PS3 Fanboy

It looks like that Yakuza 3 bundle isn't the only SKU out on the market with an extra dash of special detail. A bundle for Capcom's Resident Evil 5 will also feature a unique 80GB PS3 adorned with a Tri-Cell logo. It's perhaps not as stylish as the Yakuza 3 one, but at least it comes with a second controller. The set hits Japan on March 5 alongside the debut of RE5 and will retail for ¥48,980 ($522).

It's interesting to see Sony pursue an interest in this sort of hobbyist/collector appeal strategy. Microsoft has been employing the tactic in Japan for several years now, releasing major J-RPGs in the territory with custom faceplate bundles. It'll be interesting to watch the rest of the year to see if this stratagem bears fruit, or becomes commonplace for other big name titles. In any case, don't expect to see these babies outside Japan ... seeing as we never got the silver and white units.

SCEJ is pumping up the completely commercial Japanese Christmas season with new promotional material. The company is offering free demo discs to new PS3 owners in Japan upon the purchase of their system. These discs will contain demos and promotional trailers for both already released and upcoming PS3 titles.

Buyers have a choice of either the red disc, which contains family friendly content, or the white disc, which includes more mature content. While majority of the demos to be found on either disc are already currently available on the PS Store, there is one demo of note: Resident Evil 5 with offline and online co-op. Previously, it was announced that a demo for RE5 was to release on December 5 for Xbox Live Gold Members; however, it looks like the PS3 will also be getting in on the action as these discs hit as early as December 18. The demo discs apparently will be only available in-store and while supplies last. See the full disc content listed after the break.

[via press release]

Gamers planning to pick up the PS3 version of Resident Evil 5 come this March can expect to have a nice extra feature tucked away snugly on their game disc. Taking advantage of the massive space found a Blu-ray disc, Capcom is adding in a making-of-Resident Evil 5 documentary produced from "Hollywood staff."

While the bonus material is currently secured for the Japanese RE5 release, there's still no word whether it will be seen in Western releases. Considering that the PS3 version's content is on the game disc itself and is supposedly made from Hollywood, we're thinking there is a good chance Capcom will include it for North American and European releases.

Resident Evil 5 is coming to Japan earlier than its previously-slated release date of March 12 -- it's arriving there a week early on March 5. But hey, that's not the end to the perks of living in Japan, they're also getting a really hardcore Limited Edition set. The following is a list of included items in Japan's Limited Edition:

• A 2GB USB drive modeled after the TRICELL vaccine as seen in RE5
• A 32-page hardcover art book
• A BSAA carrying pack, as worn by Chris Redfield

It's a pretty nice collection of goodies; however, it also comes with a hefty ¥12,800 ($134) price tag. This Limited Edition is exclusive to the e-Capcom store which will take pre-orders starting December 4. While Japan may enjoy their toys, North Americans and Europeans can look forward to Resident Evil 5 on March 13.

One of the hottest games of the year, Resident Evil 5, is ... well, it's not coming out this year. Capcom has positioned the next iteration of its popular horror franchise as a 2009 title, missing the crowded and competitive holiday season. Just in case you were being lured away by all the recent games coming out, these screenshots should remind you that you should save at least $60 for next year -- or tell Santa to give you a raincheck.

Speaking to Eurogamer, producer Jun Takeuchi hinted that a playable demo of Resident Evil 5 will be announced soon. Hopefully, that demo will include co-op play when it finally comes our way. Takeuchi had also said that DLC for RE5 is also "possible," but did not disclose whether Capcom is actually working on it.

One thing in particular for PS3 owners, Takeuchi suggests that Capcom has opted not to include a mandatory install for Resident Evil 5. The company has noted that consumer's Majini-like reaction to Devil May Cry 4's space-eating install and are changing their ways. "We're still working on those technical elements in the last couple of months, but we can tell you that if users are dissatisfied with that kind of thing, then it's certainly something we keep in mind when we develop," said Takeuchi. Resident Evil 5 is four months away and will release on March 13, 2009.

