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Watch Dragon's Dogma Online gameplay in the debut trailer
Going by its first trailer, Dragon's Dogma Online plays much like its name indicates. The newly unveiled RPG allows parties of up to four players to take on a variety of monsters, small and large - sometimes very large. Like in the original Dragon's Dogma, players can cling to bigger beasties and get their Wander on, as you can see in the video below the break. Along with the video, new screenshots some of the "Online" side including towns that players can congregate in and the chat windows pictured above. Finally, the trailer confirms initial reports that Dragon's Dogma Online is a free-to-play game for PS4, PS3, and Windows PC, and that it's coming to Japan this year. According to Capcom, a Western release isn't in the company's plans.
Soul Sacrifice goes free on PS Plus tomorrow
Come November 26, the Vita-exclusive Soul Sacrifice joins the free games on offer to PlayStation Plus subscribers, and they won't even have to trade a limb for it. For those who missed Soul Sacrifice, think of it as a game of choices. You play a prisoner turned sorcerer in a world where magic requires sacrifices. Some of these are largely benign, but there are the massively damaging spells that ask you to literally give up an arm in exchange for that kind of power. The game's difficulty level is slightly less intense than that seen in Dark Souls, but it still makes a very worthwhile contender for anyone looking for a game that will mercilessly punish mistakes - and unlike Dark Souls, since Soul Sacrifice is a Vita game, you can get your fix on the go. As with all new PS Plus additions, the introduction of Soul Sacrifice means that something must be bumped off of the roster. In this case, the PS Plus Instant Game Collection is losing Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen. If you want to pick up Capcom's endearing attempt at a Western-style, open-world role-playing game, today marks your last chance to do so via PlayStation Plus.
Dragon's Dogma Quest jumps to Japanese Vitas next month
Following its iOS debut earlier this year, Capcom has revealed that Dragon's Dogma Quest will finally be available to Japanese Vita owners on December 19. Though the free-to-play spin-off was initially revealed for the Vita, that version has been a long time coming. We first reported on the free to play roleplaying game in June, at which time it was scheduled for a Fall release. For unknown reasons, Capcom decided to launch the previously unrevealed iOS iteration of the game first, during this past summer. Until now we had no word on the status of the Japanese Vita version. Fans of the original Dragon's Dogma will find a very different experience in Dragon's Dogma Quest. Instead of an open, 3D world, the free-to-play Quest is a 2D, online-only, traditional roleplaying game that asks players to command squads of eight Pawns. According to Siliconera, these Pawns can have up to 150 different character classes, and the strategic part of combat in Quest hinges on finding the best combination of classes to beat any given challenge. There is still no word on when or if Dragon's Dogma Quest will be released outside of Japan.
PlayStation Plus gets Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen this week
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen is the first of November's PlayStation Plus offerings to break cover, and subscribers gain access to the expanded re-release after today's PSN update. If you missed it earlier this year, Dark Arisen features Capcom's action-RPG alongside a host of supplemental content. That includes the new realm of Bitterblack Isle, new quests, an improved fast travel system, and a plethora of noticeable tweaks. As for the rest of this month's PS Plus games, they're masterworks all, you can't go wrong. Well, that's what some would say after seeing the likes of Binary Domain, Ibb & Obb, Soul Sacrifice, and Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD on the current-gen bill. Meanwhile, the PS4's opening line-up stars Housemarque's Resogun and cabaret puzzle platformer Contrast, the latter replacing the Driveclub after that game's last-minute delay.
Report: Dragon's Dogma Quest is a 2D online-only F2P RPG for Vita
A new Dragon's Dogma game is reportedly coming to Japan, but it sounds a fair bit different to its predecessor. According to Game Jouhou (via Gematsu and Siliconera), this week's Famitsu magazine announces Dragon's Dogma Quest, a 2D free-to-play, online-only RPG for the Vita, due in Japan this fall. Going by Game Jouhou's report, Quest once more pits players as Arisen, and the Arisen commands a party of pawns who go into battle. Parties can comprise a maximum of eight pawns, including four of the player's, and four from friends. Just imagine all those repeated phrases - "This looks interesting!" - but in stereo (hopefully not). Quest again sees players explore a world of towns, dungeons, enemies, and side-quests. On the vocations-side, Quest features a far greater selection, with over 150 jobs included. It's unclear what exactly's tied to microtransactions, but they're apparently for assisting players who don't have lots of time to play the game. We've reached out to Capcom for confirmation and to find out if it's headed west.
