Headline RePLAY – 3.15.12

Today on Headline RePLAY: Microsoft says no new Xbox for 2012, Diablo III finally gets a release date and Capcom concedes that Resident Evil: Revelations spelling error was ‘embarrassing.’  

Microsoft today lent credence to rumors that the next Xbox will be unveiled and launched in 2013 when a company spokesman spoke with Bloomberg today.

“There will be no talk of new Xbox hardware at E3 or anytime soon,” David Dennis, a Microsoft spokesman, told Bloomberg. “For us, 2012 is all about Xbox 360.”

According to sources close to Bloomberg, Microsoft plans on presenting the Xbox 360 successor in June 2013 at E3 and released in the same year.

*Source: Bloomberg

It took convincing the South Korean Game Rating Board, a system overhaul and removing PvP to get here, but Blizzard finally announced a release date for Diablo III: May 15.

Players that pre-purchased Diablo III either on Blizzard’s site or via World of Warcraft’s annual pass will be able to download an encrypted version of the game in advance that will be unlocked on release.

*Source: Blizzard

Capcom’s Christian Svensson spoke to Game Informer about a variety of topics from Resident Evil 6 to the development process of Mega Man Legends 3 to the question on everyone’s mind: How does Capcom keep making spelling mistakes like the infamous Resident Evil: Revelations error?

“For Resident Evil: Revelations, I can’t even tell you how many people looked at that package and approved it,” said Svensson. “Nintendo of America, Nintendo Japan, ESRB, I don’t know how many people internally, and our guys in Japan. I can’t come up with an excuse for it. It just happened.  We’re not happy about it.

“There are new processes that were put in place that involve people outside the company,” he explained. “We’ve redefined who has final say over packaging. I’m cautiously optimistic we won’t be seeing this happen again.

“It’s embarrassing. I can’t really sugarcoat it.”

Recently, spelling errors were also found on the promotional box of Asura’s Wrath and ironically with Capcom’s own name at the end of the Steel Battalion trailer.

*Source: Game Informer

Headline RePLAY – 2.3.12

Today on Headline RePLAY: 100-yr. old grandmother stays sharp with her Nintendo DS, Sony joins the ranks of struggling companies and Capcom’s typo “revelaition.”

Meet Kathleen Kit Connell: she’s 100-years old, an independent grandmother, and she spends two hours a day playing on her Nintendo DS to stay sharp.

“And I don’t feel a day over 80,” she said in a YouTube interview. “I try to keep my brain active by playing on my Nintendo. It’s absolutely super. I don’t know what to do without it.”

Kit starts her Nintendo sessions with a cup of tea and her catalog of games includes a lot of board/brain titles like Scrabble, Art Academy and My Word Coach.

She ends the interview by suggesting that school children should have a Nintendo DS for math and spelling because of how much the handheld helped her.

“I can’t speak highly enough of this Nintendo. It helped keep my brain active as possible at my old age.”

*Source: YouTube 

In what is becoming a troubling trend, Sony is the latest company to report heavy financial losses— a sum of $2.1 billion for the holiday quarter with an expected $2.9 billion for the year.

Reuters attributed the losses to a strong yen, the flooding in Thailand that disrupted supplies, and a weak economy.

Although incoming CEO Kazuo Hirai is replacing Howard Stringer under challenging circumstances in April, the Sony-veteran is recognized for “reviving” PlayStation gaming operations through difficult decisions and expressed his willingness for such at a news conference.

“I have a very strong sense of crisis about the environment surrounding us,” said Hirai. “We cannot be afraid to make painful choices for the future of Sony. Our rivals and the operating environment won't wait for us.”

*Source: Reuters

In what is sure to become a source of internet memes and bizarre collectibles, Capcom made a printing error on the spine of the Resident Evil: Revelations box spelling out “Revelaitions” instead of “Revelations.”

The misspelled copies were already in reviewers’ hands, but the situation was made worse when they were also delivered to retailers in advance of Tuesday’s release. Capcom was quick to respond to the embarrassing typo and provided the following statement to Joystiq:

“The initial shipment of Resident Evil Revelations had been sent to retailers in North America with the spelling error. Subsequent shipments of the title are being repackaged and will have the corrected spelling. Customers who have been affected by the misspelling on the Resident Evil Revelations packaging can contact Capcom Customer Service at 650-350-6700 or accounts@capcom.com and a new insert for the front of box will be sent.”

*Source: Joystiq