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Dead Rising 3's SmartGlass app lets NPC call, probably not for bowling
Capcom Vancouver developer Brent Arnst wrote about the creation of Dead Rising 3's SmartGlass app in a Gamasutra blog yesterday, detailing the way the zombie-ridden universe's survivors will interact with it. Arnst noted a character that will call and text the player "at any time to offer advice, new missions or tempting prizes," an idea stemming from the team's desire to make the SmartGlass implementation feel more natural for the game. Developing a relationship with this character will offer missions that are only available to those using SmartGlass. Completing these missions will award the player with access codes, a currency that unlocks and expands options for the game's military apps, which allow the player to call for air strikes or launch of flares to distract zombie hordes. USB sticks containing details for a hint-providing app or new ringtones and wallpapers for SmartGlass will also be hidden throughout the game. The blog mentioned other apps for SmartGlass as well, including a map, a news feed with mock stories, a hint system, an item finder and a way to track missions. Arnst also shared the idea of "being able to 'call' up your nearest safe house and have a survivor you had previously rescued run to your aid." That kind of sounds like the perfect way for survivors to redeem themselves for the brainless, infuriating actions of their predecessors.
Rumor: Dead Rising 3 set in California, stars 'Rick' the mechanic
Siliconera says a source provided detailed information on the unannounced Dead Rising 3. According to this informant, it will star an auto mechanic named Rick, who is trying to rebuild a plane in order to escape from the zombie-infected Los Perdidos, California, before a bomb destroys the town. The purported game will feature a theme of illegal immigration, the source claims. An "underground" group of infected people avoid government registration, becoming "illegal" citizens. Another, more familiar theme will also be present: that of how hilarious and awesome it is to kill zombies with random items, as evidenced by the presence of a character whose motorcycle has a steamroller attached. Capcom's only comment on the issue has been to tell Shacknews it's "made no announcements" regarding Dead Rising 3. It also hasn't announced anything regarding the inevitable re-release starring Frank West.
Gaikai powers streaming Dead Rising 2 demo
We're never going to to be comfortable with the kind of alchemy Gaikai is capable of. Capcom has partnered with the company to offer a demo of Dead Rising 2, right in your browser. You'll be so impressed you won't even mind it's a year late! It's the actual game, inside a browser window. Being a demo, there are some restrictions: you can't save, and you can only play for 30 minutes. But it's still enough to give you a taste of the game, and to be really impressed with Gaikai.
'Cyborg Skills Pack' augments Dead Rising 2 Off the Record next week
New Dead Rising 2: Off the Record DLC will give Frank West some new "Cyborg Skills." Said skills don't just include things like "being able to endure painful cyber implant surgery" and "beeping." In the game, West's machine-man enhancements will add electrical damage to all regular attacks, additional damage on melee attacks, and even more attack bonuses with electrical appliances, beep. The "Cyborg Skills Pack" will be released on Xbox 360, PC, and PS3 on October 25 for $2. Until then, you'll just have to get your fill of robot-ness by dressing up as Proto Man.%Gallery-136905%
Grill, extinguish, or terminate zombies with Dead Rising 2: Off the Record DLC costumes
You've bought all three Dead Rising 2 games to date, and you've pre-ordered the fourth. How on earth can you give Capcom more money for Dead Rising 2? Don't worry -- that's what DLC is for. Four downloadable costumes have been announced for Off the Record, allowing you to make Frank, the character people wanted so badly to return, almost unrecognizable. Each costume comes with gameplay bonuses: Cyborg Frank has an electrical attack that stuns zombies; survivors run faster when following Frank in his firefighter outfit, and he can kick down doors and more effectively use water guns; the BBQ Chef outfit confers extra firepower to ketchup and mustard, and offers some kind of bonus when using explosives. And in the "Warrior Costume," players get 25% additional PP after every attack, and an exclusive combo with the practice sword and shield. In Japan, these will all be sold separately for 160 Microsoft Points; release plans haven't been announced for North America yet, with the exception of the Warrior costume, which is a GameStop pre-order bonus.
Dead Rising 2: Off the Record goes on sale Oct. 11 in NA, Oct. 14 in EU
Capcom apparently doesn't want us or anyone else knowing the launch date for upcoming Dead Rising budget spinoff, Dead Rising 2: Off the Record. Though the Japanese publisher's European blog posted details of the game's release date recently -- October 11 in North America and October 14 in Europe, by the way -- the post has since been pulled. Thankfully, some quick Googling reveals that the post did in fact exist at one point. It's always possible that the release dates were incorrect, but we're more inclined to believe it was simply posted before someone important said, "Go ahead." We've asked Capcom for confirmation, but haven't heard back as of yet.
