Capcom received a tax noticed from the Osaka Regional Tab Bureau for the years dated March 2000 to March 2006 and objected to this tax notice on the grounds of double taxation between Japan and the US. After requesting a meeting with Japanese and American tax authorities, an agreement was reached in which Capcom expects to receive a combined refund from both the US and Japan.

Capcom is currently looking into how this refund will effect its fiscal forecast for the financial year ending 2010.

[Pic]

While service repair ends, other technical support such as documents and content will be available to all customers. "If you have an original Xbox console that is in Warranty that requires a repair," Microsoft stated, "you will be able to submit an exchange request for an upgrade to Xbox 360 online."

With the time difference, original Xbox support will actually be ending in both territories at the same time for a few hours.

Support Lifecycle Notification for the Original Xbox Video Game System [Xbox.com Thanks, Mustapha!]

Alrighty, quick show of hands: Who's buying?

Thanks, Supa_S for the tip!

The new Nintendo despartment is located on the first floor of what some consider "The World's Greatest Toy Store". It features an interactive Wii wall where shoppers can try out the latest Wii games, eight Nintendo DS systems, and a Nintendo gallery that showcases images from Nintendo's long and storied history. The department is staffed by specially trained Nintendo experts in Nintendo-branded uniforms.

Of course most of these features are in some form available right down the street at the Nintendo World Store, but I suppose redundency never hurt anyone. I just can't fathom why they'd open up the ultimate Nintendo retail location a few blocks away from the ultimate Nintendo retail location. Spread the love a little, Nintendo!

Dedicated Nintendo Department Opens at Toys“R”Us Times Square

‘Store Within a Store’ is Newest Attraction at The World’s Greatest Toy Store

REDMOND, Wash.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Holiday shoppers visiting Toys“R”Us Times Square will find a new surprise waiting for them—a new Nintendo department offering an interactive way to have fun, while experiencing the wide range of Nintendo products available this holiday season and beyond.

The Nintendo department, located on Level One of the Toys“R”Us international flagship store, is nearly 1,000 square feet and is easily visible from the store’s windows overlooking Broadway. Visitors to The World’s Greatest Toy Store™ will find an interactive Wii™ wall within the department, offering shoppers the chance to play select Wii games. Additionally, shoppers interested in sampling a portable experience can play one of eight Nintendo DS™ systems with a variety of games. The department also features a Nintendo gallery, showcasing images from Nintendo’s history of classic and current games.

The Nintendo department also features specially trained Nintendo experts who can walk shoppers through the department’s experience and provide information about Nintendo products. Shoppers can easily identify these experts by their special Nintendo-branded uniforms.

“What we’ve been seeing all year long is the expansion of video game fun to people of both genders, and all ages and tastes—there’s literally something for everyone,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “But in recent weeks, Nintendo products appear to be appealing to even more people, as every form of fun is being measured against a price tag. And that’s what makes this experience in Toys“R”Us so compelling—all the fun and information is available right at your fingertips.”

“Toys“R”Us Times Square is the premier New York City destination for families, and Nintendo offers the ultimate family gaming experience, making a partnership between our two brands the perfect match,” said Bill Lee, Vice President, Divisional Merchandise Manager, Toys“R”Us, U.S. “The new, dedicated Nintendo department at Toys“R”Us Times Square allows us to offer customers an exceptional interactive experience for testing out the latest Nintendo products.”

In addition to the new, experiential Nintendo department, shoppers can also find the full range of Nintendo products in the “R” Zone department on the store’s Lower Level.

For more information about Nintendo, visit www.Nintendo.com.

バンダイナムコ、PS3/Xbox 360「ソウルキャリバーIV」
全世界での累計販売本数が200万本を突破 [Game Watch]

We don't normally break out the European element of our Live membership. I mean, I know what it is, but I don't want to get rapped on the knuckles by being too explicit with you. I will say to you as a percentage of that overall total, it's just less than a quarter. And I'll tell you also that a large part of that is in the UK, partly because of the language aspect, the fact is you need, on a community service like Live, enough people of a similar language orientation to get a community so that it starts to really blow out... Up until fairly recently we just haven't had enough on the service for non-English-speaking folks.

Cut Xbox LIVE and it bleeds, red, white, and blue. It really does. Honest.

