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Metareview - Lost Planet: Extreme Condition
It's no secret that the Lost Planet marketing campaign is Capcom's most costly Westward-expansion effort to date. Xbox Live demos (that spawned a patch), Times Square ad space, and tonight's launch party have all contributed to a massive wave of hype that will come crashing down tomorrow. Have our senses been sufficiently flooded?The clump of reviews that have trickled out since the game launched in Japan and Europe (Dec. 21 & 31, respectively) has been decidedly mixed. Timing is on Capcom's side however, as these first few months of the New Year are commonly stale, devoid of competition. Our bet's on Lost Planet being a retail hit, but don't count on many remembering the game when it comes time to praise the year's best in December.
Capcom's official Lost Planet contest
Capcom's resident blogger Brian Dunn is holding an official contest for some more Lost Planet gear. Capcom is certainly going all-out with Lost Planet promotion. Seriously, it's some impressive marketing work. We've still got copies of the game to give away for your masterful pieces of photochop art.The Capcom contest is quite a bit of work and involves you buying the game around launch to even stand a chance. The first step is to accomplish the following criteria: Beat the game on any difficulty level. Play 100 ranked matches online. Get a medal in each game type in ranked matches online. You must be one of the first 10 people to do this and then send Brian a private message on his XBL gamertag. Winners get a poster signed by the Lost Planet development honchos: Inafune (Executive Producer), Takeuchi (Producer) and Oguro (Director). They'll also win a Lost Planet t-shirt, with one of three different styles to choose from. Most importantly, entries must be posted to THIS thread on the Capcom boards. We wish all companies would put this much inventive muscle behind marketing, even if the game bites, the promotional push deserves kudos.
Joyswag Photochop: Lost Planet, found entries - Day Four
Only one day left in the Lost Planet contest, so burn the midnight oil tonight and send us your last ditch efforts. Pull out all the stops, burn through a graphics card or two, and give us your best shot. We triple-dog dare you. Today's first winning entry comes from, er ... Untitled. Did your parents really dislike you or were you a clone who escaped? Very simplistic design, but well-done and very zen. Meditate a bit while you stare at it and chant your favorite mantra. It brings Marble Madness to mind, and also looks like a sweet game to be played with a Wiimote.Check out winner number two after the jump, and remind yourself one more time about all the contest details. That is, if they aren't already burned into your brain by this point. If you haven't entered yet, give it a go. If you've been trying and haven't won, keep it going. We've only got ten copies of the game to give out, and a lot of entries, but you never know what'll happen.
Dead Rising keeps killing, 1 million sold
Capcom's zombified shopping mall game has sold over 1 million copies since its release. Dead Rising has been out in the US since August 8th and has just broken the 1 million mark in worldwide sales. Hacking and slashing has never been so much fun! But after looking at the sales sucess of games like Gears of War ... it just goes to show that selling a million copies is great, but 2.7 million copies is all the better. Good job Dead Rising, because we're looking forward to a sequel with more zombies, a beefier story, some Live co-op, and a dash of multiplayer. Now get to work Capcom, our demands have been made public. [Via Digg]
Nintendo holds key to franchise longevity, profitability
As noted earlier, a list published by UK newspaper The Independent reveals what many already assume; Nintendo's Mario is the best-selling franchise of all time. Coupled with the second best-selling franchise Pokémon (also a Nintendo property), the two series, which have sold a combined 348 million games worldwide, account for nearly 34% of the total sales of the top-twenty best-selling franchises; which include two additional Nintendo IPs ranked in the top ten, Donkey Kong and Zelda. So what's Nintendo's secret?Cross-culture appeal, spin-offs (e.g., racers, sports titles, puzzlers), brand saturation (e.g., apparel, card games, TV shows), and E-ratings all appear part of a profitable formula built for the long haul.
Dead Rising sequels shambling forth
Having shipped over one million copies of their Romero-inspired zombie massacre sim, Capcom can confidently dub Dead Rising a full-on franchise. Speaking to Gamesindustry.biz, Capcom's head of consumer games confirms that further zombie-mashing titles are due to arrive on consoles in the future (feel free to let out a collective gasp). "When you're at the front-end of a hardware cycle, people are willing to take more of an experiment in what games they'll try," says Mark Beaumont. "Bringing out Dead Rising has allowed us to establish a new franchise that we can use for years to come." It's always refreshing to see brand new franchises take off, especially when chainsaws are involved. Controversial save mechanics and shameful SDTV support aside, we fully expect the next Dead Rising to be considerably more pleasant than being torn apart by a snarling, undead force.
