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Dante's Inferno 'Greed' promotion is the least offensive yet
click to epic poem-sizeAside from the special totally metal wallpaper image made for the occasion (and downloadable in our gallery), the latest Deadly Sin-inspired promotional tactic for Dante's Inferno fails to offend our sensibilities at all. Maybe this was the reason for the fake protest, repugnant booth babe contest and arm-shaped cakes -- to make us feel not just relieved, but grateful for marketing that doesn't make us ashamed of our industry.So what is the "Greed" promotion? According to EA, pre-ordering the game tomorrow from GameStop will get you savings of $6.66 (get it?). Is it even greedy to spend $53.33 instead of $59.99? That's a lot of money coming out of your pocket either way. Taking advantage of a small discount like that sounds prudent to us. Almost virtuous.%Gallery-45836%
Hell is a major draw for Dante's Inferno
If you thought the baffling marketing tactics for Dante's Inferno were limited to PR stunts, you may be surprised at this quote from EA Games president Frank Gibeau. "I think when you look at Dante's Inferno you start with something that everybody has some knowledge of, which is Hell," Gibeau told GamesIndustry.biz, "and the idea that you go into Hell as a hero and fight demons ... that's something that resonates with a lot of people." That's right. One of the most appealing parts of the game ... is Hell. Specifically, "going to Hell and fighting," but Hell nonetheless. We have "some knowledge" of a lot of unpleasant places, like the little closet our water heater occupies, but we aren't necessarily clamoring for games in those settings. Both the interviewer and Gibeau also refer to Dante's Inferno as "new IP," which seems inaccurate to us, considering that The Divine Comedy's original street date was sometime in the early 1300s. %Gallery-64908%
Dante's Inferno trailer throws epic in your face
Dante's Inferno is epic, got it? And the latest Dante's Inferno trailer crams that fact right down your gullet like Steve Ballmer horks down invisible hoagies. Filled with demonic monstrosities and accompanied by a horrifically loud orchestral soundtrack, the trailer spews sin right into your eyeholes, injects sonic evil directly into your ears and yanks your jaw down to the floor. It then promptly tells you to "Go to Hell." Watch the trailer, dangerously embedded above, if you've got the grapes.
Dante's Inferno escapes hell development in February
EA's jaunt into the underworld finally has a firm release date: February 9 in North America and February 12 in Europe. Dante's Inferno is set to release simultaneously on the PS3, PSP and Xbox 360, with an animated feature launching alongside the game and a comic arriving in December. If you're wondering what you should do with the months leading up to the game's release, might we suggest reading Divine Comedy to observe all of the differences between the game and the original work? We don't mean to nitpick, but we've already noticed a few here and there.
EA Q1 sales better than expected, still slow
We've been hearing recession tales of woe for months now in the video game industry. Today is no different, as EA is posting a net loss of $234 million for its financial Q1 sales year over year versus $95 million in losses during the same quarter last year. Unsurprisingly, titles like The Sims 3 and EA Sports Active -- you know, EA's best selling Wii game ever -- helped to boost sales, but overall game sales were lower "due to slowed hardware sales." Don't worry, though, as EA promises four new IPs for the holiday season (Dante's Inferno, Dragon Age: Origins, Brütal Legend and, presumably, Saboteur) and predicts increased revenue with tiny little titles like The Beatles: Rock Band and Madden 10 landing in the next few months. (We were so worried.)
That's a wrap: Comic-Con 2009
Last week's San Diego Comic-Con was one crazy ride. The Joystiq representatives in attendance were trained in advanced interrogation tactics and managed to extract information on a variety of subjects. We've got an update from Peter Jackson himself on the Halo happenings, first footage of South Park Let's Go Tower Defense Play! and a new game mode for Uncharted 2! Friend, you missed one heck of a week.But, that's okay! You can get caught up right here, right now. Simply head past the break for a complete summary of all the headlines. [image] %Gallery-68768%
Dead Space being directed with an 'Eagle Eye' by D.J. Caruso
Variety reports "vidgame" (seriously, Variety, stop that!) Dead Space is going to the big screen under the watchful gaze of Eagle Eye director D.J. Caruso. The producers and EA are currently talking to screenwriters and will then auction the movie to a studio. EA created a bidding war last year when it auctioned off God of War-esque Dante's Inferno -- even before it officially announced the game. The publisher also currently has Sims, Army of Two and Mass Effect movies in varying stages of development. The Variety piece also mentions that EA is "working on the second and third installments" of the Dead Space franchise. Although that can be interpreted to mean sequels to the main game, it could also mean Extraction and the expected sequel. We're following up with Variety and EA for clarification and will update when we hear back.
