Dead or Alive
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The Engadget Podcast, Ep 4: All Eyez On Me
Editors Cherlynn Low and Devindra Hardawar join host Terrence O'Brien to talk about Intel's latest CPUs, Dead or Alive's controversial VR feature and Lenovo's "innovative" take on the keyboard. Then the panel takes a look at Chris Brown's standoff and how Instagram videos and Facebook Live fit into our modern media landscape.
Dead or Alive ninja Ayane's 'chest wobble' gets special attention in Fatal Frame 5
The spectral horrors of Fatal Frame 5: The Black Haired Shrine Maiden will find themselves stalking a more dangerous foe than they're used to, thanks to a cross-publisher cameo from the Dead or Alive fighting game franchise. According to the latest issue of Famitsu, Yosuke Hayashi, head of Dead or Alive developer Team Ninja, requested that the next Fatal Frame entry feature an appearance by Ayane. In lieu of appearing as a secret costume, the Fatal Frame developers have given Ayane her own playable scenario that sees the purple kunoichi sneaking through darkened halls while wielding her own unique weapon. Despite the new, eerie setting, fans of the female form need not fear that Ayane's grown any more modest. Famitsu claims the Fatal Frame team paid special attention to the character's unrealistically buoyant bosoms. "[The developers] spent a lot of time adjusting things like the wobble of her chest," claims Famitsu. "Team Ninja gave them lots of advice." Fatal Frame 5: The Black Haired Shrine Maiden debuted in Japan on September 27. There's currently no word on a Western release for the survival horror game. [Image: Koei Tecmo]
Dead or Alive 5's Last Round is on PS4, Xbox One
Street Fighter 4 isn't the only modern fighter getting a multitude of releases: According to a Famitsu report (as translated by Kotaku), Koei Tecmo producer Yosuke Hayashi announced Dead or Alive 5: Last Round after an award ceremony at this weekend's Japan Gamer's Live. Details are scarce beyond a reveal trailer posted after the break, but Last Round will slug it out in Japan on Xbox One and PS4 in spring 2015. Last Round will follow DoA5: Ultimate, 2013's retail-sized update on Xbox 360 and PS3 that added new characters and modes. A free-to-play counterpart called DoA5: Ultimate Core Fighters launched alongside Ultimate and managed to surpass 500,000 downloads within two months.
Mila joins free-to-play DOA5U: Core Fighters roster
If the barebones introduction to Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate known as DOA5U: Core Fighters hasn't offered enough content for your tastes, you'll be pleased to learn that a new character has joined Tecmo Koei's free-to-play fighting game. For a "limited time," those who download DOA5U: Core Fighters will receive pugilist Mila at no additional charge. One more character would not be an impressive addition to the expansive Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate cast, but the stripped down Core Fighters only offers four fighters by default, making this addition a sizable upgrade for a game that still features a $0 price tag. As usual, additional fighters can be purchased at $4 a piece, while adding a proper Story Mode will set you back $15. According to the most recent PlayStation Blog update, the addition of Mila comes as a sign of gratitude to fans who have downloaded DOA5U: Core Fighters over 1.3 million times. There's no word on when Tecmo Koei will end this free offer, so those tempted by the addition of Mila's MMA combat style should find the nearest PlayStation 3 and download the game tout de suite. [Image: Tecmo Koei]
Female Tengu trolling Dead or Alive Ultimate later this month
Another character set to join the ranks of the Dead or Alive fighters has been revealed, and this one is quite a monster. Literally. The character is Female Tengu, a gender-swapped version of the Dead or Alive 2 final boss, Tengu. Team Ninja tweeted teasers of the character earlier in the week, but it was through Japanese magazine Famitsu that the developer announced this would be a new character and not a costume for an existing character. That being said, judging by her reveal trailer, her fighting style and combos are very similar to the original Tengu's, if not downright identical. Well, at least they ditched the male's giant nose, if only to replace it with some huge hair. Seriously girl, how long it take you to get ready in the morning? Dang! Female Tengu joins a(nother) clone of Kasumi and a young girl with Lolita fashion sense as some of the franchise's freshest faces. She will be released to console versions of Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate in Japan later this month. [Image: Tecmo Koei]
