VERACITY IN GAMING
VERACITY IN GAMING
Amber V
Novice 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.
Pokémon Sleep: Japanese walkthrough site lists “sleeping pills” as a tool for real competitive sleepers, but quickly backtracks
A Japanese video game walkthrough listing sleeping pills as one of their recommended methods to get high scores in Pokémon Sleep has gone viral on Japanese Twitter recently. The mention of sleeping aid has since been deleted from the site.
This ginormous 6000+ page Idolmaster memorial book could serve as a blunt weapon
An official Memorial Book commemorating the past 8 years of the Idolmaster SideM series announced for 2024 is going to exceed 6000 pages, which has caught the attention of users even outside of the fandom.
Final Fantasy XVI’s fascinating “Mini Soken System” takes player immersion to a new level
Final Fantasy XVI has been revealed to include a so-called “Mini Soken system” that edits the OST of the game and adjusts volume in real time to match the pace of each player’s gameplay and improve player immersion.
Everyone hates inaccurate depictions of Japan, right? Wrong – a lot of Japanese people want more
A recent viral tweet by a Japanese user suggests that many Japanese people are actually fascinated, or at least amused, with some of the faulty representations of Japan in western media.
Japanese parents find unexpected use of Nintendo’s Pikmin
A heartwarming tweet by a Japanese mother describing how she made use of Nintendo’s Pikmin to make her son behave while outside has been receiving attention form users and fellow parents for how clever it is.
Do streamers contribute to the sales of games or take away from them? Discussion flares up among Japanese users
Tweets by a Japanese Twitch streamer triggered a discussion on the topic of whether gameplay streamers affect sales of games positively or negatively, which resulted in a split in opinions among Japanese users.
Japanese police incur wrath of users by using rubber bands on Pokémon cards seized after theft
Yamanashi prefectural police are receiving harsh criticism for using rubber bands to bind Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh cards they seized after a 430,000 yen worth theft.
Fire Emblem Engage artist Mika Pikazo apologizes for tweets about piracy from nine years ago
Illustrator Mika Pikazo posted an apology on her official Twitter account for past tweets in which she talks positively about piracy and admits to doing it herself.
Japanese publishers ban “insanity” and similar sensitive words, but is the censorship going too far?
A series of tweets by a Japanese manga author on the topic of words they are not allowed to use under their publisher has triggered discussion among users regarding the censorship of words referring to “insanity” in fiction, with many…
Japanese users notice that same-sex marriage in Gundam: The Witch from Mercury is made clear in North America but vague in Japan
Japanese fans of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury are expressing dissatisfaction over the fact that Japanese sources have yet to confirm the marriage between Suletta and Miorine.
5channel, origin of 4chan, in danger of extinction after being backstabbed by its dedicated browser
In what users are calling the "Jane coup," JaneStyle, the largest dedicated browser for viewing the anonymous bulletin board 5channel cut ties with 5channel, turning into a dedicated browser for a new clone-like anonymous bulletin board called Talk.
Learning this battle tactic from Rurouni Kenshin can come as a lifesaver in Souls games
A battle tactic from the manga Rurouni Kenshin has recently gone viral among Japanese gamers for how useful it can prove in games such as Elden Ring, Ghost of Tsushima, Sekiro and similar.
“Have your parents cover your living expenses” users share their dark experiences of Japan’s anime industry
Japanese users share insights on the unsustainable nature of Japan’s anime industry and harsh working and living conditions of animators.
Controversial note triggers intense washing machine discourse on Japanese Twitter
A heated debate about none other than doing the laundry started off on Japanese Twitter when one user shared a note that was put up in their apartment building to warn neighbors not to do their laundry at night.
Japanese users rattled by results of “The top 100 most “pornified” media franchises” ranking
The "top 100 most "pornified" media franchises ranking" has become a hot topic on Japanese social media as users react to Pokemon coming in first place.
Stop blowing into your Switch game card slots – Nintendo rebukes tradition of Japanese gamers
Nintendo recently made a post on their official Twitter account in which they refuted one long-standing custom of Japanese gamers - blowing onto their device to make it run better.
City of Kyoto under fire for problematic Pokémon card vending machine in subway station
The Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau has come under fire for installing vending machines that sell "original packs" of Pokémon cards that many deem legally and morally questionable.
After reading Initial D, two Japanese men try to drift but fail and get arrested
Two Japanese men (20, 21 y/o) have been arrested for attempting to drift on a public road. The offenders told the police that reading Initial D made them want to try drifting in real life.
CyberConnect2 CEO’s message to students in game development sparks controversy
Matsuyama Hiroshi, CEO of CyberConnect2, has recently come under fire on social media for a Twitter thread in which he expresses his opinions on the topic of students enrolled in game development-related studies not owning and using enough of a variety of game consoles.
Japanese confectionery brand launches its own metaverse
Bourbon Corporation, a major Japanese confectionery maker, released their own Bourbon Metaverse, a virtual candy-land themed 3D space that users can access through avatars.
Konami is the king of patents in Japan’s game industry, being no. 1 at keeping rivals at bay
A recent study shows that in 2022, Konami Group Corporation was the no. 1 company in Japan's game industry based on number of patents which blocked competitor companies' patent registration.
Why are prices of certain old Nintendo 3DSs skyrocketing in Japan?
Recently, Nintendo 3DSs which have 2 specific applications installed on them have been selling at double the retail price on marketplace apps in Japan.