Hong Kong’s master toysmiths, Hot Toys, have added two more figures to their line of Resident Evil 5 12″ figures: another Wesker, and another Chris Redfield, only this time in their throwback unis.

Both will be out early next year, and expect both to be on the pricey side.

1/6 scale Resident Evil 5 figures get the retro treatment [Tomopop]

Posted under Computer games, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DS Games, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo Wii Games, Playstation 2 Games, Playstation 3 Games, Playstation Games, Playstiotion, Playstiotion 2, Playstiotion 3, Uncategorized, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox 360 Games, Xbox Games

Dead Rising 2 has a multiplayer mode that’s more Running Man than Walking Dead. Here, courtesy of Gamereactor, is a little footage showing how it all works.

Dead Rising 2 gameplay [Gamereactor]

Posted under Computer games, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DS Games, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo Wii Games, Playstation 2 Games, Playstation 3 Games, Playstation Games, Playstiotion, Playstiotion 2, Playstiotion 3, Uncategorized, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox 360 Games, Xbox Games

Roger Avary, who received an Oscar for Pulp Fiction and who wrote the Silent Hill movie, is headed to jail for gross vehicular manslaughter. He was sentenced to a year in prison and five years probation.

In the fatal crash last year with Avary at the wheel, a hundred mph drunken driving crash left Avary’s friend Andreas Zini dead and his wife in critical condition. Zini had recently wed and was visiting from Italy. His wife, Maria, was in another car.

Avary has settled with Zini’s family in a civil suit for $4.1 million.

“It has profoundly altered me to the very core of my being,” Avary said in the Ventura County Court.

Earlier this month, Avary signed on to write upcoming film Silent Hill 2.

Pulp Fiction screenwriter jailed for fatal crash [Reuters]

Posted under Computer games, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DS Games, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo Wii Games, Playstation 2 Games, Playstation 3 Games, Playstation Games, Playstiotion, Playstiotion 2, Playstiotion 3, Uncategorized, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox 360 Games, Xbox Games

Sony’s released a slew of games on the PlayStation Store. This update is a whopper! Loads of content, loads of games, loads of loads.

To mark the launch of the PSPgo, there are over a hundred new PSP games that are available as well as PSP minis. Here’s the rundown, courtesy of the PlayStation.Blog:

Updates
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords PSP Temporary Price Drop (now $7.99)

Cube Temporary Sale (now $4.99)

Dead Head Fred Temporary Price Drop (now $7.99)

PQ: Practical Intelligence Quotient Temporary Sale (now $4.99)

PQ: Practical Intelligence Quotient 2 Temporary Price Drop (now $7.99)

WTF: Work Time Fun Temporary Sale (now $4.99)

Prinny: Can I Really be the Hero? Temporary Sale (now $9.99)

Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! Temporary Sale (now $9.99)

TV Show King Permanent Price Drop (now $7.99)

Qore
Qore Annual Subscription: October 2009 ($24.99)
File size: 1.44 GB

Qore Episode 17: October 2009 ($2.99)
File size: 1.44 GB

Downloadable Games

Digger HD ($9.99)
ESRB Rated E
File size: 92 MB

UNO ($9.99)
ESRB Rated E
File size: 255 MB
PSone Classics: PS3/PSP

Jumping Flash! 2 ($5.99)
ESRB Rated E
File size: 269 MB

Um Jammer Lammy ($5.99)
ESRB Rated E
File size: 512 MB

Nuclear Strike ($5.99)
ESRB Rated T
File size: 476 MB

Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko ($5.99)
ESRB Rated T
File size: 259 MB

Game Demos (free)
Brutal Legend Demo
ESRB Rated M
File size: 1.58 GB

Need For Speed Shift Demo
ESRB Rated E
File size: 854 MB

Add-on Game Content
LittleBigPlanet Watchmen Costume Pack ($5.99)
File size: 1.04 MB

