https://automaton-media.com/en/news/ AUTOMATON is a website that covers the Japanese gaming world. We bring you the news on video games from Osaka and Tokyo. Fri, 07 Aug 2026 09:12:21 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.3 https://automaton-media.com/en/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cropped-automaton-sitelogo-120x120-1-32x32.png https://automaton-media.com/en/news/ 32 32 https://automaton-media.com/en/news/japanese-ethics-watchdog-deliberates-on-a-certain-anime-featuring-a-cat-eared-heavy-smoker-after-viewers-complain-about-problematic-content/ https://automaton-media.com/en/news/japanese-ethics-watchdog-deliberates-on-a-certain-anime-featuring-a-cat-eared-heavy-smoker-after-viewers-complain-about-problematic-content/#respond Fri, 07 Aug 2026 15:00:00 +0000 https://automaton-media.com/en/?p=70784 While the committee had somewhat mixed opinions, the topic will not be pursued any further.]]> https://automaton-media.com/en/news/japanese-ethics-watchdog-deliberates-on-a-certain-anime-featuring-a-cat-eared-heavy-smoker-after-viewers-complain-about-problematic-content/feed/ 0 https://automaton-media.com/en/news/super-real-mahjong-venus-returns-developers-practiced-stripping-in-office-as-reference-for-the-games-meticulous-3d-undressing-scenes/ https://automaton-media.com/en/news/super-real-mahjong-venus-returns-developers-practiced-stripping-in-office-as-reference-for-the-games-meticulous-3d-undressing-scenes/#respond Fri, 07 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000 https://automaton-media.com/en/?p=70763 Super Real Mahjong Venus Returns developers talk about the meticulous process behind the game's 3D stripping animations. ]]> https://automaton-media.com/en/news/super-real-mahjong-venus-returns-developers-practiced-stripping-in-office-as-reference-for-the-games-meticulous-3d-undressing-scenes/feed/ 0 https://automaton-media.com/en/news/wo-long-2-producer-talks-about-open-world-design-increased-three-dimensionality-in-combat-and-addressing-parry-criticism-from-the-previous-game/ https://automaton-media.com/en/news/wo-long-2-producer-talks-about-open-world-design-increased-three-dimensionality-in-combat-and-addressing-parry-criticism-from-the-previous-game/#respond Fri, 07 Aug 2026 08:59:36 +0000 https://automaton-media.com/en/?p=70772 Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember producer Masakazu Hirayama on some of the game's new and inherited features.]]> https://automaton-media.com/en/news/wo-long-2-producer-talks-about-open-world-design-increased-three-dimensionality-in-combat-and-addressing-parry-criticism-from-the-previous-game/feed/ 0 https://automaton-media.com/en/news/taiko-no-tatsujins-upcoming-font-rehaul-might-be-related-to-monotypes-controversial-rise-of-font-license-fees-for-japanese-developers-users-speculate/ https://automaton-media.com/en/news/taiko-no-tatsujins-upcoming-font-rehaul-might-be-related-to-monotypes-controversial-rise-of-font-license-fees-for-japanese-developers-users-speculate/#respond Fri, 07 Aug 2026 08:32:53 +0000 https://automaton-media.com/en/?p=70768 Taiko no Tatsujin devs announced an in-game font rehaul. Users speculate that it's related to the recent "LETS font controversy." ]]> https://automaton-media.com/en/news/taiko-no-tatsujins-upcoming-font-rehaul-might-be-related-to-monotypes-controversial-rise-of-font-license-fees-for-japanese-developers-users-speculate/feed/ 0 https://automaton-media.com/en/news/saya-no-uta-creator-gen-urobuchis-debut-visual-novel-phantom-of-inferno-coming-to-steam-on-september-4/ https://automaton-media.com/en/news/saya-no-uta-creator-gen-urobuchis-debut-visual-novel-phantom-of-inferno-coming-to-steam-on-september-4/#respond Fri, 07 Aug 2026 08:11:32 +0000 https://automaton-media.com/en/?p=70755 Phantom of Inferno is a dark, neo-noir visual novel set in the criminal underworld.]]> https://automaton-media.com/en/news/saya-no-uta-creator-gen-urobuchis-debut-visual-novel-phantom-of-inferno-coming-to-steam-on-september-4/feed/ 0 https://automaton-media.com/en/news/apathy-visual-novel-series-creator-takiya-iijima-shares-positive-stance-on-ai-in-indie-development-after-new-titles-trailer-garners-controversy/ https://automaton-media.com/en/news/apathy-visual-novel-series-creator-takiya-iijima-shares-positive-stance-on-ai-in-indie-development-after-new-titles-trailer-garners-controversy/#comments Thu, 06 Aug 2026 17:00:00 +0000 https://automaton-media.com/en/?p=70682 Iijima revealed on August 1 that a new Apathy title was in the works, unveiling an AI-generated, live-action-style trailer.]]