If 1980s Brelston knew he would one day work at Capcom… well, he’d probably freak out. And that’s kinda what I did when I found out I’d be joining the team back in 2011. Capcom was a constant force in my youth, providing countless unforgettable characters, battles, music and art, plus acting as the ice-breaker for several lifelong friendships. Truly, it’s a company that is hard to separate from who I am today. Actually… thanks to my Minish Cap tattoo, I mean that literally!

But life goes on and we all feel the need to grow, change and try other things. So this is my last week at Capcom, with my last day being 10/30. It’s a hard spot to walk away from, for sure. The past four years have given me a profoundly more detailed view of the games industry, from social media & marketing all the way to actual R&D. This knowledge and experience alone would’ve been worth the time spent here, but I also learned a few other lifelong lessons:

1 – I thought I knew a lot about Capcom worlds and lore. By some measure, I do. But you guys put my knowledge to shame and helped me better appreciate the nuances and density of our universes.

2 – Monster Hunter rules, and I was so very wrong about it prior to working here. Hunting Horn for life.

3 – Game development is simultaneously way more complex and way simpler than you’d ever believe.

4 – People get upset because they care. While the words may read harsh, someone on the other end just wants to be heard. Even if a dozen ranting messages make me want to shut down, there’s a core passion that can’t be ignored and should be communicated up the chain.

5 – Conversely, please realize there’s a human on the other side of the nearly infinite blogs, social accounts and phone lines out there. This is important not just as someone on the receiving end, but also as someone who can get upset and occasionally chew out the wrong person 😛

6 – I was also wrong about Battle Network. Turns out it’s better to experience things before passing judgment!

Looking back at Unity itself, there were some great moments I’ll take with me. The Mega Man 10 speedrun contest was a blast, with some amazing back-and-forth times posted on a daily basis. The Okami’s Creed video was one of the silliest workdays I’ve ever had. And literally every single Monster Hunter event was a heartwarming reminder of how welcoming and helpful the Capcom community can be.

Though my title was always Community Manager, I was fortunate enough to dip my toes in many different pools. I helped grease the wheels to get several Virtual Console and PS1 Classics out the door ( including MML , a years-long effort). I remain quite proud of both Mega Man tribute albums , and this year I helped get the Street Fighter II vinyl/CD set conversation moving. I’m not sure other places would’ve allowed me in the meetings, let alone propose and semi-manage their creation.

Every department, from licensing to marketing to publishing to the CEO staff, was interested in what community had to say, and boy howdy, I sure took the opportunity to speak. I know it may seem like things move slowly at times, but that’s because we’re dealing with huge brands that matter to millions. Decisions can’t be made in weeks, months or even in some rare cases, years.

In its 30+ year history, Capcom has had its ups and downs, but when Capcom does it right, Capcom does it right .  And for the first time in four years, I’ll get to experience those highs with you, as a fellow fan.

Hop by our Twitch channel tomorrow at 11am Pacific to catch me & Gregaman running through an hour of Resident Evil Zero (HD Embettered Edition). So long as there aren’t any giant centipedes lurking about, we should be fine. I mean, that’s such a specific phobia, I can’t imagine  that exact thing  being in the game.

Anyway! We’ll kick it live at 11am and play for a while, giving you a glimpse of the game’s gorgeous visuals and outstanding audio design. See you there!

Halloween is mere days away. Anyone dressing up as a Resident Evil character for the occasion? 

Meanwhile, the folks over in Capcom Japan whipped up the following “Zombie Mashup” video for the occasion. Capcom recently kicked off Resident Evil’s 20th Anniversary celebration, so it’s a fine time to look back on two decades of zombie mayhem. We’ve sure taken a lot of bites and popped a lot of heads over the years. Observe!

And of course, there’s plenty more Resident Evil on the way, with the remaster of  Resident Evil 0 as well as  Umbrella Corps   coming early next year,  Resident Evil Origins Collection coming January 19th, and production of a Resident Evil 2 remake freshly confirmed.

