DOA-4
Latest
UK TV presenter delivers 'chilling verdict' on violent games
Call it a hunch, but we're not convinced that UK television presenter, Anne Diamond, is an ideal choice to "review" games which she says make her "hair stand on end." Though she brushes off several titles which are "so mindless it would be hard to see them as a destructive influence," the ones with "gratuitous use of violence and bloodthirsty imagery" really draw her ire. Honestly, we'd be bitter too if we had copies of Dead Rising LODGED IN OUR SHOULDERS. In a response to Thursday's publication of a Dr. Tanya Byron-led review of video game violence, the UK's Daily Mail has delivered a one-two punch of sensationalist misinterpretation ("allowing children to play on computers unsupervised is as dangerous as letting them play outside on their own") and misguided scaremongering, offering the task of analyzing and rating already-rated violent video games to Diamond. Her "chilling" verdicts are all neatly assembled below a snap of kids playing the infinitely sinister Mario Kart 64. After glossing over Dead or Alive 4 (she wasn't keen on playing as "a martial artist in the fantasy Ninja-style mode"), she becomes truly horrified by a game that "wallows in violence for violence's sake." This dubious honor goes to Resident Evil 4 which, in case you forgot, is about "a cataclysmic chemical attack" spawning legions of zombies which "don't stop until you shoot them in the face or slash their arms off." "This game shouldn't be allowed to be sold, even adults," says a Diamond in the rush to pass judgment. After being "stabbed to death with pitchforks amid fountains of [her] own blood," she calls it quits and declares, "This kind of violence can only be bad for you." Well, that's what the healing herbs are for, Anne. [Thanks, Duncan]
Dead or Alive 4 VS. Virtua Fighter 5: Fight!
Fighting games used to be king. Once upon a time, back in the 90s, arcades (remember those?) were full of fighting games of all kinds. You could fight with and against just about anything you pleased: dinosaurs, robots, time travelers, ninjas, werewolves, you name it. With so many games from which to choose, rivalries were formed. After the Street Fighter VS. Mortal Kombat era rose the Virtua Fighter VS. Tekken era. When the Dead or Alive series arrived, Virtua Fighter's influence was unmistakable (the original DOA ran on the VF2 arcade board after all). The game's had identical control schemes (as long as you disregard VF3's unfortunate dodge button), similar combos and even shared many fighting styles. So, which one is better?GameTrailers is letting the gaming public decide by pitting Virtua Fighter 5 against Dead or Alive 4. It's simple, watch a video (also in HD) then vote for your favorite game in several categories. Cast your vote on the best graphics, gameplay, characters, and more. After you vote, see how your choices reflect the general public.Currently, it's a pretty close race, with DOA4 winning people over with its stages and modes, while VF5 wins in the areas of graphics and gameplay. Which do you prefer?
CGS boasts $5 mil payroll, Playboy Mansion pro-gamer draft
Hosting its inaugural player draft far from the storied sanctum of The Garden, with a paltry $5 million league-wide payroll, (an amount routinely squandered on a single signing bonus for a young athlete in another professional league,) the Championship Gaming Series continues to take baby steps toward becoming a marquee "sports entertainment" business. Still, come June 12, 60 prospects will split the riches, as they're contracted to join one of six city-based squads that will compete in a small variety of games leading up to the CGS Grand Slam and World Championships this October. Not a bad gig, eh? But what of this Playboy Mansion draft locale? If CGS is to be taken seriously, it's gotta avoid these WWEsque publicity stunts ... right? Maybe not. A lil' scantly-clad drama might be just the lure needed to hook viewers who might not otherwise tune into a glorified LAN party.
Play and Win: Blades of Glory
Dead or Alive 4 fans will be pleased to know that the latest Xbox.com Play and Win giveaway merges your love for DOA and ice skating. Starting March 23rd Will Ferrell's latest movie Blades of Glory is sponsoring a Xbox Live DOA 4 team giveaway. All you have to do is signup yourself and a friend starting March 23rd and play DOA 4 through March 25th. Every day you and your friend play DOA 4's multiplayer you'll receive an entry into the giveaway. Prizes include a snazzy Blades of Glory warm-up jacket, a limited edition box of flakies cereal, and Microsoft Points. Hurry already and round up a DOA buddy to win some frosted cereal!
