Resident Evil 5 In The Works

IGN has word that the next game in the RE series is already under development. There aren't really any details yet on the project, other than the changes made in the interface for RE4 (the over-the-shoulder view, the action orientation) will continue on with the next game. IGN also states that while the fourth game in the series was a GameCube native, the next one is likely to be a PS2 game or a multiple console launch. More details will be available in the next EGM.

Comments

Re:Afraid of GameCube?

[cgenman]

Because online can eat up to 1/3rd of a development budget? And if a gamer isn't going to go online with a game, why would they get 2/3rds of a game?

Development resources are allocated on a zero-sum basis. For one feature to make it in, another has to be cut.

It really can be that big of a burden on developers, depending on the engine and required additional art and programming resources, not to mention the endless bug fixes and additional resources reqired for the servers and maintenence, bandwidth, server programming, etc, etc, etc.

The point was that while online can be a great feature for a small subset of players, the lack of online capability is not something that is going to stop developers from supporting a system.

Game Cube = Just For Kids ?

[jpiggot]

The Resident Evil series, for me, was the turning point when video games could become just as an immersive experience as cinema. I remember playing RE:2, creeping through a dark mansion, right after being chased by snarling dogs that wanted a piece of my ass, and it being really, really, quiet.

It was late at night.

I was alone in the house.

The lamp next to me suddenly switched itself off (I keep it on a timer, since I go out of town frequently) That unnerved me so much, I stopped the game and turned it back on (keep in mind, I'm a grown adult, for christsakes)

Something burst through a mirror in the game, and it scared the living hell out of me. And that's when I realized that I was totally immersed, to the point where I stopped and thought "Damn, these aren't going to be for kids anymore..." and they weren't.

It's a great series, and Nintendo was smart to offer them an assload of cash to get the rights. But I also remember the inital announcements proclaiming "exculsive" -- and I remember how quickly that deal got redefined as "exculsive...at first, but we might port to another system later..."

Nintendo has no one to blame but themselves. Years ago, PlayStation and Xbox made concious efforts to market towards an older market, and Nintendo stuck with kids. Even now, there are less "adult" titles for GameCube, and a huge perception that Nintendo is a kids toy. GameCube even looks like a toy; small, brightly colored buttons on the controller, no built-in online, no hard drive (fyi - that's the feature that makes the xbox my favorite...never filling a memory card again with saved games) Sure there have been a few "darker" games, but not enough to shift the perception away from jumping on mushrooms and playing a magical flute. Even though their sales did go up last year, it was because kids wanted to play Pokemon, Zelda, and Mario Kart. Not a lot of adults want to play Pokemon (and those that do, keep them away from your children)

I'd buy a system if it had an exculsive game that I really, really wanted, but I gotta think I'm the minority. The next Resident Evil game might not be on GameCube, whatever people say. Contracts and agreements get broken if there's cash to be had. And like it or not, being "a best selling game exclusive to GameCube" is sort of like "having sex with your best looking cousin at the wedding" Sure, it's nice, but not really anything to brag about.