We are Eric Holmes and Ben Mattes, game devs of Batman: Arkham Origin. Ask us anything.

Who's your favorite assassin? And why is it Deathstroke?

Eric is wrong. ;) Deathstroke is cool but Bane is the best. He is welcome to his opinion, but it's wrong.

This attention to detail is why I love Ben.

You just.... wait... and why is your favourite colour black?

Deathstroke is a peer to Batman. It's something I always loved about him - he thinks the same way. He has similar strengths and weaknesses. He can use any weapon that comes to hand - go beyond the limits Batman places on himself. And he has that incredibly distinctive and cool 50/50 mask with the ties which show his motion.

FWIW first faceoff I ever read between the two was CITY OF ASSASSINS, which is also a name for an achievement in our game! Who doesn't love Mike Zeck!

Did you guys change the sounds of when you punch someone? It's sounds different, but better.

Well spotted! We invested a bunch of time into making criminals being punched sound like justice.

Where are they?

WHERE ARE THE OTHER DRUGS?!

I never knew. I don't know. I swear to God...

This is Ben Mattes posting a question to Eric Holmes. On a scale of 1-10 just how awesome are you?

Hand farts.

His accent is pretty awesome

Thankyou sir or madam.

1. Will we be seeing an alternate batsuit from the Dark Knight trilogy (please say yes! Hopeing for a TDK and TDKR suit!)

2. When will we hear about the final 2 assassins?

3. How does it feel having an awesome game being released in just 9 days?

Also, I'd like to add that I'm the mod and creator of /r/BatmanArkham and you folks are welcome there anytime! I can also make you guys mods in it if you'd like!

1. The Arkham series is not the movie universe. We love the movies too, but for now - sorry, nope.

2. I think you might learn about one more in the next trailer. Maybe...

3. Excitement. Terror. Anxiety. Adrenaline. Nervous. I like being in the act of doing things - making plans, fixing problems in the reality of the plan. The hardest part about right now is that while we are continuing work on our DLC, the main game - what you'll get and what is going to be reviewed is 100% done - and we can't do anything to change what you're going to play. I am significantly worse at doing nothing than something. I can't sit on a beach, I can't just lie back and relax. So it's tough :) Good question!

As much as I love all these trailers, I kinda want it to be a surprise. If you do release another assassin trailer I'll still watch it because I am a pleb who has no self control

I'm sorry. But I think you'll like the next one :)

Thanks for the reply! Pre ordered the game and I'm extremely hyped for the game!

Tonight - you are my hero!

Hey! Can't wait for the game, just want to know, will Batgirl be playable in Batman: Arkham Origins, would love to play as her!

I got cornered on questions at SDCC and didn't want to lie. The short answer is that Barbara Gordon is in the game. We haven't announced anything beyond that.

I love Arkham City! One of my favorite games of all time. Reminds me a lot of Bioshock.

Anyways! Will Arkham Origins have "world" npcs much like Assassin's Creed does? Gotham is such a huge city and would love to see it populated with people that aren't criminals. Thanks!

There are some civilians in the city, but our Gotham City isn't a cars-and-pedestrians-of-New-York city simulation you've seen in some other games. Tonight, Gotham is a city in chaos: it's being over-run with the criminals of Gotham out to claim the price on Batman's head while simultaneously under threat from a huge snowstorm. It's a city full of enemies for Batman to face down!

While it's fun to see tons of Batman characters crammed into one setting, I felt that the Arkham City storyline suffered from having too much going on/a lack of focus, whereas the extra characters in Arkham Asylum added variety and depth to the game's world without detracting from the core narrative. The marketing for this game so far has me slightly concerned that the former might be true of Origins. How have you balanced the desire to showcase a long list of characters and enemies from the Batman canon with the need to craft a compelling main storyline?

Hmm, tough to answer.

I guess I would answer with - I think we have the characters we need to tell the story we wanted to tell. Some of the Most Wanted characters tie more directly into the main story than others do, but several of them are really optional tales that the player can choose to close when they want.

Deadshot, for example, is an assassin who joins the Most Wanted - his story ties into the Black Mask story. But Mad Hatter doesn't tie into that tale and is more of an optional Gotham Story for Batman to follow up should the player choose.

I'm a big fan of Alfred's character, as I believe many are. Could you tell a little about his role in this story?

You asked - EXCLUSIVE REVEAL - Alfred is the 8th assassin!

Are there any "classic Batman" lines that you were able to include in the game? Any that you just couldn't make fit?

We did have an "I'm Batman." But we pulled it. Ask me on twitter in early November @ericholmeslive and I'll tell you where it was.

If you guys could make Aquaman cool I would really appreciate it.

Geoff Johns is working on it!

Are there any other DC heroes you would like to make a game for? Superman perhaps???

G'Nort.

Is there any DLC ideas you have in mind?

Yes.

