Tech Blog

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We're ending off August the right way with collectors' editions announced for two of the most anticipated games this holiday season.  Disney Interaction Studios have revealed their Collectors' Edition for the Wii-exclusive Disney Epic Mickey , while Capcom showed off their glitzy Dead Rising 2 High Stakes Edition .

Let's take a look at Disney's offering first.

Junction Points' new adventure that takes Mickey through all eras of Disney's past will have a few extras, including a five-inch collectible Disney Epic Mickey figurine, Wii console skins and remote faceplate, a bonus DVD with behind-the-scenes video, and of course the full version of the game.  The Collectors' Edition is available for pre-order now in North America.

“We’re thrilled to roll out this Collectors’ Edition featuring so many unique items including the collectible Disney Epic Mickey figurine and content that will surprise and delight gamers and Disney fans alike,” says Graham Hopper, executive vice president and general manager, Disney Interactive Studios. “The addition of the bonus DVD with behind-the-scenes video and more will enhance and expand the overall Disney Epic Mickey experience.”

The package design is vibrant and stylish, showcasing the innovative paint and thinner mechanic introduced for the first time in gaming.  Using paint, Mickey is able to dynamically fill-in gaps, create walls/floors, or convert enemies into friends.  Paint thinner is the polar opposite, enabling our hero to destroy obstacles that obstruct your path, erase characters, or wipe-out enemies permanently.

Created by industry luminary Warren Spector, the game's guiding philosophy is "Playstyle Matters", meaning the decisions you make in the game -- and their consequences -- will have a real and tangible impact on the remainder of the game.  As examples, if you erase a character to make life easier you may miss out on quests they could provide later in the game, or if you focus instead on painting you'll attract a special kind of guardian who actually makes you better at painting.

The Disney Epic Mickey Collectors’ Edition will retail at an MSRP of $69.99 and the standard edition will retail at an MSRP of $49.99.

Disney Epic Mickey is coming out Holiday 2010 (no firm date announced yet).

Capcom's offering is just as interesting, with the Dead Rising 2 High Stakes Edition (Xbox 360 or PS3) bundling in a number of goodies in addition to the full game, including a high end poker set complete with blood-soaked deck of cards and chips, a Fortune City Visitor's Map, a download code for the 'Psycho' skills pack, and a chance to find a 'Golden' ticket which can be redeemed for a 6' replica of Burt the Zombie.  That's not a typo, the zombie is a whopping six feet tall.  Hope you have a spot in your home for a new zombie pal!

Here's the complete list of what's in the collectors' edition:

• Poker set in a black high-impact case sporting the Fortune City logo and contains:

* 100 poker chips- 4 different colors featuring the Fortune City logo

* 2 decks of ‘blood-stained’ custom playing cards featuring character art
* 5 green dice
* 1 ‘blood-stained’ dealer chip

• Fortune City Visitor Map featuring the game map and ads for Fortune City locations and attractions
• Terror is Reality XVII admission ticket with redemption code for the unique Psycho costume and skills downloadable content
• One Dead Rising 2 High Stakes Edition will contain the ‘Golden’ Terror Is Reality XVII admission ticket, which is redeemable for Burt the Zombie, a 6’ Dead Rising 2 zombie replica

In addition to the High Stakes Edition , Capcom have previously announced the Zombrex Edition , which comes with a copy of the game along with a Blu-ray disc featuring a 24-minute Hi-ded featurette, a Steelbook Case, Zombrex stationary such as a pen, notepad, safety card, and sales brochure, a Dead Rising 2 Hardback Artbook, and finally, a voucher for an XMB dynamic theme.  Pre-orders are available at Future Shop for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions now.

Dead Rising 2 releases on September 28, 2010.