On December 29,  Warner Brothers is removing Harry Potter DVDs and Blu-Ray Discs from store shelves.

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows—Part 2,” will be released on DVD Novemeber 11 along with a box-set of all eight films in the franchise.

The film will still be available in digital copies and video-on demand.

Source: Reuters

Can’t speak. Fanboy lust rising.

Word broke today that those who preorder Batman Arkham City at certain retailers will gain access to these awesome skins. The bad news? As of right now, all of those retailers are in the UK.

Arkhamcity.co.uk has all of the details on where to preorder, but skins for Batman Beyond, The Dark Knight Returns, Earth One, The Animated Series and 1970s Batman are all being confirmed for the game’s October release.

Warner Bros. Interactive’s newly announced Lord Of The Rings title, “War In The North” was just a name, but today we see it live, breathe and slay.

A teaser trailer for the game popped up recently and, for LOTR fans not so happy with LOTR: Conquest, this game very well may be the mature LOTR game you’ve so long waited for.

Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment recently announced the latest LOTR title, “Lord Of The Rings: War In The North” for consoles and PC.

War In The North

The fantasy role-playing-game will descend at an unknown date in 2011 and is currently being described as an action-RPG that supports up to four-player co-operative gameplay.

Snowblind Studios, the team behind “Champions of Norrath” and “Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance,” are handling the development duties for War In The North, so at least a more than capable studio is hard at work on the title.

When Electronic Arts handed the LOTR rights to Warner Brothers I was immediately skeptical. But this news might just be what LOTR fans have been looking for.

Batman didn’t really need to get better.

Already one of the greatest comic book characters of all time, Batman has had a bit of resurgence in the last 5-10 years, accruing massive popularity deriving mostly from the latest installment of cartoons, merchandise and, of course, films.

Still, other than the super-cute Lego Batman game, the Caped Crusader has yet to leave his mark on the video game world, especially in the 21^st century.

Until now.

Say hello to Batman: Arkham Asylum, one of the newest releases from developers Rocksteady Studios and publishers Warner Brothers and Edios Interactive.‚  This multiplatform action adventure title has had a lot of hype surrounding it leading up to its release in late August.‚  So, the big question about Arkham Asylum wasn’t if the game was going to be highly anticipated, but rather if it could live up the excitement.

Having getting a chance to demo it at Comic-Con this year, I felt the heat that Arkham Asylum was generating even with the most casual of batman fans.‚  Yes, even I decided to join the Arkham hype-machine with my hands-on preview, hoping and praying that somehow this major release from a small, independent developer could live up to all I had come to expect from it.

Would Arkham be that great title everyone has been craving or would it end up being just another over-hyped letdown?‚  I guess you’ll have to read through and find out”¦

What would any video game review be without a short overview of the plot?‚  Batman: Arkham Asylum takes place on — wouldn’t you know it? “" Arkham Island.‚  This island is home to Gotham City’s most famous maximum-security correction facilities where Batman has recently delivered the Joker.‚  Though he is being processed and surrounded by many security guards, the Joker’s actions still seem suspicious to Batman.‚  Unfortunately for the Dark Knight, everyone’s worst fears are confirmed when the Joker escapes the clutches of the Arkham security personnel and creates total chaos.‚  It is up to players to use Batman’s strength, tools and allies to stop the Joker and his plans to destroy Gotham City.

The very first thing one notices when playing Arkham Asylum is its very effective cinematic approach to the game’s cut-scenes.‚  Driven by Mark Hamill’s incredible vocal portrayal of the Joker, Arkham Asylum really set a new standard when it comes to incorporating quality voice acting in games.‚  The dialogue was well written for every one of the characters and the visual aspects found a perfect blend between comic book stylization and realism. ‚ Furthermore, the in-game music for both the cinematic and action portions of the game coupled well with Arkham’s tremendous thespian endowment.

However, though most of the verbal talent was quite impressive, some of the most dry and uninteresting acting came from Batman himself.‚  Whether this is tribute to Batman’s stoic nature or just more proof that the Caped Crusader’s enemies are just much more interesting and complex than he, I wish we could’ve gotten a little more out of the protagonist’s lines.‚  Still, no one should be surprised if Arkham Asylum is used as a prime example of how effective direction and acting can help a great game become legendary.

