Conker bonus DVD News

Microsoft is offering a bonus DVD as a pre-order incentive for US Xbox owners who feel like buying Conker: Live and Reloaded when it finally pitches up this June, and apparently it's something the company is considering for Europe.

The bonus DVD features a "mockumentary" called "Conker - Where Is He Now?", which is a fair angle to take given his absence and continued delay since Microsoft bought Rare for £375 million a couple of years ago.

Also on board will be movies, four songs from the soundtrack and "video strategies", and since the bonus DVD is shipping prior to the game it also features a playable Conker demo. US retailer GameStop also says to expect multiplayer maps.

There are conflicting reports about what else is on the disc, but there'll be some mixture of trailers and demos of Forza Motorsport, Jade Empire and MechAssault 2: Lone Wolf.

Developed by Rare, Conker: Live and Reloaded is the game formerly known as Conker: Live and Uncut, and will be the bad-mouthed squirrel's first outing on the current generation of home consoles since his divisive introduction on the N64 - an introduction so divisive, in fact, that Nintendo left it to THQ to publish the game to help protect its family credentials.

However, this time out Rare is developing a team-based shooter focusing on Conker, rather than a platformy adventure, and aims to have competitive and Campaign modes playable via Xbox Live and System Link - retaining the innuendo and warped humour that populated the N64 original.

Microsoft UK is officially quoting a "summer" release date for Conker in Europe, but the expectation is that Euro gamers won't have to wait much longer than their American counterparts.