With all that to look forward to, you’ll want to head to the official RE site  frequently to keep up with all the latest news on the franchise.

The  Sale of the Dead has entered week two on the North American PlayStation Store, and there are heaps of new deals for Resident Evil fans! Get them alllll….

Hey everyone, there was quite a bit of info just announced at Paris Games Week.  First, Street Fighter V has a confirmed release date of February 16 in North America and Europe! So mark your calendars as we count down the days towards launch.

Also, we have just announced that we’re releasing six additional characters post-launch in 2016.  As mentioned previously, all post-launch gameplay related content will be earnable with Fight Money, and we have revealed the first details on how players will be able to earn Fight Money when the game comes out.  And last but not least, we have confirmed that Dhalsim will be joining the initial roster as the first true zoning character in the game.  

Post Launch Character Details:

In case you haven’t heard, Street Fighter V is moving away from doing large bundles of post launch content, such as our prior Super or Ultra upgrades, and instead will be continuously releasing new post launch content on a regular basis.  No longer will you need to wait one or two years for new Street Fighter goodness; it will always be right around the corner. 

We have confirmed that we will be releasing 6 new characters post-launch in 2016, which will bring the total roster up to 22 characters by the beginning of 2017. On average, we will release one new character every two months, provided everything stays on track with our development schedule.  More specifics will be shared when our post-launch plans are confirmed.

Now, the next question you probably have is… how hard is it to get these characters for FREE?

Fight Money Details:

The purpose of the Fight Money system is to reward players who stay engaged with Street Fighter V over time.  While we are still finalizing details on pricing and Fight Money accumulation rates, which will be refined throughout our future beta tests, we are excited to share some details on how we are approaching the new system. 

There will be two primary methods for players to gain Fight Money:  completing daily goals, and leveling up individual characters.

Daily Goals:

Each day a player logs into the Street Fighter V client, they will be assigned a new daily goal.  Daily goals should be easily achievable in in one play session, and will award Fight Money based on their difficulty. 

Some example goals are as follows:

–          Land X number of Hadokens

–          Land X number of anti-air attacks

–          Land X number crush-counter hits

Daily goals will help players improve with a variety of characters.  It will also ensure that players with a limited amount of time to play per day can still earn characters for free.  We want a system that rewards frequency of play, rather than requiring long marathon grinding sessions. 

Leveling Individual Characters:

Another goal that we have for the Fight Money system is to ensure that players can still earn Fight Money through both single player and multiplayer modes.  We accomplish this by allowing players to earn Fight Money by leveling up individual characters in a variety of modes. 

To remove any confusion up front, leveling up a character in Street Fighter V will not affect game balance.  It only shows how much time and effort an individual has placed into learning a character. 

Each time a player levels up a character, they will receive a Fight Money bonus.  Earlier levels will be easy to obtain, and will scale to become more difficult the higher the level. 

Street Fighter V will reward players who experiment with a wide variety of characters, and those who play frequently.  If you complete your daily goals and level up your characters on a regular basis, you’ll be on your way to earning new characters with ease!

For those who just can’t wait to earn each piece of new content, content can also be purchased instantly using our premium currency, named Zenny, which can be bought with real money.

Here Comes a New Challenger: Dhalsim!

The return of Dhalsim in Street Fighter V marks the addition of the first true zoning character to join the initial roster. Using his long range limbs and slow projectiles to frustrate overly offensive opponents, Dhalsim’s style has historically been keep-away since his inception in Street Fighter II .

Although he’s a pacifist, Dhalsim steps into battle when it comes to saving others. From raising money for the poor to destroying dams that are forcefully keeping water from his village, Dhalsim takes up arms if the good outweighs the harm he can cause.

