If the simultaneous release of games like Devil May Cry 4 on both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 wasn’t enough evidence, Capcom has laid out its strategy for “all major titles launched during the next fiscal year” to be “developed as multiplatform games” in its annual report for its 2008 fiscal year, which ended on March 31, 2008.

Outlining its strategy to increase market share in regions outside of Japan, the report (via Joystiq) stated:

“[W]e will be promoting business expansion mainly centered on 1) Completing implementation of multi-platform development on major titles; 2) Expanding our development lines; and 3) Reforming our European sales structure.

‘Completing implementation of multi-platform development on major titles’ means that all major titles launched during the next fiscal year or thereafter will be developed as multi-platform games. We will aim to increase revenue and dramatically increase the number of users by launching, for example, Resident Evil 5, the newest addition to our biggest franchise (projected 2.3 million units), Street Fighter IV (projected 1.7 million units) and Bionic Commando (projected 1.5 million units).

…we are also planning on expanding into new genres as well as refining and improving home video games intended for overseas markets by collaborating with important foreign development companies. We will also bolster the recruiting process of new developers as well as staff education and training and improve the Development Department in order to respond to the demand of the market experiencing a growth period and increase the number of titles.”

It’s hard to be surprised by the news; moving towards multiplatform development on big-budget games is more of an inevitability than anything else. Even so, it’ll be interesting to see how the Wii factors into this strategy. Nintendo’s console continues to sell extremely well worldwide and if the trend continues it’ll be interesting to see if shareholders push for Capcom to release Wii versions of heavy hitters like Resident Evil 5 and Street Fighter IV. It seems unlikely, but stranger things have happened. If nothing else, the Wii’s unique development challenges (like developing on an interesting control scheme rather than creating cutting-edge graphics) should provide Capcom with some interesting internal debates.

If you were on the fence about Rock Band 2, this news may sway you. According to Entertainment Weekly, the sequel to the monster of music simulation games is getting some full albums that are pretty damn cool if you ask me.

On Sept. 14, Rock Band 2 will hit stores and by the end of the year, we should be expecting some 500 tunes to rock out to. A protion of these tracks will come from full albums expeted to hit in the upcoming months, and these albums are the following:

• Foo Fighters – “The Colour and the Shape
• Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Blood Sugar Sex Magik”
• Jane’s Addiction – “Nothing’s Shocking”
• Megadeth -”Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying”
• Stevie Ray Vaughan – “Texas Flood”
• No Doubt – “Best of Collection” (complied for Rock Band 2 only)

These are all great albums as far as diversity. You have pop, alternative, blues-rock, and metal which should make everyone pretty happy. I know which ones I am getting: SRV, MD, RHCP and Foo FIghters… FTW!

For the full track listings (except for No Doubt), hit the jump below. MANY of these albums were re-released with extra tracks, b-sides etc, but most likely the ones offered through Rock Band 2 will be the original albums, so I have only included thoses tracks in the list.

We will be sure to let you know when you can expect each album to hit XBL or PSN. I just hope they do not run into any issues with these like they did with Rush’s “Moving Pictures” ablum – not that I really care about Rush, but I know some people do.

Read the full article

One of Stardock’s many goals with Impulse is to grow its catalog of games and other software. Capcom can be added to the list of companies that will be selling some of its titles through Impulse, joining the likes of Epic Games, THQ, and Gas Powered Games.

Announced earlier this week, you can now find a number of Capcom titles on the Impulse store, including Plunder, MotoGP 2008, Flock, Neopets, and Dark Void. That’s far from Capcom’s AAA lineup (where’s Devil May Cry 4?), but it is a start. Stardock CEO Brad Wardell told 1UP earlier this year that they hope to get closer to matching the competition in terms of new software releases, which this is absolutely a step towards.

“By continuing to add the best offering of applications and games we’re delivering the most advanced digital distribution option to PC users everywhere,” Wardell said this week following the Capcom announcement.

Stardock is planning on launching phase two of Impulse in mid-August, an update that will include both Impulse Reactor and MyImpulse. Reactor is described as “a set of server-side features for developers that will work even if the user doesn’t have the Impulse client installed.” MyImpulse will make submitting games and software to Impulse much easier for developers with a uniform royalty agreement. Phase three will launch early next year, with the primary features of that update focusing on virtual drive management tools and making the process of publishing games to Impulse even easier.

