Here's Why The New Batman Game Will Convince You To Buy A PS4

Like Batman himself dropping through a glass skylight, the trailer for the new Batman: Arkham Knight game crashed onto the web last week. Take a peek at it below and you'll quickly realize that this PS4 and Xbox One (and likely eventually PC) title has the potential to convince a lot of lazy people to upgrade their consoles. This is a big deal, and here's why.

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With any new technology, there are early adopters, late adopters, and those who miss out completely. Plenty of people converted as soon as the system was released, and plenty of those people are now staring at a glossy black box under their TV with little to play on it. I had a similar experience with the PS3, which I bought in the first month it debuted in 2006 for the ridiculous price of $700, including taxes and a warranty. For that hefty price, I got an awesome console that played something called a “Blu-ray” and not much else.

If I had just waited a year to buy that PS3, I would have saved money AND had more games to play. Waiting three years naturally benefited consumers even more as they released the slimmer, more reliable PS3 Slim.

Game developers need time with a new console in order to develop strong games – it’s the way the market works. The original PS3 was a master class in how to string along console purchasers with previews and news around exciting new releases. Much like Batman's trailer announcement last week (a full six months ahead of release), in the months following the initial PS3 release there was a virtual deluge of legendary game announcements. The rumor mill was cranking. Budding console gamers were salivating through the spring and summer months, leading up to the release of five cornerstone titles that dominated the holiday 2007 season, driving console sales through the roof. 

It's easy to understand why the big manufacturers need a home run to push those late adopters over the edge, and it looks like (among a few notable others) Arkham Knight is going to be their designated hitter.

The latest in the series will build on the monumental premise of it’s predecessor: you ARE Batman, and just like the free roaming experience in Grand Theft Auto, the world is yours. It’s an offering so compelling that for many it will dictate the purchase of a PS4 or Xbox One in a way that the latest repackaging of Madden or Call of Duty never could.

With the Hollywood-level advertising buys that accompany blockbuster games, it’s clear that a lot is riding on the World’s Greatest Detective to deliver new gamers to the latest generation of consoles. Hit or flop, Arkham Knight is already the most important game of 2014. 

Sony and Microsoft won’t get my money now. But with Arkham Knight on the way, I may as well start waving goodbye to my PS3, and mail them my $400. They can add it to their pile of money.

Evan Scott Schwartz is the Tech editor for Supercompressor. He wishes they would make a decent Iron Man game too.