Brian Ashcraft, Author at Kotaku

Hollywood star Chris Evans makes an appearance in this Chinese promotional clip for Call of Duty Online. [Thanks, Sang!]

By Brian Ashcraft Published January 9, 2015

Kotaku East

The Ghostbusters Anime We Never Got

The world is a little sadder that the 1980s never actually saw a Japanese animation version of the Ghostbusters cartoon. A little? Sorry, a lot. This spoof was created by YouTubers Nacho Punch Of course, there really was an American Ghostbusters cartoon during the 80s, which this parody is, well, parodying. You know, actually, there…

By Brian Ashcraft Published January 9, 2015

Kotaku East

How One Piece Characters Have Evolved

Ch-ch-ch-changes! Nothing stays the same—people, places, and manga characters, included. Let’s see how the likes of One Piece have evolved over the years. The appearance of characters changing is not new, nor is it unique to One Piece. Previously, Kotaku showed how an array of manga characters had evolved over the years. Now, via Japanese…

By Brian Ashcraft Published January 9, 2015

Kotaku East

The Apple Store Line That Could Kill You. Literally.

I will never complain about waiting in line ever again. Earlier this month, stores across Japan offered “lucky bags” (福袋 or fukubukuro), which typically contain an array of items at a discounted price. In the past, you didn’t know what the fukubukuro contained, but more recently, at many stores, you do. The Apple Store lucky…

By Brian Ashcraft Published January 9, 2015

Kotaku East

The PS4 and the Vita were originally slated for a January 11 launch in China. But now, Famitsu is reporting that the release for both has been delayed. The new launch is TBA.

By Brian Ashcraft Published January 8, 2015

Kotaku East

If Call of Duty Was Made with Anime Memes [Update]

While Call of Duty does have a hardcore following here in Japan, the game isn’t nearly as big as it is in the West. Well, here’s one way to change that. Or not. UPDATE – Kotaku reader Derek points out that the Call of Duty mock up originally appeared on the Nepnep Facebook page. Originally…

By Brian Ashcraft Published January 8, 2015

Kotaku East

Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire Get Official Cafe

Tokyo is home to a new Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire cafe. It serves up an array of Pikachu-themed treats. Gotta eat ’em all! The cafe, dubbed Pokémon Cafe Ω Ruby & α Sapphire, opens this Friday in Tokyo’s Shibuya. As website Sibch.tv points out, the cafe is opened only for a limited time,…

By Brian Ashcraft Published January 8, 2015

Kotaku East

The First Japanese Sales Numbers of 2015 Are Not Surprising

We’re in 2015. Last year is last year. It’s over. The past! But let’s take a look at which games dominated the Japanese sales so far this year. Brace yourself for games that… also dominated last year. Japanese website 4Gamer published a list of the country’s top selling games from the first sales week of…

By Brian Ashcraft Published January 8, 2015

Kotaku East

McDonald’s Is Having a Crappy Week in Japan

Lovin’ it? Oh no, McDonald’s must be hatin’ it. This week has gone from worst to worst for the fast food giant as people are claiming to find all sorts of horrible things in their meals: from bugs to human teeth. Here’s how McDonald’s week is shaping up. So far. Monday [Photo: Kininaru] The week…

By Brian Ashcraft Published January 8, 2015

Culture

McDonald’s Serves Up Cosplay in Taiwan

Maid outfits. Flight attendant uniforms. People dressed as Dragon Ball characters. Nothing quite says the new year like cosplay at McDonald’s. As reported on website Getjetso a few years back, staff at one McDonald’s in Taiwan dressed up on New Year’s Eve. The images spread like wildfire online, and now employees at other McDonald’s locales…