Re-imaging of Dante, and the New Devil May Cry

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Rey Gutierrez Senior Social Media Specialist
11 Author Replies

“I remember calling it Developers May Cry, it looked that good.” God of War III’s game director Stig Asmussen confesses in the upcoming God of War Directors Live event, when asked about his art direction days on the original God of War. Devil May Cry; its headliner, Dante; and the entire DMC mythology have sprung installments on multiple consoles, comic books and an anime series. Dante is an iconic figure in the video game world, so imagine the reaction when Lead Producer Alex Jones and Chief Creative Director Tameem Antoniades were tapped to change everything we know about Devil May Cry and start from scratch. The result? DmC.


Clearly, Ninja Theory and Capcom were anticipating a strong reaction and fan skepticism, but after my conversation with the new DmC team, I grew more confident that Dante and the cast of DmC are in good hands. It’s daring, crazy and extremely challenging to change an 11-year-old franchise. But, if Christopher Nolan can do it with Batman Begins, maybe Ninja Theory can do the same for Devil May Cry. I’m sure you’ll agree when I say that I feverishly await more details behind the new DmC. Expect both Jones and Antoniades to visit the PlayStation.Blog in the future.

I like the new hair. There, I said it.

capcomdevil may cryninja theoryplaystation games

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291 Comments

11 Author Replies

  • TheTwelve
    September 24, 2010 at 2:04 pm PDT

    I don’t know, he’s more metrosexual than ever now! And he was really metrosexual before!!!

    12

  • Surda
    September 24, 2010 at 2:04 pm PDT

    Just terrible.

  • lbpmagician
    September 24, 2010 at 2:05 pm PDT

    I only want them to continue the story, don’t mind the change in character design that much, but I’d hate if they just scrapped everything that has happended in the past 4 games.

  • LumarQQ
    September 24, 2010 at 2:11 pm PDT

    Lol Dante joined the scene… I’m not a “hardcore fan” though I am not impressed. What say you?!

  • Kchow23
    September 24, 2010 at 2:11 pm PDT

    I’ll give them a chance… but I don’t know. What did Stiq mean by Developers May Cry? is that referring to God of War being really good or DMC being really bad?

    • Rey Gutierrez
      September 24, 2010 at 2:28 pm PDT

      Before there was God of War, there was Devil May Cry. DMC was a beautiful title on PlayStation 2. It played and looked fantastic. It set the bar pretty high for other developers.

  • Heisem
    September 24, 2010 at 2:12 pm PDT

    I just want Heavenly Sword 2

  • Kchow23
    September 24, 2010 at 2:14 pm PDT

    Btw Rey… Christopher Nolan is leagues beyond Ninja Theory. the equivalent of Christopher Nolan in gaming would be Ken Levine or Hideo Kojima

  • Kchow23
    September 24, 2010 at 2:15 pm PDT

    Correction… Ken Levine combined with Hideo Kojima to form a game that leaks awesomeness

  • MadMeat001
    September 24, 2010 at 2:17 pm PDT

    he’s the same as the director in ninja theory…..anyway, heavenly sword 2? let’s see how much they like it when other developer touch ninja theory’s franchise. DO IT SONY!

  • Saurox
    September 24, 2010 at 2:17 pm PDT

    I don’t really care if their re-imagining the game that’s cool and whatever but I just don’t like how he currently looks right now he might have new moves and shiz but he looks scrawnier and the hair is just no. He doesn’t really have that I’m a badass look anymore.

  • abarbaneld007
    September 24, 2010 at 2:18 pm PDT

    Who ever said Dante looks more metro then ever is right. They better have a comparable combat system or this thing is gonna flop because so far the character redesign is not doing any justice.

  • namtellum
    September 24, 2010 at 2:18 pm PDT

    Congratulations Ninja Theory, you have ruined the Devil May Cry franchise.

