This week, Capcom headed to London to host Gamer’s Day. We broke some MAJOR news and announced the development of some long-awaited titles. From the incredible new next-gen Bionic Commando® and long-awaited Street Fighter® IV to Dark Void™ and Talisman™, we’ve got a lot in store!

Bionic Commando®

Returning from a more than 20 year hiatus, one of the most fondly-remembered and oft-demanded Capcom characters returns in next-gen 3D form!

Making an amazing leap and swinging into the next generation of gaming, Bionic Commando® combines the genius of the bionic arm mechanic with the power of next generation hardware.

Gamespot has the answers to all of your Bionic Commando questions, so head on over to Gamespot’s Bionic Commando page and then come back and discuss what you want to see in the new Bionic Commando® on the Capcom Unity forums!

You can also keep updated at the official Bionic Commando® website.

Commando 3™
Lock and Load! Commando 3 takes the no-holds-barred arcade spirit of its predecessors and crafts an all-new furious cooperative shooting adventure for the next generation!

Available on Xbox LIVE® Arcade, PLAYSTATION®Network this winter, Commnado 3 gives you a huge arsenal of weaponry, controllable vehicles, and a rag-tag group of specialized soldiers, each with their own unique characteristics. Up to three players can enjoy the classic arcade-style experience together on a single console or online.

Commando 3 even compensates for the multiplayer mode by dynamically shifting difficulty levels based on the number of players in the game, ensuring that the game always poses a challenge. The Commando 3 soundtrack is being created by Norihiko Hibino, an international composer well-known for his work creating music for the Metal Gear series of games.

With a comprehensive scoring system and online leaderboards, players can see how they compare to the best digital soldiers in the world!

Talisman™
Also coming to Xbox LIVE® Arcade, PLAYSTATION®Network this winter, Talisman™, based on Games Workshop’s classic board game, is the quintessential fantasy hybrid board/role-playing game for up to four players, either online or offline.

The game takes place in a fantasy realm and is based very closely on the board game through a 3D representation of the map with animated movements and in-game events.

Characters are fully animated as they walk about the board, attack other creatures, cast beautiful effect-laden spells and use objects to enhance their actions. The highly anticipated 4th Edition of the board game is due for release from Games Workshop’s Black Industries imprint in October 2007.

We Love Golf!™
We Love Golf!™ transforms the Wii Remote™ into a virtual set of golf clubs, creating the most immersive golfing experience available off the greens.

This new title is being developed in partnership with Camelot Software Planning, best known for developing successful sports games for home systems, including Hot Shots Golf and the Mario Golf series.

In this realistic golfing experience with a fresh new spin incorporating the Wii Remote’s unique motion-sensing functionality, use the controller to choose clubs, line up shots, swing and even add a touch fade or draw with a flick of the wrist. Just as on a real course, gauging wind conditions, correct club selection and careful reading of the greens are all essential for victory. A variety of game modes, multiple characters, and unlockable content will provide endless hours of putting heaven.

Dark Void™
Dark Void™ is a highly innovative action title in development with platforms being confirmed shortly. Developed by Airtight Games, Dark Void will deliver a groundbreaking combination of fast-paced vertical combat mixed with mid-air and on-foot action. Currently scheduled for release in winter 2008, the Dark Void sci-fi story is engaging: Something is consuming our universe, a vast and ancient force almost beyond our comprehension. Millions of years ago, the minions of that power found their way to the 3rd planet of an unremarkable yellow star. Ours. The race they created came to call their masters “The Watchers.” For millennia we knew them as gods and served their dark purposes, but a few humans developed extraordinary powers. They were known as the Adepts and they rose up, banishing The Watchers into a parallel universe, where they’ve manipulated and schemed from afar. Until now.

Other titles shown at the Gamer’s Day convention include Devil May Cry® 4, Lost Planet™:Extreme Condition for the PLAYSTATION®3 system, Okami™ for the Wii, Street Fighter® II Turbo HD Remix for Xbox LIVE® Arcade and PLAYSTATION®Network, Zack & Wiki™: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure, Ace Attorney™: Apollo Justice, Mega Man® ZX Advent, Resident Evil®: The Umbrella Chronicles, and the newly announced Street Fighter® IV!

You’d like to think that Mega Man’s Mega Buster Shot and a pair of Rocket Skates is all he needs to defend against any “no touchy touchies” in a crowd of comic book fanatics, but with the masses tipping the odds against him, Mega Man just can’t be too careful in a crowd. Resident Capcomer Francis Mao got the rare honor of getting Mega Man’s back for a day and came home with a few interesting observations.