Europe Makes Up "Less Than A Quarter" [CVG]

We haven't discussed any home console plans for the title yet, so platform discussions are a bit premature. All that's been anounced is arcade... There are a lot of licensing issues around the title given that those properties are held by different companies across the West and they vary by territory greatly. It was created as a Japan-only project but we're investigating.

That's sure nice of Capcom.

Quick Question on Capcom vs. Tatsunoko [Capcom via Siliconera]

Nintendo Channel is an interactive guide to what's new in the world of Nintendo - now available for easy download from the Wii Shop Channel. Watch trailers, mini-documentaries, product demonstrations, and gameplay videos. Browse the game guide pages to get information about your favorite games on Wii and Nintendo DS. You can even click to order games straight from your Wii, if you have the Internet Channel installed. Make sure your Wii is connected to the internet, and get started!

Chris Bradshaw? This is Ben Herman from SNK. I return from a four day weekend, where I go to Pittsburgh, get my daughter, bring her home. And what message do I receive on my machine? Thanks for being a little bit polite. Now I'll make it real simple. I dunno who you bought it from, I dunno what game it is, but you call me back, and... We don't do exchanges unless it was the card fighter game where we did a recall and we can help you there if it is defective. If it's any other game, I will explain it to you to take it back to your local retailer where you purchased it from. Calling your credit card company, fine. You didn't buy it from me personally or my company personally. But would love to hear what your complaint is, like to hear what your item is. As far as customer service, we have a very small sales office here. We don't pride ourselves in customer service. Or where you've sent an email or what you've done, I don't care at this point. Call me back at extension SOME NUMBERS, and I will do my best to resolve it.

Eds Note: Chris reminds us, "I returned the game to my retailer only to get another copy with the same defect, and I have the receipt to prove it."

Gilgamesh vs. SNK [Kikouken City]

When I first came on, my concerns were the "American-ness" of the brand. Powerful brand, strong voice, red, white, and blue, out of California, an American voice: Andrew Anthony, you know, 'It's in the game.'

You love it because it's very clear what it's about. It's a brand that resonates with 14 to 34 year-old males very strongly. And yet, in today's world, particularly in Europe, there's an anti-Americanism that sits higher than it's been for a long time, based on the war, the administration, George W. himself, and you worry about that.

As to the situation of the U.S. dollar's weakness in the medium to long term, we already have a strategy to deal with it... We will lower our production costs as possible as we can and we will choose production sites to cope with the industry's weakness, and in the short term, we will try to accept more orders.

The team just announced the release of a new downloadable map pack for SOCOM 3: U.S. Navy SEALs and SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Combined Assault. This third downloadable map pack includes SOCOM and SOCOM II maps Crossroads, Fishhook, Frostfire and Guidance.

Crossroads is a SOCOM II urban map based in North Africa. Crossroads consistently ranks as the most popular classic SOCOM map and a next generation version of Crossroads will be featured in SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation. It is playable in a day or night setting with up to 16 players in Suppression, Demolition and Control gametypes.

Fishhook is a SOCOM II map based on a seaside North African village. It is playable with up to 16 players in a day or night setting in Suppression, Extraction, Control and Breach gametypes.

Frostfire is a SOCOM map which features an oil drilling platform off of the coast of Alaska. It is playable in a day or night setting with up to 16 players in Suppression, Control and Demolition gametypes.

Guidance is a SOCOM II map which features an ex-soviet military base in Russia. It is playable in a day or night setting with up to 16 players in Suppression, Demolition and Control gametypes.

The best part, the new map pack is totally free. Sounds like just the thing to hold me over until SOCOM Confrontations hits in September.

NEW SOCOM 3 AND SOCOM CA MAP PACK RELEASED... FOR FREE! [SOCOM, thanks txshurricane]

At this time, there are no plans for this game to be released for any Nintendo platforms in North America.

No Nazis [NY Times Thanks, Burton!]

Eds Note: We contacted the game's designer, Luc Bernard. He pointed out that Nintendo of America has yet to see the game and offered these insights into where it currently stands regarding release:

Well from what I was told, Nintendo Europe is also scared of it, but again I don't think they are trying to block the game, I think they are just scared that it has bad taste

that is why however I would like to say, that I don't think the game will be banned, once I have time to talk to Nintendo myself and show them the game they will change their mind.

