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Xbox 360 Ultimate Game Sale Day 2: Farming, fighting, F1-ing
Eight more games are on sale for 24 hours in today's Xbox 360 Ultimate sale, including a few big names from a few years back. If you missed them back in the day, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Lost Planet 2, and Darksiders 2 are all on offer, as are Arcade offerings Hell Yeah! and Fruit Ninja Kinect - check out the full list of discounts on Major Nelson's blog. In terms of more recent games, there's an eclectic mix to choose from. For starters, you can rake in a half-price Farming Simulator at $15/£15/20 euros, or if you'd prefer something a little faster, F1 2013 is two-thirds off at $16.49/£13.19/21.44 euros. Finally, we saw Soulcalibur 2 HD Online go on sale over on PSN recently, and the Xbox Games Store follows suit with a whopping 75 percent discount. That means you can pick up the re-released fighter for just $5/£4/5 euros. Don't forget, there's a bunch of games staying discounted throughout the week. The full list of them is here, but today we'll point your eyes towards the original Mass Effect. BioWare's sci-fi RPG started us on a path that's left us with hours upon hours plunged into deep space shooting, negotiating, and wooing, and if you've somehow avoided it over the last six years or so, it's a steal at $3.74/£3/3.74 euros. [Image: Focus Home Interactive]
Capcom profits soar with help from record AAA game sales
Good ol' video games came through for Capcom over the twelve months ending March 31, 2011. The company reported "a history-making milestone" of five million-seller titles in the period, with Monster Hunter Freedom 3 (4.6 million units shipped) leading the pack. Additionally, Dead Rising 2 (2.2M units), Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (2M units), Super Street Fighter IV (1.6M units) and Lost Planet 2 (1.5M units) racked up high shipment numbers, and each surpassed the million-mark in pure sales. In all, net sales in Capcom's "Consumer Online Games" division increased 60.8 percent over the previous fiscal year to ¥70.3 billion (about $873 million). But the sales success of so-called "major titles" wasn't the only contributing factor in Capcom's record bottom line for a fiscal year, which showed a net income increase of 257.6 percent over the previous year to ¥7.75 billion -- roughly $96.3 million in profit! Despite reported losses of ¥1.45 billion due to restructuring and another ¥105 million filed under "disaster" -- the Great East Japan Earthquake knocked out ten of Capcom's arcades -- all of the company's business units recorded operating income gains for the year. Notably, the "Mobile Contents" division enjoyed some highlights, with downloads of The Smurfs' Village Facebook game exceeding expectations "by far" and the Japan-only iPhone version of Ghost Trick faring "well." Capcom tempered its jubilation, however, noting that the forecast for the current fiscal year (ending March 31, 2012) calls for "lower sales and earnings." The company anticipates "immeasurable economic losses" in Japan due to the earthquake and its aftermath, as well as a "downturn in consumer confidence" in the game industry at large -- not to mention Capcom's weaker offering of AAA titles this year. Dead Rising 2 ... again? "We will focus more than ever before on our global operations as the environment surrounding the industry rapidly changes," Capcom said, observing that "the rise of social games [is] fueling the growth of new competitors in the industry."
Monster Hunter again captures 'center stage' in Capcom 9-month fiscal report
At this time last year, Capcom was thanking Monster Hunter Tri for helping the company boost its 2009 year-end financial results. Today, Capcom heralded the monstrous shipments of Monster Hunter Freedom 3 that closed out 2010 and propelled the publisher's profits up nearly 300 percent in a nine-month period. During the first three quarters of its current fiscal year (which ends March 31, 2011), Capcom netted ¥6.836 billion (nearly $84 million) in profit -- up from just ¥1.731 the same period the year before. Sales of "Consumer Online Games" (what we call "video games," excluding mobile content) were the driving force, totaling ¥54.057 billion ($663.6 million) -- a bit more than 76 percent of total sales for the business, which includes arcade and amusement ("slot machine") operations. Joining Monster Hunter Freedom 3 (currently only available in Japan), Capcom noted three additional "million-sellers" in the nine-month period (April–December 2010): Dead Rising 2 (with more than 2 million units shipped); Super Street Fighter IV (1.6 million units shipped "mainly to Europe and the United States"); and Lost Planet 2 (1.5 million sold -- "though the figure was less than [the] projected shipment"). During the period, Capcom also worked on "rebuilding the development departments comprising our core competence" in an effort to shift greater resources to its mobile operations, with specific focus on social gaming. Sales of "Mobile Contents" for the three quarters amounted to a modest ¥2.383 billion ($29.25 million), led by a bevy of iPhone releases and some "positive surprises," including the popularity of The Smurfs' Village on Facebook. And Capcom hasn't even accounted for all the MaXplosion press in January yet!
