Bethesda explains the concept behind Skyrim 'Hearthfire' add-on

When Skyrim's Hearthfire add-on was announced earlier this week, I teased that it would turn your Elder Scrolls V game into The Sims. The new add-on, which will release for a modest 400 Microsoft Points ($5.00), adds the option for players to build a custom house and start a family. It's a huge feature, but not something I ever would've imagined would be released. So what was the concept behind it? Bethesda has released a new Skyrim team diary detailing the creative process of developing Hearthfire and how the idea came to fruition. Similar...

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Bastion is now playable on iPad

The hit indie game Bastion is now available on iPad. Supergiant Games' popular title came out last year to critical acclaim. The trailer below shows how this new version "reimagines the play experience to work intuitively using the iPad’s touch screen." According to Supergiant's blog, "Touch anywhere on the screen to move to that point, or press and hold onscreen to make the Kid move in that direction. Double-tap to perform a quick Evasive Roll. The Kid will attack automatically when foes or obstacles get in range. You can manually fire...

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NHL 13 'legends' to include two women hockey stars

According to a press release sent out by EA today, former Team USA hockey star Angela Ruggiero and Team Canada's Hayley Wickenheiser will join NHL 13’s Legends roster that includes the likes of Doug Gilmour and Wayne Gretzky (both Hall of Fame members) "With the release of NHL 12 we added generic female characters in our Be a Pro mode based...

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Black Ops 2: Nuketown Zombies not included with standard pre-order bonus

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2's Nuketown Zombies mode will not be included with pre-orders of the standard game, Activision clarified today. Looking to clear up any confusion, Call of Duty community manager Liam Ashley confirmed on Twitter that pre-ordering the standard game will only give you access to the Nuketown 2025 multiplayer map — NOT the Nuketown Zombies mode that was revealed as part of the Collector Editions of Black Ops 2. Available only as part of the Collector Editions — Care Package, Hardened Edition, or Digital Deluxe Edition...

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Shank developers working on the browser-based Don't Starve

Klei Entertainment, the studio responsible for Shank and Mark of the Ninja, is developing a new game called Don't Starve. The browser-based game has entered closed early-access beta. You can try out a free, limited demo of the game, but most features are reserved for beta participants, many of whom helped with previous beta versions. Of course, you can buy your way into the current beta for $6.99. By doing so, you'll also receive an extra key for a friend. Don't Starve will launch for $15, so this is the better deal if you're already interested....

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David Bateson returns to voice Agent 47 in Hitman: Absolution

Square Enix announced today that David Bateson will return to reprise his role of Agent 47 in Hitman: Absolution. Bateson, who has been the voice of Hitman since the year 2000 with the PC release of Codename 47, was selected after a long search by developer IO Interactive. “IO and Bateson have been bed fellows for over a decade and like all long running relationships sometimes absence makes the heart grow fonder," brand director Jon Brooke said about the decision to bring Bateson back after the studio earlier said he would be the voice of...

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Happy Wars will be Xbox 360's first free-to-play game, supported by microtransactions

With Sony already on the free-to-play bandwagon with Dust 514, Microsoft is just hopping on. The platform holder revealed today that upcoming multiplayer action game Happy Wars will be the first free-to-play title on Xbox 360. Releasing on Xbox LIVE Arcade this fall, Happy Wars will be free to download and play for Xbox LIVE Gold members. The game will use a microtransaction system where players will be able to purchase "lavishly rendered items" to customize their character's appearance. The large-scale multiplayer action game, which allows...

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Halo 4 'Spartan Ops' to be longer than Halo: ODST campaign

If Master Chief’s return in Halo 4 won’t satisfy your Halo addiction, expect the title’s multiplayer episodic series “Spartan Ops” to do just that. The 10 TV-style episodes following the launch of Halo 4 will not only present you with a whole other story in the Halo universe, it’ll lengthen your playtime by…oh…the time it took you to complete Halo: ODST’s campaign. Posting as “lybertyboy” on NeoGaf, Spartan Ops gameplay designer David Ellis stated, “SpOps season alone is longer than ODST.” He also added that there are two entirely separate...