  • Edd
    September 24, 2010 at 2:20 pm PDT

    The new Dante looks like a stylized version of Tameem Antionades…

  • HK_Parshath
    September 24, 2010 at 2:20 pm PDT

    I think that this was not the kind of change needed for the franchise. Changing one of the coolest and most stylish video game characters does not seem right to me. This case is similar to Snake vs. Raiden. Extreme changes are not always the best.

    • Rey Gutierrez
      September 24, 2010 at 2:31 pm PDT

      I don’t know about you, but Raiden is starring in Metal Gear Rising, and I cannot wait to play that. Raiden was totally vindicated with his appearance in MGS4.

  • Jisatsu_Kiddo
    September 24, 2010 at 2:20 pm PDT

    and in 1, 2, 3…. what happen ninja? oh, the game sold badly?

  • piccoloarya003
    September 24, 2010 at 2:21 pm PDT

    the new Dante has Tameem’s hair…lol

  • DarkShadow34
    September 24, 2010 at 2:21 pm PDT

    IDK.. I mean Christopher Nolan took batman into a darker area. He didn’t turn him into FruitBatMan. He keep what people loved about Batman, and gave it a edge. Keep what the people know and love about a 11 year old franchise. Don’t let the hardcore fans down!

  • saiyanknight87
    September 24, 2010 at 2:25 pm PDT

    smh they trying to justify a reason to serve the fans some crappy looking emo character smh.

  • OnesOwnGrief
    September 24, 2010 at 2:25 pm PDT

    >.> Just about every comment so far has been closer to Negative than Positive reactions. I can’t say this bodes well so far. Ninja Theory better get on Capcom about letting them release news faster on this title or we’ll end up having to feed some babies to some demons.

  • Meguer
    September 24, 2010 at 2:27 pm PDT

    Just one word: SHAME !!!

    Im not talking about the game system. Im talking about the new Dante’s visual. It’s terrible. To be more specific, its pathetic.

    About your comparison, Christopher Nolan did a great job with Batman. Batman is true a Dark Knight and we could see that on the movie. But Ninja Theory just ruined the main character of DMC. A bad guy that was turned on a drug-addicted.

    RIP Dante.

    • Rey Gutierrez
      September 24, 2010 at 2:39 pm PDT

      I actually like the fact that this new Dante is shown in a powerless, pathetic light. He’s chained up and interrogated in a mysterious room. Quite the contrast from the dashing, sharp looking classic Dante. There may be more to this new DmC then just clever one liners.

  • SiloEyes
    September 24, 2010 at 2:28 pm PDT

    I love how they just keep pretending in all these interviews that the vast majority response to this hasnt been completely negative. You could make the best gameplay of all time, slap DMC all over it, and I’d still wouldn’t touch it if it meant playing as that bulimic junkie punk reject you’re trying to pass off as Dante.

    • Rey Gutierrez
      September 24, 2010 at 2:40 pm PDT

      Trust me, they’re aware of the both negative and positive reactions their new Dante has received. DmC is back in gamer’s vocabularies, that’s priceless.

  • jonathan_val
    September 24, 2010 at 2:28 pm PDT

    EMO DANTE DON’T LIKE ME

  • Kchow23
    September 24, 2010 at 2:28 pm PDT

    You can’t blame Ninja Theory… since it was Capcom’s decision to change Dante. They could’ve done everything they said in the interview without changing Dante.. better level design, new weapons,gameplay mechanics and making him tougher

  • HaMmOdY
    September 24, 2010 at 2:29 pm PDT

    The new Dante isn’t that bad. I mean C’mon let’s give them a chance, they might hit it incredibly. I doubt it’s gonna be worse than DMC 3 HD (4). The game setting seems interesting.

