This is the biggest launch ever for publisher Warner Bros. Interactive and to be amongst the biggest selling games of the year behind the likes of FIFA 12, L.A. Noire and Gears of War 3 is a great achievement for them. They also managed to double the amount of copies sold in the launch of their previous game, and former game of the year, Arkham Asylum which is very impressive.

According to Metro when it came to individual format sales the amount of copies of Arkham City sold was pretty evenly split between the Xbox 360 and the PS3. The multi-format chart saw FIFA 12 hold on to its number two spot, managing to shift 1,800 more copies then the debutant Football Manager 2012. The latter is only available on the PC which would have hindered the totals somewhat.

The rest of the chart was made up of Forza Motorsport 4 in fourth position, Just Dance 3 on the Wii in fifth, The Sims 3 Pets in sixth, then PES 2012, Rage, Zumba Fitness and Gears of War 3 making up the rest. There are several more highly anticipated titles due out this quarter making it fairly easy to predict which games are going to sell the most copies each week. Next week it is likely that we will see Battlefield 3 top the charts. What do you think of the charts this week? Were you surprised to see Batman: Arkham City take the number one spot?

Robin is one of the main characters from the comic books and is sure to be a kick-ass character to play as, however his role in Arkham City doesn’t appear to be an integral one as he is one of the characters that will have be purchased through DLC. We recently brought our readers footage of the Dark Knight’s companion in action and can now confirm that if you don’t get the Robin DLC through a pre-order then you can still snap it up later on November 22nd for just $6.99.

Another DLC that is set to be made available after the game’s release is the alternative Batman skins package. Until now it was thought that these alternate costumes would only be available through pre-ordering and depending on where the game was pre-ordered from determined what skin you would get. In a previous article we presented our readers with all six costumes that are available and while there is no confirmation that they will all be included in the DLC we believe the likelihood is it will. If you are interested it will cost just $4.99 and will be out December 6th.

Catwoman and Nightwing are two more characters that will also be available through DLS, however according to Myniritori Catwoman will only be available to those who buy the game new and no details have been revealed about the Nightwing DLC as of yet. Which DLC are you most looking forward to?

The first part to the LEGO series, Harry Potter: Years 1-4, was launched across all platforms last year. It covered all the main goings on from the first four movies and books and was packed full of magical gameplay and potion making. The second installment to the series covers the action from the last three episodes and features much of the same mystical challenges against lots of creatures and other wizards including Lord Voldemort.

Suitable for all ages, this game focuses on solving puzzles, exploring and colleting, much like other LEGO themed games, except this series also integrates casting spells, more of which can be unlocked as the player progresses. A wide range of magic is available to the characters, even a choice of which spell to use is given to each wizard. Be careful though because if a spell isn’t quite mastered, you could find yourself cast into a frog.

The trailer, which can be viewed below, shows some memorable reenactments of some of the action in the movies, including the three main characters, Harry, Hermione and Ron flying over the Thames as well as a few comical twists like the moment Dumbledore was whisked away by the Phoenix being a little out of sync shall we say. Check it out for yourself below.

What do you think of the trailer? Are you looking forward to the game?

We previously brought you a roundup of all the costumes that had been revealed and how to get them before this one was even known about. Now according to ComicBookMovie those who purchase the movie will receive the bonus Sinestro Corp skin which will be exclusive to PlayStation 3 owners. There have been no official images of the costume as of yet, though it is thought to be the bright yellow attire which the Dark Knight donned for a small amount of time during the DC Comics’ Blackest Night episode, when he became a Yellow Lantern after putting on a yellow ring.

The Green Lantern movie, starring Ryan Reynolds as the green hero, will run for 120 minutes on the Blu-ray version, 6 minutes longer than the theatrical cut, and is released October 14th, just before Arkham City. Warner Bros have not yet revealed what the extra minutes include.