Arkham Asylum did not only look good, but it felt good too.‚  Running on Unreal Engine 3.5, this title ran smoothly and beautifully.‚  Like many games that use the engine, Arkham Asylum has many characters that have an “epic” look to them.‚  That is, many of the character models are large, muscular and overall physically fit.‚  With this in mind, the folks at Rocksteady made a great choice with the Unreal Engine.‚  As I discussed in my preview for Batman: Arkham Asylum, Sefton Hill, director at Rocksteady games, told me that the developers wanted to make sure Batman looked and played like he was someone who was in chief physical condition.‚  Batman’s (as well as other character’s) sturdy, brawny build went well with the graphics engine without looking too over-the-top in terms of physique.

Batman would need to use all of that strength of his if he wanted to survive the high-intensity third-person gameplay that Arkham Asylum features.‚  Most of the combat involved an easy, free-flowing hand-to-hand fighting style.‚  With an Xbox 360 controller, a few taps of the X button would string together impressive and dynamic bone-breaking combat combinations that could be effective against many enemies at once.‚  When one of the Joker’s thugs is about to strike (as evident by attention-grabbing stripes protruding from said thug’s head), pressing Y will perform a jaw-dropping counter-attack, which can also be used in massive fighting combos.‚  When armed foes arrive, pressing B will make Batman spin his cape, disorienting anyone in range, turning potentially dangerous enemies into exposed and vulnerable beings.

However, though it can play like one, Batman: Arkham Asylum is not your simple brawler.‚  In fact, it is more of a stealth game (albeit a VERY aggressive stealth) than a fighter.‚  Being the world’s greatest detective, Batman has to do a significant amount of snooping and sleuthing during the game’s campaign.‚  This is where Detective Mode comes in handy.‚  This mode, toggled by the LB on 360 controllers, accentuates key details in environments necessary to solve puzzles, find clues and identify proper courses of action.‚  For instance, say you want to determine how to attack a group of enemies in the next room.‚  Simply activate detective mode to see where the thugs are, how many of them have weapons and even how scared they are (based on BPM).‚  This information will be key in determining how and when to attack.

Detective mode also comes in handy when following or tracking NPCs and completing the Riddler’s numerous and very addicting challenges.‚  Batman also has many tools at his disposal, progressively adding more and more to his repertoire throughout the game.‚  Look forward to using Batarangs, Batclaws and Explosive Gels to your advantage.

Finally, no review of Arkham Asylum would be complete without an overview of the extra goodies that are in the game.‚  First, Batman: Arkham Asylum rewards players who complete tasks and find clues with Character Bios.‚  These bios give each gamer deeper insight into the Batman Universe.‚  Each bio includes background stories and physical details of each enemy, friend and family member of Batman identified throughout the game.‚  This is a great way to get hardcore Batman fans and newcomers involved in the same game.‚  Also, players can find recorded audiotapes of therapy sessions and interviews from supervillians like Scarecrow, Poison Ivy and even the Joker himself.‚  Again, this is just another way to add depth and intrigue to an already interesting game.

While all the previously mentioned features were very entertaining, Arkham Asylum is not without flaws.‚  There are two main problem areas that come to mind: Boss Battles and Riddler Challenges.‚  Both of these aspects were both fairly lackluster in my very humble opinion.‚  Though the boss battles were challenging, they often got repetitive and came to unspectacular conclusions.‚  Similarly, the Riddler’s challenges were solid, but also become more tedious than entertaining at times.‚  I would have been more satisfied with my experience if my reward involved more than a few gamer points and a sense of achievement.

Blast Factor: Still, all things considered, Batman: Arkham Asylum is probably the best game of the year so far.‚  In fact, I think it would be fair to say that Arkham may be one of the best 5-10 games you can get for Xbox 360 and possibly the PS3, as well.‚  It is beautiful, addicting and, most of all, very fun. ‚ It is not often that a ultra-hyped game can truly live up to the excitement that surrounds it, but Arkham really broke from the mold here.‚  Batman: Arkham Asylum is a title that every gamer should own and, coming from an independent developer in Rocksteady Studios, it’s a title that every gamer can feel good about owning.‚  I’m glad to give Arkham Asylum the highest grade I’ve ever bestowed on a game.‚  Go buy this one ASAP.

