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Teacher claiming to be Resident Evil ghost composer says Samuragochi isn't deaf
Part-time music teacher Takashi Niigaki said during a televised press conference in Tokyo that he was the ghost composer for Mamoru Samuragochi, the musician credited with scoring Resident Evil and Onimusha, among numerous famous symphonies. Samuragochi, known as "Japan's Beethoven," admitted this week to hiring a ghost composer as far back as 1996, a move he attributed to degenerative hearing loss that left him deaf by age 35. During the hour-long press conference, Niigaki said he didn't believe Samuragochi was deaf, and he "cannot even write musical scores." "I've never felt he was deaf ever since we met," Niigaki said, as reported by AFP. "We carry on normal conversations. I don't think he is (handicapped). At first he acted to me also as if he had suffered hearing loss, but he stopped doing so eventually. He told me, after the music for the video games was unveiled, that he would continue to play the role (of a deaf person)." Niigaki said he had been paid 7 million yen ($70,000) over 20 years of working with Samuragochi, during which he composed 20 pieces. Niigaki said he tried to end this working relationship "a few times," but he claimed Samuragochi threatened suicide if Niigaki stopped composing for him. When Niigaki learned a Winter Olympic hopeful, Daisuke Takahashi, would figure skate to a piece credited to Samuragochi, Niigaki severed ties, he said. "I am an accomplice of Samuragochi because I continued composing just as he demanded, although I knew he was deceiving people," Niigaki said. [Image: AFP, Yoshikazu Tsuno]
Resident Evil, Onimusha soundtrack creator hired a ghost composer
Japanese musician Mamoru Samuragochi has admitted to hiring a ghost composer to assist in scoring the soundtracks for Onimusha, Resident Evil: Director's Cut, and other works that he previously claimed to have written himself. Samuragochi, whom Time magazine once described as a "digital-age Beethoven," suffers from a degenerative hearing condition that worsened as demand for his composing talents increased around 1996. The condition led Samuragochi to commission an unnamed artist to compose more than half of his credited work in the years since. Samuragochi continued to claim credit for commissioned music after becoming completely deaf at the age of 35. His notable commissioned works include "Symphony No.1, Hiroshima" and a sonata accompanying figure skater Daisuke Takahashi at the upcoming 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. "Samuragochi is deeply sorry as he has betrayed fans and disappointed others," reads a statement issued by Samuragochi's lawyers. "He knows he could not possibly make any excuse for what he has done." [Image: Capcom]
Japanese Resident Evil Outbreak, File No. 2 playable online again
Capcom's online multiplayer adaptations of the Resident Evil series, Resident Evil Outbreak and Resident Evil Outbreak File No. 2, are online again thanks to an effort on the Outbreak Server forum led by "the_fog." Unfortunately, you'll need a Japanese copy of the game to join up with a band of survivors. When asked about the odds of the NTSC version of either game getting back online, the_fog said they were "nearly 100% sure that this will not happen." Citing a difference of middleware used for the Japanese and NTSC verisons as well as a lack of data packet captures from the NTSC games, the_fog estimated the process of bringing the NTSC version online would take "a half year or so." Aside from the time and money it would cost, the_fog also discarded the idea by saying the difference in language wasn't a good enough reason to do it. The forum's FAQ lists "functional online lobbies and games" as options for players, as well as support for "different game modes in File [No.] 2 (such as boys only, girls only, and nightmare)." It might be difficult to navigate the involved Japanese text, but this is a great chance for Outbreak fans to relive their glory days, unless Capcom were to make a third entry. [Thanks, CJ!]
The Daily Grind: Are MMO gamers aging out of the genre?
