Sleeping Dogs
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Sleeping Dogs PC has high-res texture pack, multi-monitor support
Sleeping Dogs on the PC has some exclusive graphical bonuses – and not like stickers to slap on your rig, mind you. United Front Games' PC port will launch with a high-resolution texture pack for those crisp visuals, and support for multi-monitor displays. (But will it run on Batman's setup?)If you pre-order Sleeping Dogs through Steam ahead of its August 14 launch, you'll get 10 percent off the final asking price, bringing it down to $44.99. Finally, Square Enix has also released the minimum and recommended specs for Sleeping Dogs, which we've gone ahead and published below the break.%Gallery-162100%
Watch Sleeping Dogs go all CSI in new walkthrough video
In Sleeping Dogs, from Vancouver-based developer United Front Games, you play as an undercover police officer investigating gangs throughout Hong Kong. In a new walkthrough video, you can check out some of the available side quests in the game; namely, police investigations.
Sleeping Dogs gets limited edition in Hong Kong
Clearly, Hong Kong gamers are getting the bost bang for their buck when it comes to the limited edition of Sleeping Dogs. Square Enix is tossing in four different content packs and enveloping Sleeping Dogs in some custom packaging, according to Siliconera.The George St-Pierre pack is modeled after the MMA fighter of the same name, and includes the fighter's signature outfit and "flying punch" move for use in-game, and increased throw and grapple damage. The Police Protection pack unlocks an exclusive mission, SWAT car, SWAT outfit and rifle. The Martial Arts pack unlocks a shaolin warrior outfit and training dummy granting combat buffs. Finally, the Deep Undercover pack gives players a special undercover car and "plain clothes" costume, making it harder for criminals to detect undercover officer and protagonist Wei Shen.Our more astute readers will recognize all of these packs as pre-order bonuses for various retailers here in the US, announced back in April. Sleeping Dogs – Hong Kong Edition will launch in Hong Kong on August 17 for 388 HKD, which comes out to about 50 US dollars.
Square Enix bringing FFXIV, Lara, Agent 47, Sleeping Dogs guy to Gamescom
Square Enix has announced its Gamescom 2012 lineup, and all of its big names look to be attending. Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn seems to be headlining the event, with on-stage gameplay promised alongside signing sessions by producer and director Naoki Yoshida (will every autograph come with an apology?). Gamescom will also play host to the first European hands-on sessions with Tomb Raider, Hitman: Absolution and Sleeping Dogs.Also on display will be the upcoming PC re-release of Final Fantasy 7 and the retro-styled mobile title Final Fantasy Dimensions.
Just Cause 2 players get bonus threads in Sleeping Dogs
Sleeping Dogs players with a Just Cause 2 game save on their hard drive will find the duds of Just Cause's Rico "King of Chaos" Rodriguez in the closet of Sleeping Dogs protagonist Wei Shen. Wonder how that happened? Slashfic incoming!Wearing the clothes of Just Cause's Rodriguez will give Shen a boost to his hijack ability and allow him to "perform stunt-style takeovers of enemy vehicles from an even greater distance." The no-cost bonus will be available at launch on August 14 across all formats. %Gallery-161088%
Sleeping Dogs walkthrough is really slammin'
Sleeping Dogs? Great, another open world game about gangsters. We've seen all this bef... wait, did that guy just slam a dude's head in a car door? Did he vault over cover while simultaneously disarming someone? Did he jump off a moving motorcycle and hijack a car? Yes, yes he did.
A lot of actors are lending their pipes to Sleeping Dogs
Sleeping Dogs has a lot of talent behind its themes of Chinese thug life and a (more western-oriented)Yakuza-inspired storyline. Voice actors for Sleeping Dogs include Lucy Liu, Edison Chen, Chin Han, Lindsay Price and... is that... Emma Stone? Huh.
Raid, Ruin, Sleep, and Dream with Square Enix at Comic-Con
Square Enix is going to be basically everywhere at San Diego Comic-Con this weekend, with playable demos in multiple locations, panels, and various other events. The booth (number 3829) will host demos of Hitman Absolution, Kingdom Hearts 3D, Sleeping Dogs, and Tomb Raider.In addition, Kingdom Hearts and Heroes of Ruin will be at the "Nintendo Lounge" at the Marriott Marquis & Marina. Square games will also be on display at the GameSpot Gameroom, Spike booth, and the Xbox Lounge.In addition to all that, Square Enix will sponsor the "Nerd HQ" event and show off its games there, including over 20 playable Tomb Raider demo stations. There will also be a Tomb Raider panel on Saturday, a Hitman "photo sniping contest," a cosplay event, and several other ways to spend your whole Comic-Con only looking at one publisher's video game lineup.