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The Raven is King ART's next adventure game

Developer King ART successfully delivered a legitimately entertaining and pleasantly comical adventure gaming experience with The Book of Unwritten Tales. The game, which had been available in Europe for some time, recently launched in North America, and it was met with wide critical acclaim.Now, King ART is working on its next project, which was announced at this year's Gamescom. The Raven takes place in 1960s Europe and follows the tale of the titular bandit. You'll have to keep a close eye for The Raven's signature black feather clues...

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I Am Alive is coming to PC this fall

I Am Alive, Ubisoft's survival horror game that previously released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, is arriving on PC on September 13. The game hit XBLA in March and PSN one month later. It holds a score of 75 on Metacritic. Let's see how how the PC version will do. In November of last year, creative director Stanislas Mettra expressed concerns about the game coming to the PC platform. "We've heard loud and clear that PC gamers are bitching about there being no version for them," the developer told IncGamers. "But are these people just...

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I Am Alive is coming to PC this fall

I Am Alive, Ubisoft's survival horror game that previously released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, is arriving on PC on September 13. The game hit XBLA in March and PSN one month later. It holds a score of 75 on Metacritic. Let's see how how the PC version will do. In November of last year, creative director Stanislas Mettra expressed concerns about the game coming to the PC platform. "We've heard loud and clear that PC gamers are bitching about there being no version for them," the developer told IncGamers. "But are these people just...

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Ubisoft's PAX Prime lineup announced, featuring two Wii U exclusives and a butt load of anticipated titles

Ubisoft has announced their plans for PAX Prime including their robust lineup of playable titles that will be present at the Seattle convention. The lineup includes diverse titles like Assassin's Creed 3, Far Cry 3, and Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Blacklist. In addition to those titles, Ubisoft will be showcasing two Wii U exclusives — Rayman Legends and ZombiU — and two upcoming shooters. Assassin's Creed 3 will have a controlled demo on the show floor with the Assassin's Creed team on hand to give attendees the inside scoop on the development...

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Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition Skin Pack 2 includes Gears of War skins

The upcoming skin pack for Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition will contain Gears of War character skins. Marcus Fenix, Skorge, Anya Stroud, and Damon Baird will all be included in Minecraft's Skin Pack 2, which will have a total of 45 character skins. No release date has beena nnounced, but the pack will be priced at 160 Microsoft Points, or $2.00. Some of other skins already announced for the pack include Agent Level 5 (Crackdown 2), Joanna Dark (Perfect Dark), Damon Baird (GoW: judgment), Pretztail (Viva Pinata), and Bill (Left4Dead). Via:...

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Dance Central 3 Story mode detailed, 9 new tracks revealed

Harmonix today released new details for Dance Central 3's newly revealed Story mode, but I'm sure the majority of you care about what songs you can bump and grind to when it releases later this year. For that, I will first give you the nine new tracks you can shake your booty to. With more than 40 tracks on disc, the nine tracks today represent only a small portion of the songs in Dance Central 3. Below are nine more songs, each with authentic dance routines created by professional choreographers: Now onto Story mode where you will travel...

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Make It So: Farsight Studios Launches KickStarter For Star Trek: TNG Pinball Table

A couple of months back, Farsight Studios, the creators of the hit downloadable game The Pinball Arcade, launched a successful KickStarter campaign that brought the classic The Twilight Zone table to digital form, with its release scheduled for later this year.  Now, they're "engaging" once more with an all new KickStarter, this time for one of the better licensed tables on the market. Produced by Williams in 1993, Star Trek: The Next Generation features familiar music and voice samples from the classic TV show, including plenty of Picard...

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Make It So: Farsight Studios Launches KickStarter For Star Trek: TNG Pinball Table

A couple of months back, Farsight Studios, the creators of the hit downloadable game The Pinball Arcade, launched a successful KickStarter campaign that brought the classic The Twilight Zone table to digital form, with its release scheduled for later this year.  Now, they're "engaging" once more with an all new KickStarter, this time for one of the better licensed tables on the market. Produced by Williams in 1993, Star Trek: The Next Generation features familiar music and voice samples from the classic TV show, including plenty of Picard...

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Make It So: Farsight Studios Launches KickStarter For Star Trek: TNG Pinball Table

A couple of months back, Farsight Studios, the creators of the hit downloadable game The Pinball Arcade, launched a successful KickStarter campaign that brought the classic The Twilight Zone table to digital form, with its release scheduled for later this year.  Now, they're "engaging" once more with an all new KickStarter, this time for one of the better licensed tables on the market. Produced by Williams in 1993, Star Trek: The Next Generation features familiar music and voice samples from the classic TV show, including plenty of Picard...

