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If Girls’ Generation Was 8-Bit
This is South Korean pop outfit Girls’ Generation. The ladies are not 8-bit. But what if they were? Here is the group’s number one single smash hit “Gee” done up in chiptune stylings. In 2009, the song became nothing short of a national phenomenon. “Gee” also pops up in South Korean StarCraft slang and takes…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 28, 2010 -
A Week In Comments
Kinect Immerses You In Advertising Like Never Before Comment by: mindsale Nominated by: Kobun So with Kinect, I can test-drive Chevrolet cars standing up, without the ability to brake, and with the car constantly gaining momentum? Sounds more like test-driving a Toyota. Religious Games Maker Rakes $200K In Half a Year Comment by: Walking Eye!…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 28, 2010 -
Passport All Systems Go! Next Up, Ring-A-Ding-Dong
To: Crecente From: Bashcraft This morning I had to go to the regional immigration bureau to get my passport fixed up. I got a new U.S. passport a few weeks ago, and I needed to transfer my permanent resident visa from my old passport to my new. Also, I needed to pick up re-entry permits…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 27, 2010 -
Activision Boss Replies To Schafer’s “Total Prick” Comment
Once upon a time, game designer Tim Schafer called Activision honcho Robert Kotick “a total prick”. (“Once upon a time” being this past July). Then, Schafer said his remark was an “accident”. The “total…” exec has retorted. Schafer’s game Brütal Legend, which starred funny man Jack Black, was going to be published by Vivendi Games.…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 27, 2010 -
Nintendo Taking Care Of Metroid: Other M Bug
Metroid: Other M has a game-freezing bug. In Japan, Nintendo has a fix. It involves sending things on a truck. The bug has been causing players to get stuck in the Section 3 section of the game. Stuck as stuck and not able to get out. It’s a game-breaking bug. Some players are unable to…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 27, 2010 -
And Yet Another Director Is Off The Kane & Lynch Movie
The big screen version of crime series Kane & Lynch keeps losing director after director. According to the Los Angeles Times, the flick has — you guessed it — lost its latest director. According to sources close to the project, Patrick Alessandrin of District 13: Ultimatum fame was going to helm the project, but has…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 27, 2010 -
Screw My Girlfriend, And I’ll Review Yakuza 3
Jake Adelstein, author of the non-fiction underworld yarn Tokyo Vice, got several gangsters to review Sega’s crime game Yakuza 3. But how? According to the original story, Adelstein appeared at “a shady real estate office in Tokyo” with cigarettes and whiskey “to teach these gangsters how to handle a PlayStation controller”. That wasn’t the only…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 27, 2010 -
Is This The Worst Bundle Item Ever?
Online role-playing game Final Fantasy XIV has several collector’s editions. Included in the Japanese version is a Final Fantasy XIV drinking cup. Don’t expect to drink much from it. You can’t. According to the box that the cup comes in: Do not fill the product with the following materials as they may cause damage: Items…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 27, 2010 -
Capcom’s Samurai Franchise Headed To Big Screen
Sengoku Basara is a huge smash in Japan. It has spawned a stage play, a televised anime, a manga and even a licensed theme park attraction. That’s not all. Next year, the anime is getting a feature film version as the final episode of the TV anime’s second season revealed that a movie version is…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 27, 2010 -
Report: German Paper Dates Nintendo 3DS
This week, Nintendo is slated to make the Nintendo 3DS’s release date public. German newspaper Bild claims to have the jump on the goods. According to Bild, the Nintendo 3DS will go on sale in Japan on November 11. It will then “probably” go on sale in Europe in spring 2011 and is priced at…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 27, 2010 -
ReviewsSpace Invaders Infinity Gene Review: To Infinity And Beyond
In 1978, arcade shooter Space Invaders was so popular that it caused a national coin shortage in Japan. But it’s not 1978. It’s 2010. Early in Space Invaders Infinity Gene, there is a quote from Charles Darwin that really sets the mood for the entire game. Space Invaders IG isn’t just Space Invaders updated, it’s…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 25, 2010 -
Hollywood Turned Down Enslaved Flick
Enslaved has Hollywood talent like actress Lindsay Shaw. The game was written by Alex Garland of 28 Days Later and The Beach fame. And its developers originally pitched Enslaved as a feature film. The idea was for Enslaved to be a computer-generated flick. As website Destructoid points out, it would have been rendered in real…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 24, 2010 -
This Beer Is Free!
To: Crecente From: Bashcraft RE: Stars It’s called “All Free” and is calorie-free, alcohol-free and sugar-free. It’s not too bad. Like, it’s drinkable! It’s been so popular in Japan that sales were actually suspended. Oh, All-Free isn’t totally free. One can is something like US$1.50. What you missed last night Sony Blocks Fake Controllers, Warns…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 24, 2010 -
Activision Blizzard Teams With White House To Develop Smart People
Best known for Call of Duty and World of Warcraft, Activision Blizzard has joined a corporate initiative to help improve literacy in science, technology, engineering and math (the STEM fields). The initiative is called Change the Equation and was launched by President Obama last week. It is a non-profit organization that joins CEOs and teachers…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 24, 2010 -
Sony Blocks Fake Controllers, Warns Of Explosions
Fake PlayStation 3 controllers might be cheap, but that doesn’t change them from being totally phony. Sony is doing what it can to render counterfeit PS3 controllers utterly useless. On Sony’s consumer alerts page, the company states that counterfeit PS3 controllers have been “discovered in the market”. The page reads: “SCEA advises consumers to be…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 24, 2010 -
Report: There Is A New Wii-Remote
And it is apparently called “Wii Remote Plus”. The box art for upcoming Wii title FlingSmash seems to be bundled with a new Wii Remote. The box notes, “Bonus Wii Remote Plus Inside!” The game is compatible with Wii MotionPlus, the motion add-on peripheral for the Wii Remote. The Wii MotionPlus was released in 2009…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 24, 2010 -
Japanese Nintendo Pitchman Leaves Showbiz
Takashi Okamura starred in one of the greatest Japanese ads Nintendo Co., Ltd. has ever created. The ad appeared back in late 2005 and early 2006 as part of Nintendo’s “Hot Mario” campaign. It starred Osaka comedians Okamura as Mario and his comedy partner Hiroyuki Yabe as Luigi. While the vast majority of Japanese commercials…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 24, 2010 -
Metal Gear Creator Explains “A Hideo Kojima Game”
If you have played any of Hideo Kojima’s games, you have probably noticed the “A Hideo Kojima Game” title card. Other game designers have started using this type of crediting. The MGS creator, however, contests that he actually means it. According to Kojima, he began using the title by his own accord. While Kojima points…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 24, 2010
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