All Topics Gaming older than one year ago

Capcom isn't exactly known for its generous support of DLC. But with the impending release of the very first Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition DLC this week, Capcom is giving everyone a free surprise on the Xbox Live Marketplace. Available for download now, the "Extra Figures" pack will add figures like Barry and Rebecca to your in-game statue collection ... "all for the affordable price of a free download!"

We've learned from plenty of schoolyard beatings that the only thing worse than being caught playing with action figures ... is being caught playing with action figures that aren't even real. We'll be doing this discreetly.

Download: Resident Evil 5: Extra Figures

[Thanks, Cj! Via Hell Descent]

If a batch of positive reviews has yet to sway you toward picking up Darksiders, THQ and developer Vigil Games are hoping to change that by means of a demo planned to hit Xbox Live and PlayStation Network on February 25. Not just any demo, mind you, but one its publisher claims will "take approximately 90 minutes to complete for the average player." That claim is backed up by the fact that it will include the entire first dungeon -- which is home to two bosses -- from the retail release.

Vigil general manager David Adams explains in the demo's announcement that the dev "really wanted to give gamers a true idea of the variety of gameplay that the game offers," adding, "rather than just making a standard 20-minute demo version of the first few levels, we decided to give away this massive level and reveal the true essence of the game."

Here's what we want you to do. Bookmark this post, then, once the demo hits, come back here and leave a comment letting us know how long it took you to complete. Nothing official-like, but it'll be fun to put THQ's estimate to the test. Just remember -- it said "for the average player." We know you're all well above-average.

Collect hundreds of summoning cards and use them to call forth allies that will fight alongside your player.

Currently in Australia there is no R18+ classification category for computer games, and games containing these high levels of sex and violence are illegal. However the Rudd government has released a discussion paper to gauge whether the Australian community wants R18+ games to be permitted. The 16 page Discussion Paper gives arguments for [...]

Acclaimed developer to take fans behind-the-scenes of the development of its all-new real-time strategy game.

click to PoP into the gallery
Want to see what Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands will look like on Wii? You're going to have to wait a while longer. In the meantime, you can enjoy some ridiculously high-res screenshots that Ubisoft says are the Wii version. We like their optimism.

In addition to these outrageous screens, Ubi released some new info about the game, which sounds both believable and neat. The levels will have alternate paths, some of which require acrobatics and crazy sand powers to access. The press release specifies 15 hours of gameplay in addition to unlockables, secret paths, and such.

The actual Wii version, which we're guessing will display in actual Wii resolution, will be out May 18.

Premiere look at Rockstar's detective thriller.

Get a look at the second Assassin's Creed II add-on.

Seriously Nintendo, this has gone on long enough. Moving into this digital distribution era without a Virtual Console service for the DSi is absolutely ridiculous. The Wii supports numerous legacy platforms through the Virtual Console, yet the DSi can’t even manage to bring in Game Boy support? This is something that would [...]

Nintendo DS polaroid by Roger Fung It’s pretty amazing just how simple it is to turn an everyday object into a classy piece of art. This piece of work makes the DS Lite look downright dignified.

IRVINE, CALIFORNIA — FEBRUARY 16, 2010 — Atlus U.S.A., Inc. today announced that Shiren the Wanderer™ for Wii™, the new entry in the long heralded Shiren series, is now available in retailers across North America. This new chapter in the legendary franchise stands as one of the most addictive, highly rewarding, and endlessly replayable [...]

SAN FRANCISCO – February 16, 2010 – Today Ubisoft® unveiled new details for the upcoming release of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands™ for the Wii™ system from Nintendo. Developed by Ubisoft’s Quebec City Studio and built entirely from the ground up, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands utilizes the full graphical capabilities of the [...]

The Virtual Boy didn’t get a fair shot, in my opinion. Nintendo cut their losses and backed out of the system, that I understand. I just wish that they weren’t so business-like about it. It’s a silly thing to say, because Nintendo is indeed a business. They’re out there to make [...]

The latest salvo of announcements for panels and presentations taking place at the Game Developers Conference was recently launched, revealing sessions focusing on a wide range of topics. Said topics include OnLive, Shadow Complex, the Smithsonian's admittance of video games, Blizzard's philosophy on game design, and a panel titled "Introducing the PlayStation Motion Controller." We're pretty sure we're already acquainted, thanks -- though we wouldn't mind if you'd finally tell us the damn thing's name.

Check out the full list of scheduled speeches on GDC's interactive site. Just don't look too hard for that special session which allows you to dine on the finest of breakfast cereals. That one will be at the other March gaming convention.

