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Kotaku EastSouth KoreaStarcraft II Great TaeJa Is Retiring Once Again
Today, Yun “TaeJa” Young Seo has announced he’s retiring from professional StarCraft II play. “There are few individuals who have been as impactful as TaeJa in the path for Team Liquid to grow to where it is today,” wrote Victor “Nazgul” Goossens—Team Liquid co-founder—in a statement. “We started working together when he was 17 years…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 12, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanCard Shop Employee Arrested For Alleged Assault Over Mask Request
Late last month, 27-year-old Kazuhiro Arita traveled from Osaka to Fukuoka. While there, according to News 24 and ANN, a 55-year-old man warned him about not wearing a mask, provoking Arita to allegedly punch him repeatedly in the head. The incident happened at around 11 pm on May 1. At that time Osaka was under…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 12, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanFatal Frame Returns As A…Pachinko Slot Machine
Hoping for a new Fatal Frame? Looks like you’re going to have to wait. In Japan, a new Fatal Frame pachislo (pachinko-slot) machine has been announced. Developed by Tecmo, the first Fatal Frame debuted on the PS2 in 2001, while the most recent entry, Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water, was released on the Nintendo…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 11, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanYoko Taro Has Some Story Ideas For Monster Hunter Rise
Yoko Taro did not make Monster Hunter Rise, but he certainly has some ideas for the game’s plot. On Twitter, the Nier creator listed out a version of the plot he concocted while playing through the game. Youtuber and Monster Hunter expert Gaijinhunter did a translation of Yoko’s suggestions, which can be read below: As…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 11, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanEvangelion World Closes At Japanese Theme Park
If you didn’t visit, you missed your chance. The Evangelion World attraction at the Fuji-Q Highland amusement park closed this past Sunday. The news was announced via the park’s official Twitter. As Kotaku previously posted, Evangelion World included a bust of a life-sized EVA-01 unit, clocking in at around 30 feet tall. ANN adds that…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 11, 2021 -
CultureSony Expects PS5 Shortages To Continue Into Next Year
Even though the PlayStation 5 launched in November 2020, the console is still scarce at retail. Sony Chief Financial Officer Hiroki Totoki apparently believes that these shortages will continue, even into 2022. Bloomberg (via The Japan Times) reports that Totoki recently discussed the issue at a closed briefing. According to those in attendance, the exec…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 10, 2021 -
AnimeDragon Ball Super Getting Another Movie Next Year
After the Dragon Ball Super TV anime ended in spring 2018, it returned to Japanese movie theaters later that year in a feature film continuation called Dragon Ball Super: Broly (pictured, above). Now, DBS is coming back once again in 2022. The official site has an English language announcement from creator Akira Toriyama, which reads:…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 10, 2021 -
CultureSega Announces Judgment Sequel
It’s called Lost Judgment and once again stars celebrity Takuya Kimura as lawyer-turned-detective Takayuki Yagami. According to Sega producer Toshihiro Nagoshi, with this sequel Judgment has officially become a series. For Nagoshi, the keyword for these games will be “action”, in contrast with the RPG turn-based style of Yakuza: Like a Dragon. The difference between…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 7, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanOver Twenty Years Later, Nintendo Fan Completes Famicom Game Collection
Back in December 2000, Somari began a Famicom game collection with the 1986 title Mobile Suit Z Gundam: Hot Scramble. And now, as of this spring, the YouTuber finally owns all 1,053 games for the consoles. What makes Somari’s collection so interesting is that it’s not just a collection of games, but also their boxes…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 7, 2021 -
CultureLast Year Was Nintendo’s Most Profitable Ever
In 2020, Nintendo saw huge profits, likely boosted by people quarantined at home, playing video games. According to the company’s newly released financials, which cover the period between April 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021, Nintendo saw a 34.4 percent increase in sales to 1.76 trillion yen ($16.1 billion) and an 85.7 percent spike in net…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 6, 2021 -
CultureSony Sued For Restricting Its Digital Game Sales To PlayStation Store
Two years ago, Sony stopped selling digital download codes for its games through retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. And now the gaming giant has been hit with a class-action lawsuit. Bloomberg reports that the proposed suit—Caccuri v. Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC in a San Francisco U.S. District Court—alleges that limiting the digital purchase…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 6, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanMade In Abyss Game Gets Slapped With Adults-Only Rating In Japan
Surprised to see the game based on Made In Abyss receiving an adults-only rating? If you’ve seen the anime, you might not be. The video game adaptation has just been given a CERO-Z. That’s Japan’s adults-only, 18-years-old-and-up rating. While the screenshots look fairly cute, the original anime does have its share of blood and gore—a…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 6, 2021 -
CultureIllumination Founder And Despicable Me Producer Joining Nintendo Board
Today, Nintendo announced that Chris Meledandri will join the Nintendo board as an Outside Director as of June 29. This, the company adds, will become effective dependent on approval at the upcoming shareholders meeting that same date. Previously, Meledandri produced CG movies including Ice Age and Dr. Seuss Horton Hears a Who! before founding Illumination…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 6, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanAlmost Twenty Years Later, Muv-Luv Characters Sure Look Different
Muv-Luv debuted as a visual novel way back in 2003. Now, in 2021, it’s getting a new anime series this fall. The official site has launched, and as one would expect, the character designs have changed. The basic designs haven’t radically changed, but as Hachima Kikou reports, understandably, styles and sensibilities are certainly different! See…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 4, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanTokyo Is Getting An Esports Gym
This month, an establishment calling itself “Esports Gym” will open in Tokyo. It claims to be the first in the country. According to the official release (via Sankaku Complex (NSFW)), the Tokyo Metro is one of the founders of the establishment, a business that also claims to differ from other gaming establishments. Here, members pay…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 4, 2021 -
AnimeDemon Slayer Is First Japanese Movie To Top The US Box Office Since Original Pokémon Movie
The Demon Slayer feature film was a box office juggernaut in Japan, surpassing Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away as the biggest earning feature film in Japan. It’s also doing very, very well in the US. Originally, there was concern about how the movie would do considering its R rating. The movie, however, set a box office…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 4, 2021 -
AnimeGold Gundam Statues Go On Sale In Japan For Only $240,000
Like Gundam? Have lots of money? Well, does a Japanese jewelry company have a product for you. Several, actually. Here’s a trio of pure golden Gundam statues, with the larger ones costing a whole lot of money—and the smaller one still costing a lot of money, too. The RX-78-2 Gundam Beam Rifle version measures 180mm…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 3, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanJapanese Town Got Covid-19 Money So They Built A Giant Squid Statue
The town of Noto in Ishikawa received millions of yen due to the impact of covid-19. The money was part of a rural revitalization project to help the countryside in the wake of the virus. According to Yahoo! News Japan, local governments such as Noto’s would decide how to spend the money, such as infection…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 3, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanResident Evil Village Makes For A Delightfully Demented Puppet Show
Resident Evil Village the video game? Seems scary! But the puppet show? Absolutely adorable and totally messed up. It’s reminiscent of a Japanese children’s program, but with puppet versions of the game’s terrifying characters and inevitable bloodshed. “Come to Resident Evil Village,” they sing. “We’re all a pleasant bunch. Not, not, not scary!” Hijinks ensues…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 30, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanGodzilla vs. Kong Delayed In Japan Due To Covid-19
Originally slated for release on May 14, the Japanese release of Godzilla vs. Kong has been delayed due to the state of covid-19 in the country. As Eiga.com reports, the new release date has yet to be decided, but once it is, the new schedule will be announced on Toho’s official site. Currently, four prefectures…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 30, 2021
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