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DmC: Devil May Cry gameplay footage has its eye on you
Demons are pretty resourceful, sure, but we never knew they understood what CCTV is. What's next, demons with iPods and Facebook pages?
Rumor: Ninja Theory invites top Devil May Cry players to try DmC
If you're part of a niche group of people, you can possibly take an early stab at Ninja Theory's controversial reboot, DmC: Devil May Cry. According to a post on NeoGAF, an invitation is hitting the inboxes of some of the top Devil May Cry players, offering to pay for travel and hook them up with a free lunch in exchange for some input on the new game. However, Ninja Theory has yet to confirm any invites have been sent. A similar thread on the developer's own forums lacks any comment and our solicitations have gone unanswered thus far. We'll let you know if there really is such a thing as a free lunch.
DmC screens are PfC (pretty freaking crazy)
We know that you folks probably prefer the butter-smooth motion of trailers to the stagnant medium of screenshots, but the DmC: Devil May Cry screens posted below have more sizzle in their 10 frames than most promo videos do in their entirety.
DMC's Dante sequestered in a separate universe
For its Devil May Cry game, Ninja Theory somewhat boldly reimagined the revered protagonist, Dante, changing his appearance and his backstory. And now, to assuage the surprisingly irritated Devil May Cry fanbase, Ninja Theory assured Dengeki PlayStation that this version of Dante is from a parallel continuity separate from that of the white-haired Dante-Prime. That means that the Dante you know and love can continue in his own universe, and potentially in future Devil May Cry games, while Dante of Earth 2 splits off in a different direction. It also means that there's an official Devil May Cry "canon," which somebody has actually put thought into. In fact, there are two now.
Dante takes on the surrealist carnival in latest DMC trailer
You've seen Dante take on some smaller demons, sure, but have you seen him take on a giant beast in a terrifying surrealist carnival? Neither had we until the just released Devil May Cry trailer from TGS 2011 arrived, but now we're feeling like maybe Dante's in deeper than we'd originally thought.
Ninja Theory head wary of AAA retail model, despite following it with DMC
"We're putting everything into it, the whole studio is focused on it. It's not 'knock it out because it's safe', we're taking some of our biggest risks on this project, we're doing some of our most creative work on it," Ninja Theory co-founder and "chief creative ninja" Tameem Antoniades told GamesIndustry.biz in a recent interview, when asked about his studio's latest project, Devil May Cry. "In fact, Capcom wouldn't have given it to us if they wanted a straight sequel, they wanted something new," he added. He noted all of this before he stated that "there's this stranglehold that the AAA retail model has which I think is just crushing innovation and access to creative content." But wait, isn't Antoniades' studio currently hard at work on a reboot of a AAA retail franchise for a major publisher? "We're in this kind of AAA bracket, I guess you could call it ... the barriers to entry for that are so high, so difficult, that we seem to be getting, being offered, decent work in that area," he explained. "It's hard to say no when you've got a team of 100 and you have to keep the payroll going." So, Antoniades believes that AAA retail games are "crushing innovation and access to creative content," but that his studio is developing a AAA retail game that features "some of our most creative work." Yup.
Devil May Cry preview: From black to white
With any luck, you'll forgive me for not having spent dozens of hours learning the fine mechanics of past Devil May Cry games. Action games of the extra hardcore variety never quite appealed to me (outside of Ninja Gaiden, perhaps). But games like Bayonetta have gone a long way in convincing me I've been wrong all along, and Ninja Theory's take on Devil May Cry may just push me over the edge. Though Capcom's focus for the demo was DMC's combat system, I found myself most impressed by the malignant world of limbo that surrounded Dante.%Gallery-130743%
Devil May Cry screens and trailer ('cause humans do care)
And they thought DmC: Devil May Cry was gonna change just because Dante got a haircut -- and a dye job when the devil trigger goes off. SHAME ON THEM!
