VERACITY IN GAMING
VERACITY IN GAMING
Verity Townsend
Automaton West Editor and translator. She has a soft spot for old-school Sierra adventure games and Final Fantasy VIII (yes, 8!). Can often be found hunting down weird forgotten games and finding out everything about them. Frequently muses about characters and lines from Metal Gear Solid and Disco Elysium. Aims to keep Automaton fresh and interesting with a wide variety of articles.
The Exit 8 has been creepily recreated in “live-action” video
Wandering around The Exit 8's liminal spaces is creepy enough, but VFX artist Ray Wakui recently upped the scare factor by combining real-life footage with assets from the game.
New Japanese AI tool will detect suspicious job listings
Tokyo-based recruitment website operator to introduce a generative AI tool to help detect the increasing number of shady part-time job listings in Japan.
Nintendo Switch gaming brings cheer to children in earthquake evacuation center
Noto Peninsula earthquake evacuees enjoy a Smash Brothers tournament on the Nintendo Switch thanks to community organization efforts and the local power company.
Mario creator Miyamoto explains why designers shouldn’t be involved in initial stage of game development
In a recent interview, Shigeru Miyamoto explains why it is best to start out with a small team when developing a video game.
Japanese industry veteran warns about negative impact of gamers’ harsh language
Former Hudson Soft executive Takahashi Meijin called on pro-gamers and game companies to consider the detrimental effects of strong language and ultra-realistic FPS games on children.
Einhander: Square’s fiendish, stylish and polished space shooter classic
We look back at the challenging but well-crafted Psone era scrolling shooter Einhander, examine its legacy and why it is still worth playing.
20% of the anime industry’s profit comes from outside of Japan
The popularity of Japanese anime is showing no signs of slowing down, with overseas sales increasing by 11% compared to the previous year.
New official Final Fantasy XIV potato chips are floor-lickin’ good?
Square Enix is collaborating with Koikeya to release more Final Fantasy XIV Eorzea Popoto Chips, this time in a humourous spicy flavor that references gamer slang.
Shock as YOASOBI’s Idol is excluded from the Japan Record Awards Grand Prix
Oshi no Ko theme song Idol by YOASOBI is arguably Japan's biggest hit song of 2023 but why has it been excluded from the top award at Japan's equivalent of the Grammys?
Popularity of Steam sales leaves developers in a game pricing dilemma
Hyogo Onimushi is a Japanese indie game developer who created the visual novel adventure game Return to Shironagasu Island, available on Steam. In a recent post on X, he discussed how Steam’s advance notifications of large-scale and genre-specific sales have…
Dragon Ball creator’s Sand Land manga gets open-world ARPG adaptation
Bandai Namco is adapting Akio Toriyama's Sand Land into a sprawling, story-driven action RPG. Latest trailer shows off the Unicycle vehicle and combat against various monsters in the vast desert.
Like a Dragon funeral event lets fans offer flowers to deceased characters and see their spirits
Sega will hold an unusual memorial event dedicated to characters from its popular Yakuza games at Parco Department stores across Japan.
Anger in Japan as violent death threats lead to cancellation of game and anime events
Persistent death threats have caused Nintendo and AniLoca events in Japan to be cancelled or postponed, prompting angry and determined reactions from organizers and commenters.
Noir FPS Mouse and zany space adventure Galaxi Taxi are brimming with retro cartoon nostalgia
Fumi Games to release two cartoon-inspired games; swinging 1930s noir FPS Mouse and wacky, colorful space adventure Galaxi Taxi, which should appeal to Cuphead fans.
Big booty Korean game Nikke is a consistent money-maker in Japan, butt is that the only reason?
A year since its release, shooter RPG Goddess of Victory: Nikke continues to maintain a high playerbase with some surprises. But is it due to the sexy Nikkes?
Popular Gaming VTubers Chihiro Yuuki and Momo Azuchi to leave Nijisanji
Nijisanji announced that their game streaming VTubers Chihiro Yuuki and Momo Azuchi will be graduating on January 31, 2024.
Japanese game developer Level-5 reveals how they use generative AI like Stable Diffusion
Ni no Kuni and Professor Layton developer Level-5 demonstrate exactly how they use generative AI to assist game development and promotion.
Speedrunners are glitching their way through The Exit 8 in less than a minute
Players have been exploiting a looping glitch to zoom through Japanese indie walking simulator The Exit 8, with no-glitch runs also making impressive time.
New Neko Atsume release brings cute virtual kitties right into your living room
Meta Quest 3's mixed reality VR brings cute cat collecting sim Neko Atsume Purrfect Kitty Collector right into your living room.
The Last Express, the 90s real-time adventure game that still feels groundbreaking
Looking back on Jordan Mechner's cult classic adventure game that takes players on a thrilling and intriguing ride on the Orient Express.
Unearth the bone-chilling secrets of an old Japanese house in this psychological horror game
Get to the bottom of tragic family secrets in indie horror game Hollow Cocoon, with nods to The Grudge and Fatal Frame series.
Oppenheimer to finally be screened in Japan after much consideration
Christopher Nolan’s biopic of atomic bomb scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer set for a 2024 release in Japanese theaters by independent distributor Bitter Ends.