Check out this funny video from Mega64 about Bayonetta. Excellent work!

My favorite part: “… but my hair is a demon!”

So Bayonetta was at two key events over the break, maybe you caught site of them and maybe you didn’t. In either event, we had some Sega spies on hand to grab some photos of the festivities and get you in closer to the action. Where were we? Well, read on!

Bayonetta on New Year’s Eve with Playboy!

Bayonetta was on hand to kick off 2010 in Chicago this year at the Playboy New Year’s Eve party in Chicago! The event, which you might have heard of from our recent blog and sweepstakes, was centered in the lovely (though pretty chilly) Chicago at the Hilton, smack dab in the heart of the windy city. I had the good fortune to attend myself and see first hand what it was like to live it up with the Playmates VIP style (you can see me grinning in a shot below) and get in on some Bayonetta fun before the year was done.

Bayonetta was all over the show, particularly in two gaming lounges where Playmates were playing the game along attendees of the party. We had our internal producer on hand to help them get familiar with the game and before long they were kicking and punching with the best of them.

The party was a ton of fun and I also really enjoyed my time in Chicago, which has some amazing food; I rekindled my love for Chicago pizza and found a new love in Chicago style hot dogs (thanks for your twitter suggestions!) I’ll definitely be back to see more of the city, perhaps in a season that’s a bit warmer – as a California kid, the 3 degree weather was a bit much.

Bayonetta at Ultimate Fighting Championship

What better way to show of the brutal fighting styles of our own Bayonetta, then to be in the same company as one of the more brutal fighting tournaments, UFC. While I couldn’t be at the event myself, I do take a certain amount of pride in knowing that the contenders were face to face with the Bayonetta logo when while grappling on the floor. Seems all too perfect for Bayonetta.

If you missed the event, have no fear, the full UFC 108 is available for viewing across Yahoo (for a small fee) or you can catch the wrap ups in text across many, many links. There are some really great photos of Bayonetta front and center across the event, so do take a look (beyond the ones in the blog) to see the full experience.

We hope you enjoy the pictures and our stories, we’re looking forward to your stories from Bayonetta, so don’t forget to come back and let us know what you think of the game!

Today is Bayonetta day, or Bayonetta week (if you live in the UK, that’s technically Bayonetta Friday), and potentially, Bayonetta year. Well, it’s a bit early to claim a best of rank, but I’m fully confident in the experience Bayonetta offers and think everyone who plays it will have a good time and enjoy the ride. Best Action game on Xbox 360 or PS3? Maybe, but that’s for you to decide.

As noted before the break, the reviews have been coming in strong and Bayonetta is continuing to dazzle gaming press across print and online, with a recent review from Gamespot coming in with a 9 out of 10 for Xbox 360 and an 8 out of 10 for PS3. GameLife even posted a quick note about the use of Keys in Bayonetta, of which ends with a nice endorsement for the game, do check it out.

Press are excited for Bayonetta and the excitement is coming in all different ways from fans. Take, for example, the Bayonetta Rap. Yes, that’s a full on rap and choreographed music video to match, excellent. We’re sure to see more excited Bayonetta fans, and if you are one of them, let us know and we’ll gladly post about it!

A great way to start the new year (more on that later), check out Bayonetta and enjoy the climax action. You know we love it, but we want to hear what you think too, so drop us a comment!

Bayonetta is nearly here and the reviews are starting to roll in! Following the recent trends of high scores after the Japanese release, Bayonetta is hitting very high marks from IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, 1up.com, Gamepro, Game Informer, and more as the day goes on. Read on for what critics have been raving about and catch the full reviews to hear the full scoop:

“Someone just put fresh batteries in Devil May Cry.”
1up.com

“From this point forward, something about stylish action games will need to change, because I have trouble imagining how a developer could use the tried-and-true formula to create anything more delightfully excessive than Bayonetta..”
Game Informer

“Bayonetta is the best action game I’ve ever played”
IGN.com

4 1/2 Stars out of 5
Gamepro.com

Don’t forget, there’s also an Official Xbox Magazine review to pick up at your preferred newstand!

