Biohaze.com - Biohazard in 2011

Segment written by: cvxfreak Discuss This Article Other Special Features Media >	BIOHAZARD IN 2011 2009 was one of the most important years for the series, so 2010 had plenty to live up to. 2010 was all about Biohazard announcements and glimpses into the future. Living in Japan, Biohazard 2010 began for me with the belated released of Darkside Chronicles for the Wii, which was accompanied by a neat Collector's Package that contained the game, a special DVD and some extra materials to make up for the delayed Japanese release. Not long after that in February was the release of Biohazard 5: Alternative Edition, which through the new scenarios Lost in Nightmares and Desperate Escape, finally told us the story of Jill and Chris the night they went into the Spencer Mansion in 2006, as well as how Jill was able to meet Josh and meet Chris and Sheva at the end of the main game. Owners of the original PS3 version and Xbox 360 owners who were not interested in repurchasing the game could download the new scenarios. Also of note was the return of Rebecca and Barry in The Mercenaries Reunion. A year had passed since the original Biohazard 5, but Capcom managed to make substantial additions and extend the value of the overall Biohazard 5 package. In March, Nintendo announced the Nintendo 3DS and how it would be a handheld with 3D visuals. I speculated that the 3DS would become the home to a Biohazard at some point, but I didn't imagine that Capcom would announce one so soon. Biohazard Revelations was announced alongside the formal unveiling of the Nintendo 3DS at E3 in June. It was surprising how Capcom was able to demo a Biohazard game with visuals that fell somewhere in between Biohazard 4 and Biohazard 5 - remarkable for a handheld. Chris and Jill were returning as the main protagonists, and it is looking like Revelations will be the first real Biohazard game without a number since CODE: Veronica, the same game that brought me into the series ten years ago. That wasn't the end of Biohazard on the 3DS. It seems that Capcom is never content announcing just one Biohazard product for a Nintendo system. Just as the N64, GameCube and Wii were all slated for multiple Biohazard games at some point, so was the 3DS. At the end of September, Capcom unveiled a second Biohazard title for the 3DS: Biohazard: The Mercenaries 3D. This title took elements from The Mercenaries from both Biohazard 4 and Biohazard 5, adding in new characters like Claire Redfield to the mix. Also in September was the launch of Biohazard IV: Afterlife 3D in theaters. The movie, based heavily on Biohazard 5, did very well at the box office, outgrossing previous entries, so we're sure to get another one. Another surprise for movies was Biohazard Damnation 3D, a sequel to 2008's Biohazard Degeneration. We know it'll take place in an Eastern European war zone and star Leon again, so it'll be interesting to see where the series goes with this film. The last major event of 2010 was the patching of Biohazard 5: Alternative Edition to support the PlayStation Move controller, a nice reward for gamers who wished that Biohazard 5 controlled the same way as Biohazard 4 Wii Edition. If 2010 was the year of announcements, then 2011 should be the year of action. March 22, 2011 will mark the series' 15th anniversary, so here's hoping Capcom has some nice products planned to celebrate. We'll definitely see the two 3DS games launch during the year, and hopefully we'll get more details on Biohazard Damnation 3D (actually due out in 2012). We've heard rumors of a Slant Six-developed Biohazard multiplayer game, so let's see if that turns out to be true. The only unknown at this point is Biohazard Portable for the PSP, announced at E3 2009. Capcom has said nothing on this game since then, and with the 3DS getting two Biohazard games, the fate of this one is looking grim, resembling what happened to the PSP Devil May Cry, which never came out. Has it been cancelled? With the PSP entering its seventh year on the market and the PSP2 inevitably looming, I find it likely that this will not come out as we expected. Biohazard 6 was heavily rumored, and it looked like we might hear things at TGS, but nothing yet. Depending on how important Revelations and perhaps the Slant Six-developed Biohazard are to Capcom, it may be awhile before we hear anything. Finally, Biohaze experienced growth as well. We did a lot of experiments in 2009 and finalized designs in 2010, and learned what worked and what didn't work. The site is looking better than ever, thanks to the efforts of all the staff, who were fantastic to work with as always. Biohaze @ TGS 2010 was another success and were pleased with the response to our Twitter contest. Wherever the series ends up going, it's great to know that Biohaze will be there to tell everyone about it. 2011 is looking to be another great year for the franchise!
