 2011, 14:17:
I have never had trouble with GFWL either, certainly nothing to compare with the trouble I've had with Steam.

But if you don't want to worry about it updating, you could just block Arkham Asylum and GFWL in your firewall, then create an offline profile. That only takes a couple minutes, so I'm not sure why you'd bother downloading a crack.

It does irritate me that Warner Bros. choose to include GFWL, simply because it does almost nothing. The only online feature of the first game was the time trial leaderboards. And I think it's safe to say that no one in the world cared about that.
You do understand that just firewalling it does not fix the issues right? People have had issues with it just existing. I was one of them till some patches fixed my problems. But others still had tons of issues.
25.
 
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City
Sep 26, 2011, 14:19
Jivaro
 
25.
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City Sep 26, 2011, 14:19
Sep 26, 2011, 14:19
 Jivaro
 
When anybody from a development studio refers to the game as "SKUs", I immediately get a bit down about the future of the game. If that is what the Game Director views the game as...simply another SKU...then that tells me not to get my hopes up about the game experience of said "SKU". I know someone is going to try to shoot this opinion down, make some snide comment or whatever because it is a big generalization...but a game director is focusing on the wrong side of game development when the product is just a series of SKUs. If this very same terminology comes out of the marketing department then I have no problems. When it comes from the guy overseeing the development though, it dashes any hoped I had that the priorities of the development team were based on making a good game rather then making a cash-in sequel. *shrug* Maybe 20 years in retail and customer service just ruined the acronym for me and made me a bit cynical.

I would love to be wrong this time though, particularly given how fun I found the first game.
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24.
 
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City
Sep 26, 2011, 14:17
24.
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City Sep 26, 2011, 14:17
Sep 26, 2011, 14:17
 
I have never had trouble with GFWL either, certainly nothing to compare with the trouble I've had with Steam.

But if you don't want to worry about it updating, you could just block Arkham Asylum and GFWL in your firewall, then create an offline profile. That only takes a couple minutes, so I'm not sure why you'd bother downloading a crack.

It does irritate me that Warner Bros. choose to include GFWL, simply because it does almost nothing. The only online feature of the first game was the time trial leaderboards. And I think it's safe to say that no one in the world cared about that.
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23.
 
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City
Sep 26, 2011, 14:12
23.
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City Sep 26, 2011, 14:12
Sep 26, 2011, 14:12
 
My only gripe would be to see some actual PC gamepad support. I had to use the x360ce wrapper for the first one.

Such an inconvenience! Cancel my preorder! /snicker
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22.
 
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City
Sep 26, 2011, 14:08
22.
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City Sep 26, 2011, 14:08
Sep 26, 2011, 14:08
 
I don't know, I think when the PC gaming industry still refuses refunds that everyone has a valid right to bitch about technical problems even if there is a workaround. I remember being furious when I couldn't use my bought and paid for DLC for FO3. Sure there were workarounds eventually but I was literally forced to pirate something I had already paid for instead. There's nothing redeeming about the GFWL interface, it doesn't bring anything to the product. I agree that it shouldn't overshadow what a kickass game Arkham City will likely be however.

I hope that the game is as well done a port as the first game and that GFWL just leaves me the fuck alone
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21.
 
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City
Sep 26, 2011, 14:05
21.
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City Sep 26, 2011, 14:05
Sep 26, 2011, 14:05
 
Thanks I try

I'm not saying GFWL is good, it has it's share of problem sjust like every single other piece of software on a computer. All I'm saying is rather than constantly complain about it, he could have made an offline profile and played the game 8 times by now.

Or made a new GFWL account, and not tried to use the same one over and over and over again that doesn't work.

Or flushed out the GFWL files that are causing him grief, which is fairly well documented.

He would rather complain.
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20.
 
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City
Sep 26, 2011, 13:57
20.
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City Sep 26, 2011, 13:57
Sep 26, 2011, 13:57
 
descender wrote on Sep 26, 2011, 13:54:
Maybe you should read a book... PC for dummies...

