June 1st, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone
SGCafe : Cosplay | Vocaloid | Otaku | Pop Culture A daily publication about Cosplay, Vocaloid, Otaku and Japanese Pop Culture
Zone of the Enders HD Collection’s opening is breathtaking; left out of Konami’s pre-E3 show Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/zone-of-the-enders-hd-collectionsopening-is-breathtaking-left-out-of-konamis-pre-e3-show/ By KarbyP on June 1st, 2012
Although Konami’s pre-E3 show announced that early access to a Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance demo would be available to folks who buy Zone of the Enders HD Collection, for some reason they didn’t think to include this amazing animated opening scene – produced by Sunrise – in their show. Possibly because said animated opening is almost six minutes long.
By KarbyP on June 1st, 2012
Phantom Breaker: BattleGrounds’s sprite-based graphics aren’t the only thing retro about this game – even the music harkens back to the good old days of 8-bit side-scrolling beat’em-ups! Check it out in the first trailer of the game. For more details on Phantom Breaker: BattleGrounds and what it has to do with Castle Crashers and Guardian Heroes, see our previous story here. Today Famitsu also published a story on the game, with a fresh batch of screenshots (some of them you’ll find below, but head over to their site for more), as well as additional details we didn’t pick up on. The Battle Royale mode, Famitsu explains, will let you set up fights such as 1 vs 3. So I guess unlike Guardian Heroes’s crazy 12-player battle royale mode, it’s limited to just four players here.
They did, however, include this Metal Gear Rising parody video made by the awesome guys over at Mega64. It was buried somewhere in the middle of the Konami pre-E3 show, so here it is again – and now with Japanese subtitles! There’s also two interviews done with Hideo Kojima where he talks about the Metal Gear Solid and Zone of the Enders series respectively – but these are in Japanese without subtitles, so we recommend watching the interviews as part of the pre-E3 show instead.
Source: Konami Channel on YouTube
Phantom Breaker: BattleGrounds – first trailer and screenshots Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/phantom-breaker-battleground-firsttrailer-and-screenshots/
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June 1st, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone
Phantom Breaker: BattleGrounds is scheduled for a 2013 release on Xbox Live Arcade. Source: Famitsu
Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R location tests begin this weekend Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/guilty-gear-xx-accent-core-plus-r/ By Mycstea on June 1st, 2012
Takeshi Yamanaka of Arc System reveals awesome poster art for the upcoming game Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R, which will be released in the arcades as well as digitally for PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade. As Japan awaits the new Guilty Gear continuation, producer of Blazblue Takeshi Yamanaka has tweeted about a poster illustrated specially by Ishiwatari for arcades running the location tests of Arc System’s new game Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R.
Guilty Gear Accent Core Plus R is the latest installation in the franchise. It was originally released on the PSP, but never made its way to the arcades or any other platforms – until now. According to their official website, the game is to conduct its first location testings in specific arcades this Saturday. The website has also revealed a trailer, as well as information that the game will feature 25 characters, currently listed here. The new game will likely make its appearance in local arcades after a full launch in Japan; but if not, you’ll be able to buy it on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade – complete with online play – in the near future. Source: ANN, Takeshi Yamanaka’s Twitter
New trailers for Metal Gear Rising, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 in Konami’s pre-E3 show Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/new-trailers-for-metal-gear-risingcastlevania-lords-of-shadows-2-in-konamis-pre-e3-show/
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June 1st, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone
By KarbyP on June 1st, 2012
As with last year, GameTrailers is hosting on the web Konami’s pre-E3 announcements show. Over here we’ll be rounding up all the big news from Konami today.
Three more weeks to the PS3 release of “K-On! After School Live!! HD Ver.” (けけけけけ けけけけけけけけ HD Ver.) Today Sega has released a bunch of screenshots trailers for the HDremaster of “K-On! After School Live!”
In Konami’s Pre-E3 show, Masuda Kei the lead developer for Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 talks about developments made in the next game, and Metal Gear chief Hideo Kojima runs through the history of Metal Gear Solid and Zone of the Enders. Kojima also announced that gamers who buy Zone of the Enders HD Collection will gain early access to a Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance demo. There’s also a hilarious parody for Metal Gear Rising somewhere in the middle, an announcement trailer for Castlevania: Lords of Shadows 2, and… a new Frogger. Frogger Pinball. Konami Pre-E3 Show Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 For more, go over to GameTrailer’s YouTube page or GameTrailers.com
New screenshots and trailers for K-On! After School Live!! HD Ver. (PS3) Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/new-screenshots-and-trailers-for-kon-after-school-live-hd-ver-ps3/ By KarbyP on June 1st, 2012
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June 1st, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone
Source: US PlayStation blog
Play a scratch card game on Persona 4: The Golden website, unlock character illustrations, wallpapers Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/play-a-scratch-card-game-onpersona-4-the-golden-website-unlock-character-illustrations-wallpapers/ By KarbyP on June 1st, 2012
K-On! After School Live!! HD ver. will be released in Japan June 21. Source: 4Gamer
YouTube comes to PS Vita end of June Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/youtube-comes-to-ps-vita-end-ofjune/ By KarbyP on June 1st, 2012
Here’s a fun little activity for fans: Atlus is running a scratchcard mini-game on the official website for Persona 4: The Golden where every day, one scratch card will be hidden somewhere on the site. Find the card, scratch it, and you’ll earn points randomly for one of the characters in the PS Vita title. Earn enough points, and you’ll unlock special illustrations (in the form of cards) and wallpapers for that character.
Finally! YouTube! No more going to your PC whenever you get stuck in a PS Vita game; just YouTube the solution! Don Mesa, Director of Handheld Consoles Product Planning and Platform Software Innovation over at SCEA, brings word today that the YouTube app for PS Vita will come out on the portable gaming device later this month: Coming at the end of June, YouTube will be available as a free downloadable application for PS Vita via the PS Vita Store. With the YouTube application on PS Vita, you can watch millions of YouTube videos on the stunning 5” OLED screen, from comedy to gaming tips to today’s viral trends. The YouTube application features many of the functions you’re already familiar with – you can easily search for videos, choose favorites and make comments, and your personal YouTube account is available right on your PS Vita.” If you haven’t already picked up a PS Vita, Sony will be launching a Crystal White one on July 10, as well as the Hatsune Miku Limited Edition on August 30 (which is the same day the game is coming out) here in Singapore. From now till the launch, buy or pre-order a PS Vita, and Sony will throw in a download voucher for WipEout 2048 and Touch My Katamari for free. For more news and updates on PlayStation Vita, stay tuned to SGCafe.
Head into the site, click on the scratch card icon on the left, and you’ll go into a status page for this mini-game. Marie explains the rules of the contest (what we already told you), and then after that it’s off to the card hunting.
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June 1st, 2012
Just randomly look through any page on the website, and soon enough you’ll find a scratch card wedged along somewhere, like so:
Published by: VR-Zone
the main characters will be voiced by. The game revolves around television news reporting.
The television station in the Tokushu Houdoubu VS. the real Nagoya TV Station. Each scratch card will bestow upon you a random number of character-specific points that goes towards the unlocks. Three points are required to unlock card illustration け1, six total points for card け2, nine for け3, and twelve for a character wallpaper.
Nippon Ichi has also received help from Nagoya television studio to assist in creating a more accurate game setting. The game will allow gamers to experience television production like it is done in a real studio, allowing some parts of the game to be played from the perspective of a reporter’s camera viewfinder. While it is listed as an “adventure” game, Nippon Ichi is intending to combine other elements with the interactive visual novel style of gameplay.
Persona 4: The Golden comes out for the PS Vita in Japan on June 14. An English US release is also slated for sometime later this year. Official website: けけけけ4 けけけけけけけ. Source: 4Gamer
First Details: Tokushu Houdoubu, Nippon Ichi’s 20th anniversary PS Vita game Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/first-details-tokushu-houdoubunippon-ichis-20th-anniversary-ps-vita-game/ By Mello on June 1st, 2012
Hiro Kiyohara (he worked on the Another manga, as well as production cooperation on the anime) will be the character designer and the background music for the game will be composed by Elements Garden.
Nippon Ichi has recently revealed that a new PlayStation Vita game is in development as part of their 20th anniversary celebration. Now we know what the game’s called – Tokushu Houdoubu, meaning “Special Report Division” – and who 5
June 1st, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone By magnetic_rose on June 1st, 2012
The main characters for the game are as listed: Ryo Yuzuhara (CVけTomoaki Maeno) A new assistant director of the special report division after passing an interview. He has recently been transferred to the special report division to do a specific interview. Mamoru Sumi (CVけYoshimasa Hosoya) A mysterious character with long hair, he is 23 years old and excels at judo, kendo and shooting. Aya Tanahashi (CVけMiyuki Sawashiro) Director of the special report ministry, she is 25 years old. She believes that unique ladies are what a man looks out for. Kaede Watarai (CVけAsami Seto) A 16-year-old high school student who has previously appeared on the map, she began working the division as an assistant after passing an interview. The game will be released on August 23 and sold at a price of 6,090 yen in stores and 5,000 yen online. Source: Acfun
Pixiv Hosts Worldwide Mascot Illustration Contest for SUNTORY C.C. Lemon Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/pixiv-hosts-worldwide-mascotillustration-contest-for-suntory-c-c-lemon/
SUNTORY C.C. Lemon and Pixiv are organizing a contest to pick the next mascot for C.C. Lemon — the famous Japanese lemon soda. Entries are accepted from 28th May 2012 to 25th June 2012 at 23:59 JST. The contest is open to overseas artists who are members of Pixiv. Rules You may enter as may times as you wish, but each entry must be unique. All winning contestants will be required to submit a high resolution version of your submitted entry. All submissions must be original character designs for C.C.Lemon only. Use the tag “C.C.けけけけけけけけけけ” when submitting your entry. Entries without the tags attached will be not be counted as entries. Prizes Most Prestigious Award (1 Winner) - ¥200,000 in prize money - The winner will be presented an original C.C.Lemon can featuring their winning artwork. - The selected work will also appear in promotional billboards for C.C.Lemon, as well as appearing in promotional material at Comiket 82. - A year’s supply of C.C.Lemon (500ml bottles) Excellence Award (3 winners) -¥50,000 in prize money -The winner will be presented an original C.C.Lemon can featuring their winning artwork. - The selected works will appear in promotional billboards for C.C.Lemon, as well as appearing in promotional material at Comiket 82. - A case of C.C.Lemon (500ml bottles)
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June 1st, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone
Official C.C. Lemon Official App Character Award (1 Winner) - ¥200,000 in prize money - The selected work will be featured as the official mascot character for a C.C.Lemon App, as well as appearing in promotional material at Comiket 82. - A case of C.C.けけけ (500ml bottles) - The winner will be presented an original C.C.Lemon can featuring their winning artwork. Selected Works (200 Winners) - The winner will be presented an original C.C.Lemon can featuring their winning artwork. - Selected works will appear in promotional billboards for C.C.Lemon, as well as appearing in promotional material at Comiket 82. For complete listing of rules and contest conditions, visit Pixiv.net.
GSC Opens Shanghai Office, Re-releases Vocaloid Nendo for Chinese Market Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/gsc-opens-shanghai-office-rereleases-vocaloid-nendo-for-chinese-market/ By magnetic_rose on June 1st, 2012
Good Smile Company — in its continuing effort to bring the best of Japanese figures and toys to the rest of the world, has officially launched its China office in Shanghai. GSC has also put up an official Chinese website via popular portal Weibo. To celebrate and publicize the move, they are re-releasing three Vocaloid Nendroids via their official Chinese online shop Tmall. The figures slated for re-issue are Miku, Rin, and Len. GSC has also recently opened an English-site for its Nendroid line, ensuring that their English-speaking market is kept up to date with the latest from Good Smile’s factory line. Source: Mikatan Blog
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June 5th, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone
SGCafe : Cosplay | Vocaloid | Otaku | Pop Culture A daily publication about Cosplay, Vocaloid, Otaku and Japanese Pop Culture
British war machines to invade World of Tanks soon Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/british-war-machines-to-invadeworld-of-tanks-soon/ By KarbyP on June 5th, 2012
So maybe you’ve played World of Tanks, which was launched in Southeast Asia back in April. Maybe you’ve played a lot of World of Tanks, extensively exploring all the vehicle upgrade paths and trying to unlock as many of the 150 historicallyaccurate vehicles – hailing from countries like America and France, to the Soviet Union and Germany – as you can, ever since the game kicked off here. But, you haven’t truly played World of Tanks, until you get your hands on the brand new British armoured vehicles that will be added to the game soon. It’s the British Empire, good grief! They practically invented tanks! In terms of gameplay, the new tanks (Crusader, Black Prince, Centurion and Conqueror) are divided between two styles: fast and heavy-hitting tanks that can’t afford to take too many hits themselves, and a slow-and-steady ones with lots of heavy plating but also way lower damage. “The British tanks are by far the most intriguing models we’ve come across over the course of World of Tanks development, said Sergey Burkatovskiy, lead producer over at Wargaming.net. “In giving the players two distinct, yet very different types of vehicles, the development team has worked very carefully to make sure that balance not only fits into the current game, but is also one that’s extremely fun. We can’t wait for our players to experience it for themselves.” And judging from these stunningly detailed screen renders and teaser trailer Wargaming.net sent us, we bet WoT players can’t wait as well.
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June 5th, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone
Hatsune Miku Project Diva F demos to appear in 740 stores around Japan; game package shots Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/hatsune-miku-project-diva-f-demosto-appear-in-740-stores-around-japan-game-package-shots/ By KarbyP on June 5th, 2012
Everything in the Hatsune Miku PS Vita bundle
Over at the official blog for Hatsune Miku Project Diva F, Sega has uploaded some pictures showing off the box-art for the upcoming rhythm-action title, as well as the contents in the Hatsune Miku PS Vita limited edition bundle. What you see above is the final design of the protection film that’ll be distributed to folks who pre-order the game from a retail store; you might notice that it’s quite a tad different from the sample pic previously shown.
Just the box
Sega also brings word that from tomorrow onwards (June 6), you’ll be able to try out a demo version of the game at 740 participating electronics stores all over Japan. So if you’re a Miku fan who happens to be going over there on vacation, do drop by a Bic Camera/Yodobashi Camera/Sofmap/Tsutaya nearby and who knows, you might just get lucky. Do note that certain outlets will be getting the trial units late by a couple of days – for instance, the Ion Tsudanuma (イイイイイイイ) store in Chiba will only get it on June 13. For details and addresses on participating stores, go to this page here (warning: it’s full of Japanese text). And now, for the images you’ve been waiting for (click on the image to open it in a new tab, then click on the image on that page again for a bigger version). Box-art AR card included in the package
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June 5th, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone
Fans in Southeast Asia can look forward to meeting Marvel Comics illustrator Mark Brooks, wellknown for his stunning illustrations for Marvel, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic illustrator Mark Torres and recognised kaiju (Japanese monsters) illustrator and toy designer, Mark Nagata. Fans can also expect more exclusive STGCC collectibles at this year’s event. Cult toy designers Tristan Eaton and The Beast Brothers, well-known for their distinct urban art style as seen on the infamous Dunny and Munny toys by designer toy label, Kidrobot, will be in Singapore for the first time at STGCC. Tokidoki creator Simone Legno, a huge fan favourite, will also be creating limited edition collectibles only available at STGCC.
Read more Hatsune Miku stories here on SGCafe!
From Asia, Japanese pop culture fans can look forward to meeting Chibi art illustrator CHANXCO and DJ Zanio from popular Japanese vocaloid group, ZANEEDS, and Chief Editor of Japan’s top cosplay magazine Cosmode, Tadaaki ‘Jacky’ Dosai.“
Source: Shuukan Diva Station
STGCC 2012: First line-up of pop culture personalities announced Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/stgcc-2012-first-line-up-of-popculture-personalities-announced/ By KarbyP on June 5th, 2012
(Above) Artwork from CHANXCO, who is part of popular Japanese vocaloid group, ZANEEDS Co-organised by Reed Exhibitions Singapore and ReedPOP in the US (they organise New York Comic Con), STGCC is an annual exhibition that unites the worlds of comics, anime, manga, toys, collectibles, games and movies to showcase the latest and greatest in pop culture today, here in Southeast Asia. This September, get ready for a weekend loaded with activities and pop culture showcases from both the East and West hemispheres. Yes, The Singapore Toy, Game & Comic Convention (STGCC) is back, this time happening at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Marina Bay Sands from September 1 to 2! And the organisers have announced some of the pop culture personalities you will be able to meet at the event – said to be the coolest event of the year!
From the press release:
Over two days last year, STGCC was attended by over 30,000 visitors and saw media coverage from some 176 outlets hailing from eight countries. For more information about the event, go to http://www.singaporetgcc.com/ Online ticketing has opened for STGCC 2012. Entry passes can be purchased over at: http://www.singaporetgcc.com/ buy-tickets
Model of Evangelion’s Spear of Longinus Forged by Master Craftsman Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/model-of-evangelions-spear-oflonginus-forged-by-master-craftsman/
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June 5th, 2012 By magnetic_rose on June 5th, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone
A frames-per-second count on top lets you know how well your device handles 3D rendering in real-time, and at the end of the song-and-dance you also get a benchmarking score that makes it easy to compare performance between devices. When not running the benchmark test, you can also freely spin Hatsune Miku around, zoom in and out on the 3D model through “pinch” gestures, and put her in one of a variety of still poses or animated sequences by selecting something from the scrolling menu at the bottom. Apart from Hatsune Miku, there is also a Kagamine Rin version of this app, called RinRinBench, which is also free to download.
The Bizen Osafune Japanese Sword Museum in Setouchi, Okayama Prefecture is holding a special exhibition — featuring swords made by craftsmen based on weapons featured in various anime. The crown jewel of the exhibition is a 3.3-meter, 30kilogram model of the Spear of Longinus that appeared in the Evangelion series. A master craftsman of 40 years from Hiroshima Prefecture took about 6 months and 20 swords worth of steel to make the spear. The exhibition will be open to the public in July. Source: Asahi Shinbun
Benchmark your Android with this Hatsune Miku app [video] Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/benchmark-your-android-with-thishatsune-miku-app-video/ By KarbyP on June 5th, 2012
Even if you don’t own an Android device, hit the jump to watch Hatsune miku dance along to the Nyan Cat song!
MikuMikuBench is a free Android app that lets you benchmark your device by watching Hatsune Miku dance in sync to that infectiouslyaddictivesong (note: all three links are videos containing the Nyan Cat song, differing only in length. Please don’t click on any of them; curiosity won’t kill the Nyan Cat. No, it will only feed the cat).
Of course, nobody really expects MikuMikuBench to be reliable for benchmarking purposes. But just in case you’d like to know how well your device does compared to other Androids anyway, Japanese blog Octoba has listed the MikuMikuBench scores for quite a few of them (mostly Japan-only). イIS03 … 1946 イMOTOROLA PHOTON … 2347 イIS04 … 2361 イDesireHD … 3093 4
June 5th, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone
イGalaxy NEXUS … 3277イGPU rendering ONイ イXperia arc … 3884 イARROWS Z … 3933 イGalaxy Note … 4531
Both sticks will be sold in Japan exclusively from Amazon – the V3 SA Kai (top row of thumbnails) from June 28 onwards, and the VX SE Kai (bottom row) from July 26.
If you’re going to give MikuMikuBench a whirl, do let us know what device you have and how high it scored via comments below.
Hori Real Arcade Pro.V3 SA 改
Source: Octoba
Hori Real Arcade Pro.V3 SA Kai & VX SE Kai announced in Japan, exclusively from Amazon Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/hori-real-arcade-pro-v3-sa-kai-vxse-kai-announced-in-japan-exclusively-from-amazon/ By KarbyP on June 5th, 2012
Price: 13,800 yen (tax included) Stick lever unit: JLF-TP-8YT-SK 8 face buttons: OBSF-30 Start button: OBSF-24 Dimensions: Approx. 430mm x 240mm z 125mm (including stick lever) Weight: Approx. 2.2kg Cable length: Approx. 3m Changes made from V3 SA to V3 SA Kai: - The space between the joystick and buttons will be widened in both sticks, allowing for a “roomy” feel and generally more comfort. - Top sheet is more durable, and the artwork that adorns each of the two joysticks are printed on PET materials. - An anti-slick sheet, made of metal, has been attached at the bottom. - Start and Select buttons can be disabled. - L1 and L2 buttons can be toggled to perform the functions for L3 and R3 instead, which can be useful for certain games. - By default the stick lever is set to enter d-pad commands; now you can switch it to control the left or right analog stick instead. Hori Real Arcade Pro.VX SE 改
Hori announced today that it will be selling “Kai” or “modified” versions of the existing Hori Real Arcade Pro.V3/ VX joysticks, featuring a number of revamped design choices that’s been implemented based on user feedback .
