Kotaku East

Man Mistakenly Beaten For Playing Mobile Games On Bus

Mobile games are great; they allow people to game pretty much everywhere. From gaming during the daily commute to gaming while waiting for the bus, mobile games can enrich people’s daily lives. Sadly, for one man in China, the joys of playing mobile games had lead to an undeserved beating. According to China’s GuangMing Daily,…

Here’s What People in Japan Think of Xbox One

The original Xbox had a rough time in Japan. Ditto for the Xbox 360. How are things faring for the just announced Xbox One? Um… Xbox Japan put a translated version of the presentation online for Japanese gamers to watch (yes, as Famitsu points out, the console is getting a Japanese release). And on 2ch,…

Japanese Artist Paints Amazing Finger Art on an iPad

And not just on an iPad, but also on an iPhone. Shizuoka-born artist Seikou Yamaoka uses his fingers and an app called ArtStudio to produce truly stunning digital works. In the above video, you can watch Yamaoka bring Johannes Vermeer’s masterpiece “Girl with a Pearl Earring” to life on his iPad Mini. The video is…

Popular Cat Meme Creator in Trouble with the Law

During the 1980s, a cat photo fad swept Japan. Dubbed “Nameneko” (なめ猫), the pictures featured feline friends dressed as high school thugs. The trend went global, spreading to the U.S. for a brief time. But this month, the trend’s creator is in hot water for tax evasion. In 1979, the story goes that then young…

Song of Saya Has its Own American Comic Book (And It’s Not Very Good)

Back in 2003, Saya no Uta — The Song of Saya was released in Japan. It became known as one of the most messed-up games ever released. Earlier this month—nearly a decade after the Japanese release—it got its first official Western release. But that’s not the first time that the franchise has reached Western shores.…

Nintendo Made a New Dungeon Crawler. This Is It.

Early last month, Nintendo released a download game on the Japanese 3DS eShop. However, as it was only given out free to Gold and Platinum Nintendo Club members, the chances are high you’ll never get to even see it—much less play it. The game is called Nintendoji—and is based on a pun on the company’s…

One Piece Creator Hospitalized, Manga on Hiatus for Two Issues

This March, One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda took a week off due to a “sudden illness”. Today, it was announced that Oda has been admitted to the hospital. Moreover, the One Piece manga will be on hiatus for two issues. According to an official Shonen Jump release, Oda has a peritonsillar abscess, which is an…

Monster Hunting in Dystopian London: Freedom Wars Hits Vita in 2014

As promised: more about Sony’s recently teased Panopticon, or, as it likes to call itself now, Freedom Wars. And although the trailer up top doesn’t tell us much more of the dystopian monster-infested London we’ve seen before, we now know that Freedom Wars is a multiplayer action game coming to the PS Vita in 2014.

3D Coffee Art Reaches New, Dizzying Heights

Late last year, Kotaku first brought word of coffee artist Kazuki Yamamoto. He makes stunning cappuccino art. In the last few months, Yamamoto has been perfecting his three dimensional creations. He’s gotten even better. From Hello Kitty to Vault Boy from the Fallout games (friggin’ Vault Boy!), Yamamoto whips up pop culture in steamed milk.…

Another Huge Metal Gear Toy

Hong Kong based collectible maker ThreeA previously released a jumbo-sized Metal Gear REX figure. And now? Now, it looks like they’re working on a jumbo-sized RAY mecha. In these photos from Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima, you can see a prototype of the upcoming RAY figure. That’s resident artist Yoji Shinkawa in the pics. As…

SNK Playmore is hiring up for, as the Osaka-based studio’s help wanted page reads, “the strongest 3D King of Fighters and Samurai Shodown“. Guess they’re going to work on new games… To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com or find him on Twitter @Brian_Ashcraft Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet…

You Won’t Believe This Violent Video Game Theory

Professor Dong Wong Cho of Chungbuk Provincial College in South Korea has an idea about violent video games. And it’s truly bonkers. According to Professor Cho’s latest study, violent video games make graphics cards run hot and emit more radio waves. Thus, the scholar argues, this means violent video games are more harmful for the…

This fall, fighting game franchise BlazBlue is getting an animated series in Japan called BlazBlue Alter Memory. More details on ANN or the show’s official site. To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com or find him on Twitter @Brian_Ashcraft Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest…

This Wii U Game Doesn’t Seem as Polished as Its PS3 Version

The first Yakuza game debuted on the PlayStation 2. Last fall, an HD version of the game hit the PlayStation 3. This summer, it’s coming to the Wii U. How does it stack up? Today, the first screenshots for Yakuza 1 & 2 HD Edition for Wii U hit the internet. Via 4Gamer, there were…

Konami Explains Why Metal Gear Rising Isn’t on The Xbox 360 in Japan

In the West, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance was released on the Xbox 360. In Japan, it wasn’t. Here’s why. While speaking on theHideChan Radio podcast, Kojima Productions producer Yuji Korekado mentioned that Rising was originally announced for Japan. “However, around last year, Xbox 360 sales didn’t really grow [in Japan],” added Korekado. Meaning? That while…

These Keyboard Keys Are Not Popular

Look at your keyboard. It’s filled with keys! Some of them you love using. Some of them you probably rarely use. In Japan, a new survey (via R25) revealed which ones were totally unpopular among the country’s PC users. For those who don’t know Japanese, be aware that when people type the language, they use…

Have a look at the latest entry in the Guilty Gear fighting series. Titled Guilty Gear Xrd -Sign-, the game runs on the Unreal Engine and is being directed by Guilty Gear maven Daisuke Ishiwatari. It’s currently listed as “in development”.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is coming to PC, Hideo Kojima’s podcast revealed. Details about the port are TBA. [HideBlog via PG_jp]

Oh Hey, It’s a Naked Man on a Scooter, Carrying a Crucifix

It’s not everyday you see a naked man riding a scooter with giant cross. Warning: This article has content some readers might find objectionable. Last month, Kotaku brought word of a Beijing man who ran through the streets nude while carrying a sex doll. Online in China, the images soon went viral, and one Chinese…

Four Anime You Can Skip This Season

Earlier this week, we looked at the five anime you should be watching this season. But what about all the other anime this season? Well here’s why some of the more notable ones didn’t make the cut. Now, keep in mind that these opinions are based only on the first half of each of these…