Folks who pre-order Vanillaware and Atlus' forthcoming 2D hack-and-slash game, Dragon's Crown, will also receive a 64-page limited edition art book for their troubles. The paperback tome includes character and environmental artwork by Dragon's Crown designer/artist/Vanillaware president George Kamitani, in addition to pieces by other Japanese video game artists, such as Capcom alumnus Kinu Nishimura and Akira Yasuda.

Atlus has also revealed the game's North American box art, which does a good job of obfuscating the art design's more controversial aspects. Dragon's Crown will drop for PlayStation 3 and Vita August 6, at $49.99 and $39.99 respectively.

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Namco Bandai released its financial results for the end of its fiscal year today, noting increased earnings in multiple sectors despite missing sales targets for Tekken Tag Tournament 2 and Tales of Xillia 2.

The company's worldwide net sales grew by 7.3 percent, ending this fiscal year at ¥487 billion (approximately $4.9B), compared to last year's earnings of ¥434 billion. Namco Bandai's net income for the year ending March 31, 2013 was ¥32.4 billion ($327M), a 67.8 percent increase over last year's reported ¥19.3 billion.

Regional sales saw significant boosts. Net sales of Namco Bandai products in Japan increased 7.3 percent year-over-year to ¥406 billion ($4.1B), while sales for the Americas rose 38.3 percent, finishing at ¥33.6 billion ($339M).

The report additionally reveals that Namco Bandai failed to meet shipping targets for some of its key titles. Siliconera notes that Namco Bandai expected to ship 1.7 million units of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 worldwide, but came up short at 1.5 million. The Japan-exclusive RPG Tales of Xillia 2 shipped 500,000, missing its initial target of 650,000 units.

Other big titles for the company include SoulCalibur V, which shipped 1.05 million units worldwide in the fiscal year ending in March, and two entries in its Naruto Shippuden series, which shipped a combined 1.76 million units across all regions.

Rockstar North's stealth slash slaughter game, Manhunt, launches on PSN next week on May 14, available in the PS2 Classics section for $10. European PSN users will have to wait until Wednesday, when their store is updated.

In the announcement post, Rockstar also says the next game up for re-release is The Warriors. Manhunt joins Bully, Midnight Club 3, Red Dead Revolver and various Grand Theft Auto games, all available on PSN now.

The PS2 Classic generated much controversy when it launched in 2003 for its gruesome murder scenarios and animations – a few examples include suffocating enemies with plastic bags, strangling them with wire and eviscerating others with table saws. In 2007, Rockstar produced a sequel in Manhunt 2, which was banned in the UK for almost six months before it was cleared for launch.

Konami has released details of its financial performance in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2013, reporting sizable year-on-year losses in its digital entertainment and pachinko divisions but growth in its social gaming sector.

Company product sales and service revenue for the year amounted to ¥226 billion ($2.4B), down 15 percent from its earnings of ¥266 billion last year. Net income sank to ¥13.2 billion ($140M), a decrease of 42.8% compared to last year's reported income of ¥23 billion.

Konami saw its largest losses in the pachinko sector, in which revenue fell more than 70 percent compared to last year. The company's Digital Entertainment division reported a loss of 17.1 percent in year-on-year revenue, though solid worldwide performances for titles like Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance boosted earnings.

Konami's finances are buoyed by the success of Metal Gear Solid Social Ops and another popular online game, Dragon Collection, which it operates in partnership with Japanese social networking service GREE. Konami's social games currently boast more than 35 million registered users worldwide.

Update: The live show is over. Watch the replay above!

This week on the Super Joystiq Podcast, the team tackles the hard subjects to the ground and interrogates them. Dave discusses going hands-on with Spies vs. Mercs multiplayer in Splinter Cell: Blacklist, Xav dives into the war-torn world of Metro: Last Light and Jess tries to survive in Don't Starve.

Be here for the live broadcast at 4:00 p.m. ET!

NetherRealm Studios has given us our first in-game look at Injusice: Gods Among Us' next DLC character, Batgirl. As we had suspected, this Batgirl is Barbara Gordon, rather than Cassandra Cain or Stephanie Brown, the other two primary Batgirls of traditional DC continuity.

Thankfully, Batgirl doesn't appear to be a straight-up Batman or Nightwing clone, though there are some unavoidable similarities due to the nature of the characters' shared training. Regardless, Batgirl's grapple teleport and stun abilities should prove interesting against heavily ranged characters like Deathstroke.

The Joker's tropical vacation garb is a reference to an outfit worn by the character in 1988's Batman: The Killing Joke, which is covered briefly in this trailer. We assume Killing Joke Joker will be part of a costume pack released alongside Batgirl, as was the case with Lobo.

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Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate is officially heading to Xbox 360 and PS3 this fall as a retail and digital game. This version of Dead or Alive 5 is so Ultimate because it includes modes from the Vita's Dead or Alive 5 Plus, new stages, new fighters and cameos from Ninja Gaiden – including levels such as Sky City Tokyo and the character Momiji, as was rumored earlier this week.

