Operation Raccoon City Confirmed for Winter Release

The new and radically different Resident Evil gameOperation Raccoon City, which wasreportedon last week, is indeed real and will be coming to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC this winter.

Slant Six Games, the developer ofSOCOM: Confrontation, is at work on the newest console RE game. Its story is officially described as a"reinterpretation"of what happened inResident Evil 2and3, with players assuming the role of an Umbrella Security Services soldier. Four-player co-op is supported, as is competitive online multiplayer.

In other Resident Evil news, the upcoming 3DS gameResident Evil: The Mercenaries 3Dwill include a demo of the forthcomingResident Evil: Revelations(pictured above), an original game being designed for the 3DS. It's set betweenResident Evil 4and5and (at least partially) takes place on a cruise ship. More on the game will be announced at this year's E3 in June.

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TGS Not Canceled But Could End up Downsized

The earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan earlier this month have already had a profoundeffecton the games industry, with games being delayed or even outright canceled and events being called off. Given the devastation, it's hard to imagine this year's Tokyo Game Show taking place without a hitch. Yet that's the plan as of right now, but event organizers haven't ruled out the possibility that things could be scaled back by the time September rolls around.

Kotaku Japanspoke with TGS management and were told,"Currently, we are not thinking of canceling or making the show smaller."That doesn't mean plans won't change in the future, though. It was also said,"Depending on the situation from here on out, it is possible that the show is reduced."

This year's TGS is scheduled to take place from September 15-18.

Source:Kotaku

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Today in Gaming - 3/28/11: 3DS Headaches and Choplifter HD

The NPD's decision to even furtherclamp downon how its data is shared with the media is a disappointing one. Once upon a time, the monthly NPD releases were something to look forward to -- they gave us a good look at what was going on in the industry that we didn't otherwise get. Even if it did offer as much information as it once did, it would not be nearly as all-encompassing; digital has become such a major aspect of the business that only releasing numbers which account for physical sales at retail would be misleading. And that appears to be one of the exact reasons NPD has pulled back on the data it shares.

Today's highlights:

• Operation Raccoon Cityconfirmed,The Mercenaries 3Dgets aRevelationsdemo.
• Nintendorespondsto reports of 3DS-induced headaches.
• The PlayStation Rewards program has beendelayedindefinitely.
• Choplifteris making areturnthis fall.
• The Tokyo Game Show is still set to take place, but it could end updownsized.
• Gallery: The Nintendo 3DS Midnight Launch
• Call in toRetronautson Tuesday afternoon to talk Street Fighter.

And here's what else happened today:

God of War Developer Hiring Online Programmer

Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica studio is looking to hire an online programmer who would, among other things, be responsible for"designing and implementing systems and tools to support networking needs (such as in-game communication, client-server, match-making, leaderboards)."SCE Santa Monica is most noteworthy for theGod of Warseries, so this hire begs the question if a multiplayer God of War is in the works. On the other hand, the developer was also involved withWarhawk, and Middle Eastern siteNG4A(viaCVG) is reporting that Warhawk 2 is in development. We obviously can't confirm that, but if Santa Monica were involved, that might explain the need for an online programmer.

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Where Nintendo Draws the Line on Working with Indies

Followingcommentsthat Nintendo wouldn't be interested in working with garage developers, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime has further elaborated on the situation."We've been clear that we want to work with independent developers who understand this business, who have experience in this business,"he said."These are people who spent time working with larger publishers and larger developers, but had that idea in the back of their head that they needed to bring to life ... and so that's the type of entity that we want to work with."He added,"I'll tell you, if someone calls us tomorrow who has no experience in the gaming industry, but has a passion and has a great idea, our perspective would be, 'Great, but get some experience. Understand your craft, and then come back to us.'"

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Jimmy Fallon Does Reggie Fils-Aime's Job For Him on Late Night

Reggie Fils-Aime appeared onLate Night with Jimmy Fallonthis past Friday to make sure everyone went out and purchased a 3DS at launch yesterday. However, it ended up being Fallon himself that seemed much more enthusiastic about the system. He couldn't have been more excited (or at least, he couldn't act like he was) to be playing Face Raiders and one of the AR games. You can check out the appearancehere.

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Choplifter Being Revived This Fall

The classic Broderbund seriesChoplifterwill be getting its first new game in more than 15 years with the release ofChoplifter HDthis fall.