Q: So what¹s it like guarding the Blue Bomber?

A: Having played almost every Mega Man game since his 8-bit original, it was a surreal experience to work so closely in person with a childhood video game icon! I had great pride in parting the sea of Comic Con attendees as we marched our way throughout the crowded Capcom booth and surrounding aisles.
“Excuse me folks! Mega Man COMING THROUGH!”

Q: Is he as tall as you thought he¹d be?

A: He was exactly how I imagined he’d be, because Mega Man’s more of a boyish age/size and as a grown man, I’d be traumatized if he was taller or bigger than me. Standing about 5’4” from boots to helmet top, Mega Man still had tremendous stature and presence.

Q: Was everyone excited to see the “Mega Man” himself in person?

A: Surprisingly so. I knew Mega Man was popular – this being his 20th Anniversary and all – but HOW popular was still a pleasant surprise as people of all ages bolted over for pictures or shouted “Mega Man!” as soon as they saw a flash of blue.

Q: Did Mega Man get a chance to get out on the floor and make his rounds of Comic Con?

A: Definitely. Mega Man was a featured attraction for Thursday through Saturday of the show to meet and greet visitors to the Capcom booth, pose for pictures, and even sign an autograph or two. On Friday, he was accompanied by Harvey Birdman for joint photo-opps.

Q: Did he have to face off with Dr. Wiley or any other baddies?

A: We encountered tons of attendees in costume including Akuma, Freddy Krueger, and other villains, but fortunately no Dr. Wiley. Although there was a guy that looked a lot like the nefarious Nemesis, but he wasn’t wearing a costume so I don’t think the likeness was intentional! lol

Q: Was Mega Man signing autographs?

A: He definitely did sign a couple, but it’s quite difficult having only one free hand while your other is holding his Mega Buster. For the most part, everyone was just happy to take a picture. It was a nonstop wave of digital cameras and camera phones, but one old-fashioned hand-cranked film camera, too!

Q: We ALL love Mega Man, but did anyone attempt to get a little too close for comfort to MM?

A: For the most part, everyone was extremely cool and cordial, but there’re always a couple bad apples in every bunch. Some kids (who were old enough to know better) tried rattling Mega Man’s helmet or yanking on his gun. A lot of guys got a little “too” friendly in hugging or posing too closely, so I had to move in to keep things clear. One huge guy asked if he could pick Mega Man up to pose with him and I was almost too dumbfounded to reply to such a moronic question. Another guy tried to cop a feel of Mega Man’s blue derriere as he put his arm around him, so I grabbed his hand and pushed it away, he pushed back, and well… That’s another story altogether. I was willing to risk life and limb to keep the Blue Bomber safe! lol

Q: Did you spot any OTHER Mega Men on the floor?

A: No other Mega Men were seen. We did see another Harvey Birdman the day Harvey was with us and that created a very funny scene. The fan Harvey Birdman was actually quite peeved that we had a “commercial” Harvey Birdman to sully his name. All in good fun. :)

Thanks, Francis. I’m sure Mega Man and his safe blue derriere thank you as well.

The DX 10 Features Patch and new Multiplayer Map Pack for Lost Planet PC is now available, as well as news for the Xbox 360 Lost Planet community!

A new set of DX 10 enhancements for Lost Planet PC has been released as an automatic downloadable patch on August 16. These are designed to take greater advantage of DX 10 capabilities by utilizing the Geometry Shader to improve overall visual quality through better depth of field effects, improved motion blur and fur shading.

Click here to see some comparision screenshots of the new effects.

A basic chatting system has been added for the PC version which includes four default message options that can be used to communicate with others in the lobby, in-game and result screen.

In addition, PC Map Pack #2 is available for free download on the same day and includes the following four maps:

• “Battleground,” an abandoned town scattered with rubble from ruined buildings, featuring indoor/outdoor areas with multi-level vantage points.
• “Lost Technology,” a throw-back to the good ol’ days of pixelated 8-bit gaming.
• “Ruins,” ancient temples set amidst a lush jungle.
• “Ice Drop,” a frigid glacier with lots of peaks, nooks and crannies.

The total file size for PC Map Pack #2 will be 400 Mb.

We have also got some news for the Xbox 360 community of Lost Planet fans! The “Lost Technology,” “Ruins,” and “Ice Drop” maps in PC Map Pack #2 are currently available as Map Pack #3 in the Xbox 360 version of Lost Planet. In conjunction with the PC update on August 16, all these maps are also available for free download on Xbox Live Marketplace. A new patch addressing connectivity for players of the Xbox 360 version will be available in the next few weeks.

