Game won't start...but no error message!

[Danny Canuck]

I bought a hard copy of this game when it came out, played it (and enjoyed it!), and did nothing with it since. I bought a new computer a couple weeks ago and decided to play through the Arkham games again. I now have it added to steam as the GOTY edition and downloaded. The lancher comes up, and when I click "play" the launcher disappears and after a few seconds the launcher reappears and the game is not running. There is no error message. I can do this several times and the same thing happens.

I have tried a few things: going into the setup folder and installing everything in it, Turning BatmanAC and and BmLauncher to run as admin, reinstalling the game, verifying game files, making sure my drivers are updated. Nothing seems to work. I have looked around and many problems seem to have some error message so I am not sure any of these solutions will work for me (although I have tried some of them).

Any ideas?

Thank you!

[shiina]

im having the same problem
Hope for the best for both of us :(

[Danny Canuck]

I emailed WB games customer service and they said, in part, "Since you have a version of Batman : Arkham City formatted for Games for Windows Live, we would be willing to gift you a copy of Batman : Arkham City Game of the Year Edition that would be compatible for Steam.

At this time we are escalating your case to a senior agent for further review. As soon as they are able to review your case, they will reach out to you with additional information. If you have any additional questions you can include them in a reply to this email, and the reviewing agent will be sure to address it during their investigation".

So I guess the version I have isn't compatable? I don't know how they are actually going to fix this by giving me another steam copy (can they even do this?). I might suggest that they give me an origin copy (the game is available there too) instead when I hear from them since I suspect that the problem is with the game on steam + my computer. I'd rather just get this working on steam...

[EbonHawk]

If and when they issue you a Steam key, that one will let you redeem it on Steam (hopefully it won't conflict somehow with the one you already own) and you should be able to install it instead. I would still be prepared for some effort to get it working, however. These things are never easy.

I have been playing 3 of the 4 games recently, but I seem to remember a long set of instructions for converting a GfWL install over to the Steam (non-GfWL version) with a bunch of save game trickery. I'll have to look around and see what I can find. It seemed really complicated when I was reading about it.

[Danny Canuck]

Yeah I would still appreciate if somebody had suggestions for a work around as it stands. They passed me off to this "senior agent" and I haven't heard anything for a couple days. I wonder if I'm going going to be ignored.

[EbonHawk]

Did you try the workaround for converting GfWL saves to the new (non-GfWL) version?

[Danny Canuck]

No, I haven't. Can you direct me to it, please?

[EbonHawk]

Have to copy/paste on my phone.. can't figure out how to get the links on it. :-(

Originally posted by Mog:

This only applies to the PC version, and not just for Win 8 users.

First things first, if you're running Win 8 and/or you can't access the GFWL menu in-game completely uninstall and reinstall Games for Windows Live (GFWL). Check this thread for a short how-to. http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2318449 Don't forget those pesky registry keys.

If you have issues with staying logged into an online GFWL profile, or otherwise have save data issues, create a local account for GFWL.

(http://forums.xbox.com/gfw/forum_faq/f/250/t/622.aspx for how-to on local GFWL profile)

Completely uninstall GFWL, clean the registry keys it left, reinstall GFWL, and make an offline profile. If after doing all of this, you still can't play/save, seek further support.

The problems with saving/accessing GFWL on Win 8 lies within the GFWL software, or how Steam installs an old version if you don't have it when you get a game-FWL, thus causing errors or issues saving, and the software issues are NOT with Arkham City itself. It's very important to make that distinction, especially when trying to trouble shoot. Reinstalling Arkham City should be unneccessary if your only issues lie with not saving or losing saves, or other GFWL issues GFWL is a seperate program that runs alongside, like Steam, only awful and clearly very inconveniencing. Above all else, make sure GFWL signs you in before you start playing, and make sure you're still signed in just before you exit.

IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THE LATEST VERSION OF GFWL, OR YOU DO NOT LOG IN TO A GFWL PROFILE BEFORE PLAYING, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SAVE YOUR GAME PROPERLY OR MAY LOSE DATA.

I hope this helps a few of you enjoy Arkham City to it's fullest.

Edit: It's also possible that changing your Gamertag within the game can cause corrupted/lost data.

[EbonHawk]

There seems to be an alternate method here, but have a feeling the two are very similar in how they accomplish tricking the game into using the saves properly..
https://pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Batman:_Arkham_Asylum#GFWL_save_files_compatible_with_Steamworks_version

[Danny Canuck]

Hmmm the first link gives me a warning (and so I didn't access it), and the second links me to Arkham assylum stuff. I already got arkham assylum working on steam. The problem isn't with save files. I am trying to start fresh. It is getting the game to launch from the launcher. It just dispearss and reapears without any error or message and the game itself does not launch.

[EbonHawk]

Sorry about that. The first response was while I was at work with limited internet access and I was trying to do it from my phone. Let's try again..

The same principles apply for converting a GfWL game to one without it. The game is setting up save files based on the old GfWL format, and when you try to launch the game, it's probably not able to read them properly. It could be something else, but this whole conversion from one version to another has caused some weird installation/running problems that just seem to pop up randomly for some people.

Major issue though, is you're not transitioning to a Steam version from it, you're trying to get a (now-defunct) GfWL version to work.. I've never done that, but there is probably a way to do it. I'm sure it will involve hacking the save game file with a hex editor like the last link suggests. But, yes, you will have to have specific instructions for doing it for City. I messed up and linked to the Asylum instructions.

Not sure if we can get this working or not, but will keep looking for you. Depends on how much effort you want to put into it and how long it will take WB to get you a new working version. :-)

[Danny Canuck]

Thanks. I have no yet heard from WB games...not sure I will.

[EbonHawk]

Since you own a Steam version of the game, I'm not sure why you can't get it to work though. I just noticed that you have the little mouse icon beside your username, meaning Steam acknowledges that you have the game through it... Was that always there?

Either way, that means you should be able to only install the Steam version of the game. You just need to remove whatever version you've already installed, get rid of any settings files in Documents, then re-download the game at this point. You may also have to remove any Windows Registry settings for the game, because there may be some left in there that reference GFWL user settings..

Once reinstalled, and before launching the game the first time, manually install the stuff in the Redist folder. Go to: Program Files /steam/steamapps/common/Batman Arkham Asylum/redist

In the DirectX folder double click the DXSETUP to install DirectX, and then go back up one level to the Redist folder and double click vcredist_x86 to install it. You should also manually install PhysX.exe, or even better, get the latest version from the nvidia website.. Try both, because your pc will tell you when you try to install that it was either updated, or the version you have is newer anyway, and it will abort the installation.

Maybe this will work.

[Danny Canuck]

Well I got a key from WB. I tried it an, of course, steam wouldn't take it - citing that I already had the game.

I uninstalled the game, deleted the folders, and reinstalled as well as the DXSETUP etc.

I am faced with the exact same problem. The launcher comes up. I press "play" and the launcher dissapears only to reapear seconds later without the game launching.

[EbonHawk]

I can't remember... did you ever try uninstalling the game completely, deleting any config files, the redownloading the game from scratch? I would do that, then run the redist stuff, and possibly manually edit the .ini file to set things like physx off, and res to your desktop's current/native res, etc.

[Danny Canuck]

I think one thing to note, is that I have a new computer and never played this game on thie computer. So it was originally installed "from scratch".

I'm not sure I am following all the stuff you are asking:

manually edit the .ini file to set things like physx off

res to your desktop's current/native res