Will the skins from AC be available for Origins? I really loved beating goons as middle-aged badass Dark Knight Returns bats

I believe some of the Arkham City skins are in MP, but I'm not 100% sure on that - Ben and I work with WB Games Montreal (WBGM henceforth), and WBGM dealt with the campaign for Arkham Origins. Our Batman face is totally different - with a completely different rig. This means the old faces just wouldn't work for cinematics. Hope you like the new ones!

For those that pre-ordered and got the death stroke character unlock- When you play as death stroke will the character kill NPC's instead of just incapacitating them? I mean his name has the word death in it.

Arkham Origins has really intense combat action. We're really pushing the edge of T for Teen with what we're doing. I don't think we could have pushed it further than we have without risking a rating bump.

Will there ever be a chance to have new villians for the multiplayer? Like heave a deathstroke team or Copperhead team? Or will it always be joker and bane?

Great question for the MP team! Who we are not. Sorry.

What is your favorite Batman storyline from the comics?

What's your favourite song of all time? Impossible to answer. :) I love early career stories though. And "The Dark Knight Returns" will occupy a special place forever, as reading that for me was the moment where I experienced Batman in an adult tale.

And by adult I don't mean what someone is going to imagelink on this.

Where do you see the Arkham series going to in the future? Will we ever see additional DC characters?

Let's stick to the game coming out on October 25. Who knows what else might happen in the future :)

Could you explain "I Am The Night Mode" a little better? Can you quit and save the game at all, or will you have to play entire game through one sit through?

• Buy Arkham Origins
• Insert disk in console (or download on Steam)
• Play game. Enjoy.
  
• Finish the story on normal difficulty.
• Play some challenge maps. You'll need the skills.
• Now finish New Game Plus. MAN UP!
• You now have access to I AM THE NIGHT MODE. In this mode you have one life to live! This means you must play through the entire story without dying or you'll get kicked back out to the start of the game.

Conclusion: People with the IATN achievement/trophy are BADASSES.

Was it intimidating to be the follow up to Arkham City?

yes. Very much so.

9 days and then you can tell us how we did. ;)

Or you could yell at Ben now.

What challenges did you face in creating a "beginning" for an already established and celebrated franchise?

Making something new while not violating something sacred. In a nutshell.

I edit my archived comments. *tips fedora*

Picture yourself being creeped over by a contortionist dude in a snakesuit, then compare the lady version - question answered.

Will we see Batmans detective skills play more of an integral part in the storyline?

Definitely. The casefile system has many opt-in cases, but some of our more important story moments tie in deeply into the crime scenes that each of you, as Batman, will solve. :)

Can you put me in as a reference? because I love you very much and I would love to be a reference.

We will add Sloth Potato Pirates.

what's the one thing you would tell people to get them to buy the game

You get to play as Batman.

Which one of you is Batman to the other's Robin?

I found this post first so obviously I'm Batman.

I will await Eric's retort.

I've choked Ben out. Robin is the one who quips - Batman acts!

Thanks a bunch of doing this AMA! My only real question is regarding the Deathstroke DLC. I was pretty excited to be able to play as Deathstroke until I saw this video on youtube showing that Deathstroke is essentially a reskinned Robin. Was this due to time constraints with the production of the game or can we expect a Deathstroke combat experience more unique and quite different from what was previewed in that video?

I think you'll have to play it and see! Deathstroke has his own gadgets and different abilities. Last I checked, Robin didn't regenerate...

What's your favorite character, story arc, or game mechanic that you hoped to include in the finished product, but had to be cut along the way?

Cutting stuff is an inevitable and difficult part of game development and for sure there is stuff on Origins that we cut primarily because during development it became clear to us it wasn't going to be "arkham quality". A good example of this is a new NPC type we wanted to add to Predator rooms - The Drone. This was going to be an autonomous flying unit that would scan humans to detect whether or not they were on the 'red list' or not. If flagged, it would attack, otherwise it would continue scanning. We had hoped that this unit would add new strategy to the predator rooms as player's discovered ways to turn the drone against the regular thugs but unfortunately we saw through playtests that rather then opening up new ways of playing it was causing everyone to feel forced in how they managed the maps (always sitting on gargoyles, always waiting for the drone to pass, never taking risks, etc). We cut it because while it sounded good on paper the reality wasn't taking us in the direction we wanted it to go.

I was sad when we cut playable Ben Mattes.

So for it to be Christmas Eve, the game cant last longer than a night correct? So how much will that effect the pacing and the length of the game?

Not any more than it did with Arkham City.

Hey Eric and Ben, who is the voice of Deathstroke the Terminator in your game? Thanks in advance.

Wow, there have been so many people chasing that one. Exclusive reveal, it's MARK ROLSTON who brings the Terminator to life. You may know him from YOUNG JUSTICE (Lex!) and ALIENS (Drake!)