Lost Planet 2, Yakuza demonstrated on NGP
Capcom's Jun Takeuchi took to the stage at today's PlayStation Meeting to show off Lost Planet 2 running on the NGP handheld -- as a demonstration only, as he said Capcom was not announcing new titles at tonight's event -- "but before long we will be able to announce new titles for NGP." According to Takeuchi, LP2 was running on MT Framework Mobile (which also powers Capcom's 3DS games) and this demo was put together in just two weeks. "I'm sure you've seen the PS3 version," he told the audience, "and the quality is just as good" on NGP. Takeuchi said the NGP could handle the "full specification." Next up, Sega's Toshihiro Nagoshi demonstrated assets from Yakuza: Of The End, to show that "everything can be transcribed [from PS3] onto NGP."
Capcom first-half FY 2010 finds sales up, profits down
Capcom is gettin' by, as the publisher announced that sales were up 4.7 percent, with net profit down 39.9 percent, during the first half of fiscal year 2010, ending March 31, 2011. The publisher also announced that Jun Takeuchi can now add "Corporate Officer" to his already outrageous title of "Deputy Head of Consumer Games R&D Division and General Manager of R&D Production Department." Think that title sounds serious in English? Check it out in Japanese: 執 行 役 員CS開発副統括 兼 制作部長. Net sales reached ¥40.7 billion ($501M) during the six-month period ending September 30, 2010, thanks to the release of Dead Rising 2 and continued sales of Super Street Fighter IV. The publisher also stated that Sengoku BASARA: Samurai Heroes and Monster Hunter spin-off Monhan Nikki Pokapoka Airu Mura shipped over 500 thousands units apiece. These titles helped push that 4.7% increase in sales over the same period last year. Overall, Capcom states sales were stagnant due to the late release of Dead Rising 2 and the "substantial underperformance" of Lost Planet 2. Due to the sales issues, net profit for the first half was ¥1.7 billion ($22 million, down 39.9%). The company forecasts it'll end the fiscal year next March with sales of ¥91 billion ($1.1 billion) and a net income of ¥6.5 billion ($80 million).
Amazon discounts a bunch of Capcom games today
Amazon has combined a variety of great Capcom deals (and Lost Planet 2) for its Deal of the Day. The $25 Super Street Fighter IV offer from last week is back, for PS3. You can also get Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth or Mega Man Zero Collection on DS for $20, or the Platinum Hits version of Dead Rising on Xbox 360 for an amazing $11.64. Should you decide to purchase Lost Planet 2 for some reason, Amazon isn't judging. The retailer is offering that game on both PS3 and Xbox 360 for $20. These deals will only be available today or until the supply runs out, as usual.
Capcom reduces fiscal forecast due to Lost Planet 2 shortfall
Capcom has adjusted its earnings outlook for the current fiscal year, ending March 31, 2011. Despite some promising sales numbers in Japan from Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes and the Japan-only Monster Hunter spinoff Monhan Nikki Pokapoka Airu Mura, the publisher is expecting 91 billion yen in net sales this year ($1.09 billion) instead of the previous estimate of 95 billion ($1.14 billion). Contributing factors to the falling forecast include the rising yen vs. the dollar and euro, the one-month delay of Dead Rising 2, and continued fallout from underperformance of Lost Planet 2. On a happier note, this reduced forecast is still much better than the 66.84 billion yen Capcom pulled in last year.