Capcom year-end results: sales up, profit down, Resident Evil 6 failed to meet projections at 4.9M
Resident Evil 6, Capcom's flagship of horrors for the fiscal year concluding March 31, 2013, certainly has "plateaued," as Capcom put it in today's results. The game, which launched in October of 2012, shipped over 4.5 million units at the time. The company announced today the game sold 4.9 million units. Comparatively, Resident Evil 5 has sold 6.1 million units. "As a result, [Resident Evil 6] did not meet with our projection," the company's statement reads. "In contrast, Dragon's Dogma became a greater-than-expected hit product in the domestic market, which has high profitability, and became an unprecedented million seller in the recent years as an original title." Overall, Capcom sales were up 14.6 percent for the year to ¥94.07 million ($950M), with net income down to ¥2.97 million ($30M), which is a decrease of 56 percent from last year. Capcom expects this year to be similar in revenues, but hopes to bring that profit back to the 2012 level. This year's line-up includes Remember Me and Lost Planet 3.
PSA: Dragon's Dogma and Dark Arisen title updates corrupting saves
Dragon's Dogma vanilla and Dark Arisen players alike, take heed. A recent title update for Capcom's fantasy RPG seems to be corrupting save files for some users. If you haven't downloaded the update yet, Capcom suggests copying your data to the cloud or an external device before patching the game. Capcom promises to have a solution "as quickly as possible." Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen is an Xbox 360 and PS3 expansion to Capcom's 2012 outing, a retail disc release that includes additional content and a remastered version of the base Dragon's Dogma game. The remastered version of Dragon's Dogma includes a new fast-travel system on top of additional items and gear, but sadly no dancing cyclopes.
The surrealistic Dragon's Dogma tech demo
What you're looking at is an internal Capcom video made by the team behind Dragon's Dogma, designed to demonstrate the ease with which the game's character creation system can make universal use of animation data, regardless of a humanoid creature's size or configuration.Aside from being an effective measure of the technology's capabilities and a surprising glimpse into the lighthearted nature of Capcom's internal development process, it's also a surreal, often hilarious and pointedly bizarre carnival sideshow of bulging eyeballs and dancing cyclopes.As you may have noticed, it doesn't really look like footage from a fairly recent game, and there are two main reasons for that: First of all, this is an internal production that was never originally intended for mass consumption. Moreover, this is an early prototype from five years ago, when development on Dragon's Dogma was first underway, and the game still went by its original codename: BBS-RPG.You may have also noticed that this video has no sound, which is more of a legal issue than an effort to enhance the production's already potent hypnagogic qualities. Since Capcom never intended for this video to be distributed to the public, it had to have its uncleared soundtrack removed before the developer could share it with us. If you're willing to have two tabs open, however, we thing we've found an elegant alternative.
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen review: Cheating Death
Death has always been an integral part of Dragon's Dogma. From the intoxicating notion that it could come at any time while travelling the world of Gransys to the corpses that litter an area once you've torn through it, death permeates the narrative like a foul odor. The punishing difficulty ensures defeat in most cases, making it an absolute certainty that a restart will be necessary at least once. That same frustration, however, is what attracted the droves of players to Capcom's open-world RPG in the first place.Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen ups the ante by introducing Death personified. Your first sighting could end up being your last, though with persistence, even Death itself can be cheated. And that's just one small piece of this sprawling hunk of supplemental content. The austere world of Dark Arisen is a meaty expansion pack that serves up a substantial amount of new material, opening up welcoming arms to veterans and enticing new players with what will inevitably be billed as the definitive Dragon's Dogma experience.%Gallery-177036%
Capcom sales, income up in 2012
Capcom continued its recent financial boon with a net income of 6.6 billion yen ($72 million), up 104.9 percent, for the first nine months of its fiscal year, which will end on March 31, 2013. Capcom attributed the success to launches of major games, the growing popularity of its social games in Japan, and its newly introduced Resident Evil 5 slot machine. Sales were up 44 percent during the same period from last year.While both Resident Evil 6 and DmC: Devil May Cry saw significant reductions to their end-of-fiscal-year projections, Capcom is pleased by the performances of Dragon's Dogma, which exceeded expectations to become a million-seller last year, and Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, which racked up over 600,000 sales during its first month in Japan.