The company has been fairly low-key about the extra features of the Blu-ray as a whole which is strange as the movie itself was disappointing for a lot of fans, suggesting it may not sell that well come release date, however I personally will be purchasing the Green Lantern Blu-ray for the Batman skin alone as will a lot of other Arkham City gamers I’m sure. This won’t be the first time where bonus gaming material has been obtained through movies, as those who purchased Battle: Los Angeles were able to download a Resistance 3 beta.

I believe these are very smart marketing tactics and hopefully will occur more often. What do you think? Will you be purchasing the Green Lantern on Blu-Ray/DVD?

Today we have news from the Arkham City site, that not only will players be able to take the role of Robin, but like Batman, he will also have a variety of skins that he will appear in too. This bonus attire includes three skins altogether which are hooded Robin, thought to be the original costume for the game, Robin from The Animated Series and Red Robin. All of these costumes can be seen in the picture below.

We already know that Rocksteady Studios’ aim is to portray Robin in a completely different way from what we are used to seeing when it comes to the character’s personality and judging from what we know so far they have certainly succeeded. He is a lot more ‘bad ass’ than we’re used to and will have abilities almost as powerful as Batman’s.

In an interview with PlayStation.Blog, it was also revealed that the character will be wielding a shield as well as the bo-staff he has been seen pictured with. He will be hard hitting in the challenge maps and will also be an expert with explosives. Gadgets such as augmented vision will equip the character aiding him in identifying these explosives amidst the environment. Little else is known about the shield itself but I’m sure we will be hearing about it before the release of the game come October, and when we do we will be sure to bring you the details.

What do you think of the new look Robin and his other skins?

Today we have news from the company’s lead narrative designer, Paul Crocker, who revealed to NowGamer at GamesCom that the new title will be bigger and longer than its prequel Batman: Arkham Asylum. While this news may not be a surprise to some of you, just how much bigger and longer the game is might be. From what was revealed by Crocker at the gaming event the map is ‘about five times as big as Arkham Asylum.’ The map in the previous title was not exactly small meaning Arkham City promises to be huge.

According to Crocker, we can expect the single player story mode campaign to be at least 20-25 hours in length. Completion of this will not gain players 100% accomplishments however, in order to do that it will involve seeking out all the Riddler Trophies, 400 of them and discovering all the cameos. This will bring the total amount of playing time to 40 hours at least, according to Crocker.

There are then the other playable parts of the game, such as the Predator challenges in Challenge Mode. This mode featured in the previous title and has been expanded upon since. Players will be able to combat with Batman or Catwoman for as long as they like, making the total amount of gameplay in these modes infinite. The game provides such value for money that, according to Crocker, ‘you never have to buy another game.’ Let’s not forget the DLC packs that will be made available, such as being able to play as Robin in Challenge mode.

Are you pleased with the size of the game?

While this may not be a surprise to some of you, this is still news to everyone, as until now it was just speculation that 3D support would play a part in the title. Of course in order to experience these extra features an advanced GPU, 3D glasses and a 3D TV/monitor are all needed. This is likely to cost most gamers an extra penny or two as 3D is still fairly new to gaming meaning only few of you will actually have the means to experience it already.

According to The Sixth Axis those gamers that have not yet invested in a 3DTV have also been taken into account by the developers, as there will also be an anaglyphic 3D option available for them. This means gamers will still be able to view the game with more depth, all be it less effective 3D, but glasses will still be needed. Stereoscopic 3D is also reported to be on the cards.

The news was announced in the latest edition of PC Gamer in which they said ‘the depth effects of 3D really stand out’ they also added that it made the already dark game look even darker. The game will be available in Europe, Australia and the US across all platforms by October 21st, until then we will have to wait for the hands on reviews to roll in before we can get an idea of how effective the 3D is.

Are you excited that the game will be supporting 3D? Will you be investing in a 3DTV just for the enhanced graphics?

The cold hearted scientist, Dr. Victor Fries is the latest in the long list of characters that have been confirmed to feature in the game, to be revealed. He is one of the Dark Knight’s most well-known rivals and the fact that the developers have decided to include him in the game shows they intend on making up for a lack of villains in their previous Batman title Arkham Asylum.