It's ironic how double edged that comment actually is when GFWL is the frame of reference.
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19.
 
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City
Sep 26, 2011, 13:54
19.
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City Sep 26, 2011, 13:54
Sep 26, 2011, 13:54
 
Maybe you should read a book... PC for dummies...
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18.
 
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City
Sep 26, 2011, 13:25
18.
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City Sep 26, 2011, 13:25
Sep 26, 2011, 13:25
 
Mastaba wrote on Sep 26, 2011, 12:45:
I don't quite understand all the hate directed towards GFWL. I've never had to pay to use it. It's never stopped me from playing a game because of techincal issues. No one forces me to shop on the GFWL client. And it stays out of the way while playing the GFWL games, just like Steam does. I suppose its still fashionable within some niche to "hate" anything remotely associated with Microsoft, as a means to show nerd cred.

Or, you know, alternatively, it could be that just because YOU haven't had problems with it, other people HAVE. Imagine that, circumstances differ from person to person!

WHODATHUNKIT?!

So yes, I hate GfWL not because I want to "show nerd cred", but because it WON'T LET ME FUCKING PLAY THE FIRST BATMAN GAME.

Is that a good enough reason to hate it, by your lofty standards?

Creston
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17.
 
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City
Sep 26, 2011, 13:07
17.
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City Sep 26, 2011, 13:07
Sep 26, 2011, 13:07
 
Mastaba wrote on Sep 26, 2011, 12:45:
I don't quite understand all the hate directed towards GFWL. I've never had to pay to use it. It's never stopped me from playing a game because of techincal issues. No one forces me to shop on the GFWL client. And it stays out of the way while playing the GFWL games, just like Steam does. I suppose its still fashionable within some niche to "hate" anything remotely associated with Microsoft, as a means to show nerd cred.

We get one of these every time there's a GFWL thread. People have had a myriad of both technical and design problems with GFWL, not to mention little to no actual tangible benefit from running it. It has nothing to do with bandwagoning or fanboyism, GFWL is just a mediocre piece of software that at best doesn't get in your way and at worst can severely impact the user experience. People have had performance problems related to it, issues with encrypted profile/save structures, DLC and patching problems and much more. If you personally haven't experienced them then count your lucky stars my friend, there's a reason people literally go out of their way to disable it entirely.

What's really bothersome about GFWL is that it hasn't evolved in any meaningful way either. Steam was a piece of shit at release and for a good 2 years afterward. Valve kept working on it however and finally turned it into something worthwhile. GFWL is still largely the same piece of mediocrity that it's been since its inception.
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16.
 
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City
Sep 26, 2011, 13:05
16.
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City Sep 26, 2011, 13:05
Sep 26, 2011, 13:05
 
Frijoles wrote on Sep 26, 2011, 13:03:
My GFWL experience in the first Batman game:

Install Batman
GFWL needs to be installed.
Update GFWL
Logout/Login
Update GFWL
Reboot
Update GFWL
Logout/Login
Update GFWL
Logout/Login
Launch Batman

Yeah, fuck that. I just wanted to play a game.
Yep that sucks, but Arkham Asylum's awesomeness far outweighs GFWL annoyances imo. So get past the bullshit and get into the game is all that really matters. Sucks that it has to be that way, but some games are worth it.
"You don't get what you deserve, you get what you get."
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15.
 
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City
Sep 26, 2011, 13:04
15.
Re: On PC Batman: Arkham City Sep 26, 2011, 13:04
Sep 26, 2011, 13:04
 
Mastaba wrote on Sep 26, 2011, 13:01:
necrosis wrote on Sep 26, 2011, 12:53:
Ahh yes. Did not take long for the 'I dont have any issues so your just a whiny bitch' posts.

But it took amazingly less amount of time for you to actually point that meaningless fact out!
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