Dante's Inferno 'King Minos' bossfight looks more familiar than ever
We've seen a decent amount of Dante's Inferno gameplay over the last nine months we've known of the game's existence -- and heard a lot of comparisons to God of War in the process -- but we didn't realize how spot on that was until we saw the video of Dante battling King Minos (found after the break). Judging souls in the second circle of Hell can be a tough job (don't we know it!), so Dante has apparently stopped by to relieve Minos of his duties. Rather than thanking him though, the grumpy old curmudgeon attacks Dante and all hell breaks loose! (Get it! 'Cause they're in Hell!)All joking aside, the game looks to be more than competently cloning that other game where you spend time in The Netherworld, albeit with a multiplatform release. Now when's this thing coming out, EA? Hmmm?%Gallery-45836%
Dante's Inferno team apologizes for 'Sin to Win' booth babe contest
A lot of folks were understandably upset by EA and Visceral Games' San Diego Comic Con contest promoting Dante's Inferno. It probably had something to do with the fact that it objectified women in a brutish, almost caveman-esque manner. Your protests were heard -- the game's creators recently published a clarification of the contest rules, and apologized for "any confusion and offense that resulted from our choice of wording."It's nice that they responded to the negative sentiment this stupid, stupid promotional stunt created, but this kind of undercuts their whole "Circles of Hell" marketing campaign, doesn't it? Apologies just aren't very hellish. We can't imagine Beelzebub begs pardon from those he makes swim through a sea of fire and brimstone for all eternity. "Oh, man. That looks like it hurts. I'm like, really sorry about this, guys. Do you want some aloe?"[Via Kotaku]
EA giving away booth girls as Comic-Con swag
We thought we'd try and come up with some clever way to convey the following information, but figured that sometimes it's just best to let the facts speak for themselves. That said:EA is holding a contest during Comic-Con to promote Dante's Inferno, whereby one attendee will receive a "night" with two of EA's booth girls. There's also a limo ride, "paparazzi" and "booty" of an undisclosed nature. Photos of the booth girls and their potential "dates" can be found on the Dante's Inferno Facebook page. Our faith in humanity can be found in the corner, curled up and mumbling something to itself.[Via ArsTechnica]
Dante's Inferno won't be burning on PCs
For those of you hoping that upcoming Visceral Games hack-n-slash Dante's Inferno would be heading to your PC, prepare to be disappointed. Joystiq sister site Big Download received confirmation earlier today from EA that currently there are "no plans" for a PC release. In fact, the representative at EA went one step further, not only confirming the game's console exclusivity but saying, "When Dante's Inferno was originally announced in December, we attached no platforms to the project ... when we came out with a first look for press in February we announced 360/PS3 and then in April we announced PSP ... We never announced a PC SKU nor are there plans for any." Sorry, PC gamers! Look at it this way: At least you can't "go to Hell" now! (Hey-o!)%Gallery-45836%
Second dev diary for Dante's Inferno is lustful
EA has passed on another Dante's Inferno developer diary, with this latest video containing four minutes of juicy game footage and commentary from the folks behind the title. It focuses on the Lust circle of Hell, which looks to be comprised of walls and walls of bodies, as well as freaky contortions of what once passed for human beings. If you're eating or drinking anything, we suggest you set it aside for a few minutes and collect yourself before watching this. This has a spit out your Coke factor of about eight.
