VERACITY IN GAMING
VERACITY IN GAMING
With Apple increasing in-app purchase prices in select regions, Azur Lane and others announce how they plan to adapt
With Apple’s recent announcement of price increases on apps and in-app purchases on the App Store in select regions, iOS game developers and publishers in Japan have started notifying players of their plans to deal with the change.
Valis: The Fantasm Solider Collection II developers surprise fans by revealing cheat codes
Valis: The Fantasm Solider Collection II recently came out for the Nintendo Switch in Japan, and developer Edia has revealed the method required to enable secret cheat codes for some of the titles included in the collection. It’s quite unusual for the developers themselves to publicly reveal the method required to input cheat codes.
Can “literature” exist in a world where people only accept what they want to see? [Jini Talks Games: Perspectives from Japan]
Getting a glimpse of the literature of works like Elden Ring, Shin Ultraman, and Goodbye, Eri (a one-shot manga by Chainsaw Man creator Tatsuki Fujimoto) , it's clear that literature is alive and well in modern age. Jini Talks Games: Perspectives from Japan is a project that aims to deliver English translations of opinion pieces by Japanese writer Jini.
ByJini
BlazBlue series creator Toshimichi Mori has left Arc System Works
BlazBlue series creator Toshimichi Mori announced his departure from Arc System Works while saying he hopes to deliver a game to fans in some form or another in the future.
One Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin player decided to grow an actual rice field
One Twitter user’s love of Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin inspired them to grow their own rice field, and they’ve now posted their current progress to social media. The tweets from the user have drawn a big reaction with one of the developers of the game even taking notice.
Suspicious Twitter accounts offering PS5 and Nintendo Switch giveaways are increasing in Japan
There’s been a recent increase on social media in Japan of accounts claiming to be video game retailers that are closing soon and offering suspicious PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch giveaways. The tweets ask that users share their LINE messaging app information for the purpose of contacting the winner which social media users have been wary of.
Masahiro Sakurai’s YouTube videos are being used in game development lessons
The videos on Masahiro Sakurai’s YouTube channel, “Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games,” have drawn even more attention after it was discovered that they are being used to teach students in game development lectures.
Konami’s popular digital board game Momotetsu lets students learn while gaming
Konami has announced the Education Edition of its popular digital board game series, Momotaro Dentetsu. The game’s title is displayed in English as Momotetsu Education Edition and the game is expected to be offered free of charge to Japanese schools and educational institutions beginning in 2023.
Guilty Gear: Bridget’s gender identity officially confirmed by developers
Arc System Works gave their official stance on the gender identity of Bridget, a recent DLC addition to the Guilty Gear -Strive- roster. "After the events of Bridget’s story in Arcade Mode, she self-identifies as a woman. So, as to whether ‘he’ or ‘she’ would be the correct pronoun for Bridget, the answer would be ‘she.’”
Fire Emblem Engage protagonist’s quirky hairdo is mocked by fans
Nintendo announced Fire Emblem Engage during the latest Nintendo Direct. While a huge number of fans were overjoyed by the announcement of the newest entry in the beloved series, there were a number who couldn’t help but be curious about the design and color scheme of the new protagonist.
Kadokawa chairman arrested for suspected involvement in Tokyo Olympics bribery scandal
The Tokyo District Public Prosecutor’s Office has arrested Kadokawa chairman Tsuguhiko Kadokawa. The arrest was made for suspected bribery in a corruption scandal revolving around the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics (JIJI.COM).
Babylon’s Fall to end service in February of 2023 after just one year
Square Enix has announced that service for the action RPG Babylon’s Fall will be coming to an end at the end of February 2023. Babylon’s Fall initially released in March of this year for PC (Steam), PS4, and PS5.
Taimanin GOGO! gives the popular adult series an all-ages roguelike action twist
Taimanin GOGO! is the latest title in the Taimanin series and a roguelike action game featuring chibi style characters. The game’s protagonist is Shinobu Oma, a girl who strongly proclaims she does not want to become a Taimanin. The story starts with Shinobu being transported to another world from modern day Japan.
The Dreamcast VM2 is an unofficial successor to the VMU memory card
The Dreamcast VM2 is an unofficial next-gen version of the Dreamcast VMU memory card. The VM2 looks the same as the original VMU but comes equipped with upgrades like a higher resolution LCD screen and Micro-USB port.
Radirgy 2, the first numbered sequel in the shmup series, has been announced
Vertical shmup Radirgy 2 (working title) is due out in Summer 2023 and will be available on Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PS5. The game marks the first new title in the shmup series since Radirgy Swag was released in 2019.
In this isekai RPG, a hero becomes an IT intern in modern-day Japan
Beyond, a cloud and server operations company, has released Tensei shitara Beyond no Intern Datta Ken, which can be translated as That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Beyond Intern. It’s an RPG where players can experience what it’s like to be an intern at the company.
Capcom warns players of illegal mods in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak [UPDATE]
Capcom has released a notice warning players about illegally modified game data in Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak. It asks players to avoid creating or using illegally modified Anomaly Investigations. These modified Anomaly Investigations have become such a big deal that they even started trending on Twitter in Japan.
The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls mascot Pinya Korata is getting a $1,200 ceramic statue
The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls mascot Pinya Korata is getting a $1,200 ceramic statue (bizen ware statue). Only 15 of these statues will be produced and they will be available for 165,000 yen (roughly $1,170) each.
The Taimanin series is getting a new title called Taimanin GOGO!
Gremory has released a teaser site for Taimanin GOGO! the latest title in the Taimanin series. The game is scheduled to release this fall for iOS and Android.
Steam’s Japanese language userbase share is trending upward again as PC gaming continues to grow in the country
Valve has released their Steam Hardware & Software Survey results for August 2022. An especially interesting piece of data within it shows an increase in the share of users who have their language set to Japanese.
A video game that can assist in early detection of glaucoma developed by Japanese university
Meteor Blaster is a mobile game that can assist in the early detection of glaucoma. A demo version is currently available as a browser game for iOS and Android.
Japanese railway company to release official train sim JR EAST Train Simulator on Steam
East Japan Railway Company (JR East) has opened the Steam store page for JR EAST Train Simulator. The game is expected to be released in early access on September 20 (JST). Players will be able to experience what it is like to drive trains on the real-life JR East lines.