LittleBigPlanet Nite Owl Costume ($1.99)
File size: 1.04 MB

LittleBigPlanet Ozymandias Costume ($1.99)
File size: 1.04 MB

LittleBigPlanet Rorschach Costume ($1.99)
File size: 1.04 MB

LittleBigPlanet Silk Spectre Costume ($1.99)
File size: 1.04 MB

Fallout 3: Operation: Anchorage ($9.99)
File size: 453 MB

Fallout 3: The Pitt ($9.99)
File size: 601 MB

Guitar Hero 5
For all song credits please visit www.guitarhero.com.
• “Avon” by Queens of the Stone Age ($1.99)
• “How to Handle a Rope” by Queens of the Stone Age ($1.99)
• “Mexicola” by Queens of the Stone Age ($1.99)
• Queens of the Stone Age Track Pack ($5.49) – Downloadable Track Pack featuring “Avon,” “How to Handle a Rope,” and “Mexicola” by Queens of the Stone Age. Please Note: Many songs are available both as singles and as part of a Track Pack, so please carefully consider your purchases before downloading.
File size: 34 MB – 49 MB (singles) 117 MB (track pack)

Rock Band
Build your Rock Band library by purchasing these song game tracks. For song credits, visit www.RockBand.com.
• “U Suck” - Just Kait ($0.99)
• “Knight on the Town”- Kula Shaker ($1.99)
• “Hey Dude”- Kula Shaker ($1.99)
• “So Cold”- Breaking Benjamin ($1.99)
• “I Will Not Bow”- Breaking Benjamin ($1.99)
• “The Diary of Jane”- Breaking Benjamin ($1.99)
• Breaking Benjamin Pack 1 ($5.49) – Build your Rock Band library by purchasing this pack featuring “The Diary of Jane,” “I Will Not Bow,” and “So Cold” by Breaking Benjamin. Some tracks in this album are instrument-only and cannot be played by vocalists. Please make sure you have the latest Rock Band update.
• “A Looking in View”- Alice in Chains ($1.99)
• “Check My Brain”- Alice in Chains ($1.99)
• “No Excuses”- Alice in Chains ($1.99)
• “Rooster” Alice in Chains ($1.99)
• “Would?”- Alice in Chains ($1.99)
• Alice in Chains Pack 1 ($8.49) – Build your Rock Band library by purchasing this pack featuring. “A Looking in View,” “Check My Brain,” “No Excuses,” “Rooster,” and “Would?” by Alice in Chains. Some tracks in this album are instrument-only and cannot be played by vocalists. Please make sure you have the latest Rock Band update.
File sizes: 23 MB – 58 MB (singles) 84 – 192 MB (track pack)

Game Videos (free)
Gran Turismo – Jay Leno Interview
File size: 245 MB (HD)

Gran Turismo PSP – TV Ad
File size: 26 MB (HD) 49 MB (1080)

Lost Planet 2 TGS 2009 Trailer
File size: 163 MB (HD)

FIFA Soccer 10: Live Season 2.0 Tutorial
File size: 95 MB (HD)

WET Video Short 2
File size: 134 MB (HD)

WET Video Short 3
File size: 135 MB (HD)

WET Video Short 5
File size: 133 MB (HD)

Shatter Behind the Scenes – Gameplay
File size: 162 MB (HD)

Shatter Behind the Scenes – Sounds
File size: 211 MB (HD)

Shatter Behind the Scenes – Visual
File size: 198 MB (HD)

Need for Speed SHIFT: Driver Film – Vaughn Gittin
File size: 94 MB (HD)

Need for Speed SHIFT: Track Film – Laguna Seca
File size: 82 MB (HD)

Need for Speed SHIFT: Track Film – Road America
File size: 90 MB (HD)

Themes
Gran Turismo PSP Theme (free)
File size: 461 KB

The King of Fighters XIII Custom Themes (x5) ($1.49 each)
File size: 5.64 MB 5.81 MB