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Make It So: Farsight Studios Launches KickStarter For Star Trek: TNG Pinball Table

A couple of months back, Farsight Studios, the creators of the hit downloadable game The Pinball Arcade, launched a successful KickStarter campaign that brought the classic The Twilight Zone table to digital form, with its release scheduled for later this year.  Now, they're "engaging" once more with an all new KickStarter, this time for one of the better licensed tables on the market. Produced by Williams in 1993, Star Trek: The Next Generation features familiar music and voice samples from the classic TV show, including plenty of Picard...

Read More

Make It So: Farsight Studios Launches KickStarter For Star Trek: TNG Pinball Table

A couple of months back, Farsight Studios, the creators of the hit downloadable game The Pinball Arcade, launched a successful KickStarter campaign that brought the classic The Twilight Zone table to digital form, with its release scheduled for later this year.  Now, they're "engaging" once more with an all new KickStarter, this time for one of the better licensed tables on the market. Produced by Williams in 1993, Star Trek: The Next Generation features familiar music and voice samples from the classic TV show, including plenty of Picard...

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Capcom wants to make Remember Me 'a major franchise'

This week at Gamescom, Capcom introduced Remember Me, a new action-adventure game coming for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC from Dontnod Entertainment. Capcom senior producer Mat Hart said the publisher wants multiple games from Dontnod — a whole franchise, actually. "We're looking to build a long-lasting relationship with them as a developer, and build this into a major franchise," Hart told Joystiq. Capcom is looking at a May 2013 release window. "The thing is," said Hart, "if you leave it too late into next year, then you are starting...

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Warren Spector Wants the Original Epic Mickey Released On Xbox 360, PS3

Warren Spector and his team at Junction Point are toiling away on the highly anticipated Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two, bringing the series to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 for the first time.  But that isn't stopping him from thinking…why didn't the original game ever make it to the system?   Apparently Spector is wishing that the original Epic Mickey could still make the journey.  Speaking with Joystiq today, Spector stated, "It's been about four or five days since I've asked to get that project greenlit. It's not my...

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Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 confirmed for PC

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 will release for PC as well as Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, confirmed Konami. The game will release sometime next year. “Castlevania: Lords of Shadow successfully rebooted the franchise," said producer Dave Cox, "but now we want to go further and exceed people’s expectations on what to expect from the sequel. “This new game tells a much broader tale, and one that spans centuries. It is a game that pushes whatever format it is on to the absolute limit, and we are delighted that Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2’s...

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New FIFA Soccer 13 screenshots because folks cant get enough FIFA

Is this a post to just show off some new FIFA Soccer 13 screenshots released from Gamescom in Germany?  The answer is yes.  If you clicked this link you probably want to see them. The screenshots are below, click on them to see larger versions if they interest you. Via: New FIFA Soccer 13 screenshots because folks...

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NBA 2K13 to feature 2012 USA basketball mens national team

2K Sports today announced that you'll not only be able to play as the 2012 USA Basketball Men's National Team but the 1992 "Dream Team" as well in NBA 2K13. Nice! Now if only the Looney Tunes we're available as playable characters, I could recreate my favorite Space Jam moments! “As executive producer, letting fans go head to head with these legendary USA teams was extremely important to JAY Z,” said Jason Argent, vice president of marketing for 2K Sports. “We are excited to partner with USA Basketball, and share in JAY Z’s enthusiasm in...

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NBA 2K13 to feature 2012 USA basketball mens national team

2K Sports today announced that you'll not only be able to play as the 2012 USA Basketball Men's National Team but the 1992 "Dream Team" as well in NBA 2K13. Nice! Now if only the Looney Tunes we're available as playable characters, I could recreate my favorite Space Jam moments! “As executive producer, letting fans go head to head with these legendary USA teams was extremely important to JAY Z,” said Jason Argent, vice president of marketing for 2K Sports. “We are excited to partner with USA Basketball, and share in JAY Z’s enthusiasm in...

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Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two trailer showcases forgotten characters

I'm super excited for Epic Mickey 2. It's pretty much everything I could have wanted in the original and more. From finally being multiplatform, to adding the ability to play co-op, not to mention it's a musical!  In this latest trailer, we get a glimpse at some of the characters in the game, including Oswald and what makes playing as him a completely unique experience. Mickey is armed with the magic brush allowing to paint or use paint thinner, while Oswald has a remote control which allows him to power certain things in the world....