Capcom has stated that the sales figures for the PC version of Devil May Cry 4 have not been outstanding nor very good because game sales for the title have suffered due to severe piracy issues.

Over on the official Capcom forums, Christian Svensson, the VP of Strategic Panning, stated that the Japanese division has not allowed the title to be distributed digitally:

“I’m not sure about how Capcom in general feels but it’s not doing as well as I would like in the US at retail. It’s such a good version and it really deserves better sales. I know it’s getting pirated to hell and back (it was up on torrents literally the day it shipped). I certainly have pushed for digital distribution on the title but Capcom Japan so far has not allowed it.

For the record all Capcom Entertainment developed titles will be distributed extremely widely via digital channels (not just Steam or Direct2Drive, but more than a dozen partners across more than 100 sites/portals for everything we do). I’ve spent the last year building up that channel and I’m continuing to add partners even in advance of Age of Booty, MotoGP, Neopets, Dark Void and Flock shipping.”

Maybe this will help end their pirating woes in the future, but for the time being, Svensson is trying to convince Japanese executives that digital distribution will only help the company in the long run.

“I have a presentation I’m making shortly that I’m hoping will make that approach something we do with all of our PC content, even those developed in Japan, but no promises. It might not happen.”

You can view the thread over on the official Capcom forums by hitting this link.

Thanks: GamesIndustry

DC Comics and Capcom have announced plans to join forces to create a comic book series based on Resident Evil and Devil May Cry.

Details on the new series, including creative team and launch month, will be announced at a later date. Both titles will be published by DC Comics’ WildStorm imprint.

To coincide with the Resident Evil comic book is the latest installment in the series, Resident Evil 5, which unveils a world where the biohazard threat has not ended: Just when it seemed the menace of Resident Evil was destroyed, a new terror appears. Returning hero, Chris Redfield, has followed the path of the evil around the globe, and after joining a new organization, heads to Africa, where the latest threat is transforming people and animals into mindless, bloodthirsty creatures. Joined by a new partner, Sheva Alomar, the duo must work together to unravel the truth behind the evil menace.

Check back for more details as they are made available.

Via: Press Release

Capcom has announced that the Games for Windows version of Devil May Cry 4 shipped yesterday, and should be sitting on gaming shelves as we speak.

Devil May Cry 4 has already shipped over 2 million units world wide since its NA retail release in February, ans while this may boost those figures higher, this latest release differs in that it features new modes, enhanced graphics options and additional content. These new modes inclued Turbo Mode, which will turn-up the action to insane speeds, and Legendary Dark Knight Mode, which will harness processing power and fill the screen with an unbelievable number of enemies for extra difficulty.

Moreover, familiar enemies from the console versions will show-up in new locations in the PC version. The high resolution screen settings allow the cut scenes of the game to run at up to 120 frames per second (up from 30 frames per second in the console version of the game). Slider options are available to manage various visual effects seen throughout the game, and additionally, the game comes with a Benchmark Test Mode which lets users test their Windows PC.

Devil May Cry 4 for PC runs on both DirectX 9 and DirectX 10.

Via: Press Release

Those who enjoyed the video for Bayonetta that Jonathan posted last month are in for a treat.

The next issue of EGM will feature the game on the cover, so that means than some cool inside looks and information will be forthcoming.

Bayonetta is the upcoming title from Platinum Games in cooperation with Sega for the PS3 and Xbox 360. Directed by Hideki Kamiya, creator of Viewtiful Joe, and the Devil May Cry series, it will tell the story of the eponymous witch who has guns on her feet and hands, blowing off the heads of angels.

Can’t wait to hear more about it.

Via: VG247

When I first read that Age of Conan was getting a real-life clothing line, I instantly imagined a store filled with leather bikinis, bearskin pants, and chainmail boots. I was pretty excited, mostly because I’m starting to run low on crocodile-skin loincloths (those 4-packs from Hanes don’t last too long). Sadly, the new clothing line will just feature Age of Conan branded apparel. Inno-Wear, who has also licensed the Gears of War, Trackmania, and Devil May Cry brands, recently announced they would be giving the same treatment to the popular MMORPG. So expect to see some t-shirts and hoodies bearing the symbol of your favorite in-game alliance later this year. And now I’m off to check the panther traps for more “materials.”