Dhalsim’s ending in Street Fighter II

Dhalsim’s ending in Street Fighter IV

In SFV , Dhalsim once again joins the fray to help those in need. Not one to slack on his Yoga training, Dhalsim has mastered a few new Yoga skills for this upcoming battle, those being his V-Skill – Yoga Float and his V-Trigger – Yoga Burner .

V-Skill: Yoga Float

Upon activation Dhalsim hops into the air and floats for a few seconds. During this time, all airborne attacks and specials are accessible. This can also be activated in the air.

V-Trigger: Yoga Burner

Dhalsim shoots out a stream of flames that stays on the screen on the floor for an extended period of time. If the opponent stands in the flames, they will slowly lose life in the form of recoverable damage. Once they step out of the flames, their life will begin to recover.

Will Dhalsim’s style be strictly keep-away or will he be more aggressive this time? Fans at Paris Games Week will be experience him for the first time on the show floor, so people will find out soon enough! Until next time guys!

UPDATE 2:  Only 24 hours left to get over $200 worth of Capcom games!

UPDATE 1:  Resident Evil 4  and  Remember Me  have been unlocked for those that pay more than the average!

You read that right: you can pay what you want for a number of Capcom PC titles as part of the latest Humble Bundle !

As it’s typical with any Humble Bundle, you can also support various charities by purchasing the Humble Capcom Bundle. So not only you get some great deals, you also help out people in need. Win-win!

Here are the games currently featured in the bundle:

• Strider
• Resident Evil Revelations 2 – Episode 1
• Lost Planet 3
• Bionic Commando: Rearmed

If you pay above the average (currently $9.54 , as of Oct.26), they’ll throw in a couple of additional titles:

• Resident Evil Revelations
• DmC: Devil May Cry
• Resident Evil 5
• Resident Evil 4
• Remember Me

And if you go above  $15 , you also get:

• Resident Evil 5 Untold Stories Bundle DLC
• Ultra Street Fighter IV

Bonus: there’s also a 50% off coupon for  Resident Evil Revelations 2 in this bundle, so if you’ve been thinking about getting the game, now’s the time.

Finally, keep your eyes peeled for more games being unlocked soon! 😉

Resident Evil 4 and Remember Me unlocked!

I don’t usually use hyperbolic acronyms here, but OMG look at this 3D Rathalos render ! And if you thought the same thing, check out the fully interactive 3D preview .

You can zoom in, zoom out, rotate the piece and even – my favorite part here – view independent layers of the whole process. Just click the ” \ ” button on the top right corner and it’ll open up the following options; quite a handy view for aspiring 3D artists.

Amazing work, Yosuke Ishikawa !

We did it, guys! And by “we”, I mean “you”, since there’s no way we could have accomplished the feat of shipping over 4 million units worldwide without you!

And for that, I’d like to take a moment and express my sincerest thanks to everyone in the community. It has been an honor to work on  Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate , since it’s such a fantastic game, IMO; and knowing I was ultimately serving an awesome community made it all the more enjoyable.

This is where I remind you that A) we still have some more free DLC coming up next month and B) the online playerbase is still very much active; so if you haven’t made the jump yet, now’s the time to do it! Besides, we got a shipment of really cool giveaways, so stay tuned for more info on that 😉

UPDATE 10/21:

Hey everyone. We have a quick update regarding the SFV beta 2 test user experience. As many of you have noticed, we started testing earlier than scheduled, in an effort to optimize prior to our regularly scheduled beta dates. Unfortunately, several new issues arose last night in regards to our match-making system and the rate at which matches were made, and we are not confident that the matchmaking rate will improve significantly throughout the course of this beta period. That said, user experiences will vary.

As such, we want to inform our users that the beta 2 experience will likely be limited and will not operate exactly as we intended. As planned, we will keep the servers up for the previously-announced timeframes, however, matchmaking will likely take place very slowly. While players wait for online matches, they are free to access training mode, and there are new features added to this version that allow players to change the training dummy to be computer AI, or be playable by a friend locally. 

