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When the Street Isn’t Safe for Work
I’ve said it before: Japanese adult game and anime makers are masters of the in-store promotion. It’s a mastery that would do 1970s grindhouse cinema owners proud. Many in-store promotions are NSFW. What happens when those hit the streets? Curvy martial arts yarn Maken-Ki! has a huge display at Akihabara retailer Tora no Ana, giving…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 7, 2011 -
Korean Pop Is Better with Chun-Li Cosplay
Chun-Li makes everything better—whether that be Jackie Chan movies or South Korean pop. The latest single from South Korean pop outfit Orange Caramel, no strangers to dressing up, is “Shanghai Romance”. Previously, the group cosplayed as Bruce Lee while singing “Shanghai Romance”. While dressed as Chun-Li, the girls didn’t pull off any Spinning Bird kicks,…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 7, 2011 -
Hungry? This Maid Has Omurice!
Rice | TOKYO, JAPAN: An Akihabara maid shows off omurice and drinks at a PSP game event. (Photo: 4Gamer) Borderlands Fan Passes Away, Honoured as Borderlands 2 Character Michael John Mamaril sadly passed away last month at the age of just 22. Being a big Borderlands fan, Michael’s friend Carlo thought a nice way to…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 4, 2011 -
Abusive Judge Said His Daughter Dropped Out, Had Video Game Store Job
Texas court-at-law judge William Adams was filmed (warning: graphic violence) beating his disabled daughter Hillary. The video appeared on YouTube, and the unsympathetic judge has admitted it was real—noting that it’s “not as bad as it looks on tape”. Hillary was apparently beaten for illegally downloading video games and music, and now the judge is…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 4, 2011 -
Would You Be Excited About a Dude in Jeans with a Boring Name?
Okay, I like the name “John”. It’s a good name, I think. “John Lennon” was named “John”, and he was a cool dude. Dizzy Gillespie was born “John”, but as good as “John” is, “Dizzy” is way better. What about “Nathan”? Is that better? Uncharted hero Nathan Drake started life as a John. The first…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 4, 2011 -
Is This Spoiler Modern Warfare 3‘s “No Russian” Moment?
This post has a spoiler in it. If you want a tiny part of Modern Warfare 3, which officially hits Nov. 8, spoiled, read on. If you don’t, this is a post (and comments section) you should skip. Okay? We all here? Let’s dive in. The above clip was sent to Kotaku, with the tipster…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 4, 2011 -
It’s Dangerous To Gamble Alone! Take These
Last year, Nintendo, who started out as a hanafuda maker, released several sets of Mario playing cards. This December, Nintendo is releasing another themed deck. This time, Zelda Priced at ¥1,050 and out this December in Japan, the decks feature art from four Zelda games. The spades are The Legend of Zelda, the hearts are…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 4, 2011 -
An Example of Sexual Harassment? Grand Theft Auto
Sexual harassment is awful. Many people—often politicians, it seems—say things or create situations that make others uncomfortable. So Bolt insurance agency created a chart explaining “Sexual Harassment in the Workplace”. Specific examples include: “Constant and repeated requests for a date or unwanted flirting”, “Unwanted jokes, gestures, comments and repartee”, and “Displaying sexually suggestive objects, pictures…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 4, 2011 -
Don’t Let a Little Thing Like a Sex Video Slow You Down
During the 1990s, when Neon Genesis Evangelion exploded in popularity, voice actress Yuko Miyamura was along for the ride. Like many other voice actresses, she wasn’t merely someone who read lines, she was an idol. Fans worshipped her. That is, until the unthinkable happened: A porno. In Japan there are, generally speaking, idols who are…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 4, 2011 -
Report: Assassin’s Creed Gets a Movie Deal That Even Spielberg Couldn’t
Last month, it was reported that Sony and Ubisoft will soon sign an Assassin’s Creed movie deal. From the sound of it, this is no normal movie deal. Ubisoft apparently has control over everything, from the budget to the script to the actors to even the release date. According to one studio exec, Ubisoft even…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 4, 2011 -
Buggy Torso Man Will Make You Say, “Oh Shit!”
Glitches and bugs are a part of life when games launch. Since they can be patched via download, don’t think of them as negatives, early adaptors, but features. Delicious features that can provide enjoyment. Kotaku reader Silverhold found this this glitch in Uncharted 3, which at first was a floating shotgun coming straight at him.…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 4, 2011 -
Don’t Get Them Wet and Keep Them Out of Bright Light
No Water | NEW YORK: Philipe Blond and David Blond dressed as gremlins for Halloween. (Photo: Jemal Countess | Getty) These Hand-Made Video Game Statues are Works of Art Slovenian toy builder Samo Kramberger has a gift. He sees a video game he likes, he takes some clay, and he recreates the characters, down to…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 2, 2011 -
Sony Is Losing Money, Too!
It’s not only Nintendo who getting hit hard, Sony, along with seemingly every Japanese company these days, is as well. A combination of the strong yen and floods in Thailand mean that Sony is forecasting a US$1.1 billion loss. [Reuters]
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 2, 2011 -
Ready to Pre-Order Some Solid Snake? How about Cyborg Ninja?
Spotted at this year’s Tokyo Game Show, there are Solid Snake and Cyborg Ninja figures incoming from Square Enix’s Play Arts Kai line. Pre-orders are now underway! The Solid Snake figure lists for ¥5,800—ditto for the Cyborg Ninja figure. Both are available at lower prices online, however. They’ll be released next February. That’s the future,…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 2, 2011 -
Will the PS3 Overtake the Xbox 360? Will It Happen?
Nintendo rules this generation, leaving Microsoft and Sony to duke it out for numero two. So, which of those two is winning? As website MCVUK pointed out, Microsoft. The U.S. console maker announced last month that it has sold 57.3 million Xbox 360s worldwide. Today, Sony revealed that it’s sold 56 million PS3s. Simple math…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 2, 2011 -
Another Take on Catherine Is Another Take on Sexy Pin-Up Parodies
Starring a pin-up named CoCo, Another Take on Catherine is, well, another take on the popular game Catherine The flick’s official teaser has hit the internet, and, while it does feature some flashes of flesh, it’s not nearly as NSFW as the gravure, or pin-up, film could be. “In Japan, it’s not uncommon to see…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 2, 2011 -
This Coffee Shop Has Large Swords and Guns. Oh, and Pancakes
Japanese visual novel Fate/stay night is coming to the figure maker Good Smile’s coffee shop in Matsudo City. The temporary cafe will run until Christmas and is called Fate/Type-Moon, a reference to the visual novel’s developer Type-Moon. Even if you aren’t into Fate/stay night, the cafe is pretty cool. There’s a life-sized Excalibur like the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 2, 2011 -
When Cosplay Photography Is Sad and Melancholy
The cosplayers get all the acclaim and adoration. Ask any cosplayer, though, and he or she will tell you: Good photographers are key. This is why some high profile Japanese cosplayers are reluctant to allow photographers that they don’t usually work with to snap their photos. Cosplay photography is an art in its own way.…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 2, 2011 -
The Depressing World of Unemployed Nerds
You might have a job. You might be between jobs or you might be out of one entirely. Same goes for many in Japan. But what they spend their unemployment checks on might differ from what their counterparts do elsewhere. According to one Japanese weekly, unemployed men in their twenties and thirties are apparently indulging…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 2, 2011
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