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How Was Today? Let My Dinner Tell You…
To: Crecente From: Bashcraft Mmmmm rice omelet. Was hoping that Mrs. Bashcraft would write a buncha hearts, but this message greeted me as I sat down to dinner. What you missed last night Report: Microsoft Drop Natal Chip Xbox 360: 39 Million Consoles Sold, Only Half Are On Xbox Live Shia LaBeouf: Video Games Will…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 7, 2010 -
Heavy Rain…In Japanese
This is the Japanese language trailer for upcoming thriller Heavy Rain. The voice acting seems synched up just right, and it looks like Sony and French developer Quantic Dream are giving the game the care and attention it deserves to ensure its a global hit. Heavy Rain is slated for release next month.
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 7, 2010 -
Report: Microsoft Drops Natal Chip
Microsoft has dropped a chip from its upcoming Natal motion control hardware, reports website Games Industry. The chip processed data for Natal’s “bone system”. In its place, Microsoft will use a software solution. Back in late December, David Ellis and John Davison from the 4 Guys 1UP podcast mentioned that this is something Microsoft would…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 7, 2010 -
Yes, Alan Wake Is Getting DLC
…like pretty much every other game these days! It’s been known for some time that years-in-development psychological thriller Alan Wake will have an episodic nature. That nature will continue after the game is out. The aim, it seems, is to created gaming’s version of something like the television drama Lost. At CES, Microsoft has confirmed…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 7, 2010 -
Ar tonelico III Rolls Out The Manly Lady, Voiced By Pikachu!
Bandai Namco role playing game Ar tonelico III, the third entry in the Ar tonelico series, features more than abundant fan service underwear. The PS3 title features a macho-looking lady named Mute. She’s a military leader and can beat you up. All of you. The character will be voiced by Japanese voice actress Ikue Ohtani,…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 7, 2010 -
Four Reasons Why Hironobu Sakaguchi Is Awesome
Game designer Hironobu Sakaguchi is best known for two things: Creating role playing games like Final Fantasy and Lost Odyssey and having a mustache. Impressive, sure, but not part of our four reasons — his New Years photos are. In a blog post from early January, Sakaguchi wrote this message: “I still have unsettled adjustment…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 7, 2010 -
Cave Story Theme As Envisioned By Japanese McDonalds Ads
Cave Story, the freeware action adventure game from indie developer Daisuke Amaya, has a retro sounding soundtrack. It’s perfect fodder to be recreated with Ronald McDonald ads. Actually, that should read “Donald McDonald” as these are Japanese ads, and the character is named “Donald McDonald” and not “Ronald McDonald”. A series of Japanese McDonalds ads…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 7, 2010 -
Square Enix Says Japanese Retail “Prejudiced” Against Western Games
As far as business execs at large Japanese companies go, Yoichi Wada seems rather forward thinking. He’s been tackling discrimination in video games head on. “Even now, there have been people in Japan using the label youge- (Western games) with a terribly discriminatory meaning,” Wada said in an interview Japanese TV from last December in…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 7, 2010 -
NSFW: Is This The Sexiest Game Developer Website?
Not counting erotic game developers, Japanese game developer Vanillaware must surely must have the market for the industry’s sauciest website cornered. Don’t believe us? Check out its landing page. Largely specializing in 2D sprite-based game design, Vanillaware is best known for developing PlayStation 2 title Odin Sphere and Wii game Muramasa: The Demon Blade. The…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 7, 2010 -
Will The Michael Jackson PS3 Bundle Get Western Release?
It currently does not look that way. The bundle, releasing on January 27 in Japan, comes with a 120GB PlayStation 3 as well as a Blu-ray copy of the Michael Jackson documentary This Is It. But is Japan it? When contacted about whether or not the Michael Jackson PS3 pack will get a U.S. release,…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 7, 2010 -
Shia LaBeouf: Video Games Will Take Over
One of Hollywood’s hottest young actors Shia LaBeouf (Transformers, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) lent his likeness to the Transformer games and points out this: “Video games are more successful than films,” LaBeouf told GamePro. (That’s not entirely true as Kotaku proved last fall; however, that is not to deride the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 7, 2010 -
What To Do When The Baby’s Barfy
To: Crecente From: Bashcraft RE: Goodbye Again Roll up the rug! Micro-Bash has been sick for most of the week. Thanks goodness for plastic buckets. (T_T) That’s a sock at the bottom of the slide. I think. What you missed last night Report: New Zelda Out By End of 2010, First DS Successor Details This…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 6, 2010 -
Pink PSP Blossoms In Japan
Just in time for the spring cherry blossoms, Sony Computer Entertainment has announced that Japan will be getting a “Blossom Pink” colored PSP-3000. The Blossom Pink PSP will go on sale in Japan on March 4 for ¥16,800 (US$182). A Blossom Pink PSP-3000 was released in the West last spring, making it reasonable to believe…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 6, 2010 -
Japan’s 2009 Xbox LIVE Download Stats
Never mind that a mere 300,000 or so Xbox 360s were sold in Japan last year. Those who bought the console (hopefully!) enjoyed the console’s online capabilities. Note: data covers the 2009 calendar year, and overall ranking covers from 2005 to 2009. Launch dates are noted when appropriate. 2009 Xbox LIVE Arcade Top Ten Titles…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 6, 2010 -
Why Mark Hamill Has Never Voiced Luke Skywalker
Star Wars made actor Mark Hamill famous. And while he turned in strong performances in films such as Sam Fuller’s war opus The Big Red One, he was never quite able to move out of the shadow of Luke Skywalker. Yet, even after finding a career as a successful voice actor in cartoons and video…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 6, 2010 -
More Cosplayers To Poke Your Eyes Out
Okay, this is it — promise. Well, for now. No more Comiket 77 cosplays! Comic Market, or Comiket, ended in late December, and the Japanese website Moeyo.com has been uploading pictures since then, day by day. The website looks like its about finished with its uploads, a subtle hint to us to get our hat…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 6, 2010 -
Fist of the North Star Dated Dated, Already Dead (And Dated)
In early December Tecmo Koei announced that its Fist of the North Star game, Hokuto Musou, would be released in Japan on the PS3 and Xbox 360 in simply “March 2010”. Today the company announced the exact date. That’s annoying! Post-apocalyptic martial arts manga Fist of the North Star (Hokuto no Ken), which debuted in…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 6, 2010 -
Report: New Zelda Out By End of 2010, First DS Successor Details
In an interview with Japanese newspaper the Asahi Shimbun, Nintendo Co., Ltd. president Satoru Iwata discussed some of this year’s goals, which include releasing the newest Legend of Zelda game. High on the Japanese exec’s list was increasing the number of DS WiFi spots across the country. In Japan, the company has a deal with…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 6, 2010 -
Five Ways Japan Can Stop Game Industry Shrinkage
As the data indicates, the once robust Japanese game market is getting smaller each year. Surely, the Japanese gaming industry can figure out things that can be done to change this. Until then, Kotaku has taken upon itself (you’re welcome) to come up with a short list of sure-fire ways that the domestic Japanese game…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 6, 2010 -
GOD EATER Eats Up Over 1 Million Demo Downloads
PSP game GOD EATER looks to be Namco Bandai’s take on the monstrously successful franchise Monster Hunter from Capcom. It also looks like it could be a hit for Namco Bandai. Besides custom clothing, GOD EATER allows players to customize their bullets with a “Bullet Edit” feature that allows for five different “Modules” with settings…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 6, 2010
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