EGM so-so over Phoenix Wright, anoints Hotel Dusk
While we haven't seen it, word is that the upcoming issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly has some very interesting scores (and reviews) for a pair of upcoming DS titles. The March issue takes a look at both Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice for All and Hotel Dusk: Room 215 (it's long title month around here), and offers a lackluster-to-good range of scores for one, and great scores to the other ... and it's not the way that you may think.Word on the street forums is that the scores for the two games in the issue are as follows:Justice for All: 6.0, 7.0, 8.0Hotel Dusk: 8.0, 8.0, 10 (yeah, that's a ten)Now, it's true that this edition of Phoenix Wright is not judged to be the best by those who've played deeper into the series, and those are decent and respectable scores (which mean nothing, since we're all playing it anyway, and probably twice). But the scores for Hotel Dusk are surprising, and something of a relief as well. Whether or not you're a fan of EGM, it's nice to see such enthusiastic review scores. As a point of comparison, Trace Memory (often invoked when mentioning Hotel Dusk) scored much lower with EGM -- that game posted an average score of 6.17. [Via Go Nintendo]
Joyswag Photochop: Lost Planet, found entries - Day Three
It was hard to tear ourselves away from watching video repeats of Steve Jobs' Apple keynote that took place this morning, but we managed to do it so we could judge the Lost Planet entries that keep pouring in. We're going to eventually have to put up a gallery of these, because we have a lot more than ten awesome entries. Thanks so much for giving us such great stuff to look at and choose from. Hopefully some of you are pursuing careers in graphic design with those mad skillz.Our first winning entry comes to us straight out of the annals of history, bringing you an extremely retro gaming dosage of John Milton. This has to be the most highbrow entry we've received yet, and that's including the large number of Lost Pants entries we're getting (some of which have been great). Nice work Shaun, you've both impressed and shamed us at the same time, since we read the Cliff's Notes version of this in high school.Check out the second winner after the jump, and refresh your memory on all the contest details. Keep 'em coming, because we're loving everything you've been sending.
Some kind of Monster Kingdom
Elaborate costumes? Check! Magic seals? Check! Monster battling and androgynous men? Check! Well, according to my checklist Monster Kingdom: Jewel Summoner is indeed a Japanese RPG. While it sounds similar in title, this game has nothing to do with Capcom's Monster Hunter series. According to RPGamer the game features monster breeding, wi-fi battles and trading, over five hours of voice acting and a soundtrack featuring ten loved RPG composers. The game comes from Cozy Okada of Shin Megami Tensei fame. For the curious, Gamespot has new screens of this Atlus RPG. If after seeing those screens you're anxious to play it as soon as possible, have no fear. You can get grabbed by the jewlies soon since Monster Kingdom: Jewel Summoner hits store shelves this February.
Joyswag Photochop: Lost Planet, found entries - Day Two
Proving that Joystiq readers are the best readers out there, we're continuing to get tons of great entries for our Lost Planet Photochop contest. We had over 100 come in since we announced yesterday's winners, and we've selected two for today. We went a bit artsy for these, both of which feature unique takes on Capcom's game cover.The Lost Relativity entry comes from Au (that dude is golden ... get it? Please, someone slap us) and has the added bonus of making us lose all sense of balance and equilibrium if we stare at it long enough. Shouldn't any real game have that ability? Nice work, Goldfinger.Check out the second winner after the jump, and find out all about the contest if you don't know already. If you've entered and haven't won yet, keep it up. We're really impressed by what everyone has been submitting, and picking two winners each night ain't easy.
Reminder: we've got your Lost Planet launch event pass
Hey folks, just a reminder that we're giving away 25 passes to Capcom's Lost Planet launch party. The event will be held Thursday, from 8pm to midnight, at the San Francisco Concourse Exhibition Center.You must be 18 and willing to provide Capcom with your name and email address to be eligible for a pass. Simply drop a comment (just one per person) on this post telling us the biggest thing you've ever lost. We'll select the winners at random.Note: Please do not comment if you're unable to attend the event.
Joyswag Photochop: Lost Planet, found entries - Day One
Joystiqers, our hats are off to you. You have been heeding the call in spades. It's only the first day of the Lost Planet Photochop contest, and already we've had a ton of terrific entries. For those of you who haven't entered yet, these should get your creative juices flowing. Check out today's two winners: the first one is from Manu and features the oh so lovely Kate from Lost gracing the cover. We've received a ton of Lost TV show entries, but this one takes the cake so far. Keep 'em coming though, and have a look at the second winner and a recap of the contest details after the jump.
IGN reviews Lost Planet
IGN got their chilly little mitts on Capcom's Lost Planet and came away feeling pretty satisfied. In IGN's review they felt Lost Planet's graphics were on par with what was expected (especially the billowy smoke) and they loved the variety of enemies, but a few things missed their radar of perfection. Negatives included controls that were sometimes awkward or loose, average audio, and the storyline not making much sense. Multiplayer was implemented well, but still suffers from the same awkward controls found in the campaign. In the end IGN gave Lost Planet a respectable 8.5 out of 10 making it a pretty darn good game. Also, be sure to check out their video review if you have something against reading ... but then why would you be reading this blog?
Joyswag Photochop: Win Capcom's Lost Planet
If you can't make the bash, but still want to get your blindly groping mitts on Lost Planet, we've got another solution. We'll be giving away ten copies of the icy-cold third-person shooter in exchange for your masterful photochopping. Take the above box cover and transmogrify it into something entirely different: a game box for something else "lost" (see the entries in our Lost Planet party giveaway for inspiration ... or don't. Be creative.)Send your submissions in .jpg format to joyswag [dot] submissions [at] gmail [dot] com. We'll select two winners each day over the next week leading up to the retail release of the game on the 12th. If your submission wasn't chosen, submit another for future consideration. Good luck!
