Japan’s Impress Game Watch has pictures of the new Resident Evil Haunted House attraction at Japan’s Fuji-Q Highland amusement park. The attraction comes complete with the chance to take some target practice at fake zombies using infrared guns. The attraction is only open for a limited time only, until February 3rd, 2008.

For those of you who won’t be able to make it in time to experience the attraction in person, click on the link below to check out more cool pictures and live the attraction vicariously.

Via Impress Game Watch

I got the chance to check out the Resident Evil: Extinction movie premiere at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino last week along with several of my Capcomer colleagues. We had a RE: The Umbrella Chronicles kiosk onsite to demo the game to movie premiere attendees who were universally impressed by the ease of play with the Wii remote. I was able to take a bunch of pictures of the event and surroundings and made mental notes of a bunch of observations to share with you all:

Alices come in all shapes and sizes: Sony pulled an eye-catching PR stunt by parading an unending line of “Alices” throughout the casino floor.

Hollywood premieres love candy: There was literally a mountain of candies, popcorn, sodas, and other libations for all to partake before the movie started.

Zombies can be sexy: I was surprised by a new breed of zombies at the after party which featured scantily clad models with spray-painted camouflage and zombie makeup over their bodies. Don’t remember seeing those in the movie!

There’s exclusive and then there’s “Exclusive”: Even if you were lucky enough to get an invite to the exclusive after-party, there was a separate after-party in the pool area of the hotel where bodyguards blocked the way of ‘civilians’ from mingling with the likes of RE movie stars Ali Larter, Ashanti (with boyfriend Nelly), and Mike Epps or attendees like Pam Anderson and Sylvester Stallone (“Yo”).

As for the movie, I had a blast and perhaps enjoyed it more than my fellow Capcomers, but I’ve always had a fondness for zombie flicks of any kind (in a prior existence, I used to go by the moniker of Dr Zombie). The movie was much faster-paced than the prior 2, and it was a relief to have most of the movie occur in the daylight instead of the dark, claustrophic feel of the prior two movies. Whereas some may think the creators went too far astray with Alice’s new ‘super’ powers as well as the ‘super’ zombie breed that are now super fast and strong – it provided for some new (faster) action scenes that kept the movie rolling along. Lots of fun scares and some memorable lines makes this a good popcorn treat. I would rank this just below the original and better than RE: Apocalypse. Even though this is the ‘final chapter’ of the trilogy – the ending of the movie makes it super obvious that there’ll be more Alice action to come!

For another Capcom staff report from Seth Killian, click here!

I got to check out the Resident Evil: Extinction movie premier last weekend and it was a blast. They rolled out the red carpet right through the gaming floor of the beautiful Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino.

In addition to the stars of the film, including Ali Larder, Oded Fehr, and Ashanti, other celebs I spotted cruising around included Pam Anderson (unmissable), Nelly (not Furtado, just Nelly), and Sylvester Stallone. Mila Jojovich was also there of course, but extremely pregnant, so she kept a low profile.

I did spot her in the Planet Hollywood lobby buying something from the convenience store (possibly a machete), flanked by a profoundly unamused looking security guard with one of those cool secret service wires. Whos he talking to on the other end of that wire anyway? I wonder sometimes if they are even talking to anybody at all, or if the wire is just an efficient way of communicating I am basically a professional can of whupass, so please note that in your calculations if youre thinking about trying something funny (where funny means pretty much anything apart from existing quietly somewhere outside of the security perimeter).

The Ridiculously Gigantic Bodyguards award, however, went to the Ashanti/Nelly entrance. How big were they, you ask? They were so big that you could actually see gravity bending around them, and Nelly and Ashanti standing together were invisible behind just one of them. I was just happy neither one was sitting next to me, and needless to say, nobody tried anything funny.

Despite all the celebs, the biggest star of the night was a gigantic pile of candy. After they took your ticket and you came off the red carpet, you were ushered inside what looked like a traditional theater lobby, with posters, exciting bits of flair, random neon signage, etc. There were girls flanking the entrance with martini glasses full of green and red drinks, trays of baffling hors doeuvres featuring an obscure pink paste on tiny slices of bread, and, in the middle of the room a giant pile of candy.

