Dead or Alive: Xtreme 2

Clothes. Who needs them? Not Dead or Alive’s Kasumi…

GFB writes: While everyone has been wondering what the next game from Itagaki Tomonobu and his new Valhalla Game Studios will be, another big question has been whether or not the game in question will follow in the foot steps of Itagaki's past titles and be exclusive to a Microsoft console. We may have our answer.

Dead or Alive have decided to bring out some memorabilia for there fans and boy is it some good memorabilia.

Oct 18, 2007 According to the Entertainment Software Association's 2006 report, 38 percent of gamers are females. These numbers are down from 2005, when the fairer sex reportedly accounted for 43 percent of the pie. It seems that gaming continues to be a mostly male affair, so what's the best way to penetrate this demographic? Judging by the sex-filled ads we've seen over the years, it looks like the best way to a young man's wallet has - and always will be - through his pants. Read on and

Admittedly, the relevance of this clip is negligible considering that Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 hit shelves at the close of 2006. However, GamerSquad thought it somewhat poignant considering the recent slamming of Heavenly Sword by Dead or Alive creator Itagaki Tomonobu, who recently labelled the eagerly anticipated PS3 exclusive as being half-assed. Point being? Well, with predominantly poor critical reviews for Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 (GameSpot ¿ 59%, IGN ¿ 64%), perhaps the Team Ninja boss should curb his scathing criticisms while reflecting on this overtly desperate piece of flagrantly 'half assed' and sexist marketing for a game built on tantalising the easily titillated pre-pubescent school boy demographic. Clearly Tomonubu has never heard it's not the breast idea to throw semi-naked stones in glass houses.

An overwhelming majority of gamers are male, so it makes perfect sense for every marketing team in the world to target their software at young guys. And what do all men ages 18 to one zillion love? Girls, gore and big loud machines. If they could make a game about a firefighting bikini squad that hunts down zombies in a decked-out sex/fire truck, world peace would be declared. But until that day, we have to settle with regular old T & A. Developers are well aware of this, so occasionally

The Japanese powerhouse developer is famed worldwide for the Dead Or Alive and Ninja Gaiden series. But it looks like the studio could be branching out in a new direction completely. In an exclusive interview with head honcho Tomonobu Itagaki, the Team Ninja boss revealed that the firm's new game will be like no type of game Itagaki has ever worked on

When Microsoft proudly showed the Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 trailer at this year's TGS, I felt embarrassed for them. This was the game the company was pinning hopes and dreams on? Come on. DOA X2 is anything but mainstream and appeals only to a small segment. Hardly a title worth giving that eXtra push to. Well, turns out I was wrong, and Microsoft Japan was very right. Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 has cracked the top ten in sales, coming in at number 7 and moving 45,065 copies in its first week. Wow, just wow.

It seems that Japanese gamers really have a different taste compared to the US. Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 has been received pretty dissapointing here with IGN giving only a 6.4, but the Japanese are pretty positive about the game, giving it a 7.5 on average. Tune in for some more marks given by the newest edition of the Japanese gamesmagazine Famitsu.

Yes, you've read it right. In the top 10 poll of the most popular magazine in Japan, Famitsu, Xbox 360's RPG Blue Dragon has just managed its way up to the 3rd most anticipated game in this country, surprisingly leaving behind titanic titles in the region like Metal Gear Solid 4 and The Legend Of Zelda. This is the first time ever that an Xbox or Xbox 360 game reaches such high levels of anticipation in the land of the rising sun. Big names like Sakaguchi, Toriyama and Uematsu and the massive advertising in Japan are undoubtedly the causes behind this achievement some would call a miracle. 1. Final Fantasy XIII (PS3, Square Enix) 2. Resident Evil 5 (PS3, Capcom) 3. Blue Dragon (Xbox 360, Microsoft) 4. Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3, Konami) 5. Summon Night 4 (PS2, Banpresto) 6. The Legend of Zelda : Twilight Princess (Wii, Nintendo) 7. Yakuza 2 (PS2, Sega) 8. Dawn of Mana (PS2, Square Enix) 9. Super Robot Taisen : Original Generations (PS2, Banpresto) 10. Tales of Destiny (PS2, Bandai Namco) 11. Final Fantasy VI Advance (GBA, Square Enix) 12. Higurashi no Naku Kei ni Matsuri (Alchemist, NDS) 13. Gyakutensaiban 4 (NDS, Capcom) 14. Furai no Syren (NDS, Sega) 15. Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 (Xbox 360, Tecmo) 16. Monster Hunter Portable 2 (PSP, Capcom) 17. Dragon Quest Monsters J (NDS, Square Enix) 18. Monster Hunter 3 (PS3, Capcom) 19. The Legend of Zelda : Phantom Hourglass (NDS, Nintendo) 20. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii, Nintendo)