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June 5th, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone
Heavily anticipated anime Koi to Senkyo to Chocolate has recently put up a sample of the anime opening theme in HiBiKi Radio Station. Catch it before the next installment updates!
Also updated on the anime official website, a wonderfully illustrated wallpaper of Satsuki Shinonome has also been released. Right click and open link on new tab/window for a higher resolution.
Price: 15,800 yen (tax included) Stick lever unit: LS-32-01 8 face buttons: PS-14-G0 Start button: PS-14-D Dimensions: Approx. 430mm x 240mm z 125mm (including stick lever) Weight: Approx. 2.2kg Cable length: Approx. 3m Changes made from VX SE to VX SE Kai: - The space between the joystick and buttons will be widened in both sticks, allowing for a “roomy” feel and generally more comfort.
One can clearly see the resemblance to TV anime Amagami, evident of the character re-designer’s work .
- Top sheet is more durable, with the artwork is printed on PET materials.
Read about our previous updates about Koi to Senkyo to Chocolate here and here.
- An anti-slick sheet, made of metal, has been attached at the bottom.
Source: Koi to Senkyo to Chocolate Official Website, Yaraon
- Start and Back buttons can be disabled.
Strike Witches PSP demo to be released on PSN June 14
- LB and RB buttons can be toggled for left-stick and rightstick presses. Again, useful for specific games. - By default the stick lever is set to enter d-pad commands; now you can switch it to control the left or right analog stick instead.
Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/strike-witches-psp-demo-to-bereleased-on-psn-june-14/ By KarbyP on June 5th, 2012
- A port has been added for you to plug in a wired headset. Source: Famitsu
Koi to Senkyo to Chocolate OP revealed Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/koi-to-senkyo-to-chocolate-oprevealed/ By Mycstea on June 5th, 2012
The opening theme of Koi to Senkyo to Chocolate has been revealed in a radio show on HiBiKi Radio Station.
Play as Miyafuji, Sakamoto, and Lynne in this demo for the upcoming Strike Witches PSP 2D bullet-hell shooter! 6
June 5th, 2012
Strike Witches -Wings of Silver- (イイイイイイイイイイイ-イイイイ- ) for the PSP is a port of last year’s Xbox 360 Strike Witches shooter of the same name that comes complete with all previously released DLC (sans the X360 dashboard themes and gamer pics, of course): additional character Hayate Nakajima and her story scenario, plus a Time Attack mode.
Published by: VR-Zone By Mello on June 5th, 2012
The demo that’ll be released on June 14 contains one episode from the story mode (Miyafuji, Sakamoto, Lynne). In this game, you take control of three characters at once (in a triangular flight formation), and battle your way through bullet hell five stages and an original story – fully voiced and with multiple endings – that’s different from the other Strike Witches media properties. A set of Tales of Nendoroid Petits were on display at the annual Tales of Festival this year held at the Yokohama Arena. Since the first Tales of Festival five years ago, the festival has been held yearly to celebrate the games and release new information on upcoming games and merchandise. This year, Good Smile Company has participated in the festival by showcasing the unpainted prototypes of six Nendoroid Petits of the protagoinsts from the following Tales Of games – Tales of Vesperia, Tales of Graces and Tales of Xillia.
(Above) Gameplay footage from the Xbox 360 version of the game. In case you’re unfamiliar with the light novel, manga and anime series this game is based on, Strike Witches is set in an alternate-history 19XX universe where all the nations in the world have banded together to fight an alien threat, instead of fighting amongst themselves during World War II. To aid their war efforts, young women with high magical potential are enlisted into military.
Nendoroid Petit Estelle and Yuri (Tales of Vesperia)
Strike Witches -Wings of Silver- is slated for a June 28 release on the PSP. Source: 4Gamer
Tales of Nendoroid Petits make an appearance at the Tales of Festival 2012 Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/tales-of-nendoroid-petits-make-anappearance-at-the-tales-of-festival-2012/
Nendoroid Petit Sophie and Asbel (Tales of Graces)
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The DVD and Blu-ray’s length is two and a half hours long consisting of 29 songs played live, some of which are from the various Persona games while others are new songs composed for upcoming releases. New anime footage previewed at the event will also be included the disc. Artists that participated in the concert include: • Yumi Kawamura – “Persona 3″/ “Persona 3 Fes”/ “Persona Trinity Soul”/ Anime “Persona 4″ • Lotus Juice – “Persona 3″/ “Persona 3 Fes”/ “Persona Trinity Soul”/ “Anime “Persona 4″ • Shihoko Hirata – “Persona 4″/ Anime “Persona 4″ Nendoroid Petit Jude and Milla (Tales of Xillia) The release schedule and the price of these Nendoroid Petits have yet to be announced. What do you think of these Nendoroids? Would you want to be one of the first few to preorder them? Stay tuned for more information. Source: Gsc_saccyan
For pre-order: Persona Music Live 2012, Mayonaka TV in Tokyo International Forum DVD & Blu-ray Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/for-pre-order-persona-musiclive-2012-mayonaka-tv-in-tokyo-international-forum-dvd-blu-ray/ By Mello on June 5th, 2012
• Shuhei Kita – “Persona Trinity Soul”/ “Persona 3 Portable” • Shoji Megura (Index) The completely limited production edition will include an additional CD with the songs: 1.イReach Out To The Truthイ 2.イkey plus wordsイ 3.イBeauty of Destinyイ 4.イWe Are One and Allイ 5.イThe Way of Memories-イイイイイイイ-イ The normal edition (DVD) is priced at 4,725 yen and the completely limited production edition for DVD and Blu-ray is priced at 5,250 yen and 6,300 yen respectively, all of these versions can be preordered through AmiAmi. Source: PersonaLive
A DVD and Blu-ray of the Persona Music Live 2012 event held on April 8 at the Tokyo International Forum will be released August 22. It will be released in two editions – the normal edition (only available for DVD) and the completely limited production edition.
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June 7th, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone
SGCafe : Cosplay | Vocaloid | Otaku | Pop Culture A daily publication about Cosplay, Vocaloid, Otaku and Japanese Pop Culture
Sega taps gravure idol Ai Shinozaki for Samurai & Dragons “Play for Free” PV Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/sega-taps-gravure-idol-ai-shinozakifor-samurai-dragons-play-for-free-pv/ By KarbyP on June 7th, 2012
To drive home the message that Samurai & Dragons is freeto-play on the PS Vita, publisher Sega has enlisted the help of gravure idol Ai Shinozaki, seen cosplaying here as a mage in a new promotional video that was released today. The five-minute long PV has Shonozaki wandering around nature listlessly, seemingly waiting for her Samurai & Dragons play pal – a creepy ninja who’s lurking in some of the scenes – to come online. If you don’t recognise the character Shinozaki is cosplaying as, that’s because it’s based on an original design by manga artist Yokusaru Shibata (of Air Master fame) for Samurai & Dragons:
Some stills from the PV:
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June 7th, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone
Japanese Sony Entertainment Network account holders can download the game from the PlayStation Store for free and start playing right away (Sega makes money from optional DLC). For folks who prefer to own a physical copy of the game (or if you don’t use a Japanese SEN account on your PS Vita), there is also a 3,990 yen retail package of Samurai & Dragons that includes a number of exclusive in-game items not offered elsewhere. Both the retail and digital versions of Samurai & Dragon have already been released. Source: 4Gamer, Samurai & Dragons homepage
Watch 8-bit Daigo be a beast in this Road to Evo trailer, come meet the real deal this weekend Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/watch-8-bit-daigo-be-a-beast-inthis-road-to-evo-trailer-come-meet-the-real-deal-this-weekend/ By KarbyP on June 7th, 2012
No, I don’t mean Singapore’s Real Deal, the legendary Street Fighter II HD Remix player who took first place away from American SF champ Justin Wong at Canada Cup last year (although Real Deal will likely be there as well, so bring your autograph markers).
Samurai & Dragons is a multi-genre, free-to-play online title produced by Masayoshi Kikuchi, previously the director on Jet Set Radio Future. Kikuchi has also worked on the Yakuza or Ryu ga Gotoku series. The game itself hat has four main parts: action, card battles, simulation (SimCity style), and RPG. Players pick from one of five professions – Swordsman, Ranger, Mage, Ninja, Samurai – and simultaneously begin to plan and construct an Edo period Japanese city as its lord. Then, players raise a squad of monsters, and wage war against neighbouring cities for territory and war spoils. Like Diablo 3, there is no offline mode to Samurai & Dragons; you have to stay connected even during solo play. Thankfully, the game supports both 3G and Wi-Fi. In multiplayer, you can explore dungeons in the RPG part with other players in a party, or join forces with friends in the simulation part to defend your cities from enemy invasions.
I’m talking Daigo Umehara – quite possibly the biggest name in competitive Street Fighter – who will be visiting Singapore this weekend for the Road to EVO South East Asia Major 2012, to be held on June 9 and 10 at the Clementi Community Club. If you’re a true fighting game fan, you know you have to make plans to come down. Amazing game moments are bound to happen. But first, watch 8-bit Daigo be a beast in this amazing trailer for the Road to EVO SEA Major, taking out Cross Counter Asia‘s Zhi and Xian with two Ultra Combos in a row. Then you can start making plans to come meet the real deal this weekend. If you’re going to be there, you might as well sign up to play in some of the tournaments at the event itself (pre-register through this link). A total of six games will be played in the tournaments: 1. Super Street Fighter 4 Arcade Edition 2. FIFA 2012 2
June 7th, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone
3. Marvel vs Capcom 3 4. King of Fighters XIII 5. Street Fighters X Tekken 6. Soul Calibur V There will also be free-play stations for Gran Turismo 5 (PS3) and Xbox 360 Kinect titles. For location and tournament registration details, visit the Clementi Game Festival 2 Facebook page.
Go hands-on with the Crystal White PS Vita at PC Show 2012 Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/go-hands-on-with-the-crystal-whiteps-vita-at-pc-show-2012/ By KarbyP on June 7th, 2012
Specifications of PlayStation®Vita 3G/Wi-Fi Model (Crystal White) Product Name Serial No. Release Date Suggested Retail Price Contents
PlayStation®Vita 3G/Wi-Fi Model (Crystal White) PCH-1106 ZA02 10th July, 2012 SGD469 ・PS Vita 3G/Wi-Fi model ×1 ・USB Cable ×1 ・AC Adaptor ×1 ・Power Cord ×1 ・Booklet ×1
At E3 Sony announced a few more reasons why you should pick up a PS Vita. But if you’re still not entirely convinced, why not go hands-on with the system yourself to see how you like it? You’ll be able to do just that at the PC Show 2012 this week, happening from now till this Sunday (June 7 to 10), 12noon to 9PM daily at the Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Capcom is thinking of bringing Street Fighter X Tekken over to the iOS [video] Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/capcom-is-thinking-of-bringingstreet-fighter-x-tekken-over-to-the-ios/ By KarbyP on June 7th, 2012
SingTel, Sony’s preferred mobile operator for the PS Vita, is showing off the new Crystal White unit – to be launched on July 10 – as well as the latest games for the portable games device over at its booth (Suntec Hall 6/601). So even if you already know you’re going to pick one up soon, it’s a good idea to swing by their booth and check out the differences between the white and black units. Pro-tip: if you decide to buy one, don’t forget to ask for a free special voucher code for the games WipEout ™ 2048 and Touch My Katamari™, part of a promotion that’s running from now till the Crystal White Vita’s release, while stocks last. PS Vita public trial @ PC Show 2012 Date: 7-10 Jun 2012 Venue: SingTel booth, Suntec Hall 6, Hall 601 Time: 12nn-9pm
Although the PS Vita version will undoubtedly be the definitive Street Fighter X Tekken experience on portables when it comes out later this year, it appears that Capcom is nevertheless looking into more ways to get a version of this controversial crossover fighter into gamers’ hands.
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At E3 they’ve silently brought out a demo for an iOS adaptation, likely using the event as an opportunity to gauge interest (like what Sega is doing). According to Famitsu, Capcom currently does not have plans to release Street Fighter X Tekken iOS. Yet. This is only a tech demo. But if it does come out, Street Fighter X Tekken would be the fourth Capcom fighting game to be ported over to the iOS, following Street Fighter II, Street Fighter IV, and Marvel vs Capcom 2.
Published by: VR-Zone
What do you think, should Capcom release an iOS version of Street Fighter X Tekken? How much would you pay for it? Source: Famitsu
Electronic Cat Tail for Humans Now in Development Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/electronic-cat-tail-for-humans-nowin-development/ By magnetic_rose on June 7th, 2012
The tech demo shown at E3 only allows you to play as Ryu and Kazuya on one team, and Chun-Li and Nina on the other, boys-versus-girls style. Judging from the YouTube video above, SFxTK on iOS controls very similarly to Street Fighter IV Volt, with a virtual joystick on the bottom-left corner of the screen, and four buttons – Punch, Kick, Special (SP), and Switch (denoted by a giant “X”) – on the bottom right. And just like in SF4 Volt, each character’s special moves can be performed using easy commands (SP button plus a specific direction). As an example, pressing or holding down the SP button with no directional input when playing as Ryu will result in a Hadouken. But if you hold forward on the virtual joystick and hit SP, a Shoryuken will be unleashed instead.
After the success of the Necomimi electronic cat ear, another Japanese company is working on a prototype cat tail to be worn by humans. Although still in development, the cat tail works pretty much the same way as the cat ears: it reacts to emotions given off by the wearer, and moves in particular ways to show happiness, anger, etc. Here’s a demo video of the cat ears, from Nico Nico Douga. ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・ Source: Rocket News.
First look: Hatsune Miku Project Diva F tech demo at E3 [video and pictures] Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/first-look-hatsune-miku-projectdiva-f-tech-demo-at-e3-video-and-pictures/ By KarbyP on June 7th, 2012
Yesterday, we were the first on the Web to report that Hatsune Miku Project Diva F would be making an appearance at E3 in the form of a playable demo. Now, we’ve got video (courtesy of Niconico) and – surprise, surprise – the menus are in English! ・・・・・・・・・・・・・・E3 ・・・・ -Project DIVA- f・E3 2012・ 4
June 7th, 2012
Sega’s official blog for the game posted up some photos of the demo unit on display at E3:
Published by: VR-Zone
Since 2009, every year AKB48 has held a general election to determine which of its numerous members will go into the Media Senbatsu – the top 12 members who will appear centre-stage in most of AKB48′s mass media engagements. Members who place higher will also be featured in CD singles more often, so fans are motivated to vote for their personal favourites. For instructions to catch all of it live on Google Plus, go to this page. Alterntively, watch the following tutorial video for tips on how you can best immerse yourself in the experience: Like we previously reported, current AKB48 front-runner Atsuko Maeda will not be participating in the General Election this year, as she will be leaving the Japanese idol group soon. Her “graduation” date from the group has been announced to be August 27. This means that Yuko Oshima, who won in the second general election in 2010 (Atsuko Maeda won in 2009 and 2011), will probably take the top spot this year.
Since we first broke the story, Joystiq’s JC Fletcher has also posted some brief thoughts on the game. Unfortunately, so far none of the other media outlets covering E3 have taken a look at it. Although Hatsune Miku Project Diva F and the limited edition PS Vita bundle will be released in other Asian territories outside Japan (Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, etc), it’s not confirmed if the game will cross borders and see a release in the West.
Who do you think will clinch the top 5 positions in the AKB48 General Election? Here are my personal predictions: 1) Yuko Oshima 2) Mayu Watanabe 3) Mariko Shinoda 4) Yuki Kashiwagi 5) Rino Sashihara
But, once again, here’s hoping it will. Fingers crossed.
Let us know yours in the comments below!
Read more Hatsune Miku stories here on SGCafe.
AKB48 Grand Prix Search for the ・1 Fan.
Today: Catch the AKB48 General Election streamed live on Google Plus Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/today-catch-the-akb48-generalelection-streamed-live-on-google-plus/ By KarbyP on June 7th, 2012
Agni’s Philosophy – a Final Fantasy real-time tech demo – offers a glimpse of next-gen Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/agnis-philosophy-a-final-fantasyreal-time-tech-demo-offers-a-glimpse-of-next-gen/ By KarbyP on June 7th, 2012
Behold: Agni’s Philosophy, a real-time tech demo powered by Square Enix’s Luminous Studio engine. This is what a next-gen Final Fantasy could look like. For now, Agni’s Philosophy is just a tech demo (like the Final Fantasy 7 PS3 tech demo that never materialised as a full game). But it may turn into a full-fledged game some day – that’ll depend on what you make of it. The AKB48 General Election is set to begin a couple hours from now, at 5.20PM JST (GMT+0900) or 4.20PM Singapore/Philippines/Central Indonesia time (GMT+0800), and Google Plus will be streaming the whole event live – with simultaneous interpretation in English, to boot! At 11PM JST (10PM Singapore time) the winner of this year’s AKB48 Senbatsu Sousenkyo (Front-member General Election) will also come on the live stream and give a speech.
Over at Square Enix’s site for the tech demo, there is a survey you can fill up; Square Enix would like to know if you found the heroine Agni and the world depicted in the tech demo appealing, as well as any other impressions or thoughts you might have. The site also offers some stills from the demo, and – if you’re a top-notch programmer/CG artist – a banner at the bottom reveals that Square Enix is hiring. Or you could just go to the recruitment page from here.
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Published by: VR-Zone By KarbyP on June 7th, 2012
‘ Pikmin 3! New Super Mario Bros. U! WiiFitU! Just some of the games that have been announced at Nintendo’s E3 press conference, going on right now (Nintendo’s official stream here). So far Nintendo has also unveiled that the WiiU console will support up to two tablet gamepads (although games in the immediate launch period will only support one). We’ll update this post later to give you a summary of all the announcements from Ninty’s press con. For now, however, here are some pictures to look at. And if you’re still up – it’s Singapore/Philippines time 12.40AM right now as I’m writing this – join in the fun on the stream (GameSpot’s stream I find to be the most stable).
Agni’s Philophy FINAL FANTASY REALTIME TECH DEMO.
Nintendo E3 press con highlights: Pikmin 3, New Super Mario Bros U, Batman, WiiFitU Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/nintendo-e3-press-con-highlightspikmin-3-new-super-mario-bros-u-batman-wiifitu/
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June 7th, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone
Beginning on September 12, fans who have purchased tickets to watch the Tiger & Bunny movie in Japan can vote for their favorite hero, or whoever they predict to be crowned King of Movie Hero in the film. A webpage will be set up for voting, fans can vote on the site be entering the serial number on their movie tickets followed by clicking on their chosen hero’s name.
The top five heroes voted will receive around one to three minutes of extra screen time relative to all other characters. A special surprise is also being planned for the winning King of Movie Hero. He or she will be honoured with a surprise exclusively for the fans who have voted. The voting webpage will also include a Weekly Hero Countdown”, revealing the hero with the highest votes each week.
Tiger & Bunny: cinema-goers to decide “King of Movie Hero” Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/tiger-bunny-cinema-goers-to-decideking-of-movie-hero/ By Mello on June 7th, 2012
The first Tiger & Bunny movie will be released in theaters on 22 September 2012 in Japan. A second movie is in the works and is scheduled to be released in 2013. A roadshow to promoted the movie will begin in September as well. The voting website will be announced at the Tiger & Bunny official website on 5 June. Who would you vote for? Source: LivedoorNews
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June 9th, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone
SGCafe : Cosplay | Vocaloid | Otaku | Pop Culture A daily publication about Cosplay, Vocaloid, Otaku and Japanese Pop Culture
Persona 3 theatrical release announced after the credits in Persona 4 movie Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/persona-3-theatrical-releaseannounced-after-the-credits-in-persona-4-movie/ By KarbyP on June 9th, 2012
This just in: Persona 3 will be getting a movie! According to tweets from movie-goers who’ve seen the Persona 4 movie (released in Japanese cinemas today), at the end of the movie’s credits or staff roll there was a short clip announcing that Persona 3 would be getting a theatrical release as well. In the announcement clip, a calendar is shown being navigated back in time to two years before Persona 4, to the start of P3.
