10 Worst Things Warner Bros. Games Have EVER Done
From mismanaging the Batman: Arkham games to fleecing LOTR fans, WB Games has a poor track record.
Films and video games have had a rocky relationship over the years, frequently trading between themselves but often failing to produce anything of note. And Warner Bros. reckoned they had the solution to this back in 2004 - Warner Interactive (now Warner Bros. Games): a division of the studio designed to make the seams between films and games less visible while creating that all-inclusive synergy big brands love so much.
And, you know what? It worked! From their first game, The Matrix Online, things went gangbusters, and within a decade, Warner Bros. were responsible for publishing and developing leading titles like Batman: Arkham, Mortal Kombat and most of the best LEGO games.
However, for the past decade and change, the wrong people have been making the decisions over at the ol’ Warner place, and things have gone more than a little pear-shaped. Major games have been cancelled, the studio's rich body of IP has been hollowed out, innovations have been ignored, and studio subsidiaries have been shut down. These awful decisions have led them to a very difficult place financially, conceptually and in the eyes of the general gaming public, and they’re still racing towards the cliff-edge with their foot on the accelerator.
Just in case you missed the action, we are going to take you through the company's history of stupid decisions - well, the 10 worst of them to be precise...
10. Batman's Death In Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has had a rough ride from inception through to release and, well, as far beyond as fans have been willing to go with it.
The game throws together modern favourite Squad members Harley Quinn, Deadshot, King Shark and Captain Boomerang, as they are sent out into the world (or, more accurately, worlds) to try and stop Braniac, who is manipulating the world's greatest heroes via brainwashing and mind control. Most critics slaughtered the game from the off, and fans weren't far behind, citing repetitive gameplay, poor mechanics and several story beats that made everyone a little uncomfortable - particularly as it was the first entry in the Batman: Arkham franchise for almost a decade.
The worst of all of these though was Warner giving the go-ahead to light up the big guy. That's right, true to the vague promise of the title, the Suicide Squad do in fact kill Batman, on a street bench, of all places! In this game, of all games!
Given the game was designed to be a spin-off of the Batman: Arkham series, this is about as disrespectful as it gets. The fact that it was the late, great Kevin Conroy's penultimate performance as the Dark Knight made it all the more unfortunate, with not even the post-story reveal that Batman had in fact survived (as had the other Leaguers, bar Wonder Woman) doing anything to redeem Kill the Justice League's sorry reputation.