Georges St-Pierre walks you through Sleeping Dogs combat
In this new trailer for Sleeping Dogs, Square Enix has asked UFC fighter (and current welterweight champ) Georges St-Pierre to show off the game's melee fighting system.
Sleeping Dogs receives adults-only rating in Japan
Sleeping Dogs, the upcoming Hong Kong-based gritty action title from Square Enix received a Z rating from the Japanese rating organization CERO (the equivalent of an AO rating from the ESRB). As a result, the game will be modified for Japanese audiences, particularly to penalize players for attacking civilians, according to CVG.Additionally, a sex scene in the game will be softened, and the game won't include a character that signals the start of a street race. Z-rated games in Japan are not displayed on store shelves, so buyers will have to ask for the game by name at retail store counters (much like the Xbox 360 version of No More Heroes: Heroes' Paradise). The practice of adapting a game for Japanese audiences isn't uncommon, as THQ's Homefront shipped without Kim Jong-il images in 2011.Sleeping Dogs received a Mature rating from the ESRB, and is set to launch on August 14 in North America.
The true story of Sleeping Dogs' non-True Crime origins
We know how Activision dropped United Front's True Crime: Hong Kong, but what we found interesting during a meeting about the game at E3 2012 is that Sleeping Dogs wasn't even created as a True Crime title to begin with."One misconception is we were True Crime from the get-go," said Dan Sochan, producer at United Front Games. "We were a new [intellectual property] from the get-go. Our own story, own characters and gameplay features. After working on it for a couple years, Activision decided it wanted to reboot the True Crime franchise."Sochan explained the story, characters and features didn't change through the transitions."In terms of of our initial vision for the game nothing has changed. From new IP "Black Lotus," to True Crime to Sleeping Dogs, that has always remained intact."
Sleeping Dogs E3 video, screens prove once again it's no wuss
Square Enix's Sleeping Dogs has a classic storyline -- tough guy with tattoos gets mixed up with the wrong sort, visits some strip clubs, drives fast cars and punches some dudes -- but as its E3 trailer shows, Sleeping Dogs has something more to offer: Power drills to the thigh. Ouch.%Gallery-157127%
Meet Hong Kong's Yaku ... er, Triads in the latest Sleeping Dogs trailer
United Front Games' Sleeping Dogs seems awfully reminiscent of another open-world, minigame-filled action game with a connection to another well-known Asian mafia, but we just can't seem to put our finger on it. Perhaps you can help identify the mystery inspiration?
This Sleeping Dogs trailer is pretty violent, you guys
We're all for a good bit of Hong Kong-style fisticuffs, but why would you ever slam a guy's face into an active table saw? That's totally uncalled for, Sleeping Dogs guy!
Sleeping Dogs awaken on August 14; pre-order bonuses defined
Hong Kong-based action game Sleeping Dogs will launch at retail on August 14. Publisher Square Enix announced the game's launch date this morning alongside news of three separate pre-order bonuses tied to three separate retailers: Best Buy, GameStop, and Amazon.Should you choose to go the brick-and-mortar route, Best Buy is offering the "Georges St. Pierre Pack," which features a trio of GSP-related gear and moves (his "signature flying punch," for instance). GameStop is similarly offering a slew of in-game content, dubbed the "Police Protection Pack. As you might imagine, it comes with a variety of police officer-themed gear. Finally, Amazon has the "Martial Arts Pack," which ... well ... you get it at this point, right? For full listings of all the gear, head past the break.Oh, and if you're a PC gamer wondering what your fancy pre-order bonus is, know that Square Enix hasn't forgotten about you: "Exclusive content for the digitally downloadable PC version of Sleeping Dogs will be announced at a later date," the press release reads.
