Brian Ashcraft's discussions

This is not an assumption. :/ Read more

I’m not sure about hosting homestays — I’m assuming he’s in junior high or high school? Remember, if this is his first trip outside the country, everything for him will be very, very different. And perhaps even somewhat stressful. He might even be homesick! My eldest son can only eat American food for about three days… Read more

Ratatouille should be higher. You are bonkers. The end. Read more

Hey, hey. One thing at a time, okay?? Read more

They’re cuter this way! Read more

So you can read shit, too? ^_^; (Also, this stuff is great if you want to turn the sound down or have problems hearing or whatever. Good way to study Japanese, too!) Read more

The ones in all the restrooms look to be. The ones outside probably aren’t because they’re more exposed to the elements? Because kids like pushing on shit? Dunno! Read more

Because they already get what they need from consoles? I think the fascinating thing is now many players are getting gaming experiences they want from mobile, which is hurting consoles. It’s the same thing I’ve been saying: Mobile phones have been making a compelling argument to Japanese gamers which is why many have… Read more

Sure they are. People identify with platforms. That’s why there are fanboys/girls. Read more

But that’s true with anything. The best boils down to personal preference. What’s the best movie? The best song? The best car? The best wine? That’s best on opinion. Read more

In 2005 and even 2006, Japanese mobile phones weren’t garbage. They had QR code readers and they could be used to pay for train tickets and buy things—a feature Apple is just now adding, no? Until the iPhone exploded, the general feeling was that Japanese mobile phones were the best in the world—true or not. You could… Read more

No, as you can see in the numerous examples, Japanese people will buy what they think is the best. Whatever that may be. The problem for foreign companies that is the country’s markets are already saturated with great Japanese products. Then it becomes service. What if there’s a problem? Can I call the company and get… Read more

I agree. And it’s important to remember that there are hardcore Xbox fans in Japan. Read more

We covered that: http://kotaku.com/the-worst-japa… Read more

Well, there’s an easy explanation for that: Japanese gamers traditionally have been arcade and console gamers. In the West, we’ve had all the consoles, but there’s also a super strong (and wonderfully) PC gaming history. There was that in Japan (hello MSX!), but still, generally speaking, the country has been less… Read more

If anything, over the centuries, Japan is more inclined to take something from outside and remix it into something else. Case in point: the Japanese language. Read more

Nah, we’re talking about how Apple made a compelling product and Japanese people bought it because it offered them an experience they couldn’t get on Japanese mobile phones. If Microsoft is able to offer that, then people will migrate to the Xbox. If not, Japanese people will keep using other platforms. Read more

Oh, that’s good. I shall use it and think of you always. Read more

Nah, it did well when it was Softbank only. I switched from Docomo to Softbank to get an iPhone. Lots of people did, which is why there was a spike in Softbank’s business. Read more

That’s not true. There were a whole array of cool Japanese made cell phones between 2001 and 2007ish. I know cos I owned them! Then the iPhone blew up, caught Japanese makers off guard, and ate their lunch. It’s possible, but it’s just been hard for Microsoft to make a compelling case in Japan that the Xbox, 360, and… Read more