capcom-vancouver
Latest
Street Fighter producer Yoshinori Ono leaves Capcom Vancouver [update]
In a surprising move, Yoshinori Ono, a longtime Capcom fixture best known for his work as producer of the Street Fighter 4 line of fighting games, has announced his departure from Capcom Vancouver. "I resigned from the director position about Capcom Vancouver. Thanks good staff of Capcom Vancouver, and Dead Rising staff," Ono tweeted earlier today. "I had take some time, I think over very carefully about next things. I'd like to watch TV for Brazil World Cup before thinking it!" he later added. Though he plainly states that he's left Capcom Vancouver, it's unclear what future Ono might have in Capcom's larger corporate umbrella. As EventHubs points out, Ono was promoted to the rank of corporate officer at Capcom Japan in April, and as far as anyone knows, he has not resigned from that role. We've attempted to pry more information from Capcom itself, though the company offered only a boilerplate "no comment." Update: Yoshinori Ono has offered further clarification on his future plans via Twitter. "My position within Capcom has not changed and I'm still involved in all of the projects that I'm currently working on," Ono stated, before adding, "Only my role for Capcom Vancouver has ended."
Download Dead Rising 3 fan-service DLC soundtrack for free
If you read our earlier article on the Super Ultra Dead Rising 3 Arcade Remix Hyper Edition EX Plus Alpha DLC for Dead Rising 3, and immediately developed a craving for the addition's tunes, today is your lucky day: Capcom's offering the soundtrack at the always attractive price of "free." Developer Capcom Vancouver revealed the gratis download in a tweet shortly after the DLC's reveal earlier today. "Anyone fancy a free #SuperDR3 soundtrack?" the developer asked, before linking to a Sumthing.com page that features both the Super Ultra Dead Rising 3 Arcade Remix Hyper Edition EX Plus Alpha soundtrack as well as the soundtrack for Dead Rising 3. Though the former is available at no charge, the latter features a $10 price tag. [Image: Capcom]
Dead Rising 3's Fallen Angel DLC now available on Xbox Live
Out of nowhere, Dead Rising 3 has received its second story expansion, dubbed Fallen Angel. As with Broken Eagle, Fallen Angel features its own storyline. This plot thread places you in the boots of Angel Quijano, one of the "illegals" who refused to have a Zombrex chip implanted in her neck. This disobedience earned Quijano (and all illegals) a "kill on sight" order from the government, so expect to have to battle numerous heavily-armed soldiers alongside thousands of shambling corpses as you attempt to protect any other remaining survivors Angel might come across. Like all Dead Rising 3 DLC expansions, Fallen Angel also brings with it new vehicles, new clothing options for the core Dead Rising 3 game, and new weapons. As you can see in the above trailer, the new additions to your zombie-slaying arsenal include a mace, what appears to be electrified boxing gloves, and akimbo uzis, allowing players to live out their "John Woo meets George Romero" fantasies. Owners of the Dead Rising 3 season pass are now able to download Fallen Angel at no extra charge, though by itself the DLC features a $10 price tag. Since the majority of the data included in this downloadable offering was issued to Xbox One owners with last month's 13GB patch, Fallen Angel weighs in at a reasonable 22MB. [Image: Microsoft]
Dead Rising 3 campaign DLC focuses on single-player story, ditches co-op
After a short delay, the first of four campaign DLC add-ons will arrive for Dead Rising 3 tomorrow. Each of the game's packs will explore "The Untold Stories of Los Perdidos," putting players in the zombie-matter encrusted boots of a different main character, while intertwining with story of Nick Ramos. Co-op will not be available in the DLC campaigns, executive producer Josh Bridge confirmed, saying the team at Capcom Vancouver wanted to focus on a single-player narrative. "We chose to do that so we could really drill down on a single-player experience and really tell that character's story," Bridge said in an interview posted on Xbox.com. Bridge says that the team understands fans love co-op gameplay and, though the story available in the four "Untold Stories" are single-player only, the weapons and vehicles added to the game with each DLC pack will be available for players to enjoy in co-op sessions. The first "Untold Stories" content, entitled "Operation Broken Eagle," begins prior to the events of Dead Rising 3. "In 'Operation Broken Eagle,' you're playing this commander of a military group that goes into Los Perdidos earlier before the main story. It gives a totally different take on the story and that was really fun for the team and we think gamers will really get a kick out of it," Bride said. "...You're going in with a big military point of view and deadly weapons, including this awesome chaingun that just rips apart the zombies." The content also includes "new weapons, a custom vehicle, a new story flow, new missions" and hopefully still, the ability to run around in your underwear wearing a horse head mask.
