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Capcom, Sony, Microsoft continue with the recent Japanese penchant for limited console bundles.
February/March looks to be quite the festive period for wealthy Japanese collectors of limited edition consoles: They'll be able to sink their yen into a Yakuza 3 PS3, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children PS3, Star Ocean: The Last Hope Xbox 360, or a Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time DSi, all within the span of a few weeks. If all of that wasn't quite enough, Capcom, Sony and Microsoft have now revealed two more options -- special PS3 and 360 Biohazard/Resident Evil 5 bundles.
The limited PS3 package comes with the game, two DualShock 3 controllers, and a slick, spartan console featuring a matte-finish Tricell logo -- that's the evil pharmaceutical mega-conglomerate replacing Umbrella in RE5, don't you know -- for 48,980 yen ($537). With a 5,300 yen savings over the sticker prices for buying everything separately, we'd call that a deal.
Prospective 360 owners get a slightly less attractive bundle: The "Deluxe Edition" of the game, which comes with a soundtrack CD and metal case, bonus headset, and a plain vanilla 60GB 360. In lieu of fancy silkscreening or a custom faceplate, buyers of this 34,800 yen ($381) package will have to make do with a download coupon for a free Biohazard 5 Premium Theme. The upside? An impressive 6,400 yen savings over separate purchases.
Bundles like these, which are clearly putting dents in Sony and Microsoft's coffers (Capcom isn't taking 5,000-plus yen hits for charity), serve to remind just how dismal the Japanese market is for HD consoles. Here's to hoping major domestic titles like Biohazard 5 can help narrow the SD gap.
