Rocksteady artists and groups

Sony and Naughty Dog's Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and Eidos and Rocksteady's Batman: Arkham Asylum are poised to be big winners at the upcoming Spike TV Video Game Awards. The PlayStation 3-exclusive Uncharted 2 and the multiplatform adventure beat-'em-up Batman led other nominees with eight and seven nominations, respectively. Both of the high-profile titles are up for Game of the Year. Also up for Game of the Year are the recently-released games Call of Duty: ...

In a lengthy post-mortem with Gamasutra this week, Rocksteady Studios creative director Sefton Hill spoke his mind on a mess of topics regarding this summer's surprise hit, Batman: Arkham Asylum. "There are too many games out there that deliver lots of average content," Hill said when asked about the relative "tightness" of Batman in comparison with other games. Personal inspiration for the game's design came from places like Zelda and Metroid, two game series he's been a fan of "for years," as well as Silicon Knights' Eternal Darkness. And though Arkham's audio logs and "environment as a character" motif hearken back to 2007's BioShock, Hill claimed he's never played it. "It's on my list of games to get back into ... I can't say for me that was a big direct influence." Truth be told, we're just scratching the surface of Gamasutra's thorough dissection of Batman -- a game we loved with all of our jaded, rancorous hearts -- so do yourself a favor and stroll through the entire five pages. Call it an afternoon treat! You deserve it, dearest Joystiq reader. Batman: Arkham Asylum creator focused on quality over quantity, hasn't played BioShock originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Batman: Arkham Asylum's 2 million-unit success was aided by "doing less," says Rocksteady's Sefton Hill -- ensuring a higher quality for fewer elements. There are "too many games out there that deliver lots of average content," Hill tells us in an in-depth new feature interview on the critically acclaimed superhero title, and rather than risk that, he explains how the team was able to ensure a focused feature set that felt well-polished. Hill explained why ...

Well, whaddya know? It's not just an Unreal license, painstaking design and dynamic gameplay that make for a Game of the Year candidate. It also takes three cans of whipped cream, 14 nationalities, 44,674 polygons (in one plant!), 314 breakable TVs, and six babies. That's right. If you're looking to crack Rocksteady Studio's formula for success, GameInformer has squeezed out a few of Batman: Arkham Asylum's most intimate secrets. No, we're not talking solutions to Riddler's challenges or tips for combating fear toxin (hint: just breathe), but rather insight into key development ingredients; like what sports team had the most support from the staff? (Answer: Arsenal Football Club.) And did you know? The game's combat morphed from a rhythm-action game to a 2D prototype that "involved colored circles bashing into each other" before it was revised into its final design. To think: We were this close to another horrendous Batman game ... Batman started as a rhythm-action game -- and other Arkham Asylum secrets originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Rocksteady Studios is off to a strong commercial start with its acclaimed Batman: Arkham Asylum, say co-publishers Eidos and Warner Bros., with more than 2.5 million units of the game shipped so far. That figure refers only to copies of the game distributed to retailers, not to the number sold through to actual consumers; a Los Angeles Times report from earlier this month claims 2 million copies have been sold, although it may have also ...

Arkham Asylum developer Rocksteady Studios reveals a deliberate glitch in the game.

Presenting Branching Dialogue, a weekly, wordy and often worryingly pedantic discussion of video game genres, trends and err ... stuff I didn't think to put in this introductory line. One of the most irritating outcomes of role playing, often exhibited in games far removed from that genre, is when you're forced to play dumb. You'll recognize the phenomenon as the shimmering, insultingly obvious trapdoor that must be trampled in order to trigger the next cutscene or event. You may have outsmarted the game by spotting a literal hole in the plot, but the inflexible narrative can only reward those who blindly play the role -- the role usually being that of a flustered Admiral Ackbar. It's even worse when you're supposed to be Batman. After using one of Arkham Asylum's most integral tools to spot a gang of goons lying in ambush, I was thoroughly annoyed when there seemed to be no alternative route toward the next objective and no acknowledgment of my foresight. I had to knowingly steer the world's greatest detective into a trap -- and he didn't even flinch. Only moments later did I realize that Batman was the one setting the trap, his calm demeanor hiding more intelligence than inattentiveness. In fact, had I not thought to use the all-seeing detective vision, Batman would have likely outsmarted me. And I'm the player, dammit. Though applying a simple label to a complex work such as Batman: Arkham Asylum is unnecessary, it's useful in exploring why the developers at Rocksteady Studios are not only the first to make a genuinely good Batman game, but the first to actually ... make a Batman game. If I have to call it something (outside of "awesome," which I'm sure you're all sick of hearing), I'd call it a role-playing game. And not just because of the turn-based combat and unskippable summon animations! Continue reading Branching Dialogue: Tales of Bat-Mania (or: Why Arkham Asylum is an RPG) Branching Dialogue: Tales of Bat-Mania (or: Why Arkham Asylum is an RPG) originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 08 Sep 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Eidos and Rocksteady's Batman: Arkham Asylum continued to ride a wave of strong reviews this past week in the UK, topping the charts for the second week in a row, tracking firm Chart-Track said Monday. But it was the sales cut and introduction of the new fit and trim PlayStation 3 that had a wider impact on the charts for the week ended September 5. The £249.99 console boosted the PS3 version of Batman, closing ...