  • AlbinoQtip
    September 24, 2010 at 2:30 pm PDT

    You know what, why the hell…..I prefer the Dante I know and love, and that is not because I am some iconic driven gamer who follows the tide or whatever. No, it is because when you see a character in a series of games, you can put yourself in every aspect of that person. In Dante’s case, even his looks made him that character that is easy to relate to….from what I see here….he looks like he may have gotten younger..well, the problem is that he gets older and wiser as the stories go on. Why on earth would you make a younger, less bad ass, less intimidating Dante? And what the hell is with the smoking? What? Is it the 70’s where smoking is “cool” again? I will reserve finality judgment for when the game is beaten on my system….but until then, my early judgment is that I do not like the hair…go back to white…..

  • Kchow23
    September 24, 2010 at 2:31 pm PDT

    But sure they talked about his hair not being white as part of the story… i.e embracing his demon genes then it starts turning white… thats fine but Dante’s overall look could’ve stayed intact. WHY CAPCOM AND Keiji Inafune… WHY?

  • chaosgrid
    September 24, 2010 at 2:31 pm PDT

    they could’ve at least left his hair white.

  • silverpikachu
    September 24, 2010 at 2:31 pm PDT

    Is that really Dante or more of like a Cloud to Zack?

  • shagster11
    September 24, 2010 at 2:32 pm PDT

    i think its gonna be great i love DMC

  • giankrloxD
    September 24, 2010 at 2:32 pm PDT

    wtf is wrong with this ppl dante was/is one of my favorite characters. why u have to screw him? u can re-desing gameplay, scenarios or whatever you like. why u have to make this emo thing. u_u

  • toasty_joe
    September 24, 2010 at 2:32 pm PDT

    The white hair is just a iconic as the giant swords and longcoats. They’ve changed the most brilliant and sophisticated of characters into what appears to be a rebellious emo kid. He doesn’t have as much edge as before and i’m not feeling the love for new Dante.

  • LightAce
    September 24, 2010 at 2:32 pm PDT

    Why did the interviewer and the guy being interviewed seem like they have the new Dante’s hair?

  • jimmyfoxhound
    September 24, 2010 at 2:35 pm PDT

    Make him a space marine! That would be new and exciting!

  • JohnnySasaki
    September 24, 2010 at 2:35 pm PDT

    @KChow23 … that’s hilarious hahaha :D

    I really like the new Dante… I always think of him as the “punk-rock Dante” and I really like that idea. There’s this huge potential that I think Ninja Theory are exploring with that, and in that respect it is *kind of* like the re-imagination of the Joker. As a lover of all things Nolan I still see a huge difference of course, but the influence of punk-rock is totally there for both of them (Joker and the new Dante), and I don’t understand why the coolness of this is being lost on people who demand Dante have white hair or think he looks “emo” or something. I’m not even a big punk guy but this is bleedin’ obvious, and I think it’s cool as hell.

  • PaoloSama
    September 24, 2010 at 2:37 pm PDT

    puah how to destroy an awesome videogame: exchange cool Dante with stupid, emo, useless character improperly named Dante. The gaming world is always more towards casual players and this is a demonstration of this. PFFFF i will not buy new DmC, Capcom can keep it close u.u

  • toasty_joe
    September 24, 2010 at 2:38 pm PDT

    P.S.
    This has just taken all the excitement i had for DMC5 right away. Stupid stupid stupid.

  • jonathan_val
    September 24, 2010 at 2:38 pm PDT

    Dante Needs Cole’s (Infamous) Plastic Surgeon

  • saiyanknight87
    September 24, 2010 at 2:39 pm PDT

    and in the video they said the feedback was half and half they are lying and being nice no one i know said they liked it, i guess they feel like if they try and go full course with the change people will like it, when this game doesn’t do regualar numbers that’s on them for the failure of that I.P.

  • ForgiveMyAim
    September 24, 2010 at 2:40 pm PDT

    I have an idea make a game where i can beat the crap out of New Dante with Original Dante

  • Kchow23
    September 24, 2010 at 2:43 pm PDT

    Yes, I’ve seen Memento (good movie in fact).. Nolan did something interesting with the short term memory stuff and the whole mystery but you can’t compare it to DmC. direct comparison would be Batman since that was taking an icon and making changes. Nolan took Batman into darker themes but he didn’t change Batman’s look. Ninja Theory and Capcom could’ve just taken DMC into a darker theme but they changed Dante as well.

