Brian Ashcraft

How a Japanese Death Superstition Could Impact the Next PlayStation

Sony is working on a new PlayStation machine. According to the story Kotaku broke, it’s called Orbis. That could be a codename—it also might be the console’s final name. There are some reasons why Sony might not choose to call its machine the PlayStation 4. In Japan, four (四) can be read as “yon” (よん)…

Here’s a look at the Ice Silver hitting Japan on February 28. Yep, it’s silver!

A Game of Thrones Chair Fit for the King of PC Gamers

In Game of Thrones, there is a throne made of swords. In Mike DeWolfe’s backyard, there’s one made of twenty or so PC keyboards. It’s titled, “Throne of Nerds.” “The underlying message is one of suffering,” DeWolfe writes on his website. “The keyboards have been melted and warped. They’re made to twist to fit, but…

Check Out Final Fantasy X: HD Version for the PS Vita

Tonight, Sony and Square Enix showed images of Final Fantasy X, the HD version for the PS Vita. Here are the HD character models for FFX‘s Tidus and Yuna. Note that they were taken from a standard definition stream and are not in HD The HD version of Final Fantasy X was first announced way…

Toukiden will be out in Japan sometime this summer, Sony announced tonight

Phantasy Star Online 2 hits the PS Vita on February 28, Sony announced today

The PS Vita Gets a Price Cut in Japan [Update]

Tonight in Japan, Sony announced that it will lower the price of the PS Vita. Both the WiFi and the 3G versions are priced at ¥19,980 (US$214) starting February 28. The 3G version’s launch price was ¥29,980, while the Wi-Fi version launched for ¥24,980. Update: Sony Computer Entertainment of America tells Kotaku that there is…

The Russian Military. Marching to ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’.

Are ya ready, troops? According to English Russia, one of the most popular marching songs in the country’s military is the SpongeBob SquarePants theme. There’s video proof, too, of numerous troops marching to and singing the song, showing that this is definitely a thing. A delightful thing. [insert joke about how in Russia, SpongeBob SquarePants…

A Collection of Crappy Animated Images

Just as not every anime can be a winner, not every animated image can, either! With all those still frames to deal with, you can bet some stinkers are going to slip past quality control. They always do. In Japanese, horribly drawn anime stills are called “sakuga houkai” (作画崩壊). They’re not necessarily only mistakes, but…

Download title Pokémon Scramble U allows 100 Pokémon to fight at once. It’s slated for this spring in Japan.

iPad? No, Sony Patented Something It’s Calling the “EyePad”

A new Sony patent hints at the possibility of tablet style, motion controlled gaming. It’s called the “EyePad”. Because that’s totally not confusing. Sony has a long proud history of “Eye” devices, such as the EyeToy and the PlayStation Eye. This moniker, which seems to be a codename, isn’t final. It’s not even a product…

Nude Photos, Drugs, and Cockroaches: Wild Stories from Game Shops

Retail is a tough racket. It’s no easy gig. Sometimes, it’s boring. Sometimes, it exhausting. And sometimes, it’s completely bonkers. Here are some colorful, disgusting, and just odd moments from the trenches of gaming retail, dealing with your fellow gamers. Kotaku reached out to a couple retail vets for their war stories. Eric Jou, former…

Watch the trailer for Lord of Vermillion III, Square Enix’s latest entry in its card-based arcade game series.

Naming Your Son “Pikachu” Will Get Him Girls. Wait, What?

Selecting names ain’t easy—especially in Japan. Some Japanese parents consult with fortune tellers in hopes of picking a name that will bring their child good luck. One soothsayer has one. That name is Pikachu. Kotaku previously covered why Pikachu is a terrible name for Japanese children. Today, a fortune teller tells us why it’s a…

The Dreamcast, the Saturn, and the Genesis Have Returned! (…as Laptop Computers…)

Sega is back in the game console business! Well, sorta. Okay, not really. But this is pretty cool anyway. The Tokyo-based gaming company is licensing out its iconic consoles to be branded on laptop computers. The result is several Sega-themed notebooks: there’s the basic Sega motif, the Genesis Model, the Saturn version, and the Dreamcast…

Donkey Kong Country Returns Is… Returning and Heading to the 3DS

Nintendo is bringing Donkey Kong Country Returns to the 3DS. The remake is currently in development and will take advantage of the 3DS’ glasses-free 3D feature. It is slated for a summer release in Japan and North America. Known as Donkey Kong Returns in Japan, the game, the game was originally out on the Nintendo…

A Japanese tech journalist tweeted that his Sony email for the Feb. 20 event said “PS4 Meeting.”

This Week’s Pokémon Was Unexpectedly Sexy

Tonight, like every Thursday night in Japan, the Pokémon anime was broadcast across the country. This week, however, there was apparently some (accidental?) sexy time captured in this GIF and uploaded to 2ch for internet infamy. Gotta screw ’em all! 今週のポケモンエロすぎｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗｗ [2ch] Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest…

An Elderly Woman Thrashing Dragon Quest X on Japanese TV

It’s not everyday you see senior citizens talking role-playing games. It’s not everyday you see them thrashing one of them on Japanese television. In primetime. Famed Japanese actress Keiko Awaji, with credits in movies like Akira Kurosawa’s Stray Dog, is a huge Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy fan. Did I say “huge”? I meant HUGE.…

Here are twenty reasons why Japanese people are glad they were born in Japan.