B17 Flying Fortress Theme 2 ($1.99)
File size: 4.19 MB

Focke Wulf German Fighter Theme ($1.99)
File size: 3.98 MB

Electric Tattoo Theme ($1.49)
File size: 4.74 MB

Mistresses of Halloween Theme ($1.49)
File size: 4.84 MB

Sorority Girls Theme ($1.99)
File size: 5.46 MB

PlayStation Store for PSP
Downloadable Games (also available from PS3 storefront)
*Visit www.esrb.org for rating information.
SCEA
• Gran Turismo PSP ($39.99)
• God of War Chains of Olympus ($15.99)
• Secret Agent Clank ($31.99)
• LocoRoco 2 ($15.99)
• PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe ($19.99)
• Daxter ($15.99)
• Resistance Retribution ($31.99)
• MLB 09 The Show ($31.99)
• MotorStorm Arctic Edge ($39.99)
505 Games
• IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey ($29.99)
ACTIVISION
• Cabela’s African Safari ($14.99)
• Rapala Trophies ($14.99)
• Gun Showdown ($14.99)
• SWAT: Target Liberty ($19.99)
• Crash Tag Team Racing ($14.99)
• Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts: Ultimate Challenge ($14.99)
• Crash: Mind Over Mutant ($29.99)
• Crash of the Titans ($19.99)
• Activision Hits Remixed ($14.99)
Aksys Games
• Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus ($24.99)
Atari
• Dragon Ball Z Shin Budokai ($14.99)
• Dragon Ball Z Shin Budokai Another Road ($14.99)
Atlas
• Shin Megami Tensei: Persona ($39.99)
Capcom
• Capcom Classics Collection Reloaded ($19.99)
• Monster Hunter Freedom Unite ($29.99)
Codemasters
• Dirt 2 ($29.99)
Crave Entertainment
• Pinball Hall of Fame ($9.99)
• Puzzle Challenge: Crosswords and More! ($4.99)
• Brunswick Pro Bowling ($9.99)
EA
• The Sims 2 ($14.99)
• The Sims 2 Castaway ($9.99)
• The Sims 2 Pets ($9.99)
• Need For Speed Underground Rivals ($14.99)
• Need For Speed Most Wanted ($19.99)
• Need for Speed SHIFT ($39.99)
• Need For Speed ProStreet ($19.99)
• Need for Speed Carbon ($19.99)
• Medal of Honor Heroes ($19.99)
• Fight Night Round 3 ($19.99)
• G.I.JOE The Rise of Cobra ($39.99)
• Madden NFL 10 ($39.99)
• Scrabble ($19.99)
• Medal of Honor Heroes 2 ($19.99)
• Burnout Legends ($19.99)
• Burnout Dominator ($14.99)
• Lord of the Rings: Tactics ($9.99)
• Def Jam Fight For New York: The Takeover ($9.99)
• Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10 ($39.99)
• NCAA Football 10 ($39.99)
KOEI
• Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce ($29.99)
• Warriors Orochi 2 ($29.99)
LucasArts
• Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings ($19.99)
• LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventure ($19.99)
• Thrillville: Off the Rails ($19.99)
• Star Wars: Battlefront Renegade Squadron ($19.99)
• Star Wars: Battlefront II ($19.99)
• Star Wars: The Force Unleashed ($19.99)
Midway
• Mortal Kombat: Unchained ($19.99)
• Hot Brain ($14.99)
Namco Bandai
• SOULCALIBUR: Broken Destiny ($39.99)
NIS America
• Blade Dancer: Lineage of Light ($4.99)
• Mana Khemia: Student Alliance ($14.99)
• Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness ($14.99)
• Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days ($29.99)
• Prinny: Can I Really be the Hero? ($9.99)
• Dragoneer’s Aria ($14.99)
Playlogic
• Obscure: The Aftermath ($29.99)
Rockstar Games
• Beaterator ($39.99)
SEGA
• Alien Syndrome ($15.99)
• Super Monkey Ball Adventure ($15.99)
• Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars ($15.99)
• Iron Man ($19.99)
• Sonic Rivals ($15.99)
• Sonic Rivals 2 ($29.99)
• Full Auto 2: Battlelines ($15.99)
• Sega Genesis Collection ($15.99)
• Crush ($15.99)
SNK PLAYMORE
• The King of Fighters Collection ($19.99)
• Metal Slug Anthology ($19.99)
• SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1 ($19.99)
• Samurai Showdown Anthology ($19.99)
SQUARE ENIX
• THEXDER NEO ($9.99)
THQ
• Avatar: The Last Airbender ($19.99)
• Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights ($19.99)
• SpongeBob SquarePants: The Yellow Avenger ($19.99)
• MX vs ATV Untamed ($19.99)
• WWE SmackDown vs RAW 2009 ($19.99)
Ubisoft
• Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs ($29.99)
• Tom Clancy’s EndWar ($29.99)
• Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas ($19.99)
• Prince of Persia Revelations ($9.99)
• Prince of Persia Rival Swords ($14.99)
Warner Bros. Interactive
• 300: March To Glory ($14.99)
• Justice League Heroes ($14.99)
• Lego Batman The Video Game ($19.99)

PSP minis (also available from PS3 storefront)
Alien Havoc ($4.99)