Keiji Inafune remains critical of Japanese games, deems even Capcom 'complacent'
"I think Japanese gaming is dead. When I say these things, I'm called a traitor. But I love Japan. I want to save it." Keiji Inafune still hovers over the Japanese video game industry, defibrillator paddles at the ready. According to an interview with the New York Times, the outspoken designer and Global Head of Production at Capcom saw little at this year's Tokyo Game Show to change his pessimistic outlook on Japan's creations. "I look around T.G.S., and everyone's making awful games. Japan is at least five years behind," he said. "It's like we're still making games for the last generation of game consoles." And Inafune's ire isn't just aimed at competitors -- he cited Lost Planet 2 as a clear failure to connect with audiences everywhere. "Lost Planet 1 was designed for the Western market. But the guys who made Lost Planet 2 were misguided. They made it too Japanese. They made it like Monster Hunter." The Monster Hunter franchise is far more popular in Japan than it is elsewhere, and modifying it could alienate its current customer base. Inafune is willing to compromise here: "We basically want to make games that will sell globally, but some games might sell only in Japan.That's O.K. – as long as we make a profit on it." Still, he warned that Capcom remained complacent in the ranks of worldwide competitors, who are already targeting bigger markets like China. "I'm always so shocked when I see global sales rankings," he said. "I think: Wow, Capcom's ranked so low. However you approach it, we're dead. Resident Evil sold 5 million copies. That's still no good." Inafune is well aware of how harsh his comments appear among Japanese creators -- who are "always so ambiguous" -- and expects to be treated like a "lunatic." With that kind of drive, he'll either be in full control of Capcom and the Japanese industry within the next five years ... or be relegated to playing cards with Yu Suzuki in a basement somewhere.
Lost Planet 2 can be found on PC October 15
Capcom has announced that its recent co-op monster hunting simulator -- or, to be more precise, its recent co-op monster hunting simulator titled Lost Planet 2 -- will arrive on the PC October 15. What's new for this version of the coolly received title? Well, it contains native support for NVIDIA 3D Vision and 3D Vision Surround graphics cards, meaning if you've collected the necessary gadgets, you'll be able to topple the towering Akrid and watch as they fall through your monitor, landing squarely in your half-eaten bowl of Cap'n Crunch. That's how 3D works, right? Check out the rigorous system requirements after the jump, or, if reading's not your thing, download the Lost Planet 2 preview, and then watch to see if your computer bursts into flames.
More 'sluggish' sales plague Capcom financials
Capcom experienced another "sluggish" performance in its latest financial quarter -- the first of Fiscal 2010, from April 1 to June 30 -- and consequently blamed slow growth of Lost Planet 2 sales, among other things. Net sales for the quarter were down 2.4 percent year-over-year at 19 million yen ($219 million) and net income dropped a dramatic 90 percent from last year to the tune of 213 million yen ($2.5 million). Although titles like Super Street Fighter IV and Monster Hunter Frontier Online showed what Capcom calls "steady growth," LP2 and Monster Hunter Tri only sold at a "sluggish pace." The first two weeks of Ghost Trick sales were also met with disappointment, although the game premiered at number two in its first week of Japanese sales. The Japanese publisher also lamented "shrinking" US and European markets "under the stagnating economy," as well as fluctuating exchange rates. Though sales across the board were lower than expected, Capcom considers its financial forecast for this fiscal year to be unaffected.
Madden 11 demo leads rush of Xbox Marketplace content
The Xbox 360 forecast is absolutely droughtful this week at retail, with the Clash of the Titans theater DVD release tie-in drying up store shelves. Thankfully, the Xbox Live Marketplace is overflowing with new content this week, including today's release of the new Madden demo. Additionally, DLC for a pool of recent releases -- Alan Wake, Lost Planet 2 and Transformers, to name a few -- flowed out today, and the "Summer of Arcade" shines on tomorrow with Hydro Thunder Hurricane. (Did you read our review yet?) Finally, Borderands' trio of add-ons is on sale through Sunday. Check out complete details of the week's XBLM content after the break.
Two more Lost Planet 2 multiplayer maps coming next week
Looking for a wider range of environments to get your customizable Lost Planet 2 character knocked around in? According to a recent Capcom press release, two new maps for the game's competitive multiplayer component will go on sale on the PlayStation Store for $4.99 on June 1, and on Xbox Live Marketplace for 400 on June 2. The map pack will include "Frozen Wasteland," a renovated version of a map from the original Lost Planet, and "Dockyard Battle," a 16-player arena modeled after the factory level from Episode 4 of the game's campaign. We were hoping for a multiplayer version of the railway cannon level, but ... well, that would lead to some awfully one-sided battles, wouldn't it?