Capcom Vancouver has two projects underway
Dee Jay Randall, of Capcom Vancouver (formerly Blue Castle Games), revealed during his GDC talk -- covering Dead Rising 2 multiplayer -- that two projects are currently underway at the studio. Without going into specifics about either project, Randall spoke at great length about Capcom Vancouver's efforts to improve the overall experience of co-op game design, including minimizing network workload. Wild guess: At least one of the new projects will feature co-op. [Image source: CapcomVancouver.com]
Dead Rising 2: Case West's tricky 'Handy Man' Achievement
If you picked up Dead Rising 2: Case West and are having a problem getting the "Handy Man" Achievement, which requires building all the new weapons in the DLC, it may not necessarily be that you're missing something. XBLA Fans, in its "DR2: Case West Weapons Combo Guide," notes that the "Handy Man" requires players build only the seven new weapons in the game. Apparently, if you create any other weapons before those seven, you'll have to move the save file to another device or delete it. The site previously put together the handy-dandy Super Meat Boy bandage guide, which has helped keep our rage-tossing controller destruction to a minimum.%Gallery-108514%
12 Days of Joyswag: Dead Rising 2, High Stakes Edition (PS3)
To celebrate the holidays, we're having twelve straight days of giveaways up through Christmas day. And while we say it's to celebrate, really ... we're simply getting rid of some of the larger packages around the ol' office. For our second giveaway today in the 11 Days of Joyswag, With One of the Days Featuring Two Giveaways funanza, we've got the Dead Rising 2: High Stakes Edition on PS3. This deluxe Dead Rising Deux – available only from Capcom's online store – includes the game; a poker set with 100 poker chips, bloody playing cards, dice, and a dealer chip; a Fortune City visitor map (which doubles, conveniently, as a map of the game's locations); and a Terror is Reality ticket with a voucher for a "Psycho" costume and skill pack. C'mon, you deserve this. Head past the break for the skinny on how to win ... ny.
Dead Rising 2: Case Zero surpasses 600K download mark
Dead Rising 2: Case Zero, the "most dynamic sales weapon" publisher Capcom has ever had, has surpassed the 600,000-downloaded mark. The $5 XBLA-exclusive sold another 100,000 units in October, topping the Xbox Live Arcade sales chart and apparently making it the "fastest selling" XBLA game of the year. The full-bodied demo/prequel to Dead Rising 2 has been an incredible success, selling nearly a half million units in its first two weeks back in early September. As for Case Zero's sales impact on the full game, it certainly didn't hurt the sequel, as Capcom announced in late October it had shipped over 2 million units of the game to retailers.
Capcom teases Case West environment screens
Capcom has teased on its blog what appear to be the environments for Dead Rising 2: Case West. We surmise this because the screens are similar to previously released Case West images. Check them out and compare.
Dead Rising 2 ships 2 million, Blue Castle Games renamed
Capcom announced this morning that Dead Rising 2 has shipped over two million units globally, making it more successful than the original zombie survival sandbox. The company also stated that the Dead Rising franchise has shipped over four million units globally. That math likely entails the couple million copies from the sequel, the "million-plus" from the original Dead Rising, and ... oh boy, whatever Dead Rising: Chop Till you Drop shipped. It's unclear if Capcom's "most dynamic sales weapon" ever, Dead Rising 2: Case Zero, would be included in there -- considering it didn't "ship" so much as "sell" half a million units on Xbox Live Arcade. The publisher also announced that its acquisition of Blue Castle Games was approved by Canadian authorities. The studio will now be known as Capcom Game Studio Vancouver. Will CGSV be entrusted with other Capcom franchises, or will it remain in the company of the living dead?
PSA: Dead Rising 2 'Soldier of Fortune' DLC deployed today
You'll be able to add a touch more conventional warfare to Dead Rising 2 today with the "Soldier of Fortune" DLC. This $2 add-on includes military clothing and gives Chuck's guns increased power, accuracy and ammunition. Shooting zombies? With guns? Sounds pretty unorthodox, but it might work.
Dead Rising 2 'Psychopath' DLC out now (plus: new trailer)
Has your Chuck Greene gone over the edge? Then you'll likely wanna check out the first bit of Dead Rising 2 DLC, the Psychopath Skills Pack, available today on Xbox Live and PSN for 160 Microsoft Points and $1.99, respectively. Head past the break for a video preview.