2007 marks a momentous milestone for the Blue Bomber: his 20th Anniversary! Capcom celebrated in style on Broadway with none other than the game’s creator, Keiji Inafune. The executive producer and creator of the Mega Man series, traveled from Osaka, Japan for a “mega” signing event at GameStop on Broadway and 33rd in New York City.

On Tuesday, August 5th, over 600 die hard Mega Man fans came out to welcome and congratulate Mr. Infaune for his amazing work over the past 20 years. One group of individuals waited over 11 hours just to be the first persons in line to personally shake the creator’s hands.

He signed over 2,000 pieces of fan memorabilia collected over the last two decades: Nintendo 64, DS and GBA systems, games, iPods, t-shirts and even pairs of shoes!

Hundreds of requests for pictures and drawings did not stop Mr. Inafune from smiling – in fact, on more than one occasion he offered to draw a picture of Mega Man for each of his fans. The fans will not forget his kindness and diligent style, which has been so evident in his 20 years of dedication to the Mega Man brand.

Some guests presented gifts of art pieces to Mr. Inafune to express their appreciation and gratitude, mentioning how he had been such an inspiration in their lives. We would like to sincerely thank Mega Man fans for coming out to support the brand and one of the most iconic game makers in the world!

See Photos of the Event Here!

Hey Everyone – it’s almost time for Comic Con! And that being said, I HAVE to tell you about one of the coolest things we’re going to have at the Capcom booth: a celebration of Mega Man’s 20th Anniversary with a live performance by rapper Random (aka: Random Beats) performing his latest creation, Mega Ran!

“So what’s Mega Ran?” I hear you ask. And I answer: only the coolest Mega Man music you’ve ever heard! Seriously, no joke. He took classic Mega Man themes and turned them into kick-butt tracks, complete with lyrics following Mega Man’s adventures or in the words of someone like Mega Man. Old school Blue Bomber fans are gonna hear these classic themes and flip.

I was able to interview Random (or as the kids that he teaches know him, Raheem Jarbo), so you’ll get a chance to meet the man before you see the magic live at Comic Con.

Scarlett: Where are you from?

Random: I’m from Philadelphia, born and raised. cue the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” music Just under a year ago, I decided to uproot and move to Phoenix for a teaching position, so here I am.

S:What made you decide to do this album?

R:As a huge videogame fan, and being a “random” guy, I one day was reading a website about Mega Man, and realized that 2007 made the 20th year anniversary of Mega Man’s release, and went online searching for some of the old theme songs to hear them. Somewhere along the way I got a crazy idea to sample a tune and do one song about Mega Man. Then I had such a hard time picking a song, so “Mega Ran” was born!

S:When did you first play Mega Man and which game was it? 5th grade?

R:I don’t want to show my age, but I may have to (laughs). Yeah, I believe it was the 4th or 5th grade when I played Mega Man for the first time. I had a subscription to Nintendo Power magazine, and Mega Man 2 was a cover story one issue, and it made me so excited about the game, that I went back and begged my mom to buy the first Mega Man. That was the most challenging game that I remember playing in those days, and so I was hooked. I even made up and drew my own Mega Man bosses in my sketch books in those days.

S:Which is your favorite Mega Man game and why?

R:Mega Man 2 was my favorite, because that was the game that changed it all. The backgrounds were so big, colorful and fun, the bosses and the music were so memorable. I love MM3 too because they added the slide, and Rush. I always wondered why he couldn’t duck, so this was the next best thing. However, the Top Spin…what was up with that, Capcom?

S:Why did you decide to use Mega Man as the backdrop to this production? What is it about the Blue Bomber that inspires you?

R:Mega Man’s plight is very similar to my own. In every Mega Man game, he faces totally insurmountable odds, giant robot armies coming from every which way. that’s sorta’ like me. As an educator, an artist, a producer, there generally is always an obstacle trying to prevent me from achieving a goal.

Also, Mega Man’s ability to take his opponents’ power is pretty cool too, and it parallels Random the artist. I’m named Random for a few reasons and one of them is that I’m always trying new things, like this project. I never want anyone to be able to predict Random’s next move. I make music from my heart and soul….and my brain. I have a pretty vivid imagination, so the sky’s the limit.

S:Mega Club rocks, by the way, that’s my favorite. Which track is your favorite?