Segment written by: Yama	At the end of every new year celebration, it is common place to look back and assess the years worth. Self worth, progression and things to do differently. For Biohazard enthusiasts, it is also a time to look back and judge how the series has evolved. 2010 was the follow up year to one that housed both Biohazard 5 and The Darkside Chronicles in North Amercia (Japan received DSC early 2010), either way you look at it, the series was in full bloom. Biohazard made a big enough splash in 2009 that you knew 2010 would bring something related. It had been over a half year since the release of Biohazard 5 and despite it's successful total sales, fans expressed concern for the series. While considered a fun horror action title, the series roots were nowhere to be found. This is where a breath of fresh air was shown and later announced for 2010, that being Biohazard 5 Alternative Edition. The re-release would consist of two new chapters featuring Jill Valentine, one with her and Josh escaping the island and the other in Spencer's Estate with Chris. The latter was titled Lost in Nightmares and was a throw back to the original Biohazard style. This was made to appease fans who longed for something reminiscent of the original Survival Horror genre. Lost in Nightmares was received rather well, in fact the community widely agreed that it should be the series new direction. In a rather surprising turn of events, these expectations were met when Biohazard Revelations was shown for the new Nintendo 3DS. The series was back, survival horror was the focal point and it'd be in 3D on the go. What more could a Biohazard fan ask for? Already 2010 was making a name for itself, through a series changing re-release/DLC and announcements that weren't in the far off future. From 1996-2002, the franchise was consistently releasing titles with no large sum of time in between release dates. This was undoubtedly the golden era of Biohazard. In between Biohazard 4 and Biohazard 5 the series hit a dry spell, one that was fueled with little information and a lot of thumb dwindling. Post Biohazard 5 however, the series is once more starting to consistently release worthy content. Starting with Dark Side Chronicles in Japan, Alternative Edition worldwide in February and a bevy of announcements to follow, the series was back on it's feet and ready to produce. Aside from Revelations; the next main series entry in the Biohazard series, we also have the upcoming Mercenaries 3D. This is a portable take of the acclaimed Mercenaries mini game from both Biohazard 4 and Biohazard 5, along with new bonus content. This will also be releasing on the Nintendo 3DS and is slated for a 2011 release. Definitive releases aside, we also had a bevy of announcements. For one, the follow up CGI film to Degeneration was announced. Titled Biohazard Damnation, the follow up will also feature Leon S Kennedy and is due out sometime in 2011. We also have rumor that Slant Six (creator of Socom Confrontation) may be creating a new Biohazard title, codenamed Raccoon City. There is reason to believe this rumor may hold true and without confirmation either way, we're going to eventually hear something of it this new year. Couple what we have with any new potential news and this may just be one of the better years for Biohazard, it'll certainly be center stage in all new packaging when it arrives on the Nintendo 3DS. If I were to pick my most anticipated event at the moment, it'd definitely be the release of Biohazard Revelations. Either way, there is a ton to look forward to. Here's to hoping we have some great years ahead of us in both the realm of Biohazard and life. P.S. I didn't forget Biohazard Afterlife, though I'd like to.
Segment written by: TheBatMan	2010 has been another solid year for Biohazard. Japanese gamers finally got their hands on Darkside Chronicles which whilst a solid enough shooter, was quite a subdued entry into the franchise. February saw us finally get our hands on the downloadable content for Biohazard 5 and while a little short, Lost in Nightmares was an excellent addition, evoking many memories of classic Biohazard titles. A week later Desperate Escape was released and proved to be an engaging action level and helped to solidify and expand the climax of Biohazard 5 even further. Long-time fans were also extremely happy to see Barry and Rebecca in the Mercs Reunion mode. In the summer we got the announcement of Biohazard: Revelations on the Nintendo 3DS. Collective groans soon turned to intrigue when the first teaser trailer and screen shots were released. Better than expected graphics, 3D, playing as Chris and Jill once more, the inclusion of Hunk and Capcom promising us true survival horror have got me eagerly awaiting this next entry into the timeline. September saw the release of Resident Evil: Afterlife which as I expected was ridiculously bad. I hate all four films with a passion and for me this latest entry was the worst of the lot. But credit to Paul WS Anderson, he certainly knows how to milk money and the implementation of admittedly impressive 3D and the introduction of Wesker ensured it scored big at the box office once more and bankrolled the inevitable sequel. For me the biggest surprise of 2010 was the announcement of Resident Evil: Damnation, the sequel to the 2008 canon CG movie Degeneration. This was a welcome addition and should help solidify the story even further, especially as the teaser seems to reveal that we will finally see B.O.W.s in a war-like situation, which was what they were developed for in the first place. I know some people have been grumbling about Leon being the main character again, but with Chris and Jill getting so much attention recently with Lost in Nightmares and Revelations, I don't really see the harm. Hopefully it will be set post-2009 to get the story moving forward again. But with Revelations not due till at least the end of the year and Damnation early 2012, hopefully we will get them both within a short space of time. Plenty to wet our appetites until Biohazard 6. Finally Biohaze has enjoyed another successful year and celebrated its fifth birthday. We did a lot in terms of technical improvement and site content, but there is still plenty more to come. 2011 will see the release of the Resident Evil Mythology version 4 which will be fully updated with Darkside Chronicles, Lost In Nightmares, Desperate Escape and Biohazard Revelations as well as lots more so look out for that. I predict that 2011 will be a year of much change for Biohazard. Will this finally be the year where Capcom outsource the franchise to outside developers? Will this harm the series? Do we really want titles such as Biohazard: The Mercenaries and the rumoured Biohazard: Raccoon City? Should we not be focusing on Biohazard 6? Either way it's sure to make for fascinating discussion. I can see the 15th anniversary for the series in March as being the perfect time to reveal Biohazard 6. But Capcom really have to pull out all the stops to keep up with the times here. We need a drastic change in game play mechanics like the change implemented in Biohazard 4 after Code Veronica. It needs to be fresh and exciting. The question is, can they do it?