In a recent report, Resident Evil developer Capcom claimed that its playerbase's average age is inching upward and its core users are in their late 30s and 40s, making for the "increasing possibility that some percentage of the existing users will outgrow games altogether." The Resident Evil games aren't MMOs, of course, but journalists and commenters have been suggesting the same pattern for the MMORPG genre for years as a way to explain everything from the rise of "accessible" MMOs to the reduction of grindy time-consuming gameplay to themes seemingly catering to those darn kids on our lawn. Perhaps armchair demographers are wrong and the future holds the promise of retirement homes filled with gaming rigs and World of Warcraft IV. What do you think -- are classic MMO gamers slowly aging out of the genre? Is MMO gaming something we "outgrow," or is it something we're ultimately pushed away from? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Prices plummet on 3DS, Wii U Resident Evil games
To celebrate the spookiest holiday of the year, Capcom has slashed prices on its Nintendo 3DS and Wii U Resident Evil games by a sizable 50 percent. From now until the end of October, prospective bio-weapon slayers will find the Wii U version of Resident Evil Revelations priced at $20 on the console's eShop. The 3DS iteration of Revelations will set you back $10, a price point shared by the handheld Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D. After Halloween, these discounts will drift away like so many discarded Butterfinger wrappers on the streets of suburban America. With discounts in place, should you take this opportunity to add a new Resident Evil adventure to your shelves? That's a tough call. All three of the games included in this discount scheme are relatively middling Resident Evil entries. Our review of Revelations awarded the game 3 of 5 stars, saying that while the 3DS version of the game is impressive, its graphical prowess is notably less stunning on the more powerful Wii U. Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D on the other hand, received 2.5 of 5 stars, and is pithily described as "little more than a fully-priced proof of concept."
PSN chops prices on Walking Dead, Last of Us during Halloween sale
Sony announced an upcoming PlayStation Network sale coinciding with October's spooky festivities, bringing a selection of steep price drops and additional discounts for PlayStation Plus members. During the Sale of the Dead, the first five episodes in Telltale Games' The Walking Dead series can be purchased for just $4.99 ($2.99 for PS Plus members), while an additional $3.49 will get you the newly released sixth episode, 400 Days. Naughty Dog's The Last of Us is reduced to $44.99 ($35.99 for PS Plus), and multiple entries in Capcom's Resident Evil series, including the recent Revelations, get up to a 50 percent price cut. Sony's sale brings additional discounts for lesser-known horror greats like Tecmo's Fatal Frame, the collected Siren: Blood Curse Episodes 1-12, and Sega's The House of the Dead Bundle, which includes HotD 3, 4, and Overkill. May we also suggest checking out Puppeteer at its new sub-$30 price point? It's quite good, and it even has a Halloween-themed level. A full list of price-dropped games is available at the PlayStation blog. The sale kicks off tomorrow, and runs through November 4.
Why Mikami shifted Resident Evil from horror to action
There is a clear line of delineation within the Resident Evil series that splits the games into either the survival-horror camp of the originals, or the more action-focused affairs of Resident Evil 4 and beyond. Series creator Shinji Mikami says this switch in tone was fueled by the reception of the Resident Evil remake for the GameCube. "The Resident Evil remake is actually one of my favorites of the series too. But it didn't sell very well," creator Shinji Mikami tells IGN. "Maybe there weren't many people ready to accept that. Because of the reaction to the Resident Evil remake, I decided to work more action into Resident Evil 4. Resident Evil 4 would have been a more scary, horror-focused game if the remake had sold well." Resident Evil 4 has been displayed to the public in (at least) two distinct forms. There's the Resident Evil 4 we all know and love, but prototype video suggests an experience akin to the slow, hulking pace of the original games. "That all came out of the commercial failure of the Resident Evil remake. And then of course Resident Evil 4 sold really well," Mikami says. "I have kind of a lingering trauma there, because the Resident Evil remake didn't sell – much more than people would think."
Next Resident Evil likely aimed at core fans, says ex-Capcom SVP
Capcom is taking its cue from fan feedback for Resident Evil 6, and the next game in the series is "likely" to appeal more to core fans, according to former senior vice president of marketing Michael Pattison. Speaking to MCV while employed at Capcom, Pattison said the company took notice of calls for the series to focus on survival horror rather than attempt a broader scope. "With Resident Evil 6 specifically, we probably put too much content in there, there were comments from consumers that said it felt bloated," Pattison told MCV. "The Leon missions went down very well, and because we did Resident Evil Revelations on 3DS, there was a cry out for us to focus our attention on survival horror, rather than be too many things to all people. You'll find where we go next will likely be more targeted at our core fanbase." We've clarified with Capcom that Pattison's comments were made to MCV during E3 in June, when he was still employed by the company. According to Pattison's LinkedIn profile, he left Capcom in July and joined Sony Computer Entertainment Europe in August as vice president of third party publisher and developer relations. Resident Evil 6 shifted just under 5 million units in six months, figures that didn't meet the company's projections. It's fair to say the series' switch away from survival horror hasn't gone down well with everyone, although in his his two-and-a-half stars review of Resident Evil 6, Joystiq chief Ludwig Kietzmann said it had the potential to be a great action game: "The problem isn't that Resident Evil is changing direction over time. No, it wants to go in all directions in once."