R:I think my favorite track is “Grow Up,” just because it’s my favorite Mega Man theme song (Woodman-Mega Man 2). Plus it’s fun and silly, and reminds me so much of my childhood. That and “Aqua Soul” are probably my favorites.

S: Where can fans go to check out Mega Ran?

R:Here’s the link…

S:How did you get into becoming a special education teacher for middle school age kids?

R:Well, I kind of fell into education. Here I was in my senior year of college, scared to death of the fact that I was about to graduate, with no clue of what I wanted to do and where I wanted to be, when I met a very special instructor, Dr. Sam Richards at Penn State, who told me, in passing, almost jokingly that he thought I had the makeup of a teacher. I gave it a lot of thought, and decided to join a teaching program in Philly, and fell in love with it. And… here I am! It’s very difficult balancing 2 full time careers, teaching and music, but luckily I love both, so that makes it easier.

S:Does working with kids influence how you write your music?

R:It doesn’t. Even before I was a teacher, I was an artist, and I never put any foul language or violent themes in my music. So, it just happens to be great music that can be used in the classroom. So far my music has been in a few different colleges (Temple University, Penn State, Virginia Tech and more). I think it’s great that someone makes music that can be used in a classroom, and in a club at the same time…and even greater than it’s me. (laughs)

S:What are you listening to right now?

R:I honestly listen to “Mega Ran” at least once a day in my daily travels. I’ve also been listening to Maroon 5’s latest album a lot. I’m a big big fan of their stuff. Other than that, (RAHM Nation labelmate) Ohene’s album “Mysterion 7.”

S:What games are you playing right now?

R:Actually I’m alternating between the Mega Man 20th Anniversary Edition (I’ve been stuck on Mega Man 3 for about 3 weeks now) and NBA 2K7, I’m trying to finish a season, even though the NBA season has been over for a month now. With music and touring, it’s been difficult to sit down and play like I want to.

S:How hard was it to turn Mega Man’s pop-like themes into a harder sound?

R:Very difficult. But I welcomed the challenge. It’s weird, because every Mega Man theme is over 140 beats per minute…very fast, very pop, and too quick for hip-hop fans’ tastes. So the first task was to slow them down, or speed them up in some cases, in order to get them into the typical hip-hop song’s speed range, 84-92 beats per minute. I produced most of it myself, but I had some help from some great, great minds; DN3 (Random’s last album “The Call”’s executive producer), Samik (Producer of Random’s previous single “Raze the Bar”), and Domingo (producer for Big Pun, KRS-ONE and more)…and the end result is quite an experience! A must-have for any fan of video games, hip-hop or both!

S:Are you going on tour?

R:Yes, I am. Right now this is what my schedule looks like:
July 22 – The Sets, Tempe, AZ
July 27 – San Diego Sports Club, San Diego, CA
July 28 – Comic-Con, San Diego, CA
July 29 – Elevation West, Los Angeles, CA
July 31 – The Knitting Factory- Hollywood, CA (preorder tickets here: http://www.webookbands.musictoday.com/SeanHealyPresents/calendar.aspx)
August 25 – Nerdapalooza South, Gainesville, FL
September 22 – Nerdapalooza West, Eureka, CA

So come on out and catch a memorable show! I’ll be at the Capcom booth at Comic-Con on Saturday, July 29th, from 2:30-3:30 pm.

Get updates in the “MEGA RAN GROUP!” http://groups.yahoo.com/group/megaran
and join me on myspace: random215

That’s right folks, the anxiously awaited short preview for Resident Evil 5 has JUST been released in grand fashion at E3. Already, many intrepid fans have captured the video gerulla-style and uploaded it to You Tube, so –

Get your first peek at Resident Evil 5 here on You Tube!

But that ain’t all! For the FULL TRAILER, be sure to get to XBL Marketplace on July 26th!

So here it is folks – I am FINALLY back from a vacation and am getting back into the swing of things here in the land of zombies, street fighters, blue bombers and alien-annihilating soldiers in frigid climates.

Where the heck was I? I was in Italy, soaking in the sunshine, the culture, the Bellinis, and the authentic recipes which all consist of several main ingredients: lemon, olive oil, pasta, cheese and meat. I think the national motto regarding food is “Don’t mess with the simple stuff, it’s worked for centuries.” And while that may be true for a few weeks, there comes a point when you’re just longing for sushi.

=> Read more!

By now I’m sure you’ve read about our Gamer’s Day announcements (If you haven’t, you should), but what really goes into an event like this? While I’m not going to go into the boring, tedious and careful planning obviously needed for an event like this, I will give you guys a general look into the event to somewhat satisfy the curiosity you may have.