Two heads really are better than one! Unless ... those two heads are attached to one body and both of them are trying to bite your face off. All of a sudden Resident Evil 5 feels fresh and new again. The addition of a new "Action" control scheme and the spectacular online co-op gameplay have pushed RE5 back into the limelight as one of our most-wanted games of 2009.

Make sure you have a headset -- or if you can afford to, do a local LAN environment, with two PS3s and TVs connected to each other. Communication is vital here, and thinking through strategies together will help you survive. For example, when facing against RE5's new chainsaw guy (he's real fast, watch out!), James and I thought up a plan. Because I had the sniper rifle, James would bait the chainsaw-wielding psycho on the ground. I'd make my way up a dilapidated building. Then, I can snipe the baddie, making him fall to the ground. James can then go up to the boss and use Sheva's devastating finishing attack.

This kind of cooperation is at the heart of RE5's utterly compelling gameplay. In one level, we were stuck in a small shack, with enemies trying to break in. As they came swarming in, we played back-to-back, with each player responsible for covering one half of the area. Perhaps a situation like this would be too overwhelming alone -- but with two players, we felt a bit more confident.

Resident Evil 5 looks to be a step above RE4 by mixing up the over-the-shoulder view mode with a brand new co-op gameplay. The teamwork between Chris and Sheva, as seen in the trailers posted after the break (for age restriction purposes -- view if you're 17 and above only!), makes the duo look like a two-person army. They're really cleaning up the African town of Kijuju of all its troublesome lot. Check out the vids and see for yourself.

Also, an official website for RE5 just opened up. Head on over there for character dossiers on Chris, Sheva, Excella, and Wesker.

We can't say too much about these two Resident Evil 5 trailers from TGS -- they contain plenty of action, plenty of gore and plenty of spoilers. All of the newly announced characters make an appearance, so that's a first. Without further ado, take a look at them after the break.

When PlayStation Home launches later this year, you won't have to choose.

Capcom, one of new publishers for Home announced earlier this week, is showing off the content they'll be providing. We've got four videos for you right after the jump -- the first one begins with Street Fighter IV producer Yoshinori Ono explaining the content for Home. But even if your foreign language skills are limited, you can still enjoy seeing Chun-Li do her famous victory jump. Chris Redfield makes an appearance in the second video, but it seems like his Home incarnation doesn't hit the gym quite as often. The Gran Turismo 5 demo showcases a couple racing pods (check out a variation of it here) for your virtual pad. Lastly, Sony recreated their TGS booth in Home at the company's press conference. All four videos after the break.

[Via MaxConsole]

The monthly PlayStation Underground newsletter is always a great source when it comes to revealing what to expect in next issue of Qore. The October issue of the digi-zine will feature three somewhat 'scary' titles, all of which are multiplatform games. Capcom's Resident Evil 5, Bethesda Softworks' Fallout 3 and EA's Dead Space are all featured.

There's also going to be more on Shaun White Snowboarding. That one is not particularly horrific enough to fit in with the Halloween-vibe theme, but snowboarding can be quite a suspenseful spectacle. We guess it's a shoo-in in that way. Look out for the fifth episode of Qore early next month.

Capcom, in a Q&A conference call for their Q1 financial results, expressed confidence in the PS3. When asked about whether they felt the PS3 install base was large enough to support big-budget titles like Resident Evil 5, Capcom responded with the following: "We believe that PS3 has finally reached full swing after looking at the success of Metal Gear Solid 4, as well as future large-scale title lineups. In addition, some reduction in the PS3's price was announced at the 2008 E3, and we can expect its spread to increase by next March when our Resident Evil 5 for PS3 will be released."

However, they haven't become Sony fanboys or anything. "We are not only focusing on PS3, we would also like to spread our supply of software evenly between Wii and Xbox 360 while their markets in the world increase in a similar manner to PS3." Either way, publisher after publisher have no choice but to see the newest sales figures and acknowledge the PS3's success.

[Via MaxConsole]

New screenshots just in, and well, they're all seemingly about the teamwork between Chris Redfield and Sheva, a new masked bad guy (seen in yesterday's trailer), and ... some gratuitous butt shots of Sheva. Oh, and somewhere in between all this, you'll see zombies. What's a Resident Evil game without zombies? There are more Resident Evil 5 images in the gallery.