Beijing’s Smog – It’s Like Living in Silent Hill All the Time

If you’ve read any international news regarding China recently, you’ll definitely have read about the environmental disaster that is Beijing’s air. Over the weekend and heading into the week, Beijing’s been covered in a terrible haze of “smog”, causing issues with traffic, air travel, and most importantly health. The Air Quality Index, an index used…

This Pokémon Nerd Hero Is Way Good at Drawing

One of my favorite things is watching people draw. I’m not very good at drawing, but there’s something relaxing about watching people who are. Late last year, Japanese celeb Shoko Nakagawa appeared on a variety program and was able to show off how talented she is at art (and how other celebrities aren’t!). Nakagawa, who…

Magazine with Scandalous Photo Goes on Sale in Japan

Young Magazine is a weekly manga that features serialized comics, like Initial D. Aimed at young males, the publication also features pin-up bikini photos. This week, the magazine features a questionable image of Tomomi Kasai, a former member of Japan’s biggest girl group AKB48. In the photo, Kasai is topless, and a young boy covers…

Over a thousand workers at a Foxconn supplier went on strike, demanding better pay.

Chinese Copycat Shooters May Have Met Their Match; Call of Duty Online Goes Into Testing in China. [UPDATE]

Chinese online games have been able to get away with imitations for a long time because there was no other option. Poor intellectual property rights and stringent barriers to entry have long kept popular international titles at bay, but now it seems the grace period for poor Chinese imitations may be gone and it starts…

Pepsi Marinated Chicken Wings? We’ve got Cheesy Lobster in China too.

Sitting in what’s often called a trashy cafe in Beijing’s Wudaokou district, a friend of mine asked me a question, “你知道为什么中国网游那么简单吗？” (Do you know why Chinese online games are so simple?) Confused and halfway through a soggy “homemade” microwave potato chip I asked, “Why?” My buddy smiled at me and said, “Because they’re designed to…

Battle Royale Won’t Be Getting an American TV Show Anytime Soon

Battle Royale, the manga and the film, follows a high school class put in a deadly game of kill or be killed. Due to its violent subject matter, no American distributor would initially touch the 2000 film, especially with the school shootings happening at the time. But in the wake of The Hunger Games, there’s…

When You Die, You Cannot Take Pornography With You

One day, you’ll die. Your worldly possessions will stay behind. Perhaps there are things you want your loved ones to see. Then, there are those things you probably don’t. Nagoya based Keepers handles estate sales for those who pass on, and employee Taichi Yoshida recently gave words of caution to News Post Seven—namely finding stuff…

Atlus recently trademarked “P Studio” in Japan. It’s apparently connected to the Persona games.

Nintendo Power Is Gone, But Nintendo Magazines Live On

Nintendo Power magazine may have released its final issue late last year, but the spirit of the publication lives on with Nintendo Force, a very shiny, very new magazine that’s hoping to take its place. Featuring writers from sites like 1UP, IGN and Destructoid, it’s got a very nice cover (note the subtle NES cartridge…

Watch This Amazing Sci-Fi Short. You Won’t Believe It Was Made By One Man.

And a young one at that. This short is called Rha, and it’s extraordinary for two reasons. 1) It’s, well, extraordinary. 2) It was written, directed and animated by one man That man is digital film design student Kaleb Lechowski, who is only 22 years old. He got help with the sound and voice acting…

Far Cry 3’s Vaas Makes For One Sexy Pin-Up

One thing just about everyone says after finishing Far Cry 3 is, jeez, I wish there’d been more Vaas. Here’s more Vaas. A lot more Vaas than you were probably bargaining for. This fantastic image was done by the supremely-talented Doubleleaf, whose work you may have seen before Vaas Montenegro [Doubleleaf @ DeviantArt]

Jon Snow, Meet Skyrim. You Two Have A Lot In Common.

That incredible Skyrim shot up there? That outfit (and modelling) is the work of Canadian Amanda Eccleston, and you can see more images from the shoot here The shot on the right is a pretty great Jon Snow, and in the middle, yup, that’s Crystal Graziano paying tribute to Zone of the Enders To see…

Harmonix Let A Fan Make The End Credits To One Of Their Games

I’ve never “finished” a Dance Central game because, every time I start playing, the booze eventually runs out, and/or people eventually go home. I could play it sober, by myself, but, um, no. That might have to change soon, though, because Dance Central 3’s closing credits are wonderful. Not only are they a great pixel…

Pets & Video Games. It’s Like The Internet Condensed Into A Single Thing.

Press Paws is an upcoming art show in LA that wants to bring together pets and video games. If that wasn’t already a perfect pairing, the show is also about raising money for charity. Featuring the work of over 50 artists (like Paul Robertson, who did the image up top, and Jim Mahfood), proceeds raised…

For One Weekend, A Real Street Was Turned Into An 8-Bit Landscape

To promote the release of Wreck-It-Ralph in the UK (for some reason, it’s out later in some markets), between January 11-13 a lane in London was transformed into an 8-bit landscape by an artist and a team of workers. The installation was done by Aden Hynes Sculpture Studios, and included a car, a letterbox, animals,…

How Two Artists Are Staying True To Metal Gear’s Legacy With The Series’ Next Game

Most of the time here on Fine Art, we can only show art for games that are already out, because that’s the way the business works. Most of the time. We’ve got a nice break from that today though, with a large collection of art for the upcoming Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. Artists Cho and…

Where Street Fashion Meets Ancient Video Game Art

Serene Weather, a design firm from Korea, put together this fashion shoot using real-world locations and not-real pixellated characters. I know, the legs are too skinny for this to have actually happened, but I like to think that behind every one is an actual person wearing those actual clothes. On the Street [Serene Weather, via…

Sports Video Gaming Must Face Its Own Era Of Excess

Wednesday was supposed to be a day of no news in Major League Baseball. There are no league games in January, of course; pitchers and catchers report to spring training in 29 days. And exit polling had long foreseen the shutout ballot, for the first time since 1996, that the Baseball Writers Association of America…

Modder Creates The World’s Coolest Iron Man Video Game (Inside Grand Theft Auto)

Grand Theft Auto IV modder H1Vltg3 has built this incredible Iron Man mod for the PC version of the game, which does so much more than just reskin the main character. The mod also contains a script which dramatically alters the way you can play the game, giving him proper hand repulsor beam effects and…