News
Dark Knight game exists
Tim Ingham Aug 8 2008, 10:07am
Comments (5)
EA insider and movie actor Oldman confirm title; Analyst Pachter estimates lack of release has cost Warner & EA $100m
An officially licensed Dark Knight game does exist – according to both an insider at EA studio Pandemic and Batman movie actor Gary Oldman.
No evidence of the game tie-in has been offered by either Electronic Arts or franchise owner Warner Bros.
The movie release has smashed Box Office records to take over $400m – and actor Heath Ledger is widely tipped to win a posthumous Oscar for his portrayal of The Joker.
However, an EA insider told the Associated Press that the title was in development at Pandemic Studios – speaking under the condition of anonymity.
In addition, Gary Oldman – who plays Gotham City police officer James Gordon in the movie – said in a recent interview that he had seen a “tiny little piece” of the official game.
He described a sequence with Batman 'realistically gliding across rooftops'. Oldman also said the game is supposed to feel like it "doesn't stop and start."
According to AP: ‘Speculation about the cause for the disappearing act has included missed deadlines, Heath Ledger's death, questionable quality and poor sales projections.’
MCV has contacted Warner Bros and EA for more information.
It isn't the first time that EA hasn't matched a major superhero movie released with an official, simultaneous game adaptation of a licence it has rights to.
The publisher's game based on 2006's Superman Returns didn't arrive until the DVD release — and then only sold 705,000 copies.
However, according to the EA source, a Dark Knight game isn't on EA's release slate through March 2009.
Wedbush Morgan video game industry analyst Michael Pachter has estimated that had the Dark Knight game been released at the same time as the blockbuster film last month, it could have sold four million units and generated $100 million — with $70 million going to the game's publisher and $30 million going to Warner Bros.
"I think publishers have concluded the only games that work are the surefire $500 million box office kind of games like Spider-Man and Shrek,'" Pachter told AP.
"The Transformers game really surprised people how well it did, but the movie was big. I don't think they expected The Dark Knight movie to be this big."
The closest movie fans are sure to get to an interactive battle between Batman and The Joker this year is Warner’s Lego Batman, due for a release around October.
Comments
“Games based on Films”
Posted by: Anon - Aug 8, 10:49am
This may not have anything to do with the supposed Batman game but in my humble opinion the best way to create a good film license game surely would be to forget that it is a flim license create a unique game then add the elements of the actual film thus creating a credible game. A lot of the time with the film licenses I have had the unfortunate experience of playing they concentrate too much on the fact that it is a big license and you get treated to a mish mash of a playing experience relying on the title to make it a hit. This goes way back as far as the 8 bit days. As I said this is just my opinion and based on past efforts that shall remain nameless.
“Re: Games based on Films”
Posted by: a game player sick of cheap 'marketing driven' games - Aug 9, 7:49am
Most licensed property titles are rushed to market to hit a movie release or specific deadline. This usually imposes very short timeframes on the game developers, hindering their ability to create a quality product. Perhaps they are going for the oft proved "when its done" mantra, which promotes a quality product which would sell on its own merits rather than riding on the coattails of the hype and buzz of the blockbuster movie...
“Re: Re: Games based on Films”
Posted by: Bob Sierra - Aug 9, 12:58pm
Wouldn't have thought it would take until post-March to finish though; (unless DVD tie-in?) if its not on the schedule, its not coming in!
“Re: Re: Re: Games based on Films”
Posted by: HAHAHA - Aug 10, 6:43pm
I will not buy it unless you can be the Joker...
Plus it should have multiplayer online; cops vs clowns?
I hope its Pandemic and not just EA. [money driven crooks]
“Re: Re: Re: Re: Games based on Films”
Posted by: rayyan - Aug 17, 3:05pm
I want the dark knight (batman) game