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Xbox Live's Games on Demand has these games on sale next week
Xbox Live's Games on Demand service is getting a serious sale next week – as opposed to those funny, un-serious sales we get all the time – and Major Nelson has posted a list of the titles discounted from June 19-25.All titles will be 75 percent off, and they include Conan, Dark Void, Perfect Dark Zero, Prince of Persia and Viva Pinata Party Animals, most selling for $5. Check out the full list of sale titles below, as provided by Major Nelson:
Let's play the blame game: Inafune on what went wrong with Capcom's original IP push
In the latter half of 2009 and early 2010, Capcom released two major retail games in collaboration with prominent Western devs: Crimson Skies dev Airtight Games created Dark Void, and gun-for-hire Grin rebooted Bionic Commando. Those two games, however, were prominent sales flops. One even contributed to the eventual closure of Swedish dev Grin. For its part, Capcom promptly returned to its tried and true franchises, with a lineup today featuring many more sequels than back in 2009. At the time, Mega Man co-creator Keiji Inafune was overseeing production on Capcom's retail titles, and when I spoke with him this past week at the Tokyo Game Show, I wanted to know what went wrong. Beyond sales, neither game was particularly loved by critics, especially Dark Void. "[It's] very, very simple: The publisher was Japanese and the developer was foreign. Even inside Japan, when you work in two different companies, they always blame each other for any small mistakes, so that's pretty much what happened in those two games -- blaming each other," Inafune explained. He went on to compare those development experiences with that of Dead Rising -- a game that has since become a major franchise for Capcom, not to mention a commercial success.
Capcom 'Flash Sale' on limited edition Dark Void statue, Phoenix Wright
If you're looking for Capcom-branded goods on the cheap, the Capcom store is having a limited-time Flash sale. For the next few hours, you can get the custom light-up Dark Void statue seen above or a copy of Phoenix Wright for the DS at a discounted price. The Dark Void statue was limited to a run of 1,000 made specifically for Capcom fan events. Normally it'd retail for $90, but it's only $30 right now; Phoenix Wright is half-off at $15.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow soundtrack nominated for 2 IFMCA awards
The elegiac score accompanying Gabriel Belmont's action-packed emprise in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow has impressed the International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA). Spanish composer Oscar Araujo is nominated for the "Breakout Composer of the Year" award -- notably alongside French duo Daft Punk, who pounded cinemagoers into Grid-grout during Tron: Legacy. The Lords of Shadow soundtrack is also one of five nominated in the "Best Original Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media" category. It's up against some stirring competition in the form of James Bond 007: Blood Stone (featuring Sega legend Richard Jacques) and Dark Void, which isn't usually written about unless it's in praise of Bear McCreary's distinguishing soundtrack. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole earns a nomination, thanks to Winifred Philips, as do the themes of Lego Universe, assembled by Brian Tyler. Though the majority of awards focus on film soundtracks, the IFMCA's sentiment seems just as applicable to video games. "The IFMCA strongly feels that a film score's strength lies in the combined impact of two important elements: the effectiveness, appropriateness and emotional impact of the score in the context of the film for which it was written; and the technical and intellectual merit of the composition when heard as a standalone listening experience." Winners will be announced on February 25, 2011.
Select Capcom iOS games only $.99 this weekend
Anxious to beef up your iOS device's game library? Capcom's slashed the price on eight of its games, offering each for $.99 this weekend only. Here's the list: Resident Evil 4 (previously $4.99) 1942: First Strike (previously $1.99) Mega Man II (previously $2.99) Dark Void Zero (previously $2.99) Cash Cab (previously $4.99) Cash Cab: Las Vegas (previously $1.99) Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? 2010 (previously $1.99) Who Wants To Be A Millionaire 2010 (previously $1.99) If we had to suggest one, we'd have to go with Dark Void Zero, but if you're looking to maximize the savings, you can't go wrong with Resident Evil 4. Happy bargain hunting!
