Resident Evil 5: Alternative Edition to be DLC in West

Capcom's Resident Evil 5 spread like a raging zombie epidemic upon its launch for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in March, selling more than 5 million units by June. (A PC edition was released in September.) Building on that success, Capcom announced Resident Evil 5: The Alternative Edition at September's Tokyo Game Show for Japan. The boxed product includes all-new content, as well as support for Sony's upcoming camera-based motion controller.

This week, Capcom revealed that RE5: The Alternative Edition will also be coming to North America and Europe this spring, albeit in a different form. After surveying a portion of the Capcom community, the publisher opted to deliver The Alternative Edition as downloadable content through Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network. (No mention was made of the PC edition of the game.)

When Capcom announced RE5: The Alternative Edition earlier this year, the publisher said that the PS3 version would support Sony's all-new motion controller, which will also launch this spring. Capcom's North American arm did not indicate whether these controls would also be available in the Western edition, nor did the publisher mention support for Microsoft's Project Natal. Capcom had not responded to requests for comment as of press time.

Another big change is the addition of a new episode featuring returning franchise heroes Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine. The episode will be based on the flashback scene from the original RE5, where the two characters infiltrate the Spencer estate in Europe.