November 2005

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

DOA4 delayed in Japan
Posted by White_Pointer at 01:04:31 CST
It seemed inevitable after the US delay of the game, so it should be no surprise to anyone that Dead or Alive 4 has also been delayed in Japan and will miss the launch date of the Xbox 360, set to hit stores on the 10th of December. The game won't be ready until a week later on the 17th. Considering how much Microsoft is trying to nail the Japanese market, this title would have gone a long way to convincing some of the Japanese gamers to buy the console. The 360 will now launch in Japan with only 6 titles in it's lineup, none of which look at though they would appeal to the average Japanese gamer.
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New fan art
Posted by White_Pointer at 01:41:06 CST
Wanda 92 has sent us in an unusual piece of fan art, to say the least. This is a her own creation, a character which apparently fits into SFII - except it looks like a Rambo Pikachu. Take a look for it yourself in our 8th fan art gallery.

Don't forget, if you would also like your fighting game artwork to be published here for the world to see, visit our fan art section for all of the details!
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Technical problems with Xbox 360's?
Posted by White_Pointer at 02:46:03 CST
If you're thinking about rushing out and buying a 360, you might want to hold that thought, at least for the time being. Since the Xbox 360's launch, many customers have started reporting major problems with the console. Some games seem to be crashing the machine, some hard drives appear to be faulty, and some disc drives appear to be scratching discs to the point where they are no longer playable. Some reports are coming in that the machine can switch itself off in the middle of a game, and some games are having problems connecting to Xbox Live. To top it all off, the backwards compatibility still leaves a lot to be desired, as even games included on Microsoft's official list of playable Xbox games are having major problems running on the 360.

These aren't just rumours either, this is fact, backed up by evidence in most cases. No doubt Microsoft will eventually get these problems sorted out, but in the meantime, you might just want to stick with your current consoles for a little bit longer.
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DOA movie details
Posted by White_Pointer at 02:24:02 CST
A few little tidbits have emerged about the upcoming Dead or Alive movie, based off the game series. Shooting in China, the film stars Devon Aoki (Sin City, Fast and the Furious) as Kasumi, Shane Kosugi as Ryu Hyabusa, Jaime Pressly (My Name Is Earl, Joe Dirt) as Tina Armstrong, and real-life pro wrestler Kevin Nash (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Secret of the Ooze) as Bass. Also in the film are Sarah Carter (Final Destination 2, K-9: P.I.), Natassia Malthe (Elektra, K-9: P.I.), Matthew Marsden (Black Hawk Down, Anacondas: Hunt for the Blood Orchid), Eric Roberts (Runaway Train, The Specialist) and Robin Shou (Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation).

Dimension Films are being reported as being the distributer of the film, due out 3rd quarter next year.

If you want to see the trailer, you can go here. Judging by what we see here though, it probably wouldn't be wise to put any high hopes on this one.
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DOA4 arcade stick unveiled
Posted by White_Pointer at 02:50:00 CST
The first third-party Xbox 360 controller will be hitting the market alongside the Japanese release of Dead or Alive 4 on December 10th. The same day release is not a coincidence though because it's actually a DOA4 arcade stick.

New Poll
Posted by White_Pointer at 00:09:04 CST
Well, with the Xbox 360 launching today across the US and the Japanese and European releases of the console not far away, the next generation of video games is descending upon us at a rapid rate. Naturally enough, each new console is going to cater to different people's tastes and so in this poll we ask you which of the next-gen consoles are you planning on buying (or acquiring some other way)? Are you planning on eventually getting two of them, or maybe even all three? Vote now!
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Poll Results
Posted by White_Pointer at 00:00:33 CST
Time for a new poll, but as always, we post the results of the previous one first!

Which of these game series would you most like another sequel to?

41.1% - Killer Instinct
20% - Darkstalkers
12.6% - Powerstone
10.8% - Other
5.8% - Eternal Champions
5.5% - Primal Rage
3.7% - Clayfighter

Well, the result speaks for itself...most people want a new KI game. Rare and Microsoft, are you reading this?
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CCC hitting the PSP
Posted by White_Pointer at 02:49:55 CST
A version of Capcom's compilation of their classic arcade games released earlier this year for consoles is making its way to the PSP. The portable version of Capcom Classics Collection includes 1941, Avengers, Block Block, Captain Commando, Magic Sword, Quiz and Dragons, Strider, Three Wonders, Varth and Street Fighter. That's right...the ORIGINAL Street Fighter. Is the nostalgic value going to be enough to justify the price? Maybe the addition of wireless multiplayer with some of these games may pursuade you to hand over the money when it releases this coming March, but this doesn't seem to even be in the same league as the console collection.
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Dragon Ball Z releasing for the DS
Posted by White_Pointer at 01:12:35 CST
Atari have announced that they are finally bringing a DBZ fighting game to the DS, and it's a sequel to the latest one to appear on Nintendo's other handheld, the GBA. Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors 2 will feature over 20 playable charaters, free battle mode, practice mode, Z Battle mode and a single player mode that allows you to play through plot-lines from the show, as well as some "what if?" scenarios. Probably the biggest change in this game compared to any other DBZ fighting game though is the introduction of a three-on-three tag team mechanic. Now you'll be able to cause insane amounts of destruction by the power of three. This is where the touch screen comes into play, you can use it to call on your team-mates for help.

