Editing Dead or Alive 3 (section)

{{Short description|2001 video game}}
{{Use mdy dates|date = February 2025}}
{{For|the film|Dead or Alive: Final}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Dead or Alive 3
| image = Dead_or_Alive_3_cover_art.png
| caption = North American cover art featuring [[Jann Lee]] (front) and [[Hitomi (Dead or Alive)|Hitomi]] (background)
| developer = [[Team Ninja]]
| publisher = {{vgrelease|WW|[[Tecmo]]|EU|[[Xbox Game Studios|Microsoft Game Studios]]}}
| director = {{ubl|[[Tomonobu Itagaki]]|Hiroaki Matsui}}
| producer = {{ubl|Tomonobu Itagaki|Yasushi Maeda}}
| writer = Hiroaki Matsui
| designer = Katsunori Ehara
| programmer = {{ubl|Mitsuo Osada|Takeshi Sawatari}}
| composer = {{ubl|Makoto Hosoi|Takashi Inamori|Ryo Koike}}
| series = ''[[Dead or Alive (franchise)|Dead or Alive]]''
| released = {{Video game release|NA|November 15, 2001|JP|February 22, 2002|EU|March 14, 2002}}
| genre = [[Fighting game|Fighting]]
| modes = [[Single-player]], [[Multiplayer video game|multiplayer]]
| platforms = [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]]
}}

{{Nihongo foot|'''''Dead or Alive 3'''''|デッドオアアライブ3|Deddo oa Araibu Surī|group=lower-alpha|extra=abbreviated as '''''DOA3'''''|lead=yes}}  is a 2001 [[fighting game]] developed by [[Team Ninja]] and published by [[Tecmo]] for the [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]] console as one of its [[launch title]]s. It is the third main entry in the ''[[Dead or Alive (franchise)|Dead or Alive]]'' fighting series following ''[[Dead or Alive 2]]'' (1999). ''Dead or Alive 3'' improved upon the gameplay and graphics in beautiful detail compared to that of its predecessors. The game's story focuses on DOATEC's attempt to create the ultimate human weapon through their Omega Project by capturing and transforming the Mugen Tenshin [[Ninja]] Clan's Hajin Mon leader, [[Genra]], into an evil superhuman called Omega. The ninjas enter the third Dead or Alive tournament to defeat Omega.

''Dead or Alive 3'' was critically acclaimed and a commercial success upon release, selling over 1 million units in the first five months after its release,<ref name="rep7">{{cite web | author=Varanini, Giancarlo | date=May 6, 2002 | url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/dead-or-alive-3-reaches-1-million/1100-2864274/ | title=Dead or Alive 3 reaches 1 million | website=[[GameSpot]] | access-date=October 19, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020531015604/http://gamespot.com/gamespot/stories/news/0,10870,2864274,00.html | archive-date=May 31, 2002}}</ref> and went on to sell over 2 million units worldwide,<ref name="gematsu">{{cite web |author=Romano, Sal |date=January 17, 2021 |url=https://www.gematsu.com/2021/01/dead-or-alive-and-modern-ninja-gaiden-creator-tomonobu-itagaki-establishes-itagaki-games |title=Dead or Alive and modern Ninja Gaiden creator Tomonobu Itagaki establishes Itagaki Games [Update]|website=Gematsu|archive-date=January 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117201926/https://www.gematsu.com/2021/01/dead-or-alive-and-modern-ninja-gaiden-creator-tomonobu-itagaki-establishes-itagaki-games|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="bloom">{{cite web |author=Itagaki, Tomonobu |date=January 16, 2021 |url=https://www.facebook.com/tomonobu.itagaki/posts/2739978682932899 |title=Full Tomonobu Itagaki 2021 Bloomberg Interview (shared via Facebook)|website=[[Facebook]]|archive-date=January 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118161812/https://www.facebook.com/tomonobu.itagaki/posts/2739978682932899 |url-status=live}}</ref> becoming the best-selling game in the franchise and one of the [[List of best-selling Xbox video games|top 10 best-selling Xbox games]]. The game won several awards and was nominated for many others. The [[#European and Japanese versions|European and Japanese versions]] were released months later, featuring additional content and gameplay updates that are not featured in the North American version. 

''Dead or Alive 3'' later became [[List of Xbox games compatible with Xbox 360|backwards compatible]] on [[Xbox 360]]. In 2021, [[#Backwards compatibility and re-release|all versions of ''Dead or Alive 3'']] were made available to download from [[Xbox Live]] worldwide, and were later made [[List of backward-compatible games for Xbox One and Series X/S#List of compatible titles from Xbox|backward compatible]] on [[Xbox One]] and [[Xbox Series X and Series S|Xbox Series X/S]].<ref name="verge">{{Cite web |date=15 November 2021 |title=Microsoft's Xbox backward compatibility program returns with 76 new games |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/11/15/22782746/microsoft-xbox-backward-compatibility-76-new-games |access-date=2021-11-24 |website=The Verge |language=en |archive-date=2021-11-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115182209/https://www.theverge.com/2021/11/15/22782746/microsoft-xbox-backward-compatibility-76-new-games |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Dead or Alive 3'' was followed by ''[[Dead or Alive Ultimate]]'' in 2004 and then its sequel ''[[Dead or Alive 4]]'' in 2005.