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Kotaku East
Chinese Net Cafe Robbery Leads to Fists and Punching
Two jerks in jackets worked as a team to divert some dude’s attention in a net cafe and then swipe his phone. The thieves were able to snag the phone, but didn’t make a clean getaway. Other net cafe patrons noticed something was up and came to help the victim—and deliver punches. It looks like…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 6, 2012 -
Kotaku EastThe New Pokémon Movie Looks Like This
Like clockwork, every summer there’s a new Pocket Monsters movie in Japan. This summer’s flick is Pocket Monsters Best Wishes! The Movie: Kyurem vs. the Sacred Swordsman: Keldeo. It’s the fifteenth Pokémon flick, and it will hit Japanese theaters this July. Check out the trailer above. 劇場版ポケットモンスター15周年｢キュレムVS聖剣士ケルディオ｣ [YouTube]
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 6, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Taiwanese Ladies Awkwardly Holding Xbox Hardware
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Holding hardware makes pretty much anyone look like a doofus. There really isn’t a “good” or “correct” way to hold gaming hardware. No, scratch that. The correct way is to hold it in your hands as if you are playing. But that makes for crap photo…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 6, 2012 -
Kotaku East
…And Japan Is Getting a New PSP Color
Thought the PSP was dead? (Or was that the PS Vita? Kidding!) The Sony portable is getting a new, limited edition color in Japan. This is it. The color is dubbed Sky Blue/Marine Blue. That’s right, it’s a two-tone color. And it goes on sale Apr. 26 for ¥17,800 (US$218.48) as a value pack. PSPの新色，ツートンカラー「スカイブルー/マリンブルー」が4月26日に数量限定で発売…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 6, 2012 -
When the Rockstar Met the Nintendo Fanboy
Fanboys are awful. They can make innocent conversations uncomfortable. Just ask Japanese rocker T.M. Revolution. He is one of Japan’s most recognizable singers. He’s also the proud owner of a new PS Vita. “Just as I’d heard, the screen is huge, and it’s beautiful!” T.M. Revolution tweeted. “It’s also easy to use, and, yep, I…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 6, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Playing Kinect on Panasonic’s 103-Inch Television
Panasonic makes a 103-inch TV—it’s apparently the biggest plasma in the world. It’s on display at electronics shops throughout Japan. Seeing one isn’t a big deal. Playing Kinect on it just might be. Xbox Japan has been stepping up in-store demos throughout the country in hopes of at the very least introducing folks to Kinect.…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 5, 2012 -
Kotaku East
How’s Dead or Alive 5 Coming Along?
Like this! The game is featured in the latest OXM report on Inside Xbox. You can either watch the above clip or access it yourself via Xbox Live. Dead or Alive 5 is slated for release sometime this year for the Xbox 360 and PS3. DEAD OR ALIVE 5 OXM PREVIEW [YouTube]
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 5, 2012 -
Kotaku EastWatch a Cobra Helicopter Crash Before Your Very Eyes
You might have seen your share of AH-1 Cobra helicopters crash in Battlefield 3. In the above video, watch as pilots lost control of a Cobra, crashing it into an Arizona desert. The Cobra was being used during a Korean Top Gear shoot, filming a Corvette from the air. As tragic as this crash could’ve…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 5, 2012 -
Kotaku East
New Game Peripheral Tweets Your Masturbation Stats
And you thought browser game tweets were irritating? Japanese adult game studio Tech Arts 3D developed the Onacon, a USB controller peripheral than runs on computer power—and that you put your ding-a-ling in. According to sister site Gizmodo Japan, Onacon software dubbed “Ona Counter” can keep track of player’s playing with themselves time, their play…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 5, 2012 -
Kotaku East
The Horror of Custom Figurines
While the idea of a customized action figure seems badass, a Japanese television programmed inadvertently depicted the horrifying reality. Eek! This is the work of Akihabara establishment Clone Factory. The studio measures and photographs your head, inputs the digital data, and then uses a 3D printer to reproduce your mug in miniature figure form That’s…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 5, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Japan Is Now Studying Its Geeks
“Otaku” in Japanese is usually to refer to individuals who are really into things, whether that be trains, movies, or video games. There are a wide variety of different otaku, but within the last few years the word “otaku” has become shorthand for gaming, anime, or idol diehards. The stigma surrounding the word is on…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 5, 2012 -
Kotaku EastCould This Gun Stop Online Trolls?
One of the best things about playing online is playing with others. One of the worst things? Playing with others. Some people are total dicks! Wouldn’t you love to shut them up? As previously reported on sister site Gizmodo, the SpeechJammer is a gun that “jams” people’s speech, by firing their words right back at…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 5, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Hooters Girls in Metal Gear Solid
Metal Gear Solid, never one to shy away from a collaboration, is bringing Hooters girls to upcoming its 3DS game, Snake Eater 3D A Hooters girl magazine appears as an in-game item. (Nintendo’s Yoshi also pops up in the game.) Today in Tokyo, Konami held a shindig at Hooters to promote the game with orange…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 5, 2012 -
Kotaku East
The Olympics, the Sex Worker Rumor, and Japanese Nerdom
In 2006, siblings Domu Narita (above, in pink) and his sister Mero pulled out a rare feat: both competed in the Olympics in the same sport. Domu, with his ponytail, and Mero, with her pink hair, might have appeared like your typical snowboarders, but not like the more conservative-looking Japanese athletes representing their country. They…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 5, 2012 -
Hitting Maids on the Head with Foam Swords
Eternity | TOKYO, JAPAN: A maid cafe promotes the latest The Spirit of Eternity Sword game. (Photo: Famitsu) The Hardcore World of Japanese Tattoos Will Make You Stronger “I used to be into video games during the PS2 era,” Benny Her says, as he buys a green tea espresso at convenience store in Osaka’s fashionable…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 2, 2012 -
Kotaku East
Japan’s Doll Festival with Little Kids
Tomorrow is the Hinamatsuri, or Japanese Doll Festival. During the festival, dolls are displayed on stands against gold leaf backgrounds. This evening while I was working (and making things for you to read), Mrs. Bashcraft and my two kids went to a friends to celebrate it. The holiday is for girls—and a good excuse for…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 2, 2012
Brian Ashcraft
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