Lost Planet 2 Avatar items include adorable Akrid
Capcom has dropped a veritable swarm of Lost Planet 2 Avatar goodies onto Xbox live. Most of the gear is comprised of clothing from the various factions in the game -- but we all know that the stars of the show in Lost Planet 2 are the creepy, crawly Akrid. Unfortunately, you can only snag one of the giant bugs via the Avatar Marketplace: Gordiant, otherwise known as "that giant salamander thing." As you can see, it's not quite as threatening in Avatar pet form. In fact, it's kind of adorable. You can see Gordiant and the rest of the Lost Planet 2 Avatar collection here.
FIFA World Cup leaves Alan in its wake on UK sales chart
2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa fiercely protected its top spot on the UK all-formats weekly sales chart for the third week in a row. Alan Wake saw the light of retail with a second place premiere, and according to Chart-Track, totaled only 1,000 fewer units sold than FIFA. Lost Planet 2, which found itself in third, was 12,000 units behind Wake (an Xbox 360 exclusive), despite being on two platforms and going on sale several days earlier than the typical Friday release in the UK. Ubisoft's Wii-exclusive Just Dance tripped and stumbled to fourth place, its lowest position in seven weeks. Could this be the beginning of the end for the surefooted sales star? Unlikely -- unless every Wii owner in the region already has it (which isn't out of the realm of possibility at this point). Finally, EA's Skate 3 ollied into a fifth place debut. The complete UK top 10 can be found after the break. Source – FIFA Just Holds Off Alan Wake And Lost Planet 2 [GFK Chart-Track] Source – Latest UK Software Charts [GFK Chart-Track]
Killzone's Helghast invade Lost Planet 2
Not content on simply golfing, the Helghast are making their way into yet another PlayStation game. Like its Xbox 360 counterpart, the PS3 version of Lost Planet 2 will feature its own console-exclusive characters. In addition to the PS3-only Monster Hunter characters, two Helghast skins will be made available as a free download via the PSN in June. As noted on the PlayStation.Blog, this will be the only game ever to include the Helghast, a Monster Hunter, Dead Rising's Frank West, and Resident Evil's Albert Wesker all in one place. We wouldn't be surprised, though, if Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 manages to reunite all of these characters for a second time. Check out a trailer after the break.
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.
Review: Lost Planet 2
In Lost Planet 2, if you want to swap your grenades for the T-ENG Gun (a device that lets you transfer precious Thermal Energy to your injured teammates), you press Y and Left Trigger simultaneously. Be careful, though -- if you press Left Trigger a fraction of a second before you press Y, you'll chuck a grenade at your teammates, which they likely won't appreciate in their state of physical distress. While far from the most important aspect of the game, this cumbersome button mapping is indicative of the whole Lost Planet 2 experience: It's a completely functional, interesting gameplay mechanic, but it's utterly hamstrung by a nonsensical design choice. Unfortunately, the game suffers from so many of these flabbergasting and terrible design choices, that even its strongest features can't stand up to much scrutiny. %Gallery-92456%
'Exclusive' GameStop Lost Planet 2 DLC already on Marketplace
We knew that the exclusive Lost Planet 2 pre-order bonus maps from GameStop would be publicly available eventually, but this is just silly. A sharp-eyed tipster has revealed that the Lost Planet 2 "Map Pack #1" is actually already available on Xbox Live Marketplace. That's particularly noteworthy considering the game's retail release is still a week away. We're guessing someone flipped the "release maps" lever a little too early, and chances are the map pack will soon vanish into the ether once more. For what it's worth, the pack is currently priced at 400 ($5). We suppose you could be sneaky and buy it early, but if you really wanted the maps you've probably pre-ordered already, right? [Thanks, Joey]
Capcom wants to put Frank West into as many games as possible
It was a tough blow to hear that Frank West wouldn't star in Dead Rising 2. All was not lost, however: Frank not only cut his teeth fighting less undead opponents in Tatsunoko vs Capcom, but there's some evidence he'll be in Marvel vs Capcom 3 -- and let's not forget his cameo in Lost Planet 2. According to Capcom's Seth Killian, Frank West is pretty damn popular in these parts, something of which Capcom of Japan is aware. He told Destructoid that not only is Capcom of Japan "convinced" that your everyday American loves the Dead Rising protagonist, but that he'll "be making appearances in as many games as they can get him into." Personally, we're all for it. Whatever he's in, we just hope it spawns more hilarious internet videos.
