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'Resident Evil' the play is better than I expected
The first Resident Evil games were my favorites. With comically bad dialogue like the now infamous "Jill sandwich" meme, tension built on scare tactics, gore and the thrill of a shotgun blast, simpler was better, or at least more fun. As soon as the franchise started to take itself too seriously, I stopped paying attention. So when Capcom decided to make the video game horror franchise into a stage play, I feared it'd either steer straight into closed-space melodrama (i.e., actors trapped in a room; one has a dark secret) or that it'd simply have little to no relevance to Resident Evil. So, with trepidation, I went to see Biohazard: The Stage (the series' title here in Japan) when it opened for a limited one-week run right before Halloween. Was I going to be bored to tears? Despite an unnecessarily fashionable Tyrant and a severe lack of blood, I was hooked for all two-and-a-half hours of it. And that even included a pop-dance interlude.
The next 'Resident Evil' game is an online competitive shooter
Resident Evil's recent track record for hits is... patchy. And we're being nicer than we should because of how fondly we remember the earlier games. More recent spin-offs and adventures for the series that all-but invented survival horror might have watered down that (t-virus) formula, but that's not stopping Capcom's very own hideous experiments. Tying into the 20 year anniversary of Resident Evil (or Biohazard), the company announced Biohazard Umbrella Corps, a game that'll see you shooting zombies and... other people that also seem to also be shooting zombies. The trailer was heavy on the action and gore, but expect to control your characters in first person when accuracy demands it, as well as a bunch of new zombie not-so-friendly gadgets and weapons. The game arrives in early 2016 on PS4. (Update: and also PC.)
Seen@TGS: Your very own end of the world
We're all for accessorizing and taking advantage of pertinent merchandising opportunities and everything, but maybe selling individual, snack-size vials of the world's most-dangerous substance isn't the best idea? Maybe you should sell the apocalypse for more than $20, is what we're saying.On a related note, we bought one and now we can't find it or the dog, so maybe now would be a good time to invest in crowbars.
Capcom behind 'No Hope Left' viral ads (or widespread graffiti, depending on your perspective)
The "No Hope Left" ad campaign spotted in a variety of locations across Europe has been pinned to Capcom. At least that's according to The Sixth Axis, whose intrepid reporter schlepped down to the Vauxhall station in London after seeing an image pop up on the viral ad campaign's website. He spotted an ad company (Primesight) credited for the faux graffiti and emailed them to confirm who had bought said ad. He was told, "Panel number is 2375 03 Parry Street. The company advertising on it is CAPCOM." This makes a lot of sense, given the "O" in "No" looks like a stylized biohazard symbol (the name of the Resident Evil series in Japan). It would also not be surprising at all for a video-game company to post adverts marauding as graffiti, though we doubt this will draw as much ire as previous attempts. Either way, it looks like we'll find out more tomorrow, as the ads all point to a reveal on January 19, 2012. Here's hoping tomorrow doesn't accidentally coincide with the real zombie apocalypse. Boy would that be a lot of egg on Capcom's face, eh? [Image credit: NoHopeLeft.com]
Hands-on: Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles
If there's one thing to be thankful for in the face of Capcom's steady stream of Resident Evil games, it's that we've all been given a fairly comprehensive education on the undead blight. We can see a zombie coming a mile away, which presents an odd sense of frustration when the game's own characters fail to do the same. No, that person isn't sick. It's a zombie and it's going to bite your neck off. Just shoot it!The Darkside Chronicles, an instantly familiar follow-up to the Wii's Umbrella Chronicles, often hesitates to pull the trigger. It takes a leisurely stroll when least appropriate and it's slow to react when things do get exciting. You might think that your friends Survival-Horror and On-Rails Shooter would get along just fine, but leave them both in the room while you go to the toilet and it's just awkward silence. %Gallery-73897%
13 PS3 motion control games confirmed for next year, motion-enhanced Biohazard 5 coming Spring 2010
Sure, the company's Tokyo Game Show keynote was a bit of a bore, but in a second press conference for Japanese media, Sony did what it could to make up for it by revealing Biohazard 5: Alternative Edition, the first PS3 title we've heard of to support the new motion controllers -- and better still, it's due out Spring 2010. Also confirmed is the existence of 13 first-party titles with motion support coming at some point next year, including Pain, EyePet and Flower. Both Biohazard 5 (known in the US as Resident Evil 5) and a LittleBigPlanet tech demo were shown on stage, and pics from the announcement are being uploaded now, so stay tuned! Update: Some new details of the LittleBigPlanet motion control demo from our friend Ittousai of Engadget Japan. In the presentation, one player was playing the normal way via DualShock while a second person was "assisting" by means of the motion control.
