The demo of Resident Evil 5 has been downloaded an impressive 1.8 million times over Xbox Live since its release on January 26th.

1.3 million of those downloads were over its first three days of Gold-only availability.

Additionally, Capcom tells us that 53% of all Gold members in Japan have downloaded it since it was launched over there in December.

The demo, if you've not taken a look already, is devastatingly hard. It's made so by a lack of ammo that makes even going for headshots-only a tactic that will soon see you out of bullets. It eschews the eerie settings of previous games that would see the appearance of an enemy evacuate the contents of your bowels into your pants. In its place is a harshly lit setting overrun with hordes of the walking dead hungry for your brains. It's also damn crisp and real pretty. Expect a fuller RE5 preview from SPOnG soon.

While the demo was a timed exclusive for the 360, the PS3 version was later dated for release yesterday.

Capcom has also put paid to speculation that RE5 will break from tradition and enable players to run and gun at the same time. An official blog post states, "THE NEW CONTROL OPTIONS IN RESIDENT EVIL 5 DO NOT ALLOW YOU TO MOVE AND SHOOT SIMULTANEOUSLY. While RE5 is very action-heavy, the base RE game design mechanic of holding fast while shooting remains...

"In every Resident Evil game, there are always consequences for your actions; combat, while an important part of the game, requires a steady hand and the correct timing. Have you ever tried walking (much less running) while shooting? If you have, you'll know how hard it is to hit a target while in motion. This design reinforces the importance of playing co-op, as having a partner watching your back is crucial for success in the game."

So now you know.

^{Source: Capcom-Unity}