Japan’s Shibuya Ward offers people gacha game currency for paying their taxes
Taxpayers who opt to contribute part of their income tax towards Shibuya Ward will be rewarded with Monster Strike and Kotodaman paid currency.
VERACITY IN GAMING
VERACITY IN GAMING
Amber V
Editor-in-Chief since October 2023.
She grew up playing Duke Nukem and Wolfenstein with her dad, and is now enamored with obscure Japanese video games and internet culture. Currently devoted to growing Automaton West to the size of its Japanese sister-site, while making sure to keep news concise and developer stories deep and stimulating.
Devil May Cry and Dragon’s Dogma director Hideaki Itsuno’s new triple-A action game “combines the best of everything he’s worked on”
Former Capcom veteran Hideaki Itsuno shares update on his new work-in-progress project with LightSpeed Japan.
Nintendo Switch 2 game-key cards not eligible for preservation by Japan’s National Diet Library, officials say
Storing over 9,600 Japanese video games in proper archival conditions, the National Diet Library is a key institution for domestic game preservation.
Tales of series fans in Japan feel “played” by IP’s publisher. Criticism intensifies after Tales of Xillia Remastered announcement
A look at Japanese gamer's reactions to Bandai Namco's handling of the Tales franchise in recent years.
60% of the companies actually producing anime saw declining profit or losses in 2024, despite industry revenue being at an all-time high
A new survey on Japan's anime production industry suggests that the shortage of animators is severely impacting profit margins.
Former Dragon Quest series producer says he left Square Enix after the company shifted to safe “copycat” projects modeled after existing hit games
Dragon Quest 8 and 9 producer Ryutaro Ichimura recently talked at length about his departure from Square Enix.
The Gundam series may not survive for another ten years, Gundam GQuuuuuuX director suggests
Gundam GQuuuuuuX and Evangelion director shares insights on young audiences' shifting relationship with the concept of "pilotable robots."
Castlevania stage play draws unprecedented crowds of male visitors to Japan’s all-female Takarazuka theater
Takarazuka's "Castlevania: Awakening in the Moonlight" is based on 1997’s Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
Amidst rising development costs, the AI: The Somnium Files series has persevered by prioritizing story and voice acting over graphics and environments, producer says
Spike Chunsoft executive and AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES producer Yasuhiro Iizuka talks about cost-saving measures that have sustained the series.
Palworld developer Pocketpair acquires stake in Bushiroad alongside Animate subsidiary
Bushiroad's CEO is no longer the company's majority shareholder after selling his shares to Pocketpair and Acos.
Japanese game company executive embezzles $2.35 million by sending fake outsourcing job orders to themselves
GungHo is preparing to file criminal charges against the (now dismissed) senior executive-level employee for siphoning company funds.
AI: The Somnium Files’ first entry didn’t sell well at launch, but Spike Chunsoft made the call to keep pursuing the IP. Series producer tells us why
Spike Chunsoft executive and AI: The Somnium Files series producer Yasuhiro Iizuka talks about why his team decided to continue the series despite initial low figures.