No further details were given, but we’ll let you know as soon as we find out. In the meantime, read more Persona stories here on SGCafe! Source: Otakomu
More information on Tokushu Houdoubu, plus a web comic in the works Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/more-information-on-tokushuhoudoubu-plus-a-web-comic-in-the-works/ By Mello on June 9th, 2012
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Nippon Ichi has finally officially revealed the characters of Tokushu Houdoubu, their newest PS Vita game. Players can look forward to investigating mysteries such as UFO sightings and mysterious beings with ESP powers as well as being tasked with conducting interviews to get the whole scoop. The Special News Division is producing and broadcasting “Special News”, a news flash program that highlights and investigates the strange phenomenons happening in the city. To get to the bottom of the truth, staff of the department are required to do interviews and discuss the findings meticulously day and night. Occasionally, you may encounter situations where having common sense is crucial. The choices you make and questions you choose while you are conducting interviews will influence the “truth” broadcasted to the public. The staff’s findings will be broadcasted as a program appearing on every television across the country. Through this program, you can reveal the “truth of the world” to the public. The types of paranormal phenomena you will encounter include doppelgangers, mysterious abductions, UFOs, ESP encounters and more. (List of content is tentative and may differ in the actual game)
Here are the official introductions of the characters: (From left to right)
Published by: VR-Zone
A man of few words, he is shrouded with a mysterious charisma. Such is shown when he does interviews alongside Yuhara. He excels at Judo and Kendo and has some knowledge of handling shoots. He is also loyal and seems to have previous experience in the industry. However, he prefers not to talk about it.
Kaede Watarai, 16 years old – Assistant (CV: Asami Seto) She is in still studying in high school and joins the Special New Division as a part-timer. She is strong willed but open to other’s opinions at times. She speaks with a grown-up tone and is tasked with being the timekeeper and one of the interviewers of the team. She also does any odd jobs that needs to get done.
Aya Tanahashi, 25 years old – Director (CV: Miyuki Sawashiro) As the director of the Special News Division, she is highly skilled in gathering information and getting the biggest scoops. She has a very positive outlook and relies on Yuhara alot to help her with her work. She regards “getting romantically involved with a man” as a paranormal situation.
Ryo Yuhara, 23 year old – Assistant Director ( CV: Tomoaki Maeno) This rookie Assistant Director has graduated from college and was in the News Division dealing with normal news before he was transferred to the Special News Division. He has an extremely keen sense of curiosity which could turn out to be a good or bad thing. He feels a strong sense of responsibility as part of the media team to convey the truth to the public and makes it his life mission. When you play as his character, you can control the camera on your own when conducting interviews as well as edit the manuscript. Mamoru Sumi, 25 years old – Assistant Director (CV: Yoshimasa Hosoya) 2
June 9th, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone
Although a teaser has been released for the two other characters, the producer (silhouette on the left) and announcer (on the right) of the Special News Department, we have found a screen that shows the announcer. More information on these characters will be released soon. Pior to the release of the game, a web comic will be released every Thursday beginning on July 26 at Flex Comix Web. Each volume is set to focus on one character. Chika Nagi, who is in charge of pacing the story hopes to present the charms of each character of the “Special News Division” in the comic. Here are the manga artists who will be drawing each chapter: Chapter 1 – Touya Nakamura Chapter 2 – Secco Chapter 3 – Seira Yugen Chapter 4 – Nami Yoshii Chapter 5 – Masaki Sano & Kyo Watanabe More screenshots of the game are revealed below. Do stay tuned for more information on Tokushu Houdoubu!
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June 9th, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone
or items they couldn’t really go without – like a storeroom for items? Well, it’s time to find out; Sega has announced a pricing structure for several key features and items in PSO2. If you don’t want to go through all the details below, the long and short of it all is that you will definitely not need to spend a single cent in order to have a good time, if my personal experience from playing the closed beta can be used as an indication. But if you’d much rather go through the cold, hard details:
*Note: in-game items will be paid for using AC (Ar kz Cash), at the exchange rate of 1AC = 1 yen Free level of service What does “basic service” refer to? Sega is promising the following: - All story cutscenes and quests will never require AC - There will be no caps placed on your maximum character level, or play time - No paid quests, no over-powered weapons to be sold either directly or indirectly through scratch card lottery Source: Famitsu
Sega announces pricing structure for Phantasy Star Open 2, pre-open beta dates
- All chat functionality (signs, gestures, etc) will be completely usable without having to pay Game updates, story developments, new areas and enemies will all be covered under the free level of service.
Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/sega-announces-pricing-structurefor-phantasy-star-open-2-pre-open-beta-dates/ By KarbyP on June 9th, 2012
All free users will also be able to accumulate FUN points by communicating and interacting with other players (commending each other after a successful quest, for instance). FUN points is used exclusively in a special scratch card lottery that may confer any of the following: When a publisher – any publisher – announces that the next instalment in a well-loved, monumental video game franchise would be free-to-play – like what Sega did to Phantasy Star Online 2 – most fans would naturally be worried. Would Sega be able to make enough profits through premium items for them to justify keeping the servers up? Would players be forced to pay an arm and a foot for features
- Room goods - Music discs - Additional lobby actions (gestures/animations) - Limited trials of certain paid features/items (example: a 3day pass for “My Room” or “My Shop”)
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Premium level The aforementioned “My Room” and “My Shop” are paid features. Specifically, they are part of a Premium Set comprising the following: 1) My Room 2) My Shop
Published by: VR-Zone
New Time Travelers trailer demonstrates cinema events, time travel chart navigation Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/new-time-travelers-trailerdemonstrates-cinema-events-time-travel-chart-navigation/ By KarbyP on June 9th, 2012
3) Premium storage (additional 300 slots) 4) Ability to trade items (you will, however, be able to trade basic recover items in a quest even on the free level) 5) Access to premium blocks/lobbies in a server 6) The rate you earn FUN points at is higher *Features (3) to (6) are premium-only, so you won’t be able to earn limited trials for those features through FUN lottery. Here’s a new trailer for Time Travelers (3DS, PSP, PS Vita), which is scheduled for a July 12 release in Japan. In this new trailer, you’ll see how most of the gameplay in Time Travelers will work. Like some of Time Travelers director Jiro Ishii’s previous games (428: Fusa Sareta Shibuya de, Machi: Unmei no Kousaten), you navigate through different characters’ story lines using a time chart. Time Travelers is set in the future – specifically, 28 April 2031 – and its story revolves around five characters whose decisions on that day will ripple through the time chart and affect not only one another, but the rest of the game world. Scratch and Scratch Gold cards will also be offered at 200AC and 500AC respectively. These let you unlock additional costumes and customisation parts at random; the 200AC scratch cards have other items mixed in as well, while the 500AC “Scratch Gold” lottery will only contain costumes and customisation parts. Other paid items include consumables (prices start at 150AC), system expansion items (starting from 300AC), and the right to create an additional character or to change your existing character’s looks (500AC).
So if you thought that 5pb and Nitroplus’s Steins;Gate visual novel sufficiently demonstrated the merits and detriments of time travelling, think again. Judging from what’s been revealed so far, it looks like you’ll have to make many hard decisions, and go back in time to possibly reverse some – such as a young boy’s decision to sacrifice himself so his father can save his mother and younger brother – and reverse previously reversed decisions.
————————In addition, Sega has also announced dates for a pre-open beta that they will run to stress test their servers before the official open beta. Pre-open beta test Day 1: June 15 (Friday) 19:00~24:00 (Japan Standard Time or GMT+0900 hours) Pre-open beta test Day 2: June 16 (Friday) 19:00~24:00 (Japan Standard Time or GMT+0900 hours) Pre-open beta registration has started (some level of Japanese is required to register, or you could just refer to PSU Fan Blog’s handy guide here). Source: 4Gamer
Of course, there are some seemingly casual ones, like choosing whether or not female lead Mikoto Shindo (played by Miyuki Sawashiro) kisses schoolmate Yuri Fukase (Yoshimasa Hosoya). Although given the amount of emphasis that’s been placed on this particular kiss scene, there’s a good chance that it’s a choice that’ll lead to consequences far greater than we can imagine.
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We’ll just have to wait till the game’s July 12 release to find out.
Published by: VR-Zone
pinching only lets you switch between mode full-screen and windowed modes. So pinch-to-full-screen it is. Still, YouTube on PS Vita is looking pretty neat.
YouTube on PS Vita has a neat interface, supports pinch-to-full-screen [video] Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/youtube-on-ps-vita-has-a-neatinterface-supports-pinch-to-full-screen-video/ By KarbyP on June 9th, 2012
Thanks, xlogicalzx, for bringing us this great video from E3. Source: YouTube user xlogicalzx
New Madoka Magica Online trailer showcases gameplay, customisation and original art Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/new-madoka-magica-online-trailershowcases-gameplay-customisation-and-original-art/
I want to say that it supports pinch-to-zoom (because that’s technically what you’re doing), but unfortunately it looks like 6
June 9th, 2012 By KarbyP on June 9th, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone
Read more Puella Magi Madoka Magica stories here on SGCafe! Source: 4Gamer
Nexon’s Dungeon Fighter Live is like the D&D Live Arcade port you never got from Capcom Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/nexons-dungeon-fighter-live-is-likethe-dd-live-arcade-port-you-never-got-from-capcom/ By KarbyP on June 9th, 2012
Puella Magi Madoka Magica Online is a browser game. Yet, it just might be several magnitudes better than the Madoka Magica PSP game that was released a while back. I got shivers from watching this new 2nd trailer for the game. Now if only fans outside of Japan can play it; you’ll need a Japanese IP address to access the game’s official site in order to sign up for a beta.
Ask any side-scrolling beat-em-up fan what is the one game they’ll absolutely kill to see ported over to Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network, and chances are they’ll tell you: any of Capcom’s two Dungeons and Dragons arcade titles. Well, looks like years of petitioning won’t solve anything. Capcom still isn’t bringing those classics over. Let’s find something else to play, for now. Something like Dungeon Fighter Live: Fall of Hendon Myre, which Nexon – the publisher of Maple Story – will bring over to XBLA sometime this year. If you ask me, this looks like it has all the makings of a great Capcom D&D title, plus a little something extra: support for four-players co-op. Dungeon Fighter Live is a port of a free-to-play beat-emup already released on the PC sometime back. It’ll be sold for 800 MS points when it comes out later this year, which may not seem like a fair price initially for something that you can supposedly play for free (like Samurai & Dragons on PS Vita). But according to 4Gamer, you’ll be getting a more streamlined experience on the XBLA version, simply because the business model is different – in the PC version you get billed for certain consumable items, which you won’t have to pay for here. Although it’s not exactly a brand new title like Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds, as long the game properly takes advantage of Xbox Live’s features, I think it’ll do just fine.
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June 9th, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone
Source: 4Gamer
Vote for your favourites: Type-Moon’s 10th Anniversary All-Character Popularity Poll commences Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/vote-for-your-favourites-typemoons-10th-anniversary-all-character-popularity-poll-commences/ By KarbyP on June 9th, 2012
Vote for your favourite Type-Moon character in the company’s 10th Anniversary All-Character Popularity Poll! Go on, do it, your waifu/husbando needs you! It’s been a while since Type-Moon has done one of these, huh? Not since the release of Fate/Hollow Ataraxia in 2006, Type-Moon’s site for the poll says. Regardless if you’re long-time fan from the Tsukihime or Kara no Kyoukai days, or if you only came to know about Type-Moon through the Fate/Zero anime series, your vote counts! Go to the polling site, click on the big yellow button, and pick the series and character names for your top three choices. Everything is written in Japanese, of course, so you might have to consult a fellow Type-Moon fan or do a little digging to make sure your votes go to the right characters. If the character you’d like to vote for is not included in the lists, you may pick “そそそ” and fill in his/her name yourself. However, Type-Moon warns that if the character you named was actually listed, then your vote will be voided.
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June 9th, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone
そそそそそそそそそそそ (Musunde Hiraite Ratsetsu to Mukuro) Music, Lyrics and Jacket picture designed by そそ (Hachi)
After you’re done picking your top three, if you scroll down there’s a fun little activity you could partake in as well: guess which position the blue robin from Mahou Tsukai no Yoru will come in (enter a number in the box). If you guess right, you stand a chance to win a pair of Type-Moon Fes tickets or an autographed brochure for the event.
そそそ (Tsugai Kogarashi) Music, Lyrics and Jacket picture designed by そそそそP (ShigotoshiteP)
Don’t give too much thought to it though – chances are you’ll need an actual residential address in Japan for Type-Moon to mail your prize to you. And that’s if you’re the lucky winner picked out from the pool of voters who guessed correctly. You have from now till June 24 to make your vote. The top 20 positions will be announced on July 7 and 8 at TypeMoon Fes and subsequently posted on the polling site after the event. The full list, however, would only be published later in a commemorative artbook – “TYPE-MOON 10th Anniversary Phantasm” – to be released on August 10. May Saber the best Type-Moon character win! 10そそそそ TYPE-MOONそそそそそそそそそそそそそ [via Otanews]
Hatsune Miku Project Diva Arcade: Four new songs for June
そGothic and Loneliness そI’m the very DIVAそ Music & Lyrics by そそそそそそそ (Narushimatakashi) Movie & Illustration by そそそそ (Rin Sakuraba)
Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/hatsune-miku-project-diva-arcadefour-new-songs-for-june/ By KarbyP on June 9th, 2012
そslump Music by そそそそ (Shiba Inu) / Lyrics by そそそ (Ayatori) Movie & Illustration by RefinedDium
Location tests for Project Diva Arcade ver.B starts today! But just because ver.B is in the works, doesn’t mean that Sega has abandoned ver.A. Quite the contrary, in fact: today they’ve unveiled four new songs that’ll be added on June 14. The first two songs are from Project Diva Extend on the PSP, while the other two are a first for the series.
The songs will be added to Hatsune Miku Project Diva Arcade ver.A Revision 4 June 14. Read more Hatsune Miku stories here on SGCafe!
In the order they appear from the trailer above: 9
June 9th, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone
Source: Shuukan Diva Station
Yakuza 5 – Kiryu Kazama’s prologue story revealed Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/yakuza-5-kiryu-kazamas-prologuestory-revealed/ By KarbyP on June 9th, 2012
The once almighty Dragon of Dojima has now been reduced to a mild-mannered cab driver? What has the world (of Yakuza / Ryu ga Gotoku 5) come to? In Ryu ga Gotoku 5: Yume Kanaeshi Mono (Yakuza 5: Those Who Fulfil Dreams), set in 2012 or two years after Yakuza 4, peace between the Tojo clan and the Omi Alliance is threatened as the 7th Chairman of the latter – one of two men instrumental to the peace treaty between the clans – is on his deathbed. In order to prevent war, the current head of the Tojo Clan, Daigo Dojima, swallows his pride and travels to meet with the Omi Alliance. However, it’s already too late – unbeknownst to him, the “sleeping players” from within the Tojo Clan had already begun to move. As an all-out war between the East and the West breaks out, Yakuza 5′s five protagonists – four men and a girl – across various cities in Japan are once again thrust into this whirlwind of conflict. Kiryu Kazama is one such protagonist. His chapter in Yakuza 5 is set in Fukuoka – specifically, the fictional district of Nagasugai.
Kiryu, the former 4th-generation head of the Tojo Clan, had chosen to leave it all behind, washing his hands off all matters in the underground world, and settling down in Okinawa, running an orphanage with Haruka, the daughter of Kiryu’s love who sacrificed herself to save them both. But one day Kiryu decides to leave Okinawa for Kyushu, after a mysterious woman visits him at the orphanage. In Kyushu, he’s taken on a psuedonym and makes his living as a law-abiding cab driver who would bow his head to even the most despicable of men – as long as they’re his customers. It’s a sight friends and acquaintances would not believe. But when the current head of the Tojo Clan suddenly goes missing, Kiryu Kazuma – a man who’s abandoned and discarded his dreams – will once again act for the dreams of those he cares about. The legend of the Dragon shall rise once more. Ryu ga Gotoku 5: Yume Kanaeshi Mono comes out for the PS3 later this year. Source: 4Gamer
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SGCafe : Cosplay | Vocaloid | Otaku | Pop Culture A daily publication about Cosplay, Vocaloid, Otaku and Japanese Pop Culture
Rewrite Harvest Festa! Cafe [June 8 to July 8]
Idolmaster to join Rewrite Harvest Festa and Mahou Tsukai no Yoru themes at Good Smile Cafe Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/idolmaster-to-join-rewrite-harvestfesta-and-mahou-tsukai-no-yoru-themes-at-good-smile-cafe/ By KarbyP on June 14th, 2012
Good Smile & Karaoke no Tetsujin Cafe (Guttetsu Cafe for short) in Akihabara will run an Idolmaster-themed cafe between June 25 to August 13, Good Smile Company’s Mikatan announced on her blog today. It’s unknown if the menu items for Guttetsu’s Idolmaster Cafe will be different from the ones featured in November last year at Cure Maid Cafe and Wonder Cafe. Also, oddly enough there are already two themed cafes concurrently going on at Guttetsu at the moment: a Rewrite Harvest Festa Cafe (June 8 to July 8) and a Mahou Tsukai no Yoru Cafe (May 29 to July 8).
Mahou Tsukai no Yoru Cafe [May 29 to July 8] (Mahou Tsukai is also known as “Witch on the Holy Night”)
This would mean that between June 25 to July 8 the Good Smile Cafe will actually run three themed cafes simultaneously. One must wonder, “is there really enough floor space in the cafe to fit all three themes?” (Unfortunately I’ve never been there before; if you have, please let us know in the comments below). Update: A virtual tour of the Good Smile & Karaoke no Tetsujin Cafe is offered here. Below you’ll find the respective food menus for the Rewrite and Mahou Tsukai cafes at Guttetsu. As The Idolm@ster Cafe menu at Guttetsu Cafe has not yet been released yet, we’ve attached an image from last year’s Idolmaster Cafe – held elsewhere – to give you an idea of what you might be able to expect (note: this menu may not be indicative of the new one at Guttetsu’s). Bon Appetit!
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June 14th, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone
The Idolm@ster Cafe in Cure Maid Cafe (November 2011)
For more info, visit: ググググググググググググググググググ Read more Idolmaster stories here on SGCafe! Source: Good Smile Company’s Mikatan
SNK Dream Battle social game comes to smartphones (Android, iOS) Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/snk-dream-battle-social-gamecomes-to-smartphones-android-ios/
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By KarbyP on June 14th, 2012
Initially released only for feature phones, social game SNK Dream Battle has finally made its way to the Android and – this month – iOS smartphone platforms through Japanese social network service Gree. In SNK Dream Battle players amass an army of character cards featuring fighters from a variety of SNK games series – King of Fighters, Fatal Fury, Samurai Spirits, etc – and put together decks composed of 10 cards each (over 200 cards are available) to do battle with. In each deck you also have to set one fighter card as the leader of the pack; the longer you set a specific card as the leader, the more “trust points” that character accumulates. During battles, players can turn the tides by powering up their deck with a “Kakusei” or “Awakening (ググ) ability, and this ability grows stronger as you gain trust points with your deck leader. Apart from a single-player Quest mode where you’ll fight bosses from time to time, there are also one-on-one Gachinko Battles amongst players, and periodic KOF Battle Stadium events.
Unfortunately, to play the game it looks like you need to own either a Softbank or Vodafone email address (at least, that appears to be the case when I tried to sign up for a Gree account). If you do have one, you can access the game by pointing your iOS or Android device’s Web browser over to http:// pf.gree.jp/50924 (on your desktop browser it won’t take you to the app). The game is free to play with optional paid items. Source: Gree [via Famitsu]
Keio University developing method for virtual avatars mirroring facial expressions real-time using webcam Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/keio-university-developing-methodfor-virtual-avatars-mirroring-facial-expressions-real-time-using-webcam/ By shia on June 14th, 2012
Associate Professor Yasue Mitsukara from Keio University, has developed a method to detect how facial expression changes using a ordinary computer and a usb/web camera. The system is able to detect and track faces using a technique called time-series signal processing. It will basically track features of the face such as the eyes, nose and mouth at high speeds with great accuracy. The system is also able to analyze a person’s expression by analyzing the patterns of the user, it is able to detect whether a person is laughing, angry, or surprised. Yasue believes that it can be used for games that detect and react to changes in people’s faces. He hopes to release the system to CG animation hobbyists, he thinks that it could have applications such as showing a fluid character for web dialog systems or used for making characters move in real time at events. There are systems out there that can track human facial expressions but I that this is the first system that does not require users to stick markers on their faces to operate. I hope to hear more developments from them. Kudos to them for using the TDA Miku model. Source : Diginfo.tv
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It’s official: Street Fighter X Tekken Mobile is coming to the iOS Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/its-official-street-fighter-x-tekken-iscoming-to-the-ios/ By KarbyP on June 14th, 2012
Last week we were the first English source on the Web to report that Capcom silently brought out a Street Fighter X Tekken iOS tech demo at E3. TheAPPera.com uploaded a video of the app in action on YouTube, while Japan’s Famitsu.com gave us a brief hands-on report and said that this was not official yet – Capcom had yet to announce concrete plans to roll out an iOS version, so the tech demo might not come to fruition. Meanwhile, most of the media folks at E3 did not even stumble upon the little gem (haha! Get it? Gem? Gem syste.. never mind) at Capcom’s booth at E3. Well, it’s official now. Capcom USA has just announced that Street Fighter X Tekken would indeed come to the iOS. From the press release: Capcom is pleased to confirm that Street Fighter x Tekken Mobile will be released for iOS this summer. Based on the critically acclaimed home console release, but with a complete redesign of controls and UI with mobile devices in mind, Street Fighter x Tekken Mobile also features brand new modes and a new take on the tag team mechanic. The balanced character roster includes Ryu and Chun-Li from the Street Fighter series, and Kazuya and Nina from the Tekken series.
