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Once Upon a Time Capcom Only Made Sequels
Former Capcom developer Keiji Inafune said recently at Ritsumeikan University that there was a time his old studio had a rule that 70 or 80 percent of games were sequels and the rest new games. New games weren’t usually approved—something Inafune hinted to Kotaku in 2006 when he said Capcom rejected both Dead Rising and…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 9, 2011 -
They’re Totally Addicted to Cosplay
If those addicted to work are called “workaholics” and those addicted to chocolate are called “chocoholics”, then what are those who are addicted to cosplay called? Over the weekend, “Cosholic” stormed through Tokyo’s Odaiba. Cosholic is a picture-takin’, costume-wearin’ get together. Some of the costumes were elaborate, others were practically invisible. Cosplayers and cosplayer “circles”…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 9, 2011 -
Time To Cash in on the Japanese Earthquake Disaster?
When the Great East Japan Earthquake rocked the country on March 11, Japanese games with sensitive imagery were delayed. PS3 title Disaster Report 4, set during a natural disaster, was canceled. The game’s publisher even canned all Disaster Report titles. Not every Japanese game company is taking such drastic steps. According to a report out…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 9, 2011 -
Lock Up Your Dancing Daughters, Here Comes the Internet
If you’ve spent any time on Japanese video site Nico Nico Douga, you’ve seen them: young girls dancing to cutesy pop music. It’s their chance to live out their adolescent idol fantasies for viewers with adolescent idol fantasies of their own. In the video above, the girl’s mother tries to barge in, but her daughter…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 9, 2011 -
Alliance of Tattered Pantyhose
POSTER GIRLS | TOKYO, JAPAN: Alliance of Valiant Arms gets a push at a PC gaming festival in Akihabara. (Photo: Game Watch Impress) If Portal 2 Were a Badass 1970s Flick It’s not, of course, but if it were, then maybe it would look like Tristan Reidford’s stunning send-up. Reidford is an artist at Valve,…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 6, 2011 -
In a Post-PSN Hack World, Nintendo Club Asks for Your Privacy
Club Nintendo, Nintendo’s members with benefits club, is now asking members for permission to collect data. Just don’t say no—if you want to be a member, that is. According to website MCV, those who turn down Nintendo’s request will have their Club Nintendo membership canceled and their redeemable Club Nintendo Stars (think points) lost. This…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 6, 2011 -
If Portal 2 Were a Badass 1970s Flick
It’s not, of course, but if it were, then maybe it would look like Tristan Reidford’s stunning send-up. Reidford is an artist at Valve, where he does mainly modeling. He should do more movie posters. Check out Reidford’s site for more impressive work. Portal2 70s style movie poster! [Tristan Reidford Art via Reddit] Portal2 70s…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 6, 2011 -
Banned Clothes Ripping Game Tears up Android
Rip! Mosatsu wasn’t family friendly enough for Apple’s iOS, but Android’s happy to have it. The app was based on the Mosatsu photobooks that feature “torn” photos of models, revealing their underwear. Apple banned the app a few months after it hit the App Store, apparently as part of the company’s war on smutty apps.…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 6, 2011 -
The Xbox 360 and Sony NGP’s Love Child
If the Xbox 360 and the NGP ever mated, this would be their spawn. Dubbed the iReadyGo, the Chinese made handheld is open source and will run Android. The iReadyGo’s CPU apparently runs at 1GHZ, and the handheld supports 3G, GPS and WiFi—meaning those will probably work with some sort of dongle? Like with Sony’s…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 6, 2011 -
A PC Game So Popular, It’s Appearing in Japanese Arcades
The shoot’em up Touhou Project games are fan-made PC games created by a one-man game studio. Touhou Project‘s creator, Zun, has been free-wheeling about derivative work—something that changed earlier this year. Touhou Project games are starting to appear in small numbers in Japanese arcades. For a special event, one Akihabara arcade put Touhou Project games…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 6, 2011 -
Cosplaying Down by the River
The Machi Asobi Festival, a game and anime event held in Tokushima, wrapped up recently. Part of the festivities included a cosplay fashion show down by the river, complete with red carpet. Machi Asobi Vol.6 started on May 3 and wrapped up on May 5. Besides the cosplay event, there were signings, panel discussions and…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 6, 2011 -
Uncharted Creator Cool with Loosey-Goosey Movie
The Uncharted movie sounds pretty stupid! It’s about a globe-trotting family of antiques collectors that dispense treasure-hunting justice. That doesn’t sound like Uncharted at all. What does Uncharted game designer Amy Henning think of the movie’s concept? Henning told MTV that the game’s developers are “protective” of the Uncharted games, just like the fans. To…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 6, 2011 -
Toyota’s Nerd Marketing Sure Is Awkward
Toyota is the world’s biggest auto maker. It must be doing something right. This ad, though, isn’t one of them. In the U.S., Toyota is rolling out a Corolla campaign that features virtual idol Miku Hatsune. With the character’s popularity and connection to motorspots, her appearance makes sense somewhat— just not in America. I know…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 6, 2011 -
What Is Japan’s Fetish This Week? Trains
“Who’s to say there is a difference?” said the baffled, balding customer in khaki pants and a green windbreaker. I had asked him what the difference between Japanese and Western rail fans was. Clutching a miniature train station and some extra track, the man wasn’t interested in discussing the topic further, but rather, making his…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 5, 2011 -
Damn Right, Ultraman with a Plastic Gun
COLOR TIMER | OSAKA, JAPAN: Ultraman is packing heat—plastic heat. (Photo: Brian Ashcraft) These Are The People Hired To Hunt The PlayStation Network Hackers To catch those responsible for the attacks on the PlayStation Network, which has brought the service down for over a week and exposed the private details of millions, Sony has hired…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 4, 2011 -
Shit Game Snap Judgment
Recently, some internet person picked up an unmarked Game Boy game at retailer Hard-Off for a mere ¥105 (US$1.29). It’s not actually unmarked, with the label scratched completely off. The cartridge’s back reads “unko” or “crap” in Japanese. Our brave shopper stuck the “crap” cartridge in his Game Boy Advance SP, flipped it on and…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 4, 2011 -
Report: British Children Are Getting Soft
In the dark times, before the internet and video games, British children played outside. Now? They don’t! According to a British Triathlon and Tata Steel poll of 1,500 children aged six to 15, 10 percent could not ride a bicycle and 15 percent could not swim. More numbers, via the BBC: – 22 percent had…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 4, 2011 -
It Only Does Bullet Holes
Tip: Turn the sound off. No, really. Do it. Unless you enjoy moronic slurs! Otherwise, witness what a Desert Eagle can do to a borked PlayStation 3. The U.S. Constitution gives its citizens the right to bear arms. That doesn’t necessarily mean everyone should
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 4, 2011 -
Is the PSN Breach Worth Suing Sony for a Billion Bucks?
While Canada’s privacy watchdog looks into the PSN breach, a twenty-one year-old Ontario woman moves forward with a class-action lawsuit against Sony. “If you can’t trust a huge multinational corporation like Sony to protect your private information, who can you trust?” asked Natasha Maksimovic, the representative plaintiff in the suit, in an official release. According…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 4, 2011
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