Posted Wed Jun 24, 2015 at 09:23 PM PDT by Brian Hoss
PC version owners remain in a kind of limbo.
Yesterday, I took the step of explaining exactly why the PC version of 'Batman: Arkham Knight' was best to avoid in its current state (see here). (In contrast, the console versions are doing just fine, see here.) After a day of statements from Warner Bros. that seem to downplay the issues, Warner Bros. has down taken some very visible steps. An apology to 'Batman: Arkham Knight PC' owners has been issued by the WBGames community admin, (or at least those experiencing performance issues), and more significantly, for those still wondering if the PC version is worth bothering with, the future game sales of the PC version have now been suspended. As of now, the normal outlets, including Steam, have suspended sales.
The idea is that the suspension is temporary while the issues in regards to quality are addressed. (Hopefully, the prevalent hitching is one of those issues.)
The full statement is posted below, but one highlight mentions a future updated version of 'Batman: Arkham Knight' on the PC. No timetable is given, and indeed specific issues beyond "performance" are not mentioned. How this suspension helps current owners is a notion that escapes me, but it puts to end the immediate likelihood of future upset PC version owners, and also should end the series of statements that seem to be tone deaf to the extent of the issue. Another highlight involves Steam refunds or less specific retailer refunds.
In the end, the launch day PC experience and subsequent communication from the publisher to this point has not been a PR win, and that ongoing situation has clouded the game's web presence even as many players have been enjoying it on the three current platforms. No doubt any future Rocksteady (and to a lesser extent, WB) PC title will face the specter of the PC port of 'Batman: Arkham Knight,' and where the PC version goes from here, the quality and time of the fixes, will play a role. (Perhaps that DLC Season Pass might come in handy, once the PC version is updated.)
From Warner Bros.,
Dear Batman: Arkham Knight PC owners,
We want to apologize to those of you who are experiencing performance issues with Batman: Arkham Knight on PC. We take these issues very seriously and have therefore decided to suspend future game sales of the PC version while we work to address these issues to satisfy our quality standards. We greatly value our customers and know that while there are a significant amount of players who are enjoying the game on PC, we want to do whatever we can to make the experience better for PC players overall.
Thank you to those players who have already given valuable feedback. We are continuously monitoring all threads posted in the Official Batman: Arkham Knight Community and Steam forums, as well as any issues logged with our Customer Support (support.wbgames.com). If you purchased your copy of the game and are not satisfied with your experience, then we ask for your patience while these issues are resolved. If desired, you can request a refund at help.steampowered.com (Steam refund policies can be found here: https://store.steampowered.com/steam_refunds) or the retail location where you purchased the game.
The Batman: Arkham fans have continually supported the franchise to its current height of success, and we want to thank you for your patience as we work to deliver an updated version of Batman: Arkham Knight on PC so you can all enjoy the final chapter of the Batman: Arkham series as it was meant to be played.
Source: Warner Bros.
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