Dark Souls, the spiritual sequel to the challenging Demon’s Soul, will not be a cake walk. No, it will be difficult. It will be hard. Good thing the title’s Gamescom trailer is a piece of cake to watch. Dark Souls will be out this September in Japan and this October in the US and Europe.…
As gamers from around the globe descend on Cologne for Gamescom, Namco Bandai is releasing the latest trailer for upcoming weapon-based combat title Soulcalibur V The game is the seventh entry in Namco’s “Soul” games, and is set 17 years after Soulcalibur IV. Which means that Ivy is middle-aged and should look old. But she…
Arcade superplay footage of Taiko no Tatsujin is dime a dozen—amazing players beating out perfect drum routines, even incorporating their own dance moves and flourishes. But Taiko no Tatsujin isn’t only an arcade game. YouTube user silversilver0823 uploaded a video of him owning the PSP version of Taiko no Tatsujin. Just wait until his starts…
Bandai Namco is releasing a Gundam themed navigational app for the iPhone. Users can selected Earth Federation or Republic of Zeon interface choices and voice guidance. You or your car is represented by a Mobile Suit or battle suit. The more you use the app, the more Mobile Suits you can acquire. While using the…
Japan has a long, proud history of making toys. The Bandai Museum in the rice fields of Tochigi Prefecture catalogues the amazing playthings the country has produced over the years. Can’t make it out to sleepy town of Mibu to check out the museum? No worries, Kotaku‘s got you covered. Kotaku reader Bakagaijin visited the…
Christie Monteiro is one of Tekken’s flashier characters. Maybe it’s her swivel kicks, the glitter, or the long hair. But with this new figure, it’s definitely the ass chaps. From famed figure maker Kotobukiya comes this new 1/7 scale Christie figure. It’s priced at ¥6,510 (US$84), and the figure is set to go on sale…
This December, Bandai Namco is holding the “Gunpla Builders World Cup 2011”, the first international competition devoted to Gunpla, or Gundam model building. Between now and September, preliminary rounds are being held with competitors from 13 different countries: Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, America, and Italy. There…
To promote the latest Tales role-playing game Tales of Xillia, Namco is rolling out a Tales cafe, first in Tokyo and later in Tokushima. It’s pretty much trendy cafe Ufotable sprinkled with Tales memorabilia and merchandise. Though, those placemats showing the Xillia characters eating curry in Ufotable are cool indeed. That cutout by the window?…
If playing Tales of Vesperia wasn’t enough for you, then there’s this: a Yuri Lowell bracelet. It seems at least one cosplayer wanted this bracelet commissioned! Good news, because it’s now officially available for purchase at Namco Bandai’s online shop for ¥5,040 (US$64). テイルズ オブ ヴェスペリア | ララビットマーケット（バンダイナムコゲームス公式通販サイト） [lalabitmarket]
Gundam. Draonball. Kamen Rider. Great Mazinger, even. Namco Bandai’s 2011 Tamashii Nation toy show proves just how wonderful (and awesome) Japanese figures can be. Don’t believe me? Have a look at the pics in the gallery, courtesy of website Gigazine. There are some old favorites in there as well as new characters like the pirate-infused…
This year isn’t over. It’s more than half over. Time to look back and see which game maker is doing the best in Japan. So far. According to Famitsu, here is a list of which game companies made the most profit in the period through game sales. The period is from December 27, 2010 to…
On August 31, Ayumi Hamasaki is releasing a new EP called Five. Since Hamasaki is singing the theme for upcoming role-playing game Tales of Xillia, a limited edition version of her new mini-album will come with a redeemable download code. The code can be entered into Tales of Xillia for an in-game, rabbit-eared “Song Princess”…
Next month, Tokyo’s Ufotable Cafe is being turned into a special Tales cafe as part of a promotion for Namco’s Tales role-playing games. Then in September, the Tales cafe will move to an Ufotable in Tokushima. In both cafes, there will be special Tales themed food and drinks, a Tales exhibit, and more. For a…
Wonder what the new AKB48 game will be like? From the looks of it, it’ll be idols saying they like you, and then getting pissed when you turn down their advances. AKB48 is the most popular idol group in Japan at the moment. As previously posted, the sequel will feature the AKB girls in bikinis,…
Last December, Namco Bandai released a PSP game with the goal of turning down the advances of over forty young Japanese idols. Dating simulator? Not quite, it was a dumping simulator, and you were supposed to settle on one of those girls. Now you can do that again! AKB48 1/48 returns with AKB48 1/48: When…
Bandai’s Carddas series of kiddy card games is going AR. Its newest One Piece and Kamen Rider cards are AR enabled and can be played with an iPhone. AR is the holy shit moment for the 3DS; however, these cards apparently do not work with Nintendo’s handheld. Here’s how it works: scanning a card causes…
When Bandai Namco isn’t making video games, it’s making Gundam toys. And when it’s not making Gundam toys, it’s making Super Sentai toys. Super Sentai are totally awesome. At this year’s Tokyo Toy Show, the Bandai booth had a full line-up of life-sized Red Super Sentai characters throughout the ages. To those who don’t follow…
Game Republic, the Tokyo-based studio behind PS3 titles Folklore and Genji, appears to be dead. The studio’s honcho went from riches to rags, and the studio’s been erased from the internet—and the Earth. Yet, Game Republic’s Knights Contract is still getting promoted in Japan, garnering a huge splash on Famitsu. Namco Bandai, the game’s publisher,…
It’s over. That’s what people say about Japanese gaming. While there are bright spots in Japan, Western games (and gamers) now rule the roost. It’s easy to forget just how great Japanese games used to be. One man is here to remind you of that. His name is Shinya Arino. Shinya Arino is the host…
For all the bitching and moaning about Japanese games being creatively bankrupt, lame, or simply crappy-looking, there’s this, Dark Souls The game is the spiritual successor to the difficult and oh so moody Demon’s Souls and will be out this fall. The game is being developed by From Software, the studio best known for the…
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