Dead Rising 2 offering Psycho, Ninja, Sports, Soldier DLC to all, for a price
The Dead Rising 2 pre-order bonus DLC will be made available for purchase on PSN and Xbox Live Marketplace over the coming weeks. Each pack will cost $1.99 (or 160 Microsoft Points). Bonuses in the packs can be combined to form the ultimate Chuck and include: Psychopath Pack (Oct. 12) -- Bonus when using iconic horror movie weapons (chainsaws, cleavers, axes) Soldier of Fortune Pack (Oct. 19) -- Doubles ammo, increases shooting and headshot accuracy; special bullet spray attack when using automatics Sports Pack (Oct. 26) -- Golf balls, basketballs, etc. bounce more before stopping. Chuck will also "earn more from gambling, gain more health while eating and drinking and not get sick from drinking too much." So, essentially, he's your fun uncle. Ninja Pack (Nov. 2) -- Stealth mode requires zombies be closer to detect presence. Throwing items do more damage and are tossed faster; bonuses with sword weapon So, zombies better watch out when Chuck's camouflaged with a viking helmet and ninja slippers ... or they can just laugh. Wait -- do zombies laugh or just sorta joyfully gurgle?
Metareview: Dead Rising 2
In our review of Dead Rising 2 we said the game "doesn't stray from the core principle of the original." That's a running theme in many reviews. If you thought the original Dead Rising just needed more of everything (pus-filled zombie warts and all), with the addition of a weapon creation system, it seems your purchase of the game is good to go. Game Informer (95/100): "Even after playing for dozens of hours, you'll still find new things in Dead Rising 2. ... This game is designed for multiple playthroughs, and I'm looking forward to each and every one of them." Gamespot (85/100): "Dead Rising 2 delicately balances wanton destruction with thoughtful objectives. Just about every aspect of this game is entertaining, ensuring that you're having a good time whether you're fighting psychopaths, rescuing survivors, or just trying to find hidden secrets." 1UP (B+): "Dead Rising 2 has annoying technical flaws and uninteresting boss battles. But the ability to jump into a friend's game while wearing a Borat-inspired mankini and a Servbot helmet with a lawnmower blade strapped on top help you quickly forget those problems." Eurogamer (80/100): "Despite the low-level irritations, Dead Rising 2's focus and determination win you over. Its assured grasp of what the game is and what it isn't is worth celebrating. The harder edges of the first game have been softened a little, no doubt thanks to the involvement of a Western studio." Giant Bomb (3/5): "But it's the other stuff--the still messy survivor AI and poorly built boss battles--that really mars the Dead Rising 2 experience. It's not an impossible game to love, but as with the first game, you'll have to look past a lot of blemishes to find happiness." %Gallery-103993%
Dead Rising 2 asks 'What Would Chuck Do?'
The short answer to "What Would Chuck Do?" in Dead Rising 2 is: Murder the undead. But perhaps you'd like to see the long answer play out in the latest trailer for the game? Good, 'cause we've got it for you here. (Oh, and part of the answer involves giant teddy bears -- just so you know.)
Capcom calls Dead Rising 2: Case Zero 'most dynamic sales weapon' it's ever had
"It's the most dynamic sales weapon we have ever had in our arsenal, giving us the equivalent exposure of a multi-million pound TV campaign," Capcom's UK product manager Karl Reader told MCV. "We foresee other publishers will follow suit." And why shouldn't they? Dead Rising 2: Case Zero has been a huge success since launching on Xbox Live a few weeks back. At TGS, Capcom announced the game was closing in on 500,000 copies sold. But is there really a way to judge its effectiveness as a marketing solution compared to more traditional sales means, such as TV, print and online ads? Reader said Case Zero "serves as a barometer for us as a publisher, allowing us to gauge demand for the title and adjust our marketing plans for Dead Rising 2 accordingly." We can all agree Case Zero was successful as a standalone game, but there's no way to tell whether it was an effective way to market Dead Rising 2 until it launches on September 28.
Dead Rising 2 launch trailer shows 'creativity kills'
Ah, duct tape. So versatile. In fact, so important that the United States government has it listed as an official item in the basic emergency supply kit. Dead Rising 2's Chuck Greene was prepared, as evidenced by this launch trailer for the zom-pocalypse action game.
Dead Rising 2: Case West brings photography back
Faaaaaantastic! Dead Rising 2: Case West will feature everyone's favorite zombie-bashing photojournalist, practicing his craft by immortalizing the undead in still pictures. Developer Blue Castle Games' president, Rob Barrett, recently told Eurogamer that Frank West's return in the sequel's DLC epilogue would be accompanied by photography gameplay. Of course, West isn't there just to snap photos -- he'll join in the survival adventure co-op style. Dead Rising 2's $5 prologue Case Zero has been successful for Capcom, selling over half a million downloads in two weeks. The core Dead Rising 2 game shambles to North American retail next week, on September 28th. It'll be interesting to see if the demo-consuming hoard is still ravenous for the full experience.