> https://automaton-media.com/en/news/apathy-visual-novel-series-creator-takiya-iijima-shares-positive-stance-on-ai-in-indie-development-after-new-titles-trailer-garners-controversy/feed/ 1 https://automaton-media.com/en/news/the-octopath-traveler-team-doesnt-have-anything-to-announce-quite-yet-but-is-aware-of-the-sky-high-expectations-for-octopath-traveler-iii-asano-says/ https://automaton-media.com/en/news/the-octopath-traveler-team-doesnt-have-anything-to-announce-quite-yet-but-is-aware-of-the-sky-high-expectations-for-octopath-traveler-iii-asano-says/#respond Thu, 06 Aug 2026 16:00:00 +0000 https://automaton-media.com/en/?p=70722 The developers ask fans to "keep looking forward to what comes next."]]> https://automaton-media.com/en/news/the-octopath-traveler-team-doesnt-have-anything-to-announce-quite-yet-but-is-aware-of-the-sky-high-expectations-for-octopath-traveler-iii-asano-says/feed/ 0 https://automaton-media.com/en/news/square-enix-debuts-ai-powered-qa-testing-platform-in-new-collaboration-with-google-gemini-built-with-backing-from-japanese-government/ https://automaton-media.com/en/news/square-enix-debuts-ai-powered-qa-testing-platform-in-new-collaboration-with-google-gemini-built-with-backing-from-japanese-government/#comments Thu, 06 Aug 2026 15:00:00 +0000 https://automaton-media.com/en/?p=70730 Square Enix recently unveiled its Google Gemini-powered AI tool that automates the quality assurance testing process for its games. ]]> https://automaton-media.com/en/news/square-enix-debuts-ai-powered-qa-testing-platform-in-new-collaboration-with-google-gemini-built-with-backing-from-japanese-government/feed/ 4 https://automaton-media.com/en/news/dead-by-daylight-devs-advise-the-obakeidoro-team-should-developers-trust-data-or-user-sentiment-why-is-the-japanese-player-base-so-unique/ https://automaton-media.com/en/news/dead-by-daylight-devs-advise-the-obakeidoro-team-should-developers-trust-data-or-user-sentiment-why-is-the-japanese-player-base-so-unique/#respond Thu, 06 Aug 2026 14:00:00 +0000 https://automaton-media.com/en/?p=70498 Part 2 of AUTOMATON WEST’s roundtable interview with the developers of Obakeidoro and Dead by Daylight.]]> https://automaton-media.com/en/news/dead-by-daylight-devs-advise-the-obakeidoro-team-should-developers-trust-data-or-user-sentiment-why-is-the-japanese-player-base-so-unique/feed/ 0 https://automaton-media.com/en/news/third-party-investigation-deems-shogakukans-rehiring-of-convicted-manga-author-as-complicity-in-a-human-rights-violation/ https://automaton-media.com/en/news/third-party-investigation-deems-shogakukans-rehiring-of-convicted-manga-author-as-complicity-in-a-human-rights-violation/#respond Thu, 06 Aug 2026 13:00:00 +0000 https://automaton-media.com/en/?p=70679 Several months after the Shogakukan Manga One scandal, a 106-page investigation report on the case has been published by a third-party committee.]]> https://automaton-media.com/en/news/third-party-investigation-deems-shogakukans-rehiring-of-convicted-manga-author-as-complicity-in-a-human-rights-violation/feed/ 0 https://automaton-media.com/en/news/kodansha-launches-project-to-turn-anime-openings-for-non-existent-series-into-original-ips/ https://automaton-media.com/en/news/kodansha-launches-project-to-turn-anime-openings-for-non-existent-series-into-original-ips/#respond Thu, 06 Aug 2026 11:00:00 +0000 https://automaton-media.com/en/?p=70692 Openings that become popular with fans will be adapted into anime, manga, novels, and other forms of media.]]> https://automaton-media.com/en/news/kodansha-launches-project-to-turn-anime-openings-for-non-existent-series-into-original-ips/feed/ 0 https://automaton-media.com/en/news/renya-setoguchi-author-of-overwhelmingly-positive-visual-novel-hira-hira-hihiru-announces-new-project-hyakubyaku/ https://automaton-media.com/en/news/renya-setoguchi-author-of-overwhelmingly-positive-visual-novel-hira-hira-hihiru-announces-new-project-hyakubyaku/#respond Thu, 06 Aug 2026 10:00:00 +0000 https://automaton-media.com/en/?p=70690 This will be studio BA-KU's second self-published title.]]> https://automaton-media.com/en/news/renya-setoguchi-author-of-overwhelmingly-positive-visual-novel-hira-hira-hihiru-announces-new-project-hyakubyaku/feed/ 0