Microsoft celebrates Year of the Boar with boring bundles
Microsoft is ushering in the (Lunar) New Year with a pair of discounted Xbox 360 game packs. One set includes Project Gotham Racing 3 and Ridge Racer 6; the other, Dead or Alive 4 and Dead or Alive Xtreme 2. The 'Year of the Boar' branded bundles are being sold in Taiwan, where Xbox 360 launched last March. At $1,490 TWD (about $45 USD) a pop, the festive fun-packs aren't screaming "buy me" -- at least from our perspective. We're looking at three launch titles that have since been bargain-binned and a virtual peep show. This the best Microsoft could scoop outta the over-manufactured heap? Or do these hit the "target"?
DOA5 is alive, bounciness abounds
Professional drunken philanderer, Tomonobu Itagaki, despite rumors that Dead or Alive 4 would be the final game in the series, recently confirmed that Dead or Alive 5 is in the works. We don't know too much about the title yet, but Itagaki-san has dropped a few hints. First, he claims that he has already envisioned the opening scene in his head (inside Itagaki's head ... what must that be like?), and will probably drop the tag team feature. We find that last bit more than a little strange, since he has frequently insulted the Tekken series for lacking a tag option. Frankly, we couldn't care less about the tag play if it gives us a passable online experience. No console was announced, but given Team Ninja's history (and success) with Xbox, you can bet it will hit 360. So, if you thought the 360's days of wildly exaggerated bouncing breasts were over, think again. They will be back, only this time they will have an actual, you know, game behind them. [Via Joystiq]
Itagaki confirms Dead or Alive 5
A fifth Dead or Alive is in development -- no surprise. That DOA creator, on-the-job drinker, and overly-friendly coworker Tomonobu Itagaki made the announcement at the DOA 10th anniversary party among a throng of supporters made us giddy. After all, after the sexual harassment charges we weren't sure whether he had been demoted or somehow shuffled in the background. But there he was, wine glass and sunglasses in tow. Not much was revealed, except that Itagaki has a few ideas circling in his head, he's planning on axing the Tag Team system, and he already knows how the opening cinematic will begin. No console was mentioned, but we're placing our bets on another Xbox 360 iteration. After five of the most recent DOA titles (including two softcore simulators) have been Microsoft exclusives, we think the odds are in our favor.
Dead or Alive demo drop kicks XBLM
Are you the type who lounges around, waiting for new demos to drop on Xbox Live Marketplace and then, when they do, you scream bloody murder if they're not for the latest and greatest? Yeah? Well, have we got one for you. Major Nelson has put up a post on his complaint repository heralding the arrival of a new demo for the now seven month-old Dead or Alive 4. I know, like, can you believe this guy? Patient as always (with the help of some really good therapy we presume), Major reminded the throngs of ungrateful monkeys, "Remember guys, you all have probably had your Xbox 360 since November ... but thousands are being sold every month, so that means a lot of new people are coming on to Xbox Live and the Marketplace that may not have the game, or even heard of that game. So in that regard, this is new content for a LOT of new people." Yeah, so there. She weighs in at around 680MB so get downloadin'.
Naughty Faceplates
Xboxic got some interesting faceplates today from an unidentified source. These Dead or Alive faceplates are almost definitely unofficial but they certainly are, um, eye catching. There are also Scarface and Blue Dragon faceplates in there for some reason. As far as I know, these aren't available at retail. Of course, there's nothing to stop you from making them yourself. Anybody have any other special faceplate designs they'd like to share with the rest of the class? Hit the read link to see more (technically safe for work, but still pretty risqué).
Dead or Alive 4 patched
1UP reports that a pair of DOA4 updates (focused on Xbox Live play) has been posted for download. The patches address frame rate issues and adjust damage levels for more balanced fighting. Team Ninja also threw in some new attacks. And, if you're not happy with your current rank, the first update will let you reset to "C". No excuses now... [Thanks, Chris]
