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In Episode 23 of the Digital City, we discuss high-tech plans, but a low-tech budget at the MTA; the release of Resident Evil 5; Linux on Netbooks; and the Sirius/iPhone connection.

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Ace reporter Caroline McCarthy joins the show today to give us a little preview of South by Southwest, while we ream Justin Yu for totally being a pushover on our competing podcast "Bore Out Loud." Caroline says there isn't really much scheduled that will be ground-breaking this year, but that's because The 404 isn't there.

Ace reporter Caroline McCarthy.

(Credit: Wilson G. Tang/CNET)

McCarthyism says that she's got the connection to get us on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon." We think we can get on if Diggnation can get on. Letterman ain't having us after a week with U2.

Jeff and Caroline have a pale-off. It's pretty damn close, but we've got to say Jeff wins this one. He temporarily blinded Wilson yesterday when he sat underneath a light when shooting the brand new Nintendo DSi. Speaking of which, CNET gets an exclusive first look at the device, and we think Jeff is a believer now. It only took 100 million Nintendo DSs to get it done. Also, check out Jeff on Loaded today, where he gives his first impressions of the new Resident Evil 5.

Finally, we end the show on a classy note. A man has managed to get a USB flash drive installed on his prosthetic finger. The jokes ensue when Justin comments that he'd love to get a USB drive attached to a certain peripheral on his body. This is truly the home of the "Nerdy dirty."

Our contest is still going on. Send in your suggestions to the show. We love hearing them, especially the international ones. Much praise goes to brisebanelistener for quite possibly one of the funniest voice mails ever!

The March 13 release of Capcom's Resident Evil 5 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 (actually something like the 12th game in the series) makes it easily the highest-profile new video game of 2009 so far, and marks the end of the typically dry post-holiday game season.

We've been playing through a preview version of the game for more than a month now, and found it to be a largely successful mix of familiar and new elements. Like all the Resident Evil entries, this is essentially an action game where a somewhat generic protagonist has to travel through creepy houses, compounds, cities, or secret bases, shooting zombies, madmen, and other monsters along the way.

Two key elements separate games of this genre (the awkward Japanese translation is "survival horror") from straight-up shooters. First, there are occasional brain-twisters to solve, such as deciphering a puzzle to open a door; secondly, ammunition for one's firearms is relatively scarce, so making every shot count is important. However, RE5, like its immediate predecessor, Resident Evil 4, tones down both of these gameplay factors, at least compared with earlier games in the series, opting for a more fast-paced (some would say mainstream) approach.

What distinguishes RE5 from its forbearers and imitators is a change of scenery, moving the action to Africa, and trading the traditional Resident Evil look--dark, shadowy nighttime tableaus--for brightly lit, outdoor villages, where sunlight offers no guarantee of safety. This change throws a wrench in the classic "fear of the dark" instinct that we automatically fall back on in movies, video games, and real life.

(Credit: Capcom)

What could be better news for a gamer than knowing there will be downloadable content for a game before its release? Capcom just announced Versus mode for Resident Evil 5. So, when you get tired of playing with them, play Versus, and take 'em out. Resident Evil 5 will be available March 13.

According to Capcom, Versus allows up to four players to match wits in online battles across two very different game types. Slayer's Rule is a point-based game that challenges players to kill Majinis. In Survivor's Rule, players hunt the most dangerous game, each other! Players can begin the hunt as Chris, Sheva, or other secret characters, and choose from either one-on-one or two-versus-two team matches for either of the two gameplay styles.

Versus will be available on Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network a few weeks after Resident Evil 5 is available. And will be available for 400 Microsoft Points on Xbox Live or $4.99 on the PlayStation Network. Versus mode requires the Resident Evil game software to be played. A broadband internet connection also is required.

Resident Editor Dan Ackerman did a hands on with Resident Evil 5 here.

Resident Evil 5 Versus screen shots

(Credit: Capcom)

For gamers, March 13 is a special day. It's the launch of Capcom's Resident Evil 5. What makes this day even more special is Capcom has partnered with the American Red Cross to host a blood drive.

On the way to pick up a copy of Resident Evil 5, gamers in the Los Angeles area will be invited to give back to the community by donating blood at the World of Wonder gallery on Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, Calif., from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. In addition, fans of the series will have the chance to get exclusive limited-edition Resident Evil 5 Blood Drive collectibles, win copies of the game, enter a raffle for one of several exclusive red Xbox 360 Resident Evil limited edition consoles, and most importantly, do their part to help a good cause.