We've got tickets to the Lost Planet launch event in San Fran
Capcom is pulling out all the stops for Lost Planet, their upcoming third-person shooter, including a bash in San Francisco.The details: The event is being held this Thursday, from 8pm to midnight at the San Francisco Concourse Exhibition Center - East Hall (it's here). There will be a multiplayer tournament ("Winners receive fabulous prizes and then face off with ... the Lost Planet development team!"); the Lost Planet development team will be signing things (Peter Moore is getting his other bicep signed); you can "watch Master LEGO Builder Nathan Sawaya creating LEGO masterpieces on the fly"; make your own Lost Planet t-shirt; free grub and drinks; and "the first 50 gamers through the door get exclusive t-shirts." Phew! Capcom knows how to throw a party!In the area and want to go? You can sign up for a first-come, first-served spot on their page (username: Genesis / password: 111). Or -- if you'd rather not risk being denied -- they've graciously offered Joystiq readers 25 passes to the event which guarantee admittance. (Fine print: You must be 18 or older to attend, and agree to provide Capcom with your name and email address). All you've got to do is tell us the biggest thing you've ever lost. Certainly it couldn't be larger than a planet (tsk, tsk Capcom). Maybe a loved one?
Which publisher is the PSP's biggest supporter? [Update 1]
The other day I got to thinking about how many antelope it would take to kill a professional wrestler. After I was done thinking about that, I wondered which publisher is the biggest supporter of the PSP. Then I remembered that I have no life and also blog on a PSP site, so I decided to get an answer to that question. Before I started looking into it, I assumed Capcom would be in first or second place for supporters just judging my library and what I typically see in stores.Surprisingly, they weren't even the third biggest supporter with only ten games on the system. My next hunch was that either EA or Ubisoft (being the giant companies they are) must have the most games on the PSP. They do have a lot of games out, but at eleven games each, they can't take the crown of biggest supporter. Activision did beat out many contenders with their number of games totaling fourteen, but they also were not the winner. So who is the PSP's biggest supporter? While this may or may not be surprising, it's Sony themselves. SCEA has at least twenty-six games on their own platform and easily bested all comers with their release library. While a first-party publisher winning may be obvious, to many PSP fans (including myself), I often think Sony isn't doing enough to support their portable. While that may or may not be true, they still have by far the most games out on the platform. Let's just hope that Sony as well as other publishers continue to be kind to our beloved portable in this new year. [Via Gamespot][Update 1: Fixed font error.]
PSP has its own Da Vinci puzzle
Alright, so maybe this puzzle doesn't involve Tom Hanks with bad hair and an albino monk, but that's probably a good thing. While browsing new Capcom Puzzle World screens on Gamespot, I came across the image above. It's from one of the Buster Bros games and damn if it don't look trippy. I can't say I have a lot of Buster Bros experience, but I'll likely get this collection regardless since it has a puzzle game I love even more than Lumines; Super Puzzle Fighter II. As a refresher, here is the list of games in this collection: Super Puzzle Fighter II Block Block, Buster Bros (3 versions of it) Capcom Puzzle World puzzle fights its way onto store shelves next month.
The gooey center of Lost Planet CE
Lost Planet is almost here and what better way to ruin the excitement of opening the collector's edition box on launch day than taking a peak inside now? Over at Brian Dunn's blog he posted pictures of all the crap, erm, stuff you get in the Lost Planet Collector's Edition. A double DVD set, sexy metal box, bonus map redemption card, and a full color manual (FTW!) Make the jump for more pictures of the CE edition, that is if you're willing to spoil the surprise come launch day. Decisions, decisions ...[Thanks, Scott]
It's a Lost Planet party and you're invited
Already slated as one of 2007's first big titles, Lost Planet is building towards its launch later this month. To celebrate the launch, Capcom is throwing a party in San Francisco. The party offers players a chance to meet the team behind Lost Planet, participate in a huge multiplayer tournament, design their own custom Lost Planet t-shirt, or just play Lost Planet on one of the dozens of Xbox 360s. Also at the event will be LEGO brick artist, Nathan Sawaya, who will be creating masterpieces throughout the party -- you may remember him: this guy walks the line between genius and madness (in a good way). If you can make it to San Fran on the 11th, head over to the official site and register (login: Genesis, password: 111).
Best of the rest: Ross' picks
Lumines Live! (XBLA) On a big screen with surround sound, Q Entertainment's Lumines Live was easily the most-played game in my library (if you stretch the definition of library to digitally distributed titles). Although I railed against how microtransactions were implemented in this title and still think the extent to which they disclosed the dearth of features was misleading, both the Basic and Advanced Pack got more than enough play time, as did the multiplayer. It is the best Xbox Live Arcade title since Geometry Wars.