Resident Evil: Revelations review: Any port in a storm
The 3DS is no graphical slouch. Aside from the glasses-free 3D feature, the system can kick out some impressive scenery, and it did so with last year's Resident Evil Revelations, a well-made little horror shooter in a series that's been looking for a lifeboat lately. After launching Resident Evil 6 fewer than six months ago, Capcom seems to think HD platforms need even more Resident Evil love, and so this week Revelations hits Xbox 360, PS3, Windows PCs, and the Wii U. Playing it in enhanced form on an HD console, however, feels just a little goofy. The textures do look excellent, but the game's models are clearly made for a more lightweight graphics engine, which means you get characters with hair frozen in place and enemies with just a few animations to use over and over again. Revelations was made for a handheld machine, and its designers cut corners that the other platforms would have let them curve around more gracefully. But Revelations' saving grace is that it's a Resident Evil game, and it's a good Resident Evil game at that. For that reason, fans of the series who missed out the first time around will probably appreciate the chance to see it for themselves.%Gallery-188861%
Resident Evil: Revelations DLC characters, upgrades outlined
Resident Evil: Revelations launches this week and Capcom has promised some DLC. It starts on June 4 with the Resistance and Enhancement sets for 160 MS Points ($2), each including six different weapon upgrades. Then, on June 11, Capcom will issue two additional characters for use in Raid mode: Rachel Ooze and Lady Hunk. Each character costs 240 MS Points ($3). Resident Evil: Revelations is a remake of the 3DS game bearing the same name launched by Capcom in early 2012. Bridging the story between Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5, Revelations follows series regulars Jill and Chris, and takes place aboard a derelict cruise liner called the SS Queen Zenobia. A free demo has been available to all on Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U and Steam since last week.%Gallery-188861%
Lost Planet 3 pre-order bonuses include Hunk, robo-accessories
Pre-ordering Lost Planet 3 at GameStop will grant five "unique" multiplayer characters, a squad which includes gas mask-wearing soldier "Hunk" from any number of Resident Evil games. The player also receives some Rig (read: giant robot) upgrades, specifically a "tungsten carbide drill" hand and a big ol' "pressurized claw" for squeezing space bugs and (we assume) other, less interesting applications.Lost Planet 3 arrives on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC on Tuesday, August 27.%Gallery-186786% %Gallery-186787%
Resident Evil series on sale on European PS Store this week
Starting with today's PSN content dump in Europe and running until March 27, select entries in the Resident Evil series will be on sale. Some games are available piecemeal, but the remainder must be acquired in special bundles – like Resident Evil, Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3, combined here for €14.99 (£11.99).Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil: Code Veronica X are also bundled together for €19.99 (£15.99), while several other games have been knocked down to €14.99 (£10.99) each: Operation Raccoon City, the gold edition of Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil: Chronicles HD Collection – the HD Move-compatible port of both Chronicles games originally released on the Wii. Sorry, UK, Chronicles HD will cost you an extra quid, at £10.99.The latest entry in the series, Resident Evil 6, is €24.99 (£19.99). Finally, a bundle that includes all of this is available for €69.99 (£59.99). No word on whether PlayStation Plus members will see additional discounts on these items, though we've contacted Sony for clarification.Remember: the sale doesn't start until tomorrow, after the PlayStation Store update. Don't go accidentally buying any of this stuff now, because if there's one thing everyone knows about you, it's that you're totally not a chump at all.
Resident Evil 6 (the movie) set for late 2014
The Resident Evil movie franchise is an out-of-control subterranean money train that just won't stop, with the next installment expected next year. ShockTillYouDrop reports star Milla Jovovich and husband/director Paul W.S. Anderson will begin shooting this fall for a September 12, 2014 debut date. The movie doesn't currently have a fancy subtitle.Since the movies aren't actually numbered and should be enjoyed simply for what they are, the order goes: Resident Evil, Apocalypse, Extinction, Afterlife and Retribution.Resident Evil: Retribution reportedly cost $65 million to make and grossed $221 million worldwide. Yes, Michelle Rodriguez was back in it. Yes, it was somehow explained. No, we can't recall the reason. Clearly we aren't on the same page on how these movies should be enjoyed.
