Brian Ashcraft

Sony says it’s not currently developing any first-party PS Vita games and is instead focusing on its newer hardware, the PS4. According to Sony exec Ito Masayasu, third party studios have been working really hard on Vita games. All the releases Japan sees appears to be proof of that!

We’ve already seen the official Metal Gear timeline, which helps keep the games in chronological order. Now, we get the complete—or damn near complete—timeline of the epic story, including how The Phantom Pain fits in (click here). Warning, there are spoilers!

The Reason Why Final Fantasy XV‘s Main Characters Wear Black

It’s not simply because the color looks cool. Or because the characters hate pastels. On the Final Fantasy XV forums, the game’s director Hajime Tabata answered a question as to why all four characters were in black. Here’s Tabata’s explanation: The clothing worn by the four main characters is the official battle gear of the…

The View from Penang Hill. Penang Island, Malaysia. By Ykeong. JPGs is a photo peek into wherever gamers might find interesting. If you’re a photographer and have images you want to share, drop us a line!

Track: Otonatic | Artist: Gesu no Kiwami Otome | Album: Otonatic/Muku na Kisetsu To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com or find him on Twitter@Brian_Ashcraft Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am…

Dragon Ball‘s Most Ridiculous Super Saiyan Form Gets a Name Change

In Dragon Ball Super, there is a Saiyan form called Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan or SSGSS. It’s a mouthful! Surely, there has to be an easier way to say this. Now, there is. A Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan is when a Saiyan gets the power of a Super Saiyan God and then becomes…

First Look at the Resident Evil Stage Play

Today, the Resident Evil stage play, which is called… Resident Evil the Stage (blergh), debuted in Japan. Let’s see what it looked like! According to Inside Games, the play’s timeline is between Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6. The setting is an Australian university, where BSAA descends after a bioterrorism incident and things get…

Japanese Vending Machines Now Lending Out Umbrellas

There’s nothing worse than being caught out in the rain without an umbrella. (There are worse things, but whatever.) If you happen upon a DyDo vending machine, however, you can borrow one for free! NariNari reports that Osaka-based drink maker DyDo is adding the free-loaners at sixty of its vending machines. This is based on…

If You’re Visiting Japan, Check Out This Pokémon Gym

In Pokémon, the Gym is where you can go to train your Pocket Monsters. In Japan, the Pokémon Expo Gym is where you can shop and interact with Pokémon. Opening this November in Osaka, Pokémon Expo Gym is similar to Pokémon Center stores in that it offers a whole host of things to buy. One…

End of the Shopping Arcade. Osaka, Japan. By Jase Nguyen. JPGs is a photo peek into wherever gamers might find interesting. If you’re a photographer and have images you want to share, drop us a line!

Track: Silhouette | Artist: Kana-Boon | Album: Silhouette Single To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com or find him on Twitter@Brian_Ashcraft Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am to 8am.

Great Scott! Japan Has Back to the Future Cafes

Not cafe, but cafes. Plural! Today is October 21, 2015. You know, BACK TO THE FUTURE DAY. And to mark the franchise’s thirtieth anniversary, five (count ‘em, five!) Back to the Future pop-up cafes have opened in Japan. They’re only for a limited time, but have BTTF themed food, drinks, and deserts. If the posters…

This November, Nintendo is releasing “Mario hanafuda” cards in Japan. Previously, they released Super Mario character-themedhanafuda cards via Club Nintendo (R.I.P.). These latest sets are priced at 2,500 yen (US$21).

Life-Sized Gundam. Odaiba, Tokyo, Japan. By Dan Vu. JPGs is a photo peek into wherever gamers might find interesting. If you’re a photographer and have images you want to share, drop us a line!

Track: Oddloop | Artist: Frederic | Album: Oddloop Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment. To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com or find him on Twitter@Brian_Ashcraft Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest…

Konami Denies Hideo Kojima Has Left, Says He’s ‘On Vacation’

Earlier today, The New Yorker published a story reporting that Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima parted ways with Konami earlier this month. The Tokyo based game company is denying this report, saying that Hideo Kojima is still an employee and is currently “on vacation.” Update 7:32am – The author of The New Yorker piece,…

Getting Anime Aircraft To Fly in Real Life Is Difficult

In the anime Macross, Valkyries are fighter craft that can turn into mecha. Forget the transforming bit for a moment, because some Macross superfans just wanted to see if they could build RC Valkyries and get them airborn. Here, you can see the incredible hard work that went into building VR-1 Valkyries and then seeing…

Dusk. Woodlands Jetty, Singapore. By KC. JPGs is a photo peek into wherever gamers might find interesting. If you’re a photographer and have images you want to share, drop us a line!

Covering Michael Jackson with Traditional Japanese Instruments 

Track: Smooth Criminal (Cover) | Artist: Yoshimi Tsujimoto | Broadcast: NHK World Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

Move Over Hello Kitty, This Sanrio Food Shits

Gudetama might be Sanrio’s laziest character. And this might be Sanrio’s most disgusting-looking food. But really, we shouldn’t judge food on whether or not it looks like it’s shitting all over the place. I’m willing to bet these are delicious. Previously, Sanrio had Gudetama themed cafes in Japan, but this month, one set up shop…