The next entry in the Batman: Arkham series will be released this year, Time Warner quietly revealed in a financial meeting last week.

A transcript of the company's Q4 2012 earnings call, posted on Seeking Alpha, quotes CFO John K. Martin:

"We expect [digital home video revenue] to grow close to 20% in 2013. And we also have a strong games release this year, which will include the next release in the Batman Arkham franchise."

Batman: Arkham City, the previous game in the franchise, was released in 2011. The game was retooled for Nintendo's Wii U and re-published last November.

Last year it was rumoured that the next game in the series would take the form of a prequel, with developer, Rocksteady drawing inspiration from the Silver Age of comics.

However, VG247 claims the UK studio is not developing the next game in the series.

In August of last year Paul Dini, writer of Batman Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, and co-creator of Batman: The Animated Series, announced he also will not be working with Warner Interactive on a Batman: Arkham 3.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/39 ... -confirms/

I'm incredibly wary after City, especially since WB thought it would be fun to make their customers jump through hoops and the game was more like GTA Gotham in comparison to Asylum. There's only so many times you can rely on that smackdown animation without a properly good story, and the DLC added up to nothing more than a side mission I wouldn't be surprised to find had been cut from the main game.

I don't think I bothered with the DLC. In all honesty, I loved the open-world feel of Arkham City. I really did feel like Batman.

I don't like the sound of things - different writer and studio? Almost get the feeling they just want a cash-grab sequel. In which case I'll buy it when it reaches bargain basement prices of £5 or less.

It was great at first, but I soon realised I preferred using his skills indoors.

Nah. I loved gliding outdoors, passing over some baddies and then diving in for the kill. I loved having to swoop between sniper lasers and take them out one at a time stealthily. I loved just standing on a gargoyle and surveying the city. There was nothing wrong with the first one but a lot of it was just running around indoors.

As long as it was well made as the others, I wouldn't mind a solely indoors based one.

I didn't have the patience for all that since I wanted to build up XP for the more useful weapons, so I found myself taking the long way round and attacking, or using the gun neutraliser.

I think that gun neutraliser was a bit of a cheat. I used it once and hated it. I preferred to nick the gun using the batclaw and then pouncing on the enemy. I suspect it took me a lot longer than you to complete the game but absolutely enjoyed it.

I wanted to see where the story went but in the end there were so many distractions game-wise and the central characters' motivations were crap. The side missions were more interesting I found.

Will agree with you about the storyline. A lot less focussed because of so many strands or side stories. It's something that I'm used to from RPG games where you can ignore the main mission and play all the side missions, become overpowerful and obliterate the main mission.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/39 ... -new-xbox/

I'd hope making it multi-gen wouldn't impact on quality - the WB influence was far too noticeable last time as it was

This might be worth waiting out for rather than just shelling immediately.

+1. I've a feeling something went quite wrong last time; Dini and Hamill walking, the state/nonsense with the DLC...

Batman: Arkham Origins announced - Rocksteady not at helm (contains overall story arc spoilers and images, non-spoiler summary below)

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/40 ... t-at-helm/

Prequel set in the early days, so slightly different character for Bats. WB Montreal working on it with help from guy who worked on decent Hulk and Prototype games, October 25th release. Rocksteady gives their blessing, and they would since it's using some of the tech they did if nothing else.

A handheld game for Ninty and Sony machines called Blackgate (as in the prison) takes place after Origin's events...

I can't help wondering if Rocksteady are gonna be working on the next-gen sequel to this, potentially doing a multi-team approach down the line where you get a game every year or two. That's never meant quality elsewhere.

Oh, and be careful what links you click - gadgets, locations, villains etc are already being extensively listed

I clicked on it and read it. No Rocksteady nor Dini as writer means either this is a cheap ass shot for quick money and a crap game, or as you've said, a split cycle like Treyarch and Infinity Ward.

In some ways, I don't want an endless cycle of Arkham series games - they'll be crap because quality suffers.

I may pirate this game to see if it's any good before shelling out any money.

I'm certainly in no hurry for it. I'm actually more curious about what they'll try with the handhelds

Two years isn't a lot of time for a handed over game's development, especially since the only real link to the past seems to be Kevin Conroy! It'll probably be decent, but that just means I rent it or pick it up cheap. The big question is do they have the wit not to sully Rocksteady's efforts? And are Rocksteady even in the frame anymore?

Blackgate, spoiler details, pics are OK in that sense

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/40 ... top_banner

Not fussed either way