A closer look at Resident Evil 5's Progenitor Virus kit
We decided to take a closer look at the Progenitor Virus Detection and Suppression Kit that was shipped along with the Collector's Edition of the game to certain outlets. Justin showed off some of the wares in his unboxing video, and we decided to don the rubber gloves and face mask, and activate the included discs inside the kit. You can see the resulting video above. While not really groundbreaking or heart attack inducing (like the game), Disc #1 declared our MacBook Pro to be 98% "infected." And people claim the Mac is virus-free.The phone number that pops up when the second disc runs is (718) TRI-9446, and it connects you to a support line for the virus which currently has a hold time of 72 hours. Sound familiar? It's a bit similar to the Fallout 3 number you could call (and still can) to get put on interminable hold with Vault-tec systems. Interestingly, the Tricell number lets you leave a message. Naturally, we left one to see if we might get a call back. OH PLEASE OH PLEASE. We need more rubber gloves.NOTE: We heard from a Capcom rep that the "0% infection rate" happens only 5% of the time. So I guess we're ultra-rare at Joystiq. There are five different possible results, and we just happened to strike on the most visually boring one. Oops. We'll strive for a reshoot soon and add it to this post.... if we can find the PS3 in the dumpster.
Confirmed: no run-and-gun in Resident Evil 5. Ever.
Isn't it just like the internet to propagate unsubstantiated rumors. The latest such rumor surrounding the upcoming survival horror shooter Resident Evil 5 may have given the game some free publicity, but Capcom has decided that enough is enough. It's squashing the rumor once and for all in its latest community blog post. The "action" controls will not allow you to move and shoot simultaneously. Chris Redfield's testosterone-filled body makes multitasking an impossibility. "While RE5 is very action-heavy, the base RE game design mechanic of holding fast while shooting remains," says the Capcom blog. Newcomers to the series may need to make some "mental readjustments," but the controls have remained this way to establish a sense of risk and danger while in combat. The new controls will instead grant "more natural motion to the second analog stick on your 360 or PS3 controller," allowing you to strafe. We're sure there are strong advocates for both sides of the argument amongst Resident Evil 5's audience. Maybe not Chris Redfield strong ... but strong.
Resident Evil 5 groans and staggers onto Xbox 360 March 12
var digg_url = 'http://www.joystiq.com/2008/10/08/resident-evil-5-groans-and-staggers-onto-xbox-on-march-12/'; Biohazard 5, or better known on our shores as Resident Evil 5 will finally be coming to the Xbox 360 after a long delay that saw it get pushed from April 2008 to almost a year later. Well, better late then never we saw, as long as we get to have fun blasting infected people. Is that too much to ask? We liked what we saw back in June, and are keeping our fingers crossed.
Limited edition red 'Resident Evil Code: Veronica' Dreamcast pops up on eBay
Console collectors know good and well that Sega dished out a few less-than-easily-attainable versions of the Dreamcast back in the day, but only the hardest of hardcore fanatics are apt to have one this bad boy. Just 1,800 of these limited edition bundles were made, which feature an atypical Code: Veronica box, a translucent red version of the Japanese console, a matching controller, a copy of Biohazard Code: Veronica (Japan's version of Resident Evil Code: Veronica), all the traditional connection cables and a huge dose of bragging rights. Number 280 out of the 1,800 units can be yours right now for the low, low asking price of $800, and believe us, we don't foresee this one hanging around sans an owner for too much longer.[Via Gadget Review]
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 7/7-7/13
We're kind of glad to see Persona 4 blow away the competition in software, even if it's not a Wii game (cough -- it should be). Nothing else really sold all that well, not even the games in the top ten. Wii Fit and Mario Kart Wii keep piling on copies to their ever-growing mountains, though, and remain snug in the top ten.The other big news in terms of Japanese software is the release of Resident Evil 0. Capcom's port did debut at spot six, but only sold 20k copies in its first week. This game won't come even close to being the cash cow that Resident Evil 4 was, but we're sure Capcom will still make a pretty ported penny.Hardware sales show that the Wii was stuck in third, again:You can check out Japan's software sales and rankings from last week after the break.
Catch a few glimpses of Resident Evil 5 in this video
Fancy a glimpse at some snippets of gameplay from Resident Evil 5 while a Japanese man soothly narrates in the background? Then you've come to the right place. The video above shows some behind the scenes animation (in XSI, no less! Crazy) and then moves on to some combat scenes directly in the game engine. How does it look? Stunning. It looks like Capcom is really aiming to improve on the greatness that was Resi 4 with this game. Still, this video only shows a few wee snippets. We want to see more!