Visual Art’s Big Thanks Festival Mascots Named, Special Page for Orpheus ～～ ～～～～～～～～～～～ Opens Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/visual-arts-big-thanks-festivalmascots-named-special-page-for-orpheus%E3%80%80%EF%BD%9E %E5%90%9B%E3%81%A8%E5%A5%8F%E3%81%A7%E3%82%8B %E6%98%8E%E6%97%A5%E3%81%B8%E3%81%AE %E3%81%86%E3%81%9F/ By Mycstea on June 14th, 2012
The competition winners to name the mascots for Visual Art’s Big Thanks Festival has finally been announced, and a special page for VA20 Anniversary commemoration single Orpheus グググググググググググググ is now open. Previously reported on SGCafe, Visual Art’s is celebrating it’s 20th Anniversary by holding an event on July 29th. Read the full story here. As the build up for the event steadily increases, the mascots of Visual Art’s Big Thanks Festival has finally been revealed as ググ/Shion and ググ/Kanon. The winning entry is submitted by グググググググググ.
Street Fighter x Tekken Mobile will be compatible with iOS 5 or higher, and will be playable on iPhone 4 and 4S, iPod touch 4th Gen or later, iPad 2 and the New iPad.” “The balanced character roster”? So I guess the iOS version of Street Fighter X Tekken won’t have gems, huh?
Character designer Itaru Hinoue comments: Thank you very much for all the support and entries for the twins naming competition!! It’s been 4
June 14th, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone
very very hard selecting the names from so–oo many names haha. There were beautiful names, interesting anmes, and even names with my name on it (laughs). Amongst these, I recall and eventually chose a pair of names which were not only cute, but also suit the characters very much. Thank you very much!
• ググググ – グ ググ グググググ グググ ググ ググ グググググ ググググ (グMomo Fujikiググ Kyuu Fujiki) • ググ – グ ググググ グ グ グググ (グ Choco ググ Milk) You may view the official results here.
Since the start of the competition from March 2nd 2012, there has been over 2000 entries and finally a winning pair was chosen. The winner will be given a pair of tickets for the event, along with an assortment of live goods and a special event pamphlet with the signatures of every performing artiste of the event. As a consolation, 20 other participating entries are also given a pair of tickets to the concert event. Their respective names, entries and romanized/translated names are as follows: • グググググググ – グ グググググググググググ グ グ グググググググググググ (グ Natallie Shirogane グ グ Sylvie Shirogane) • グググググ – グ ググググググ (Violetta) グ グ グググググ (Arianna) ( グVioletta ググ Arianna) • ググググ – グ ググ ググ グ グ ググ グ (グNatane Toudou グ グ Shizuku Toudou) • グググ – グ グググググググ グ グ グググググググググ Stayzeroorudo グ グ Mejizerokkuiin)
(グ
• ググググ – グ ViVi(ググ) グ グ lAlA(ググ) (グ Vivi グ グ Rara) • ググググ – グ ググ グ グ ググ (グ No. 1 (Ichigou) グ グ No.2 (Nigou)) • ググググググググ – グ ググ(グググググ)ググググ グ グ ググ(グググググ)ググ グ (グ Jeal Kenjoグ グ Ash Kenjo) • グググ(21) – グ ググ ググ グ グ ググ ググ (グSakon Kimura グ グ Ukon Kimura) • グググググ – グ VAググググ3グ グ グ VAググググ4グ (グVA Sister the Thirdググ VA Sister the Forth)
The website for special commemorative single Orpheus ググ グググググググググググ is now open. Performed by various artists including Lia, Aoi Tada, Kawada Mami, Eiko Shimamiya, KOTOKO, Kaori Utatsuki, Chata, Rita and LiSA. The song is written by none-other then Visual Art’s CEO Baba Takahiro and famed composer Shinji Orito. Preorder is now ongoing with various online merchant sites including Amazon, Sofmap, Rakuten, Bachyuya, Sapashop, Toranoana, Medio!, Honnekitouhan, Trader PCGAME Kan, and PC Free Direct. Singaporean fans may order their copy from CD-Japan at 1000yen (without shipping cost, SGD$16) instead and will be on sale from June 29th 2012. You may also visit the special website here. Source: VA20 Official Website All image and property copyright belong to Visual Art’s
• グググググ – グ ググ グ グ ググ – グ ググググ グ グググ – グ ググググググ ググ グ グ グググググググググ (グ Inoki グ グ Baba グ グ Gureko グ グ Kuroko ググ Demonlord (Sasaki) グ グ Moustache Genie (Igarashi))
Cosplay A Day : Macross Frontier Universal Bunny
• doRo – グ グググググググ グ グ ググ(グググ) Hikage)
universal-bunny/ By sakurazaki on June 14th, 2012
(グ Hyori グ グ
Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/cosplay-a-day-macross-frontier-
• グググググ – グ グググググググググググググググググググググググググ ググ グ ググググググググググググググググググググググググググ” (グ Vivageグ グ Antandi) • ググググググググググ – グ ググググググググググ グ グ ググググググググググ (グMel グDevigrabet グ グ Al グDevigrabet) • グググググググ – グ グググ グググググググ ググググ ググ グググ ググググ グググ ググググ (グ Koharu Sakanoe グ グ Hyori Sakanoe) • kore – グ グググ グ グ グググ (グ Ponikoググ Potako) • ググググ - グ ググググ グ グ ググググググググ (グ I WON! (Katta) ググ I GOT THIS MATCH DONE! (Kono Shoubu Moratta!)) • グググ – グ ググ ググ (グググググ グググ) ググ ググ ググ ググググググ グ ググ) (グ Kaede Tenjou グ グ Kanna Tenjou) • Luciphel – グ ググググググググググググググ ググ ググググググ グググググググググググ (グ Great グPotemkin グYuugaググ Bibyurireenari グBoririren グYuuga)
I am your white bunny, Jumping and diving it’s almost innocent, The milky way spills in the galaxy, Hey, I want to eat that candy star. The Attractive, Adorable & Alluring. That’s what we refer to this trio as. Their eye catching cosplay was in relation to the catchy song, Universal Bunny. The song, sung by May’n’ and produced by 5
June 14th, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone
Yoko Kanno was featured as one of the major tracks in the movie Macross Frontier The False Songstress.
Just who are these gorgeous cosplayers you may ask, well they are none other than Astellecia, also known as Skye, Intricatia aka. Jill and of course the beautiful Hiyuki who we have once featured in Sgcafe’s Cosplay An Interview! Their shoot, was inspired by the song and video, Universal Bunny. The song was featured in a Sheryl Nome concert scene as the powerful opening number. With a background filled with gears, similar to the movie and the red and black backdrop that closely symbolizied the colors of the Black Bunny the pictures look as if they were taken from the concert itself!
Overall, the photos are an absolute delight to look at and the cosplay, gorgeous. For more information check out the links below and look forward to more incredible cosplays from this amazing trio! Cosplayer : Astellecia Series : Macross Frontier Character : Sheryl Nome Country : Singapore Photography : http://rescend.deviantart.com/ Deviantart : http://astellecia.deviantart.com/ Cosplayer : Hiyuki Series : Macross Frontier Character : Sheryl Nome Country : Singapore Photography : http://rescend.deviantart.com/ Deviantart : http://hiyuki.deviantart.com/ Cosplayer : Intricatia Series : Macross Frontier Character : Ranka Lee Country : Singapore Photography : http://rescend.deviantart.com/
All three cosplayers are not new to the characters of Macross Frontier at all! All three are fans of the series and have cosplayed many different versions of Sheryl Nome, Ranka Lee and even Alto Saotome! It was not a surprise that both Astellecia and Hiyuki cosplayed as Sheryl Nome while Intricatia cosplayed Ranka Lee. You have to agree, they do suit the characters to a T.
Deviantart : http://intricatia.deviantart.com/
Call for Student Entries to TBS DigiCon6 Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/call-for-student-entries-to-tbsdigicon6/
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Published by: VR-Zone
By magnetic_rose on June 14th, 2012
3rd Prize: SGD 500 + Wacom Bamboo Pen (worth SGD 135) Creative Awards for using Stop-Motion Technique 1st Prize: Canon Powershot SX240HS (worth SGD 499) 2nd Prize: Canon IXUS 230HS (worth SGD 349) 3rd Prize: Canon Powershot A2300 (worth SGD 179) Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) and Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) are accepting entries to the new Student Category at the annual TBS DigiCon6 Singapore. The student winner will get the opportunity to go to Tokyo, Japan in November to witness the showdown between winning creations from all over Asia – Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, etc – at the Grand Finals. TBS DigiCon6 Awards is an annual competition held with the objective of seeking and recognizing talented creators throughout Asia (past participating regions include: Japan, China, Hong Kong, India, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand) and rewarding them for their outstanding works. DigiCon6 furthermore provides these creators with opportunities to expand their creative ground by supporting their innovative minds and activities year-round.
STGCC 2012 updates media release with guest cosplayers Hibiki Touya , Kousaka Yun Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/stgcc-2012-updates-media-releasewith-guest-cosplayers-hibiki-touya-kousaka-yun/ By sentinel011 on June 14th, 2012
Popular Japanese cosplayers Hibiki Touya and Kousaka Yun will grace this year’s STGCC. MONOMIND, a DJ group heavily influenced by Touhou, will be coming as well.
All submitted Works will be reviewed and judged by TBS DigiCon6 Awards organization members and a panel of industry experts – based on the quality of work, ideas, and originality. TBS DigiCon6 Awards is sponsored by Tokyo Broadcasting System Holdings, Inc. and Tokyo Broadcasting System Television, Inc., and organized by the TBS DigiCon6 Headquarters. Apart from the competition, creators will come together to share their skills and hear from some of the brightest stars in the field in a series of workshops organised by NYP for Digicon6 Singapore from March to June. These include animators, writers and creature creators from leading industry players Lucasfilm Singapore and Animagine. Workshops are open to students and members of the public. More workshops have been lined up before the closing date for the 14th Digicon6 Singapore submission deadline on 31 August. For more information, please “Like” the Digicon6 Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/digicon6.
Hibiki Touya
There are 2 categories to the local leg. The winner of the Open Category will compete in the Grand Finals in Tokyo, Japan against country winners from all over Asia in November. Winner of the Student Category will get to attend the Grand Finals in Tokyo. Winners will also receive the following prizes:
Hibiki Touya’s popularity is well-known in Japan, as her portrayals of male characters gathered fans all across the world. Here repertoire of characters include Ichinose Tokiya (Uta no Prince Sama), Vocaloid character Kaito, Shiraishi Kuranosuke (Prince of Tennis), Kamui and Okita (Gintama) as well as Alto Saotome (Macross Frontier).
Open Category
Touya became familiar not just because of her awesome cosplays, but also through her involvement as a staff Cosplayer in events such as Miku Party (Mikupa) and Comic Market (Comiket), amongst many other events held in Japan. Hibiki Touya will be in Singapore for the first time as a guest Cosplayer in STGCC.
1st Prize: SGD 4000 + Wacom Intuos5 PTK650 Medium (worth SGD 559) 2nd Prize: SGD2000 + Wacom Intuos5 PTH450 Touch (worth SGD 429) 3rd Prize: SGD 1000 + Wacom Intuos5 PTK450 Small (worth SGD 379) Student Category 1st Prize: SGD 1500 + Wacom BambooFun Pen & Touch (worth SGD 335) 2nd Prize: SGD 1000 + Wacom Bamboo Pen & Touch (worth SGD 185)
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If you think that is all, there is more! An additional special segment was announced, bringing Touhou and Vocaloid music together. DJ battle @ STGCC: DJ haLRu, MONOMIND vs DJ Zanio, ZANEEDS Japanese pop culture fans can also look forward to an electrifying DJ battle as DJ Zanio from ZANEEDS battles MONOMIND’s DJ haLRu at this year’s STGCC. This will turn out to be an ultimate Touhou vs Vocaloid showdown that fans will not want to miss.
Kousaka Yun Known for her great cosplays of cute and innocent cosplays, Kousaka Yun has attracted fans from across the globe as well, with characters such as Kobato Hasegawa (Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai), Kagura (Gintama), Madoka Kaname (Madoka Magica) and Yamada (Working!). Many fans of Kousaka Yun have come to like her because of Vocaloid cosplays of Hatsune Miku as well. Yun and Touya have had photoshoots of the same series before, with popular anime and game series such as Gintama and Uta no Prince-sama.
STGCC 2012 takes place 1-2 September 2012 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. For more information, go to www.singaporetgcc.com.
More K-On! After School Live!! HD screenshots to “drum up” buzz for next week’s release Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/more-k-on-after-school-live-hdscreenshots-to-drum-up-buzz-for-next-weeks-release/ By KarbyP on June 14th, 2012
Just eight more days to the release of K-On! After School Live!! HD Ver. on the PS3! To “drum-up” buzz for the game’s release next Thursday, Sega has released a fresh batch of screenshots depicting Yui and gang performing on “Big Drum” (that’s seriously the name of the stage, I kid you not) and three other locations. MONOMIND
No new trailers this time (read our previous story for that), but hey, the game’s coming out next week! The wait is almost over.
If you are a fan of the Touhou franchise, MONOMIND will be out there, one of the top DJ groups in your playlist of Touhou music.
Here’s the rundown on which songs and costumes are featured in the screenshots released this week. Scroll down to the end of this post for the full screenshot gallery.
MONOMIND is a popular Japanese electronic music label. Made up of DJ haLRu and guest artists, MONOMIND takes pride in spreading its fusion of Otaku and Club culture to all parts of the world. Known as the mastermind behind Japan’s much-raved about Touhou club event “Onban Yakoh” (Monster Party),DJ haLRu is famed for being the Mastering Engineer for popular Doujin releases such as Anime House Project Series and Enigmatic Lia 4.
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Fuwa Fuwa Time [グググググググググググ] Main vocals: Yui Hirasawa
Mezase Happy 100% [グググググググ100%グググ] Main vocals: Ritsu Tainaka
Stage: Auditorium (ググ)
Stage: Big Drum [ググググググ]
Costume featured: Chinese clothing (グググググ)
Costume featured: Summer B [グググB ]
Watashi no Koi wa Hotchkiss [グググググググググ] Main vocals: Yui Hirasawa Stage: Bus stop (グググ) Costume featured: Summer A (グググA)
Girly Storm Shissou Stick [Girly Storm ググ Stick] Main vocals: Ritsu Tainaka Stage: In front of the school gate (グググ) Costume featured: Active (グググググ)
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K-On! After School Live!! HD Ver. ((グググググ ググググググググ HD Ver.) for the PS3 hits retail stores in Japan on June 21. Read more K-On! stories here on SGCafe! Source: 4Gamer
Buy an Idolmaster wafer biscuit, register serial codes to talk to virtual idols, Siristyle Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/buy-an-idolmaster-wafer-registerserial-codes-to-talk-to-virtual-idols-siri-style/ By KarbyP on June 14th, 2012
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June 14th, 2012
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Game and anime-themed food items are not exactly uncommon in Japan – you can buy Kamen Rider-themed fish sausages over there - so I’m not exactly taken aback that Namco Bandai’s official shopping portal in Japan, Premium Bandai, is launching today a second series of Idolmasterthemed wafer biscuits. What I’m surprised by, is that each pack of Idolmaster Wafers 2 will not only include a tasty (I hope) cocoacream wafer biscuit and an Idolmaster clear card (one of 30 designs; “clear” cards are made of plastic, which makes it easy for you to rinse off any cream or crumbs stuck to it), but also a “Voice World” serial code that, once registered, will let you “call” one of the anime and game series’ 13 idol characters at random. Namco Bandai claims that through Voice World you’ll actually be able to hold a conversation with these virtual idols. Using voice recognition technology, the service will playback different dialogue clips over the phone to you, depending on your response to questions from the idol. When you register serial codes on the Voice World website you’ll be able to check a schedule for when which idols will be available. Conversation topics will also differ depending on the time of your call, and these are listed on the schedule as well.
Unfortunately, the Voice World service appears to only work with mobile lines in Japan. You’ll have to foot any bills incurred for the outgoing call to Voice World, but otherwise the service itself is free, limited to one call per day. Premium Bandai will begin taking pre-orders for Idolmaster Wafers 2 from today, 4PM Japan time (GMT+0900 hours). Each pack is sold for 105 yen, and a box of 20 is priced at 2100 yen (prices include tax). The actual release/delivery date is near the end of July. Source: 4Gamer, Premium Bandai
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June 16th, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone
SGCafe : Cosplay | Vocaloid | Otaku | Pop Culture A daily publication about Cosplay, Vocaloid, Otaku and Japanese Pop Culture
Get the latest updates on Kalafina with this official Android app (it’s free!) Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/get-the-latest-updates-on-kalafinawith-this-official-android-app-its-free/ By KarbyP on June 16th, 2012
And if you ever get nostalgic, you can also relive some of Kalafina’s best moments in the past by watching video clips through the Music Video tab. A Discography tab runs allows you to listen to audio clips, and brush up on your Kalafina fan-trivia as well, just in case you forgot which year fairytale was released in. If you like what you hear, you can purchase digital copies of Kalafina songs directly from within the app, under the “Songs” tab, and download them straight to your Android device. Finally, a Blog tab lets you stay connected with Kalafina at all times. You’ll be the first to know whenever one of Kalafina’s members post something interesting about their day – it’ll be pushed directly to your smartphone through the app.
Do you have an Android device? Want to stay on top of the latest updates on Kalafina? Then you need to download the Kalafina Official Artiste App (Kalafina 公公公公公公公公公公公), launched by Sony Music Network this week, pronto!
With this app you’ll always be in the know whenever the three-member anisong group – known for hits like Magia (Puella Magi Madoka Magica ED) and to the beginning (Fate/Zero 2nd Season OP) – makes an announcement. Under the Information tab, you’ll find a list of recent announcements – anything from live appearance on Nico Nico Douga or Japanese TV, to upcoming concerts and new CD releases.
The Kalafina Official Artiste App requires Android OS 2.1 or above (note: a small number of devices may not be 1
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compatible), and is free to download from the Google Play store.
Published by: VR-Zone By KarbyP on June 16th, 2012
Read more about Kalafina through our coverage here on SGCafe!
Korea legislates to ban real money trading Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/korea-legislates-to-ban-real-moneytrading/ By shia on June 16th, 2012
Capcom’s Sengoku Basara (公公Basara) series of DynastyWarriors-esque hack-and-slash games, set in feudal Japan, is getting a live-action TV drama adaption with Gackt starring as Oda Nobunaga. Entitled “Sengoku Basara -Moonlight Party-”, the TV adaptation will also star Kohei Takeda as Sanada Yukimura, Kento Hayashi as Date Masamune, and Hidenori Tokuyama as Katakura Kojuro. Oda Nobunaga — Gackt
According to the Korea Times, Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has announced that it will be stopping all virtual item trades with a new law that will be announced in July. “The main purpose of the games is for entertainment and should be used for academic and other good purposes,” said Kim Kap-Soo, head of the ministry’s content policy division. He stresses that item collection for commercial use is a serious hindrance to creating a healthy game culture. Korean law already prohibits users from using programs that allow in-game characters to hunt and collect items without the need of player intervention(botting). Offenders will face up a fine of up to 50 million won, and 5 years in jail. How will this affect Diablo III’s auction house in South Korea? Should real money trading be banned in other countries as well? Source : Korea Times, EuroGamer
Gackt to star as Oda Nobunaga in live-action TV adaptaion of Capcom’s Sengoku Basara Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/gackt-to-star-as-oda-nobunaga-inlive-action-tv-adaptaion-of-capcoms-sengoku-basara/
Sanada Yukimura — Kohei Takeda
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Published by: VR-Zone
Katakura Kojuro — Hidenori Tokuyama
Date Masamune — Kento Hayashi
Rest of the ensemble cast: Sarutobi Sasuke — Yuuki Izawa Uesugi Kenshin — Mayuko Arisue Kasuga — Kyoko Ochiai Nouhime – Nao Nagasawa Akechi Mitsuhide — Yuki Higuchi Mori Ranmaru — Taizou Shiina Takeda Shingen — Hiroaki Iwanaga This is not the first time the Sengoku Basara series has been adapted into another media format. In 2009 and 2010, Production I.G produced two seasons of a Sengoku Basara anime adaptation (“Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings” in the West), as well as an animated feature film in 2011 (Gekijouban: Sengoku Basara -The Last Party-). The series has also been adapted for live theatre in the past. Sengoku Basara -Moonlight Party- will air on MBS in Japan every Thursday at 1.25AM (Wednesday late-night 25:25 hours) starting July 12. Source: CinemaToday, Famitsu
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Atelier Ayesha video blast: “Equipment Strengthening” chapter, and more – Update: now with 13-minute play video Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/atelier-ayesha-trailers-equipmentstrengthening-chapter-and-a-few-more/ By KarbyP on June 16th, 2012
Update: Right after we posted this story, 4Gamer uploaded a 13-minute-long digest video of the game, as well as a fresh batch of screenshots:
Published by: VR-Zone
a fragile-looking Floral Staff and give it traits like Skill enhancement Lv1, HP + 15, Price – 10%, Skill Cost – 10%, and Attack Strength + 3. Also, since our last update on Atelier Ayesha, Gust has released a couple more demonstration videos for the game. Here they are on a single page for your viewing pleasure. Check out the great in-game BGMs! ~”World Exploration chapter”~ ~”Episode Introduction” chapter~ ~”Alchemy Competition” chapter~ Atelier Ayesha: Alchemist of the Ground of Dusk comes out for the PlayStation 3 on June 28 in Japan. Read more stories about Gust’s Atelier series of JRPGs here on SGCafe. 公公公公公公公公公公公公公公公公公公公公公
Hatsune Miku Project Diva F clear file hints at unannounced AR functionality Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/hatsune-miku-project-diva-f-clearfile-hints-at-unannounced-ar-functionality/ By KarbyP on June 16th, 2012
Back when we first reported that Hatsune Miku Project Diva F (PS Vita) would let you take pictures with the game’s Vocaloid stars through an augmented reality (AR) mode, we noted that Japanese magazine Weekly Famitsu’s description of the feature hinted that there’s more to AR in this game than Sega was willing to reveal. For more screenshots, head over to 4Gamer’s story.