InXile Entertainment announced today that it would be bringing the new title to PlayStation Network and PC."First playing and loving the original Choplifter on my Apple II, then watching the franchise expand into arcades and the early console systems helped seed my passion for building lasting, quality gameplay experiences,"said the company's president, Brian Fargo."The feedback on creating a fresh take on Choplifter has been incredibly positive. We all have so many fond memories of playing the first game and the fun of rescuing people in hostile situations is timeless."

There wasn't much in the way of details in the announcement. Players will assume the role of a member of C.H.O.P.R (which stands for Coordinated Helicopter Operations, Preservation and Rescue, as you were no doubt wondering) who take control of helicopters to save survivors. There will be more than 20 missions, ranging from saving a military prisoner to someone needing to be saved from a viral outbreak.

InXile is also currently at work onHunted: The Demon's Forge. It previously developedThe Bard's Talein 2004.

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Tomorrow on Retronauts: Street Fighter II is 20

People keep calling in for our live Retronauts podcast recording sessions, and that's great. In fact, more people call in than we actually have time to include in the shows! Your patience in listening to busy signals is commendable, though, and to shake things up a little -- hopefully allowing people to get through a little more easily -- we're moving this week's recording session from its usual Friday afternoon slot toTuesdayafternoon. That's tomorrow! Less than 24 hours from now, in fact.

Our topic this week? Why, nothing less than the 20th anniversary of Street Fighter II. Do you have Street Fighter memories or questions? We're willing to bet you do! That game was a danged juggernaut. Everyone played it, whether in the arcade or at home on Super NES, Genesis, or TurboGrafx-16. If you were young enough 20 years ago, maybe you played it first on Game Boy. (If so, we're sorry.) The Street Fighter series is still going strong, even if Capcom's sluggish arithmetic skills mean that two decades later we're still only up to Street Fighter IV. But that's cool. It's all the more opportunity to reminiscence on the most influential fighting game ever.

So call us415-547-8778tomorrow (Tuesday, March 29) between4 to 4:30 p.m.Pacific time (which is, as always,7 to 7:30 p.m.Eastern). We will talk to you about Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, and even Sheng Long, if you want. Just don't challenge us to a Street Fighter II throwdown, because it would be unsporting to pick on people whose fighting skills are as atrophied as ours.

Special Bonus Feature:If you prefer more passive entertainment rather than taking an active role,last week's Retronauts episode (feat. the 10th anniversary of the Game Boy Advance) is now online to pleasure your ears. Except in a less naughty way than that particular turn of phrase makes it sound.

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3DS Day One Sales Outpace Previous Nintendo Handhelds

There were complaints about the launch lineup, claims that the 3D was just a gimmick, and a higher-than-usual price tag attached to it, but the 3DS managed to outperform all previous Nintendo handhelds during its first day of availability.

"U.S. day-one sales numbers for Nintendo 3DS were the highest of any Nintendo hand-held system in our history,"a Nintendo of America statement reads. Nintendo isn't providing specific sales numbers and will instead wait until April 14, when the March NPD figures are released, for those to go public.

"Nintendo worked hard to get as much product as possible to retailers on day one to meet demand, and we will continue with these efforts moving forward,"it added.

The $250 price tag made it $100 more expensive than the DS when it was released in 2004. Apparently that wasn't enough to slow consumers down who rushed out to pick up the first portable gaming system with glasses-free 3D.

Source:Joystiq

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De Niro's Film Festival to Recognize L.A. Noire

Rockstar's upcoming crime dramaL.A. Noirelooks to have a very heavy focus on its story. It may or may not turn out to be something special, but the Tribeca Film Festival is going ahead and honoring it as an official selection at this year's event in April.

Those at the festival will be able to check out an exclusive preview of the game as members of the development team show off the game before discussing it, its technology, and working with story and action in the medium of videogames. The conversation will be moderated by Tribeca chief creative officer Geoff Gilmore.

"What Rockstar and Team Bondi have accomplished with L.A. Noire is nothing less than groundbreaking,"Gilmore said in a statement."It's an invention of a new realm of storytelling that is part cinema, part gaming, and a whole new realm of narrative expression, interactivity, and immersion. We are poised on the edge of a new frontier."

The Tribeca Film Festival was founded in 2002 by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff. It's a sizable, annual event that has never before recognized a videogame. The L.A. Noire preview will take place on April 25. More information is available at the official Tribecawebsite.

L.A. Noire is a cross betweenAce AttorneyandGrand Theft Auto, as 1UP's recentpreviewput it. Afterseveraldelays, it's currently set for release on May 17.

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