13GB Dead Rising 3 patch paves the way for tomorrow's DLC
A new title update available for Dead Rising 3 readies the game for the debut of its first DLC story content, while also improving a number of minor issues. "The update introduces a host of improvements to single-player and co-op gameplay, including a variety of performance and stability upgrades, and fixes for issues related to achievements, UI updates, SmartGlass and more," states Capcom's official description. Executive producer Josh Bridge notes the patch alters the way items cluster together on the ground, making it more easy for players to accurately rifle through piles. The patch also improves how the game's PP bonuses are unlocked. It should now be less likely that Dead Rising 3 will simply not credit your achievements. The patch's biggest change is the addition of an impulse trigger warning whenever your gun is running low on ammo. Once your bullets start to dwindle, the right trigger will begin to vibrate, notifying your hand that you'll need to stop spraying lead soon. Capcom suggests that Dead Rising 3 players download this update prior to installing tomorrow's DLC mission, Operation Broken Eagle. If you plan to heed this advice, know that it weighs in at about 13GB of data. That may seem like a massive amount of space for so few gameplay alterations, but as Xbox Wire reveals, the majority of that 13GB is occupied by "[c]ontent for DLC episodes 3 and 4."
Dead Rising 3's first DLC episode delayed, now coming Jan. 21
Capcom has announced that "Operation Broken Eagle," the first DLC episode for Xbox One's zombie smasher Dead Rising 3, has been pushed back to January 21. "Adding new content to the massive open world of Los Perdidos is a major undertaking, and to ensure we provide the best possible experience for players, we are putting a few additional weeks of polish and testing into the episode before it's released," an announcement from a Capcom spokesperson reads. "Stay tuned for additional updates." The first DLC episode was originally due on Christmas Eve, December 24. Operation broken Eagle follows Spec Ops Commander Adam Kane, who is on the lookout for the missing President of the United States. The episode adds some new base weapons, one new combo weapon, an additional vehicle and some fresh threads to the game. It's the first of four planned DLC episodes that are part of Dead Rising 3's $30 season pass.
Joystiq Streams: Ryse Son of Rome, Dead Rising 3, Killer Instinct [Watch the replay!]
Update: The live stream has ended. Watch the replay above. If you've read our reviews for Ryse: Son of Rome and Dead Rising 3, you may want to learn even more about two of Xbox One's biggest launch games. Your pals at Joystiq are streaming them both in a special edition of our Joystiq Streams feature, right here at 4:30 p.m. Eastern. Xav and Richard will be there to answer your questions while they murder barbarians and/or zombies. Be sure t jump into the chat on the official Joystiq Twitch stream page!
Dead Rising 3 review: Combo party
We'll be rolling out Xbox One review coverage all the way through launch on November 22. Read all of our coverage right here! There aren't too many problems that can't be solved with a blow torch and a few well-scrounged supplies. This is what I've learned from Dead Rising 3, which evolves the patchwork weapon-crafting mechanic introduced in Dead Rising 2 in some very natural and helpful ways. Now you can build custom weaponry and vehicles, often to great comical effect, anywhere you want in the game world of Los Perdidos. Dead Rising 3 doesn't greatly deviate from the series' sandbox formula, but rather chooses to dump loads of new toys and even more zombies into the play pit with you.
Dead Rising 3 includes Mega Man gear, if you can earn it
By now it has become series tradition, so it's little surprise to learn that Dead Rising 3 allows players to equip items straight out of Mega Man X. Slightly more surprising are the lengths you'll need to go to in order to earn your Mega Man X costume and Mega Buster weapon. In previous Dead Rising entries, most of the Mega Man-themed equipment could be found by raiding the right stores, but Dead Rising 3 demands players complete the game twice to earn the full ensemble. Once to earn the costume, then again on Nightmare Mode (which reinstates the classic Dead Rising time limit) to earn the Mega Buster. That may seem like a lot of effort for fan service, but if past Dead Rising games are any indication, the Mega Buster should be an obscenely over-powered weapon that destroys zombies (and most boss characters) in a single shot.
Dead Rising 3 story shows good guys, bad guys, dead guys
Dead Rising 3 hosting city Los Perdidos has a lot of inhabitants, but they aren't all on the same page. Some just want to live, others just want to kill things, and some of them just want to eat everything in sight while wearing a cold, dead stare. At least there's a trailer to sort it all out!
Dead Rising 3 networking suffered with more than two players
It's not that Xbox One launch game Dead Rising 3 can't support more than two players in online co-op, but during some "rough tests," developer Capcom Vancouver found it be too stressful on the network connection. "Obviously we'd like to have three players, four players, more players, and we did some rough tests, and the networking fidelity started to break down," producer Mike Jones revealed to OXM. More players in the sandbox also presents a problem when it comes to zombie AI, which not only governs where zombies spawn but also pushes hordes to identify and engage players. It's enough stress on the game to account for two players independently running around Los Perdidos, Dead Rising 3's sandbox, but when you add more players "it becomes this crazy, exponentially more complicated problem." Jones added, however, that more human players is something the developer is "definitely going to explore." But, for Dead Rising 3, it's more about focusing on "a meaningful two player co-op experience" that builds upon the co-op groundwork laid by Dead Rising 2. "But yeah, I'm a big versus player, I love that stuff, so I think in the future we're definitely going to explore how we can get more players in there." We were able to check out a near-final build of Dead Rising 3 at Microsoft's Xbox One showcase event last week. In our preview, we talked about the joy of creating new weapons and vehicles, and discussed the frame rate issues that arose when tearing around Los Perdidos in any kind of speedy conveyance.
