Incident: Arkham Knight PC Version Suffers Technical Troubles and Setbacks

Published Date: 2015-11-24

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident with the PC version of Batman: Arkham Knight happened in June 2015. [53612]
System 1. Windows 10 2. Keyboard language settings for Japanese, Japanese Microsoft IME, Korean, Chinese (Traditional), or Chinese (Simplified) 3. Multi-Monitor setup 4. VRAM management 5. Game process management 6. Dual-GPU support [53612]
Responsible Organization 1. The software failure incident in the PC version of Batman: Arkham Knight was primarily caused by bugs and technical troubles within the game itself, leading to issues such as game save "hitch," unresponsiveness on launch, performance drops, rendering errors, and progression blockers [53612].
Impacted Organization 1. Players of the PC version of Batman: Arkham Knight were impacted by the software failure incident [53612].
Software Causes 1. The game save "hitch" issue [53612] 2. Windows 10 issue causing unresponsiveness on launch with specific keyboard language settings [53612] 3. Full-screen movies playing at half the monitor's refresh rate on some systems [53612] 4. Performance drop when encountering Man-Bat for the first time [53612] 5. Multi-Monitor specific bugs [53612] 6. Stability issues leading to rare crashes [53612] 7. Incorrect rendering of certain types of lights & shadows [53612] 8. Game process occasionally remaining running in the background [53612] 9. Progression blocker in Stagg Airships [53612] 10. Damage states issue for Batman's V8.03 skin in Story Mode [53612] 11. Missing rain effects on several Batman skins [53612]
Non-software Causes 1. The PC version of Batman: Arkham Knight originally launched alongside the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One editions in June 2015 but was marred by severe technical troubles, leading Warner Bros. to remove the game from sale [53612]. 2. Warner Bros. abandoned plans to introduce dual-GPU support for the PC version of the game [53612]. 3. Despite being reinstated with a free game offer to make up for the issues, problems persisted with the PC version of Arkham Knight [53612].
Impacts 1. Performance drop when encountering Man-Bat for the first time [53612] 2. Stability issues leading to rare crash incidents [53612] 3. Delay when aiming a gadget while playing with a keyboard and mouse [53612] 4. Full-screen movies playing at half the monitor's refresh rate on some systems [53612] 5. Progression blocker in Stagg Airships when leaving the predator room after only knocking out one guard [53612]
Preventions 1. Implementing thorough quality assurance testing before the game's initial launch could have helped prevent the software failure incident [53612]. 2. Conducting compatibility testing with various hardware configurations and operating systems, including Windows 10, could have identified and resolved issues prior to release [53612]. 3. Ensuring proper communication and collaboration between the development team and the PC platform team to address potential performance and compatibility issues could have mitigated the software failure incident [53612].
Fixes 1. Implementing the latest patch released by Warner Bros. for the PC version of Batman: Arkham Knight, which addresses various bugs and issues [53612].
References 1. Steam page for Batman: Arkham Knight [53612]

