PS3 Fanboy

How does some half price demon killing action sound? This is only for UK Devil May Cry 4 fans we're afraid, but Amazon are offering the latest episode of the franchise for only £25. There's no saying how long this deal will last, so be sure to grab it before it ends. If it ends. If you're not entirely sure about whether the game is for you, then check out our review (spoiler: it rocks).

[Thanks Charlie]

Wait, you still don't have a copy of Devil May Cry 4? Don't cry! PS3 Fanboy's going to make it all better. We're going to give away two copies of the game. To enter, tell us who would win in a fight: Nero or Dante? The comment must be left before Friday, March 28th, 5PM EST. You may enter only once. Two winners will be selected in a random drawing. Grand Prize Winner will receive a copy of Devil May Cry 4 for the PS3. MSRP: $60. Click here for complete Official Rules. Eligibility is restricted to the legal residents of the 50 United States (including DC) and Canada (excluding Quebec). You must be 18 years or older to enter.

It appears Capcom's decision to release Devil May Cry 4 on both the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 is paying immediate dividends as the company has announced the new entry in the popular series has already sold two million units throughout the world.

Additionally, this remarkable number now accounts for nearly a quarter of the entire series' total sales, which is pretty darn impressive.

Unfortunately, the one thing Capcom didn't release is how sales for each console stacked up, so it appears the fanboy wars will have take a break for a little while. Perhaps we can all agree to a ceasefire and just appreciate that a good game from a great franchise is this successful.
There's not really a whole lot more to say other than congratulations on making a bajillion dollars Capcom.

Devil May Cry 4 has done tremendously well in the UK during its opening five days, pushing Burnout Paradise from the number 1 spot. While exact numbers aren't available, the game currently resides at the top of not only the PS3 and 360 charts, but the all formats chart too. 39% of sales are attributed to the PS3 copy of the game (well, technically that 39% accounts for PC sales too, but the PC version isn't out yet, so it's a moot point).

At first glance 39% doesn't seem like a lot, but when you consider the numerous reasons UK gamers had to choose the Xbox 360 version over the PS3 version then the number starts looking less and less disappointing. Not only was the PS3 version a full £10 more expensive, but it also "suffered" from a 20 minute installation procedure before people could start playing. This is ignoring the PS3's lagging install base of more than a million. So, that 39% isn't looking too shabby now, is it?

[Via Joystiq]

The game hasn't even been released yet and already there's a lot of online controversy over Devil May Cry 4's installation procedure. The game takes around 20 minutes to install about 5 gigabytes of data to your hard drive, during which there's a five-minute looping recap slideshow. Capcom's Chris Kramer responded to CVG with a statement regarding the issue: "If you don't want to watch the 'Previously, on Devil May Cry...' portion of the install process, go make a sandwich and grab a soda, then come on back."

Kramer continues, "Wah! Have you ever played a PC game? At least we aren't making you shuffle multiple discs into a ROM drive, or continuously click 'Yes!' on a series of endless Windows dialog boxes." Wah, indeed! We agree completely with Kramer on this -- a twenty minute long installation sequence is not a big deal. It cuts down on load times, making it load faster than the 360 version despite the slower drive speed. Without the install, players would be complaining about lengthy load times. Which is better? That's a hypothetical question because we already know and, clearly, so does Capcom.

The discerning Devil May Cry fan can pick up on the minute subtleties hidden within the surprisingly complex and deep battle system the series is known for. It's that kind of discerning ability that's needed to see the improvements of Devil May Cry 4. As the franchise's first outing in the current generation of games, it's fascinating to see how much the series has improved, and how much it has stayed the same. Many of the changes featured in Devil May Cry 4 make it much more accessible than previous iterations in the series. Newcomers will appreciate the toned down difficulty and streamlined level design. But, the return of mainstay flaws, like unnecessary (and confusing) backtracking, and poor platforming will frustrate players -- both hardcore vets and newcomers alike. However, in spite of its few flaws, DMC4 is undeniably a fun game, and quite possibly the best in the series.

Some previewers unjustly passed Nero off as a simple Dante clone. Yes, it's not hard to see why gamers would confuse the two. Not only do they look similar, but their movements are seemingly identical. However, playing as Nero offers a brand new system for fans to master and enjoy. The addition of the Devil Bringer completely changes the way players will perform combos. No, it's not a subtle change -- rather, clever use of the arm introduces a whole new mechanic to the franchise, making this the freshest addition to the series so far.

Things are starting to look up for the universe now that we've got January out of the way. Devil May Cry 4 makes it's English-speaking debut this week in both the US and Europe. European gamers also have a few other games to pick from this week, including the potentially alright The Club. Here's the full release list:

US Games

• Devil May Cry 4 (Get a $10 gift card at Circuit City)
  
• Devil May Cry Collector's Edition
• Turok (Get a $10 gift card at Circuit City)
  

EU Games

• NFL Tour
• Turok
• The Club
• Devil May Cry 4
• Devil May Cry 4 Collector's Edition
• Conflict: Denied Ops

Asian Games

• Transformers: The Game

If you're not sure yet about whether to pick up Devil May Cry 4, then fear not. We'll have a review for you within the next few days tomorrow, along with an interesting feature for those of you new to the entire franchise.