DmC: Devil May Cry shipped 1 million in January, forecasts slashed
Capcom shipped 1 million units of DmC: Devil May Cry on Xbox 360 and PS3 in January. The company adjusted its sales forecasts for the game to 1.2 million by March 31, down from the 2 million projected back in May 2012.The figures don't take into account the PC version, released on January 25. Nonetheless, they strongly indicate Ninja Theory's reboot is flagging way behind the last entry in the series, Devil May Cry 4, which shipped 2 million units in its first two weeks at retail.Capcom also updated sales figures for Resident Evil 6 to 4.8 million; the series' latest outbreak had shipped 4.5 million by the end of September. and was initially projected to reach 7 million sales by March 31. Dragon's Dogma is up to 1.25 million, while Resident Evil: Raccoon City is at a meagre 650,000, including PC sales. Maybe that's why Revelations producer Masachika Kawata feels there've been too many RE games of late.Capcom didn't release figures for Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, released on Wii U in Japan on December 8, 2012, but said the game "became a smash hit." In case you suspect that's just deflective hot air, the action-RPG sold over 600,000 copies by the end of 2012, with the Western launch still to come in March.
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen journeys to NA on April 23
Dragon's Dogma's Dark Arisen expansion will arrive on April 23 and 26 in North America and Europe, respectively.The $40 expansion will be available at retail in North America and Europe, and as a digitally distributed title on the PlayStation Network. Dark Arisen sounds more like a relaunch of Dragon's Dogma, as it includes the full game, with travel improvements and "a more intuitive menu system." The game provides the extra weapons and quests to those who already own Dragon's Dogma, allowing their old save data to be used with the new interface.For the experienced quester, the game also includes further bonuses like "100,000 Rift Crystals, unlimited Ferrystones and the Gransys Armour Pack consisting of six brand new costumes for free."
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen launching April 25 in Japan
Dark Arisen, the upcoming expansion for Dragon's Dogma, will arrive on April 25 in Japan, according to a recent Famitsu live stream. When reached for comment, Capcom refused to confirm the launch date for either North America or Europe, saying only that we should have "more information in the near future."Dark Arisen adds new content to Dragon's Dogma, including new weapons and armor and a new dungeon. The expansion allows users to transfer their original save file and also features more character customization options and an option for Japanese dialogue.
Best of the Rest: Sinan's picks of 2012
Joystiq is revealing its 10 favorite games of 2012 throughout the week. Keep reading for more top selections and every writer's personal, impassioned picks in Best of the Rest roundups. Dragon's DogmaThere are so many things wrong with Dragon's Dogma, as noted in Joystiq's scathing review. For starters, its unwillingness to offer guidance makes the Souls games look helpful, its dialogue repetition is nothing short of maddening – yes I freaking know wolves hunt in packs – and no game has ever made fast travel more of a chore. But when it's good, oh how good it is. Combining in harmony with my troupe of automated pawns to take down giant foes in simplistic yet epic, challenging combat is just too delectable to exclude Dragon's Dogma from mention, flaws or no.
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen DLC adds Japanese voiceover, lets you import save file
Capcom revealed a few details on the plan to continue Dragon's Dogma, the 2013 expansion pack "Dark Arisen." The DLC will feature the requisite "more stuff" you'd expect, packing in new armor and weapons, greater character customization options and a Japanese voiceover option, because nothing screams medieval fantasy like Japanese dialogue."Dark Arisen" will allow you to transfer your save file from Dragon's Dogma vanilla and takes adventurers to a new dungeon located in the Bitterblack Isle, Capcom-Unity says. It may not be the safest travel destination, but we hear Bitterblack's shopping district is a real must-see.