Achievements suggest 'Resident Evil: Revelations Unveiled Edition' for 360
Back in November, Korean ratings board GRB posted listings for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Resident Evil: Revelations; a port that Capcom has yet to officially announce in any capacity. Now, purported achievements for the 360 version have surfaced, listing the game's full title as Resident Evil: Revelations Unveiled Edition.The achievements themselves reveal little, beyond the fact that both Campaign and Raid modes will make the jump from handheld to console, should this all shake out. As intrigued as we are, the idea of a 3DS to console port brings up many questions, though the fact that the word "revelations" is spelled correctly is promising. We've reached out to Capcom for comment.
Resident Evil 6 ships over 4.5 million copies worldwide
4.5 million copies of Resident Evil 6 shuffled onto retail shelves worldwide for the game's launch, Capcom announced today. Along with the shipment figures, the company revealed a total of 50 million sales for the Resident Evil franchise as of June 2012.Of course, shipping figures are not the same as sales figures, but that doesn't stop Capcom from proclaiming the numbers prove Resident Evil is "just as popular today as it was 15 years ago when the first title made its debut." Our review of Resident Evil 6, along with the overall consensus of the press and indications from the public, suggests current popularity isn't so clear cut.
Seen@TGS: Your very own end of the world
We're all for accessorizing and taking advantage of pertinent merchandising opportunities and everything, but maybe selling individual, snack-size vials of the world's most-dangerous substance isn't the best idea? Maybe you should sell the apocalypse for more than $20, is what we're saying.On a related note, we bought one and now we can't find it or the dog, so maybe now would be a good time to invest in crowbars.
Resident Evil 6 to use free online stat service, ResidentEvil.net
Resident Evil 6 will be supplemented by ResidentEvil.net, a free online service that "tracks stats, Mercs scores and compares them to friends and others," Capcom revealed at its Gamescom press conference today.Capcom is building a smartphone app for ResidentEvil.net and will host online events, complete with a "championship belt" for the winner that will be passed on to subsequent victors.
PSN Tuesday: Dyad
Sure, there are other goodies to explore in PSN's weekly update today, but we'd be remiss if we didn't say: Dyad. Seriously, guys, read our review. We like Dyad a whole lot. Joining Dyad on the PSN side are a pair of Resident Evil games: Umbrella Chronicles and Darkside Chronicles, both available for $14.99 each.PS Plus members get some free PSOne Classics to download this week, while those with some cash to burn can snag full PS3 downloads of Crysis 2 and Record of Agarest War 2. Plenty of games are on sale this week, too, including Fight Night Champion and Marvel vs Capcom 2. For the full list of this week's content, hit up the source link below.
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City gets patched
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City has received a patch, one that addresses issues with the game's online matchmaking system and AI, as well as various other fixes, according to a post at Capcom Unity. The post didn't elaborate on how exactly the matchmaking system has been changed, just that "matchmaking from invites" has been improved, as have ally and enemy AI behaviors.More fundamental gameplay changes have also been made: Players can now pick up items while dashing and take cover immediately after a dive, for instance, and "various elements of weaponry, including ammo count, knockdown distance, weapon respawn times" have been changed in undisclosed ways. Peep the full list of changes after the break.[Thanks, Gregory!]
Japan's Resident Evil 6 bundle costs $1,300: nets you a leather jacket, doesn't make you cool
Engadget has seen plenty of limited edition items looking to lighten the wallets of oil barons and hedge fund managers alike. Now Capcom's readying its bundle for Resident Evil 6's Japan launch and it includes protagonist Leon's leather jacket -- available in sizes S, M, L and XL. A complete set of as-yet unrevealed "tablet cases", supposedly emblazoned with character designs will also arrive in the set, as those wealthy enough to afford the 104,000 yen ($1,300) set presumably have at least four devices to garnish with Resident Evil livery. Japanese one-percenters can hit up the preorder site -- with their choice of jacket size -- at the source below.