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Digital Image Lady Returns to the Tokyo Game Show (Yet, Again)
For the third year running, Osaka-based artist Ippei Gyoubu once again created the digital lady for the Tokyo Game Show. This year’s theme is how smiling faces are connected with video games. Check out 2011’s poster and 2010’s poster. Will Gyoubu’s digital lady return for 2013? Oh, the suspense! 「東京ゲームショウ2012」のメインビジュアル公開。 [4Gamer]
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 28, 2012 -
Culture
This Summer, Drink Up Salty Watermelon Pepsi in Japan
It’s quickly becoming an annual summer tradition: Pepsi Japan releases truly interesting flavors to help the country cool down. This summer, the flavor is “Salty Watermelon”. Above, you can see what the drink’s packaging and color will look like. Watermelon is very much a summer food in Japan, where people are known to sprinkle some…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 28, 2012 -
Kotaku EastWhite Dude Spits on Chinese Man and Rides Away on Bicycle
Recently, relations between Chinese and non-Chinese have become, to put it mildly, tense. Footage of foreigners apparently doing illicit and unpleasant things has only strained the relationship. This latest one won’t help. The clip features foreigner getting in an argument, spitting on a Chinese man, and then riding away on his bicycle. I do not…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 28, 2012 -
This Formula One Champ is a Big Japanese Role-Playing Game Geek
A favorite otaku (geek) hobby in Japan is taking photos of toys. The pictures can make oh-so-cute miniature figurines look lifelike. But this trend isn’t only a Japanese thing. It’s also a Formula One racer thing—at least for one man. Via social media, Spanish F1 driver Fernando Alonso provides a look at Formula One that…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 28, 2012 -
Kotaku East
These Things Japanese People Don’t Want To Do Alone
Some things are fun in a group. Some things are fun alone. And something things are just unpleasant without the company of others. An online research site polled nearly one thousand of its users about things people find painful when flying solo. Here’s a look (those polled could list multiple answers): 9. Eating at a…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 28, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Mark Zuckerberg’s Unintentional Cameo in a Chinese Cop Documentary
Facebook honcho and newly married dude Mark Zuckerberg might be dealing with Facebook stock headaches, but he can take solace in one thing: If his social media business goes south, he can always get unpaid work as an extra in Chinese documentaries. Unpaid? Oh, right, never mind! While visiting Shanghai this past March, Zuckerberg and…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 28, 2012 -
First Look at a New Zone of the Enders Project
Tonight at an event for Zone of the Enders, game designer Hideo Kojima and his studios Kojima Productions announced that they were working on a new Z.O.E. project that currently has the working title of “Enders Project”. Details are scant, but the first concept images for the game were shown. Enders Project [@iceblockwill via @markmacd]
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 25, 2012 -
The Man Wanted To Talk Diablo III. He Wanted To Talk Murder.
Earlier this week in Poland, a 30 year-old computer company employee arrived at work wanting to do two things: talk about Diablo III and his plan to kill people. His talk and behavior freaked his co-workers out. Frightened, one of the man’s colleagues escaped through the window. At the same time, another individual contacted the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 25, 2012 -
Kotaku East
It’s Like Laser Tag, But You Look Even Stupider
Growing up in the 1980s, I played my fair share of Laser Tag and Photon. The gear was goofy, but the games were fun. I cannot vouch for whether or not this latest entry is fun, but man, it sure looks silly. This is Mocap Games, a “brand new immersive entertainment system” that’s launching in…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 25, 2012 -
Kotaku EastThis Is the Biggest Selling Game in Japan. (No, Really)
Wonder what the biggest selling game is in Japan at the moment? Wonder no more. The PSP game went on sale May 17 and is based on popular light novel My Little Sister Can’t Be This Cute. In one week, it sold 53,175, twice the number of games as its nearest rival, Mario Party 9.…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 25, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Giant Mecha Make the Best Models. They Really Do.
At the recent Shizuoka Hobby Show, there was a plethora of plastic on display. The standouts? Why, the giant mecha models were—as usual—just wonderful. In particular, the dioramas looked creative and great. The customized Gundam mobile suits were clever, too. Japanese website Asagawo Blog was on have for the event. Check out its photos in…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 25, 2012 -
Sony Interested in Interrupting Your Gaming with Commercials
Are commercial breaks something gamers in the future will have to deal with? According to a newly surfaced patent, they might. The patent, discovered by webforum NeoGAF, was filed back in July 2011 under the moniker “Advertisement Scheme for use with interactive content.” This scheme will warn players that their game is about to be…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 25, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Chef Cooks Penis, Serves It Up for Dinner in Tokyo
Illustrator Mao Sugiyama tweeted a simple proposition: Mao’s male genitals (penis, testicles, and scrotum) as a ¥100,000 meal. The illustrator even offered to cook them. Sugiyama is not a real chef—and admitted as much—but was offering a real plate of penis. The 22 year-old Sugiyama is also not man or a woman; the illustrator is…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 25, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Korean Gamers Want Chinese Players Banned from Diablo III
There are reports out of China that tensions are flaring over Diablo III. Since the game hasn’t been officially released in Mainland China yet, some Chinese players are acquiring copies of the game and then logging onto Asian servers in other regions. This influx is apparently causing servers to lock up and give the infamous…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 25, 2012 -
Kotaku EastYour Tour Guides to Japanese Nerdom Wear Frilly Dresses
You need someone on the inside. Somebody who knows the score. Somebody in a maid outfit? Well, that’s exactly what you can get if you hire a Japanese maid to show you around the geekier parts of town. Between 2003 and 2004, maid cafes exploded in popularity and have since become an inseparable part of…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 25, 2012
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