The game is actually due out in a couple of days, so be sure to keep a lookout for it if you're interested!
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New MK action figures on the way
Posted by White_Pointer at 01:26:13 CST
Recently at the US Fall Toy Show, Jazzwares had several new action figures on display. Due out this January are four new MK figures...Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Liu Kang and Kung Lao (the latter two previously only being available if you preordered a copy of MK: SM). However it's not ending there as another series is already into development, which will include Reptile, Johnny Cage, Kano and possibly Noob Saibot.

If you're like me and you have been hanging out for some MK action figures that are actually good for the past 13 years, then these should be quite appealing to you! Check out some photos of them on display at the show here, here, here and here.
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Guilty Gear music pack on offer
Posted by White_Pointer at 01:41:53 CST
Yes, you read that right...Sammy, along with Sega, is offering a Guilty Gear music compilation in an 8 CD box set. But before you get too excited, this will only be available in Japan, and will only be available through Sega's mobile phone service.

Two go with the CD's, the box is decorated with brand new artwork by series director Daisuke Ishiwatari, and also includes a commentary by the series composer in a 32 page booklet and bonus CD. According to Sega, postcards and an assortment of other items are being planned for the release. Only 3,000 copies of this set are being made as well, making this quite a collector's item.

Why it is Japan always gets the cool stuff?
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Pre-order DOA4 in Japan, get stuff
Posted by White_Pointer at 01:58:30 CST
Tecmo's Dead or Alive 4 for the Xbox 360 may have been delayed until December, but that's not stopping them putting together promotional material and giving stuff away to those people who preorder the game in Japan. If you decide to do so, you'll score yourself a pillowcase entitled "The most beautiful slipcase in the world", and a poster bearing a similar name. Why do they have these titles? Well, they have a couple of the DOA girls (in this case Kasumi and Ayane) posing for the camera, with one of them quite scantily clad.

Team Ninja certainly doesn't have any qualms in showing off their DOA girls, and for good reason, as the Japanese market could swallow this up quite quickly.
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New VF5 info
Posted by White_Pointer at 01:12:41 CST
Sega fans that have been hanging out for some information on the next-gen debut of the Virtua Fighter series, fear not, because the information is here.

Several weeks ago Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu published some facts on the upcoming game. For a start, there will be two new characters. One of them was on show at the AM show back in August...a masked wrestler named El Blaze. Where he fits in with the story is unclear, though he appears to have some kind of connection with Wolf. Unfortunately the other new character was omitted from the article, so VF fans will have to wait a little longer for information on that.

Purists will be rest assured that the fighting system is staying by and large intact, though there are going to be several changes that aren't listed in the article. It does appear as if Sega are implementing more aerial combat into the game however (or at the very least more air movement), but we'll see what transpires.

Unfortunately, VF5 still won't feature online play, with Sega opting to instead build on the foundation set by VF4 with the network functionality. Sega claims that making VF online-capable would mean it's no longer VF.

That's the details of the article in a nutshell, but we are expecting Sega to be a little more forthcoming about some specifics of the gameplay system soon, so stay tuned!
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MK7 title revealed?
Posted by White_Pointer at 02:26:52 CST
Not much information has been given out by Midway concerning the next true title in the Mortal Kombat series (the one that will be following MK: Deception). However, an interesting little tidbit of information has surfaced. It appears as if Midway have registered the domain name MKArmageddon.com on the 23rd of September.

Considering they did the same thing with Deadly Alliance and Deception, it is a very strong possibility that the official title of MK7 will be Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, though Midway have not confirmed this themselves yet. We'll let you know what transpires with this news.

Thanks to forum member masta-Dante for finding this!
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DOA 4 delayed
Posted by White_Pointer at 01:59:25 CST
Those hoping to grab a copy of Dead or Alive 4 when the Xbox 360 launches on November 22nd are going to find their hopes squashed, as it was confirmed today that the game has been delayed and will not make the launch date of Microsoft's new console. EB Games as well as other retailers have been "unconfirming" any preorders that were taken for the game.

