When it was announced that a Resident Evil 6 demo would be packaged alongside retail copies of Capcom's action RPG Dragon's Dogma, it seemed like a perfect bit of cross promotion. Much like the Kingdoms of Amalur and Mass Effect 3 tie-ins, this Resident Evil 6 connection should help boost interest in a title that Capcom thinks is worth a look.

However, what they hadn't revealed until now was that Resident Evil 6 demo is also a timed exclusive — launching first on the Xbox 360 and then later on the PS3. When Capcom said they wanted to appeal to the Call of Duty crowd with RE 6, I don't think this is what they meant.

Now, instead of concurrently releasing on both consoles, the Resident Evil 6 demo will launch first on the Xbox 360 on July 3rd, and then on the PS3 on September 4th. Regardless of timing, Dragon's Dogma is slated to release in late May -- meaning Resident Evil fans who pick up the game just hoping for the demo are going to be waiting quite a while.

That short two month wait might seem bearable to some, but based on Resident Evil 6's first trailer, that might be easier said than done. A smorgasbord of fan favorite characters, this game looks to be fan service to the nth degree, and we can't wait.

Capcom wasn't willing to reveal just what went into this timed exclusivity for the demo, but they did say it was a "strategic business decision." With each subsequent iteration since Resident Evil 4 the series has grown in popularity, perhaps leading Microsoft to believe this will be the biggest, and trying to ensnare purchases of the Xbox 360 version.

For our money the game has a lot going, but many elements, like the rumored co-op, are better sold through experience — hence the demo. And, if Dragon's Dogma ends up as exciting an action RPG as the trailers sell it to be, then RE fans won't have to worry about the two or three month wait.

Will you be picking up Dragon's Dogma just to get your hands on a Resident Evil 6 demo code? Would playing the demo first on 360 convince you to purchase that version of RE 6?

Dragon's Dogma releases May 22, 2012 for the PS3 and Xbox 360.

Source: Boxden