Select Capcom PC games on sale for 72 hours
Was your avarice for discounted PC games not sated by Steam's Perils of Summer sale? Capcom's currently running a 72-hour promotion, knocking over 50 percent or more off the prices of a handful of the company's PC titles. For a full list of encheapened games, just click past the jump. The highlights of this offer are Dark Void, Street Fighter IV and Neopets Puzzle Adventure, each of which are now available for $14.99. If you're looking to capitalize on any of these discounts, then you should probably hop on over to Capcom's online storefront sometime this weekend.
Dark Void $10 through Games for Windows Live this weekend
Dark Void may have met with a cool reaction critically, but it's been temporarily granted a new feature that might improve people's impressions: costing ten dollars. Through June 1, the PC version of Airtight Games' jetpack-packed action game is available for just $9.99 on Games for Windows Live. A price like that skirts the boundaries between "rental" and "purchase" -- it's cheap enough that you can basically get it just to screw around with the jetpack and not feel bad. It's almost cheap enough that you can get it solely for the purpose of "completing your Dark Void collection" should you already have Dark Void Zero. [Via Capcom-Unity] %Gallery-24248%
'Battlestar' composer Bear McCreary scoring SOCOM 4
The grizzly-named composer Bear McCreary, most famous for putting together the score on the recent Battlestar Galactica TV series, has announced on his blog that he'll be composing the music for Zipper Interactive's upcoming SOCOM 4. McCreary previously did the scoring work on Capcom's Dark Void (and 8-bit spin-off Dark Void Zero), and for SOCOM 4, he says he's written, "muscially, a franchise re-boot," with over eight hours of original music featuring "ethnic percussion, virtuosic Asian stringed and woodwind instruments, and the spectacular, other-worldly tones of the gamelan." Insert joke here about how that Indonesian ensemble's name actually looks like "game LAN." He also says that the soundtrack will fulfill his dream "of a video game score that would feel as if it were being composed specifically for each player, adapting and shifting perfectly to capture the mood of the individual gamer." Which sounds fun, but if we start hearing an orchestral version of "All Along the Watchtower" as our individual score, what exactly does that mean?
Capcom fiscal 2011 strategy: Shorter dev cycles, more new franchises
Capcom has made a real attempt in recent years to break down the firewall between western and eastern development, something it's still struggling with if "sluggish" sales in 2009 are any indication. But according to a recent report (warning: PDF link) circulated to investors, the company's still refining its approach and hopes to "create games faster by using a hybrid approach combining internal and outsourced development." According to the strategy report, that will translate to more new franchises from the company, -- something it hasn't had much luck with lately, with Bionic Commando, Dark Void and Spyborgs all failing to perform exceptionally well either critically or at retail. Perhaps some of these new IPs will become downloadable, as the company says it plans on digitally distributing more games in fiscal 2011. Capcom also used the report to show high hopes for its upcoming slate of titles, with a projected 3.6 million units sold for Monster Hunter Freedom 3, 3 million for Dead Rising 2, 2.2 for Lost Planet 2 and 2 million for Marvel vs. Capcom 3. That's certainly optimistic, considering the company's biggest seller in FY 2009, Monster Hunter Freedom Unite, sold 1.35 million copies.
Capcom calls earnings 'sluggish' over last fiscal year
Usually, a company's financial results press release is just called "Financial results for [insert time period]" or something equally neutral, but Capcom went ahead and put "sluggish" in its own headline to describe its fiscal year ending March 31. The publisher's net sales for the year were ¥66.84 billion ($751.35 million), down 27.3 percent from the previous fiscal year, and net income plummeted 73.1 percent year-over-year to just ¥2.17 billion ($24.36 million). Capcom blamed the financial decline on the delays of Lost Planet 2, Super Street Fighter IV and Monster Hunter Tri to the current fiscal year, though the company previously took these delays into account in a revised earnings forecast last December. (On the bright side, actual nets sales did surpass the predicted figures by about ¥1.84 billion.) In addition to the delays, earnings suffered from sluggish sales of Dark Void, Bionic Commando and Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles, which all failed to meet Capcom's expectations.
