Today, amidst the hustle and bustle of gamescom's "Day Zero" Team Ninja released the first episode of their dev diary for Dead or Alive 5. Titled "Fighter Chronicles" the first episode goes into depth about what's been going on in the 7 years since Dead or Alive 4 was released. Suffice to say, not much, the team simply wasn't sure what to do with the series. Then, an epiphany, make the game into better entertainment. Yes. Exactly.

The changes Team Ninja are focusing on for Dead or Alive 5 include improved animations, high quality facial animations that display strong emotional gestures, and interactive environments to make the game feel like a movie. The development team is confident in their changes, but are wary that the franchise's audience may have changed or disappeared altogether.

Dead or Alive 5 is scheduled for release on September 25 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Dead or Alive 4 was released in 2005, and to be fair the franchise is just as well known for its volleyball as its fighting anymore. Think there will be volleyball in DoA5? Hmm.

"Fighter Chronicles" Episode 1 - YouTube