The effect of this giant pile is hard to describe. Why was it so exciting? Because movie candy is BETTER than regular candy. I dont mean it tastes any different, or that they sell something you cant buy at any ordinary convenience store. Its just that its behind that big glass counter and costs $5 for no reason, so you know its the very BEST candy on the planet. If I were to come upon a giant pile of candy in the road, possibly from one of those overturned candy tankers you hear about on the news, I would be excited, but not extremely excited. Free candy? Whatever! I would say. As a full-powered adult, I can afford 75 cents for some Junior Mints whenever I want, so free candy has lost its special childhood attraction.

Well, free regular candy has lost its attraction. Free movie candy is still enough to drive me wild, and apparently Im not alone. Pam Anderson is excitement, but free movie candy was just thrilling. People were falling all over themselves for the stuff, with shorter attendees even asking me nicely whether I could reach some of the higher candy after the most easily-grabbed stuff was gone. Overall the people in attendance were an interesting mix of Hollywood types and slack-jawed yokels that appeared to have won some kind of radio call-in promotion. I told myself I was closer to the Hollywood types than the yokels, but then I saw the 12 boxes of candy stuffed into my pockets and had to reconsider.

The after party was up on the Planet Hollywood roof deck and required some kind of separate ticket. Im not sure who was getting in, but the scrub-to-Hollywood ratio seemed to have dropped up there. Apparently zombies arent very sexy, so the women staffing the event took their fashion cues from the post-apocalyptic theme instead (remember, apocalypse = sexy, rotting flesh = unsexy). There were some zombie-esque characters on stilts, those I dont move human statues, and lots and lots of women ranging from servers in black halter tops and hotpants, to post-apocalyptic dancers in dirty prom dresses and gas masks, to thinly veiled strippers, topless in full-body camo paint.

The showing itself got straight to the point. No speeches and no trailersjust lights out and on with the main event. Apart from the unusually large amount of rustling sounds from everyone opening a ton of free candy, it was a great theatervery loud and a lot of good energy from the crowd.

The movie itself was fun. Its not exactly Cocteaus Beauty and the Beast, but I had a great sugar buzz going and found myself smiling and wincing right through to the end. The movie ended up #1 at the box office in its opening week, so maybe that speaks for itself? Some surprising deaths, cool finishes, and great action sequences. Turn off your inner critic, grab some Goobers, and check it out.

Need more bitey, virus-ridden monkeys in your life? Then Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles is the game for you. Check out some brand new screenshots HERE!

So Tokyo’s a little far away and you can’t attend in person. While we can’t give you the sweaty nerds and sexy booth babes, we can offer you, as compensation, all the sweet Capcom trailers, screenshots, and other assets we are releasing at this year’s TGS for your consumption, including a brand new Devil May Cry 4 trailer featuring new brand new footage, and screenshots from the recently announced Wii title, We Love Golf!

After you’re all buckled in and ready, scroll down for all the goodies!

First off, the screenshot madness! Click on images to see the full Flickr archives.

Devil May Cry 4

Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law

MotoGP 07

Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles

We Love Golf!

Zack & Wiki

And last but certainly not least, it’s the new Devil May Cry 4 Trailer!

This was sent to us by Gamestop manager Brandon Willey. We heard a lot of stories about this incident and Brandon was nice enough to take the time to write it up. As a bit of background, Capcom attends the annual Gamestop managers conference in Las Vegas, to give them the lowdown on what we’ve got out and what’s coming next. We also offered everyone a tasty can of REVIVE as a “promo” for the upcoming Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles. Here’s what happened next, in his own words (thanks Brandon!):

—
Does Umbrella Exist? A True Story
By Brandon Willey

It was finally time to leave and I was incredibly tired. Our annual Gamestop Conference had just concluded the previous night and I had been partying all night long. I mean, who wouldn’t? This is Las Vegas! The city that never sleeps! I woke up too late for breakfast so I didn’t have time to caffeine up on coffee, but that wasnt a problem because I still had my can of “Revive” that the Capcom vendors had given the managers [for the forthcoming Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles].

We were told it was a new energy drink and a gift from the Umbrella Corporation for all our work at making the Resident Evil franchise a success. I was a bit skeptical. I mean, who really wants to drink something made by the Umbrella Corporation known for procuring the T-Virus which “Revives” dead cells? With over 5,000 people who got a can of this product, all from different parts of the United States, what a perfect ploy for Umbrella to spread an outbreak! But, in all honesty, I was being stupid. I let my imagination get carried away. Umbrella doesnt really exist, right?