Namco: Enslaved was launched at the wrong time
Hindsight being 20/20, Namco Bandai's execs had some choice things to say about Ninja Theory's Enslaved, a game that was hailed by many critics but failed to garner commercial success. President Makoto Iwai told Siliconera that despite the poor sales figures, he's proud of the publisher's ability to get it off the ground. "Results are everything for a business unit, so we have to face it. But, we are proud of ourselves for being able to launch that game," he said. But the most telling comments came from VP of marketing, Carlson Choi, who pegged it all on poor timing. "It launched in the midst of a busy holiday season." He went on to say that while the game "had the quality needed to address gamers," it ultimately came down to "getting into the market at the right time." When it launched on October 5, Enslaved had some tough competition in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, Def Jam Rapstar, NBA Jam and NBA 2K11 that week alone -- the following weeks would see the launch of several big hitters, including Medal of Honor, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit and, of course, Call of Duty: Black Ops. As for the prospect of an Enslaved sequel, Choi isn't ruling it out. "I can assure you, a title like Enslaved, and every title we've worked on in the past, we're going to re-examine them and say what is the potential for the game?" Namco showed interest in a sequel back in October, but that was before the sales figures came in.
Enslaved underperforms with 460,000 sold worldwide
Well, it seems as though Namco Bandai's strategy of half-heartedly promoting the excellent Enslaved has worked just as planned, with the game selling 460,000 units across the globe in the three months following its release. It was originally predicted to move a million units, though that was revised to 800K by Namco in November. We know it's sad, but we can hope for a silver lining (and some corporate foresight) in the dark cloud on which Monkey finds himself. Dead Space sold under a half-million in the month after its release, and now you can't swing a cat without hitting a disembodied necromorph limb. Here's hoping Monkey finds the same sort success later in life -- and if not in a sequel, perhaps in another game like it. Developer Ninja Theory is now hard at work on DMC, a reboot of Capcom's Devil May Cry series.
Enslaved dev diary explores Pigsy's fascination with 'The Perfect 10'
If there's anything this developer diary for the upcoming Enslaved DLC, "Pigsy's Perfect 10," has taught us, it's don't judge a book by its cover. The guy just wants a friend and he'll do what it takes to earn one -- er, build one, in this case.
Pig out on these new screens of Enslaved's Pigsy DLC
Enslaved's sharp-shooting porktagonist, Pigsy, is looking for love -- in all the wrong places, evidently. Instead, these new shots from Ninja Theory's upcoming DLC, "Pigsy's Perfect 10," suggest that the portly fellow finds a lot of angry mechs bent on roasting his rump.
Bad sign, good deal: Enslaved for $25 on Amazon
For those who haven't bought Enslaved: This morning, you have a great opportunity to get on at the bottom floor of this exciting new IP, thanks to a killer deal on Amazon that'll net you the first game in the series for just $25. Hurry, and make sure you're prepared for the next step in this exciting franchise! For those who own Enslaved: OK, we're not going to lie to you. This isn't a good sign. We know what we told those other guys, but we have no idea if there's going to be another Enslaved. It certainly doesn't look good, does it? But if we're going to get the sequel we so richly deserve, we'll have to convince others that there's still hope, and that might require us saying some things we're not strictly proud of. If you don't have the stomach for it, we assume you can find the door.
Enslaved DLC trailer explores Pigsy's motives
If it wasn't clear why everyone says Enslaved: Odyssey to the West has great voice acting, the latest trailer for its upcoming DLC, starring the game's playable sidekick Pigsy, shows it off at its best. Head past the break to see for yourself.
Enslaved DLC adds 3D, has Pigsy looking for love
The critically well-received action adventure Enslaved's first piece of premium DLC will include "Pigsy's Perfect 10," a playable side-story, and add TriOviz 3D support to the game. Namco Bandai announced today that the $10 (800 Microsoft Points) DLC will be available "later this year" on PlayStation Network and Xbox 360. Pigsy, the zaftig companion of svelte Enslaved characters Monkey and Trip, will encounter an adventure focused on "stealth and sharp-shooting." As long as there are no long stairways or narrow columns, we figure he'll be just fine. The quest will involve Pigsy assembling parts to create the "perfect woman." The DLC will add 3D to both the new side story and the original game. So, be sure to save up your dirty clothes, because once Monkey's in 3D you'll be able to do your laundry on those washboard abs.