Now it looks like Sega may have accidentally let the cat slip out of the bag.
Original story: In Atelier Ayesha, you can strengthen weapons and various equipment items by sharpening them with whetstone. Not only that, you can strengthen the strengthening whetstones through synthesis, which will add new skills and perks to your equipment.
Today the official Project Diva blog announced that Sega will be showcasing a new Hatsune Miku Project Diva F demo – this time with four songs included, which is markedly different from the demo currently available at 740 electronic stores across Japan – in a trial-play event to be held at select locations on very specific dates between June 23 and August 4 (full location details and schedule here).
It’s a multi-step process. But through it, as the following demonstration video shows, you’ll be able to buff even
If you make it to one of these trial-play events, and you’ll get a Project Diva F-themed A4 clear file for participating. 4
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Here’s what the clear file looks like (don’t scroll down too quickly):
Published by: VR-Zone
Source: Shuukan Diva Station
Movie version K-On! and Zoff Collaborates Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/movie-version-k-on-and-zoffcollaborates/ By Mycstea on June 16th, 2012
Fans of K-On! would be excited to find out of a very interesting collaboration between spectacle maker Zoff and the Movie version K-On!.
Do you see what we see? You might want to look at a bigger version of the image here. …… Give up? Here’s what we’re talking about, magnified by about 300%:
This coming summer, K-On! fans will be able to wear glasses representing their favourite characters from K-On! in the near future. Earlier today, Movie version K-On! and Zoff will collaborate and create spectacle frames on sale July 20th this year. These spectacles will be on sale at the Zoff Online Store and TBSishop.
Take a close look at the keyboard in the image above… does that look like CG to you? Could this be… an image of Hatsune Miku Project Diva F being played in AR mode? We don’t know for sure yet, of course; the picture is way too blurry for us to tell if that’s a keyboard from the real world we’re looking at. For all we know, the keyboard and other items in the background could actually be CG and are part of the PV for one of the new songs in the game.
There will be a grand total of 6 spectacle frame variants, one each for each character. Each package will include 1 set of spectacle frame, a pair of non-degree lenses for those who do not require any eyesight correction, 1 mini “megane charm”, a spectacle cleaning cloth, as well as a spectacle box to enclose everything. The producers wish to re-create Nodoka Manabe’s signature red spectacles to the highest accuracy, so as to bring the highest level of realism and likeliness to the original work. Needless to say that fans of K-On! and it’s characters will wish to own a set of these attractive spectacles, as well as enthusiastic Manabe cosplayers wishing for the highest accuracy.
If this turns out to a screenshot from AR mode, however, then this – actually playing the game, O and X markers and all, with your chosen Vocaloid module performing in AR mode instead of via a PV – would be a first for the series.
Who doesn’t want a pair of Azunyan glasses?
In Hatsune Miku and Future Stars: Project Mirai on the 3DS, there was an AR Live mode that allowed you to take pictures and watch your favourite Vocaloids shake their SD behinds as a song played in the background. However, you could not actually play the game while in AR Live mode.
Source: Mynavi News
We’ll keep you updated as more information on Hatsune Miku Project Diva F emerge. The game is slated for an August 30 release in Japan and Asia.
Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/man-plays-a-single-game-ofcivilization-ii-for-10-years/ By Xharky on June 16th, 2012
In the meantime, read more Hatsune Miku stories on SGCafe here!
More details to be announced later.
Man plays a single game of Civilization II for 10 years Anyone remember Civilization II? Released back in 1996, and re-released in 2002 for newer operating systems like 5
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Windows 2002 and XP, it is a predecessor of the more recent and possibly better known Civilization V.
There is a person(Lycerius) who has played the same game on and off over 10 years since the re-release in 2002, and he has reached the year 3991 A.D. The results?
Published by: VR-Zone
have conquered all the other nations that have ever existed and assimilated them into our respective empires. -You’ve heard of the 100 year war? Try the 1700 year war. The three remaining nations have been locked in an eternal death struggle for almost 2000 years. Peace seems to be impossible. Every time a cease fire is signed, the Vikings will surprise attack me or the Americans the very next turn, often with nuclear weapons. Even when the U.N forces a peace treaty. So I can only assume that peace will come only when they’re wiped out. It is this that perpetuates the war ad infinitum.
• The world is a hellish nightmare of suffering and devastation. • There are 3 remaining super nations in the year 3991 A.D, each competing for the scant resources left on the planet after dozens of nuclear wars have rendered vast swaths of the world uninhabitable wastelands.
He decided to continue playing the game as he was already well into the distant future by the time Civilization III was released. Curious about how far into the future he could get, and what ramifications there would be, he continued onand-off through the years.
What makes this so uncanny is that Lycerius has somehow recreated a world that resembles George Orwell’s dystopian science-fiction novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, where the world has degenerated into three superpowers that control the entire world. A commenter on Reddit writes: “Parallels to 1984 off the top of my head: Three superpowers, a “communist” leadership in which technology has reached as far as it needs to go (end of technology tree), barbarian (resistance) uprisings constantly being stomped out by the totalitarian government, nuclear war rendering most farmland useless, constant breaking and reassembling of treaties between the three superpowers, seemingly infinite war (due to the previous point), an ever present and all knowing leader making the decisions of the nation…”
According to him: -The ice caps have melted over 20 times (somehow) due primarily to the many nuclear wars. As a result, every inch of land in the world that isn’t a mountain is inundated swamp land, useless to farming. Most of which is irradiated anyway. -As a result, big cities are a thing of the distant past. Roughly 90% of the worlds population (at it’s peak 2000 years ago) has died either from nuclear annihilation or famine caused by the global warming that has left absolutely zero arable land to farm. Engineers (late game worker units) are always busy continuously building roads so that new armies can reach the front lines. Roads that are destroyed the very next turn when the enemy goes. So there isn’t any time to clear swamps or clean up the nuclear fallout. -Only 3 super massive nations are left. The Celts (me), The Vikings, And the Americans. Between the three of us, we
Lycerius’s goal is to try to end the war, and use engineers to clear fallout and swamps throughout the world to resume farming. He intends on rebuilding the world, and has asked for advice from Reddit. This request has spawned an entire section dedicated to the savegame, and plenty of fanfiction 6
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Published by: VR-Zone
based on this future story. For any interested players, the save file can be obtained here. Source: Reddit, The Eternal War
Persona 4 Illustration Contest Results Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/persona-4-illustration-contestresults/ By bj0rN on June 16th, 2012
The winners of the Persona 4 Illustration Contest held by pixiv and Atlus have been announced. The recently concluded Atlus x pixiv’s “Persona 4 Illustration Contest held between March 30, 2012 and May 15 has over 1000 submissions. The contest was held in conjunction with Atlus to celebrate the recent release of Persona 4 the Golden (P4G) for PlayStation(R)Vita. It was met with great success, with over 1000 submissions. Below are the 10 winners in no particular order:
If you want to check out the artist page for each respective artwork, you can head over here. Remember that you’ll need a pixiv account to gain access to more stuff. Source: Pixiv
Diablo III faces Class-Action Lawsuit in Korea Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/diablo-iii-faces-class-action-lawsuitin-korea/ By Xharky on June 16th, 2012
Blizzard’s Diablo III has faced many problems since its launch, with constant disconnects (Error 37) and hacked accounts. Now it faces another challenge; not online, but in Korean courts.
Korean internet cafe owners are launching a class action lawsuit against Blizzard Korea over Diablo III’s many server-side issues, which are due to its ‘always-online’ 7
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requirements and implementation of a Real Money Auction House (RMAH).
Published by: VR-Zone By KarbyP on June 16th, 2012
From the Korean Times: “We are planning a class action lawsuit against Blizzard Korea, as users and PC room owners are suffering from constant server malfunctions and server check-ups for Diablo 3 while the company avoids responsibility,” “We have something like 700 to 800 members in our cafe. We have received numerous complaints since early June from PC room owners and users, and decided to represent them. “Korea accounts for a large percentage of Blizzard’s total revenue, and considering how much domestic users contribute to the firm’s profit, its consumer services are severely disappointing.” Head of Internet PC Culture Association (IPCA) Kim Chankuen. Now, most people might be wondering, why are Net cafe owners so riled up over server issues? This is because Blizzard Korea monetizes the game differently there. In Korea, instead of the cafe owners buying individual copies of Diablo III, Blizzard Korea provides them with free copies of the game (unknown if they are boxed or digital) and the cafe owners must pay a monthly royalty fee for each copy that is installed on a different computer. Although Diablo III is extremely popular in South Korea, news from the Asia servers and Korea’s IPCA representative statements reveal that gamers on the Asian Diablo III servers are unable to play the game at all, causing net cafe owners to lose money, as they still have to pay the royalty fees regardless of whether they turn a profit on it. Not only that, the IPCA claims that Blizzard Korea has been miscalculating the royalty fees that are collected from the cafe owners. The most recent outburst was caused by a server maintenance that started on Sunday (10th June) and lasted all the way to late Monday (11th June). It was initially supposed to be only 2 hours long. Blizzard Korea claims that these extended delays are due to them having to wait for word from their headquarters in North America before taking certain actions. PR-wise, Blizzard does not seem to be doing well in Korea, with this class-action following up a raid on their offices by the Korean FTC over claims that they (Blizzard) were not offering refunds to consumers who tried to play the game, but were unable to due to server outages and overcrowding. With all these issues appearing, maybe Blizzard should have released an offline mode after all? Source: Korea Times, Forbes
Persona 4: The Golden will be localised in Chinese… and yes, it will have Japanese voice-overs! [Updated]
Update: We’ve received confirmation from SCE Asia that the Chinese version of Persona 4: The Golden will indeed feature Japanese voice-overs (and text in Traditional Chinese). As to the possibility of a version with English/Chinese text + Japanese voice-overs, SCE Asia has noted that fans in Southeast Asia would be interested in it, but at the moment they do not have any updates on that front. Again, if you really want to see a version of Persona 4: The Golden with English/Chinese text and Japanese voice-overs, make yourself heard on the Internet! Original story: If you’re a fan of playing games with Chinese text (instead of Japanese), then you’re probably aware that Sony Computer Entertainment Asia (SCE Asia) has been pulling out all the stops lately to localise as many popular PlayStation titles in Traditional Chinese as possible: Final Fantasy XIII-2, Gravity Rush, Street Fighter X Tekken, etc. And they’re just getting started. Today SCE Asia announced that they the next big PlayStation title to be localised in Chinese will be Persona 4: The Golden, which came out today in Japan. No price or date has been determined for the Chinese version of the game yet. There’s a good chance that the Chinese version of the game will use Japanese voice-overs, but we don’t know that for sure yet – we’re currently awaiting for confirmation from SCE Asia. Even if you’re not exactly thrilled at the idea of playing Persona 4: The Golden in Traditional Chinese, this announcement might still be a big deal: it opens up the possibility for an Asian version of the game that comes with English text and Japanese voice-overs. Again, this is not confirmed, and should not be taken for granted. But so far that’s been the case with most of PS titles localised in Chinese so far. Do you want to see a version of Persona 4: The Golden (Persona 4: Golden in the US) with English text and Japanese voice-overs? Tell us via the comments below – or heck, start a petition and let us know. If this is something that a lot of gamers want, SCE Asia just might do it.
Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/persona-4-the-golden-will-belocalised-in-chinese-but-will-it-have-japanese-voice-overs/
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Oh, and just in case you have no idea what Persona 4: The Golden is, here’s a description from the press release: Ever since its debut in 2009, “Persona 4” on PlayStation®2 has not lost an ounce of its popularity. Like a midnight TV program which has been revamped into a primetime hit show, the new Persona 4 is now on new hardware with brandnew elements. “Persona 4 The GOLDEN” is a high school themed RPG, with a story revolving around a mysterious urban legend of a midnight TV program. You will play the role of a high school student who lives in a world that is a mixture of everyday reality and dark fantasy. This is the custom-made RPG experience you’ve always wanted. Together with friends and allies, you will venture inside the TV world in order to solve a mysterious crime. The graphics and sound are both modern and catchy, while the charismatic characters will create an authentic feel of high school life. The series is known for its battle system with “Persona” playing a vital role in every aspect of strategy-making. Now it has been meticulously overhauled, with various other elements, such as daily events, added to broaden the gaming experience. Even those who have played “Persona 4” on PlayStation®2 are in for some new surprises!”
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SGCafe : Cosplay | Vocaloid | Otaku | Pop Culture A daily publication about Cosplay, Vocaloid, Otaku and Japanese Pop Culture
BandaiNamco announces Idolm@ster jelly Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/bandainamco-announces-idolmsterjelly/ By shia on June 20th, 2012
Bandai is on a roll today, after announcing their new Idolm@ster game for the PSP they have just announced that they will be selling Idolmaster themed jelly on their Premium Bandai shopping site.
With each jelly bought, BandaiNamco is giving away a serial code that allows the user to call in to a voice service, which the user is able to listen to the voice of the characters from the idolm@ster series of games. They promise that it will all be new content, and that all of the girls will have their own original dialog and story. The character will change their dialog according to the user’s responses to the users dialog over the phone.
There will be 12 flavors representing the the characters. They are : • Haruka : Apple • Miki : Pear • Chihaya : Blueberries • Makoto : Passion Fruit • Yayoi : Orange • Yukiho : Plum • Ami/Mami : Pineapple • Iori : Melon • Hibiki : Lime • Azusa : Grape • Ritsuko : Kiwi • Takane : Mango
The jellies will cost 3150Yen each(Exclude shipping/ handling). Pre-order of the Jelly starts today until it is sold out. The expected delivery date will be in August 2012. The Idolm@ster franchise has been stepping up ever since its proper anime adaptation was broadcast in Summer 2011. 1
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Published by: VR-Zone
New games has since been made for the PS3, XBox360 and the PSP and have gathered a very decent sales record. Source : Premium Bandai
BandaiNamco announces new SD Gundam Generations game for the PSP Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/bandainamco-announces-new-sdgundam-generations-game-for-the-psp/ By shia on June 20th, 2012
BandaiNamco has announced that they will be coming out with a new SD Gundam Generation game for the PSP
SD Gundam Generation Overworld will be out on sale on the 27th June 2012 at the retail price of 6280 Yen.
SD Gundam Generation Overworld will be out on sale on 27th September 2012 for the PSP.
The G Gundam Franchise is a series of S-RPG games that features super deformed models from many different gundam series. It has over 20 games in the series across a wide series of platforms from the Super Famicom to the PSP. Players are drawn towards its S-RPG genre that features Mobile Suits/Armors from different gundam series.
It will feature the following series : Gundam 0079/MSV/MSX/08MS Team/MSIGLOO Series/ Blue Destiny/Zeonic Front/War in a pocket/Z-MSV/ Sentinel Battle Field Record U.C. 0081/Stardust Memory/Zeta/ Advance of Z/Zeta A new translation/Double Zeta Char’s Counterattack/CCA-MSV/M-MSV/UC/UC-MSV/ Hardway’s Glory(?)/F91/F91-MSV/Crossbone Series/ Victory G Gundam/Gundam Wing/Endless Waltz/Gundam Wing G-Unit/Gundam X/Gundam Seed/Seed-MSV/Astray/X Astray
New PSP Game THE IDOLM@STER Shiny Festa Revealed Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/new-psp-game-the-idolmster-shinyfesta-revealed/ By Mycstea on June 20th, 2012
Recently leaked magazine photo reveals new games for THE IDOLM@STER franchise, Shiny Festa.
Seed Destiny/Destiny-MSV/StarGazer/Gundam OO(S1&2)/Awakening of the Trailblazer/OOP/OOF/OOV Gundam Age/Gunpla Builders Beginning G/Gundam Secret Weapons Phantom Blade/Turn A Gundam and many more. There will be a new Master Skill system where the leader units can use. Examples are : Tension up, Map heals, 100% dodge chance(SD Gundam games has a normal maximum dodge of 95%), Gundam Killer(Gundam Units take more damage), Awaken(Units that finished their movement can move again). In a very recent leaked photograph of the latest Famitsu magazine, a new THE IDOLM@STER game is going to be released under the PSP gaming console under 3 different versions. Much like their previous venture, the idols are split into 3 different versions to accommodate all 13 idols. Currently, only preliminary details are out but no concrete gameplay details and release dates have been announced. So far, the three different versions are listed below with minimal details: • Unknown release date ■PSP■■■■■■■■■■ ■■■■■■■ ■■ ■■■■■■■■ ■IDOLMASTER Shiny Festa Honey Sound■ 2
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• Unknown release date ■PSP■■■■■■■■■■ ■■■ ■■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■ ■IDOLMASTER Shiny Festa Funky Note■
KOHSHI: Our band emphasizes on keeping fresh, like flowing water, and thus we chose ‘FLOW’ as our band name.
• Unknown release date ■PSP■■■■■■■■■■ ■■■ ■■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■■■■ ■IDOLMASTER Shiny Festa Groovy Tune■
2. Do you enjoy writing songs for popular anime series like Naruto & Eureka Seven? What do you consider when writing theme songs for such anime genre?
The game will feature songs from the TV anime THE IDOLM@STER. From the screenshots observed, the game will likely have gameplay similar to ■Theatrhythm Final Fantasy■ and ■Hatsune Miku: PROJECT DIVA■. Below are the idols’ participating divisions:
TAKE: As we collaborate with the anime series creators, we do some research on it. Of course, we ensure that the lyrics match the anime in terms of atmosphere, which we feel that it is one of the most important criteria to consider.
• ■Honey Sound■ Chihaya Kisaragi (■■■■)■Haruka Amami (■■■■)■Ritsuko Akitsuki (■■■■)■Azusa Miura (■■■■■) • ■Funky Note■ Yayoi Takatsuki (■■■■■)■Hibiki Ganaha (■■■■)■Iori Minase (■■■■)■Ami Futami, Mami Futami (■■■■■■■) • ■Groovy Tune■ Miki Hoshii (■■■■■Yukiho Hagiwara (■■■■)■Makoto Kikuchi (■■■)■Takane Shijou (■■■■) Local fans should be able to pre-order their copy off local game shops via special order, or pre-order directly from online merchants such as amiami and Playasia when they open. It is likely that most players will eventually buy all 3 games as apparently, all 3 versions of the game contains different instrumentals for every song in the game. Source: Shinobi Blog
AFA MY: Interview with FLOW Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/afa-my-interview-with-flow/ By sentinel011 on June 20th, 2012
Anisong singers of the 90s have passed their 10 year mark, and no doubt FLOW is one of them. SGCafe is honoured to be able to have an interview with the five awesomely rocking guys, telling us about their music, preferences and experiences.
3. Are there any anime/manga series you enjoy outside of the titles you have performed for? TAKE: Our bassist is the pro in anime and otaku culture (points) GOTS: Yes, in fact many series that the artistes will be performing tonight are some of those that I enjoy. 4. Do you draw from personal experiences when writing song lyrics? KOHSHI: Yes. Our song, ‘Sign’, was adapted from my experience at a massage parlour. The masseuse explained to me that feeling pan during the massage is a good thing, as the pain helps in knowing what needs to be cured. 5. Do you prefer performing in a small venue with an engaged audience, or a large scale concert for the mainstream audience? IWASAKI: It is the same to us.
