-
Firmware 2.8 vs. Firmware 3.0 – Fight!!
It’s been a few days since the new PS3 firmware, firmware 3.0, was released. We’ve already asked you what you thought of it. Now let’s see how it stacks up to firmware 2.8. The video above show the startup with same settings on both consoles. In this video, Batman boots up on both the 2.8…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 2, 2009 -
Final Fantasy XIII To Cost $89 In Japan?
That red kiosk is called “Loppi”. It’s located in Japanese convenience store Lawson. It’s a ticket selling machine, but customers can also go shopping and even pre-order video games and consoles. The Loppi screen lists the Xbox 360, the PSP 2000 1seg tuner and right below that? Final Fantasy XIII. The game is priced at…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 2, 2009 -
Place Your Foreign Liquor Recommendations Here Plze
To: Crecente From: Bashcraft RE: PC Headaches Typically liquor stores in Japan have, well, the same liquor. I don’t mean they’ve only got sake and Asahi Dry — far from it. Instead, I mean, they’ve typically got the same foreign liquors. So like Jack, Campari, Pernod, etc — along with wine. Not that there’s anything…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 2, 2009 -
More Details About New Okami Game
The full title for upcoming DS Okami game is Okamiden: Chisaki Taiyou, and the title takes place a few months after the PlayStation 2 original and features a new wolf named Chibiterasu. Gameplay is similar to the PS2 version where players will draw out characters with the in-game brush. However, the DS title will obviously…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 2, 2009 -
Voice Actress Threatened, Man Arrested
Glasses-wearing voice actress Mai Kadowaki is known for her voice work in the Konami anime Tokimeki Memorial Only Love and her work in games like console game Cross Edge and DS title Tales of the Tempest — among other titles. Since last November, threatening letters have been sent to the 28-year-old’s agency. A 26-year-old unemployed…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 2, 2009 -
Developer “Terrified” While Making Beatles Rock Band
Think making a game with The Beatles would be all gumdrops and lollypops? Wrong. Rock Band developer Harmonix was “terrified”, says the studio’s John Drake. Terrified in the sense that the developer did not want to screw up the game and piss off The Beatles. “I don’t know what Apple was considering before they started…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 2, 2009 -
Konami Publishing Ninety-Nine Nights II, Shoko Nakagawa In A Big Hat
According to Microsoft, Konami will be publishing hack-and-slash Ninety-Nine Nights II. The prequel was developed by Rez designer Testsuya Mizuguchi; however, he does not appear to be involved with this title. Ninety-Nine Nights was published by Microsoft in 2006. South Korean developer Phantagram worked on the title with Mizuguchi’s Q Entertainment. This time Microsoft development…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 2, 2009 -
Xbox 360 Gets Price Drop In Japan
As expected, Microsoft announced a price drop for Japan. Are you excited yet? No? So, yeah, the Xbox 360‘s price tag has been cut for The Land of the Rising Sun. Pricing looks like this: • Xbox 360 Elite Previous Price: ¥39,800 (US$429) New Price: ¥29,800 ($321) • Xbox 360 Pro Previous Price: ¥29,800 ($321)…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 2, 2009 -
Are You 20-Something Years Old? Do You Want To Love A Game Character?
Konami Digital Entertainment polled 500 Japanese men to find out. Questions asked include things like if they thought of themselves as a herbivore male (Almost 64 percent said yes!) or whether they enjoyed in-game romance (42 percent said affirmative). The grass eater term was coined by a Japanese columnist to describe effeminate young Japanese men…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 2, 2009 -
What Do You Think Of PS3 Firmware 3.0?
The royal we have updated our PS3. There are little things we’ve noticed, little things we like, little things we don’t. What about you? Things that stuck out: More sparkly, less smokey. New PS3 logo. No more Spider-Man PLAYSTATION logo when you start up a game. We kind of miss that! It had an awesome…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 2, 2009 -
Up Close And Very Personal With Beatmania’s Celica
Konami has just released a limited edition 19-cm figurine of beatmania IIDX Celica Mizushiro. As we pointed out before, she’s priced at ¥5,985 (US$60) and comes with different sets of arms in various poses. The link below has a photo review of the piece. There are several discerning pictures — like this: Not to everyone’s…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 2, 2009 -
Look What Some Lucky Taiwanese People Got When Buying PS3 Slim
No, they didn’t get those guys. Who wants stuffy businessmen when you can get other stuff? That’s right other stuff. During the Taiwan launch, Sony Taiwan gave away 150 of these special commemorative launch sets to 150 individuals who bought the PS3 Slim. Included in the bundle were one DualShock 3, one PS3 t-shirt, a…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 2, 2009 -
Professor Layton As An 8-Bit Game
Level-5’s puzzle franchise Professor Layton series are not 8-bit NES games. They have many more bits and are on the Nintendo DS. Let’s say, for snots and giggles, that Professor Layton was a NES. What would it look like? Perhaps, just perhaps, it would look something like this. 8-bit Professor Layton theme by Nonsak. I…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 1, 2009 -
Is It Me, Or Is Does It Feel Like Fall Earlier?
To: Crecente From: Bashcraft RE: New PC Apologies to those who live where it will soon be spring or those who don’t like talking about the weather, but yeah, it seems very fall-like here where I live — and it’s usually hot and gross all throughout September. What you missed last night What Square Enix…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 1, 2009 -
Wii Internet Channel Is Free, Free, Free [UPDATE]
Nintendo has announced that starting today the Opera-powered Wii Internet Channel is available free of charge. That’s right, surf the internet, watch online TV, buy stuff all via your Nintendo. All you need is an internet connection. The browser was priced at 500 Wii Points (US$5) but was originally offered to Wii owners free of…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 1, 2009 -
Microsoft To Announce Xbox 360 Price Cut For Japan Tomorrow
While the Xbox 360 has already gotten a price reduction in the States, it hasn’t yet in Japan. That will change tomorrow when the company shaves the console’s price tag for the region. According to Microsoft Hong Kong, the Japanese arm of the company is holding a press conference in Tokyo tomorrow to announce the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 1, 2009 -
How Hard Will It Be To Get A PS3 Slim In Japan At Launch?
Who knows! That didn’t stop me from calling five Japanese retailers to find out. Game retailers in Japan run the gamut of small, independent Mom ‘n’ Pop style shops to the larger, nationwide chains. Since the chains get larger product shipments, I called five shops in Osaka and Tokyo. I called one in Kyoto, but…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 1, 2009 -
How Is Beatles Rock Band Gonna Do?
While, yes, Rock Band is extremely popular, the series isn’t cheap to make. The franchise has been a money loser for parent company Viacom — not because nobody is buying (tons are!), but because of the plastic instruments. It’s costly to make and ship the plastic instruments to retailers around the world from plants in…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 1, 2009 -
What Square Enix Games Are Playable At Tokyo Game Show?
This month brings the Tokyo Game Show to…Chiba, Japan. And what games is Square Enix bringing to TGS? Minus the Japan-only Lord of Vermilion II arcade game and Japan-only cell phone games like Kingdom Hearts: Coded, the list of Square Enix console games appearing at TGS are: Final Fantasy XI: The Vana’diel Collection 2: Trailer…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 1, 2009 -
New Okami Is Coming To The Nintendo DS
Those hoping for a hi-res, hi-def sequel of the PS2 classic Okami, keep hoping. Capcom is making a new Okami, but for the DS. As predicted by 7-Eleven, your source for Japanese game news leaks, the new issue of Famitsu does feature an article on a new Okami game called Okamiden. That’s a snapshot of…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 1, 2009
Brian Ashcraft
Brian Ashcraft's posts