Something else to keep in mind: Earlier we reported that Tecmo slapped Itagaki with a gag-order, meaning that one had been filed — as of course there are no Japanese laws to prevent Tecmo from filing for that! However, a judge has yet to sign off on this gag-order for it to actually be in effect. Since this hasn't yet happened, the gag-order is, well, not in effect. What's more, that gag-order motion may very well be tossed out of court.

Itagaki vs Tecmo [IT Media]

Quoth Microsoft Games Studio G.M. Phil Spencer:

"I won't duck the question. Obviously our job as a first-party publisher is to lead on our platform and to create content not only that appeals to a broad set of customers, but also content that comes out with a regular pacing to continue to freshen the shelves," Spencer said. "But I wouldn't disagree with you that there were periods this year where there were gaps that were too long from first-party."

Microsoft swears they've learned their lesson, and bows their head contritely. Florian Eckhardt

Microsoft admits first-party 360 release bungle [Eurogamer]

Probably not. Since I can't read Japanese and don't know the context of this ad, its hard to say. I will call upon the kanji reading powers of Kotaku Japan to sort out this mystery! One bit of insight I can give you, is that some Japanese retailers will give discounts on hardware if you buy cell phone plans or internet service, not unlike the price incentives US retailers give to potential cellular phone buyers.

Updates follow!

UPDATE: Kanji enabled reader Ryan F. let us know that there's not much else in the ad to go on, but that the prices are for new, not used, titles and that the Xbox 360 is referred to as the "Launch Commemoration Package". Japanese Kotaku scout Sean A. also wrote into let me know that the price is conditional on signing up for @TCOM service (an ISP that I personally don't know about, Sean, but thanks for the benefit of the doubt) AND buying an Xbox 360 with your game. Thanks a billion yen, guys!

Rest assured that Japanese retailers are still charging full price for the standalone Xbox 360, so Mr. Allard, please come down from that ledge!

Wow, IGN is making fun of 1Up for an ethics blunder. How does that saying go? People in stone houses shouldn't throw glasses. Or is it people in glass houses shouldn't throw Hsus.

DOA 4 [Cheap Ass Gamer Forums]

In many ways, these games are a form of immersive chess fought with just two pieces.

Dead or Alive 4 is just such a title.

Once you get past the high-definition sound and graphics, past the settings crawling with interactive objects and animals, dig into the meat of the game, you discover that Tecmo has created a well-studied bit of live-action strategy.

Unfortunately, like with most fighting games, it will be hard to notice that, because as a neophyte you will likely spend much of your time being smacked around the screen.

DOA4 doesn't mess much with the successful formula it has developed for its Dead or Alive franchise; instead, Tecmo concentrates on smoothing out most of the rough edges and pumping up the setting for the often-stellar fights.

I can't say enough about the stages for this game. They just go on and on and on. In the Taizan Temple you can get knocked down a set of stairs, twice, over a railing and through the roof of a house and into its interior. And all of the stages seem to offer this level of depth.

Not only does this give you a lot of fun and interactive elements to play around with, but it also makes the overall experience more immersive. Instead of feeling like you are trapped between invisible walls fighting for score, it feels more like you are in a real world trying to prove yourself.

And really, that's what the Dead or Alive franchise is about: proving yourself.

You can play through the single player story mode with all of the characters (in fact, you have to to unlock all of the characters), but that's just training for the real DOA experience: playing against other people on Live.

Instead of just plopping online players down into text-heavy lobbies to await the start of a tournament or match, Tecmo decided to graphic things up a bit.

Lobbies are now truly that, graphic lobbies with little avatars used to represent the players. You can even unlock better lobbies, decorations and even cooler avatars by earning points.

While in the lobby you jump into the gameplay and wait your turn there, watching the current battle through a controllable freecam, or you can sit in the lobby and watch the fights on a big screen.

Wherever you decide to wait, you can chat with everyone in the room, even if they are fighting.

The end result is the same sort of experience you might have if all of the gamers were sitting in the same room bullshitting while you're playing. Something I love.

Online play was mostly lag-free, but when lag hits it can really screw up your experience. I think that's why a lot of companies are hesitant to port their fighters to an online experience. All it takes is one hiccup and your timing is completely thrown.

I created a lobby a few days ago and played the game for four hours or so with lagging only hitting a few times. The good news was that the lag seemed to clear itself up over time, instead of forcing me to recreate the room.

As a gamer who learned fighters playing Street Fighter, Tekken, and to a lesser extent, Mortal Kombat, I'm not exactly open to learning new types of fighters. Despite that, Dead or Alive 4 has gone a long way toward winning me over.

The well-honed counter system (much more robust this time around) and highly technical throws balances well with the game's seemingly simplistic attack and block layout.

And I was delighted to see that, at least to my eyes, the characters seem well-balanced with no one character too strong or weak.
I think I may have finally found a 3D fighter I can grow to love.

I give the game a 85 out of 100 hits in a Kasumi chain attack. (Yes, I keep changing the way I grade games. It's to keep you on your toes.)

Spartan
458 Movie [Halo.Bungie.Org, thanks Curtis]

Major Nelson has posted some nice (perhaps spoilerific) screen shots of Spartan 458 in Dead or Alive 4. The images show Spartan in a variety of positions and foe-smacking. Much more variety than the one over at Bungie. I'm supposed to be landing my copy of the game tomorrow. Woot.

Spartan 458 [Flickr]

If the PR hype is to be believed, DOA4 will ship tomorrow to major retailers across the United States. Sure this is converse to what we reported via tip, but I'm looking at the Press Release right now. If you want to see said press release, check the jump.