Feel free to import any of the above games for whatever reason. Your PS3 is completely region free. Release dates are subject to constant change, so check with your local retailer before leaving the house. Or just order online. It requires less effort.

Europeans are in for a nasty surprise when they go to order Devil May Cry 4 from many popular retailers. For some reason, the PS3 version of the game costs a significant amount more than the Xbox 360 version -- up to £10 in some instances. However, this isn't a Capcom-mandated price difference. Rather, it appears retailers are taking it into their own hands.

Speaking to VideoGamer.com, a spokesperson for Capcom said: "We don't set the prices of our games, that's at the discretion of the retailer. In this specific instance, the process has resulted in a price difference, but the process itself is not something we completely control."

Hopefully, gamer outrage will remind retailers that no one likes to be treated unfairly. Stay tuned for our full review of Devil May Cry 4 next week.

[Via Next-Gen]

We know only too well just how impatient you guys can be, which is why we're letting you know that you don't have to wait any longer. The Devil May Cry 4 demo is available right now on the Japanese PSN Store and, yes, it's in English. The American PSN Store will be updated later today with the demo, but Europeans will have to wait until next week to get their hands on that. That is, of course, unless you go ahead and load up your Japanese or American PSN accounts and get it today.

Expect plenty more coverage of the game to come in the next couple of weeks, along with plenty of emails to SCEE asking why Europe has to wait for a demo again. In the meantime, chill out with Nero and while away the hours wielding a ridiculously large sword against impossible creatures.

Ready to bust out the cosplay? These two fellows are. This seemingly official video showcases real life renditions of Dante and Nero fighting each other in a poorly lit environment with over-the-top (and rather ineffective) moves. The low budget gives it a certain flair, we admit. We'd call it "good" -- the kind of "good" we reserve for things like PS1 Resident Evil's cutscenes and the Street Fighter movie.

We've already reported today that a Devil May Cry 4 demo is coming to the Japanese PSN Store on Thursday, but its quest for world domination doesn't end there. The demo will be sweeping across the Pacific to the American PSN Store on the same day, where its path of destruction (and potential joy) will end. We're not sure whether it will then continue its journey across the Atlantic to Europe, or whether it will sit around for a week or two before doing so. Either way, you can probably get your grubby paws on it wherever you happen to reside.

As we said before, this demo is similar to the hands on that was available to press and attendees to the Tokyo Game Show last year. The difference is that this is a slice of devilish joy cut straight from the gold version of the game, rather than the rough cut shown at TGS. It's marvellous fun and Devil May Cry 4 is probably the first must-have game of 2008. We'll have a review of the full game for you before too long.

[Via Joystiq]

We at PS3 Fanboy hear that Japan is changing its name to Demoland to more accurately reflect just how many demos it's receiving on the PS3. On top of today's new PixelJunk Monsters, the Japanese Store will receive a Devil May Cry 4 demo. It will be nearly identical to the TGS demo, with a few changes. The quality reflected will be the same as the gold version of the game, rather than the rougher cut that was shown at TGS.

An English language demo is supposed to arrive in the coming weeks. However, until Capcom provides a solid date, we'll be playing through the Japanese version of the game.

Wait, doesn't that make two Japanese PSN updates in a week? Sony America and Europe seem to have great difficulty doing that. Just shows how technologically advanced the Japanese are, we suppose.

We already know that the US will be enjoying a two-disc Special Edition of Devil May Cry 4 when it is released next month, but it would appear that a UK version will also be available. Unlike the US version, however, the UK version seems to do everything right. We suggested of the US Special Edition that perhaps a physical paper-and-glue artbook would be more attractive than a DVD full of images, intended for use on the PC.

The UK version will feature no such disc, but will come with a signed artbook in a metal case. With GAME pre-ordering at only a fiver more than the vanilla version, this is too great a deal to pass up. Ready your wallets, Devil May Cry fans.

[Thanks Shaf!]

Foreign reviewers have received copies of Devil May Cry 4 on PS3, and have revealed a few new details about the game. First is an annoyance that we're sure many will complain about: the 5GB install to remove the game's load times is not optional. When the game releases, you'll be forced to endure minutes upon minutes of waiting as the game copies gigabytes of data to your PS3 hard drive.

There's good news, though. The game will use the PSN for ranking modes. You'll also be able to collect achievements in the game (like in the Xbox 360 version) and you'll be able to see what achievements your friends have collected (a la Xbox Live).

Finally, SIXAXIS controls have been added to the game. By tilting the controller, you'll be able to control the camera. It's not a significant extra, but it is a nice, subtle way of using the PS3's tilt functionality.