"The largest lineup in DOA history includes the first ever appearance of Ninja Gaiden's Momiji, who utilizes the Hayabusa-style Aikijutsu taught to her by the master himself, Ryu Hayabusa," the Ultimate press release reads. Said lineup also appears to include the return of Leon, a fighter who debuted in Dead or Alive 2.

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There's something about Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon's ridiculous setting that is really resonating with people. Prominent YouTuber Mike Diva (real name: Mike Dahlquist) has constructed his own take on the universe, producing the above trailer whose highlight may be a chase sequence featuring cloud surfing. Or maybe it's Rex atop a flying shark with lasers on its head. We're having a tough time deciding.

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon launched at the end of April through Xbox Live, PSN and PC digital distribution channels, a game our review said "broadens the appeal of its source, thanks to a hilarious, accessible dollop of nostalgia, coated in the mechanics that made Far Cry 3 great." Michael Biehn, who plays protagonist Rex Power Colt, has said that Ubisoft is currently considering a sequel based on sales exceeding expectations.

Sony had a net income for fiscal 2012 (ending March 31 2013) of ¥43 billion, which converts to $458 million. It's the first time the company's posted annual net profit since 2008. A far better situation than the company's $456.7 million loss last year.

As the company predicted following several cost-cutting measures across the previous year – including the sales of major buildings in Tokyo and New York, as well as thousands of layoffs - Sony posted an operating profit for the fiscal year, which came in at ¥230.1 billion ($2.45 billion).

Sony shifted 3.4 million PS3 and PS2 units across the last quarter, while the Vita and PSP came in at 1.3 million. Sony's fiscal year figures were in line with projections made last quarter, with the home consoles at 16.5 million and the portables at 7 million.

However, the portables' figures compare unfavorably with the company's initial estimate for the year, which was 16 million. Sony is being much more cautious for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2014, predicting only 5 million units in what's approximately the Vita's second year at retail. PS3 figures are estimated at 10 million, while Sony chose not to include PS4 projections.

The PlayStation division saw 12.2 percent year-on-year decline in sales, coming in at ¥707.1 billion ($7.52 billion). Operating income saw a much sharper drop, down 94.1 percent to ¥1.7 billion, or $18 million. Sony put the declines down to decreased hardware sales, as well as the "strategic price reduction" for the Vita in Japan earlier this year.

One area where growth is predicted is software, even without including the PS4. Sony projects an increase from the 266 million units sold in fiscal 2012 to 319 million (including digital units).

Evolution Championship Series co-founder Joey "Mr. Wizard" Cuellar announced that NetherRealm Studios' DC superhero brawler Injustice: Gods Among Us is now a featured game in EVO 2013's official tournament lineup, joining big-name favorites like Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition.

More good news arrived for Injustice fans today, in the form of a release window for the Wii U version's downloadable content. Responding to fan questions, the game's official Twitter account revealed that Wii U users will see its first round of DLC for the superhero and villain brawler this summer.

Wii U players were previously left out in the cold as Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 owners tussled with newcomer Lobo earlier this week. NetherRealm did not detail if the Wii U plans include additional costumes currently exclusive to Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of Injustice.

Batgirl is next up in NetherRealm's DLC release schedule. Two more as-of-yet unannounced characters will join Injustice's roster at a later date.

By the end of the second quarter of its fiscal year, Disney Interactive was once again the media conglomerate's only unprofitable sector, reporting a $54 million operating income (read: pre-tax) loss for the three month period ending March 31, 2013. This is, however, a 22 percent year-over-year improvement when compared to Q2 2012's reported operating income loss of $70 million.

Disney contributes the loss to "growth at our Japan mobile business from a licensing agreement that started in February 2012 and lower acquisition accounting expense at our social games business." No mention is made of Junction Point Studios, which Disney closed in January after lackluster sales of Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two, or of the company's forthcoming game/toy platform Disney Infinity.

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe is expected to announce the next entry in Polyphony Digital's Gran Turismo series next week during an anniversary event held at Silverstone Circuit in the UK.

While specifics regarding the next Gran Turismo title are not yet known, Sony notes that designer Kazunori Yamauchi will be present at the event on May 15 to discuss the future of the series, and promises that "something big" will be revealed. Today, May 8, marks the 15th anniversary of the European release of the original PlayStation Gran Turismo title.

Given the timing of the event -- and considering Gran Turismo 5's extended development period -- it's likely that the next entry in Polyphony Digital's driving simulation series will be announced for the PlayStation 4, though no details have been confirmed.

Electronic Arts CFO Blake Jorgensen stated during the company's year-end financial call yesterday that Dead Space 3 and Crysis 3 didn't meet sales expectations, but avoided providing any sales numbers. We do know EA planned on a strong showing at launch of Dead Space 3, since Dead Space 2's launch beat the original game two-to-one, according to the company. Data provided by NPD reveals DS3 didn't even perform as well as DS2 at retail.