How Jimmy Fallon got into Dark Void Zero
[Capcom-Unity] As weird as an 8-bit style promotional DSiWare game made for a high-end next-gen game is, the weirdest thing about Dark Void Zero is definitely the Jimmy Fallon connection. According to the fake history Capcom and Other Ocean concocted for the DSiWare game, a young Fallon won a contest in the '80s and won both placement in the fictional game and the only known copy of the title, which Capcom "tracked down" to port to DSiWare (and now iPhone and PC, as well). We assumed it was just a desperate celebrity endorsement on the part of Capcom, but the truth is actually even weirder. Other Ocean's Mike Mika thought up the "contest winner" angle to make the game seem more authentic, but decided that having someone well-known win the prize would make it even more identifiable. Speaking to GameSetWatch, Mika said "So, in this case, we worked on a game a while ago with Jimmy Fallon back with a company I was working for before Other Ocean. He's an incredibly smart guy who knows a lot about games. He knows a lot about computer engineering. And he had this game that he wanted to get made that was actually fantastic." The plans for Fallon's game with the other company never panned out, but Mika and Fallon kept in touch. "And I know he was a big NES fan, so when this opportunity came up, I was trying to find a way to legitimize the game a bit. I just emailed him and just said, "Hey. Do you want to be in an NES game?" I told him kind of what I wanted to do with it, and he totally went with it." Elsewhere in the interview, MIka discusses the challenges of propagating an alternate-reality history, as well as the real origins of Dark Void Zero. %Gallery-80772%
Dark Void Zero landing on iPhone and PC April 12 [update]
Above: the initial trailer for Dark Void Zero on DSiWare The reception for Dark Void may have been lukewarm at best, but the "8-bit" spin-off/marketing endeavor, Dark Void Zero, was enjoyed by most who played it. Realizing that such an experience shouldn't be exclusive to one platform, Capcom has announced iPhone and PC users can download the game starting April 12. Pricing has not been announced yet, so we're following up with Capcom on that. [Update: Capcom has confirmed it'll cost $2.99 on iPhone and $5 on PC.] And if you're holding out for Xbox Live and PSN, know that Capcom currently has no plans for those platforms. However, back during CES, a Capcom producer told Joystiq that they'd "love to do it."
PSA: Dark Void soundtrack now available on iTunes, Amazon
We know we've already been diligent in keeping you abreast of the status of Bear McCreary's epic soundtrack for Dark Void, so consider this our penultimate update on the topic: The game's score is now available to download through iTunes, Amazon and a number of other retailers. It's very, very good. If you have some extra cash lying around, and enjoy the occasional non-lyrical musical offering, you should purchase it post-haste. In addition, you can consider this our final post in which we proclaim our musical man-crush on Bear McCreary. That is, until he reveals the next game he's working on, at which point we'll probably pick right up where we left off.
Dark Void plugged with 'Survivor Missions' DLC next week
The Rocketeer raconteurs at Capcom have announced downloadable content for January's critical crash-and-burn, Dark Void. Dubbed "Survivor Missions," the pack allows you to "relive key events" from the third-person shooter, modified by increasingly difficult waves of enemies and a points multiplier. Think: Gears of War 2's horde mode, only you're alone and ... can turn into a plane? The DLC should be available on Xbox 360 next week, February 10th, at 400 MS points ($5). It'll land on PlayStation Network the following day, February 11th, for $4.99 -- that's one cent cheaper than DSiWare's Dark Void Zero. And if you're looking for even more ways to spend money on Dark Void, Bear in mind the soundtrack, which launches on February 9th.
