Brian Ashcraft

Kenji Matsubara, Sega President & Chief Publishing Officer, has resigned. According to the official release, his resignation is “for personal reasons.” Matsubara assumed his current role in April 2020. Previously, he was president and CEO of Tecmo Koei.

Sega Apologies After Producer Uses Slang To Mock Puzzle-Game Esports Pros

On a recent Sega livestream, Yakuza executive director and producer Toshihiro Nagoshi talked about the company’s iconic puzzle game Puyo Puyo. During the discussion, he said that Puyo Puyo esports players were “serious-looking kids.” He then hemmed and hawed, chuckled, and said that these pros seemed like they eat beef bowls with cheese. Beef bowls…

Track: Back on the Chain Gang | Artist: The Pretenders | Album: Learning to Crawl

Street Fighter Pro’s Home Damaged After Freak Explosion [Update]

In Fukushima, Japan, a restaurant blew up in a freak accident. Street Fighter player Torimeshi, who signed a pro gaming contract last fall, lived right next door. In the above image, posted by Torimeshi, the red circle is his room. Thankfully, he was not at home with the restaurant blew up. Update 08/02/20 – 5:43…

Akihabara. Tokyo, Japan. By Brian Ashcraft | Twitter 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!

Ghost of Tsushima‘s Kurosawa Tribute Is More Than Skin Deep

Ghost of Tsushima’s Kurosawa Mode is a black and white cinema-style filter that pays homage to the filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. While it might seem like a surface-level nod to the Kurosawa films that inspired the game, the game reflects the famed filmmaker’s sensibility in more than just visual cues. Note: This article contains spoilers. Traditionally,…

Konami Launches A Line Of Gaming PCs

Besides developing video games, Konami has long making arcade, pachinko, and other amusement hardware. Now, add gaming PCs to that list. The PC gaming brand is called Arespear and features the tagline, “Advanced revolution of esports.” The name is from Greek mythology, combining “Ares” with the word “spear.” Currently there are three entries in the…

Yakuza Director Praises Ghost of Tsushima, Says Japan Should’ve Made It

Toshihiro Nagoshi, Sega’s executive director of the Yakuza games, has many good things to say about Ghost of Tsushima Ghost of Tsushima is a worldwide hit, and it has been well received in Japan. In a recent Sega livestream (via Hachima), Nagoshi was asked about his thoughts regarding the game’s success. “To be honest, we…

Kakurin-ji. Kakogawa, Hyogo, Japan. By Brian Ashcraft | Twitter  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: God Moving over the Face of the Waters | Artist: Moby | Album: Go – The Very Best Of Moby

Dragon Ball Themed Sweets Coming To Family Mart In Japan

Wagashi (和菓子) are traditional Japanese sweets made with mochi and sweet fillings to be enjoyed with tea. This week, Dragon Ball themed confections are going on sale at Family Marts across Japan. As evident in the ad copy above, which claims “Japanese sweets for men,” this appears to be aimed at dudes. (M’kay!) Priced at…

PSP Owners, Check Your Batteries

This weekend on Japanese Twitter, “PSP バッテリー” (PSP battery) started trending. Owners of the Sony handheld began noticing that the batteries were swelling up, and in some cases bursting open. The original PSP 1000 and later slim models are reportedly experiencing battery swelling. The PSP first launched in 2004 in Japan, and as IT Media…

Dumpster Line Up. Crikvenica, Croatia. By Eduard Tucaković | Instagram  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!

Unreal Engine Used To Create Virtual Baseball Fans For MLB Games

Because of the novel coronavirus, the stands are not filled with people, but cardboard cutouts of fans, dogs, or even Pocket Monster plush toys. Next up, virtual baseball fans, courtesy of the Unreal Engine. As noted on Variety, Fox Sports is filling the stands at Wrigley Field, Dodger Stadium, Nationals Park and Petco Park with virtual…

Color Japan the way you want to. Artist Surudenise, whom I follow on Twitter, depicts Japan with a Sailor Moonesque colors. Surudenise is self-publishing a coloring book, allowing you to bring your own palette to the streets of Japan. The book, titled Daydreaming in Japan, is out July 30. More on the artist’s site

Cute Anime Character Used In Thailand’s Democracy Protests

Pro-democracy activists in Thailand have been calling for the government’s dissolution. They’ve even roped in the cute Japanese character Hamtaro to help out. The current premier Prayut Chan-o-cha, a former army general, is viewed as closely supporting the country’s military-backed royalist government. Last week, over three thousand people joined the protests, which are led by…

Memories of Light. Tokyo, Japan. By Brenden Savi | Instagram 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!

Square Enix Wants To Release Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 2 As Soon As It Can

In April, Square Enix released Final Fantasy VII Remake. While speaking with Weekly Famitsu, the game’s developers revealed that part 2 is currently in production, picking up where the first remake left off. “While we are earnestly working on it [part 2],” co-director Naoki Hamaguchi told Famitsu, “we may make you wait, but please look…

The World’s Most Expensive Pokémon Card Breaks A New Auction Record

Last year, the ultra-rare Pikachu Illustrator card sold for $195,000. That was the highest price paid for a Pokémon card. Until now. The Pikachu Illustrator card was given out to winners of a comic contest that was held in Japan in 1997-98. Thirty-nine of these cards were awarded, but only ten apparently still exist. Back…

Track: Ol’ 55 | Artist: Tom Waits | Album: Closing Time