There you have it, solid scores, continued amazement from the press and a game that will change the action genre forever. January 5th can’t come soon enough!

We’re giving a Bayonetta fan and a friend a chance to experience a once in a lifetime event this New Year’s Eve in Chicago – partying with Playboy and Bayonetta in what I can only imagine will be an incredible party to ring in the new year! This sweepstakes is only up for a week, so you’ll have to act fast to get your entry in and be squared away for the event. To enter, you must be over 21 and you must be able to attend the event in Chicago. We’ll take care of the travel and hotel, so don’t worry about those pesky details!

So head on over and sign up, you could wind up in Chicago, partying with Bayonetta and Playboy!

Today 1up.com has an exclusive look at our new Bayonetta trailer. Head on over, turn up your speakers, and enjoy the ride.

You’ve heard about the Japanese release of the game, read the blogs, the forums, and watched all the trailers – now is your chance to get your hands on the free Xbox 360 Demo of Bayonetta weeks earlier than everyone else!

All you need to do is complete the free SEGA Pass registration, submit your details, and you may receive a free voucher code to redeem for your download of the early access demo of Bayonetta! This is your opportunity to get some hands on time with this highly anticipated, groundbreaking action game – this is not to be missed!

HURRY – we will only be giving away 40,000 codes of the early access demo of Bayonetta (first come, first served)! Registration will be open from November 9th 2009 and close November 13th 2009. We will notify the recipients of the early access demo of Bayonetta as early as November 16th 2009.

Best of luck to everyone who registers – and big thanks to you, the fans, for enabling us to offer this special promotion!

Register for Bayonetta Demo!

Just on the heels of the Japanese release this week, new information is now out about Bayonetta‘s US and EU release dates. Gamers around the world will soon taste the non-stop action from acclaimed PlatinumGames in their U.S. living rooms on January 5th and European January 8th!

In Japan, Bayonetta is just now reaching the hands of the Japanese gamers and we’re seeing some initial reviews from Japanese gaming press. One very huge review came out this last week from Famitsu, arguably the biggest and most well known gaming publication in Japan. What was the score and reaction? A perfect 40/40 for Xbox 360 and 38/40 for Playstation 3. That is huge and confirms what we’ve been saying inside the office – Bayonetta is one of the best action games we’ve ever played, just look to our CEO’s quote from the official press release:

“Traditionally high scoring games in Famitsu go on to perform very well at retail in both Japan and the rest of the world. PlatinumGames set out to deliver a game that redefines the 3D action genre, and we feel that they have set a benchmark for future games in the genre to aspire to,” said Mike Hayes, CEO of SEGA America & SEGA Europe. “We chose a January ship date for BAYONETTA as we firmly believe that it is the best time for SEGA and our retail partners to launch this exciting new IP in the West, and push for a number #1 retail slot. BAYONETTA is a huge title for us and the perfect start for the New Year, both for SEGA and gamers across the West.”

We’re looking forward to seeing the Japanese community’s response to the game and are especially looking forward to delivering it to both US and Europe this January. Congratulations Bayonetta!

Kicking off today is the first in a series of Developer Diaries for Bayonetta. In the first video, we hear from Director Hideki Kamiya in discussing the overall design of Bayonetta and Producer Yusuke Hashimoto speaking on the enemy design. The video is a really intriguing look at Bayonetta and features some new visual footage of our favorite witch in action.

The video speaks for itself, but we want to hear from you! Let us know what you are most excited about from the video!

Maxim.com has a contest to pick the real life model that most looks like Bayonetta and they want you to judge the final results based on overall hotness, however as a gamer, I’m much more looking for the girl that most resembles Bayonetta. Not to tip the results, but honestly, my personal sway is towards the contenders who took the time to look the part. The choice is yours, I’ve made my choice, you can vote as you see fit too .

Maxim has narrowed the pool down to a select few they feel best fit the part of Bayonetta, head on over and make the call!