In a recent article, we brought our readers a list of the characters that had been revealed so far and also the ones that have been confirmed but not yet revealed, Mr. Freeze was one of them. The article also asked our readers which other characters they would like to see feature in the game.

From the trailer, which we have embedded courtesy of YouTube, we can see that Freeze intends to use Batman undoubtedly to benefit his research. It seems to be set in some sort of lab which soon becomes an icy lair as the Caped Crusader refuses to cooperate and a battle breaks out between the two characters. There is also an exchange of some classic one-liners like ‘Today is not a good day to push me Victor.’

As the battle commences it looks to be a hide and seek type fight, where players must avoid being seen or else risk being fired at, similar to the fight with Vulcan Raven in Metal Gear Solid. Check out the video below to see the new villain in all his glory for yourself. Are you glad Mr. Freeze is in the new game? Is there anyone else you are hoping to see make an appearance?

Now we’ve just discovered that the Bastion game is coming to the PC and judging by a recent article by Greg over on the supergiantgames.com website, you won’t have to wait very long for it to arrive as it’s coming to Steam on Tuesday, August 16th. The PC version of the Bastion game – which costs $14.99 in North America – is available to pre-order from the Steam website.

So what exactly is different about the PC version of the Bastion game I hear you ask? Not only does it come with a 1080p resolution (which will show off the game’s amazing artwork), it also features customizable controls and gamepad support. The PC version is also DRM-free and Steamworks-enabled, which includes cloud saves, Steam achievements and leaderboards.

Besides being known for its solid, action-RPG gameplay and its vibrant, hand-painted environments, the Bastion game is also known for its unique reactive narrator, who according to Dwayne Holder over at gamerant.com narrates your every move. If you like game music, then you might be pleased to know that the Bastion soundtrack is also available to download for $10.

As noted over on the steampowered.com website, the system requirements for the Bastion game include a 1.7 GHz dual-core (or better) processor, Windows 7, XP or Vista, 1.6GB of free hard disk space, 2GB of memory, DirectX 9.0c compatibility and a 512MB DirectX 9.0c compatible graphics card.

There’s unfortunately been no word on a PlayStation Network release for the Bastion game as of yet. However, bearing in mind how quick the developer is being to bring the game to the PC, they might be quick to port it to the PS3 as well. Would you like to see the Bastion game released on the PlayStation 3 soon?

Today we have news of a new trailer from the next installment of the Batman saga, which reveals two more characters for the first time. The first of these characters revealed is one of Batman’s oldest arch enemies the Penguin. Born Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot the short, tubby supervillain is most well-known for his hi-tech umbrellas and his love for birds.

The trailer unveils the cockney ‘gentleman of crime’ monocle and all, as he unleashes one of his mobs onto Batman. Outnumbered the dark knight has to fight his way through to the Penguin. Limbs are broken and bodies are sent flying through the air but before he can get to the grotesque mobster, he is blown through the ground with a rocket launcher.

Batman finds himself in a dark chamber below where the other character is revealed to be none other than the zombie supervillain Solomon Grundy. The character had not previously been mentioned as far as I’m aware so, as the Penguin appropriately says in the trailer, this is a surprise. It may not be a pleasant one for Batman but I’m sure fans of the game are very excited.

For those who are not aware of the character, Solomon Grundy is a monstrous man whose name is based on the 19th century nursery rhyme. He is featured as a villain in many comics, not just the Batman selection. As you can see from the trailer, he is a rather large man and could prove hard to defeat when Batman finally battles him. Check out the trailer below to see all the action and the new characters for yourself.

Meanwhile according to Gamepur, two more characters have been announced by Rocksteady to feature in the game, though they have not actually been shown yet. The first is Talia al Ghul, a love interest of Batman’s and daughter of another of his oldest enemies, Ra’s al Ghul. The other character is yet another villain, Black Mask. It is not certain what role these two characters will play in the game, only that they will feature in it.