Dead Rising 3 and the stuttering car conundrum
Mobility has always been an issue with the Dead Rising games. No entry in the series until Dead Rising 3, the upcoming Xbox One launch game, has created a big enough sandbox for vehicles to be a crucial component of the experience. There have been cars before, but their use was limited by confined spaces and the lack of a real street system. At an Xbox One showcase event in San Francisco last week, I was able to sample two of Dead Rising 3's planned seven chapters from its single-player campaign – which sets players loose in a massive city called Los Perdidos as mechanic-turned-hero, Nick Ramos. Los Perdidos is big, so you finally have the chance to put your driving skills to work instead of being forced to hoof it all over town. There's just one problem: the frame rate.
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.
Dead Rising 3 season pass, DLC plans crawl from the grave
Capcom has revealed DLC plans for Dead Rising 3, including word that four big additions are planned for the game as well as a discounted season pass. There's scant information on these additions, beyond word that each will include "new playable characters, missions, weapons, and more," but Capcom has revealed each DLC pack's title. First up is "Operation Broken Eagle," which will be followed by "Fallen Angel," "Chaos Rising" and "The Last Agent." It's unknown when this DLC will be released, but Capcom has revealed that each pack will be priced at $10. Those who purchase the season pass will receive all of this DLC plus an exclusive "Nick Ramos Tribute Pack," which includes a new car and costume for the Dead Rising 3 protagonist, for $30. In case your eyes glazed over at the sight of dollar signs, Capcom has also issued a new trailer for the game, which you can find above. It's Halloween-themed, or at least that's the excuse presented for why the main character is dressed as a shark while obliterating former people. The Xbox One-exclusive Dead Rising 3 debuts on November 22.
Friends unite and take down psychos in Dead Rising 3
Capcom has confirmed online co-op will return for Dead Rising 3 when it launches this November on Xbox One. Protagonist Nick can be joined by big rig driver Dick (yes, Nick and Dick), and travel freely in Los Perdidos, together or independently. In past games, partners were limited to exploring the same sections together. All progress in co-op carries over to the single-player campaign, Capcom-Unity writes. If you join a friend who is further along in the story, and clear a chapter you haven't accessed in your single-player campaign yet, you'll have the option to skip it when you encounter it on your own later. That should prove handy when it comes to facing the game's returning "psychopath" bosses, this time based on the seven deadly sins. You know, like "sloth" and "bad checkpointing."
Dead Rising 3 has up to ten endings, brings back Overtime mode
Capcom Vancouver producer Mike Jones confirmed Dead Rising 3 will follow the series' precedent of branching paths and multiple endings. "I think typically we've always had about somewhere between six and 10, something like that," Jones said during a Gamescom meeting with OXM. "There's a handful of branching points that make a significant difference, and whether you're able to play beyond the normal timeline or not." Jones also touched on Overtime mode, the series' sandbox gameplay that extends beyond the main campaign timeline. "So there's not just the six days, we're going beyond that if you make the right story decisions. So it's not like choose-your-own-adventure crazy infinite endings, there's a finite amount, but they all [correspond to] meaningful story decisions that you make as you play through." Dead Rising 3, in development at Capcom Vancouver as an Xbox One launch exclusive this November, stars new protagonist Nick and takes place ten years after the events of Dead Rising 2. Outside the core sandbox go-anywhere gameplay, Dead Rising 3 is anchored by an expanded weapon crafting system first introduced in Dead Rising 2.
Dead Rising 2 dev working on 'unannounced new IP'
We've known that Capcom's Vancouver studio (formerly Blue Castle Games) was hard at work on two different projects and now, if a recent job listing is to be believed, it appears that at least one of them is a brand new IP. This listing asks for a design director on an "unannounced new IP," specifically a third-person game filled with both "action" and "adventure." Such a project makes sense, given the studio's experience with Dead Rising 2. We're just going to go out on a limb here and say the studio is pulling the Proto Man costume from Dead Rising 2: Off the Record in order to create a brand new franchise: Proto Man Legends. It's the only logical explanation. Capcom Vancouver is also rumored to be working on Dead Rising 3. Like that will ever happen.
Dead Rising 2: Off the Record will cost $40 in North America
Many were surprised (and a bit saddened) to hear Frank West wouldn't be in Dead Rising 2 when it was announced. DLC alleviated some of that desire to see the guy who's covered wars (you know) make a return, but Capcom will up the ante later this year with a new edition of Dead Rising 2, placing West in the spotlight as protagonist once again. Today, Eurogamer reveals that Dead Rising 2: Off the Record will be a $40 title. There's been a lot of criticism for the game since it was announced, which initially appeared to be a cash-in preying on those who just wanted to play as Frank West once again. With some added content and this lower price point, Capcom hopes consumers will be more receptive. "There's a ton of added value here," executive producer Jason Leigh told Eurogamer. "We have the new environment, weapons, combo weapons, new clothing, food items, vehicles, new bosses and the new story. It's a much bigger game than Dead Rising 2 was." Dead Rising 2: Off the Record is slated to uncover the truth sometime in Q4 2011.
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 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?
