osaka
News
12:00AM Brian Ashcraft | See those signs? They read, “Majikon” — Japanese for R4. And they are pointing into a random apartment building. More »
R4 Sales Get Shadier And Shadier
12:00AM Brian Ashcraft | See those signs? They read, “Majikon” — Japanese for R4. And they are pointing into a random apartment building. More » 
Culture
Japanese Muggers Confess To Stealing US$30,000 From Otaku
7:00PM Brian Ashcraft | Osaka nerds can breath easy. Hopefully. Two male suspects have been arrested for “otaku gari”, AKA “otaku hunting.” More »
News
“No One From Capcom Japan Will Be At E3″ Vs. “Capcom Japan’s Attendance Is Under Review”
9:00PM Brian Ashcraft | Previously we posted that Capcom’s E3 plans were up in the air, because of the Swine Flu. Earlier this morning, game site NowGamer reported that Capcom Japan have apparently canceled their appearance. Now? More »
News
Capcom Shipped Lots Of Games
6:30PM Brian Ashcraft | Last financial year was pretty good for Osaka-based game maker Capcom. The was powered by big titles like Resident Evil 5, Street Fighter IV and perennial favourite Monster Hunter. More »
Xbox 360 Getting Lots of Shelf Space
7:00PM Brian Ashcraft | Before we start, things to keep in mind: This is at one store in Osaka’s electronics district, Den-Den Town. At this same store, something like ten people showed up for the Xbox 360 launch. More »
This Is What The Retro Gamer Girl Is Doing With Metal Gear…
7:00PM Brian Ashcraft | Over the weekend, I stayed at home at waited for the baby to fall out of my wife. (It didn’t, but rather, hung around in her womb and listened to my Prince albums.) On Saturday and Sunday, Osaka played host to the Games Japan Festa 2008. (Like I said, I was at home, with the wife, Prince records and a catcher’s mitt.) The event is nowhere near the size of TGS, but Famitsu was there, reporting long lines for Metal Gear Online: Meme Expansion. The wait reached 90 minutes — compare that to the brisk 15-20 minute lines for The Last Remnant. More »
Let’s Check One Store For DSi Launch Lines
11:00PM Brian Ashcraft | It’s Halloween night in Osaka, and most people DO NOT CARE. That’s not all, it’s the eve of the DSi launch in Osaka, and likewise, most people DO NOT CARE. That is an overstatement. People do care, and the product will probably be successful. But here I am, standing in front of Umeda’s Yodobashi Camera at the exit where tons of people lined up years back for DS Lite launch. This pic was taken at 9:00pm Japan time and as one can see, there’s no line! More »
Japanese Schoolgirl Practices At Arcade, Almost Kills Man With Car
10:00PM Brian Ashcraft | Over the weekend in Osaka’s Higashiyodogawa Ward, a 58 year-old man was knocked off his bicycle by a car and dragged 180 meters (almost 600 feet) in a hit-and-run accident. The victim suffered serious injuries, and the driver was arrested by the police. The suspect is a 14 year-old junior high school girl from Osaka’s Toyonaka City. More »
News
SEGA Explains Yakuza 2’s Japanese Voices
8:00PM Brian Ashcraft | Ryu Ga Gotoku is a solid game with great voice acting. With the game was localised for the West, SEGA made the mistake of dubbing over the voices in English with folks like Michael Madson and Luke Skywalker. It didn’t work. At all. Sure, both of those are talented actors, but the dubbing didn’t fit. It was, to put it nicely, a “criminally bad f*ck up”. But SEGA listened. SEGA cares. According to SEGA’s Associate Producer Kevin Frane: When Yakuza was released in the U.S. without a Japanese voice track, there was actually a significant fan outcry. Obviously, this is a very Japanese game, set in Japan and dealing heavily with Japanese culture, and quite a lot of people thought that not having the original Japanese dialogue affected the game’s sense of authenticity. When definitely took that fan reaction into account when making the ultimate decision to go ahead with the Japanese voice track for Yakuza 2. Bravo, SEGA. Nice to know you’re listening! Sega tells us why they kept the Japanese voice track in Yakuza 2 [Siliconera] More »
News