Japanese PS Store updated with Biohazard 2
The Japanese PS Store keeps on getting more and more PS1 classics to play. Classics like Biohazard 2 (aka Resident Evil 2) can be found in today's update to the Japanese Store: Biohazard 2 Popolocrois II Marie no Atelier Plus Robin Lloyd no Bouken BAROQUE I.Q Intelligent Qube Crime Crackers 2 Magical Drop Tantei Jinguji Saburo - Early Collection. Once again, many of these games will be unfamiliar to non Japanese gamers. Hopefully, it won't be too long until we get our hands on a zombie-infested adventure.[Via PSPHyper]
Capcom, Sony to produce animated Resident Evil movie
Capcom and Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan today announced a collaboration that will see popular zombie extermination sim Resident Evil adapted into a full-length CG animation feature. The project, dubbed "Biohazard: Degeneration" in Japan (and presumably "Resident Evil: Finding Necro" in the West) promises "groundbreaking visual effects and a brand-new story line." Unfortunately, the rest of the press release simply yammers on about the (un)live-action dreck starring Milla what's her face.Given the reassuring lack of certain German "directors" and the decision to embrace polygons over the pasty complexions of Hollywood C-listers, you may feel inclined to allot this game-to-film adaptation some anticipation. A similar approach yielded last year's Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children which, fan service fluff aside, at least managed to be entertaining and resistant to our recently invented word, "acraptation."Biohazard: Degeneration is currently aiming for a "terrifying release in 2008."[Via FiringSquad]
Capcom stock hits five-year high, boosted by Wii
Capcom's shares on the Tokyo Stock Exchange rose to 2,855 yen at close today, the publisher's highest close since September 26, 2002, according to Bloomberg. The stock has risen 14 percent in the last two days and 33 percent this year.The good fortune has been attributed to sales of Resident Evil 4 for the Nintendo Wii, which is selling well worldwide, and expectations that the publisher's annual sales will rise 11 percent as it doubles the number of Wii titles it releases to six. Much of the increase, Bloomberg implies, is attributed to Capcom's vocalizing support for Nintendo's console. In November 2002, around the time of Capcom's last share high, the company had opened CE Europe Ltd. in London.
Trailer for Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition
Ever wondered exactly how you're going to make those Plagas stop biting into your skull in the new Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition? Wonder no more, dear friends, as a rather buried link in the official Japanese website reveals a lovely trailer just rife with waggle. Looks like pretty standard stuff: shake remote, move remote in circle, stab parasitic zombie villager in the kidney with remote, you know.If nothing else, this trailer just kind of rekindled our fiery lust for Resident Evil 4 ... damn was that game good. You remember that time when you took on two Gigantes and dropped one into a giant pit of lava by ziplining across the room like a badass? Yeah. We do too.[via GoNintendo]
Capcom wins at packaging
This is simply the coolest limited-edition box in recent memory. Forget the European Resident Evil 4 box. This Japanese Biohazard box is the business. For 3,675 yen, which is a suspiciously low $30, you get an awesome 20-DVD-capacity Umbrella Corporation biohazard storage box (itself inside an Umbrella Corporation shipping box), two keys, warning tags, and caution tape to seal it up. With a case this cool, who even needs a game? You could always buy this and RE4 Wii Edition and build your own limited edition set.[Via The Tanooki]
DS Daily: Survival horror
We were poring over the new Silent Hill 5 "details" today (more like vague statements from Akira Yamaoka about how awesome it's going to be) and all we really know about it is that it's going to be more like Silent Hill 2 (yay) and it's coming to some consoles that aren't the DS (boo). Our first reaction is to be outraged. We love our system and we love Silent Hill and its atmospheric, psychological horror storytelling.But would we actually love them together? The larger question here extends beyond the boundaries of one foggy town: is the DS an appropriate format for survival horror? We had one outing already in Resident Evil: Deadly Silence, which a very trustworthy source tells us wasn't an entirely successful experiment. Alternately, if the major discussion topic doesn't interest you, we can just talk about Silent Hill and how great it is.
Wii Warm Up: Superfluous waggle
Some games, like the ubiquitous Wii Sports, use the Wiimote's space-age technology to closely map real motion into gameplay. This is generally regarded as "neat" and accepted by the masses, who run off to show their grandparents.Other games, like the upcoming port of Resident Evil 4, make no such attempt to represent physical motion as virtual motion (outside of the new knife controls). In fact, some of the motion controls seem to be simulating button presses. Case in point, reloading requires you to hold B and shake the Wiimote. That's hardly more representative of the action of reloading a gun than pushing a button, or even going into a menu.We sort of revealed how we felt there, but this isn't about us. It's about you. How does non-representative motion control affect you? Is it still fun to waggle, even when you're waggling abstractly?
Famitsu reveals Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles, confirms RE4 port [update 1]
[Update 1: fixed the name of the DS game. Thanks, SnesR0X, and no thanks to the many similar DS-game subtitles!]It's been a while since we had a directed blurry-Famitsu-picture staredown, and this one is, as usual, totally worth staring at. Famitsu printed a long-awaited look at Capcom's Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles, the Wii-exclusive RE-series-spanning game.According to the article, it's a first-person gun shooting game with playable characters from past REs including Chris, Jill, Wesker, and others. Whether it's a true FPS or an on-rails affair like Resident Evil: Dead Aim remains to be seen.Also in Famitsu was confirmation that Resident Evil 4 is getting an enhanced Wii release. Rumor has it that all the PS2 extras will be included, but the only definite is an added Wiimote-controlled knife mode. Sounds like RE Deadly Silence on the DS.[Thanks, zshadow!]
