Nintendo leading the legal charge against the R4, even asking individuals to anonymously rat out retailers selling the devices. One Akihabara R4 retail shop recently closed due to "adult reasons" — some on the Japanese internet are inferring that the heat from Nintendo has caused the store to shutter.

R4 cartridges are used to pirate Nintendo DS video games.

This Den-Den Town "store" in Osaka is advertising its R4 wares with a sign board that notes, "These products are not illegal." The R4 exists in a gray area legally. There's a court injunction against the Chinese R4 makers for "violation under Japan's laws". Last year, Nintendo (and 53 other sofware companies) took action against the makers of the R4 cart.

Osaka is already home to the R4 vending machine.

Signs in the apartment building direct customers to the "shop".

This is not to say that R4 devices are not being sold openly in cities like Osaka and Tokyo, because they are. But for how long?

後を絶たないマジコン販売、任天堂やソフトメーカーが再提訴に踏み切るも営業続行 [GIGAZINE]

Back in 2006-7, there seemed to be several cases of otaku hunting, but since then, the streets have been relatively safe.

This latest duo targeted their victims in Osaka's Den-Den Town, the gaming/anime/manga/electronics district of the city akin to Tokyo's Akihabara. One of their tactics included dropping their own already broken cell phone and asking for "repair money." Those otaku who didn't have any money to cough up, the suspects tried forcing the victims to take out a loan from a lending company.

The men, aged 20 and 22, have confessed to targeting approximately one hundred "otaku looking" individuals and mugging them to the tune of roughly US$30,000. And now they're arrested.

Shin Otaku Gari [AltJapan]

We've contacted Capcom, who told us, "Capcom will definitely be attending E3 this year. The Capcom Japan staff specifically attending is something that's under review at the moment as a result of tough restrictions in force by Japanese immigration." So plan go back up in the air.

As far as we know, there are no tough restrictions regarding travel by Japanese immigration. In fact, the Japanese government is thinking of scaling back its quarantine checks at airports to focus on its domestic outbreak — which totals 170 cases of Swine Flu in the Kansai area.

Capcom is based in the Kansai region (Osaka), where the Japanese government is thinking of refocusing its quarantine efforts. And yet, it's under review whether or not the Capcom Japan staff should get on a plan for Los Angeles? Unless the entire company is working from home, perhaps it should be under review whether or not Capcom Japan employees should, you know, get on a subway train or a city bus.

Swine Flu is bad news. The regular flu is bad news. But this isn't the T-Virus, Capcom. At least not yet.

Survival horror title Resident Evil 5 shipped four million copies worldwide, and fighting game Street Fighter IV shipped two million globally. PSP title Monster Hunter Freedeom Unite shipped 2.55 million copies in Japan alone.

"As a result," Capcom states, "Consolidated Financial Results of the Year ended March 31, 2009 record the Highest Sales Revenue over the past three consecutive terms."

Japanese otaku blog Ota Road points out the discrepancy between retailer Sofmap's first floor in-store displays for the Xbox 360 and the PS3.

Both consoles share the same floor, yet the Xbox 360 gets a proper set-up, complete with display hardware, peripherals, and games — all part of Microsoft's new in-store campaign that launched with the price cuts.

And the PS3? The PLAYSTATION 3 gets the bottom shelves of the Nintendo aisle, right next to the Wii. (Next to the Wii? THE PS3 IS DOOMED — whatever!) Wonder where the PS3 games are, though? Perhaps they're somewhere else in the store... Thing is, there doesn't seem to be a dedicated PS3 aisle.

Bright side: At least the PS3 is next to the DS, and hey, the Wii. Sony can ski in Nintendo's wake. Whooosh!

クリスマス、年末、年始商戦はXbox360が主戦力？ PS3コーナーはどんどん奥へ移動 [Ota Road]

Also. The Games Japan Festa answered a truly important question, what is the planet's greatest retro gaming pin-up model doing with Metal Gear? She's apparently wearing a beret and pointing a plastic gun at Famitsu photographers. That's Haruna Anno in the picture. Now that question is answered, let's movie on to the important stuff like what created the universe and how babies are made. Mysteries!

