lego-batman posts

As promised last month, the OnLive streaming PC game service has started shipping pre-orders of its MicroConsole which lets folks who have a TV and a nearby wired internet connection play OnLive's selection of games on their TV set with an included wireless controller.

In addition to today's shipment announcement, OnLive revealed more details on its upcoming monthly flat rate pricing plan. The PlayPack option will actually start with people who get the MicroConsole. They will be able to play the games included in the PlayPack option for free in a beta test. The PlayPack option officially goes live for everyone on January 15 and will cost $9.99 a month. OnLive says over 40 games will be included in the PlayPack option when it goes live and will include the following titles:

Prince of Persia
NBA 2K10
Tomb Raider: Underworld
F.E.A.R. 2
Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X.
Unreal Tournament 3
Vin Diesel Wheelman
LEGO Batman
Defense Grid Gold
Saw
World of Goo

In case you are wondering, OnLive will still have the option to let folks pay for individual games, including titles not included in the PlayPack option, in 3 and 5 day trials as well as full PlayPass versions

People play with Legos and also play Lego-based PC games. A lot. That is the likely reason why the Lego Group has signed a new deal today with game developer Traveller's Tales to continue their previous licensing agreement to make more Lego-based games until the year 2016. Financial terms were not disclosed

Traveller's Tales, owned by Warner Bros. Interactive, had a massive critical and sales hit with their Lego Star Wars game. Since then the developer has sold almost 50 million units of its Lego based games which also include Lego Indiana Jones and Lego Batman. Their next projects are Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 and Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars which will be released later in 2010.

It's Friday and that means bargain hunting for PC gamers has begun, as they are aiming to find some cheap title to buy and download. Here are some of the weekend's sales that are already live:

• GoGamer.com has a number of PC games on sale this weekend. One is the just released Tom Clancy's HAWX which can be bought for just $27.90, 40 percent off its normal price. Lego Batman can be bought for just $12.90.
• GamersGate has put Universe at War: Earth Assault on sale for just $4.99 this weekend. They also have King's Bounty on sale for just $9.99.
• The Impulse service has Project: Aftermath for sale for just $5.99 this weekend.

As long as there have been PC and video games some people have tried to make the case that they are bad for kids. But is this going a tad too far. The consumer watchdog group Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood has launched their first annual TOADY (Toys Oppressive And Destructive to Young Children) Award. Five finalists have been named and one of them is...Lego Batman?

Not Grand Theft Auto IV? Not Left 4 Dead? Nope, this organization says the recent Traveller's Tales Lego game is harmful to kids. Their claim is that the design of Lego Batman is destructive, saying "....instead of deciding what to build next, children choose which cyber weapons to use to beat up their opponent." They also take issue with the game's rating (E 10+) while also promoting the game via a McDonald's Happy Meal package (they also try to tie in the game to The Dark Knight movie which is stretching at best).

It's clear that this organization has some very radical ideas when it comes to toys that are harmful to kids. We shutter to think what their opinion is of Lego Star Wars (light saber battles) or Lego Indiana Jones (where we have to see a Lego Alfred Molina).

And the wheels keep turning over at Traveller's Tales. Last month the rumor was that the Lego game team was working on a Harry Potter game and a few days ago another rumor hit that they were working on a Lego Rock Band title.

Now comes the latest Lego game rumor from Eurogamer who claims through their own unnamed sources that the Lego Harry Potter game "is off the menu for at least 12 months." They are now saying a second Lego Indiana Jones game is more likely for publisher LucasArts although there's no word on what it would be about. The first game, released in the summer of 2008, got solid reviews and sales.

It's time for the week's "craziest rumor" news post and this one comes from the semi-reliable UK based Videogaming247 who claims they have a source who says that Lego PC game developer Traveller's Tales is working on a Lego Rock Band game for publisher Electronic Arts.

The web site assures its readers that its source claims it is "100 percent correct" but we are very skeptical about this news bit, especially since rumors started a month ago that a Lego Harry Potter game would in fact be the next title from Traveller's Tales. In 2008 Traveller's Tales created two Lego-based games; Lego Indiana Jones for publisher LucasArts and Lego Batman for its owner Warner Bros. Interactive.

The release of The Dark Knight on DVD, Blu-Ray and downloadable video this week represents just the latest way that the world has seen the character of Batman portrayed in the mass media. The costumed detective has been around for nearly 70 years and yet the creation of writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane has gone through a ton of reinterpretations that have culminated in the 2008 blockbuster film that may agree could be the best film ever made based on a comic book character.

Even with Batman's success in films, he hasn't has as much success in games, particularly in the PC realm. That could change next year with the planned release of Batman: Arkham Asylum from Eidos/Warner Bros. Interactive and Batman's appearance in Sony Online's super hero MMO DC Universe Online. Big Download decided to look back at Batman's recent past on the PC game platform and look at its future, including our suggestions on what classic Batman comic book storylines might make great games.

Click on the image above to read more on the past (and possible future) Batman games

The Lego series of PC/console games have been very popular ever since developer Traveller's Tales has tied them into well-known properties like Star Wars, Indiana Jones and most recently Batman. Now Computer and Video Games is reporting through unnamed sources that the next Lego game in the works could be based on Harry Potter.

This isn't much of a stretch to believe. Traveller's Tales was bought by Warner Bros. Interactive in 2007 and the Warner Bros. movie studio is in charge of adapting the fantasy novels of J.K. Rowling into films. The next movie adaptation, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, is due out this summer (EA already has plans to do a conventional game adaptation at that time). A Lego Harry Potter game would seem like a win-win.

How better to celebrate Halloween than to don a mask, cape and costume then eat a massive cake? This speed trailer shows the making of a scene from LEGO Batman: The Videogame in cake form.

Download HD LEGO Batman Cake Video (147 MB)
Check out all LEGO Batman downloads

The first LEGO Batman demo had a problem installing, but like any self-respecting LEGO character, it pulled itself together and rebuilt itself. This new demo installs and lets players jump into the LEGO-ized world of Batman, where they can choose to play as a hero or a villain.

Download LEGO Batman: The Videogame Proper Demo (441 MB)