The Rumors of Batman: Arkham City's Multiplayer Are Greatly Exaggerated

[Greg Tito]

The Rumors of Batman: Arkham City's Multiplayer Are Greatly Exaggerated

Rocksteady Games confirmed that there will be no multiplayer component, coop or otherwise, in Batman: Arkham City.

The first Batman game from Rocksteady, Arkham Asylum was The Escapist's 2009 Game of the Year for how well it blended atmosphere and setting into a frightfully accurate portrayal of the Dark Knight. For the sequel, the rumors [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/107454-Batman-Arkham-City-Five-Times-Bigger-Than-Asylum] have been saying, Hill dispelled all myths of a multiplayer experience in Arkham City.

"There have been a number of rumors circulating about a multiplayer mode in Batman: Arkham City so let me start by saying, once and for all, that Batman: Arkham City is a 'single-player only' experience," Hill said.

Why abandon what could give the game significant replay value? "Our thought process behind this was fairly simple: when we investigated adding multiplayer we asked, 'If we use all of the energy that is required to create multiplayer and instead focus this on the single player, would that deliver a better overall game?'" As Hill and Rocksteady are now entering the final push of development, he knows that he would not have been able to make a great game with both a single player and a multiplayer portion.

"It might not be the fashionable choice, it might not get us an extra tick on the box, but we are convinced, and we hope that gamers will agree when they get to play the finished game, that we have made the right decision," Hill said.

To be honest, I don't really get a lot out of multiplayer in games, so to hear a developer focus on delivering a solid single player experience is pretty damn refreshing. Kudos to Hill for making a bold choice against what his publisher probably wanted and sticking to his guns. Kind of reminds me of another caped crusader...

Source: IGN [http://uk.ps3.ign.com/articles/114/1149377p2.html]

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[Veloxe]

Damn. I was at least hoping for co-op! Oh well, maybe the 3rd instalment...

 

[Woodsey]

"Why abandon what could give the game significant replay value?"

Sometimes, I really do feel like I'm the only one who finds replay value in single-player games that are just really good.

""It might not be the fashionable choice, it might not get us an extra tick on the box, but we are convinced, and we hope that gamers will agree when they get to play the finished game, that we have made the right decision," Hill said."

Very good to hear.

 

[Just_A_Glitch]

As much as I enjoy co-op modes in games, this makes me happy.

I wasn't a fan of the Catwoman rumor. I didn't want Robin (as a playable character) in the game. I'm getting this Batman game for Batman.

 

[Geamo]

Good. Better to have a great single player then diluting it in favour of a meh multiplayer.

 

[SamElliot'sMustache]

Not much else to say, but multiplayer is just an extraneous thing for most games, and doesn't add that much to the game (there's only so much of people shouting "noob" or various racial slurs one can take before it becomes tiresome). That Rocksteady is focused on just making a good game is a relief.

EDIT: P.S.: It would be cool, though, if there was a Batman and Robin\-style game where co-op could a central aspect (for the record, I mean Batman and Robin like the Grant Morrison comic or the Timm/Dini animated series, not the Schumacher movie). I would definitely try that out, especially if it takes a lot of what worked in Arkham Asylum and was made with co-op in mind, rather than just tacked on.

 

[Gildan Bladeborn]

Well that is exactly what I always want to hear forever. Yay! Seriously, I've never given two shits about multiplayer so learning that a company chose to spend more time and effort polishing the singleplayer content rather than tack on a multiplayer mode I was never going to even touch anyways is news with absolutely no downside if you are me (and if you aren't, well then your opinion is irrelevant to me anyways).

 

[Sovereignty]

I really am starting to miss 2 player adventure games. Even if they didn't add it for the perfect reasons this is a sad day. Some of us like to be social. Some of us want to enjoy a genuinely good game while sitting next to a friend...





... Truth is some of us have girlfriends who wont let us play games on the ONE damn TV in the house, and 2 player split screen/shared screen is the ONLY way to get game time in!!! @_@

 

[Joshimodo]

No co-op? Boo!

No multiplayer? Wooohooo!

 

[CheckD3]

Finally, a game where they put more attention into making the single-player great instead of losing potential and game time by focusing on multiplayer.

Multiplayer isn't bad at all, but there are games where it doesn't belong, and there is a lack of games that are single player only. Because while playing with a friend is fun, sometimes you need to say fuck you to your friends, lock your doors, stock up on Mountain Dew and Doritos and spend as many hours as you can stay awake playing a really good game that's built for 1 person and 1 person only

 

[TheTygerfire]

*sigh of relief* Thank god. As much as I love co-op games, keep MP out of my Batman.

 

[Dorkmaster Flek]

Good! This is not the kind of game that demands multiplayer. Yeah, some kind of co-op would be neat, but not at the expense of single player. This isn't Medal of Duty Calls with Honor: Modern Allied Warfare Assault 2011.

 

[SomethingUnrelated]

Good for them. It's nice to see a developer actively say no in favour of what they believe will be a better game, instead of opting for the money spinner.

 

[mGoLos]

Good news!

Nothing beats a good campaign in my book.

 

[SomeBritishDude]

No co-op? Boo!

No multiplayer? Wooohooo!

Basically this. I was really hoping to play as the dynamic duo.

 

[BstrdChris]

sweet. nothing wrong with multiplayer where it belongs, but i've returned games that had 1/3 or more of the achievements/trophies requiring me to play a multiplayer/co-op mode that i could care less about. Batman should definitely be a single-player, story driven game.

 

[Quesa]

"Why abandon what could give the game significant replay value?"

Sometimes, I really do feel like I'm the only one who finds replay value in single-player games that are just really good.

""It might not be the fashionable choice, it might not get us an extra tick on the box, but we are convinced, and we hope that gamers will agree when they get to play the finished game, that we have made the right decision," Hill said."

Very good to hear.

Hear, hear. Ten hour games with multiplayer tacked on be damned.

 

[slightly evil]

< Pretty much this face (hoppip ftew)
you dont buy a batman game to run around with someone, you are a lone hero.
I know playing with a friend or my brother would ruin the game's atmosphere.
good to see they have their priorties right

 

[qbanknight]

Thank you, though I'm curious as to why it took them over a year to shoot this rumor down

 

[hazabaza1]

YES!
Just focus on the Singleplayer. Arkham Asylum was fantastic, and doing this as multiplayer would have to cause some sacrifices I'll bet, so seeing this as a single only makes me a happy person.