最新100タイトル以上が遊べた“第7回Games Japan Festa 2008”ではXbox 360の充実ぶりが際立つ [Famitsu]

Granted, this is one store in all of Japan — it is a very big store in a very big city! But no doubt, somewhere in this country of 120 million people, someone is lining up for a DSi right at this moment. Just don't know who... Smart money says those who are interested in purchasing the portable will line stand early tomorrow morning. If they don't secure the DSi then, we're going into a three-day-weekend in Japan, so people have plenty of time to pick one up. If not then, well, there are more days in the calendar. They can pick one.

There were three male middle school students in the car, and it was originally thought the girl was a scapegoat — until she gave an official statement. She told Yodogawa Police Station authorities in an affidavit, "I was confident in my video game driving, so I wanted to try the real deal... That day was the first time I had ever driven a real car." Apparently, the girl had been "practicing" driving on arcade games. She decided that she had gotten so good at video games, she ought to try an actual car and thus swiped the keys to her father's small mini-van.

According to authorities, the girl had a history of missing class at school.

「ゲームで自信あった」＝ひき逃げ逮捕の女子中学生−大阪 [なおさんの「徒然日記」] [Pic]

When Yakuza was released in the U.S. without a Japanese voice track, there was actually a significant fan outcry. Obviously, this is a very Japanese game, set in Japan and dealing heavily with Japanese culture, and quite a lot of people thought that not having the original Japanese dialogue affected the game’s sense of authenticity. When definitely took that fan reaction into account when making the ultimate decision to go ahead with the Japanese voice track for Yakuza 2.

Bravo, SEGA. Nice to know you're listening!

Sega tells us why they kept the Japanese voice track in Yakuza 2 [Siliconera]

First of all, we at Capcom, when we set out to make a game, we make it on a world-wide basis.

We make a game that people all over the world are going to buy. And I think that that way of thinking is one of the reasons for our successes.

Maybe at other developers, they first of all look at the Japanese market, and then say, "Oh, we can also sell this in the west."

They develop it first for the internal market, for the Japanese market; but we at Capcom, we look at it first of all as selling something for the whole world.

The second reason, I think, is that we in Capcom are based in Osaka, unlike most of the other Japanese developers, who are based largely in Tokyo.

And I think that gives us — we have a lot of creative people, and the atmosphere and feeling in the workplace is a little bit different, and I think that gives us a little bit of originality, and allows us also to make something that's technically very high level.

That's right, next time you play a Capcom game, just remember: It's creators were probably powered by delicious takoyaki or okonomiyaki. Mmm mmm good.

Co-Op Creators: Resident Evil 5's Anpo and Takeuchi Tag-Team Interview [Gamasutra] [Pic]

June 28th, Saturday
•Yodobashi Camera Shinjuku 10:00AM - 11:00AM
•Sofmap Omiya 2:30PM - 3:30PM
•Yodobashi Camera Yokohama 5:30PM - 7:00

June 29th, Sunday
•Nagoya Station Bic Camera 10:30AM - NOON
•Osaka Yamada Denki Labi1 4:00PM - 5:30PM

Seems like signatures are mostly being limited to game packaging (Premium Pack is okay!), so that means no Kojima signed cigarette boxes. Bummer.

GUNS OF THE PATRIOTS　ワールドツアー　in JAPAN [IT Media] [Pic]

While the level of what’s missing has reduced, I still feel that none of the platforms totally satisfy my needs. That’s why different games on different platforms is the way to approach the situation. Also, from a business point of view, it doesn’t make sense to develop for a single platform at this point.

True, but don't count on third party exclusives to vanish anytime soon.

Platinum Games [Next Gen via Go Nintendo] [Pic]

俺の嫁がデリヘルwwwwww [Izakaya Ichiban]

Obviously the above display is for a sex game. Spotted in Osaka's Den-Den Town, this display goes the extra mile: there's aren't just rubber jubblies, but rubber jubblies in a brassiere and behind plastic. What's more, the plastic case is locked! That way people don't, you know, try to touch the faux mammaries. The name of this game? Oppai Baka, or as I like to say, "Boob Fool." There are two words for that plastic display case: absolutely necessary. Brian Ashcraft

Ero Game Promotion [Ota Road]