Joystiq Podcast 124 - Origami bazooka edition
We've got a packed show this week with some details on our PAX East plans, some very non-embargo breaking impressions of Mass Effect 2, a Tip of the Week, and a brand new feature called "Spoiled Rotten," where we'll have a secret chat about a game exclusively for people that have solved that particular tape. First up? Dark Void. Thanks to the incredible Bill Mudron for the podcast art which, we're told, is comprised almost entirely of Omnigel. Get the podcast: [iTunes] Subscribe to the Joystiq Podcast in iTunes [Zune] Subscribe to the Joystiq Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace [RSS] Add the Joystiq Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator [MP3] Download the MP3 directly Hosts: Christopher Grant (@chrisgrant), Justin McElroy (@justinmcelroy) and Ludwig Kietzmann (@LudwigK) Music: "Gravity (Don't Let Me Go)" by Jon Black, "Red Eye" by Ben Kweller For fans: Joystiq Podcast Facebook group The Do It Line!: 1-(877)-JOYSTIQ See all of this week's links (and what games we played) after the jump.
Dark Void soundtrack taking off February 9
Though Capcom's jetpack-infused action title Dark Void may be getting universally panned by critics, one element of the game seems to be garnering praise from reviewers: Its Bear McCreary-composed soundtrack. Thanks to an announcement from music publisher Sumthing Else Music Works, we now know when said soundtrack will get its own release: February 9. Unless, of course, that's when Modern Warfare 2's soundtrack gets released, in which case they'll probably push it back a little bit. Personally, we can't wait to pick up the album, which will be shipped to retailers and available for purchase on Sumthing Else's site. Soon, we'll be able to sit back, close our eyes and listen to McCreary's orchestral jams without worrying about jetpacking into a cliff face.
Metareview: Dark Void
We didn't love Dark Void, but with an average metacritic score of 59, it looks like the review sites just laid into Capcom's latest franchise attempt, despite its cool premise. The highest score so far actually comes from Playstation: The Official Magazine, which gave the game an 80. Here's what other outlets thought of Dark Void: Game Informer (70/100): "Unfortunately, the shining strengths of the game are buried underneath a thick layer of rust that only the thirstiest of air-junkies should bother chipping through." [Feb 2010, p.95] 1UP (C+): "It begins with a fantastic introduction to flight, and ends with an all-out aerial dogfight followed by a suitably epic boss battle. ... It's just a damn shame that the nigh-amazing 'The Rocketeer versus UFOs' premise crashes hard into 'tepid Gears of Uncharted knock-off' ground." IGN (50/100): "I don't hate Dark Void, but I don't care for it, either. This is one of those titles that just exists; I doubt few will remember it this time next year." Wired (40/100): "Even though some stages (like the penultimate aerial battle) felt like they lasted forever and ever, Dark Void is a pretty short game with an anticlimactic ending that does little more than set up a sequel ... In all other respects, Dark Void was an ambitious project that just didn't make it off the ground."
Review: Dark Void
Dark Void is a great first date, but a terrible marriage. As our numerous previews will attest, this jet-pack-toting third-person shooter makes a fantastic first impression, with its breath-taking air battles and pounding score. But that just makes it all the more disappointing that even the faintest scratching at that surface reveals a wholly unsatisfying product below. %Gallery-24248%
Dark Void dev diary all about the underdog
As the developers at Airtight Games would put it, Dark Void is really an underdog story. You've got these people, downtrodden and stuck in The Void, trying to overcome what seems like insurmountable odds. Yeah -- been there, done that. But then you throw this jetpack into the mix and suddenly we're wiping the drool off our keyboard and rubbing the sleep out of our eyes, imagining all of the loop de loops and barrel rolls we'll be doing. But, hey, we identify with Airtight Games' plight; it's a start-up studio with a lot of new blood. It's kinda like the story of Joystiq's rise to fame being a site our mom reads on the gritty streets of the blogosphere. Just like Airtight, we had to eat a lot of government cheese in our first year.
Dark Void demo takes flight on PC
PC gamers anxious to strap on a jetpack and hit the great blue yonder can finally do just that, as Capcom's released a demo for Dark Void. The PC demo is available exclusively at File Planet and weighs in at one whole gigglebyte. Just make sure you clear your schedule for the day, because if our own experience is any indication, your download is going to take some time. Dark Void releases on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on January 19. [Via VG247] %Gallery-24248%
