Resident Evil 5 - Part of Capcom's Fiscal 2008 Plan?

Capcom recently unveiled their 2008 fiscal plan, and aside from the usual suspects (Devil May Cry 4 on PC and Bionic Commando on the 360, PS3, and PC), their undisputed mammoth also made the list : Resident Evil 5. That means it should see release by March 2009 (which is when their 2008 fiscal plan runs out).

Will Capcom have their behemoth ready for the holiday rush towards the end of the year, or will the company wait for the notoriously crowded Christmas season to end and then put it on the market? Only time will tell, but if history is any indication, it may see a January release ala Resident Evil 4 on the Gamecube. After all, it could make sense for Capcom to put it out during a less cluttered time of year - Metal Gear Solid 3 failed to meet sales expectations back in 2004 due to going against juggernauts like Halo 2 and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Then again, I can't think of any titles that enormous making their way to consoles during the fourth quarter 2008 period, so who knows what Capcom will ultimately decide on?

I just hope that Resident Evil 5 meets my expectations and is not a disappointment like some "other" prominent series that made the jump to a new generation (Halo 3 and Grand Theft Auto IV, I'm looking at you).

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Be Prepared to Pre-Order Your Metal Gear Solid 4 Bundle!

...that is, if you've got a disposable income.

Tomorrow you'll be able to pre-order the Gun Metal-colored Metal Gear Solid 4 Playstation 3 bundle. It is going to be sold exclusively through Konami's online store. Not only does it feature a special paint job, but it will contain a copy of Metal Gear Solid 4 (which is, hands down, the most eagerly anticipated game coming to the Playstation 3), the game's soundtrack and a non-interactive Blu-Ray disc jam-packed with extras.

Although Konami has not revealed how many of these will be produced, early reports from Japan (where they received a Metal Gear bundle of their own and it sold out almost immediately) indicate that these will be very severely limited.

The bad part, now, comes from the actual price of these units: $600. Yup, 600 big ones for a Playstation 3 that contains a mere 40 GB hard drive. Now, I'm no mathematician, but this bundle is more than wee-bit overpriced for what you're getting. Still, fans and collectors are undoubtedly going to eat this pack up when pre-orders start on Konami.com tomorrow. The actual unit will ship out on June 12th.

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When Game Covers Rip Each Other Off

Saints Row 2 and Mercenaries 2 are both slated for release this year, and although they're by two entirely different publishers, the covers do share a rather striking resemblance to each other:



Ok, I'm sure it's more of a coincidence than anything, but it is still rather... intriguing. And how about this one - Breakdown, the Xbox game, and St. Anger, Metallica's worst album?





Breakdown was released at least a year later than St. Anger. That is to say, Namco used some shameful source material (if they were inspired by Metallica's cover).

How Hardcore is Your Game?

Game manuals - ever read those things? If you're anything like me (or the vast majority of gamers) you probably never even bother cracking them open. However, sometimes giving them a quick scan can prove rewarding. Just take a look at this hilarious line from Acclaim's "hardcore and edgy" 2004 soccer title, Freestyle Street Soccer:

"Bragging? I'm not bragging. I am merely stating a fact, you low-life - I can kick your fat ass! And I will now prove it to you, you bonehead. That is, if this message is getting through - I AM BETTER THAN YOU!".

Erm, yeah. The game itself is passable (one of those mediocre titles that isn't particularly good or bad). How, the undeniable best part of Freestyle Street Soccer is that line from the instruction book included inside.