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring one_organization (a) The software failure incident has happened again at one_organization: The article reports that Warner Bros. released another patch for the PC version of Batman: Arkham Knight to fix bugs and problems, indicating that similar software failure incidents have occurred with the same product [53612]. (b) The software failure incident has happened again at multiple_organization: There is no specific mention in the article about similar software failure incidents happening at other organizations or with their products and services. Therefore, it is unknown if this incident has occurred elsewhere.
Phase (Design/Operation) design, operation (a) The software failure incident related to the design phase can be seen in the article. The initial launch of Batman: Arkham Knight on PC in June 2015 was marred by severe technical troubles, leading to the game being removed from sale. This indicates that there were significant issues with the design and development of the PC version of the game [53612]. (b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is evident in the article as well. The article mentions that there were issues with the game being unresponsive on launch for users with specific keyboard language settings such as Japanese, Korean, and Chinese. This points to problems introduced during the operation or use of the system, specifically related to language settings [53612].
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system (a) within_system: The software failure incident related to the PC version of Batman: Arkham Knight was primarily within the system. The article mentions that the game was plagued by technical troubles, bugs, and problems such as game save "hitch," unresponsive behavior on launch, performance drops, rendering issues, progression blockers, and crashes [53612]. These issues were addressed through multiple patches and updates released by Warner Bros. to fix the problems originating from within the game's code and design.
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions (a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions: - The software failure incident in the PC version of Batman: Arkham Knight was primarily caused by technical troubles and bugs within the game itself, such as game save "hitch," full-screen movies playing at half a monitor's refresh rate, performance drops, Multi-Monitor specific bugs, VRAM management issues, stability problems, rendering errors with lights & shadows, and progression blockers in certain game areas [53612]. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions: - The article does not specifically mention any software failure incidents in the PC version of Batman: Arkham Knight being directly caused by human actions. The focus is more on the technical troubles, bugs, and issues within the game that required patches and updates to fix [53612].
Dimension (Hardware/Software) hardware, software (a) The software failure incident related to hardware: - The article mentions that the PC version of Batman: Arkham Knight had technical troubles at launch in June 2015, which were severe enough for Warner Bros. to remove the game from sale [53612]. - Warner Bros. also abandoned plans to introduce dual-GPU support for the PC version of the game [53612]. (b) The software failure incident related to software: - The article details various bugs and problems that were fixed in a patch for the PC version of Batman: Arkham Knight, including issues with game saves, full-screen movies playing at half a monitor's refresh rate, performance drops, counter mechanics, progression blockers, and more [53612]. - The patch notes specifically mention fixes for software-related issues such as delays in aiming gadgets, rendering errors with lights and shadows, game process remaining running in the background, and stability improvements for rare crash issues [53612].
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) non-malicious (a) The software failure incident related to the Arkham Knight PC version was non-malicious. The failure was primarily due to technical troubles, bugs, and performance issues that marred the game's launch on PC. Warner Bros. released multiple patches to address various bugs, crashes, and performance issues, indicating that the failures were unintentional and not caused by malicious intent [53612].
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) poor_decisions (a) The software failure incident related to the PC version of Batman: Arkham Knight can be attributed to poor decisions made during the development and release of the game. Warner Bros. faced significant technical troubles with the PC version, leading to the game being removed from sale and later reinstated with persistent problems despite attempts to fix them [53612]. Additionally, the decision to abandon plans for dual-GPU support further indicates poor decisions that contributed to the software failure incident.
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) development_incompetence, accidental (a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence can be seen in the case of the PC version of Batman: Arkham Knight. The game was originally launched in June 2015 alongside the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One editions but was marred by severe technical troubles, leading Warner Bros. to remove the game from sale. Despite efforts to fix the issues through patches and updates, problems persisted, indicating a lack of professional competence in the initial development and testing phases [53612]. (b) The software failure incident related to accidental factors can be observed in the various bugs and problems that were unintentionally introduced in the PC version of Batman: Arkham Knight. For example, issues like full-screen movies playing at half a monitor's refresh rate, performance drops when encountering certain characters, and progression blockers in specific game areas point to accidental flaws or mistakes in the software development process [53612].
Duration temporary (a) The software failure incident related to the PC version of Batman: Arkham Knight can be considered temporary. The game originally launched in June 2015 alongside the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One editions but was marred by severe technical troubles, leading Warner Bros. to remove the game from sale. It was reinstated at the end of October 2015 with ongoing efforts to fix the issues, including multiple patches and updates to address bugs, performance drops, crashes, and other problems [53612]. The continuous release of patches and updates to fix various issues indicates that the software failure incident was not permanent but rather temporary and ongoing.
Behaviour crash, other (a) crash: The article mentions stability improvements for rare crash issues in the Arkham Knight PC patch notes [53612]. (b) omission: The article does not specifically mention any instances of the system omitting to perform its intended functions. (c) timing: The article does not mention any issues related to the system performing its intended functions too late or too early. (d) value: The article does not mention any instances of the system performing its intended functions incorrectly. (e) byzantine: The article does not mention any instances of the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. (f) other: The other behavior mentioned in the article includes bugs such as full-screen movies playing at half the monitor's refresh rate, players sometimes not being able to counter certain enemies, performance drops when encountering specific characters, and issues with lights and shadows rendering incorrectly [53612].

IoT System Layer

Layer Option Rationale
Perception None None
Communication None None
Application None None

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence property, theoretical_consequence The consequence of the software failure incident in the provided article is primarily categorized under the option: (d) property: People's material goods, money, or data was impacted due to the software failure. The article mentions that the PC version of Batman: Arkham Knight faced technical troubles upon its original launch, leading to severe issues that prompted Warner Bros. to remove the game from sale. This action was taken due to the software failure impacting the users' experience and potentially causing financial losses for the company. Additionally, the article highlights that the game's PC version had setbacks, including performance issues and bugs, which could have affected the players' enjoyment and perception of the product, potentially leading to financial repercussions for the developers [53612].
Domain entertainment (a) The failed system in this incident was related to the entertainment industry, specifically the PC version of the game Batman: Arkham Knight developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment [53612].

Sources

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