- Kotaku East
Behind this Mai Shiranui, There’s Tragedy
Last year started out well enough. It looked like it was going to be a big one for Yang Qi Han (aka Isabella Yang). She was all over the place, even appearing at the Cannes Film Festival. Then things got bad, real bad. Everything came to a head with Isabella hanging on the side of…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 9, 2012 - Kotaku East
How About a Part-Time Job Buying Diablo III?
Diablo III is coming out. Soon. And people (like this individual) are very excited. South Korea is no different. Gamers are jazzed about Diablo III. And whenever there are jazzed people, there are unscrupulous individuals ready to take advantage. A South Korea job site recently ran a listing for a company offering a “one day…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 9, 2012 - Kotaku East
In Japan, Social Game Makers To Phase Out “Gambling” Elements
Japanese social game makers DeNA and Gree both said they will begin phasing out controversial “complete gacha” elements in their games. Losing $700 million in one day sure is convincing! [Reuters]
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 9, 2012 -
Kotaku EastThis High School Student Will Saw You in Half
In the West, the “image character” for splatter game Lollipop Chainsaw is cosplayer Jessica Nigri. She’s great for events in America, but the commute to Japan is a little far. In Japan, the game needs a local image character, and a local is what it is going to get: American-born Japanese actress Mayu Kawamoto. Dressing…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 9, 2012 - Kotaku East
Persona Sure Makes a Lovely Arcade Stick
Persona didn’t actually make it. It’s a game, and games cannot make arcade sticks. Rather, famed Japanese peripheral company Hori produced this PS3 fighting stick. It is to mark upcoming fighting game, Persona 4 The Ultimate in Mayonaka Arena, which is based on the Persona role-playing game. The game is a collaboration between Atlus and…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 9, 2012 - Kotaku East
When Anime and Real Life Collide, Things Get Freaky
Before people in Asia and the West were Photoshopping the hell out of their faces to look like anime characters, artist Chris Scarborough was doing it to his subjects. For art. Scarborough’s series “Ideal Species” shows humans that look more humanoid. It’s as though he’s taken the anime aesthetic and transplanted it to the real…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 9, 2012 - Kotaku East
Kane & Lynch Developers Sued for Defaming Chinese People
Never mind that Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days was first released nearly two years ago (or that it was a bit of a turd), one lawyer in China sure is pissed. According to Global Times (via TechInAsia), Beijing attorney Liu Lin is suing Kane & Lynch‘s developer, Denmark-based IO Interactive, and its publisher, Square…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 9, 2012 - Kotaku East
North Korea’s Dictator Never Has Bad Hair Days, Only Awesome Ones
While nothing can and will top China’s previous Photoshop efforts (in which Kim Jong-un was turned into Dragonball‘s Android 19 of the Red Ribbon Army), these latest attempts are valiant. They’re pretty funny, too! Both North Korea and China have a close political alliance, so there is some good-natured ribbing on China’s hair. Because really,…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 9, 2012 - Kotaku East
Sacrifice Flesh with This “Totally New” PlayStation Vita Game
The PS Vita wants its pound of flesh. And you are going to give it. In return, you will get some wicked power weapons and spells. Keiji Inafune, best known for Mega-Man and Dead Rising, is working on upcoming PlayStation Vita game Soul Sacrifice. Until now, the game has been shrouded in mystery, but Sony…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 9, 2012 - Kotaku East
China’s Superman Wedding Proposal Required a Crane
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a lovebird hanging nearly twenty stories above the ground dressed as Superman. Just look at those balloons. And those tights. And that crane. Things are about to get heart-warming. In the Jiangsu province city of Lianyungang, an unnamed gentleman showed up in a Superman costume, riding a scooter…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 9, 2012 -
UncategorizedThere’s a Feature-Length Documentary About Mass Effect 3’s Ending
You’d think, if told there’s an 84-minute documentary on the ending of Mass Effect 3, that it’d be the result of some crazed fans, crackpots spending most of that time exclaiming breathlessly into a cheap microphone. You would also be wrong, because this thing is great It’s basically a very in-depth examination of the various…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 9, 2012 -
UncategorizedThe Great League of Legends Cosplay Extravagaza
The 2012 ChinaJoy Cosplay extravaganza was especially extravagant in this case, as an entire stage is decked out with League of Legends cosplayers. It’s not just the quantity that’s impressive, it’s the quality of said quantity. Also of note? The prolonged pose-holding. These cosplayers are serious A few weeks back I made a concerted effort…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 9, 2012 - Uncategorized
If Only They’d Actually Released an All-White NES
I’ve got a basic rule when it comes to consumer electronics: the white the better. The white PS3, the original Xbox in its rare white, the DSi in glossy white, the new white 360, they all look great That’s just my tastes, though. Artist and advertising man Andrew Miller has a different reason for emphasising…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 9, 2012 -
UncategorizedThis Might be the Greatest Zombie Game Ever Made
I don’t like most zombie games because, well, they’re not really zombie games. They’re action games using the texture of a walking corpse as your opponent. From Resident Evil to Left 4 Dead, they don’t really capture the essence of a good zombie yarn like Dawn of the Dead or The Walking Dead manage. So…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 9, 2012 - Uncategorized
Pokémon Onesies are Dangerously Close to Furry Pyjamas
This range of onesies – you know, those awesome little suits babies get to wear – are fashioned in the style of Pokémon. And they’re available for grownups. An Etsy seller called All for Onesies makes these to order, meaning you can pick your favourite Pokémon, pay up and soon you’ll be spending your time…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 9, 2012 -
UncategorizedA Documentary About People Drawing Pictures of Their Favourite Nerd Heroes
“Fan art is often the viewer’s reaction to the show projected onto the character”. Not a bad summary, that. This short PBS video examines the world of fan art, and just why people feel the need to spend their time and energy drawing amazing images of characters who someone else aready created and drew. Refreshingly,…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 9, 2012 - Culture
The Concept Art Behind The Avengers
Pardon this brief interruption to our regular video game concept art schedule, but I figured a movie that’s on track to be one of the biggest of all time – and one starring a whole bunch of awesome superheroes – was worth the detour. This art is the work of Nathan Schroeder, for whom The…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 9, 2012 -
CultureTotal RecallDo Classic Sega Arcade Games Make you Want to Buy Burgers?
I’m not American, and I don’t live in America, so my familiarity with Sonic (apparently a drive-in burger chain) is limited. I am however very familiar with classic arcade racer OutRun, which Sonic is tapping into with this retro-infused commercial. Sonic Drive-Thru Guys / Out Run Commercial [PatrickScottPatterson]
By Luke Plunkett Published May 8, 2012