Visual Art’s Kumikyouku special to be streamed on Nicovideo as part of 20th anniversary celebrations Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/visual-arts-kumikyouku-special-tobe-streamed-on-nicovideo-as-part-of-20th-anniversary-celebrations/ By shia on June 20th, 2012
From left: Keigo Hayashi (vocal) [KEIGO] Yasutarō Gotō (bass) [GOTS] Takeshi Asakawa (lead guitar) [TAKESHI] Hiroshi Iwasaki (drums) [IWASAKI] Kōshi Asakawa (vocal, rhythm guitar) [KOHSHI]
Visual Art’s will be having a special program that will be streamed on Nicovideo as part of their 20th anniversary celebrations. It will feature non-stop hits from I’ve sound and Key. The purpose of the event is to drum up excitement for their upcoming concert at the Yokohama Arena on the 29th of July 2012.
1. What are the origins of your band name, FLOW? 3
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Published by: VR-Zone
Readers, I would like to get some comments and thoughts through the comments or on our facebook page about whether Sega-Sammy should or should not make a Miku Pachinko/Slot machine. Source : Yaraon Blog, Sega-Sammy OHP Visual Art’s co.ltd is a Japanese publishing company specializing in the publishing and distribution of visual novels for a large list of game developers. In addition to games, Visual Art’s also releases music CDs for video game music. Of special note among the artists sold under this label is I’ve Sound, a techno/trance music production group who was the first in the adult game industry to perform at the Nippon Budokan in October 2005. Mycstea has a good write up on what to expect from their 20th anniversary celebrations here.
Tanaka Rie’s official fanclub 「Cafe de Rie「closes Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/tanaka-ries-official-fanclub%E3%80%8Ccafe-de-rie%E3%80%8Dcloses/ By shia on June 20th, 2012
Source : Nicovideo, Key’s 20th Anniversary HP
Sega-Sammy wants to create a Hatsune Miku Slot machine, gets refused by copyright holders Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/sega-sammy-wants-to-create-ahatsune-miku-slot-machine-gets-refused-by-copyright-holders/ By shia on June 20th, 2012
■Cafe de Rie■ , the official fanclub for Tanaka Rie has officially announced that it would be closing “due to various circumstances”. Tanaka Rie and fellow voice actor Yamadera Kouichi announced on Monday that they had registered their marriage on Sunday. While the details were vague, the coincidence of her marriage and the closure of her official fanclub just a day between makes one wonder. Source : Cafe de Rie Official Blog
Phantasy Star Online 2 open beta dated According to a interview with Sega-Sammy by Makonako , Sega-Sammy had expressed interest in making a Hatsune Miku slot machine, only to be turned away by the copyright holders whom Sega-Sammy felt were too conservative. While Sega-Sammy is unable to do it now, they believe in time they should be able to convince the copyright holders to let them make a slot machine for Miku. Sega Sammy Holdings Inc. is a Japanese holding company formed from a merger of Sega and Sammy. They were both very involved in the arcade business (Sega with video games, Sammy with Pachinko).
Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/phantasy-star-online-2-open-betadated/ By shia on June 20th, 2012
Sega has announced that open beta for Phantasy Star Online 2 will begin on the 21st of June 2012 at 1600Hrs JST.
My personal opinion is that while it would be fantastic to see another Hatsune Miku game, doing a Pachinko/Slot game would lead to more social ills that might come along with such games of chance. 4
June 20th, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone
• Vocaloid : VOCALOID-COSMODE • Final Fantas : FF-COSMODEy • Sailor Moon SailorMoon-COSMODE • Clamp CLAMP-COSMODE For more information about the event, you can visit WorldCosplay’s Blog page here or visit their webpage over here.
Interested applicants can sign up on their official site here. Phantasy Star Online 2 is a MMORPG sequel to the original Phantasy Star Online game that was on the Sega Dreamcast 12 years ago. It will be released as a free to play MMO with microtransactions. Sega is giving away a Rappi mini doll for players who sign up before the 20th of June 2012 2359 Hrs JST. It is unknown how long the open beta will be running as of press time. Source : 4Gamer, PSO2 OHP
WorldCosplay is a free website for submitting cosplay photos and is used by cosplayers in countries all around the world. Even if the user not a cosplayer, the user can still enjoy looking at high-quality cosplay photos from around the world. COSMODE is a Japanese magazine about cosplay. Each issue contains color images of cosplayers from conventions and various events. It also includes information and hints on costume construction, hair styling, makeup and other cosplay-related tips. Featured Image is taken from WorldCosplay’s page over here. Photo is by AnD Yamasaki.
WorldCosplay is looking for overseas cosplayers for special edition of COSMODE Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/worldcosplay-is-looking-foroverseas-cosplayers-for-special-edition-of-cosmode/ By shia on June 20th, 2012
According to WorldCosplay.net, WorldCosplay is currently looking for submissions from non Japanese cosplayers for a special edition of cosplay magazine COSMODE.
Source : WorldCosplay
Nicovideo to hold Megpoid 3rd Anniversary 2012 event @ Nicofarre Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/nicovideo-to-hold-megpoid-3rdanniversary-2012-event-nicofarre/ By shia on June 20th, 2012
Nicovideo will be hosting Megapoid, affectionately known as “Gumi” 3rd Anniversary event at the Nicofarre on 26/06/2012.
COSMODE plans to release “COSMODE NationS” for sale in August 2012 and thus they are accepting submissions from now until 25th June 2012. They will be considering characters from the following series. • Vocaloid • Final Fantasy • Sailor Moon • Clamp To enter all you need to do is to upload the photo onto WorldCosplay and tag the photo with either of the following tags.
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June 20th, 2012
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WorldCosplay will be taking in submissions of Gumi cosplay. If the picture is selected, it will appear in the promotional video that will be presented at the event. Details can be found here . For those who are inclined towards illustrations, Nicovideo is also taking in illustration works for the event, which will also be used for the promotional video that will be presented at the event. More details can be found here. The Video production will be done by “■■■■”, who is the producer of “■■■”. There will be a free live streaming of the event by Nicovideo. The event will feature her doing first solo live event and Nicovideo promises the appearance of some special guest(No Information as of press time). The event can be viewed here on Nicovideo. The event will begin on the 26th of June 2012 at 1845HRS GMT+9(JST). Source : Nicovideo, WorldCosplay Blog, Megpoid OHP
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June 23rd, 2012
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SGCafe : Cosplay | Vocaloid | Otaku | Pop Culture A daily publication about Cosplay, Vocaloid, Otaku and Japanese Pop Culture
Additional Lineup for VA20th Anniversary Concert: Visual Art’s Big Thanks Festival ・ Shift: Next -> Generation! Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/additional-lineup-for-va20thanniversary-concert-visual-arts-big-thanks-festival-%E3%83%BBshiftnext-generation/ By Mycstea on June 23rd, 2012
As the event closes in, more artistes have been updated for VA 20th anniversary concert: Chata, karuta and Ayaka Kitazawa! Recently updated on Visual Art’s 20th Anniversary commemoration event website, 3 artistes have joined the event.
Chata Chata is a singer born in the Fukushima prefacture, born on Noevember 21st. Blessed with an outstanding voice quality, Chata captivated many during her short screentime during both Key Sound Label Lives in 2008 and 2010 (The writer’s personal experience would attest to that). Her talents have been recognized from a long time ago by her works and activities as a doujin singer and performer. She is mainly responsible for many anime and game opening themes and ending themes including her rendition of 「Nagisa’s theme「 into a vocal song, 「Dango Daikazoku「 from the hit TV Anime 「CLANNAD: After Story「. Recently, she has worked on Visual Art’s 20th anniversary visual novel, 「Hatsukoi 1/1「. She sings the image song of character Yukino Morino titled 「Otome Kami Try-Angle「. Readers can visit her blog here.
karuta karuta is a female singer who has a long and rich history in the performing arts. At first the star actor of opera 「Yuzuru「, she was then approached to perform the musical 「Aoi Tori「 sponsored by TEPCO in 1997. She began writing songs the year after.
As previously reported, famous visual novel publishing company Visual Art’s is celebrating it’s 20th anniversary this year. Along with it’s various activities and promotions such as their 20th anniverary game 「Hatsukoi 1/1「, Visual Art’s is holding it’s massive celebration event at Yokohama Arena on the 29th of July 2012. This live concert features the many vocal talents from it’s subsidiaries I’ve Sound and Key Sound Label including Mami Kawada, KOTOKO, Lia, LiSA and euphonius. For more information about the event, visit here and here. On June 22nd, along with announcing the news that the live would be available to niconico live viewers via net ticket, the official event website also updated the singing artistes for the concert Visual Art’s Big Thanks Festival 「 Shift: Next > Generation! For local fans who would want a seat in niconico live may visit their website here. Joining the celebrations will be Chata (KSL), karuta (I’ve) and Ayaka Kitazawa.
karuta released her first album in 2007 and has subsequently been involved in live performances and album contributions ever since. She is currently a member of singing group Veil and is very active in their appearances as well. During 2010, karuta performed the insert song 「Ichiban no Takara Mono「 for hit TV Anime 「Angel Beats!「 Readers can visit her website here.
Ayaka Kitazawa A recently discovered talent by Shinji Orito, she has few prior works. Kitazawa has performed a special version of Visual Art’s 20th anniversary commemoration song 「Orpheus「 Kimi to Kanaderu Ashita he no uta「「 . A great piece of news for SGCafe readers is that we will be covering the event as much as possible, on site! Yes, SGCafe will be visiting the event on July 29th itself! Do look forward to our coverage of the event! Source: VA20 Official website
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June 23rd, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone
More details for IM@S Shiny Festa, WS IM@S TD 7/14 on sale Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/more-details-for-ims-shiny-festa-wsims-td-714-on-sale/ By Mycstea on June 23rd, 2012
More details on the recently revealed THE iDOLM@STER Shiny Festa! Idol producing video and arcade game THE iDOLM@STER (or IM@S) franchise has just revealed its new instalment Shiny Festa via Famitsu magazine a while ago. Reported yesterday exclusively on Famitsu online, more details of the game has also just been revealed! Players once again reprise the role of the Producer, in charge of grooming lovely idols to the top!
「 Live Performance Style Live stage performance with direction according to the Producer’s game performance (The traditional IM@S MV style).
As previously reported all 13 idols are split into 3 different versions, Honey Sound, Funky Note and Groovy Tunes as below: 「「Honey Sound「 Members Chihaya Kisaragi (「「「「) (16 years old)「VA「 Imai Asami「 Haruka Amami Nakamura「
(「「「「)(17
years
old)「VA「
Eriko
Akitsuki Ritsuko (「「「「)「19 years old「「VA「 Naomi Wakabayashi「 Azusa Miura Takahashi「
(「「「「「)「21
years
old「「VA「
Chiaki
「 Anime Style Extracting famous scenes from TV Anime iDOLM@STER「 and re-edited to fit the music.
「The
「「Funky Note「 Members Hibiki Ganaha (「「「「)「16 years old「「VA「 Manami Numakura「 Yayoi Takatsuki (「「「「「)「14 years old「「VA「 Mayako Nigo「 Ami Futami, Mami Futami (「「「「「「「)「13 years old「「VA「 Asami Shimoda「 Iori Minase (「「「「)「15 years old「「VA「 Rie Kugimiya「 「「Groovy Tunes「 Members Miki Hoshii (「「「「) (15 years old)(VA: Akiko Hasegawa) Yukiho Hagiwara (「「「「)「17 years old「「VA「 Azumi Asakura「
「 Drama Style Music video with slice of life videos to compliment, just like a real life MV.
Takane Shijou (「「「「)「18 years old「「VA「 Yumi Hara「 Makoto Kikuchi (「「 「)「17 years old「「VA「 Hiromi Hirata「
■ New Presentation of Idols With the addition of a big portion of TV Anime 「The iDOLM@STER「 songs, a new song 「MUSIC「「 will be the theme song of Shiny Festa. Along with traditional IM@S style stage performances, there will be multiple modes of music clip presentations.
「 Band Style MV with the idols as band members.
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■ Bite-size Rhythm Games Similar to other rhythm games like 「Hatsune Miku: Project Diva「, there will be rhythm games for players to enjoy. By pressing the corresponding buttons at the right timing. As you time the buttons right, the song will increase in tempo, and so will the fanbase and support for your idols.
Excited fans need not fret! The new Trial Deck for Weiβ Schwarz for THE iDOLM@STER will also be released soon on July 14th!
Featuring the TV anime 「THE iDOLM@STER「 artwork, the new add-on for the Weiβ Schwarz IM@S Neo-standard will be released in coming months! The Trial Deck will be a great starting deck for eager producers not yet into the game! Each Trial Deck includes 50 pre-determined cards, with a 1/6 possibility to get either 2 types of variant foils or a Eriko Nakamura (Haruka Amami) signed card. The booster boxes of TV Anime THE iDOLM@STER Weiβ Schwarz will also be released on August 4th 2012. Eager producers can pre-order from your closest Bushiroad card game merchant now! More Information will be announced soon.
Source: Famitsu
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June 23rd, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone
Ragnarok Odyssey (English/ Chinese edition) to launch in Summer 2012 Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/ragnarok-odyssey-englishchineseedition-to-launch-in-summer-2012/ By KarbyP on June 23rd, 2012
We still don’t know when – if ever - Capcom’s Monster Hunter franchise will finally make its way to the PS Vita. In the meantime if you’re looking for some solid 4-player co-op giant monster-slaying action, check out Game Arts‘s Ragnarok Odyssey. From the makers of Lunar: Silver Star Story and the Grandia RPG series. In Ragnarok Odyssey, you take up one of six different combat professions – Sword Warrior, Assassin, Cleric, etc – team up with other players (up to four in a group) and go on quests, fighting against mighty giants and various monsters – including creatures from Ragnarok Online – so as to “preserve peace in the human world”, according to the press release. Although this game is set in the same universe as Ragnarok Online, the gameplay here is really more akin to Monster Hunter/God Eater/Phantasy Star Online 2. SCE Asia announced this week that the English/Chinese edition of this Monster Hunter-inspired title – which comes with full online multiplayer support - will launch later in Summer 2012, complete with all three expansion updates that Japanese version players currently enjoy. The Japanese version of Ragnarok Odyssey has already been released in Asia (you can buy a digital copy on the PlayStation Store). Since its release, I’ve been hearing nothing but good things from folks who’ve been playing it here in Singapore, one of whom told me that a group of hardcore RO players used to meet up in Bedok almost every week for group play sessions back when the game did not have online multiplayer (this was added via the Expansion 1: MultiPlay Update patch). Expansions 2 and 3 (“Sograt Desert Update” and “Epic Weapons Update” respectively) subsequently added new bosses, quests, maps, and various game balance changes. You can find the full list of update changes from this page here (Japanese only) - even if you can’t read the language, just scroll up down and look at how far the lists go; the sheer amount of additional content they’ve made for the game in these updates is just staggering. Although the price and final release date for the English/ Chinese edition of Ragnarok Odyssey has yet to be determined, we’ll let you know as soon as we hear anything.
The Nintendo 3DS just got bigger Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/the-nintendo-3ds-just-got-bigger/ By GermanSausage on June 23rd, 2012
Meet the Nintendo 3DS LL, the big brother to the Nintendo 3DS. 3DS LL will be spotting a 4.88-inch 3D display screen, as compared to the smaller 3.53-inch display on the 3DS. The touch screen will also be upgraded from 3.02-inch to 4.18-inch.
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata revealed that the 3DS LL is packaged with a 4GB SD card. Iwata also said that the battery life will be see some slight improvement. While an AC charger will not be included (sold separately), the 3DS LL will be compatible with existing 3DS and DSi XL adapters. The 3DS LL will be available in Japan from July 28 onwards at the price of JPY18,900. The US set will be re-branded as 3DS XL and will be on sale on 19thAugust for USD200. The 3DS will come in three colours: White, Red and Black, and Silver and Black. If you are still holding on tight an old DS, this might be the time for a super-sized upgrade. 4
June 23rd, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone By shia on June 23rd, 2012
Source: Nintendo, KOTAKU, THE VERGE
Korean gamers offered olive branch by Blizzard: Refunds will be given Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/korean-gamers-offered-olive-branchby-blizzard-refunds-will-be-given/ By Xharky on June 23rd, 2012
Although Blizzard has initially refused to give refunds to South Korean gamers who had bought their always-online game Diablo 3, they have recently changed their policy due to pressure from South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission.
Mitsui Sumitomo is continuing their line of Gundam 0079 Visa cards. Following a great response on the release of the Gundam Visa Card in December 2010, they will be releasing the Zaku Visa card.
Under South Korea’s consumer protection law, companies must guarantee a refund if there is a problem with the product that is not caused by consumers. Diablo 3′s issues started from Blizzard’s own mistake in judging the amount of users from Asia, causing frequent crashes and slow connectivity to their servers. Approximately 2/3 of all players on Diablo 3′s asia servers originate from South Korea. From a translated post on Blizzard’s official Korean website: Diablo III players who are less than Level 40, about two-thirds of the way through the program can apply for a refund from June 25 to July 3.
The illustration of the card is done by Ookawara Kunio, the mecha designer for the original Gundam series. For the 1st 30000 Yen spent using the card, the card holder will get a HG 1/144 RX-78-2 Original Gundam (Mitsui Sumitomo Visa Card Ver.). If the card holder spends more than 50000 Yen, he will also get a RG 1/144 MS-06 Mass produced Zaku, a Zaku T-shirt and other assorted goodies.
Blizzard will also accept returns from any players less than Level 20, around a third of the way through the program within 14 days of purchase from now on. Source: WSJ, Kotaku
Mitsui Sumitomo to release Zaku Visa Card Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/mitsui-sumitomo-to-release-zakuvisa-card/
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June 23rd, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone
receive Error 12. See the Global Play support article for more information. This change was supposedly made to ‘combat fraud and other malicious activities’ and players should be grateful! Looks like you’ll be better off buying a physical copy than risk waiting up to 3 days for your copy to start working.
Battle of the Three – Diablo III and Max Payne 3 reviews Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/battle-of-the-three-diablo-iii-andmax-payne-3-reviews/ By sentinel011 on June 23rd, 2012
If you haven’t got your grubby hands on either of these games, you have been missing out. A lot.
Source : mynavi.jp , OHP
Blizzard: New Diablo 3 digital owners have to wait up to 72 hours for full access Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/blizzard-new-diablo-3-digitalowners-have-to-wait-up-to-72-hours-for-full-access/ By Xharky on June 23rd, 2012
To put it simply, these 2 games can easily win Game of the Year awards, despite their various little kinks. How are both games similar? Diablo III had fans and gamers alike waiting for 12 long years since the last iteration, as with Max Payne 3. Well, almost. Both are awesome games of their own right, with Diablo 3 providing impressive and fluid game play to practically any PC system or laptop not over 3 years of age. Max Payne 3 raises the bar of third person shooters with its unique engine that allows you and your enemies to react fluidly and realistically, such as swapping weapons to the other hand when you aim from left to right.
Blizzard has recently announced that all new Diablo III players who purchased the game from their online store, or through their Battle.Net account management system, will be restricted to the Starter Edition of the game for up to 72 hours/3 days (Sometimes less, they claim). All Starter Edition players are limited to these: • Act I up to the Skeleton King is available • Level 13 cap
If you are stuck at home, bored senseless, and you have either a console or a PC, you can pick either up from your local games store or online through Blizzard or Steam network. Read our reviews of Diablo III and Max Payne 3 now!