Batman: Arkham Asylum is available for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 for a suggested retail of $59.99

As you may know, Electronic Arts gave up the Lord of The Rings license and handed it over to Warner Brothers Interactive earlier this year.‚  The franchise reached an ugly end with LOTR: Conquest and it was time to move on.‚  But what about this new publisher and direction for a storied series that carries such heavy cultural weight?

In a filing from the ESA which unveiled games that would be given their “first look” to journalists at the upcoming E3 convention, Warner Brothers showed up with the expected LEGO Rock Band, but also The Lord of The Rings: Aragorn’s Quest, the publisher’s first foray into the franchise.

Sounds great right?‚  A game specifically oriented around the King, Aragorn, a unique and alluring take on a tired franchise. Oh but wait, in the product description WB reveals that this iteration was created specifically for kids and their families. Oh goodness.‚  WB has gone as far to set the game in a “friendly, colorful rendition of Middle Earth.”‚  Are we thinking of the same Middle Earth here?

A bit of saving grace that will quell the true LOTR fans’ hearts is that the title will still be centered around Aragorn and his quests from the trilogy by way of action, sword fighting, lancing, and archery.

Aragorn’s Quest is a game we have our sights zoomed all the way in on and will make sure to hit the WB booth hard at E3 next month.

Until then, what do you think?‚  Can a family oriented LOTR game work?

Warner Bros. Pictures announced Thursday that it has moved back the release date of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince from November 21 to Summer 2009.

Warner president and COO Alan Horn announced that the sixth installment of the mega-popular series will be released in theatres July 17, 2009.

Could it be that competition from other holiday movies like Twilight caused Warner to reevaluate Harry Potter’s marketing strategy? Was it the writers strike?

“Our reasons for shifting ‘Half-Blood Prince’ to summer are twofold: we know the summer season is an ideal window for a family tent pole release, as proven by the success of our last ‘Harry Potter’ film, which is the second-highest grossing film in the franchise, behind only the first installment,” Horn said. “Additionally, like every other studio, we are still feeling the repercussions of the writers’ strike, which impacted the readiness of scripts for other films—changing the competitive landscape for 2009 and offering new windows of opportunity that we wanted to take advantage of. We agreed the best strategy was to move ‘Half-Blood Prince’ to July, where it perfectly fills the gap for a major tent pole release for mid-summer.”

“The release date change does not alter the production schedule for this or future Harry Potter films. Post-production on ‘Half-Blood Prince’ was completed on time, and the studio’s release plans for the two-part ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ will not be affected by this change,” said Jeff Robinov, president of Warner Pictures Group. “We know Harry Potter fans are eagerly anticipating seeing the final chapters unfold onscreen. In fact, the good news for them is that the gap will now be shortened between ‘Half-Blood Prince’ and the first part of ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.’”

Translation: they’re worried they won’t make enough money in November, and are pushing it back to create a new “Harry Potter mania” next summer so that these last three features will make more and more money.

At least now we know why they took so long to release a trailer.

The following was released by Warner Bros. Thursday:

“Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince” Moves To Summer 2009

(August 14, 2008 – Burbank, CA) – Warner Bros. Pictures today announced that it has moved back the release date of “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” to Summer 2009. The sixth installment of the blockbuster Harry Potter franchise will now open day-and-date domestically and in the major international markets on July 17, 2009. The announcement was made by Alan Horn, President and Chief Operating Officer, Warner Bros.

In making the announcement, Mr. Horn stated, “Our reasons for shifting ‘Half-Blood Prince’ to summer are twofold: we know the summer season is an ideal window for a family tent pole release, as proven by the success of our last Harry Potter film, which is the second-highest grossing film in the franchise, behind only the first installment. Additionally, like every other studio, we are still feeling the repercussions of the writers’ strike, which impacted the readiness of scripts for other films-changing the competitive landscape for 2009 and offering new windows of opportunity that we wanted to take advantage of. We agreed the best strategy was to move ‘Half-Blood Prince’ to July, where it perfectly fills the gap for a major tent pole release for mid-summer.”

