Is Capcom planning a PC version of Resident Evil 5?
Many industry pundits maintain that Resident Evil 4 was one of the best games of the last console generation. After its massive success on the GameCube, the title made its way onto every other console known to man, as well as the PC. Now, as we await the release of Resident Evil 5, the game has been confirmed on the Xbox 360 and PS3, but nowhere else. However, that may all be changing as it appears Capcom may have accidentally spilled the beans on a PC version.
A recent MCV report runs down Capcom’s full list of releases for Q1 2009. While the big story to MCV is the announcement that Street Fighter IV will be coming on February 20th, below that is a listing for Resident Evil 5, set to release on March 13 for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. This tidbit is news to us, as Capcom has never announced a PC version of RE5. As far as we know, one doesn’t exist.
When questioned, a Capcom rep merely stated that the company had not made any announcement about a PC version of the game and left it at that. For those wondering, that basically means, "Yes we’re doing it, but we don’t want to talk about it right now." So while we don’t yet have official confirmation of the game’s existence, it’s more than likely a sure thing. Just try to act surprised when the real announcement comes.
TGR Verdict: Rumor Very Likely
Was Activision cut out of making a Beatles game because they got greedy?
Last week Harmonix made a big splash by announcing that they had signed a deal to create a rhythm game based on the music of The Beatles. Seeing as the Fab Four have been one of the most requested acts for games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero, the prospect of a full game featuring the gents from Liverpool has a lot of music fans and gamers salivating. One question that quickly arises is why did the band decide to go with Harmonix rather than Activision? Considering that Guitar Hero is still the bigger franchise by far, wouldn’t common sense dictate that you go with the biggest built-in fanbase in order to rake in the most cash? Well it sounds like the company may have had their chance to score the band, but the company’s arrogance cost them this time around.
According to Reuters, Apple Corp and Sony/ATV were less than impressed by Activision CEO Bobby Kotick and his approach to licensing music for games.
"It was presented as if they were doing the music business a favor," Sony/ATV CEO Martin Bandier said. "It’s true you can choose other types of music, and somewhere along the line someone’s going to do it for free for the exposure … When it comes to the Beatles, the leverage changes. We’re very happy with the terms of our arrangement with MTV."
This statement no doubt refers to Kotick’s earlier remarks, when he retaliated against Warner Music CEO Edgar Bronfman’s comments that the music industry wasn’t making enough on royalties, and Kotick essentially told him he should be happy games like Guitar Hero are using their music at all, and that music labels should be paying Activision for the priviledge of being included. While it’s true that the popularity of Rock Band and Guitar Hero have been good for the music industry as well, claims like those still aren’t going to make you many friends.
No doubt there are lots of issues that led to The Beatles signing on with Harmonix/MTV, and we’re sure the "very rich" deal that was struck had a lot to do with it, but there is merit to the idea that Kotick’s previous comments have come back to bite him. Also, if this signals Activision’s overall stance towards bands in the future, more and more labels may side with Harmonix, since they’re willing to pony up the dough and keep their mouths shut too. If Kotick wonders why his company didn’t get The Beatles, it would seem as though all he needs to do is look in the mirror.
TGR Verdict: Rumor Confirmed
Has the full Street Fighter IV roster been revealed?
Even though Street Fighter IV has been out in Japan for a while now, new info keeps being added on new characters Capcom is steathily revealing at strategic intervals. As we near the game’s February console release, the time is coming where everything must be finalized, and it seems as though an eagle-eyed gamer may have snapped off a screen shot of the full roster, featuring the previously unannounced Rose from Street Fighter Alpha.
The picture was allegedly taken by an attendee of the N.E.X.T. Expo in Brussels, where Capcom apparently had several full SFIV cabinets set up for demos. The picture looks legit indeed, and if this somehow turns out to be an elaborate Photoshop job then it is easily the best I’ve ever seen.
Unfortunately, this is still a highly unconfirmed rumor, especially since all we have is one picture from an unidentified source and no official word from Capcom. We do believe this to be the genuine article, but without more information this one is still impossible to confirm. For now we’ll just consider it plausible, and hope and dream that we finally know who exactly will be available for beating our friends to a bloody pulp early next year.
TGR Verdict: Rumor Somewhat Likely
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