3rd trailer for Hatsune Miku Project Diva F reveals 8 more songs – including a theme song by Ryo (Supercell)
• No Auction House access (Real Money or Gold)
Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/3rd-trailer-for-hatsune-mikuproject-diva-f-reveals-8-more-songs-including-a-theme-song-by-ryosupercell/ By KarbyP on June 23rd, 2012
• Global Play is not available. Players attempting to connect to Diablo III Starter Edition in a region other than their Battle.net Account’s home region will
; Sega released today a third trailer for Hatsune Miku Project Diva F (PS Vita), unveiling eight more songs – and
• Matchmaking available only with other Starter Edition players
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June 23rd, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone
accompanying Vocaloid modules (character costumes) – for the upcoming PS Vita title. This number includes two original songs produced specially for Project Diva F – Odds&Ends by Ryo (Supercell), which will serve as the game’s theme song, and Weekender Girl from kz (of Tell Your World fame) and Hachiouji-P (「「「P) – as well as six fan-favourites that first appeared on Japanese video site Nico Nico Douga: Odds&Ends Artiste: Ryo (Supercell) ; Fire@Flower Artiste: halyosy Module: Starmine (Kagamine Len), design by Yuu (「)
; Weekender Girl Artiste: kz & Hachiouji-P (「「「P) Module: Pansy (Hatsune Miku), designed by TNSK ; DYE Artiste: AVTechNO! Module: Eternal White (Megurine Luka), design by Kitajima Shizuka (「「「「「)
; Time Machine (『『『『『『『『) Artiste: 1640mP (164×40mP) Module: Summer Memory (Hatsune Miku), design by Gita (「「) ; Haihahaini (『『『『『『『『) Artiste: Tennen (「「「「) Module: Requiem (Kaito), design by Umu (「「)
; Freely Tomorrow Artiste: Mitchie M Module: Star Voice (Hatsune Miku), design by NIL
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June 23rd, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone
; Nostalogic Artiste: yuukiss Module: Bluecrystal (Meiko), design by Anko (「「「)
So far a total of 12 songs have been unveiled for the game (including those featured in the first and second trailers). All songs and their respective PVs in Project Diva F are brand new to the series, so don’t expect to see Project Diva Extend (PSP) tracks here. Which is your favourite song in Hatsune Miku Project Diva F so far? And which other Vocaloid songs would you like to see featured in the game? Let us know via comments below.
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June 23rd, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone
Read more stories about Hatsune Miku here on SGCafe! Source: Shuukan Diva Station
Hatsune Miku Project Diva Arcade ver.B to debut July 5 in Japan ["advertise" video] Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/hatsune-miku-project-diva-arcadever-b-to-debut-july-5-in-japan-advertise-video/ By KarbyP on June 23rd, 2012
Wasn’t able to make it to one of the Hatsune Miku Project Diva Arcade ver.B (see what’s new in ver.B in our previous story) location tests that Sega began running in Japan two weeks ago? Well fret not, my fellow Miku fans, for soon you’ll be able to play Hatsune Miku Project Diva Arcade ver.B whenever you visit the land of the rising sun. Sega announced today that ver.B will head to Japanese arcades July 5. Scroll down to see an “advertise” [sic] or video for the game that’s been made public this week. This is the video you’ll see playing from time to time on the machine’s screen when left alone. 9
June 23rd, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone
The advertise video song is entitled nATALIE in White World, and is based on the original nATALIE. Both songs were produced by Vocaloid producer Lemm. In case you’re new to SGCafe or otherwise haven’t exactly been catching up on all of our Hatsune Miku updates, Project Diva Arcade is a rhythm-action title starring Hatsune Miku, a virtual idol created by Crypton Future Media whose voice is synthesized using samples provided by voice actress Saki Fujita.
The game is played predominantly by pressing on four gigantic Pop’n Music style buttons – each marked with a familiar PlayStation button symbol: (from left to right) Triangle, Square, X, O – in sync to the beat. New songs – mostly commissioned tracks originally created by Vocaloid fans on popular Japanese video site Nico Nico Douga – are added to Project Diva Arcade every month. It is unknown at this point if an arcade operator would be required to purchase a ver.B upgrade kit for Project Diva Arcade – should they decide to do so – or if ver.B is a free update that’s pushed out digitally through the networklinked machines. Arcades in Singapore and other parts of Asia may not see ver.B for a while – we’ll let you know as soon as we hear anything on this front. Read more Hatsune Miku stories here on SGCafe! Source: Famitsu
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June 26th, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone
SGCafe : Cosplay | Vocaloid | Otaku | Pop Culture A daily publication about Cosplay, Vocaloid, Otaku and Japanese Pop Culture
New footage of Tales of Xillia 2 event scenes, ahead of price and release date announcements tomorrow
DJ Max Technika Tune goes on sale September 27 in Japan, features Kara songs, Facebook integration Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/dj-max-technika-tune-goes-on-saleseptember-27-in-japan-features-kara-songs-facebook-integration/ By KarbyP on June 26th, 2012
Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/new-footage-of-tales-of-xillia-2event-scenes-ahead-of-price-and-release-date-announcementstomorrow/ By KarbyP on June 26th, 2012
Tomorrow the price and release date details for Tales of Xillia 2 will be announced on a Bandai Namco Live TV Game Wednesday webcast from 10:00PM JST (GMT+0900 hours). But that’s tomorrow. Today, Famitsu – being the Japanese media powerhouse they are – got Namco Bandai Games to give them a worldexclusive, allowing them to reveal three new clips of the game (which will most likely be included as part of the broadcast tomorrow). These short clips show off some event scenes that are centered around Elle, the 8-year-old heroine in Tales of Xillia 2. Although the three clips are not much, they do come as a surprise since Tales of RPG series fans all over the world thought that they would have to wait till tomorrow, June 26, to see more of the wildly anticipated title. Consider this a refreshing starter course to the main feast that shall be served tomorrow. Source: Famitsu
Cyberfront, the Japanese publisher for Neowiz and Pentavision’s DJ Max Portable games in Japan, announced today that the next instalment of the series – DJ Max Technika Tune for the PS Vita – will be released on September 27 over there. In Japan, Technika Tune will be offered in two packages: a norma edition at 6,090 yen, and a limited one at 8,190 yen. The limited edition will include a special visual book, original soundtrack CD (2CDs containing 72 tracks, and this number will include songs not featured in the actual game), a lyrics booklet, and an original cleaner strap. There’s no guarantee if a limited edition would also be offered in Asia or the rest of the world, but we’ll let you know if we hear anything. The official website for the game has also been refreshed, and a new trailer (old one here) streamed: (Also: scroll down for 40 screenshots from the game) DJ Max Technika Tune builds upon Korean developer Pentavision’s best-selling rhythm-action series, but changes up the play formula by having players tap on notes on the PS Vita’s touchscreen (the touch panel on the Vita’s back will also be supported; this was hinted at in the previous trailer), as opposed to hitting physical buttons in sync with the tune. The Technika line of games began life as arcade titles – this is the first time it has made it to a home console. Cyberfront claims that Technika Tune will see the most number of songs ever recorded in any version of DJ Max ever released in Japan. Previously it was also announced that fans of the series can expect to see older songs – from the DJ Max
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June 26th, 2012
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Portable games on the PSP – to make it into Technika Tune via DLC. In addition, K-pop girl group Kara will see five of their songs featured in the game: Jumping, Lupin, Mister, Pretty Girl and Step (Korean version for all songs). Other key features in Technika Tune include always-live internet rankings (as long as you’re connected to the Net), Facebook integration with which you’ll be able to unlock customisation options and play items, as well as different game modes tailored for players of every skill level: Star Mixing for beginners, Pop Mixing for intermediate and advanced players, and the Club Mixing mode for elites.
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June 26th, 2012
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June 26th, 2012
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We don’t usually report on Konami’s Bemani line of music games, mostly due to the fact that we won’t even know if arcades in Singapore (or the greater Asian region outside of Japan) will even bring in the newer machines. But hey, if you’re a fan of rhythm-action games (such as Project Diva or The Idolm@ster), there’s a good chance that you might be interested in the latest versions of Reflect Beat and Pop’n Music, right? Both Reflect Beat Colette and Pop’n Music Sunny Park will go on location test at the Akihabara no.2 branch of Tokyo Leisureland (東東東東東東東東東東東東2東東), which is located in the same building as Don Quixote and the AKB48 Akiba theatre, from June 28 until July 1. Pop’n Music Sunny Park (the 21st instalment of the longrunning 9-button rhythm-action series) will also be going on location test in Osaka, namely at the Umeda branch of Round 1 (東東東東東東東東東) from June 29 to July 1. Little has been unveiled of the two new Bemani titles; this is the first time they’re going on location tests. If you’re a fan of either franchise, expect to see some videos and field reports over this coming weekend.
Source: 4Gamer Source: Famitsu Reflect Beat Colette and Pop’n Music Sunny Park go on Evangelion X Schick location tests in Japan this Collaboration new 2 variants week Asuka, EVA-01 Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/reflect-beat-colette-and-popn-musicsunny-park-go-on-location-tests-in-japan-this-week/ By KarbyP on June 26th, 2012
Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/evangelion-x-schick-collaboration/ By shia on June 26th, 2012
Schick Japan has just tied up with Evangelion for the 2nd time to bring Evangelion themed shavers. Schick offers a limited Asuka and Eva Unit-01 razor holder set, protection stickers and Eva mobile phone straps. The promotion will run till September 30th.
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June 26th, 2012
Published by: VR-Zone
The 3rd Evangelion movie, “Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo, will be out in theaters in Japan this fall. Source: Narinari, Schick’s Eva Promotional HP
TYPE-MOON 10th Anniversary Event: TYPE-MOON Fes. Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/type-moon-10th-anniversary-eventtype-moon-fes/ By Mycstea on June 26th, 2012
The list of items are as follows: 1. Figure stand set
Famous game maker TYPE-MOON is celebrating it’s 10th anniversary with a wide variety of activities to participate, and goods to purchase from!
2. Shaving cream can set
As the days to TYPE-MOON Festival drives close, the website has updated the list of special goods to get at the event.
3. Stickers
TYPE-MOON is a game making company famous for it’s captivating visual novels. Since it’s start in 2002, TYPE-MOON has continuously produced memorizing and stunning franchises which has long captivated many, including the Tsukihime franchise, Fate franchise, Kara no Kyoukai and so on. This year, TYPE-MOON is celebrating it’s 10th anniversary with a massive celebration. To be held on the 7th and 8th of July at Pacifico’s National Convention Hall of Yokohama, the event is promised to be a night to be remembered by fans and enthusiasts alike. Read about our previous articles relating to TYPE-MOON Fest. here, here and here.
4. Mobile phone straps 5
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Live Concert As previously reported, this celebration includes a special live concert featuring the singers who have performed for their franchise works. Performing artistes includes:
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Specifications: 100 pages The official pahmplet for the event, it records the 10 years of TYPE-MOON by chronological order. It also contains the many comments from the staff, as well as special contributions from invited writers and illustrators as well.
• Kalafina (Kara no Kyoukai, Fate/Zero) • LiSA (Fate/Zero) • Aoi Eir (Fate/Zero)
TYPE-MOON Fes. 10TH ANNIVERSARY SET
• Runa Haruna (Fate/Zero) • LR Harmony – Sayaka Sasaki, Miyuki Hashimoto, Feiran, Aki Misato, yozuca* and rino (From New World, see Special Goods section)
Seiyuu Appearances Special appearance by seiyuu who have voiced for their franchise works will be present as well, with big names such as: • Ayako Kawasumi (Saber/Fate) • Kana Ueda (Rin Tohsaka/Fate) • Mai Kadowaki (Illyasviel von Einzbern/Fate) • Rikiya Koyama (Kiritsugu Emiya/Fate) • Noriaki Sugiyama (Shiro Emiya/Fate) • Jouji Nakata (Kirei Kotomine/Fate) • Ryouka Yuzuki (Arcueid Brunestud/Tsukihime)
Price: 4000 yen (with tax) Exclusive event goods such as mugs, key chains, leather straps, mini charm, micro-fiber towel packaged in a unique box. These goods are produced with the event key visuals as well as super-deformed artwork by CHANxCO.
• Kumi Sakuma (Ciel/Tsukihime) • Kenji Nojima (Shiki Tohno/Tsukihime) • Rio Natsuki (Sion/Melty Blood)
TYPE-MOON Fes. PRINT COOKIE (EVENT EXCLUSIVE)
More guests are promised, but TYPE-MOON is keeping these names under wraps.
TYPE-MOON Fes. Official Goods To those in attendance, a great variety of special goods and merchandises to be purchased by fans of their work. These products are available for purchase the day before the event, as well as on the days themselves.
TYPE-MOON Fes. Official Phamplet
Price: 1000yen (with tax) Specifications: 1 box includes 15 cookies Printed on delicious cookies, 20 extremely adorable TYPEMOON characters will be packaged at random within a box. Of which one of the following characters will be featured in an exclusive vinyl strap sealed within the box – Saber, Shiki, Arcueid and Aoko.
Price: 2000 yen (with tax) Size: 297mm x 297mm
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TYPE-MOON Fes. Event T-Shirt
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Printed using extremely comfy material, these mufflers add to the atmosphere as they are printed using event key visuals. 2 variants are available, 東Saber & Arcueid東 and 東Shiki & Aoko東.
TYPE-MOON Fes. Tapestry Set
Price: 4500yen (with tax) Sizes: S/M/L/XL Available in red and blue, these CHOU COOL~ T-shirts will surely bring together the atmosphere for the event.
TYPE-MOON Fes. Character T-Shirt
Price: 3000 yen (with tax) Size: 364mm x 364mm Specifications: 1 set includes 3 pieces Produced using the art from invited illustrations included within the Official Phamplet, 6 variant types of tapestries are included in two different sets. Each set would include predetermined sets of 3 tapestries.
From new world
Price: 5500 yen (with tax) Sizes: S/M/L/XL T-shirt printed using the adorable illustrations by CHANxCO. Bring out the fun and cute in the event with this full-print tee!
TYPE-MOON Fes. Muffler Towel
Price: 1200 yen (with tax) Special gift: Jacket illustration poster Performed by singing unit “LR harmony”, the image song of the event is called 東From new world東 and is available for purchase at the event. Special gift will be given for patrons who purchase this single at the event.
Price: 3500 yen (with tax)
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TYPE-MOON Fes. Shopper Bag (EVENT EXCLUSIVE)
Fate/Zero Mini Charm Set Master Set ・ Servant Set
Price: 1500 yen (with tax) Size: 48cm x 55cm
Price: 2000 yen per set (with tax)
A big bag produced using the image of the ball (key visual), this bag can not only help to carry all the exclusive goods, but also in other occasions after the event.
TYPE-MOON Fes. Charity Items (EVENT EXCLUSIVE)
All dressed up for the occasion, ufotable has illustrated the masters and servants exclusively for the event. All 14 masters and servants are illustrated into deformed versions and split into two sets: 東Masters東 & 東Servants東. Each charm can be used for a variety of occasions as they are can be used independently.
Ichiban Premium Lucky Draw Ichiban Premium Lucky Draw TYPEMOON ・10 Year Anniversary・
Price: 800 yen per try (with tax) Manufacture Origin: Branpresto Inc. Price: 1000 yen (with tax) As an effort to help the needy and rebuild the damage caused by the Touhoku Earthquake disaster last year, exclusive “Cat-can” T-shirts (presumed free size) can be purchased. Two colours are offered, red and blue. All proceeds are to be donated to Red Cross in the effort to relief those affected by the disaster.
Ichiban Kuji, or Ichiban Lucky Draws are a chance to win spectacular and exclusive prizes with a lucky draw dip ticket! Each ticket gives a chance for that one prize you really wish to get. To celebrate TYPE-MOON’s 10th anniversary, there will be a pre-sale of this Kuji at TYPE-MOON Fest.!
Nendroid Saber Nendroid Edition
Saber
10th
ANNIVERSARY
Price: 4000 yen (with tax) Scale: Non-scale, with special display stand, will stand at approximately 100mm Original Sculpt: Oda Tsuyoshi, Akira Takano 8
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Manufacture Origin: GoodSmile Company Exclusively re-engineered to celebrate TYPE-MOON 10th Anniversary, an entirely new, sparkling glossy 東Nendroid Saber – Super Movable Edition東 will be available at TYPEMOON Fest.! Along with 3 different expressions (Happy, Angry and To-Hell-With-You), this adorable Nendroid comes with an Excalibur, Caliburn, Invisible Air, Avalon, and other optional parts! Recreate your favourite comedic scenes with this extremely flexible Nendroid Saber. – There are no changes to optional parts compared to previous releases.
Carnival ・ Phantasm Original Set
Not able to attend the event? You may still purchase the goods at the event site without any tickets. Alternatively, some items will be available for online purchase, to be announced again later. Source: TYPE-MOON Fest. Official Website
This Idolmaster 2 (PS3) DLC Catalogue No.9 trailer is brought to you by the letters L.O.B.M. Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/this-idolmaster-2-ps3-dlc-catalogueno-9-trailer-is-brought-to-you-by-the-letters-l-o-b-m/ By KarbyP on June 26th, 2012
Carnival ・ Phantasm Original Goods Set
Price: 10 000 yen (with tax) 東Storyboard Collection (Part 1 & 2) + Goods set Specifications: Entire package includes both Storyboard Collections. Goods will also not be sold seperately Manufacture Origin: Ichijin Inc. Limited stock at the event, the set includes a huge tote bag (65cm x 48cm) along with a B2 size 東Printed on Washi (special paper) tapestry東, 東C.P Original Curry東 and a special hand fan, all illustrated by Eri Takenashi! Also, a special gift will also be included exclusively for those who purchase this set at the event!
Carnival ・ Phantasm Collection (Part 1 & 2)
Storyboard
Namco Bandai’s The Idolm@ster series has sure been on a roll lately. Two weeks ago fans were offered a chance to talk to their favourite (virtual) idols with wafer biscuits and jelly purchases. Last week, Namco Bandai announced Idolmaster Shiny Festa on the PSP, and rolled out not one, but two trailers for the game over the weekend. And now, just in case you haven’t had your fill, here’s yet another trailer – this time showing off the DLC Catalogue No.9 items for Idolmaster 2 on the PS3. L.O.B.M. is your DLC song of the month, and the costumes Cutie Insect, School Mizugi (swimsuit), and Vivid Bikini take centrestage. All of it comes to your PS3 June 29. Check out the trailer and over 50 screenshots below. (Xbox 360 Idolmaster 2 players don’t get jack-squat, because L.O.B.M. and most of the costumes were already released on the platform last year.)
Price: 3000 yen (with tax) for both parts Manufacture Origin: Ichijin Inc. Storyboards of the Anime 東Carnival 東Phantasm東, all within 1 package! Each part contains 6 volumes with all 12 episodes are included within these 2 parts!
Ticketing Unfortunately, It is not possible to attain any more tickets via the recommended retail sources at this point of time. However, you may still attend the many live broadcasts available throughout Japan theatres! Visit e+ here to attain your last minute tickets! 9
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Read more Idolmaster stories here on SGCafe! Source: 4Gamer
AFA MY Interview: Tasha & Miyuko Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/afa-my-interview-tasha-miyuko/ By sentinel011 on June 26th, 2012
The Spiral Cats cosplay team from South Korea has gathered many cosplayers and fans alike who appreciate high quality cosplays, and so far, they have an awesome gallery of great cosplays on their site and Facebook page. We get to interview with the ladies at the recent AFA Malaysia to share their cosplay experiences with SGCafe.
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5. (Both) As a cosplayer, you understand the amount of effort put in to immerse yourself in the character you cosplay, both in looks as well as mannerisms. As such, are you against, for, or neutral towards cosplayers who result in modifying their bodies via methods such as plastic surgery or photoshop to look like the characters they cosplay? Tasha : I would like to clarify rumours about SPCats first before answering this question; none of the members have undergone any form of plastic surgery. In terms of modification, I feel that Photoshop is part of Cosplay experience. As for plastic surgery, I’m neutral towards it, as it is one’s individual freedom to do so (for their character). While I’m not against the idea, I feel that cosplay is not just about looks, but portraying the character at the time. This question is very delicate (towards cosplayers), but does question (a cosplayer on) ‘do u really want to do that’ kind of thing. Miyuko : I share similar thoughts with Tasha on Photoshop and plastic surgery. A cosplayer can make high quality clothes, plan out a stellar performance, but even if (the cosplayer) wants to be extreme, (plastic surgery) can be risky for health, and I don’t recommend it if plastic surgery does more harm to the person’s health. 1. (To Tasha) As an experienced cosplayer of more than 10 years since you begin cosplaying in 1999, what do you think of the progression of cosplay from South Korea as well as countries all over the world? Cosplay in South Korea originally started out as a hobby, with a few people doing simple photo shoots. As it gradually got bigger over the years, it evolved to doing plays and skits. As for events around the world, I felt that there were many events and sponsors are starting to be receptive and accept Cosplay as part of a culture.
Hatsune Miku Project Diva F opening theme “Odds&Ends” gets CD single release; LE comes with Miku GraFig Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/hatsune-miku-project-diva-fopening-theme-odds-le-comes-with-miku-grafig/ By KarbyP on June 26th, 2012
2. (To Tasha) Being well-known in the gamer and cosplay community, people are bound to want to get to know you better. In what situation or condition would you consider exchanging contacts with your fans, say, via instances like exchanging battletag gaming accounts? In 2010, Spiral Cats went live online, as well as Facebook. I freely exchange gaming contacts with fellow cosplayers and anime fans who contacted me but so far it has been within South Korea. However, due to my career, I wasn’t able to do much of that as I haven’t gamed much recently. We hope to expand in the future, all around the world even. 3. (To Miyuko) As the youngest member of SPCats, are there any challenges or difficulties you face? I have encountered quite a few challenges, but with the mentors in SPCats guiding me (on Cosplay), it is thanks to them that my difficulties weren’t as great as it would have been, and I have much to learn from them. 4. (To Miyuko) You have cosplayed many characters since you have joined SPCats. Which character do you relate to the most personally? There are 2 characters. First one would be Kuroneko (from My Little Sister Can’t Be This Cute). The second was Ahri from League of Legends. Kuroneko was my first group cosplay with other members of SPCats, so it’s very memorable and I gained a lot of experience from it. Ahri’s costume was difficult (to create), and a lot of preparation was done together as a team.
