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UK TV presenter delivers 'chilling verdict' on violent games
by Ludwig Kietzmann 
{ Mar 28th 2008 at 2:30PM }
Call it a hunch, but we're not convinced that UK television presenter, Anne Diamond, is an ideal choice to "review" games which she says make her "hair stand on end." Though she brushes off several titles which are "so mindless it would be hard to see them as a destructive influence," the ones with "gratuitous use of violence and bloodthirsty imagery" really draw her ire. Honestly, we'd be bitter too if we had copies of Dead Rising LODGED IN OUR SHOULDERS.In a response to Thursday's publication of a Dr. Tanya Byron-led review of video game violence, the UK's Daily Mail has delivered a one-two punch of sensationalist misinterpretation ("allowing children to play on computers unsupervised is as dangerous as letting them play outside on their own") and misguided scaremongering, offering the task of analyzing and rating already-rated violent video games to Diamond. Her "chilling" verdicts are all neatly assembled below a snap of kids playing the infinitely sinister Mario Kart 64.
After glossing over Dead or Alive 4 (she wasn't keen on playing as "a martial artist in the fantasy Ninja-style mode"), she becomes truly horrified by a game that "wallows in violence for violence's sake." This dubious honor goes to Resident Evil 4 which, in case you forgot, is about "a cataclysmic chemical attack" spawning legions of zombies which "don't stop until you shoot them in the face or slash their arms off."
"This game shouldn't be allowed to be sold, even adults," says a Diamond in the rush to pass judgment. After being "stabbed to death with pitchforks amid fountains of [her] own blood," she calls it quits and declares, "This kind of violence can only be bad for you." Well, that's what the healing herbs are for, Anne.
[Thanks, Duncan]
Final Fantasy vs. Dead or Alive: Round 2
by Ludwig Kietzmann { Mar 25th 2008 at 8:01AM }
Above you'll find the sequel, an even bigger display of absurd acrobatics, imaginative pummeling and blissful ignorance of the laws of physics. We love it.
[Thanks, dara hoy]
The breast video game boobs to haunt our mammories
by Alexander Sliwinski { Dec 12th 2007 at 5:00AM }
Once again, the piece is so base, but the site sure did get creative with some of the descriptions. For example, Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 (pictured) is described as having mammary glands where each have their own "mother brain." And don't forget about Rachel from Ninja Gaiden's "heaving mounds of fury." Oh mercy, time to go make a donation to the Girl Scouts on GameDaily's behalf.
Haloid creator mashes up Final Fantasy and Dead or Alive
by Ludwig Kietzmann { Oct 13th 2007 at 3:55PM }
After pitting Master Chief and Samus against each other, animator Monty Oum now renders the results of the Final Fantasy universe intersecting with Tomonobu Itagaki's fighting franchise, Dead or Alive. If you take issue with saucer-eyed women pummeling each other in ways that defy logic and gravity, avert your eyes and hide your children (advent or otherwise) before the interminable Matrix music kicks in.
Why are Kasumi and Yuna so upset with one another? Why are bullets so utterly useless? Why hasn't someone made Super Smash Sisters yet? Clearly, we're asking way too many questions. Just enjoy the mad choreography and know that if it's anything like Haloid, love can eventually bloom on the battlefield.
[Thanks, Kamizar]
Joystiq interview: DOA creator Tomonobu Itagaki, "Tekken sucks"
by Kevin Kelly { Aug 1st 2007 at 11:00PM }
We caught up with Tomonobu Itagaki at the recent Championship Gaming Series North American World Series Final (try printing that on a hat) in Manhattan Beach recently, and we asked him a few questions. Although he'd had a few beers, we didn't get him to pin down a date or a console for Ninja Gaiden 2, curse you weak American beer!
Yes, he was wearing his patent black leather jacket and sunglasses, and no he didn't take them off. Even when it got dark. They might be permanently welded to his face at this point. While he's known for being outspoken and critical to the extreme (especially if your game has the word Tekken in the title), when we asked him about Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword, he actually handed over his DS to us and let us play through an early build of the game, more on that soon.