It's a given that your reggae music collection should include a couple of Bob Marley & The Wailers albums, but then what? What of those artists who, though lesser known, were just as influential as Marley in the development of reggae? Chant Down Babylon Reggae grew out of ska and rocksteady in 1960s Jamaica as tempos sped up, song structures ...

Has your recent playthrough of the Batman: Arkham Asylum demo left you wondering exactly how the sausage got made? Lucky you -- Warner Bros. and Rocksteady recently released a behind-the-scenes look at the stealth-action superhero sim, which keen-eyed readers have probably already noticed is posted above. The game's creators do a great job of explaining what makes the game so successful -- elements such as the intensive mocap work done to bring the animations to life, story contributions from DC's Paul Dini, and of course, Rocksteady's own "English sensibilities." We're pretty fond of our American sensibilities thankyouverymuch -- but if that's the secret ingredient that makes Arkham Asylum so rad, we guess we can't complain. Batman: Arkham Asylum dev diary has English sensibilities originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 09 Aug 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Rocksteady ruled Jamaica in the mid- to late '60s, bridging the gap between the more up-tempo ska and slower, more bass-heavy roots reggae.

Singers such as Ken Boothe, Stranger Cole, Dawn Penn and Leroy Sibbles perform with an all-star group of veteran musicians led by guitarist Ernest Ranglin.

Long since repatriated in Kingston, the Jamaican music legend and 1987 Juno Award winner is hoping the new Swiss-Canadian music documentary, Rocksteady: The Roots of Reggae, will work the same magic for him and the other surviving stars of the short-lived rocksteady movement that Wim Wenders' film, The Buena Vista Social Club, did for Cuba's all-but-forgotten champions of traditional, pre-revolution Afro-Cuban music.

Before there was Marley Rocksteady features the reunion of a couple of dozen of the genrea s leading performers, including Leroy Sibbles, left, here with a member of the backup vocal group the Tamlins.

What came before reggae music?

The 90-minute film features interviews with some of the genre's leading performers and musicians. It premiered earlier this month at the Montreal International Jazz Festival which had a slot dedicated to the sound.

(click to Killer Croc-size) Get it? "Batty?" 'Cause it's a trailer for Batman: Arkham Asylum, the Rocksteady-developed, Warner Bros./Eidos-published Bat-brawler? Why aren't you laughing? Hey -- where ya going?! Come back! We just want to tell you about the latest video for the game, showcasing the game's many gruesome villains! Is that too much to ask? Alright, fine, if you must go, at least hit the break and check out the trailer for yourself -- totally pun-free, we promise you. It is not, however, free of Bat-brutalizing villain introductions. No, we can't believe we just typed that either. But seriously, the game looks to be mixing the right amounts of grit and lore together, enticing us all the more for the game's release later this summer. Hopefully we'll be able to contain all our chiroptera excitement until then! (You can go now, we understand.) Continue reading Totally batty new trailer for Batman: Arkham Asylum's villains Totally batty new trailer for Batman: Arkham Asylum's villains originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 12 Jul 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

PC World - Curiosity piqued about Rocksteady Studio's upcoming Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Windows action-adventure Batman: Arkham Asylum? Some days mine is, others not so much. I'm conflicted. Celebrity do-gooders always seem to come out done-bad in video game adaptations. It's Murphy's red-headed step-law.

If you build the groove, they will come. Tuesday night, Hopeton Lewis, Ken Boothe, Leroy Sibbles, Stranger Cole, the Tamlins, Marcia Griffiths and Judy Mowatt, and Bongo Herman brought it all the way from Zion.

Parents' guide: for all. There are at least a couple of versions of how rocksteady came to be.

As Rocksteady's Sefton Hill and Paul Dini eagerly explain in the video above, Batman: Arkham Asylum is a game about torturing Batman. Okay, okay, maybe not directly, but by way of Joker setting up a nasty ruse for Gotham's greatest hero at Arkham Asylum itself. Trapping Mr. Wayne inside with all of his most fearsome enemies, when he thought he was just stopping by to deposit a criminal, leaves him at the mercy of the now-in-control Joker. From what we played of the game's campaign back at E3, we're not sure exactly how Eidos/Warner Bros. plan to keep the game's T rating, as evidenced by the few gameplay snippets you see in the developer diary above. We are, however, surprisingly excited for the game's release in late August -- and glad we don't have to bring along Mom to buy us the game. New Batman: Arkham Asylum dev diary gives Batman a terrible evening originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

There are at least a couple of versions of how rocksteady came to be. A common account involves scorching conditions in Jamaica during the early part of 1966, which might have called for a slightly slower musical tempo, more conducive to dancing than the fast-paced ska beat.