Tetris ($9.99)

Hero of Sparta ($6.99)

Brainpipe ($4.99)

Fieldrunners ($6.99)

Sudoku ($4.99)

Funky Punch ($4.99)

Game Demos (free)

Undead Knights Demo
File size: 486 MB

Add-on Game Content
Rock Band Unplugged (also available from PS3 storefront)
Build your Rock Band Unplugged library by purchasing these song game tracks. For song credits, visit www.RockBand.com.
• “Monkey Wrench”- Foo Fighters ($1.99)
• “Lonely as You”- Foo Fighters ($1.99)
File sizes: 18 MB – 20 MB

Game Videos (free)
Gran Turismo – Jay Leno Interview
File size: 43 MB

PSP Themes
Gran Turismo PSP Theme (free) (also available from PS3 storefront)
File sizes: 424 KB

Sorority Girls PSP Theme ($1.99) (also available from PS3 storefront)
File sizes: 540 KB

Mistresses of Halloween PSP Theme ($1.49) (also available from PS3 storefront)
File sizes: 408 KB

Electric Tattoo PSP Theme ($1.49) (also available from PS3 storefront)
File sizes: 368 KB

Focke Wulf German Fighter PSP Theme (x2) ($1.49 each) (also available from PS3 storefront)
File sizes: 494 KB – 572 KB

B17 Flying Fortress 2 PSP Themes (x2) ($1.49 each) (also available from PS3 storefront)
File sizes: 526 KB – 571 KB

PSP Wallpaper (free)
Fate/Unlimited Codes Wallpaper 2
File size: 100 KB
*Note – Some PSP games require the 6.1 firmware update in order to function properly.

PlayStation Store Update [PlayStation.Blog]

Posted under Computer games, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DS Games, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo Wii Games, Playstation 2 Games, Playstation 3 Games, Playstation Games, Playstiotion, Playstiotion 2, Playstiotion 3, Uncategorized, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox 360 Games, Xbox Games

DirectX11 hits alongside Windows 7 later this month, and with it will usher in a new generation of pretty, oh so pretty PC games. Yet the first game to support DirectX11 won’t be a shooter.

Instead, it’s Battleforge, EA’s card-trading strategy game. Not the most obvious choice, we know, but then, you gotta start somewhere.

A recent patch means the game now has “a higher frame rate and new ways of creating graphical effects, such as shadows and lighting”, though with no DX11 cards on the market and Vista support not yet enabled, good luck trying to make that actually mean anything.

BattleForge becomes first DirectX11-enabled game [Big Download]

Posted under Computer games, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DS Games, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo Wii Games, Playstation 2 Games, Playstation 3 Games, Playstation Games, Playstiotion, Playstiotion 2, Playstiotion 3, Uncategorized, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox 360 Games, Xbox Games

The Japanese population is shrinking. That doesn’t have much to do with video games, now does it? Or does it?

BBC newsperson Robin Lustig has a post up titled “Is Japan a dying nation?” Here’s the rub and the game connection in his piece:

I’m no social psychologist, so I wouldn’t dare to come up with an explanation for why Japanese couples aren’t having enough babies. But one theory is that Japanese women are increasingly reluctant to marry, because they think Japanese men have shown themselves unable to adapt to the needs of a new, more flexible society - and have retreated into a fantasy world of comics, video games and animated pornography where they feel less threatened.

Lustig’s original piece is much longer obviously and can be read in full right here. I suggest that you do read the entire piece before commenting!

His post is making the internet rounds in Japan, and the Japanese internet, namely hugely popular bulletin board 2ch, has a smattering of opinions about it. Here are some of them, translated by DannyChoo.com:

-Make reality more interesting than games please.
-Yeah I can live on games alone.
-If everybody became obsessed with games then we would live in a peaceful society.
-Reality does not want to deal with me you idiot.
-The world in the monitor is reality. The world we live in is just imaginary.
-To be honest, I don’t want a (real) woman.
-Love Plus is reality.
-There are too many Japanese people anyway so decreasing the population would be just right.
-But the 2D world is ideal.
-Oh and its OK to be obsessed with movies and books then?
-My (2D) girlfriend is Aika-san. She lets me meet her whenever I want and greets me with a smile if I forget a date - and she does not cost money. Thats all I need.
-His words are racist.
-I’m 30 and earn 3.5 million yen (35K USD) - how am I supposed to get married?
-Why is somebody from a declining country (England) telling me this?
-The decline of the population has nothing to do with games or manga.
-My partner is Hatsune Miku. I would do anything for her and we are thinking of having kids.
-I tried to face reality and it became Love Plus.
-We must fight reality!
-They should make a game for the DS called “lets face society”
-A country of Neets (England) being worried about Japan?
-Not sure about England but the hurdle to getting married over the past 20 years in Japan is gone up too high - socially and financially.
-Unless there are more job positions then I cant face reality.
-Girls in games wont cheat on us.
-The solution is to make reality in games.
-I’m too busy with work to think about getting married.
-But Sanya is too cute.
-Solution is simple - make it so that anime and manga characters can get pregnant.

There are something like over 2,500 comments in this same thread on this issue. I don’t see that the declining population as something that can simply be pinned on men who like reading manga and playing video games — or pinned on women who want to focus on their career. There are larger societal issues at hand.

For example, if both parents do work and have small children, they need daycare. Well, daycare is harder to come by than in North America — there is public daycare called “hoikuen”, but parents must apply in advance and there is no guarantee that they’ll be able to put their kids in. Something like this seems like a bigger deterrent to having children than, say, playing Konami DS games, no?

Another issue is that Japan was traditionally an agriculture society with large, extended families. Five children was not some outrageous number! But as the country industrialized in the late 19th century and early 20th century and as it rebuilt during the Post War Era, the extended family structure broke down. Childcare was easier when living under the same roof as opposed to stuffed in tiny urban apartments.

Wonder why these issues weren’t touched upon…

マンガやゲームに夢中となり、現実社会と向き合わない男のせいで日本は衰退していく…英BBC記者 [痛いニュース(ﾉ∀`) via DannyChoo]

Posted under Computer games, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DS Games, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo Wii Games, Playstation 2 Games, Playstation 3 Games, Playstation Games, Playstiotion, Playstiotion 2, Playstiotion 3, Uncategorized, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox 360 Games, Xbox Games

Play Arts, the action figure branch of Square Enix, are making some Bayonetta figures. A quick comparison between the size of the head and the size of the hips shows they’re definitely on the right track.

These were on display at the Tokyo Game Show last week, though both a price and release date are TBA. There were two figures shown; Bayonetta herself, and Jeanne, below.

Tokyo Game Show 2009 - Square Enix Goods [Tokyo Hunter]

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When some violent games are released in Japan, they don’t make it to The Land of the Rising Sun with all their violence intact.

So red blood might be changed to green blood and the ability to kill innocent people might be cut out all together.

The blood-free Tokyo Game Show trailer for the Japanese version of Fat Princess made it appear as the title was the latest victim of Japanese censors. Kotaku contacted Sony Computer Entertainment, who told the site: “There was just no blood in the TGS version per show regulations. The Japanese version of Fat Princess will have blood.”

It will also have cake and fat chicks. And cute little warriors.

Posted under Computer games, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DS Games, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo Wii Games, Playstation 2 Games, Playstation 3 Games, Playstation Games, Playstiotion, Playstiotion 2, Playstiotion 3, Uncategorized, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox 360 Games, Xbox Games

With Resident Evil 5: Alternative Edition, Capcom is bringing RE5 to the PS3 with new content and PS3 Wand controls. The game is also coming to the Xbox 360 as a “director’s cut” — minus said PS3 wand controls.

Starring Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield, the new mission is another 2 hours of content and takes place three years before the main plot line of Resident Evil 5.

The updated version of RE5 will be released next spring in Japan.

Posted under Computer games, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DS Games, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo Wii Games, Playstation 2 Games, Playstation 3 Games, Playstation Games, Playstiotion, Playstiotion 2, Playstiotion 3, Uncategorized, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox 360 Games, Xbox Games

With Resident Evil 5: Alternative Edition, Capcom is bringing RE5 to the PS3 with new content and PS3 Wand controls.

Starring Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield, the new mission is another 2 hours of content and takes place three years before the main plot line of Resident Evil 5.

The updated version of RE5 will be released next spring in Japan.

Posted under Computer games, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DS Games, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo Wii Games, Playstation 2 Games, Playstation 3 Games, Playstation Games, Playstiotion, Playstiotion 2, Playstiotion 3, Uncategorized, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox 360 Games, Xbox Games