We first saw Resident Evil 5 at last year's E3, and for a while, we thought there was a chance we'd see it again next year's show--but Capcom has now announced a release date of March 13, 2009, for the latest installment in this best-selling series.

This 13-year-old Japanese horror franchise--about people battling undead monsters created by a huge multinational corporation--has inspired a big-screen movie trilogy and tons of copycat games, but also seemed to be losing steam until 2004's Resident Evil 4 put it back on the map with an updated action-oriented vibe, and controls and camera angles that weren't a bigger health hazard than a room full of shuffling zombies (the previous Resident Evil games were infamous for a flaky camera and stiff controls).

Playing through a couple of sample levels of the game, we liked the use of bright sunlight in the game's outdoor areas, which makes the hordes of murderous villagers even more jarring. There's still some tweaking needed on movement and navigation, as it's especially difficult to maneuver and aim in tight spaces.

The newest installment keeps the over-the-shoulder RE4 gameplay style, but moves the action to Africa, where once again the evil Umbrella Corporation is up to no good. The most surprising new addition may be the game's cooperative mode, where a friend can join your game via Xbox Live or the PlayStation Network and play along as a second character. It seems a bit out of place at first, but co-op gameplay is clearly the biggest buzzword trend of the show, and is turning up in several surprising places.

Resident Evil's Japanese creators are infamously tone deaf when it comes to translating the series' stilted dialog into English, and early footage from the game sparked controversy last year with a Caucasian hero blasting away at zombified Africans--many called it culturally insensitive. Eagle-eyed observers tracked the game's stylistic influence to a cult-favorite series of cheap Italian zombie films from the early '80s shot in the Caribbean, but expect to hear more about this controversy as the game nears its release date.

We talked to Evan Narcisse, an African-American freelance journalist who has written about video games for outlets including The Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly, and CrispyGamer.com. He says, "The sense of trepidation I had when I first saw the trailer two years ago has diminished, especially after playing the game myself. But, there's still an undercurrent of unease I feel at shooting poor, black people being portrayed at monsters, especially when such portrayals haven't always been relegated to fiction."

'Resident Evil 5' is finally on display at E3 2008. After the blockbuster 'Resident Evil 4,' Capcom is back with a new terrifying tale of an African village during a bioterrorism scare. Now offering online co-op as a major feature of the title, 'Resident Evil 5' looks to appeal to loyal fans of the franchise as well as attract new gamers to the horror genre. 'Resident Evil 5' will ship March 13, 2009, for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

The new Xbox 360 dashboard

(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET News)

The E3 conference opened Monday in Los Angeles with a press conference from Microsoft. Here are some highlights.

Microsoft showed off first-ever game play footage from the post-apocalyptic title Fallout 3 and announced that there will be downloadable content exclusive to Xbox Live. We saw real-time action from Resident Evil 5, shipping on March 13. We got a peek at the new co-op feature in the game, where players will be able to team up and make their way through together. Developer Square Enix also made announcements that included the release of four titles for Xbox 360 including Final Fantasy XIII.

roundup
Complete E3 coverage

Expo is no longer a huge free-for-all,
but that doesn't mean Microsoft
and others aren't making noise.

As for console exclusives, we saw in-game action from Fable 2, shipping in October. Players will be able to seamlessly invite other friends who are also playing the game. Finally, we were blown away by the impressive game demo of Gears of War 2 shipping November 7. The game actually looks better than the original and will feature a five-player online co-op mode.

Microsoft will be releasing a new dashboard interface this fall that incorporates an avatar system--the Xbox answer to Nintendo Mii characters. The new feature allows you to join up with other friends to form a "party," a group of up to eight people where you can share multimedia items or start a game. A new mode called Primetime will actually incorporate real-life TV shows like 1 vs. 100 and allow Xbox Live members to play and watch these game shows and possibly even win real prizes.

Microsoft also announced ... Read More

NOTE: This trailer contains some violent imagery.

The Resident Evil franchise has always been a mainstay on Sony and Nintendo consoles, but never the Xbox--until now. Microsoft provided a glimpse of Capcom's Resident Evil 5 at its E3 media event. The next-gen horror survival game is due to hit the Xbox 360 in 2008.