Beenie Man and one of his young proteges onstage. Like moths to a flame, patrons walked, ran and gathered by the stage as soon as reggae crooner Beres Hammond and later the energetic Beenie Man performed at Rocksteady Meets Reggae and Dancehall at the Jamalco Sports Club in Clarendon on Saturday night.

Not pictured: Paul Crocker Paul Crocker is the lead narrative designer at Rocksteady Studios, where he's been hard at work on Batman: Arkham Asylum for the past two years. Thankfully, he hasn't taken on any of the Dark Knight's unfriendly tendencies in that time and gladly opened up to us about the game, explaining key omissions like Robin and Batmobile driving, and offering up his (not-so-creative) pick for the DC character he'd most like to create a game around. Continue past the break for the full interview. Continue reading Interview: Paul Crocker of Rocksteady on Batman: Arkham Asylum Interview: Paul Crocker of Rocksteady on Batman: Arkham Asylum originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 May 2009 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Stars came out and patrons flocked to the Rocksteady Meets Reggae and Dancehall concert at the Jamalco Sports Club in Clarendon on Saturday night.

It ain't Uma Thurman (thank goodness), but Batman's plant-loving adversary, Poison Ivy, has been revealed as a baddie in the upcoming action title, Batman: Arkham Asylum. A new trailer (posted after the break) for Rocksteady and Eidos' impressive Arkham features the green thumb merging with a giant piranha plant with the intention of killing The Batman. Kill Batman, huh? Why hasn't anyone ever thought of that before? Continue reading Poison Ivy, Batman's green-thumbed nemesis, revealed Poison Ivy, Batman's green-thumbed nemesis, revealed originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 21 May 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

THE AGGROLITES AT EL REY THEATRE Despite looking like they're about to shake you down behind a 7-Eleven , L.A. 's hard-touring Aggrolites are in fact acolytes of the good-vibes, offbeat-obsessed reggae/rocksteady of 1960s Jamaica .

Veteran reggae singer turned producer/promoter, Freddie McGregor recently launched 'Rocksteady Meets Reggae and Dancehall' at Cuddy's in New Kingston.

Ken Boothe, with his twinkling toes, immaculate outfits, strong voice and large catalogue of hits, has brought back memories for many thousands of concert-goers. And Mr Rocksteady, who counts Puppet on a String and Freedom Street among his many hits, has decided to keep his musical memories close to him in his St Andrew home.

There's not a comic book nerd aficionado alive who doesn't have a profound appreciation for The Joker's right-hand gal, Harley Quinn. The most recent trailer for Rocksteady and Eidos' surprisingly appealing Batman: Arkham Asylum (posted after the jump) shows a clear explanation of why this is -- she's out of her flippin' mind. Also, sometimes, she's just flippin'. If you're not familiar with the prowess of Ms. Quinn, the trailer details her sole, villainous super ability: "Total disregard for human life." However, considering the footage we just saw, we think her skill set is a bit more diverse than that. For instance, she shows real promise in the "kicking costumed millionaires in their big, ugly faces" department. Continue reading Harley Quinn flips out in latest Batman: Arkham Asylum trailer Harley Quinn flips out in latest Batman: Arkham Asylum trailer originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Since formally entering the popular Jamaican music business when ska was on the wane and rocksteady on the rise, trumpeter David Madden has seen many changes in beats and personalities.

Batman: Arkham Asylum In Batman: Arkham Asylum, developed by Rocksteady Studios, the player assumes the role of Batman as he delivers The Joker to Arkham Asylum.

There's only so much we can say about Rocksteady's upcoming Batman: Arkham Asylum. There's only so much screenshots can convey. So it's pretty nice to finally be able to show you what we've been jabbering on about via the magic of video -- and not just any kind, this is (at last) actual gameplay. Specifically, this freshly released footage is of the "Silent Knight" challenge stage we wrote about in our earlier GDC hands-on. Marvel (er, DC?) as Bats blows up walls, glide kicks and sneaks around all Sam Fisher-like. So, after reading about it and seeing it in action, what do you think? GDC09: Actual Batman: Arkham Asylum gameplay footage, no joke originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments

Trojan Records is a British record label that started out serving the British market for ska, rocksteady and early reggae, based on the catalogue of its Jamaican ally, Island Records.

Vintage reggae music is set to take centre stage with the launch of the new singing competition Reggae Rockers. This competition is open to unsigned singers aged 16 and over from around the world who will showcase ska, rocksteady and reggae music of the 1960s, '70s and '80s.

Batman: Arkham Asylum In Batman: Arkham Asylum, developed by Rocksteady Studios, the player assumes the role of Batman as he delivers The Joker to the depths of Arkham Asylum.