Jeff Robinov, President of Warner Bros. Pictures Group, confirmed, “The release date change does not alter the production schedule for this or future Harry Potter films. Post-production on ‘Half-Blood Prince’ was completed on time, and the studio’s release plans for the two-part ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ will not be affected by this change. We know Harry Potter fans are eagerly anticipating seeing the final chapters unfold onscreen. In fact, the good news for them is that the gap will now be shortened between ‘Half-Blood Prince’ and the first part of ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.’”

Commenting on the release date change for “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” David Heyman, the producer of all the Harry Potter films, offered, “When Jeff Robinov explained the rationale behind moving the release date of ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ to July 2009, it was immediately apparent that this offered us the potential to reach the widest possible audience. I am extremely proud of this latest film and of the work of David Yates and our incomparable cast; I believe we have developed and pushed the series further still. We are all looking forward to sharing it with Harry Potter fans around the world, even if we have to wait just a bit longer.”

David Yates, the director of both “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” and “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” and who will also helm “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,’ added, “It has been a joy to work on ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.’ Dan, Rupert and Emma and all our returning young cast continue to blossom, and our new cast members bring fresh color and life to Hogwarts. Even as we put the finishing touches on this latest film, we are already beginning preparations on the final two films-we start filming in February-and I am excited to bring this remarkable series to the exciting and moving conclusion its loyal fans deserve.”

In “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Heyday Films production, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.” David Yates, who directed last year’s summer blockbuster “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” returns to direct “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.” David Heyman and David Barron are the producers, with Lionel Wigram serving as executive producer. Steve Kloves wrote the screenplay, based on the book by J.K. Rowling.

Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson are reprising their roles as young wizards Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. The film also stars Jim Broadbent, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Timothy Spall, David Thewlis and Julie Walters. The cast also features David Bradley, Jessie Cave, Frank Dillane, Tom Felton, Matthew Lewis, Evanna Lynch, Helen McCrory, Natalia Tena, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, and Bonnie Wright.

“Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” will be released by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

Warner Bros has announced they will drop support for the HD DVD format and produce high-definition titles exclusively for Sony’s Blu-ray.

This will serve as a huge problem for the HD DVD format. Warner Bros sells 18 to 20 percent of all home videos. This now leaves only Universal, The Weinstein Company and Paramount (and their child companies like Dreamworks) supporting the now falling behind HD DVD format.

Paramount switched to HD DVD only when they received a $150 million payoff last summer.

Conversely, the Blu-ray camp now has Sony Pictures, Disney, Fox, Lions Gate and now the Warner exclusivity.

Sony owns MGM and Columbia TriStar. Disney Owns Touchstone, Pixar and Miramax. This gives Blu-ray a much stronger position as far as this generation’s format war is concerned.

Prediction: If Paramount goes back to both formats or somehow decides to make just Blu-ray when their HD DVD contract expires, the war will be over quickly.

Toshiba was quick to respond, and they’re pissed off.

“Toshiba was quite surprised by Warner Bros.’ decision to abandon HD DVD in favor of Blu-ray, despite the fact that there are various contracts in place between our companies concerning
the support of HD DVD,” the company said in a statement Friday. “We will assess the potential impact of this announcement with the other HD DVD partner companies and evaluate potential next steps.”

The next step appears to be a step back. The HD DVD group canceled its CES press conference.

The reason behind Warner’s move — it looks like they’d rather support one than risk both next-gen HD formats failing.

People seem to like downloadable content from places like the iTunes, and Xbox Live has done well so far at selling videos. If the format wars continue, it looks like consumers could skip both Blu-ray, and HD DVD and go straight to downloadable.

“The window of opportunity for high-definition DVD could be missed if format confusion continues to linger,” Barry Meyer, Warner Brothers chairman, told Yahoo! Tech. “We believe that exclusively distributing in Blu-ray will further the potential for mass market success and ultimately benefit retailers, producers, and most importantly, consumers.”

Consumers just don’t want to buy the same movie — often a movie they may have had on VHS — a second, third or fourth time. Warner says that both formats are having an impact that caused consumers to say, “let’s wait a bit to buy anything, even a standard-definition DVD.”

Well, we can’t have that now, can we?