"Earlier this week a demo of 'Biohazard 5', known in the US as 'Resident Evil 5', was released on Xbox LIVE in Japan. While the content was only intended for download in that country, a number of gamers outside of Japan were able to access this demo for a period of time. By putting measures in place to ensure it could only be downloaded in Japan the demo version was effectively reset, meaning that it is only supported by LIVE in the correct region. We look forward to being able to offer our gamers a chance to experience a US demo of this eagerly anticipated title soon."

It would seem that the lesson here is don't download anything from the Live service outside your territory. US gamers who download items from the Japanese Live servers run the risk of having those items disabled at any time if they were not meant for worldwide distribution.

The biohazard threat has not ended: Just when it seemed that the menace of Resident Evil had been destroyed, along comes a new terror to send shivers down player’s spines. Chris Redfield, returning Resident Evil hero, has followed the path of the evil literally around the globe. After joining a new organization, Chris heads to Africa where the latest bioterrorism threat is literally transforming the people and animals of the city into mindless, maddened creatures. He is joined by a new partner, Sheva Alomar, who lends her strength, intelligence and sharp-shooting skills to the mission. In order to survive, Chris and Sheva must work together to take on the challenges of discovering the truth behind this evil plot. Utilizing a revolutionary new co-op mode of gameplay, players will be able to assume control of either Chris or Sheva and experience Resident Evil in new ways. In Resident Evil 5, Capcom will have players fearing the daylight as much as they have feared shadow in previous games.

Key Features

• Chris Redfield, protagonist of the original Resident Evil and Resident Evil: Code Veronica, returns
• Chris is joined by new character Sheva Alomar, an African special agent tasked with investigating the epidemic
• 2 player co-op online gameplay means that players are not alone in their fight against the horror lurking around every corner
• Simultaneous global release date for both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on March 13, 2009
• New enemies bring new challenges: speed and intelligence make adversaries as dangerous singly as they are in groups.
• An arsenal of weapons at the player’s command to keep the evil at bay, including knives, pistols, machine guns, sniper rifles and more.
• Lighting effects provide a new level of suspense in both harsh light and deepest shadow
• True high definition gaming on multiple game platforms, using an advanced version of Capcom’s proprietary game engine, MT Framework, which powered the next-gen, million-plus hit titles Devil May Cry 4, Lost Planet and Dead Rising.