Dragon's Dogma gets free Hard and Speedrun modes on Dec. 4 in Japan [update]
Dragon's Dogma will receive Hard and Speedrun modes next month, if the Japanese release date of December 4 applies worldwide. Back in September Capcom told us the free DLC was due this year. We've reached out to Capcom for more details.The Hard mode unsurprisingly increases the difficulty, while the Speedrun mode (in an equally unsurprising move) sets players a goal time to beat the game in. Completion of each mode rewards players with special equipment.The update offered no further word on the Dark Arisen expansion due next year.Update: Capcom confirmed the two modes become available worldwide on December 4.
Dragon's Dogma gets Dark Arisen expansion in 2013 [update: new modes video]
Capcom is bringing a "major expansion" to Dragon's Dogma in 2013. The company divulged little else about the expansion, called 'Dark Arisen,' beyond the above teaser. We also have a few appropriately dark screenshots below the break.Capcom also tells us that two free modes are being patched into the RPG later this year. Following the 'Easy' mode released last month, the 'Hard' mode cranks things up the other way but with the promise of extra loot. Meanwhile, 'Speedun' rewards players who beat the game in an allotted time.As for the expansion, Capcom promises to spill the beans soon. Until then, strength in numbers, Arisen.Update: We also have a short video for the new Hard and Speedrun modes after the break.
Dragon's Dogma patch to add easy mode
A new patch announced for the Japanese version of Dragon's Dogma will put "easy mode" in the options menu of the game, allowing players to switch over at any time. Capcom didn't specify the exact differences in easy mode, leaving us free to speculate that it removes one head from all multi-headed mythical monsters.The patch will be released in Japan on August 6. Capcom has not announced plans for the rest of the world yet.[Image: Capcom-Unity]
Capcom's quarterly earnings strong on Dragon's Dogma, social games
Capcom enjoyed a very robust first quarter, with a profit of ¥1.3 billion ($16.9 million) for the period ending June 30, which is up 290 percent from the same period last year. The company's digital content group (games!) made the majority of revenues during the quarter, with ¥13.74 billion ($176 million) in sales of the company's overall ¥18.62 billion ($238 million). That's up 79 and 56 percent from the same time last year, respectively.The company highlighted Dragon's Dogma as being part of the success. Despite having "struggled abroad," according to Capcom, the game's "popularity in the more profitable domestic market exceeded expectations by selling more than one million copies."The publisher also mentioned the continued strength of social games The Smurfs' Village and Snoopy's Street Fair, which have "brought Capcom steady fees." Minna to Monhan Card Master, Sengoku BASARA: Card Heroes and Resident Evil: Outbreak Survive were also mentioned as gaining Capcom 2 million new social network site users. Those new friends are sure to make all the other companies jealous.
On Monster Hunter 4's similarities to Dragon's Dogma
This is a column by Kat Bailey dedicated to the analysis of the once beloved Japanese RPG sub-genre. Tune in every Wednesday for thoughts on white-haired villains, giant robots, Infinity+1 swords, and everything else the wonderful world of JRPGs has to offer. Before Dragon's Dogma became a surprise success, the common refrain was that it was Monster Hunter for westerners. The developers expressed surprise, but given the presence of large, roaming beasts and Capcom's role as a publisher, the comparison was perhaps inevitable.Now though, the shoe is very much on the other foot. Over the weekend, Capcom released a new trailer for Monster Hunter 4, and the whiff of Dragon's Dogma was unmistakable. It's not just the fact that you can grapple with monsters, but the overall feel of the whole presentation. All it's missing is B'z and his beautiful, completely nonsensical lyrics.On the whole, Monster Hunter seems to be going for the faster, punchier feel of Dragon's Dogma, home of castle-destroying snake monsters and other beasts. In both the new trailer and last year's trailer, the main character can be seen hopscotching across chasms and swinging across ceilings. He clings to a wall while a dragon-like Tigrex tries to torch him from below. He scales a sheer cliff in pursuit of a beast that looks like a cross between an orangutan and Stitch from Lilo & Stitch fame. And, of course, he is clearly seen hanging for dear life on the back of a dragon while stabbing for all he's worth.%Gallery-149480%
