Batman: Arkham Asylum sells big as Warner launches DC Entertainment @ Gaming Target

Written by John Scalzo on September 10, 2009

News: Bruce Wayne just got a whole lot richer.

Movies and video games based on characters made famous in the pages of DC Comics have been a mixed bag, to say the least. But with the success of Marvel's movie division and last year's blockbuster Bat-movie, The Dark Knight, Warner Bros. has seen the light and decided to more fully embrace licensing projects with DC Comics characters. To that end, the company has recently formed DC Entertainment, a separate division that will be tasked with building and sustaining various DC properties through their monthly comic adventures and "feature films, television, interactive entertainment, direct-to-consumer platforms and consumer products."

This move was also no doubt spurred by the recent release of Batman: Arkham Asylum on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 (with a PC version scheduled for September 15). The title was one of the most hyped games of the Summer and since its August 25 release it has enjoyed almost universal acclaim. And according to the LA Times, it has also sold nearly two million copies in the past two weeks. Previous Batman games have only sold a fraction as much and the game's profitability practically confirms that Batman: Arkham Asylum 2 will grace our consoles sometime in the near future.

While DC Entertainment has not revealed any specific video game plans, Warner Bros. does have two movies based on DC Comics characters in the pipeline. A Jonah Hex movie will bring the old west bounty hunter to theaters next year and Ryan Reynolds will take on another iconic comic character in 2011 when he stars in Green Lantern. It's not a stretch to assume that both movies will get video game adaptations (possibly by recent Warner acquisition Midway Games).

And then of course, there's Batman 3. While not officially in development, Gary Oldman all but confirmed that a third movie will be happening sooner rather than later at this year's Comic-Con. And something tells me Warner Bros. will ensure a video game is release alongside the movie, as opposed to The Dark Knight's aborted game adaptation from Electronic Arts.

Whatever happens, we'll have more soon, and look forward to all of the new games sure to come out of the formation of DC Entertainment.