Capcom: Dante redesign controversy raises DMC's visibility
The reaction to Dante's new look for the Devil May Cry reboot had Capcom asking, "Why so serious?" The publisher's VP of Strategic Planning and Biz Dev. Christian Svensson told IGN that the company knew Dante's new look would bring a "knee-jerk reaction from fans." He said, "To be fair, I think some of the strategy here was to create that discussion and dialogue, and I think it drastically raises the visibility of the title versus if we had just done another Dante." He explained the original concepts that came back for the new Dante were too close to the flamboyant source material. Capcom's Keiji Inafune and Hideaki Itsuno weren't having any of that and told the team to, according to Svensson, be "much more creative." Svensson explains that, "This is meant to be an origin story, so this is Dante before you knew who Dante was." Wait, you mean he was more than that guy with the white hair, wearing a red leather trench coat? Surprising, 'cause that's all we can seem to remember about him.
Amazon offering a thrifty robopocalypse, selling Enslaved for $50
If you're part of the growing sect of gamers who don't buy new titles at launch because you know they'll get marked down by $10 on Amazon within a few weeks -- well, your patience has been rewarded. The online retailer's now selling Enslaved: Odyssey to the West for $50 on PS3 and 360. Enslaved: Odyssey to the West (PS3 and 360) -- $49.99, down from $59.99 Update: As some of you have pointed out, this offer won't last long -- it's currently being extended as Amazon's current Deal of the Day. Act fast, if you plan to act at all! [Thanks, MarkHawk!]
Enslaved launch trailer Monkeys around
In case our sterling review of Enslaved: Odyssey to the West wasn't visually stimulating enough for you, please take some time to enjoy the launch trailer. With its beautiful landscapes, interesting characters and cavalcade of menacing robots, we believe you'll be glad you did.
Heavenly Sword 2 could have gone to Hell
With Enslaved now wrapped up, Ninja Theory's Tameem Antoniades answered a few questions from VG247's readers. One asked about the possible direction a sequel to the team's previous game, Heavenly Sword, could take. (Spoiler alert!) The death of the first game's heroine, Nariko, obviously poses a challenge. According to Antoniades, one idea had players discovering Nariko "trapped in Hell by the spirit of the sword." Coming to her rescue would be Kai, playable in the real world and somehow able to "communicate with Nariko and try and help rescue her soul." Fascinatingly, the potential sequel would have played with the movement of time -- one day in Hell represents a year on Earth -- and as such, Kai would transform from "teenage girl to old woman" throughout the course of the game. The Voices of a Distant Star approach to the game's storytelling could have made for an interesting, thought-provoking journey. (Certainly more so than EA's Dante's Inferno.) However, it's unlikely this concept will ever come to fruition. Last we heard, Ninja Theory is no longer involved with the series.
Ninja Theory hasn't planned Enslaved sequel, but 'would like something to happen'
Following the completion of Enslaved: Odyssey to the West (and its release this week), Ninja Theory has turned to the next project on its plate, DmC: Devil May Cry. However, studio head Tameem Antoniades tells Eurogamer that an Enslaved sequel isn't entirely off the table. In fact, Antoniades says the studio has the "capacity to do two games." "The thinking from the beginning was not to assume there would be a sequel -- just to put everything into this game. It's a new IP, so let's not plan for a sequel because the chances are we'll only disappoint ourselves. So we mentally prepared for that -- we've not planned for a sequel. But if it gains some traction, I'd like to see something happen." Before there's any sequel talk, people will have to buy the game, of course. And Enslaved is going up against some stiff competition as the fall season ramps up; beginning this week with Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. But, hey, even if a sequel's ruled out, at least there will be DLC.