Authentic military shooter brings immersive, high-quality console experience with rich visual graphics, enhanced gameplay features and all-new 4-player co-op mode.

Ubisoft's Quebec City studio to deliver a new Prince of Persia adventure built from the ground up for the Wii system.

Ubisoft's Quebec city studio to deliver a new Prince of Persia adventure built from the ground up for the Wii.

Famous teen detective turns 80, celebrates with new game based on 'Model' book trilogy.

Did you expect any less? Did you expect that there would be a movie called Toy Story 3 and that there wouldn't be an Avalanche Software-developed tie-in game available on Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC, DS and PSP? Oh, yeah, there's an iPhone/iPod Touch app too that should arrive with the others on June 15.

For all our macho posturing, we're actually intrigued by a touted "Toy Box" mode which is supposed to be an "open-world, sandbox style of play." What does Disney mean by that? Well, according to the release, it's "designed to replicate the universal experience of playing with toys as a kid" and "brings cowboys, space rangers, dinosaurs, and little green aliens together to create adventures only possible in a child's imagination. Kids, families and fans will dive into Andy's toy box with creativity driving their own stories and adventures."

... Guys, if you haven't designed that part yet, just say so. It's OK, you've got plenty of time.

Post-holiday release had little effect on sales.

Become the president of your own banana republic.

We frequently tried to find ways to keep ourselves occupied during the days we spent probing planets for precious, precious minerals in Mass Effect 2, but largely came up empty-handed. You can only scan Uranus so many times before it loses its comedic value, you know? If only we'd followed the cue of YouTube rap sensation Kabuto the Python, who spent his mining moments crafting rhymes and beats, then combining the two into a single package which we feel comfortable calling a rap song. Check the NSFW track after the jump.

Jon Blyth discovers Big Sisters really are doing it for themselves.

Pre-orders for the European release of BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger will get an "upgrade" to a limited edition package at no extra cost. The LE contains a 100-page art book and a bonus DVD with two hours of "detailed tutorial guides." The LE is available for pre-order at Amazon, GAME, Gamestation, HMV, and Play.com with an official release date of "mid-March."

The non-monetary cost for all these extras: the covering of the European box art with a plain slipcover. The art for the regular edition was painted by Daniel Lam, a fan who won an art contest held by Arc System Works. While that art will still be on the case, it'll be obscured by the outer box. A shame.

Nintendo of Japan totally skimped on the digital releases this week. It's actually a bit disconcerting to see a list of releases without a huge DSiWare education or sudoku contingent. If you happen to want to play things on DSiWare (and if you read Japanese) there's a new Jake Hunter adventure, as well as another fascinating cheapo GG Series game, this time featuring a big drill.

On Wii, an Advance Wars predecessor is up, as well as Diner Dash, which arrives on WiiWare in Japan first.

• Super Famicom Wars (Famicom, 1-4 players, 800 Wii Points)
• Diner Dash (WiiWare, 1-4 players, 1,000 Wii Points)
• GG Series: Drilling Attack! (DSiWare, 1 player, 200 DSi Points)
• Detective Saburo Jinguuji: Portrait of the Deceased Child (DSiWare, 1 player, 500 DSi Points)

Creative open world and gameplay modes remind players that imagination is what truly brings toys to life.

There's nothing quite like an investment firm's corporate finance director to ruin your company's carefully orchestrated release strategy. Speaking to GI.biz (account required) IBIS Capital's Tim Merel cast some aspersions on the common industry strategy of frequently iterating on major franchises. He noted that major franchises are receiving increasing investments and producing increasing returns, but added that there is a significant risk involved. "The gaming equivalent of Eddie Murphy's Pluto Nash ($100m cost, $4.4m revenue) is what scares the money men," said Merel, "so the risks of launching new franchises or making a mess of existing franchises becomes enormous."

Merel elaborated that the major fear is that the games industry will follow the Hollywood path, "with accountants and lawyers running the show" while developers are relegated to the role of "execution monkeys" -- sounds like someone's been reading Bobby Kotick's diary. According to Merel, it makes sense to invest in major properties in the "short-to-medium term, but overdoing it could become very "risky."

Of course, all this comes on the heels of Ubisoft announcing its plans to "come out more often" with new titles. The company even went so far as to aim for 12-18 month release schedules for its major franchise titles. Meanwhile, Activision makes no secret of its own strategy, iterating its franchises every single year (though it's hard to argue with its success so far).

Update: Tim Merel is the corporate finance director for IBIS Capital, not an analyst as we previously wrote.

Stuart Black heads up new action title from Codemasters.

Stuart Black heads up new action title from Codemasters.