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Red Johnson's Chronicles comes to PSN and XBLA with new installment

A new adventure in the puzzle-based investigation series Red Johnson's Chronicles is releasing on PSN and XBLA thanks to a distribution deal with Namco Bandai Games. Namco Bandai will publish Red Johnson's Chronicles - One Against All on XBLA, and developer Lexis Numerique will self-publish on PSN. Both versions are scheduled to arrive in mid-September and will be available for PC "soon." The original Red Johnson's Chronicles only arrived on PSN back in April 2011. The upcoming One Against All features a new storyline, upgraded help system,...

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Rock Band Blitz complete 25-song soundtrack revealed

Harmonix announced the final five songs playable in rock Band Blitz, the new controller-based music experience available on Xbox LIVE Arcade and PlayStation Network. Rounding out the 25-song setlist are the following "Moves Like Jagger" (Maroon 5), "Death on Two Legs" (Queen), "These Days" (Foo Fighters), "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" (Kelly Clarkson), "Spoonman" (Soundgarden), "Give It Away" (Red Hot Chli Peppers). The sogns will also be playable in Rock Band 3 with full instrument support at no additional chage. “We spent a lot of...

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Alien Spidy spins its web in North America this fall

Kalypso Media has announced that it will be bringing its web-swinging 2D platformer, Alien Spidy, to digital download platforms this fall. The game features colorful graphics that almost resemble a more lighthearted Outland-esque art style and over 60 levels of challenging platforming gameplay. I had the chance to play Alien Spidy at E3 a couple of months ago, and I instantly fell in love with it. The game is incredibly charming, but don't let that charm fool you. Alien Spidy is a tough game, and it will provide players with a satisfyingly...

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Alien Spidy spins its web in North America this fall

Kalypso Media has announced that it will be bringing its web-swinging 2D platformer, Alien Spidy, to digital download platforms this fall. The game features colorful graphics that almost resemble a more lighthearted Outland-esque art style and over 60 levels of challenging platforming gameplay. I had the chance to play Alien Spidy at E3 a couple of months ago, and I instantly fell in love with it. The game is incredibly charming, but don't let that charm fool you. Alien Spidy is a tough game, and it will provide players with a satisfyingly...

Read More

Alien Spidy spins its web in North America this fall

Kalypso Media has announced that it will be bringing its web-swinging 2D platformer, Alien Spidy, to digital download platforms this fall. The game features colorful graphics that almost resemble a more lighthearted Outland-esque art style and over 60 levels of challenging platforming gameplay. I had the chance to play Alien Spidy at E3 a couple of months ago, and I instantly fell in love with it. The game is incredibly charming, but don't let that charm fool you. Alien Spidy is a tough game, and it will provide players with a satisfyingly...

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The King of Fighters 13 now available for digital download on PSN and XBLA

The King of Fighters 13 is now available for digital download via the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Marketplace. GameZone's Robert Workman awarded the fighter a score of 8/10, describing it as "quite possibly the best game in the series to date — a devotion to old-school formula with new-style touches thrown in all around." The digital versions cost $29.99. Follow @wita on Twitter for tales of superheroes, plumbers in overalls, and literary adventures. Via: The King of Fighters 13 now available for digital download on PSN and XBLA...

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Check out some b*tchin' Sacred Citadel screens

Damn it, now I can't stop using the word "bitchin'." Thanks a lot, Deep Silver! Well, as long as I'm using that ridiculously awesome word and blaming video game publishers for it, I might as well inform you that some new screens for the upcoming Sacred Citadel have popped up. For now, we've just got this small batch of five images, but that's certain to change down the road. I dig what I'm seeing as the art style in Sacred Citadel is nice and colorful. Because seriously, I don't play video games to look at drab environments. Developed by...

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 multiplayer revealed with new trailer

The much-anticipated trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 has finally arrived! And boy does it not disappoint. It is the year 2025 after all, so the technology has to reflect that. We get a glimpse of some sweet new gadgetry you'll be able to use in multiplayer matches. The first involved a throwing knife with a grenade attached to the end of it. Missed that throw by a hair? No big deal, let the explosion get the kill. The next gadget we saw was the infra-sensor scope, which will show enemy positions behind solid objects or through heavy...