MMA fighter Georges St-Pierre consulting on Sleeping Dogs
Square Enix has enlisted the help of UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre (aka GSP), who will now be contributing his expertise on punching/grappling dudes to Sleeping Dogs. While GSP is said to be working on "multiple elements" of the Hong Kongian crime thriller, we have an inkling that he'll be lending the majority of his vast, worldly knowledge to the game's combat systems. Actually, now that we've remembered how huge his bulging muscles are and how easily he could grind our puny frames into a fine mist, we suppose its entirely possible that GSP could be consulting on the game's art direction, or acting as a continuity editor for the script. In fact, forget we ever implied anything to the contrary.
Try Hitman, Theatrhythm, and more Square games at PAX East
PAX East attendees will have plenty of Square Enix-themed stuff to do -- which probably won't conflict with your most important appointment. Visitors to the company's booth will get to try two anticipated 3DS games: Heroes of Ruin and the just-announced Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, along with Sleeping Dogs, Quantum Conundrum, Risen 2, and Wakfu, which can't possibly be as much fun as its own name.To learn more about shooting people (in Square Enix games), you can also attend a Hitman: Absolution panel and gameplay demo on Saturday, and a Hitman/Sleeping Dogs party on Friday night. Find more details after the break.
Sleeping Dogs sets the scene with new story trailer
If this story trailer for Sleeping Dogs has taught us anything, it's that the tattoo industry in Asia is booming right now.
A Calculated Risk: Why Square Enix Can't Put 'Sleeping Dogs' Down
"It was not a happy time, as you can probably imagine."Producer Jeff O'Connell conveys the grim atmosphere reigning over the developers at United Front Games, moments after losing their publisher and months before their ambitious open-world game could stand in a lineup with other free-roaming felons. Activision wanted a bold return for its True Crime franchise, but decided to pull the plug in February 2010. The protracted effort just wasn't guaranteed to conclude at the top of the genre.Enter: Square Enix London Studios, a division of Square Enix Europe (formerly Eidos). At about 20 members it's a much smaller group than the Vancouver-based United Front, which had close to 180 employees at the peak of True Crime development. "We're a pretty small, tight group," says General Manager Lee Singleton. "I think, actually, a couple of years ago I did the math and I think the average amount of industry experience is like 15 or 16 years or something. We're all pretty seasoned guys."United Front can whip out a similar resume, built on familial qualities. "We consider ourselves very close-knit," O'Connell says. "I'm sure a lot of these studios say they consider themselves a family, and we do, and we do things to foster that kind of feeling. We have a lot of events, and even though we're a very young studio, we're a very experienced studio." The studio began with Modnation Racers, a vibrant, approachable racing game built with Sony, but incorporates veterans from Bully, Prototype and the Need for Speed franchise."Meeting Square, which we did very shortly after the game was canceled -- and I'm probably going to use some corny expression -- was like a bright light," O'Connell says. "Right away, we met those guys and I think we just clicked with them. It's one thing for people to come in and love the game, which they did, and it's another thing for people to come in and just get along with them incredibly well and go out for drinks and meals with them, and just have a really fantastic time, and have them in the studio and have them ask questions or make suggestions, and have that show their depth of understanding." If that run-on sentence isn't indicative of real enthusiasm about this relationship, we don't know what is.%Gallery-147901%
Square Enix's 'Sleeping Dogs' to launch in August 2012, looks True Crime-esque [update]
Update: Square Enix has confirmed Sleeping Dogs, the reincarnation of True Crime: Hong Kong. The publisher sent out a new live-action trailer and notes the game will be available "in the second half of 2012." It's still being developed by United Front Games.Original: "Sleeping Dogs" isn't lying down, shifting from trademark to passively announced title. Canadian retailer Future Shop's official gaming Twitter account posted a poster for Square Enix's Sleeping Dogs and announced an expected launch of August 2012 for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. It notes the game will be available to pre-order soon.Given the art, the game may not be a Kane & Lynch follow-up as first speculated, but possibly the reincarnation of True Crime: Hong Kong. Activision cancelled the latest True Crime installment last February, with CEO Eric Hirshberg telling us, "The finished product was not going to be at the top of that genre."Then, last August, Square Enix picked up the rights to the game, but not the True Crime intellectual property, meaning the publisher would need to rename the game before putting it out there. It appears Square Enix is making moves to solve this Chinese puzzle box very soon.