Dead or Alive Dimensions review: Comedy masterpiece theatre
Team Ninja does not make life easy for game reviewers. Dead or Alive Dimensions, a sort of anthology volume combining all four Dead or Alive fighting games on 3DS, is clearly a great translation of the series to a portable format, beautiful to look at, and also more accessible than any DOA game to date. It's also marred by some terrible decisions, mostly around the presentation and the structure. As I played, it kind of felt like everything awesome about DOA Dimensions had been intentionally paired with a huge mistake. However, after a period of deep reflection and soul-searching, I came to the conclusion that the awesome parts are sufficiently awesome to outweigh most of the janky stuff, and a lot of the janky stuff turns out to be super hilarious anyway. Besides, the technical criteria for a successful DOA game are if the female characters' pendulous chests display soothing, hypnotic waves, and occasionally people get knocked off of waterfalls, and in both categories this game passes with flying colors. Colors flying right off of a waterfall.%Gallery-124728%
Dead or Alive: Dimensions yanked in Sweden, Norway and Denmark
Dead or Alive: Dimensions won't be available in Sweden, because it potentially violates the country's child pornography laws. The title will also skip Norway and Denmark as a result -- all three territories are covered by the same distributor, Bergsala. Eurogamer Sweden has a joint statement from Nintendo and Bergsala in which they claim to "have decided not to release the game in Sweden, for various reasons." However, neither company wished to list the reasons. Allegedly, the genesis of the drama involves a forum poster noting that three of the DoA characters are under 18 years of age, which could violate Swedish law when placed in risque situations within the game's "Figure Mode." Animated images have been subject to child pornography laws in Sweden since 1980.
First SpotPass-distributed DOA Dimensions costumes revealed
It wouldn't be a Dead or Alive game without patently ridiculous costumes that would humiliate the characters beyond recovery. The 3DS's Dead or Alive Dimensions has a novel way of distributing these confidence-destroying garments: online distribution through SpotPass. That means that any time your 3DS comes in contact with a wi-fi signal, it might automatically download one of 28 costumes, released over time by Tecmo Koei. One of the costumes, Team Ninja's Yosuke Hayashi told Famitsu, will only be available for download on launch day! That's March 24 for Japan; no North American date has been specified.
Dead or Alive Dimensions lets players double framerate by turning 3D effect off
Team Ninja boss Yosuke Hayashi has revealed in a chat with Famitsu (translated by the folks at Siliconera) that his crew's upcoming 3DS fighter, Dead or Alive Dimensions, will switch between 30 and 60 frames-per-second rendering based on whether players are using the handheld's 3D mode or not. It's a nice, if not entirely unexpected option, considering the 3DS hardware is always rendering the game at 60fps -- it's just 30fps per eye when in "3D mode." There will undoubtedly be some who prefer the smoothness of 60fps gameplay over what should be a pretty nifty 3D effect. We think it would be a smooth move for more developers to offer this option in their 3D -- as in polygons, not the effect -- games on Nintendo's new system.
Dead or Alive Dimensions' touchscreen use, 'Chronicle Mode' revealed
We've been curious about how Team Ninja would adapt Dead or Alive for the 3DS's touchscreen. One implementation of the touch controls in Dimensions has been detailed, and it's a little weird. According to a Famitsu.com feature about the game, you'll be able to display a list of moves on the bottom screen -- much like the "command lists" available in other fighters. The controller combinations required to pull off each move will be listed, but you'll also be able to just tap that move's name to launch it. While we're sure fighting game fans are reeling from this blasphemy, keep in mind it's a handheld fighting game and thus pretty much immune to concerns about tournament-level play. Famitsu also introduced Dimensions' "Chronicle Mode," which serves as a tutorial while retelling the stories of previous DOA games -- presumably leaving out all those times every female character mysteriously got stranded on Zack Island for two weeks, during which they played volleyball, lounged on the beach, and received gifts of jewelry and bikinis.