The good news is that it hasn't been delayed for very long. The new ship date is December 1st, which still technically puts the game in the "launch window" of the 360.
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Fighting games in the sales charts
Posted by White_Pointer at 01:47:36 CST
The latest sales charts are out (for the US, anyway) and this week's chart sees fighting games holding on strong, with Soul Calibur III and Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi both making appearances, despite them both being available for several weeks now.

Here's the full top 10 sales chart for the week 30th October to 5th November:

1. Star Wars: Battlefront II (Xbox)
2. Star Wars: Battlefront II (PS2)
3. Soul Calibur III (PS2)
4. Resident Evil 4 (PS2)
5. Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi (PS2)
6. Blitz: The League (PS2)
7. Battlefield 2: Modern Combat (Xbox)
8. Ratchet: Deadlocked (PS2)
9. Castlevania: Curse of Darkness (PS2)
10. Call of Duty 2: Big Red One (PS2)
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Midway again in the red
Posted by White_Pointer at 01:47:15 CST
Midway have just made public their Q3 financial report, and unfortunately it's not good news. The publisher apparently lost almost $30 million US in the past 3 months alone. Midway blamed this loss on poorer than expected sales of Suffering: Ties That Bind and L.A. Rush. The projections aren't looking fantastic either...in fact they are predicting to lose another $20 million US in the coming quarter.

Midway believes the situation they now find themselves in is because they got off to a bad start with the current generation of consoles.

"During the first half of the console cycle, product quality, average markets, and poor decision making hurt Midway," said David Zucker during a conference call. "Upgrading our marketing, improving our performance in Europe, and raising the quality of our games--we believe we accomplished all three of these things."

More new fan art
Posted by White_Pointer at 00:22:45 CST
We've got more new fan art for you!

The first is courtesy of Ricardo_Ramirez, who has provided us with two excellent hand drawings of Scorpion and Sub-Zero from MK: Shaolin Monks. Regular fan art contributer Joe Ikey has also sent us a new piece of artwork, this time of Ryu.

Check out the new eye candy in our newly opened 8th gallery in our fan art section!

Remember, if you want to join these guys and have your artwork published here on Blood-Sports.net, just visit our fan art section for all the submission details.
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TMNT 3 hits shelves
Posted by White_Pointer at 02:38:39 CST
Konami have announced that the third instalment of their revamped TMNT series, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Mutant Nightmare is now available for Gamecube, Xbox, PS2 and DS. For the first time in the series the game now supports four-player co-operative attacks and combo moves and actual puzzle-solving instead of just plain beat 'em up action. The original Ninja Turtles arcade game is also unlockable.

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New fan art
Posted by White_Pointer at 02:24:31 CST
Some new fan art has come our way, courtesy of LF, an artist who has contributed to us in the past. This new drawing is his rendition of the MK storyline of Kabal taking his revenge on Mavado. Check it out in gallery 7 of our fan art section.

A talented artist yourself? Why not submit your fighting game fan art right here for the world to see? Just visit our fan art section for all of the submission guidelines!
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More KOF sexiness on mobile phones
Posted by White_Pointer at 02:08:26 CST
A couple of weeks ago we reported that a new game is on it's way to Japanese mobile phones that allowed the player to date the girls from the King of Fighters series. SNK have decided that for some reason that's not all the audience wants so they are bringing out a second mobile phone game called King of Fighters Girls Mahjong. As the name suggests, in this game the player plays a game of Mahjong with one of the KOF girls, and if you beat them, you get treated to a sexy picture. The actual game of Mahjong isn't a normal Mahjong game though and has been KOF-ised, with special moves, super moves, anime cut-scenes and a host of other little tidbits (though these are obviously not going to be the main attraction).

Again, this is only planned for a Japanese release at the moment. Maybe just as well...if the dating game was weird, this one is even weirder.
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More fighting game humour
Posted by White_Pointer at 01:28:01 CST
While we are in the mood of bringing you some more light-hearted material, we thought we'd show you this comic from one of my favourite webcomics Ctrl+Alt+Del. I can imagine Liu Kang and Kung Lao having this conversation. Quite funny, though a warning that there is some colourful language used.
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In the land before time...
Posted by White_Pointer at 01:07:12 CST
Well, not quite. Fighting game news is kind of non-existent today, so here's something that may put a smile on your face or bring back terrible memories. Back in 1993, Capcom released a series of marketing videos to promote the release of Street Fighter II on the Sega Genesis. Gouki, one of our forum members, has managed to dig up a site that has one of these videos.

Check it out.

Looking back at it now, it seems very corny and over the top, and you'll no doubt find it quite funny. It's always good to look back at some nostalgia, even if we don't see things the way they were back then. We also have a forum thread about it here if you want to chat about it!
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