VERACITY IN GAMING
VERACITY IN GAMING
Touhou isn’t old: 15- to 19-year-olds make up the majority of the fandom even in 2023
According to the Touhou Project Popularity Poll for 2023, almost 40% of the Touhou fandom is aged 15 to 19 years old, which has caused some shocked reactions throughout the community.
ByAmber V
User prompts Bing’s AI to report itself for infringing on Nintendo’s copyrights
Users have been creating all kinds of images with The Bing Image Creator that uses DALL-E 3, including images of copyrighted characters. One Japanese user decided to make a report to Nintendo about the issue, but made the Bing AI write the report.
- ByAmber V
Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno takes action against his face being printed on men’s underpants
Japanese director and animator Hideaki Anno has his face printed on bags, blankets, and men's underpants without his permission on Amazon. Online users find the ordeal strange, yet comical as they wonder who the target market would be for such items.
Why devs shouldn’t take player feedback at face value – Japanese players discuss
Japanese users discuss the correct way for game devs to go about accepting player feedback and incorporating proposed solutions into their games. The topic was prompted by an episode from the development of Dying Light.
- ByAmber V
Sonic Superstars producers discuss challenges in development, release date overlapping with Mario
The producers of Sega's Sonic Superstars, Takashi Iizuka of Sega of America and Naoto Oshima of Arzest discuss challenges they were faced with throughout development.
- ByAmber V
This new AI anime art generator claims to be “clean,” functioning without stolen art
Emi (Ethereal Master of Illustration) is a free to use AI image generator by Japanese developer AI Picasso that claims to be "clean," avoiding the use of stolen and unauthorized images.
Why do people glorify PS2-era graphics? Players who claim they don’t need any better urged to do a reality check
The PS2's graphics performance was groundbreaking for its time, and some players still claim that the console's visuals can hold their own against modern game systems. Is it nostalgia that keeps gamers singing the console's praises, or did the PS2 truly have timeless visuals?
Even in Japan, using a period when texting translates to “I’m pissed”
In the English-speaking world, using periods at the end of your sentences while texting is more than likely to create the impression that you’re either elderly, angry or a grammar snob, which is why omitting it has become more or less the norm. It turns out, a similar phenomenon exists in Japanese texting culture as well.
- ByAmber V
Severe shortage of animators and “post-Covid changes” in the anime industry as told by the director of Studio Trigger
Studio Trigger managing director, Kazuya Masumoto, speaks about recent changes in workflow and recruitment, influenced largely by the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on the field of Production Management.
- ByAmber V
Fate/Samurai Remnant was meant to be a soulslike at first – producer interview reveals fascinating insight
In an interview, Fate/Samurai Remnant producer Tomohiko Sho talks about details such as how the game was meant to be a soulslike and why Saber isn't fully playable.
If you’re going to a party in Japan, don’t be late! Here’s why being fashionably late could ruin your reputation
Why do people in Japan have such a strict view of punctuality? Cultural differences between Japan and overseas countries can show us why being tardy in Japan is such a big deal.
Why has the PlayStation brand never been able to create a ‘successful’ original mascot?
Why does PlayStation keep changing their mascot? Nintendo has Mario, Sega has Sonic, but PlayStation seems to have accumulated a team of mascots over the years. Online users discuss why the brand just can't seem to stick to one character.
Could AI replace manga artist assistants? AI startup founder shows “16-page manga completed without drawing,” sparking discussion about loss of human jobs
Japanese AI startup founder Takahiro Anno introduced his almost fully automated comic generation process, causing discussion about manga artist’s assistants/apprentices potentially being replaced by AI and other effects the use of generative AI technology may have on Japan’s comic industry.
- ByAmber V
Orwellian Japanese social media platform “Dystopia” uses AI surveillance and censoring to prevent cyberbullying
Japanese web service developer Soudanbako released the beta version of their new social media platform called Dystopia on September 24 for iOS and Android. The app uses AI to censor offensive phrases and prevent cyberbullying.
- ByAmber V
Hideki Kamiya to leave PlatinumGames on October 12
Game creator Hideki Kamiya announced on September 25 that he will be resigning from PlatinumGames. The company has also issued an official statement.
Japanese publisher hosts public panel about the massive commercial failure of their game
Japanese game publisher D3PUBLISHER hosted a panel dedicated to discussing the commercial failure of their 2023 title ED-0: Zombie Uprising on Tokyo Game Show 2023.
- ByAmber V
Why Studio Ghibli becoming a subsidiary of a Japanese broadcasting network isn’t as shocking as it may seem
Studio Ghibli will become a subsidiary of Nippon TV starting October 6. While the acquisition may be worrying to some, the studio already has a long history of working under another company.
Ghost in the Brain – a Japanese nightmare-exploration horror game inspired by Ryunosuke Akutagawa’s Hell Screen
Japanese indie developer Simizu announced their upcoming first-person horror title Ghost in the Brain/孵る明晰夢 for the PC (Steam). The game is scheduled for release in February 2024.
Has anime become mainstream? Popular anime district in Japan depicts the changes within anime culture over the decades
A Japanese user's recent trip to Ikebukuro's popular anime store, Animate, unintentionally reveals the evolution of anime culture. Is anime now mainstream?
Japanese game in which you struggle against “drunk physics” to take a drunk man home to be released in 2023
Japanese indie developer Yamauchi_games will be releasing Drunk Way to Home, in which the player has to help a heavily intoxicated man find his way back home even though he can't walk without collapsing after every few steps.
Pokémon: The Teal Mask – strange phenomenon makes Okidogi gradually retreat behind camera after using certain move
Shortly upon the release of The Hidden Treasure of Area Zero Part 1: The Teal Mask for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, a strange behavior of the new Pokémon Okidogi was discovered and reported by an X/Twitter user.
Japanese user explains why people in Japan follow two religions using Love Live! and IdolMaster as an analogy
A Japanese user explains how Japanese people can believe in two religions, Shintoism and Buddhism, at the same time with a Love Live! and Idol Master analogy. Users find the unconventional explanation to hold some truth.