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Virtua Fighter's Akira playable in Dead or Alive 5
Fighting crossovers are all the rage these days, it seems. In a very unexpected announcement, Sega and Tecmo have revealed that one of Virtua Fighter's most iconic characters, Akira Yuki, will be playable in Dead or Alive 5.The crossing of Dead or Alive and Virtua Fighter would once have been considered anathema, laughable even. The good people at Sega and Tecmo seem to be aware of this, and have thus released a trailer along with the announcement (complete with stun palm of doom). Behold it above and believe.Now, if someone could just whip up another Fighters Megamix, we'd be all set.
Hayashi: Team Ninja taming its 'sex and violence' image in DoA 5
Team Ninja boss Yosuke Hayashi says the studio's perspective has changed since Tomonobu Itagaki left in a huff in 2008, and even though most of its 200 staff are original team members, Hayashi is calling them his "new team." The most obvious shift is the new team's focus on creating an emotional experience, rather than eye candy, Hayashi tells Gamasutra."The old team was known for making games that just had two primary elements: Sex and violence," Hayashi says. "It was very obvious. The new team, we want to take it to a new level -- to a direction that contains emotional experiences that can move players."That's right -- Team Ninja wasn't emotionally invested in all the sexy gameplay you had together, and now it's looking for something more meaningful. Hayashi may find his new, more mature gaming experience in a Dead or Alive crossover with Virtua Fighter, a la Street Fighter X Tekken, Edge reports."In terms of collaboration titles, there are staff on our team who just love fighting games and if there was any chance to do that we'd actively, possibly do that," Hayashi says."The first 3D game I played was Virtua Fighter; that's the IP I respect most. Virtua Fighter was the father of 3D gaming, so it's very well respected."For now, one thing's certain: The women in Dead or Alive 5 will be more respectable, well-rounded (emotionally) than in previous titles. "We've always had the sex factor in the game; in the past, the female characters had to have big breasts, they had to have scanty dress," Hayashi says. "In DoA 5 especially, we're trying to focus on the real women that surround us: the voice of a female, the mannerisms. We are being realistic about it."
Ninja Gaiden 3 arrives on March 20, pre-order or get collector's edition for DOA5 demo
Tecmo Koei is ensuring that we'll all be laden with giant, heavy video game boxes on March 20, making us perfect targets for ninja assassins. Hmm. That's the newly announced North American release date for Ninja Gaiden 3. It's also the date on which the Collector's Edition will become available, only at GameStop and EB. The "truly deluxe package" includes an art book, soundtrack CD, and "Duel of the Masked" figure. Most importantly, you'll get a four-character Dead or Alive 5 demo. Even if, for whatever reason, you decide you don't need that figurine or the rest of the Collector's Edition, pre-ordering any version of the game at GameStop or Amazon will get you a two-character DOA5 demo. If you choose GameStop, you have access to Ryu Hayabusa and Hitomi, while Amazon grants you Ayane and Hayate.
Beautiful brawling in Dead or Alive 5
I've always been a fan of the Dead or Alive series. To this day, the story of my colleague Ludwig's visit to The States back in 2007 and how we played DOA 4 for hours straight at our boss' house (much to his chagrin) is one of the fondest memories of my life. It's been too long since I've had my fix, so you can be sure I'm looking forward to Dead or Alive 5. At a recent event in San Francisco, Team Ninja brought out the first playable build of DOA 5. For fans concerned after Tomonobu Itagaki's departure from Tecmo, and based on the time I've spent with the game, it's a non-issue. Well, mostly. %Gallery-141350%
Dead or Alive 5 screens aren't afraid to bust a gut or two
There's nothing quite like watching a teenage girl gut punch a hardcore-looking ninja lady. And Team Ninja clearly knows that, showcasing as much in the latest volley of screens from Dead or Alive 5.
Dead or Alive 5 dishes out another round between Ryu and Hayate
Team Ninja has released the second round of its pre-alpha Dead of Alive 5 showcase. The construction site becomes a destruction fight, with Ryu knocking poor Hayate right into an ongoing car crash. A vehicle hasn't been this useful since the Daytona car made it into Fighters Megamix.
