Kotaku East

Blizzard’s Hearthstone Might Have Competition in China

Blizzard Entertainment’s upcoming digital trading card game, Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, is eagerly awaited by fans all around the world. In China, the game is currently in a semi-open beta. Things aren’t all sunshine and rainbows for Blizzard, however, as there are issues abound and competitors to squash. Late last week, Hearthstone’s Chinese card store…

Ghost In The Shell: Arise‘s Newest Ad Is A 3-Minute Mini-Episode

The four-part OVA series, Ghost in the Shell: Arise doesn’t even feign hiding product placement and ads. Two weeks before the premiere of the second part of the series, Production I.G has released an exclusive mini-episode, which basically is an ad for a Japanese company. But it’s still three minutes of new GitS footage! You…

These Are China’s Biggest Online Games

China’s online game market is breaking sales records year-on-year in the world’s most populous nation. In 2013, this market alone is poised to make over $11 billion, according to Gameindustry.biz. But which are country’s favorite online games? Let’s take a look. Left without a console market due to the exorbitant prices of consoles (and a…

Which Is Faster: a Japanese Woman or a Komodo Dragon?

Adventurer and Japanese celebrity Ayako Imoto raced a Komodo Dragon. And by “raced,” I mean she ran for her life. And she did so with a slab of meat tied around her waist. Oh, and wearing a kimono. Ever try running while wearing a kimono? It’s not easy. Try it while a large lizard carnivore…

China’s Space Capsule Hotel Has Robot Staff

It’s not staffed entirely by robots, mind you. There are earthlings on duty, too! Recently, a “space-themed” capsule hotel has opened in Shenzhen, China, reports website The Nanfang Insider. The hotel has a groovy 2001 vibe going on: There’s a robot doorman, it seems, and a waiter bot to bring you the drinks you order…

Screw McNuggets, China Has Spicy McPork Balls

Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt is said to be a big fan of pork. It’s also been said that when Bolt was in Beijing for the 2008 Olympics, he ate nothing but McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets. Now with McDonald’s China introducing the lovechild of pork and McNuggets, maybe Usain Bolt might just come back to China.…

Final Fantasy X & X-2 Out for PS3 on March 18

Squeenix has revealed the Western release dates for of their upcoming HD remasters for FFX and FFX-2 Both North America and Europe will be getting the games in March next year, on the 18th and on the 21st, respectively. In Japan, the compilation is still set to release in late December. We also have two…

Someone Wants To Pay $9,000 for a Gundam Model

And no, it’s not made out of gold. But the winning bidder must be made out of money. According to Itai News, a completed RX-93 ν Gundam model sold for 926,001 yen (US$9,261) in an online auction. Bidding started at 100 yen, which is about one dollar. The actual model, in its unpainted and disassembled…

Rumors of Alleged Foxconn PS4 Sabotage Are Sketchy, At Best

Last month, Kotaku reported that student interns were allegedly forced to manufacture the PlayStation 4. With the PS4 now out, rumors have popped up that some of those alleged student interns sabotaged Sony’s gaming console. Those rumors are spreading online, but, juicy as they are, they’re very thin. Here’s what Kotaku has sorted through and…

Five Important Things to Know About the Vita TV

Dying to own a Vita TV so you can play Vita games on your giant flat screen TV? Well, before you shell out the big bucks to import one, there are some things about the Vita TV you should probably know. 1) You Can’t Use Your Western PSN account As I booted up the Vita…

Inside Japan’s Squirrel Gardens. Yes, Squirrel Gardens!

Hey, that’s what they’re called! The actual name is “squirrel garden” (“risu-en” or リス園 in Japanese). And if you like squirrels, this is a little slice of squirrel heaven. Recently on 2ch, a net user posted photos from a recent visit to a squirrel park. They’re zoos that specialize in squirrels, and depending on where…

Street Fighter’s Producer Doubts Capcom Would Hire Him Today

If you’re a fan of Capcom’s Street Fighter series, you’ve probably heard of Yoshinori Ono: he’s been the series’ executive producer since Street Fighter IV, which was released back in 2009. But he didn’t start out that way. “At the time, I liked games and was more interested in composing music for them rather than…

The Ragnarok Creator’s New Game Will Have 80 Classes. Eighty.

Hakkyu Kim, who a long, long time ago created the crazy popular MMORPG Ragnarok Online, recently took the show floor over at South Korea’s G-Star convention to talk about his new game, Tree of Savior—a game that will no doubt drive altoholics insane with its huge amount of classes. According to Korean news site inven…

The Five Anime of Fall 2013 You Should Be Watching

When the fall 2013 anime season started early last month, I told you a little bit about each anime and where to watch them. However, with 49 new anime to watch this fall, one can’t help but ask: Which of them should you be watching? Now, as we have hit the half-way point of the…

The Worst Outfit Ever Worn on South Korean Television

Mind you, I haven’t seen every single get-up ever worn on Korean television, but I can confidently say this one is the worst. It really is. Either they picked the wrong background or the wrong outfit to go with said background. The outfit appeared on a Korean shopping channel. Last week, it began to go…

So Many Different Metal Gear Solid V Ground Zeroes Bundles in Japan!

When Metal Gear Solid V Ground Zeroes goes on sale next spring, Japanese gamers will have a bundle of different bundles to choose from. First, they can get the retail version, which is 2,980 yen (around US$30) and available for the PS4, the PS3, and the Xbox 360. They can also get a slightly cheaper…

Nintendo just bought a stake in NicoNico Douga’s parent company Dwango. The company provides content via smartphones, but Nintendo says it won’t be using Dwango for that. More on Siliconera.

Our Favorite Video Game Characters of the Last Generation

Video games immerse us in worlds beyond our own, letting us encounter sights and sounds beyond our imaginations. But no matter the scenery, what would these worlds be without the characters we have fought alongside and grown emotionally attached to over the past eight years? With the impending release of the PlayStation 4, today is…

There Are Japanese Temples for Boobs

There are several festivals in Japan dedicated to the phallus. At the very least, it’s only natural that there would also be a religious sites for breasts. This is Mama Kannon (formally “Ryuuon-ji”), and it’s a Buddhist temple in the Joudo sect. Kannon (aka Guanyin) is the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy. Located in Aichi Prefecture,…

One Man’s Quest To Prove How Far Laser Pointers Reach

I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who did this, but the first thing I did when I got my first laser pointer was go outside and point it at the moon. I’d stare and wonder if someone was up there, would they be able to see the little red light shining from the…