ALten8 talks to them for me, however I will try and find a way to talk to Nintendo USA myself. I mean I doubt they would want to ban a educational game that is non violent, where to profits are going to help stop another genocide, this isn't just about the war this game, it's to try and teach children something so they don't end up racist.

I seriously don't think Nintendo will ban the game once I get to show it to them, I think also the reason they were shocked is because alten8 deals with Nintendo Europe and well they haven't even talked to Nintendo Europe yet about it since well they are scared that it pisses them off. I am currently developing the game no matter what people say, and I will let alot of people test the game before I even consider it finished, it needs to be PERFECT or I won't release it.

on another note Eternity's Child will be finished this month :) so soon up for release

Much of the product that comes out of Japan isn't really suitable or appropriate culturally for the Western market, and Sega has become the first of the Japanese gaming companies to recognize that the global market has various tastes and isn't necessarily just one great big Japanese market.

A number of specialty arcades and stores, we were told, have already ordered the arcade machine from importers directly. Unfortunately, Capcom is still trying to find a distributor with the reach to get it into arcade. The big hang-up, it seems, is that nowadays most U.S. arcade distributors deal almost only with redemption ticket games.

Take a look at [Wii game] Miburi & Teburi, and the first thing you'll notice is a giant white man covered in fake hair. That is what they call a 'Nazo no American,' or a hint-giving American... Scroll down and watch the videos. The top video is the in-game stuff, and it doesn't seem so bad. They have depictions of 'hyper-Japanese' people in there too, it seems. But the lower video is problematic. It "stars" the voices of two "Americans" who say things like "I love Japan, I love Japanese people" in uniquely horribly faked American accents. It's the equivalent of someone saying "I rike fly lice" to describe how a Japanese person might talk. Of course Japan isn't the only culprit... But I think in Japan there's a lack of awareness that this is insulting in the first place, which increases the problem. I honestly think I'd have less of a problem with it if they were truly playing with American conventions and American Japanese fetishism — but they're just unconsciously making fun of a group of people. And I'm not sure anyone will tell Sega this isn't appropriate. It's a fine line, but I think this crosses it.

It is a fine line, indeed. And SEGA isn't alone with playing on these stereotypes — this type of foreigner makes regular appearances on Japanese TV. And with Westerners being a minority, this is all a lot of Japanese know about foreigners. Sure, it's a two-way street: Pull out your copy of Lost in Translation or, even, Kill Bill for recent misses in the cultural sensitivity department. But, Sheffield is dead on about a general lack of awareness. Most Japanese don't have experiences interacting with foreigners — save for trips abroad or maybe in English conversation schools. It's a numbers game — there aren't that many foreigners for them to interact with on an everyday basis. Hence, the pickle.

Here's a story: Late last week, I take my kid to the ear doctor. There's another kid in the waiting room, maybe about ten. When I enter, the kid points and says, "foreigner." I sit down, read a comic book. He comes over, maybe, four or five times and says, "You look like a foreigner." I tell him, four or five times, "Well, that's because I am." And smile. Kid's parents say nothing, just kinda sit there. Now, if, say, every time the kid was in a waiting room or w/e, he spotted a non-Japanese, would he react the same? No, probably not. Or, what about Japanese people who literally freeze or break into a sweat when you approach them, thinking they will be met with a spew of English? Interactions like this are part of living here and certainly not charming. Then again, I think of all the inane questions people in America have asked my wife: Do you eat things besides fish? Do they have cookies in Japan? Don't Japanese people usually wear kimonos? So, you can speak Chinese? That, and other stereotypes Westerns have of the Japanese: The Japanese aren't emotional or don't get pissed off or are very orderly and clean or do things to stand out or are cute, wacky or aren't creative, etc. It's a two-way street and irritating for those traveling between the cultures. For everyone else, bliss is ignorance.

Japan and its "charming" racism [Insert Credit]

This new mid-term plan is a very significant development for Koei... The plan demonstrates our renewed commitment to our western businesses and the importance with which Koei views the markets outside of Japan. This plan establishes an entirely new division that unifies all of Koei's western territories, and represents a substantial part of the company overall... Now more than ever, Koei's development studios, and sales and marketing teams around the world are working more closely together to develop remarkable entertainment experiences for video gamers across the globe.