DOA4 Not Hitting Till 2006?

TECMO ANNOUNCES SHIP DATE FOR DEAD OR ALIVE 4
Boasting a lightning fast fighting engine, worldwide online capabilities, and unsurpassed visual beauty, Dead or Alive 4 will be the premier title when it explodes onto store shelves on December 29, 2005

TORRANCE, Calif. December 28, 2005 Tecmo proudly announced today that Dead or Alive 4, the highly anticipated next installment in its hugely popular fighting series, will ship to major retailers nationwide on December 29, 2005. The highly awaited title for the next-generation Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft will set the new standard for fighting games, boasting the most advanced online fighting system in the world via the Xbox Live online game service. Dead or Alive 4 will break new ground on Xbox Live featuring simultaneous 4-player tag battle for the first time in the series, up to 16-players online at one time, and a stylized and accessible online lobby system that allows players to choose an avatar and a theme for their house which will serve as their online lobby that other players can visit to get matched up for a fight.

Featuring the most fast and furious fighting engine to ever grace a video game, Dead or Alive 4 is positioned to not only take the fighting community by storm but to raise the bar for the fighting genre when it blasts onto store shelves later this month only on Xbox 360. An impressive line-up of new, old, and unlockable secret characters, breathtaking, Hollywood Style cinematic ending movies, and in-depth interactive stages round out the list of Dead or Alive 4 features poised to make the game a must buy .

Dead or Alive 4 s unsurpassed visual beauty, worldwide online capabilities, and finely tuned fighting engine make it the game to own on Xbox 360, John Inada, Tecmo s General Manager, said. No other fighting game on the market today will be able to match its depth, strategy, and awe-inspiring visuals. Dead or Alive 4 will be a force to be reckoned with.

About Dead or Alive 4

Taking advantage of the superior technology of the new Xbox 360 system, Dead or Alive 4 will be the defining gaming experience on the next-generation console as it will encompass all that Xbox 360 has to offer, giving players one of the most rewarding digital fighting experiences to date on a video game console.

Dead or Alive 4 will be the leader in fighting games as it once again raises the bar in both online and offline fighting. By utilizing the advanced technology of the new Xbox 360 hardware, Dead or Alive 4 will redefine 3-D graphics as the attention to detail is astounding from each strand of the character s hair to each cherry blossom falling from the sky, creating the most visually beautiful and realistic looking video game to date.

Dead or Alive 4 s unsurpassed online capabilities via Xbox Live online game service will set the stage for all online 3-D fighting games to follow as more players will be able to play Dead or Alive 4 simultaneously online to compete in larger more impressive Xbox Live tournaments around the globe. Dead or Alive 4 s online world will also include innovative and interactive online lobbies featuring voice and text chat, detailed online scoreboards, and a unique online lobby system that allows players to choose an avatar and a theme for their house which will serve as their online lobby that other players can visit to get matched up for a fight.

Dead or Alive 4 also boasts incredible new interactive stages, an all star line-up of old and new favorite characters, and the most complex DOA countering system yet, all adding up to the must-have video game to own along with Xbox 360.

For the most up to date information and newest action-packed fighting screens showcasing all the new DOA characters for Dead or Alive 4, check out the newly relaunched and super cool Tecmo website at www.tecmogames.com . Dead or Alive 4 will be the premier holiday title when it hits retailers nationwide on December 29, 2005, only on the new Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.

About Tecmo
Tecmo , Inc., located in Torrance, California, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tokyo based Tecmo, LTD, a publicly traded company on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Tecmo, Inc. is a leading publisher of video games for next generation consoles, handheld hardware, and mobile devices including those manufactured by Microsoft, Sony Computer Entertainment America, and Nintendo. Tecmo has gained worldwide recognition with product lines such as Tecmo Bowl , Ninja Gaiden , Gallop Racer , Fatal Frame , Monster Rancher , TRAPT , Tokobot and Dead or Alive . More information on Tecmo can be found at www.tecmogames.com

Xbox 360 and Xbox Live are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/ or other countries.

Metacritic attributes this quote from page 38 of the mag s January issue:

If looks could kill, DOA4 would be called Murderer's Row. This game is beautiful; even while you're beating the tar out of your opponent, you'll notice that your surroundings are among the finest you've seen in any fighting game... Hands down the best installment in the series.

I suppose they could have gotten an early version, but could they have received a finished (and apparently perfect) title if it s being delayed repeatedly? Who knows, maybe...

Either way, this couldn t have come at a worse time.

Hsu on Hsu [Kotaku]

Tecmo's very much anticipated Xbox 360 fighter may have been pushed back yet again. Dead or Alive 4, once listed as a launch title but pushed back several times, is now rumored to not be showing up till next year.

Hold the hyperventilating, our source says that U.S. retailers are expecting the title on Jan 2, so it's just another five days to wait.

This is coming from one tipster, so take it with a grain of salt.

Slashdot points to a story at Bungie's official site that unravels the weird mystery behind how a Halo character ended up in a Dead or Alive game. Itagaki and friends wanted Master Chief, Bungie said "he's busy" and gave them Nicole, the female Spartan. According to the piece she's a big anime fan. Yeah, you read that right - read it again. The only things missing from Bungie's bio of her are her turn-ons and turn-offs. It'd probably read "Turn-ons: Killing stuff with my bare hands," "Turn offs: Graphical pop-in during the cut scenes."

That's right, we went there.

Slugfest Origin [Bungie]
When Halo Met DOA [Slashdot]