A straight comparison of Dead Space 3 versus Dead Space 2 'at the same life stage' would be difficult, since DS2 launched late in January of '11 and DS3 came out in early February this year.

"Dead Space 3 units sales were only two percent lower than Dead Space 2," NPD told us, comparing the per day average.

Although the latest sequel's retail performance didn't meet the publisher's forecast, EA emphatically denied in early March that production of Dead Space 4 had been cancelled.

The first quarter of Activision Blizzard's fiscal 2013 has come to a close, with the massive developer/publisher reporting $1.324 billion in net revenue for the three months ending March 31, 2013. This figure is $164 million beyond Activision Blizzard's prediction for the quarter ($1.16 billion), and 12.96 percent more than the $1.172 billion earned during the same period last year.

"The shift in release dates of competing products, the disappointing launch of the Wii U, uncertainties regarding next-generation hardware, and subscriber declines in our World of Warcraft business all raise concerns, as do continued challenges in the global economy," CEO Bobby Kotick said in the report. "For these reasons, we remain cautious."

Despite this, Activision Blizzard is raising its net revenue outlook for calendar year 2013 by 3.3 percent, from $4.085 billion to $4.22 billion. Kotick attributed the company's successful quarter to Starcraft 2: Heart of the Swarm and World of Warcraft, as well as continued consumer interest in Call of Duty and Skylanders.

Wolfenstein: The New Order will not include multiplayer, Bethesda and developer MachineGames told Gamespot. The New Order stuck its neck out (and its right arm) yesterday with an announcement trailer featuring series protagonist B.J. Blazkowicz in an alternate 1960s universe where the Nazis won World War II.

Previous Wolfenstein games to include multiplayer include Return to Castle Wolfenstein, released in 2001, Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, out in 2003, and the 2009 Wolfenstein for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3. With a legacy as storied as Wolfenstein's, a few series fans may be dismayed to hear New Order won't include multiplayer.

Wolfenstein: The New Order is due out on Xbox 360, PS3, PC and next-gen consoles in Q4 2013.

Behind the scenes, EA is dropping licensing ties to real-life gun manufacturers, but on-screen it still intends to use branded guns in its games. Most recently, EA has worked with gun manufacturers such as McMillan Group International and gun magazine maker Magpul to promote Medal of Honor: Warfighter, but now those deals are off – even though EA still plans to use name-brand guns in its shooters.

"We're telling a story and we have a point of view," EA Labels President Frank Gibeau tells Reuters. "A book doesn't pay for saying the word 'Colt,' for example."

EA spokesman Jeff Brown says branded weapons lend games "enhanced authenticity," which is why EA wants to keep them in its games. However, all official agreements between EA and gun companies are now severed. "The action games we will release this year will not include licensed images of weapons," Brown says.

Following December's mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, the NRA and a handful of politicians and pundits blamed video games for encouraging gun violence. One week after the shooting, NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre said video games represented "a callous, corrupt and corrupting shadow industry that sells, and sows, violence against its own people."

Brown says that the NRA's comments have nothing to do with its decision: "The response from our audience was pretty clear: They feel the comments from the NRA were a simple attempt to change the subject."

EA is currently involved in a lawsuit with Bell Helicopter, who argues that use of its helicopters in the Battlefield games goes beyond fair use and infringes on Bell's trademark. A jury trial is set for June to decide the issue, which could easily apply to EA's new gun-licensing theory.

Update: Jeff Brown tells Ars Technica that EA has never paid a licensing fee to a gun manufacturer, nor has it been paid to use specific branded guns in its games. EA will simply continue this practice in the future.

"No other EA game or service has used licensed gun images in a game," Brown says.

EA did work with McMillan and Magpul for that Medal of Honor: Warfighter campaign, a charity benefiting veterans that encouraged gun makers featured in the game to donate. Those that did were featured on a Warfighter sub-page as "authentic brands" in the game. All of the money went straight to the charity, Brown says.

Resident Evil 6, Capcom's flagship of horrors for the fiscal year concluding March 31, 2013, certainly has "plateaued," as Capcom put it in today's results. The game, which launched in October of 2012, shipped over 4.5 million units at the time. The company announced today the game sold 4.9 million units. Comparatively, Resident Evil 5 has sold 6.1 million units.

"As a result, [Resident Evil 6] did not meet with our projection," the company's statement reads. "In contrast, Dragon's Dogma became a greater-than-expected hit product in the domestic market, which has high profitability, and became an unprecedented million seller in the recent years as an original title."

Overall, Capcom sales were up 14.6 percent for the year to ¥94.07 million ($950M), with net income down to ¥2.97 million ($30M), which is a decrease of 56 percent from last year. Capcom expects this year to be similar in revenues, but hopes to bring that profit back to the 2012 level. This year's line-up includes Remember Me and Lost Planet 3.