The PS4 beta is live now and the PC beta will begin at its previously scheduled time on 10/23/15 at 9:00am PST (17:00 BST and 10/24 01:00 JST). Following this beta and throughout the optimization process, we will continue to periodically turn on our servers for players to access, so keep your eyes open for new opportunities to play more SFV. Our goal is to provide the highest quality user experience as possible when the final product releases, and we thank you for your continued support. 

(Original post follows)

Hey guys, the second beta for SFV is fast approaching and I know a lot of you are eager to know when the festivities begin.  As this is the first time we’re testing cross-platform play between PS4 and PC, as well our character delivery system, you will want to keep track of the times below to fully maximize your beta experience.

Beta 2 schedule (subject to change):

• 10/21/15 18:00 PST (10/22 02:00 BST/10:00 JST) – The second SFV beta begins for PS4 users. Characters available: Ken, Necalli, Vega, R. Mika
• 10/22/15 14:00 PST (22:00 BST/ 10/23 06:00 JST) – Servers down for scheduled maintenance for 12 hours.
• 10/23/15 02:00 PST (10:00 BST/18:00 JST) – Servers back online. Rashid unlocked.
• 10/23/15 09:00 PST (17:00 BST/ 10/24 01:00 JST) – The second SFV beta begins for both PC and PS4 users (cross-platform play).
• 10/23/15 17:00 PST (10/24 01:00 BST/09:00 JST) – Karin unlocked.
• 10/24/15 04:00 PST (12:00 BST/20:00 JST) – Servers down for scheduled maintenance for 10 hours.
• 10/24/15 14:00 PST (22:00 BST/ 10/25 06:00 JST) – Servers back online.
• 10/25/15 16:00 PST (10/26 0:00 BST/ 08:00 JST) – Beta 2 concludes.

Alright guys, this covers the times worth noting. If you’re interested in the content that will be on display during the second beta, you can check out my previous post here . And yes, for those of you wondering after reading my previous blog, we did move up the start time for PC users so that they will have an extra day of beta participation.

Lastly, let’s not forget that this is a beta. That said, players may experience some issues during their playtime, which we’ll be monitoring. All the information received during the beta is to help ensure the final product is as optimized as possible.  

A third Resident Evil 0 Developer Diary video is now available for public viewing, and once again it is a must-see for series fans.  RE0 Director Oda-san and Producer Takenaka-san give us a rare look at some of the game’s earliest concept designs–giant-eyed Rebecca, a more sinister Billy, and…”Wesker’s Monster”??? Check it out after the jump.

And as always, head to the official RE0 website for all the latest news.

The North American PlayStation Store has kicked off its Sale of the Dead , and week one brings us deals on a variety of games from the  Devil May Cry, Dead Rising, Darkstalkers, and Resident Evil series. Full list after the jump.

Devil May Cry 4 Special Edition – $24.99 | $17.49 | $14.99
DmC Devil May Cry: Definitive Edition – $39.99 | $23.99 | $19.99
Dead Rising 2 Off The Record – $19.99 | $7.99 | $5.99
DmC Devil May Cry – $29.99 | $11.99 | $8.99
Darkstalkers Resurrection – $14.99 | $7.49 | $5.99
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (PSOne Classic) – $5.99 | $2.99 | $1.98
Resident Evil 2 (PSOne Classic) – $5.99 | $2.99 | $1.98

One Minute Melee is a spin-off video series from the expert animators behind  Screwattack’s  Death Battle series. Both series pit badass video game characters against one another. You may recall Death Battle’s  epic bout  between Strider Hiryu and Ninja Gaiden’s Ryu Hayabusa, with its objectively correct ending.

Well, One Minute Melee brings us another dazzling sword duel between a legendary Capcom character and some other guy, and this time the star is  Devil May Cry’s  Vergil. Watch!    

Because duh.