Via ShackNews

Interested in the latest demos and patches that hit FileFront this week? Look no further because here they are and as usual, to get the full list of each click here and here.

Demos

• Total Extreme Wrestling 2008 : Grey Dog Software, a Phoenix based developer of sports management simulation software for personal computers, today announces a limited-time Demo of Total Extreme Wrestling 2008. Beginning today, players will be able to download and try out the entire game and be permitted to continuously repeat one month of game time.

• SC2 Weapons & Warfare Expansion v1.04: This demo includes two playable campaigns, Fall Weiss which depicts the German invasion of Poland and Wacht Am Rhein, better known as the Battle of the Bulge. Multiplayer modes are disabled in the demo but both campaigns are playable against the AI as either the Axis or the Allies. This demo does NOT require Strategic Command 2 Blitzkrieg to already be installed, however the full game does.

Strategic Command 2 Weapons and Warfare Expansion was the first of several planned expansions to the award winning Strategic Command 2 Blitzkrieg game. This expansion incorporates a huge list of new features frequently asked for by the fan community, including a bigger world map, new units, enhanced naval movement and combat rules, a deeper weather model, additional terrain types and resources, the simulation of roads and railways and a greatly extended editor with the ability to add in scripted Image and Sound events and much more.

• Gaia 3D Puzzle v1.02 Trial Version: Gaia 3D Puzzle guaranties you unlimited hours of fun! Because you can play with almost any images you find on the Internet, that means that you can play with thousands of images. Try to imagine the number of hours of fun this game brings you: Unlimited!

Remember the last time when you walked in the toy section at the store and you saw a beautiful jigsaw, but the number of pieces was not exactly what you wanted. How frustrating? You want the puzzle for its beautiful image, but it comes only in 2000 pieces and you want 500 pieces. Other situation, the puzzle comes only in 250 pieces, but you want 2000 pieces. Are you going to pay for only 250 pieces and limit your fun? Our puzzle game allows you to choose your own image and the number of pieces you want.

• Devil May Cry 4 : Capcom has released a trial version of Devil May Cry 4. It allows you to play ten minutes of Devil May Cry 4 gameplay along with a boss battle.

• Belief & Betrayal: Lighthouse Interactive released the first ever English language playable demo for the enthralling conspiracy Adventure game Belief & Betrayal. The demo will introduce players to the main character, Jonathan Danter, a young tabloid journalist from New York City, who is thrust into a ten year old cold case murder investigation, which is somehow linked to a deep conspiracy reaching back to 1194 A.D. In the full version of the game, players will take on the role of two other characters: Katrin McKendal, a gutsy scholar of ancient languages, and Damien, a low-key computer expert.

Patches

Sword of the Stars: Born of Blood v1.5.2 , Europa Universalis: Rome v1.2 , Iron Man v1.1 (US) , Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare v1.6 , Endless Ages v1.1 Full Patch

If you were somehow clinging to the hope that Tomonobu Itagaki might return to Team Ninja, I think we’re pretty much past the point of no return between the lawsuit against Tecmo and their subsequent response. But, that doesn’t mean we have to enjoy any of Itagaki’s games or appreciate his work any less. With that in mind, Xbox 360 Fanboy put together a look back at his body of work — from the original Dead or Alive to the present day.

Page 11 is my personal favorite, as it recounts some of Itagaki’s most memorable quotes. Itagaki on Tekken: “I no longer can figure out what the hell they’re trying to do with the numbering, and I don’t know which one is which. I don’t know what they’re trying to do with all of these spin-offs, so this includes Nina: Death by Degrees as well. I don’t think it even needs saying, but people should stay away from Tekken. Nothing left to say. I just don’t want them to disappoint me any more. It’s so annoying. Please don’t annoy me any more.”

He’s also taken shots at Devil May Cry 4 and Heavenly Sword, both of which you’ll find in the story. But don’t forget the comments he made about Ninja Gaiden Sigma recently, when he claimed the game was “no good.”

As a fan of Itagaki’s, I’m upset to see him go, but hopefully we’ll see him do something radically different now that he’ll be working elsewhere.