Team Ninja's Dead or Alive: Code Cronus and Project Progressive canceled
For Dead or Alive: Code Cronus, the long-delayed action game from Team Ninja, there is no longer any question as to its status. It's just "Dead: Code Cronus," now. Team Ninja head Yosuke Hayashi confirmed the project's cancellation in an interview with Famitsu (translated by Andriasang). After all these years, Hayashi said, "It was just on the framework level." Also on the chopping block: "Project Progressive," mentioned in passing in this 2007 interview with former Master Ninja Tomonobu Itagaki. These two dropped projects aren't the only evidence that Team Ninja is looking forward. "We're developing [Ninja Gaiden 3] with the idea of restarting at the beginning, saying, 'We'd like to make the action game that's most interesting for the current era.' With this meaning, it's going to be a game that's not bound by the past more than necessary. Of course, we will be valuing the past," Hayashi said, "but in a good meaning we'd like to make it into a game that's not tied down by the past." The image released at TGS actually holds vague clues about the content of Ninja Gaiden 3. Hayashi teased that Ryu Hayabusa "seems to be doing something with [his] right hand," which is covered with unnatural-looking blood. Team Ninja also has Dead or Alive: Dimensions and Ni-Oh in the works. Hayashi expects Dimensions to be released first, followed by Ninja Gaiden 3.
Dead or Alive Dimensions' first trailer is in hot pursuit
No matter how many exploding bundles of wood Ayane rolls through, she just can't seem to escape Dead or Alive 1's Raidou. This first Dead or Alive Dimensions (3DS) gameplay trailer reminds us it's damn hard to shake a pursuer who's glowing red and clearly on PCP.
Metareview: Dead or Alive Paradise
Tecmo has been calling Dead or Alive Paradise a piece of "paradise in the palm of your hand." It's a pretty hilarious phrase, but it would seem that the game is anything but -- according to the reviews that have rolled in, anyway. Turns out the majority of gaming press that have braved the buxom beauts and horde of mini-games in the PSP title have found it mediocre at best. And if you're still on the fence after checking out these reviews, remember there's a demo available on the Japanese PSN right now. IGN (50/100): "Dead or Alive Paradise is a poorly conceived, undersized grouping of mini-games that aren't aided by the visuals' ability to sell the characters' sex appeal." Game Informer (4/10): "Not only is Dead Or Alive: Paradise a bad game, it also drags down whatever reputation its namesake carried." Eurogamer (30/10): "If it's erotic imagery you're after, just get some porn. The visuals will be more realistic, the acting will be better and the plot will make more sense." G4 (1/5): "The greatest problem facing Paradise is that, in the end, once you cut through the photography and tedious friendship process, the gameplay and entertainment value are as skimpy as the most risqué bikinis on display. Had the games been better and more bountiful, and the socializing/photography nonsense been left out, maybe this might've been okay." %Gallery-83709%
Dead or Alive Paradise slides onto PSN April 1
This is no joke -- Tecmo's babe simulator beckons you to come on over to the PlayStation Network next week. Dead or Alive Paradise will be releasing on UMD on March 30, with a PSN version to arrive (very) shortly thereafter on April1. If you must buy the game, we recommend getting the PSN version -- you don't really want to leave incriminating evidence like boxes around, do you? And besides, we're pretty certain you don't want to fumble for a disc when you're getting ready to play. Just in case you're not exactly sure what you're getting yourself into, we posted a video after the break. We highly recommend you don't watch it at work, or in front of other humans that you want to respect you.
Dead or Alive Paradise demo on Japanese PSN this week
Those of you who have Japanese PSN accounts will have your own private paradise on the PlayStation Network this week. Sony announced that a demo of Tecmo's Dead or Alive Paradise -- which is precisely the kind of game you'd want to try out by downloading, without having to make eye contact with anyone -- will be available for download in Japan this Friday, March 12. We're now on the edge of our seats to find out which girls we'll get to interact with in the demo. Will it be the supposed martial artist with the ridiculous proportions, or the other one?
'Valhalla Game Studios' headed up by Tomonobu Itagaki
Tomonobu Itagaki has revealed, if not his new game, the place where he'll be making his new game: Valhalla Game Studios. In a Famitsu interview (translated by 1UP), the Dead or Alive creator announced that he is in charge of the development department for the new studio, created by Tecmo alum Satoshi Kanematsu. The studio is staffed by about 50 people, a number Itagaki told Famitsu was intentional. "That may expand a bit, but it's not going to be a 100-person company," he said. "50 people working for two years can produce something better than 100 people working for one year. 100 times 1 and 50 times 2 may produce the same number, but not in creative businesses like this one." Larger, public companies, he said, "have to prove their worth to the stock market on a year-by-year basis, and that means they can't focus all-out on quality." Whatever Itagaki's new game is, it won't be a fighter. For one thing, "I already made Dead or Alive, the best fighting game in the world, in my last company." Besides, he said, "Fighting games are kind of at another dead end right now" without another DOA-type disruption.