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001679/

PS: VoiceActor_MO - is that you, Mark? :)

Will all of the assassins be incorporated into the main story, or will some of them only be in side missions?

Most of them are in the main story. Some of them create grandstanding scenarios to draw Batman out, and so join the Most Wanted. Open world options FTW!

What is Kevin Conroy's involvement with this game? We know he's not voicing Batman, but I'd heard he was involved in some way/ shape/ form.

Kevin isn't involved. But Ben is.

Why does penguin hate batman in origins he dosnt know hes bruce

Penguin runs a gang. Batman doesn't like gangs. He expresses this in a way that costs Penguin money.

any secrets we haven't found yet?

nodnodnod

Which Batman is your favorite Batman, from all movies, games and/or comics?

TOO HARD. But Miller's 1980s Batman defined the character for me at the right time in my life. So it's something of a gold standard - Year One, Dark Knight Returns. But there are so many very important stories that they're just the start of a long list of different guys for different reasons.

How long have you guys been working on this game for?

Since late 2011.

What made you select the assassins that are in the game?

Gameplay. Story. Diversity. New blood. Familiar faces. Some favouritism. Mulch all that and that's how we got here.

What game had the biggest impact on you and the game that effected the way you wanted to make Batman Arkham origins?

My first computer was a C64. I played everything on that game. Two games blew my mind, both shared by a neighbour.

Remember these things came along in a world of arcade-type experiences where games often lasted a couple of minute and looped around.

ELITE: Spacefaring, open-universe game, could be played in a completely freeform way, the game took months of playtime to "complete". I only got to "DANGEROUS" rating, dammit. :) I think I got "DEADLY" once by hammering on endless Vipers outside a space station, but died before I could save it. Brinksmanship! There is a modern remake of this going on... by one of the original creators - David Braben. Google it! There was a novella and a lengthy manual in the game that made the world seem absolutely VAST.

2> CHOLO - also pushed onto me by my neighbour. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cholo_(video_game) Open world city based game where you play a hacker robot. You take over other robots, build something of an army and problem solve your way to unlock your people from a hidden bunker. Map inside the box, novella too. That's the way, people.

The freeform gameplay in these things compared to games of the time was just mindblowing. It's near impossible to describe in the modern world. Best I can do: Imagine people had only ever written single sentences - that was the only form of writing - single sentences. On their own. Then someone passed you a NOVEL. Brain goes boom.

If this is the early years of Batman, does he have disadvantages in the game?

Not mechanically.

Hi guys and thank you for this AMA !

From what I understand, the challenge maps are integrated in the game as a training in the batcave, is it to make more people play them?

Yep!

Challenge Maps make people better at the game - they're really condensed, concentrated gameplay. I feel like they are where you really learn how deep the mechanics are. Players who dig in on challenge maps will really understand how deep the rabbit hole goes, mastering all the core combat abilities - free flow, gadget quick use, beatdowns, takedowns etc. I think it's really satisfying to access all those great features and we wanted to encourage more people to dig a little deeper - it's amazingly rewarding if you do!

Just like AC, the game is still completely playable and balanced if you don't. It just gives more back if you do :)

How much do you love Batman?

[---------------this much-----------------]

What, in your opinion, is the main reason why people NEED this game?

The answer to that can't be shared. You tell me on Oct 25.

Any plans beyond Origins? Do you have any ideas for the future of the Arkham franchise?

We talk about everything.

Why Batman have the Grapnel Boost in Arkham Origins? because in Arkham City was in prototype(I like the grapnel boost but did not understand this) (sorry for my english i'm from Brazil).

Grapnel Boost? No way, that's an untested prototype! At this point Batman uses something called the Grapnel Accelerator.

(Nothing wrong with your English!)

Why isn't such an important character as Catwoman in the main console game? She's his number one love interest and surely she'd take advantage of the chaos during Origins?

We're focussing on the story with the Black Mask and his assassins. I think you could justify trying to add just about any villain using your logic, but we needed to focus on our story. :)

Thank you for changing the design on Bane. I personally am not a fan of the way he was designed in the previous titles. Other than The Dark Knight Rises, what made you guys want to show that side of Bane?

Our inspiration came from Vengeance of Bane. Taking 'em back to where they started!

When do the reviews for Arkham Origins start coming in?

No idea, but I guess soon! (I get an adrenaline shot when answered questions about HOW CLOSE THE GAME IS TO RELEASE < typing in caps because I got another one.)

Hey WB thanks for taking the time out for doing this Q&A

How did you guys determine what stories to gain inspiration from when making the game, considering there are over 75 years of lore to choose from.

Early career stories that make Batman who he is - there's only so many! Each feels rich and important. The Legends of the Dark Knight series meant so much to me as a kid. Imagining what that series represented through an "Arkham" lens felt like something exciting and new. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legends_of_The_Dark_Knight

What is Killer Croc's role in the story?

Who?