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Left 4 Dead 2 runs faster on Steam Linux

Valve, which is working on a Linux version of their popular Steam distribution service, has found that Left 4 Dead 2 runs slightly faster on the operating system than it does Windows. "After this work, Left 4 Dead 2 is running at 315 [frames per second, or FPS] on Linux," the team wrote on its blog. "That the Linux version runs faster than the Windows version (270.6 [FPS]) seems a little counter-intuitive, given the greater amount of time we have spent on the Windows version. However, it does speak to the underlying efficiency of...

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Sorry Lions fans, John Madden himself has just cursed your Madden NFL 13 cover athlete

Sorry Lions fans, but consider Calvin Johnson's season over before it even started. As if being voted on the cover of this year's Madden NFL 13 wasn't bad enough, legendary NFL player, coach, announcer, and appointed-curse has just jinxed Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson. Speaking to the Detroit Free Press, John Madden said the Madden NFL game franchise is not "cursed" despite the string of injuries, contract disputes, and overall down seasons that hit the players who have been featured on the cover of the games throughout the...

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Sorry Lions fans, John Madden himself has just cursed your Madden NFL 13 cover athlete

Sorry Lions fans, but consider Calvin Johnson's season over before it even started. As if being voted on the cover of this year's Madden NFL 13 wasn't bad enough, legendary NFL player, coach, announcer, and appointed-curse has just jinxed Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson. Speaking to the Detroit Free Press, John Madden said the Madden NFL game franchise is not "cursed" despite the string of injuries, contract disputes, and overall down seasons that hit the players who have been featured on the cover of the games throughout the...

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Sorry Lions fans, John Madden himself has just cursed your Madden NFL 13 cover athlete

Sorry Lions fans, but consider Calvin Johnson's season over before it even started. As if being voted on the cover of this year's Madden NFL 13 wasn't bad enough, legendary NFL player, coach, announcer, and appointed-curse has just jinxed Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson. Speaking to the Detroit Free Press, John Madden said the Madden NFL game franchise is not "cursed" despite the string of injuries, contract disputes, and overall down seasons that hit the players who have been featured on the cover of the games throughout the...

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SoulCalibur V fails to outsell predecessor

SoulCalibur V has sold about a million copies less than SoulCalibur IV, Namco Bandai revealed in its Q1 financial report. The current sales, as of June 30, 2012, stands at 1.38 million copies after six months. In comparison, SoulCalibur IV managed to sell 2.3 million sales after eight months on sale. It must be disheartening to Namco, especially considering the generally favorable reception it received from critics. GameZone's Andrew Clouther scored it an impressive 8/10, citing impressive gameplay and character creation, but disappointing...

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Conan O'Brien adventures in Skyrim during his 'Clueless Gamer' segment

Conan O'Brien's "Clueless Gamer" segment is simply brilliant. For those unfamiliar, during this bit, the late night host, who has no video game knowledge whatsoever, tackles some of the industry's biggest titles and slaps a meaningless rating on them. Last week, he took on hit indie game Minecraft and while I referred to it as possibly the best review ever, he may have topped himself in this latest bit where he travels to Whiterun in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. While creating his Khajiit character, Mr. Buttons, Conan hilariously pointed...

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Campcom fighting games need to be 'more accessible' says US VP

Capcom has crafted a library of excellent games, headlined by several fighting game franchises. From Street Fighter to Tekken, and everywhere in between, such as Street Fighter x Tekken, fans have spent hours duking it out as their favorite characters in their favorite arenas. According to Capcom’s US VP, though, there is still room for major improvement, especially when it comes to “accessibility” for newcomers to Capcom fighting games. In a post on Capcom Unity’s forums, vice-president Christian Svensson admitted their development teams...

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Steam users encounter serial key problems with Batman: Arkham Asylum

Steam users who purchased Batman: Arkham Asylum recently were encountering unexpected issues with serial key activation. Although customers were charged, their game was marked as "not found in the database." The problem seemed to stem from the DRM service SecuROM, which pops up with a window upon launching the game. Affected customers took to the forums to voice their complaints. Batman publisher Warner Bros. was "researching the issue," which has now been fixed according to Community Manager Sarah Wellock: "Codes should work for all users."...

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