'Dark Knight' reigns not in video game

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"I think publishers have concluded the only games that work are the surefire $500 million box office kind of games like 'Spider-Man' and 'Shrek,'" Pachter told The Associated Press. "The 'Transformers' game really surprised people how well it did, but the movie was big. I don't think they expected 'The Dark Knight' movie to be this big."

Games pegged to comic-book and kiddie flicks have become as financially important to the movie industry as popcorn and candy. Movie-based games provide another revenue stream to movie studios and often give game publishers a fighting chance for consumers' cash, mostly thanks to movie buzz and instantly recognizable characters.

Since director Tim Burton first brought "Batman" to the big screen in 1989, games tied to every Batman film -- including "Batman Returns," "Batman & Robin" and "Batman Forever" -- have been released for various gaming platforms. EA might have decided to bow out of the Batman business after what happened with the previous movie-based adaptation.

In 2005, EA unleashed a "Batman Begins" game alongside director Chris Nolan's moody re-imagination of the Batman franchise. The stealth action game featured the voices of the film's stars, such as Christian Bale, Katie Holmes and Morgan Freeman. But the game received a lukewarm critical reception and only sold 587,000 copies. Ker-plop!

If a "Dark Knight" game is still in the works, Batman could take a cue from Superman. Because of delays, the EA console games based on 2006's "Superman Returns" didn't take flight until the DVD release -- and only then sold 705,000 copies. However, a "Dark Knight" game isn't on EA's release slate through March 2009, according to the EA manager.

That doesn't mean gamers will be without interactive incarnations of Batman, The Joker and Two-Face this year. Warner will release "Lego Batman: The Video Game" in September. The cartoony platform game developed by Traveller's Tales will feature the caped crusader and company solving puzzles and fighting foes in the form of the famous colorful blocks.

In November, DC Comics characters such as Batman, The Joker and Catwoman can duel in Midway's fighting game "Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe." And later this year, Sony Online Entertainment will shine the Bat-signal on a virtual Gotham City in the new massively multiplayer online role-playing game "DC Universe Online."

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