Ueda: Dead or Alive Paradise not intended to degrade women
Tecmo's Yoshinori Ueda says the upcoming PSP exclusive Dead or Alive: Paradise is not meant to be softcore porn, despite the game's not-so-subtle marketing line: "Paradise in the palm of your hand." DoA: Paradise director Ueda told Eurogamer that the game only intends to showcase beautiful women and the "beauty of their bodies," but was firm (stiff, even) that the game isn't meant to be degrading toward women. Featuring bikini-clad mini-games and the ability to photograph the virtual "beauties" without fear of a restraining order, Dead or Alive: Paradise isn't a traditional game; however, Ueda says the game features a number of different activities to engorge entertain gamers. The goal, it seems, is to allow players to escape to some kind of magical world: "we hope that people playing the game will be able to come away with the feeling that they've visited paradise," Ueda said. Sounds titillating, and in no way creepy or disgusting.
Even the ESRB is disgusted with Dead or Alive Paradise [update]
You're welcome to enjoy your own private paradise in the palm of your hand with Tecmo's Dead or Alive Paradise. Just be aware that some people find the game's content a bit creepy. Including the person who wrote the content description for the ESRB. "This is a video game in which users watch grown women dressed in G-string bikinis jiggle their breasts while on a two-week vacation," the ESRB description reads. "Women's breasts and butts will sway while playing volleyball, while hopping across cushions, while pole dancing, while posing on the ground, by the pool, on the beach, in front of the camera." We could quote this whole thing (and we will, after the break), but we really wanted to call your attention to this part: "Parents and consumers should know that the game contains a fair amount of "cheesy," and at times, creepy voyeurism," the ESRB notes with the most open disapproval we've ever seen in one of these things. It continues, "but the game also contains bizarre, misguided notions of what women really want (if given two weeks, paid vacation, island resort)-Paradise cannot mean straddling felled tree trunks in dental-floss thongs." This is the most entertaining ESRB rating ever. Why isn't whoever writes these things ever this upset about graphic violence? [Update: The ESRB has informed us that a new version, without the "subjective language," has been uploaded to the ratings board's site.] %Gallery-83709%
DOA Paradise special edition is predictably naughty
Let's be honest: You're not thinking about getting Dead or Alive Paradise for the intuitive volleyball mechanics or the scenic, beach-front battles -- this game lacks both. You're buying this game because you want to ogle fake women with comically large and bouncy breasts. Or, according to Tecmo, you're buying this because you're a woman who has never purchased a Tecmo title before and this is something relevant to your interests. Either way, the company's hoping you'll want to pay extra for a special edition bundle of the "game." Game Watch points out the extra busty package set to release in Japan -- complete with inappropriate Kasumi statue add-on and several other items, including a "Secret Picture Collection" and soundtrack CD. It's like a one-man pity party start-up kit. Are you guys getting it yet? Wanting this makes you a pervert. There's no word on whether this'll make its way over to the States when the game releases in March, but we'll be sure to let you know.
Tecmo sees 'opportunity' in expanding audience, pursuing women
Speaking to Edge, Tecmo's Quantum Theory development team had a few things to say about the Japanese game market, expanding its audience and, of course, Quantum Theory. According to producer Yasuo Egawa, the Japanese game market is shrinking, though the global gaming audience is expanding. "We've been trying to target customers who haven't bought Tecmo games before," says Egawa, "specifically women." Given Tecmo's offerings over the last few years, it's hard not to find that just a little hilarious. Regarding Quantum Theory itself, the company sees the game as its "third pillar" alongside Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive. Character designer Hiroyuki Yazaki notes that Quantum Theory is a departure from other shooters thanks to its AI-controlled female sidekick, Filena. Yazaki states that most shooters are "full of men; big, sweaty men," which lead Tecmo to design a "softer character" for the game. Yazaki adds, "We're Tecmo – we're good at female characters!" Again, just a little hilarious.
