BioShock 2 Special Edition vinyl-y announced

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If you find yourself enraptured by everything BioShock, you're really going to love this. 2K Games has disclosed details on the BioShock 2 Special Edition release, limited to one production run and set for retail on February 9 alongside the slightly-less-special edition we saw the cover art for on Tuesday.

If you're prepared to sink $99 into the set ($89 for PC) you'll be the proud (but poorer) owner of the game, a 164-page hardcover art book, three posters, the orchestral score on CD and the most special goodie accompanying this edition: the orchestral score on a vinyl 180g LP. You know ... a record. You know, big black disc DJs use? Yep, one of those.

This is great news for audiophiles and those who refuse to own a CD player because lasers are obviously some kind of witchcraft.

BioShock 2 Special Edition vinyl-y announced originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Dragon Age: Origins DLC to 'Return to Ostagar' this holiday

Polish up your armor and prune your dialog trees: EA has announced a new Dragon Age: Origins DLC adventure, "Return to Ostagar," is coming to Xbox 360, PS3 and PC this holiday season for $5. The add-on will allow your hero to "revisit Ostagar, the site of the Grey Wardens' darkest hour, to reclaim the honor and learn the secrets of Ferelden's fallen king."

Listen, we're as big of fans of Dragon Age: Origins as you're likely to meet, but we have to question the scheduling of this DLC release. It's not that we don't want it, but who out there has played so much DA:O that they're bored of what's on the disc? Seriously, the thing's like 340 hours long!

Dragon Age: Origins DLC to 'Return to Ostagar' this holiday originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition hits retail in March, DLC in February [update]

It looks like Capcom USA was tired of us making fun of the proposed name for the upcoming Resident Evil 5 expansion, "Alternative Edition." The division has chosen a bling-ier title for its stateside release: Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition. Gold Edition will be released as a retail box copy on March 9 for $49.99 as a single Blu-ray disc, including the original game and add-on content, on PS3 and as a DVD with download voucher for Xbox 360.

If you already have Resident Evil 5, you'll be able to pick up the first DLC chapter earlier. "Lost in Nightmares" and a custom pack will be available for download on February 17 for Xbox 360 and February 18 for PS3, while the second, unnamed DLC episode will be released March 3 (Xbox 360) and 4th (PS3) alongside a second costume pack. No mention has been made of a possible PC release.

Update: Capcom passed along dates for the European release. The PAL DLC release dates are the same as those reported above. However, the Gold Edition retail release will be Friday, March 12.

Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition hits retail in March, DLC in February [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sony to release 'non-game' dev kits in Q2 2010

Already, various non-game applications can be found on both the PS3 and PSP. From Skype to VidZone, the XMB now plays home to a variety of services. Going forward, it appears Sony will open the PlayStation platform further with the introduction of "non-game" development kits in the middle of next year.

Last night's 6.20 firmware update for PSP lays down the framework for additional non-gaming content. The PSP update adds a new category to the XMB called "Extras," which allows users to launch the web browser to download third-party apps on the PSP. The PlayStation Network Digital Comics Reader is the first official "Extra" to appear on the XMB, with more sure to come in 2010.

A wide release of non-game dev kits may attract the active homebrew community to release official programs on the PSP and PS3. We'll be chatting with SCEA soon to get further details. Until then, we'll be dreaming of a native YouTube application for our PSPs.

[Via VG247]

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Sony to release 'non-game' dev kits in Q2 2010 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Marvelous lost money on most of its Wii releases

Pretty much everyone can guess why No More Heroes is being released again -- Marvelous needs money. During a Q&A presentation (PDF link, Japanese) about its fiscal Q2 2010 earnings, Marvelous boldly revealed that three out of its four 2009 Wii releases lost money, though it didn't say which was the winner.

Muramasa sold 47,000 units in Japan, the company said, not specifying American sales. Arc Rise Fantasia, which will be published Stateside by Ignition, sold 45,000 copies. Little King's Story sold 26,000 copies in Japan, 37,000 copies in North America, and 67,000 in Europe. Valhalla Knights: Eldar Saga, which came out in September in North America, sold just 16,000 copies (Japanese sales, which started in October, are not mentioned). Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility on Wii somehow sold 57,000 units in 2009 despite being a 2007 release in Japan, a 2008 release in America, and not out until October in Europe and Australia.

Because of lower development costs, Marvelous said, PSP software was more successful, with four out of five releases making money on similar sales numbers. Half-Minute Hero was Marvelous's overall best-performing title, at 70,000 copies sold.

[Via Siliconera]

Marvelous lost money on most of its Wii releases originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.