Needless to say, I couldn’t keep my eyes open on the bus to the Las Vegas airport so I decided to drink it. Within a few minutes I could felt a lot more energized and focused. The can is inconspicuously black, with the words “REVIVE” printed in bold vertically down the can in bold orange. Just under that is Umbrella’s logo and name. Looking around on the bus, I noticed that almost all of the other managers had brought their cans of Revive with them too. They were stuffed in carry on bags, small luggage cases, and even in the pockets of clothes. My guess is that almost everyone partied last night and was all expecting to need an energy boost at some point this morning.

As my bus arrives at the airport terminal, I spot a few of my friends checking in their baggage. I do my best to hurry and catch up with them but I have to stop every few seconds because my leg is itching like crazy. Having an incredibly overactive imagination for someone my age, the first thing I think of is being infected by “Revive” and start silently cursing Umbrella… only to realize a few seconds later that its just my eczema flaring up from the heat. I chuckle at the strange coincidence and rush to catch up to the others at the security checkpoint. This is where my imagination goes wild.

It’s common knowledge now that when boarding airplanes that TSA does not allow liquids onboard, well this little detail seemed to be forgotten today. Near the front of the security checkpoint are hundreds of cans of “Revive” on tables and in bins, confiscated from the managers. Is it coincidence that the majority of us would try and bring these drinks onboard? Are they singling out “Revive” and searching for it in our luggage? Does TSA know something I don’t? No way… I’m just extra paranoid today due to lack of sleep.

As I approach the metal detectors preparing to go through, one of my friends is accosted by a TSA officer about the contents of his bag. They reach in and pull out 3 cans of “Revive” and give him a dirty look. He shrugs his shoulders and tells them he forgot he had them. Just as this is happening, another TSA officer approaches with a cart full of “Revive” and dumps the cans in a large bin labeled “Biohazard”. Now… my heart is racing. Why would they throw what obviously is a harmless soft drink into something as extreme as a “Biohazard” contamination bin?! Are these drinks safe?! Why won’t my leg stop itching?!

At this point, my imagination has gone berserk. Should I try and regurgitate my drink? Should I warn everyone not yet to security to not drink it? Should I amputate my itchy leg to stop the spread of infection? It took about half an hour before I came to my senses and remembered that Umbrella doesn’t exist and that I’ve played too many video games. Maybe I should see a doctor about hysteria. Once again chuckling to myself over my stupidity, an announcement is made; it’s time to board my plane. I begin walking towards my boarding gate when a television in the lobby starts to play a commercial for the new Resident Evil movie. The horror instantly returned.

Resident Evil: Extinction takes place… in Las Vegas. The city is completely wiped out and over run by zombies. I dont think I even need to say anything more.I am now convinced that there is no way this could be a coincidence. All I could think about on the flight home was a checklist of three things I need to do: Learn how to use firearms, study botany to correctly mix herbs, and find the one can of “Anti-Virus” a soft drink.

Here is a collection of new screenshots from Umbrella Chronicles, as well as art of Jill and Chris. You can check them out on our Flickr archive by clicking on the image below.

Don’t know how this one slipped through our extensive web of Google Alerts, but back in August Shock Till You Drop posted an article of their visit on the set of Resident Evil: Extinction. It’s a great read, with snippets such as this one about Ali Larter, who plays Claire Redfield:

Unlike Jovovich (Who plays Alice) and the others, all of Larter’s scenes are in the back of the truck, which means she gets to miss out on the claustrophobia induced antics as she instead takes part in what it turns out is the number one occupation on a working film set: Waiting. “She’s become the leader of this convoy,” Larter, who is not yet in costume as she waits for her scenes, says of her role in the story. “She’s incredibly strong and patient. She plays a different role to everyone in the convoy; let it be a mother to someone, a best friend. She finds what everyone needs and I think when you’re in this desperate a time that keeps hope alive for everyone. It’s really about searching and just keeping everyone together and alive.”

Besides the article, they have also post not one, not two, not three, but four new clips from the upcoming movie. Links to the article and movie are below.

On The Set.

Be sure to watch this clip, and this one too, and don’t miss this one, and finally this last one.

Slaving away at Capcom HQ is thirsty work. The worst part is that Cokes from our vending machine are 35 cents each (which isn’t cheap, since they pay us in Zenni). Fortunately for the thirty-five cents-less employees, there IS plenty of this stuff, and it’s FREE. I’m not sure what it is exactly, but who can keep up with all the crazy energy drinks getting released these days anyway?

Delicious!

A few lucky Capcom staffers made it out to the Las Vegas premiere of Resident Evil: Extinction at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino. Click here to check out their report and pics!