    P.S About the “Developers May Cry” question hes referring to when DMC was DMC (which set the high standard)not DmC and yes I know about DMC I have all the games… DmC might be a different story

  • SiloEyes
    September 24, 2010 at 2:43 pm PDT

    @Rey Gutierrez I’d love to see the research Capcom did that supposedly told them that devil may cry was ever NOT in gamer’s vocabulary. Just about every single fan since the announcement was made has demanded to know why the original series is being scrapped in favor of this nonsense.

  • JoshyBoy98311
    September 24, 2010 at 2:43 pm PDT

    I hate that Dante smokes. What’s the reason for him to smoke. He was cool when he wanted pizza. I don’t much care for the appearance of Dante either but I can forgive that the same way I forgave Resident Evil 5 with Chris and Jill looking different cuz the game was good. This game better be good. My biggest disappointment when I saw that they are rebooting the series was, WHAT HAPPENS AFTER Devil May Cry 2, If I remember right it ends when Dante goes to Hell. None of the other games ever answered this question. It bugs the crap out of me. They should had finished the story to the original series before rebooting the series. I do hope this game is good. It looks interesting to say the least. One last question I do have is; How did they get Devil May Cry from one of the Resident Evil 4’s prototypes?

  • NotoriousGamer
    September 24, 2010 at 2:45 pm PDT

    holy crap new “dante” looks like some of the young new hollywood actors. lol

    dante is a game character so let him be that way. capcom are such dummies. all they say is… oh my god japan is sinking and all game makers are aging and soon wiil be dead. just ridiculous dummies. no wonder they are losing it.

  • Kchow23
    September 24, 2010 at 2:45 pm PDT

    Another good example Hideo Kojima completely changed Raiden from what he was in MGS2 to what he became in MGS4.. from what people considered to him being whiny and not manly to a cyborg ninja that kicks butt

  • DarthMoose1986
    September 24, 2010 at 2:45 pm PDT

    they can always pull an infamous 2 and change the look back to the orignal dante, especially after all the fan feedback, thats not gonna happen though,this game isnt for the hardcore fan otherwise the look wouldnt have changed to begin with, imma still play this to begin with because I love all of ninjas games so far, loved the enslaved demo, cant wait for that

  • Kchow23
    September 24, 2010 at 2:48 pm PDT

    P.S DMC was never gone from peoples vocabulary.. it might’ve been since they haven’t made a new game for a while but now DmC is in peoples vocabulary for not so good reasons

  • sam_i_jam
    September 24, 2010 at 2:49 pm PDT

    The poor frame rate and controls in the Enslaved demo on PS3 has me concerned regarding how great of a job Ninja Theory will do on the PS3 version of DMC.

    Consider this Heavenly Sword fan disappointed — for now.

  • Edd
    September 24, 2010 at 2:50 pm PDT

    I’m all for changing things up and reimagining characters, even established ones, but the new dante just isn’t… right, he seems like a cheesy character, like a shallow teenager trying to fit into some pointless clique, he doesn’t give me the, underdog weakling vibe, he gives me the “I’m trying to be something I’m not” vibe.

  • Kchow23
    September 24, 2010 at 2:51 pm PDT

    @34 I am not down on Dantes hair nor the punk rock theme… but Dante never ended looking like a rockstar that had a little too much medicine

  • ken_kimura
    September 24, 2010 at 2:53 pm PDT

    Ninja Theory has to realize that the public who plays DMC is not a bunch of teenage girls who love twilight. Sucker Punch did the right thing with infamous and listened to what fans of the Infamous had to say on their character redesign. How about you Konami/Ninja Theory?

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