-
UncategorizedThe Wii U’s Power Problem
Nintendo’s next console, the Wii U, will run into the same problem its predecessors did. Namely, it will be unable to run popular video games designed for other major gaming consoles by its second or third year of existence, according to people familiar with the capabilities of the late-2012 console. “After the next generation of…
By Stephen Totilo Published June 25, 2012 - Uncategorized
I Bought Facebook Credits This Weekend, and I am (Mostly) Not Ashamed
Until yesterday I prided myself on the fact that I never spent a single cent on Facebook’s fake game money. Now that pride is gone, but the cause was just: I used real money to kick someone’s ass. It almost sounds cool when I put it that way. Not so much when I expound. I…
By Mike Fahey Published June 25, 2012 - Reviews
The Amazing Spider-Man Film is… Well… Amazing!
Japan loves Spider-Man. I mean they LOVE him. It’s not the same with other American superheroes—Batman, Superman, and most of the recent Marvel movies tend to do poorly in at the Japanese box office. Even Avengers didn’t get a major push in the Japanese media until after it proved to be a financial success in…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published June 25, 2012 - Kotaku East
The Ruins of Dubai with Wild Animals. Hey, This Could Be a Sony Video Game.
Tokyo Jungle? Ha, more like Dubai Jungle. Artist Richard Allenby-Pratt’s project “Abandoned” shows Dubai in ruins and overrun with a variety of exotic animals that aren’t exactly indigenous to the region. The photos are striking, and if Sony needs inspiration for a Tokyo Jungle follow-up, this might be a good place to look. If you…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 25, 2012 - Kotaku East
Study, China Says Minors Are Learning About Sex From Video Games
Earlier this month on Children’s Day, the China Youth Internet Association in conjunction with the Communication University of China released a study indicating that more than half of all minors ages 13-18 are learning about sex through sex in video games and video game related materials. The study reports that over 40 percent of young…
By Eric Jou Published June 25, 2012 - Kotaku East
Japan Getting Inevitable Dragon Quest X Bundle
When Dragon Quest X goes on sale this August in Japan, those folks who have yet to purchase a Nintendo Wii can get a special DQX bundle. That’s assuming those people exist! The bundle comes with a black Wii, a Classic Controller Pro, a USB memory stick, a copy of the game, a ¥1,000 (US$12)…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 25, 2012 - Kotaku East
Living in China is Life Behind the Great Firewall
Hello Kotaku readers, my name is Eric, you’ve probably seen some of my articles these last couple of months. If you haven’t already figured it out I live in China (the Chinese mainland) and these last 3 years haven’t exactly been a picnic. Now don’t get me wrong, life in China isn’t bad. In fact,…
By Eric Jou Published June 25, 2012 - Kotaku East
Yes, Rule 34 Apparently Applies to Colorful Japanese Popstars, Too
Last summer, teenage fashion blogger Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s popularity exploded with her debut single “PonPonPon”. The tune and its colorful video went viral, even hitting well beyond Japanese shores. While much of the fashion ideas in the “PonPonPon” or in Kyary (or rather, “Carrie” as she sometimes writes) were muted after going viral, the impact…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 25, 2012 - Kotaku East
Chinese Arcade Owner Extorted For Cigarettes
A man in the south Chinese metropolis of Chongqing, Sichuan Province, was recently sentenced to jail for 7 months for blackmailing and extorting a video game arcade for…cigarettes. According to Chongqing Daily, the man in question, Duan Wei had a criminal record and was previously in Jail for 4 years for theft. Duan Wei got…
By Eric Jou Published June 25, 2012 - Kotaku East
Cannibalism Isn’t Illegal, But Eating Penis Could Be Obscene
This past spring, illustrator Mao Sugiyama prepared a special dinner: Mao’s male genitals (penis, testicles, and scrotum) as a ¥100,000 meal. Five diners ate the illustrator’s bait and tackle at an event in Tokyo. The penis eating event raised eyebrows in Japan and outside the country. Cannibalism is not illegal in Japan per se, so…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 25, 2012 - Kotaku East
Resident Evil Restaurant Is “Comig Soon”
Capcom, friend of bad spellers everywhere, wants you to know that a Resident Evil (née Biohazard) cafe is “comig soon” to Shibuya. Opening July 13 at 11am, the Biohazard Cafe and Grill will offer RE fans a place to dine on their favorite zombie treats. The cafe, which will only be opened for a year,…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 25, 2012 - Kotaku East
It’s Looks Like Final Fantasy, But with Way More Nudity and Sex
Illusion Field claims to be the ultimate “undressing game”. But this futuristic fantasy titles looks like it’s taking its cues from Japanese role-playing games. Hello Final Fantasy! Hello naked people! The game promises realistic characters and a beautiful game world, and the official site repeatedly states how this is the next gen of these types…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 25, 2012 - Kotaku East
Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation Has a Slightly Different Name in Japan
Instead of Liberation, it’ll be Assassin’s Creed III: Lady Liberty—probably because the English words “lady” and “liberty” are more famous in Japan than “liberation”, and, as one reader pointed out, “liberation” sounds like “revelation”. [Famitsu via [VG247]
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 25, 2012 - Kotaku East
Mother Allegedly Had Her 4 Year-Old Child Steal an iPhone
It wasn’t your typical iPhone crime scene. In Chongqing, China, a clothing store employee plugged her iPhone 4S in at the register to charge it. But after helping a mother and her young son, the clerk noticed that her phone was missing. The store’s surveillance camera supposedly showed how the mother and son team worked…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 25, 2012 - Kotaku East
Tokyo Was Made for Giant Monsters, Giant Girls, and Camera Tricks
For decades, Tokyo has been a battlefield. Huge monsters and heroes duke it out, crushing cars like bugs and destroying buildings like they were made of toy blocks. But it’s not only miniature models that make Tokyo perfect for monsters. Camera tricks do the job, too. Above is a series of photos that use tilt…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 25, 2012 -
UncategorizedStar Trek’s Intro, Reborn for the 21st Century
One of the biggest problems I’ve had with Star Trek over the years is that, recent movie aside, it’s so dorky. So old-fashioned. This re-imagined intro sequence, done by artist Shawn Sheehan, flips that to its advantage, crafting a clip that revels in its retro chic so much it nearly drowns in it. And it…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 25, 2012 -
UncategorizedPrototype Movie Trailer Isn’t What You Think It Is
There’s a movie coming out next year called The Prototype. It stars a “man” in a hoodie who is on the run, being hunted for his extraordinary powers. Combine the plot with the name and you’d be forgiven for assuming it’s a movie about Activision’s Prototype series. But it’s not. The Prototype the movie is…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 25, 2012 - Uncategorized
Honest Game Reviews are the Best Game Reviews
If a retailer reviewed the games they were selling, would you trust them? Probably not, but then, most retailers aren’t like Australia’s JB Hi-Fi. Known here as a humongous, cut-price seller of anything that can turn on or be put in something that turns on, many JB managers hire students or other forms of young…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 25, 2012