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Kotaku East
Random Stabbing Brings Tragedy to the Japanese Game Industry
It started out as a typical Sunday. Shoppers crowded into Osaka’s Shinsaibashi, one of the city’s fashionable shopping and entertainment districts. By midday, it erupted into horror. A thirty-six year-old man (above, in stripes) went on a stabbing rampage that left two dead: 66 year-old female Toshi Sasaki, a bar manager, and 42 year-old Shingo…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 11, 2012 -
Press Your Face Up to These Unreal Engine 4 Images
You gotta stop and smell the roses. In video games, that means taking a break and noticing walls, dirt, doors, and vegetation—you know, the inconsequential things. It’s in these things that you can see how realistic a game’s graphics are. Epic Games released showed up a tech demo for its new tech, the Unreal Engine…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 8, 2012 -
Kotaku EastHow To Blow $2 Million on a Crappy Looking Cartoon
The Legend of the Hero is a new animated Chinese film aimed at kids. Online in China, it has people talking. But they’re not exactly saying nice things. The movie apparently cost the equivalent of roughly US$1.9 million dollars to produce—something that is even flooring people in China. In comparison, the average 90 minute animated…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 8, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Dropping F-Bombs, Chinese College Student Style
Sometimes words don’t translate. Sometimes they’re not used correctly. And then other times, they are dead on. A group of students from Jinan University, one of China’s oldest universities, posed under the school’s arch. Some held their degrees. Others held stuffed animals. One group had a sign regarding one class, which read, “You Fucked My…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 8, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Dragon Quest X Boxart Is Classy and Cool
Via Amazon, the official boxart for Dragon Quest X has made its way online. I like it! And I’m not alone. However, reading through Japanese forums and websites, there are also those who don’t seem exactly bowled over. Screw them! DQX looks cool.
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 8, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Tokyo’s Tower Milk Shake Is Not a Bong. It’s a Bank.
Mmm! Who doesn’t love milk shakes? And giant towers? And drugs? Burger joint Lotteria decided to blend both with a 1/1000 scale, 2-foot high, ¥2,800 (US$35) vanilla shake. And when you are done slurping it, the shake can be used as a piggy bank and hold ¥100,000 (US$1,259) worth of ¥500 ($6) coins. Just remember…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 8, 2012 -
In-Game Floating Glitches Made “Real”
You’ve seen it: game character driving around in invisible cars or riding invisible horses. They’re glitches, and before they’re patched, they’re funny. While not necessarily the intent, a playful series of photos by Chinese artist Zhao Huasen look like real world glitches. Commuters float on invisible bikes through the streets. The pictures are from a…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 8, 2012 -
Future Graphics Face Off in this Next Gen DEATHMATCH
These aren’t just future graphics. These are future graphics going head-to-head, mano-a-mano. This is next gen graphics death match. Welcome to another edition of Kotaku Thunderdome: Here, two realtime tech demos enter, one leaves. Earlier this week, Square Enix showed off its graphics created by its brand new game engine tech, the Luminous Engine. Tonight,…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 8, 2012 -
Kotaku EastThey Actually Made a Free-to-Play Theme Song. This Is It.
I guess we’ve reached critical mass for free-to-play? To promote free-to-play PS Vita game Samurai and Dragons, Sony and Sega roped in curvy bikini lady Ai Shinozaki to sing a theme song that’s actually called “Play for Free”. The b-side better be “Cool Armour Is Extra”. Skip ahead to 57 seconds in to watch Shinozaki…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 7, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Goodness Gracious, That Perofella Adult Video Actress Has Been Busy
While porn star Tsubomi recently appeared in the Persona porno parody, that’s not all the 24 year-old has appeared in. She’s appeared in far more dirty films—a mind boggling number, actually. Her official blog recently announced an important milestone: Tsubomi appeared in her ONE THOUSANDTH blue movie. Granted that does include complations and supporting roles, but…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 7, 2012 -
Will You Let Peter Molyneux Peek in Your Brain and Sell You a $77,000 Chisel?
Game designer Peter Molyneux is a man with ideas—big ideas. And with his new startup, 22Cans, that isn’t stopping. “Human beings can read emotion in faces down to a level of fidelity we can’t even dream of in games at the moment,” Molyneux recently told New Scientist. That, Molyneux thinks, he can change. And change…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 7, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Report: One Thousand Workers Riot at Foxconn
Earlier this week, a riot broke out in Foxconn’s Chengdu plant. According to reports, up to a thousand Foxconn workers ended up rioting and police were called in to subdue the crowd. Initially, the outburst began in the factory’s male worker dormitory. Security guards arrived on the scene to stop a thief, and allegedly, some…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 7, 2012 -
Dear Mr. Bradbury, Thank You for the Christmas Wishes
When I was young, I spent my money on video games and baseball cards like so many kids. But perhaps, unlike other kids, I spent it on something else: stamps. From Sandra Day O’Connor to Colin Powell, I wrote an array of people I respected and looked up to. I’d ask them questions. Depending on…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 7, 2012 -
Mass Murderer Angered over World of Warcraft Connection
Anders Behring Breivik is currently on trial in an Oslo District Court for killing 77 people. The mass murders sent shockwaves throughout the world. And now, prosecutors have offered more evidence to explain his motivation: between November 2010 and February 2011, Breivik played World of Warcraft an average of 6 hours and 50 minutes every…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 7, 2012
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