DoA movie even deader after arrival
by Kyle Orland { Jun 27th 2007 at 12:28PM }
This weekend's box office numbers show earnings for the movie dropping off an incredible 91.9 percent to just over $21,000. Total. For the whole country. For reference, top-earner Evan Almighty made that much off just three of its 3,604 opening screens. The 54th-most popular movie for the weekend, DoA was shown in just 98 theaters, earning an average $214 per screen. For even more context, action flick 300 was shown in 140 theaters and averaged $737 per showing despite being four months old.
Granted, DoA was a low-budget popcorn flick with no big names attached and next to no advertising. Still, what does this unmitigated flop say about the prospects of other upcoming, game-based movies like Prince of Persia or Spy Hunter ... or Metal Gear Solid or Diablo ... or City of Heroes or The Sims? They can't all be Tomb Raider, after all.
[Via 1up]
Dead or Alive movie dead on arrival
by Kyle Orland { Jun 18th 2007 at 12:58PM }
Recently spared from a straight-to-DVD release, the Dead or Alive movie limped into theaters this weekend without anyone much noticing or caring. The film earned $232,200 from 505 screens, finishing the weekend behind months-old thriller Disturbia and art house favorite La Vie en Rose. It's a sad day for our country when audiences would rather watch a subtitled French love story than see girls in bikinis kicking each other.Given the reviews, it's not that surprising that audiences stayed away in droves. Rotten Tomatoes' rating page, which gives the movie a score of 46 percent, is punctuated with quotes like "unquestionably brain dead" and "a genuinely terrible film." And those are from some of the good reviews.
[Thanks Anthony]
Team Ninja's Hayashi 'not averse to developing a title for Wii'
by JC Fletcher { Jun 14th 2007 at 5:50PM }
This is potentially interesting future news: Team Ninja's Yusuke Hayashi, who is directing the re-remake of Ninja Gaiden, would maybe be okay with making a Wii game or whatever. If he had a good idea for one."There are several groups within Team Ninja. The PS3 group, the Xbox 360 group, and there are Wii fans in Team Ninja." At this point, any new Team Ninja game is, statistically speaking, most likely to be a port of either Ninja Gaiden or Dead or Alive 2. If you like either of those games (and why not?) then you can probably look forward to one of them on the Wii!
[Via Joystiq]
Dead or Alive movie slated for June 15
by Justin McElroy { May 30th 2007 at 12:15PM }
Sure, you may not be thrilled about it, but there are plenty of people who have reason to crow. For example, My Name Is Earl fans, driven mad by the summer hiatus, can squint their eyes during Jamie Pressley's scenes and pretend they're watching lost episodes. Also, the producers of Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer must be stoked that they're definitely not putting out the worst movie that week. We've included the trailer after the break to help get you totally pumped for staying home that weekend.
Next DOA exclusive to PS3?
by Richard Mitchell { May 2nd 2007 at 4:30PM }
The latest issue of EGM reports that Team Ninja is currently working on an exclusive Dead or Alive title for the Playstation 3. Considering the series has been a flagship title for the Xbox since Dead or Alive 3, this presents an interesting twist for DOA fans. The rumor doesn't clarify the actual title of the game, so it's possible that the PS3 will be receiving an updated Dead or Alive 4 (similar to Ninja Gaiden Sigma). In other words, the game in question isn't necessarily Dead or Alive 5. Hell, it might be another DOA Xtreme title for all we know. Come to think of it, the jiggle probably would look better in 4D.
[Via Joystiq]
Rumor: New Dead or Alive will be PS3 exclusive
by Justin McElroy { May 2nd 2007 at 2:20PM }
Also slipping from Quarterman's silver tongue: Capcom may be working on a new version of the original Mega Man, remade for the PlayStation Network (what's the appropriate gift for the 100th Mega Man? Glass? Sapphire?). Oh, and, lest we forget, Q says a new Disgaea for PS3 and a new Kingdom Hearts (not Kingdom Hearts 3) are on the way. What's that? You want more? Well, only the first hit is free: You'll have to buy this month's EGM for more details.