Wednesday
Even though Gamer’s Day was billed as a one day (really a one night) event, for us here at Capcom, Gamer’s Day was a two day event. On the first day, Wednesday, most of us here in marketing as well as production made the 25 minute drive into the City By the Bay to Broadway Studios, our location for the event. Stepping inside, the atmosphere and décor made me feel as if I had stepped back into a scene from the 20s that you’d see in the movies.

Our U-Haul contained most of the equipment, such as the monitors, console systems, etc. A few of us also took truck full or gear in our cars to help out as well.

To move the gear, we parked in a small alley with backdoor access to Broadway Studios. However, it was on the second floor, so a rickety metal staircase had to be lowered (with counter-weight and all) to give us access. As I carried a big box of equipment up those stairs, I muttered, “Is this thing safe?” This was over-heard by the proprietor of the place (Oops!), to which she replied, “Yes”. I still wasn’t so sure, as it moved and shook like bell-bottoms at a 60’s dance party.

Once all the gear was moved in, we proceeded to setup all the stations. Screwing screws into monitors and placing systems on the stands isn’t so interesting, so I’ll just move on.

After dinner, the producers and other members of Capcom Japan came in to the 1st of their 2 rehearsals. Since I wasn’t staying the night up in the city (most of us got hotel rooms to stay the night to avoid the drive back home), my day ended before this, so I didn’t not get to see it.

Thursday
Word of advice for those of you who ever plan on visiting San Francisco: Avoid Embarcadaro during anytime that even resembles rush hour. I was stuck in traffic there for over 30 minutes in the morning, for something that would normally take less than 10. After finally getting back to Broadway Studios, I got to watch the presentations for the first time.

At around 2:30-3pm, the invitees started filing in. Everyone chatted, mingled and munched on snacks for a bit as we waited for everyone to arrive. The official presentations started at around 3:30pm, with each producer talking about their projects and some walking the audience through trailers movies and videos.

Inafune-san was up first, giving an overview of Capcom’s development philosophies and plans. Next up was Kawata-san, who discussed both Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles and Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition.

Christian Svensson got up on stage next, talking a little about our digital initiatives (XBLA/PSN/VC). Mark (Beaumont) then announced to the world our licensing of the MotoGP property, along with the plans to develop a PS2 game based on it. Then, before intermission, Mega Man producer Horinouchi-san showed off both Star Force and ZX Advent.

For intermission, we gave the media a surprise they didn’t expect: A special exclusive short clip of the upcoming Resident Evil: Extinction movie. Trust me when I say, even though it was intermission, no one got up and left their seats until the clip finished.

Midori Yusasa, president of Capcom Mobile came up first after intermission, giving those present a look at the upcoming Mega Man 2, Street Fighter II, Millionaire Music and Shade titles for cellphones.

Our new upcoming IP, Project Treasure Island Z was finally show next by Takeshita-san, who demonstrated the various ways players would need to use the Wiimote to interact with the game. Tsujimoto-san then showed off his million-plus selling (in Japan) Monster Hunter Freedom 2 with a long gameplay video while giving a very detailed walkthrough. Lost Planet PC, Ace Attorney 3 and Harvey Birdman was then announced by our own Jack Symon.

The last presentations was on a game I can’t discuss here. Let’s just say Kobayashi-san presented a title everyone is pretty familiar with, are eagerly anticipating and it looked and played amazing.

The presentations ended a little after 6pm, when the hands-on time began. Everyone proceeded to flood the various stations, eager to get their hands on the demos we had available, a lot of them for the first time. The memorized looks on everyone’s faces was cool to see, and it definitely proved to me that it is almost as fun just watching people playing games on the Wii as it is actually playing.

About halfway through the demo session, a trapeze dropped from the ceiling and two sexy gymnasts put on a pretty amazing live show set to music. It definitely fit in with the vaudeville, old-timey feel of the room, but people were so wrapped up playing the new games that most kept their attention on the screens despite the girls’ impressive display.

Overall, the event was definitely a success. We spread the word about the great new games, avoided explosions, and I was kept fed on all the food they made available throughout the day. What else do I have to complain about?

– Lost

Alright, time for winner #3 for the Plead Your Case contest. Drum roll please…

=> Read more!

Hey Guys,

Lost here. I’m back with winner #2 of the Plead Your Case Contest. So without further ado, I give you Entry #65! It was the “Edgey Poo” that won us over…

Click on the image to enlarge.

Come back Friday as we announce the last winner!