Dead or Alive 5's 'fighting entertainment' means even crazier stages
Team Ninja pulled an Apple-style "one more thing" at its pre-TGS party, announcing Dead or Alive 5 at the last minute and showing an early trailer. At that event, studio head Yosuke Hayashi called DOA 5 a "fighting entertainment" game, something distinct from other fighting games. Later, in an interview at Tecmo's TGS booth, I asked Hayashi to clear up that terminology. The early generation of fighting games, around Street Fighter 2, he said, "had some of the most outrageous graphics, fun gameplay, and really a lot of stuff going on." He implied that, in comparison, modern fighting games emphasize online competition over wowing players with unprecedented visuals. "It's not as over-the-top, it's not as much of the entertainment aspect that the originals had, and so they seem a little bit dull, in some aspects." The term "fighting entertainment" represents an effort to return spectacle to the genre.
Dead or Alive 5 in development, heading to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2012
There's a brand new Dead or Alive game in development, and it's heading to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Team Ninja head Yosuke Hayashi offered "a glimpse in the future" of the DOA franchise during tonight's TGS 2011 Tecmo event, during which he asked that we shut off all recording equipment (thus the lack of a thrilling image above). In a teaser trailer of a pre-Alpha (read: very early) build of Dead or Alive 5, Ninja Gaiden's Ryu Hayabusa faces off against rival Hayate on top of a brightly lit urban area -- perhaps the Shibuya digs we're currently writing this from? Hayashi teased dramatic new levels, and even went as far as to call the game "fighting entertainment," rather than "just a fighting game." (Note: It's a fighting game.) Update: We've added the first teaser trailer above and a ... tantalizing image just after the break. Keep it cool, big guy!
Rumor: Dead or Alive 5 in the works for PS3
According to a scan of the "Rumour Machine" section of the latest UK Official PlayStation Magazine found on Playstation Lifestyle, Tecmo's flagship fighting franchise, Dead or Alive, could be set for a return for the first time since Tomonobu Itagaki's departure -- and this time, it'll be on PS3. The magazine, which also rehashes some old rumors, claims that Dead or Alive 5 is "in production for PS3," something that doesn't necessarily rule out an Xbox 360 release (a PlayStation magazine would simply have no reason to mention that). It seems does likely that Team Ninja would want to develop a new DOA. After all, that's the perfect showcase for the studio's latest Jiggle Tech® -- now in triple-D. The most recent Dead or Alive game to be announced will also be on a Sony platform: the beach minigame collection, DOA Paradise, which is coming to PSP this spring. Maybe now that Itagaki's out, Tecmo can pursue whatever interest it must have had in publishing DOA on PlayStation -- something that hasn't happened since the Xbox was released.
Play and Win: Blades of Glory
Dead or Alive 4 fans will be pleased to know that the latest Xbox.com Play and Win giveaway merges your love for DOA and ice skating. Starting March 23rd Will Ferrell's latest movie Blades of Glory is sponsoring a Xbox Live DOA 4 team giveaway. All you have to do is signup yourself and a friend starting March 23rd and play DOA 4 through March 25th. Every day you and your friend play DOA 4's multiplayer you'll receive an entry into the giveaway. Prizes include a snazzy Blades of Glory warm-up jacket, a limited edition box of flakies cereal, and Microsoft Points. Hurry already and round up a DOA buddy to win some frosted cereal!
Itagaki confirms Dead or Alive 5
A fifth Dead or Alive is in development -- no surprise. That DOA creator, on-the-job drinker, and overly-friendly coworker Tomonobu Itagaki made the announcement at the DOA 10th anniversary party among a throng of supporters made us giddy. After all, after the sexual harassment charges we weren't sure whether he had been demoted or somehow shuffled in the background. But there he was, wine glass and sunglasses in tow. Not much was revealed, except that Itagaki has a few ideas circling in his head, he's planning on axing the Tag Team system, and he already knows how the opening cinematic will begin. No console was mentioned, but we're placing our bets on another Xbox 360 iteration. After five of the most recent DOA titles (including two softcore simulators) have been Microsoft exclusives, we think the odds are in our favor.