RUMOR: Dead or Alive and Disgaea coming to PS3?
by Nick Doerr { Apr 30th 2007 at 2:55PM }
Leave it to EGM's rumor mill to churn out a tasty new rumor. It's rumored that an XBox staple, Dead or Alive, might be making its fifth iteration exclusively on the Sony gigantor bot -- the PlayStation 3. Actually, that's not entirely true. Team Ninja is supposedly making something revolving around the DoA universe on the PS3. Not specifically the fifth entry into the franchise. What was that last God-awful fighting game spinoff? Death by Degrees? Bad call, Tekken, bad call.Also mentioned in the magazine is the idea that Nippon-Ichi's popular SRPG series, Disgaea, will be making its way onto the PlayStation 3 as well. Not much else is known -- will it be on the PSN (since the games are, admittedly, not the finest looking), will it be a remake, sequel, what? No matter, we'll find out in due time. Personally, I'm not too fond of the games. You waste too much time getting absolutely nothing at all accomplished. Levelling up is a joke, blah blah blah add your own opinions.
Wii Dead or Alive possible?
by JC Fletcher { Feb 26th 2007 at 7:40PM }
Computer and Video Games asked Dead or Alive creator Tomonobu Itagaki about the possibility of putting his franchises on the Wii, and, while no concrete information was given, Itagaki indicated that he had at least thought about it. Specifically, he was inspired by Wii Sports Boxing to think about Wii fighting games. It doesn't take much of a leap to conclude that if Itagaki and Team Ninja make a fighting game for the Wii (and they should!) then the words "Dead" and "Alive" will somehow figure into the title.Dead or Alive is fine-- we admit that we've bought every version of Dead or Alive 2 that's been released in the US for some reason-- but what we want to see is Ninja Gaiden. We can't believe we haven't thought about how awesome Wii controls in fast-paced 3D action games would be, but now we can't stop daydreaming about it. Of course, it's possible that whatever the new franchise is that he's planning could end up being a Wii action game in a new setting.
[Via Game|Life]
Microsoft celebrates Year of the Boar with boring bundles
by James Ransom-Wiley { Feb 9th 2007 at 4:45PM }
Microsoft is ushering in the (Lunar) New Year with a pair of discounted Xbox 360 game packs. One set includes Project Gotham Racing 3 and Ridge Racer 6; the other, Dead or Alive 4 and Dead or Alive Xtreme 2. The 'Year of the Boar' branded bundles are being sold in Taiwan, where Xbox 360 launched last March. At $1,490 TWD (about $45 USD) a pop, the festive fun-packs aren't screaming "buy me" -- at least from our perspective. We're looking at three launch titles that have since been bargain-binned and a virtual peep show. This the best Microsoft could scoop outta the over-manufactured heap? Or do these hit the "target"?Itagaki defends the DOAX2 jiggle
by Dustin Burg { Jan 24th 2007 at 1:30AM }
In a 1UP interview, Team Ninja's main man Tomonobu Itagaki talks about everything DOAX2. Itagaki explains why certain decisions were made that affect DOAX2's gameplay, online functionality, exploits, and future updates. Not only does he have no remorse for the game's craptacular online options, but even goes far enough to say that the game's multiplayer "would have been better just to not have it to begin with". Also, a patch is going to be released removing the free money exploit, but don't worry because Team Ninja will be selling all the goods via micro-transactions. It's the old "we're removing this cheat so you can buy it from us" routine. And if you've ever questioned Team Ninja's dedication to their games; when asked about putting up a demo on the XBLM Itagaki stated that "for people who are looking for a demo it's unfortunate, since I've already begun moving on to the next game". Is it us or is Itagaki totally back peddling in this interview, stumbling over his own response, and seems totally clueless to what the fans actually want?[Thanks, Jonah]