Production I.G admits involvement in Dante's Inferno anime
Production I.G is likely a name many anime fans recognize, but, for the rest of you, know the studio has done amazing things in games, too. The company did the animations on Wario Land: Shake It!, and has done a lot with the Tales franchise, among other things. Now, it's taking on EA's Dante's Inferno, as the studio confirmed it's working on that animated project we heard about in March.The info was revealed during an Anime Expo panel this past Sunday (via ANN), with the promise of more info come Comic-Con on July 23. As fans of Production I.G's work, we're anxious to see more. Now, if you'll excuse us, we need to watch that animated scene from Kill Bill about 800 times.
Dante's Inferno trailer features hellish gameplay footage
You're probably getting sick of our frequent comparisons between the God of War series and EA's upcoming poem-to-game conversion of Dante's Inferno. Well, GameTrailers recently got its hands on the first Infern-al gameplay footage to hit the internets, so now we invite you to make your own judgment on the two franchise's similarities. The video's posted after the break -- go ahead and watch it, we'll wait....See? We know! Crazy, right? %Gallery-64908%
Christian bloggers protesting fake EA protest
After staging a protest/publicity stunt outside of E3 last week against upcoming EA game Dante's Inferno, the company is catching heat from Christian bloggers. InsideCatholic says on its website, "It's been clear for a while now that the entertainment industry views Christians on the whole as priggish, thin-skinned fun-killers," further wondering if "anyone at EA even read the Inferno." Catholic Video Gamers fires an even more direct shot at EA's Dante's Inferno, saying, "Instead of engaging in a shamelessly anti-Christian stunt to promote your poor excuse of a product, maybe you ought to work on making this game, you know, something better than a blatant God of War rip-off." Wait, isn't Christianity all about forgiving? Oh well! Hopefully EA will think twice next time it decides to fake a protest and instead choose protesters without any major religious affiliation. [Via GameSpot]
E3 2009 highlights: The Xbox roundup
E3 was brütal! If you blinked, for a split/second, you missed something. Even if you were trine to keep up, it was a blur -- staying a.wake like that, you only pushed yourself to the brink of your own dark void. That's where Joystiq comes in; to crackdown on the madness; to reach out ... with conviction -- phew! Crysis averted. We've scoured the dark corners and survived the inferno to piece together this roundup of all things Xbox at E3. Why? Just 'cause we love you. So, draw nier and shift your eyes past the break.
EA confirms Dante's Inferno protest was staged
Electronic Arts has admitted that the Dante's Inferno protest during E3 was staged by a guerrilla marketing agency. The publisher confirmed to the AP that the firm hired 20 people to hold signs like "Just say Infer-NO" and "Trade in your PlayStation for a PrayStation." There's got to be a better way to promote the game.
Impressions: Dante's Inferno burns in (the fifth circle of) Hell
For the lazy, here's the short preview: it's God of War, in HD.Dante's Inferno is the talk of many here at E3. Why wouldn't it be? The solid graphics, the over-the-top gore, the visceral, uh, hold up! We already wrote this ... about God of War III. The comparison between the two games is well worn, but what about the confusion? Sitting in on a behind-closed-doors demo of Dante's Inferno, seeing the game in action for the first time, I was stunned by the dead-on likeness to God of War, in every detail and gameplay mechanic, and it wasn't a leap to imagine a consumer easily confusing Dante's decent into Hell as a spinoff of the Kratos myth. Inferno is no hackneyed clone, it's an impeccable replica.%Gallery-64908%
Seen@E3: Protesting Dante's Inferno
Outside of the entrance to the South Hall here at the LA Convention Center, there are a group of people protesting EA's new game, Dante's Inferno. Featuring witty signs such as "Cheat codes won't save your soul" and "My high score is in Heaven," one must wonder if this is simply a protest, or a PR stunt.
Dante's Inferno E3 trailer makes poetry fun again
Do you remember those boring poetry classes you had to take in high school English? We do. Thankfully, the fine folks at Visceral Games are reclaiming the time we wasted back then by turning an epic poem into ... God of War. This is a good thing, mind you -- however, the similarities are a bit too striking. The two games seem to feature the same character: angry main male character with giant sharp thing on a quest for lost love. Even some of the trailer's big moments are strangely familiar. Giant boss you climb atop? Check. Main character plummeting off a mountain? Got it. All we need now is the main character to be covered in ashes and we're all set.
