Brian Ashcraft

I Just Assembled a $2 Million Mecha. It’s Glorious.

Earlier this year, Japan’s Suidobashi Heavy Industry started making nerd dreams real: it introduced a huge 13-foot mecha it planned to manufacture and sell. Dubbed Kuratas, people can pilot the mecha, which moves about. There are also options like a water bottle launcher and a gatling gun which fires 6,000 BB pellets a minute. Oh,…

Capcom traces the conception and rise of Monster Hunter. If you’re a diehard, it’s worth a look.

Woman’s Husband Apparently Won’t Buy Her an iPhone 5, So She Protests

This Saturday, Apple opened its newest store in Beijing. The Apple Wangfujing store is Asia’s largest, and there were around one thousand people lined up at the opening. There was also this woman. Dressed in red, she carried a sign that read: “My husband wont buy me an iPhone 5; Searching for my jeweled encrusted…

You Don’t Need a Spear To Unbox the Evangelion Cake

The spear isn’t for stabbing; it’s for eating! As previously noted, Japan is getting a ¥4,000 (US$50) Neon Genesis Evangelion moon cake, bundled with the spear of Mark.06 and a Kaworu Nagisa figure. The cake is mango, and Japanese site Gigazine recently unboxed the desert for the internet’s viewing pleasure. エヴァンゲリオン「Mark.06」の槍＆渚カヲル付きの月面ケーキ試食レビュー [Gigazine] (Top photo: Gigazine)…

PS3 app Life with PlayStation is ending its service and won’t be offered as a download for new users as of Oct 24.

Report: Naughty PS Vita Game Puts the “Flash” in Flash

Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus is bringing its jiggly ninja to the PS Vita. The 3DS game is getting an upcoming PS Vita title, out next year. While Shinovi Versus starts off a new series, the ridiculous breast motif should be familiar to those who remember the original game. Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus‘ official site features…

Chinese Man Performs “Real-Life” Hadouken

In Street Fighter, hadouken (波動拳) is a special attack unleashed by Ryu, Ken, and a few other characters. It literally means “wave motion fist”, so the concept behind the attack is to send a burst of energy at an opponent. A glowing blue orb typically represents that energy, or ki. In real life, people can’t…

Hitman: Absolution Lets You Dress Up in Goofy Outfits, Too

Here’s a look at some of the “deadly disguises” that Hitman: Absolution. You know, like a large chicken. And a scarecrow. And a judge. Lethal!

Sony’s Shuhei Yoshida took to the PlayStation Blog comments section to answer multiple questions, Eurogamer points out.

The Dead or Alive 5 Mousepads Are Pretty Much What You’d Expect

Around five years ago (or so), it was a bit of a thing in Japan for game companies to release mousepads, featuring female characters with large breasts for PC users to rest their hands on. So no surprises here with these upcoming Dead or Alive 5 mousepads—nor is it surprising to see them pop up…

Expect More Mass Effect, But Not Another Commander Shepard, Says BioWare

Years ago, game studio BioWare said Mass Effect 3 would be Shepard’s last. Now, BioWare is saying that, yep, it was serious. That’s it, no more Commander Shepard in Mass Effect 4—or whatever the heck the game’s eventually called. Speaking with game site VG247, BioWare Montreal producer Fabrice Condominas said, “There is one thing we…

Square Enix just launched a teaser site for an upcoming collaboration with Hangame.

This Cat Cosplay Is Either the Cutest Thing I’ve Ever Seen or the Cruelest

This poor, totally adorable animal! Chinese micro-blogger Toshiya86 uploaded a series of “cat cosplay”, featuring her feline Guagua and cardboard. This is the result. These photos depict Guagua as a variety of characters and were originally uploaded earlier this year, but are now appearing on Japanese sites like Karapaia. The characters include Kiki from Kiki’s…

Sega’s Demon Tribe Is an Online Battle RPG for iOS

Remember that Sega striptease countdown clock from September? The one that was leaked early? Well, it was for an iOS game called Demon Tribe. Here’s the debut trailer. デーモントライヴ　プレビュームービー [YouTube] 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…

The Wild World of China’s Net Cafes

In the West, China’s net cafes get a lot of bad press—often only getting ink when a gamer dies or a fight breaks out. But as Kotaku’s Beijing-based writer Eric Jou reported, they’re not necessarily bad places. Here’s a look at some of the more colorful moments (including a few game expo snaps), collected by…

First Look: Battlefield 3: Aftermath, Ready to Shake Up Multiplayer

The next multiplayer Battlefield 3 expansion, subtitled Aftermath, is set in post-earthquake Iran and features four new maps. Other new features include three new vehicles, as well as a new deadly crossbow. Besides all this, there’s a new Scavenger mode, which EA describes as, “an objective based Conquest mode where lost soldiers armed only with…

There are Giant Teddy Bears Riding the Subway. They Seem Friendly.

With traffic congestion a nightmare, the subway might be the way to get around Chengdu, China. According to and Mop and New China (via MIC), the city recently had a handful of bears ride the rails to promote taking the subway and the soon-to-open teddy bear museum in Chengdu. 中国片刻：成都”泰迪熊”坐地铁引围观 [News China] 成都地铁完爆北京地铁！泰迪熊集体卖萌搞怪无下限！！！ [Mop via…

Long Distance Sex? There’s an App for That.

Next January, Taiwan’s LovePalz will be launching its long distance lovin’ pleasuring gadgets. The devices, which seem to be designed for straight couples, have gotten Western news coverage—and more recently, Japanese. The devices support iPhone, Android, and more, and the two set LovePalz has units for both males and females, with each being dubbed “Zeus”…

Hey, Sexy Wolverine!

Hugh Jackman, star of the upcoming Wolverine movie, does the horse dance with Gangnam Style maven PSY. Both PSY and Jackman tweeted out pics of the singer’s visit to the Wolverine set in Australia. Hijinks, until somebody gets their arm sliced off! Slicing gangnam style!!!! [@RealHughJackman] Had a great time [@psy_oppa] Kotaku East is your…

Google’s Android Robot Looks Like an Ancient Chinese Relic

Via Chinese networking site Sina Weibo, someone noticed this archaeological find at a museum in northern China, pointing out its resemblance to Android’s iconic Robot mascot. According to MIC, one Chinese net user even wondered about an ancient relic that looks like a bitten apple. Android [Sina Weibo via MIC] Kotaku East is your slice…