Can’t get enough of Odds&Ends, the opening theme to Hatsune Miku Project Diva F produced by Ryo (Supercell)? Soon you’ll be able to own it on CD. Sega announced today that Odds&Ends will receive a CD single release under the Sony Music Direct label, to go on sale August 29. That’s one day before the game itself! Odds&Ends may or may not be a split-single CD release, like the previous two Project Diva opening theme CD singles. Although Sega did not exactly announce this on the Hatsune Miku blog, Famitsu brings word that the other song contained in this CD release will be a yet-to-be-named kz/ livetune song. We think this is most likely Weekender Girl, which was unveiled alongside Odds&Ends in Project Diva F’s third PV last week. But it could just as easily be another new track from the talented producer, who’s best known for the Google X Hatsune Miku CM song Tell Your World. 13
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Just in case you missed last week’s trailer, here it is again (jumps right to Odds&Ends and Weekender Girl): Odds&Ends is the third Project Diva opening theme in a row that Ryo, songwriter and leader of the J-Pop group Supercell, has worked on. Previously Ryo also composed the themes for Project Diva 2nd and Project Diva Extend, Kocchi Muite Baby (ここここここ Baby) and Sekiranun Graffiti (こここここここここ), respectively. Famitsu notes that it’s been about a year since fans last saw the ”ryo(supercell) feat. 東東東東” namesake. The Odds&Ends single or split-single CD will be sold in a normal edition (CD only) for 1,050 yen, as well as two limited ed packages that bundle a Hatsune Miku GraFig along with your choice of CD+BluRay (1,995 yen) or CD+DVD (1,785 yen).
Again, both the normal and limited editions of Odds&Ends will go on sale in Japan August 29. New Hatsune Miku Project Diva F box-art As a bonus, Sega has also shared an updated design of the Hatsune Miku Project Diva F box-art – they did mention before that the previous design was a work in progress and could be subject to change… Or so they claim, I don’t recall if they actually did (seriously, PjD team, make up your damn mind already). Well, the box art’s final now (I think). Can you tell what’s been changed from the previous design?
Jacket illustrations for both normal and limited editions were done by manga artist Atsuya Uki (who wrote, designed, directed and animated the 2009 animated sci-fi anime film Cencoroll). Here’s the jacket cover for the normal edition:
Read more Hatsune Miku stories here on SGCafe! Source: Famitsu, Shuukan Diva Station And this is the one for the limited edition:
AFA MY Interview: Tomohiko Ishii Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/afa-my-interview-tomohiko-ishii/
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June 26th, 2012 By sentinel011 on June 26th, 2012
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My next anime will be very similar to Eden of the East. Look out for it.
AFA MY Interview: KOTOKO Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/afa-my-interview-kotoko/ By sentinel011 on June 26th, 2012
One of the more recent influential producers in Production I.G with his work Eden of the East and the upcoming 009 RE:CYBORG, Tomohiko Ishii shares with us his work as a producer and hints of his next anime. 1. Overseas anime fans are not clear as to what role a producer in an anime does. Share with us of your role as an anime producer.
KOTOKO has sang for countless games and numerous popular anime titles, most recently for Accel World’s ending theme, ‘-unfinished-’. We spoke to her about her career, music and working with fripside’s music producer, Satoshi Yaginuma.
My role is to work with the director, create and manage a team to make an animation, as well as come up with promotions and avenues to sell the animation.
1. You are known to fans as a veteran anisong singer of more than 10 years. What inspired you to take on singing/song writing as a career?
2. As a producer, what is your work relation to other major roles in a production, such as the director and animators?
A: I have always loved the scenarios games and anime portray, with its unlimited potential in this whole new world. This feeling inspires my song writing.
My working relation involves being the liaison between the director and the team, to boost their morale as well as to create harmony in the entire animation production team. In short, I’m the ego booster of the team. 3. What did you hope to achieve when you started working in Production I.G.? Are there any differences with working with Studio Ghibli? As you may know, Studio Ghibli revolves Hayao Miyazaki’s works. Hence, I worked only with Miyazaki. In Production I.G., there are various directors with different working and directing styles. If I were to choose, I feel that working in Production I.G. brings about more satisfaction, since I have the chance to try out different production styles. 4. What do you think of working with various companies around the world, and not just within Japan? Have you worked with companies outside of Japan before? Yes, I have. In fact, 009 re:Cyborg involves that aspect. The character CG team is from Vietnam, and the streets of the setting in the movie involve cooperation from Google’s staff, which provided us with detailed pictures for reference to recreate the backgrounds in the animated movie. 5. What sort of anime will your next project be?
2. I understand that you have written lyrics for some of your own songs. What got you interested in lyrics writing? A: I was a quiet child, and not very sociable and don’t make much friends. I preferred being at home, which eventually got me to writing song lyrics. 3. What were your feelings and thoughts when writing and singing for your first anime series, Onegai Teacher? I love anime and its songs, and was excited to be involved. The plot of the anime was very touching, and it really makes my heart soft. 4. How do you cope with singing fast-paced tongue-twister songs like, for example, the game theme Princess Bride? Sometimes during emcee sessions, I do actually get tougue tied. For songs, I pace myself and match the rythm and beat of the song itself with its lyrics. 5. On your recent release of -unfinished- single, Accel World’s anime ending theme, what are your thoughts on working with fripside’s Sato-san? I have been friends with Sato-san, and we have always talked about working together. We greatly respect each other, and hoped to creat a great song. Of course, I was happy to finally be able to work with him! 15
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Ani-Culture has shared some of their photos with us.
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SGCafe : Cosplay | Vocaloid | Otaku | Pop Culture A daily publication about Cosplay, Vocaloid, Otaku and Japanese Pop Culture
Vocaroom2525, a Tokyobased invite-only bar for Vocaloid producers and fans, begins operations in July Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/vocaroom2525-a-tokyo-based-inviteonly-bar-for-vocaloid-producers-and-fans-begins-operations-in-july/ By KarbyP on June 28th, 2012
admission will be awarded to applicants on a random lottery basis. Cutting-off date for applications is July 7, 23:00 hours JST (GMT+0900). There’s a cover charge of 2,000 yen (inclusive of two drinks) for the opening party, but the price is knocked down to 1,500 yen if you’re a Vocaloid producer (i.e. someone who makes Vocaloid-related content on Nico Nico Douga or elsewhere). Source: Kotaku Japan
Project X Zone news blast: new characters, price, release date and pre-order details Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/project-x-zone-news-blast-newcharacters-price-release-date-and-pre-order-details/ By KarbyP on June 28th, 2012
Starting July, Vocaloid producers and fans who reside in Tokyo (or are otherwise touring the area on holiday) will be able to hang out at a new nightspot that’s dedicated exclusively to their sub-culture. Kotaku Japan reports that Vocaroom2525, a bar for Vocaloid producers and lovers alike, will kick off its operation next month with an opening party on July 16. The bar will play Vocaloid songs exclusively, serve as a space for Vocaloid producers to introduce new compositions to an audience, and in general offer these producers (or aspirants) an opportunity to exchange information and network with one another. Admittance to Vocaroom2525, in its current form, is strictly invite-only. Not only that, but the bar will apparently operate on sporadic days, with no fixed schedule in mind at least initially (they do hope to operate with a fixed schedule in the near future), operating mostly for special events and gatherings. Folks who’d like to make it for the opening party – to be held at a rental space in Setagaya-ku, Tokyo – can register their interest via Twitter, as follows (in Japanese):
Namco Bandai has announced pricing and release details for its forthcoming 3DS super-mega-cross-over RPG Project X Zone (read as Project Cross Zone). The game will be released on October 11 for 6,280 yen. Retailers in Japan have already begun to accept pre-orders for the title. Folks who do so will have their purchase automatically upgraded, at no extra cost, from the normal edition of the game to an early-birds-only “Special Box” package that includes a “Cross-over Soundtrack CD” that contains as many of the game’s numerous BGMs as they could possibly fit within a single CD, as well as an illustrated booklet that introduces players to the various characters and game universes that they’ll come across in Project X Zone. Cross-over soundtrack CD
Basically you’d have to first follow @Voca2525 on Twitter, and send them an inquiry (through a tweet or a Direct Message) before you’re able to RSVP on a first-come, firstserved basis. If the event ends up getting over-subscribed, 1
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Rikiya Busujima (Zombie Revenge)
Illustrated booklet
Namco Bandai Flynn Scifo (Tales of Vesperia)
Project X Zone, developed by Monolith Soft (Xenosaga, Namco X Capcom), features characters owned by Sega, Capcom, and of course, Namco Bandai Games themselves. Some of the initial batch of characters announced for the game included Street Fighter‘s Ryu and Chun-Li, Sakura Taisen‘s Ichiro Ogami and Sakura Shinguji, and Tales of Vesperia’s Yuri Lowell and Estelle. In April six more characters were announced – two each from Namco Bandai’s God Eater, Sega’s End of Eternity/ Resonance of Fate RPG, and an unlikely pairing of a Chinese zombie and a zombie-outbreak survivor from Capcom.
Originals Kogorou Tenzai (CV: Toshihiko Seki) Mii Kouryuuji (CV: Yukari Tamura)
Finally, this week we’re getting details from Famitsu on seven more characters in Project X Zone, two of which are actually originals designs – possibly the protagonists of this cross-over title. Capcom Arthur (Ghosts ‘n Goblins) Devilot (Cyberbots)
Sega Imca (Valkyria Chronicles 3) 2
June 28th, 2012
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…… Am I the only one who thinks that Kogorou looks a lot like Xenogears‘ Fei Fong Wong? The Project X Zone developer blog mentions that they’re currently putting the finishing touches to a second trailer (first trailer here) for the game. Until then, here are some screenshots Famitsu shared:
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Source: Famitsu, PXZ blog
Animelo Summer Live 2012 Lineup Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/animelo-summer-live-2012-lineup/
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By shia on June 28th, 2012
Its that time of the year again where it is summer again in Japan. Animelo Summer Live has been going on since 2005 and it is the biggest annual anime songs concert in Japan. This year the event will be held over two days at the Saitama Super Arena on the 25th and 26th of August. This year the theme is Infinity∞, it is to represent the infinite possibilities that anime songs can bring. The theme song for this year is “INFINITY～1000～～～～”(INFINITY~1000 Year dream~) The line up for this year is unsurprisingly stellar. The line up is as follows :
26th August(Sunday) • Ishikawa Chiaki(Kamisama Dolls OP/ED) • Ushiro kara Haiyori Tai G(Haiyori Nyaruko OP) • Ono Daisuke • Kitamura Eri(Nisemonogatari OP1) • Kuribayashi Minami(Infinite Stratos OP) • Grandrodeo(IGPX OP) • Komatsu Mikako(Bodacious Space Pirates guest ED) • Suzumura Kenichi • ST～RISH(Uta No Prince Sama OP) • Minori Chihara(Horizon OP) • Nanamorichuu～Gorakubu(Yuruyuri OP/ED) • Horie Yui(Dog days ED)
25th August (Saturday) • Aoi Eir(Fate/zero S1 ED ) • Akino with bless4(Sousei no Aquarion/Evol OP/ED) • Afilia Saga(Steins;Gate PSP/PS3 OP) • Ali Project(Another OP) • Altima(Shana Final ED)
• Miyano Mamoru • Milky Holmes(Detective Opera Milky Holmes OP/ED) • Ray(Ano Natsu de Matteru OP) This by all means is not the final list of artistes that will be in the event, the event organizers will most likely add more guests as we get closer to the event.
• Kawada Mami(Jorgamund OP)
Until the event, SGCafe will keep our readers updated on this Mega anisong concert.
• StylipS(Highschool DxD ED)
Source: Animelo 2012 HP
• Tamura Yukari(C3 ED) • Nanri Yuuka(Sacred Seven ED) • Nomizu Iori(Kore ha Zombie Desuka OP) • Haruna Luna(Fate/Zero S2 ED) • Persona4 Music Band(Persona 4 Anime OP/ED) • May’n(Accel World OP) • Yui Kaori(Kiss X Sis ED) • LiSa(Fate/Zero OP)
Pepsi X Gundam Front Tokyo Collaboration Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/pepsi-x-gundam-front-tokyocollaboration/ By shia on June 28th, 2012
Suntory International, the holder for the licence to Pepsi in Japan is doing a tie-up with Gundam Front Tokyo and will be releasing 8 different specially designed cans to commemorate the event.
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Last year, Visual Concepts’ NBA 2K12 basketball sim put the spotlight on three NBA legends – Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson – enlisting them as the cover athletes for game. It was the first game in the series to feature three cover athletes instead of one. The cover oozed with star power, and made an impression – alongside the game’s steadfast mechanics – on both critics and fans alike. Fast-forward back to the present. Now that we’re mere months away from NBA 2K13′s October release, publisher 2K Sports is faced with a very enviable problem on their hands. How do you kick things up a notch for 2K13′s cover? Larry Bird and the basketball world’s two MJs are a tough act to follow.
The cans will feature mobile suits from the series “Gundam 0079″, such as the “RX-78-2 Original Gundam” and the “MS-06S Char’s Custom Zaku II” and many more. The full list are as follows : 1. RX-78-2 Gundam 2. RX-77-2 Guncannon
Well, you look to new blood, of course. If 2K12 marked the end of an era, then 2K13 shall hail as the beginning of a “New Dynasty”. For the cover of NBA 2K13, 2K Sports is tapping on on three rising stars in the basketball world for its cover: Oklahome City Thunder’s Kevin Durant, Los Angeles Clippers’ Blake Griffin and the Chicago Bulls’ Derrick Rose.
3. RX-75 Guntank 4. SCV-70 White Base 5. MS-06F Zaku II Mass produced 6. MS-06S Zaku IIS(Char’s Custom) 8. MS-07B Gouf(Not a Zaku) 9. MS-09 Dom The cans are will be sold until the 7th August at the price of 115Yen. Source : Narinari
Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin and Derrick Rose are your cover athletes for NBA 2K13 Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/kevin-durant-blake-griffin-andderrick-rose-are-your-cover-athletes-for-nba-2k13/ By KarbyP on June 28th, 2012
All three are past winners of the NBA Rookie of the Year award. And between them, they have garnered a total of eight All-Star berths, three scoring titles, and one MVP award, amongst other accolades. “It’s definitely humbling to grace the cover after the likes of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird, said Kevin Durant, who recently led the Thunder franchise in knocking the San Antonio Spurs out of the NBA 6
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playoff season, earning the Thunders their first NBA Finals appearance since 1996.
Thankfully, the next Kamen Rider – Wizard – appears to be designed by folks belonging to the first category.
”Being crowned as one of the NBA 2K13 cover athletes is a huge honor and something I always dreamt about,” Durant added.
Here’s a picture snapped by a netizen who managed to stumble upon a Toei filming for the new series at Ikebukuro Nishiguchi park:
Los Angeles Clippers’ Blake Griffin shared similar sentiments. “There’s so much young talent around the NBA, so it’s very exciting to be chosen for NBA 2K’s ‘New Dynasty’ alongside Kevin and Derrick,” Griffin said. “The NBA 2K series has always been my first choice when I want to get a game in.” As for Derrick Rose, being crowned cover athlete is not only a dream come true, but also a way for him to uphold tradition for the Chicago Bulls. “I’m honoured to follow in the footsteps of Michael Jordan as the latest Chicago Bull to be featured on the cover,” Rose said. NBA 2K13 (PC, PlayStation 3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360) is scheduled for an October 5 release in Singapore.
This is what the next Kamen Rider, Wizard, looks like Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/this-is-what-the-next-kamen-riderwizard-looks-like/ By KarbyP on June 28th, 2012
Kamen Rider Wizard is not slated to make his official debut until August 4 this year, when he’ll be making a cameo appearance in the film Kamen Rider Fourze The Movie: Everybody It’s Space Time, so not too much is known about him yet. Rumour has it that Kamen Rider Wizard “henshins” (that’s Japanese for “it’s morphin’ time!” or just “transform”) by inserting five power rings – called Wiseman Rings – into his belt, the Wizard Driver. At the filming it is said that Wizard chants some nonsensical saying – something resembling “chichinnpuipui” – as part of a spell to conjure fire. This guy here dressed in a monster suit is whom I presume he was trying to set ablaze:
Every year Toei Company produces a year-long Kamen Rider show (alongside a Power Rangers or “Sentai” show, which also runs for a whole year) for TV Asahi’s Sunday morning “Superhero Time” programming block in Japan. Sometimes the character designers behind a new Kamen Rider know what they’re doing. This was the case with 2010′s W (read as “Double”), who had so much panache that the material used for his suit looks more like metal than spandex. Other times, like with the currently-airing Kamen Rider Fourze, the designers seem to have drawn their inspirations from an overgrown squid or something equally ridiculous. Then there’s Kamen Rider Decade, who started out looking pretty slick, but somehow ends up getting a bunch of cards plastered all over his power suit (what were they thinking). 7
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Maybe you’re one of those lucky sods who managed to score a Type-Moon Fes ticket before they were completely sold out. Or maybe you weren’t so lucky, but will be visiting Tokyo with friends or family anyway, between now and July 16. In either case, if you’re even mildly familiar with TypeMoon’s excellent, excellent work, then make sure you swing by the 7th floor of the Gamers store in Akihabara. That’s where Banpresto is currently holding a special TypeMoon 10th Anniversary Commemorative Museum at, which has on exhibit all the cool swag you’ll be able to purchase during Type-Moon Fes itself.
The Kamen Rider Wizard tokusatsu (that’s Japanese for “special effects”) TV show will air sometime in September this year on TV Asahi, shortly after the finale of Kamen Rider Fourze. Source: Matomate [via CSICON]
Going to Type-Moon Fes? Drop by the Type-Moon 10th Anniversary Museum at Gamers (Akihabara)
Although you can buy a great deal of merchandise at the museum itself, you won’t be able to buy everything you see. Some of the items are purely for exhibition only, as they’re not even on sale yet. The exhibition, Banpresto Prezents Type-Moon 10th Anniversary Commemorative Museum in Gamers (～～～ ～～～～～～～～ TYPE-MOON 10～～～～～～～～～～ in GAMERS), officially opened its doors to customers last Friday. While we couldn’t be there, Ascii.jp could. So go over to their site for a photo-filled coverage – but before you do, here are a few of our favourites (more at their site):
Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/going-to-type-moon-fes-drop-bythe-type-moon-10th-anniversary-museum-at-gamers-akihabara/ By KarbyP on June 28th, 2012
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Source: Ascii.jp
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Students of Round: The Eternal Legend (PSP) announced; 1st trailer emphasizes art, voice cast Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/students-of-round-the-eternallegend-psp-announced-1st-trailer-emphasizes-art-voice-cast/ By KarbyP on June 28th, 2012
The lands in which JRPGs dwell in are vast and mystifying. Somewhere within these murky grounds lies a smalltime Japanese dungeon RPG developer that calls themselves Experience (really an apt name since they’ve been making nothing but dungeons RPG). If you don’t know who they are, maybe their best-known work – a 2011 Xbox 360 JRPG entitled Students of Round – might ring some bells. No? Well, that’s okay, because if you’re intrigued by the Knights of the Round-sounding title you will be able to play it on the PSP instead later this year in October, when an upgraded version – Students of Round: The Eternal Legend - is released. The PSP version will receive a few interface tweaks, a 16:9 resolution to fit the PSP’s screen and – apparently for the first time (this was not in the X360 version) – will star three AAA-tier voice actresses:
Students of Round: The Eternal Legend (PSP) is slated for an October 2012 release, to be sold for 6,090 yen (retail UMD) or 5,040 yen (digitally through the PlayStation Store). Apart from Students of Round, Experience co. also announced a new Xbox 360 RPG, “Ken no Machi no Ihoujin” (～～～～～～～) which roughly translates to Stranger in the Town of Blades, and a yet-to-be-shown PS Vita dungeon RPG. Not much has been shown for Stranger in the Town of Blades too. All we have to go on is this key visual image, which shows a schoolgirl carrying a haversack on her right arm, and a longsword on her left.
• Miyuki Sawashiro as Elsa • Ryou Hirohashi as Marlin • Eri Kitamura as Loumi
Source: 4Gamer
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“Main visual” poster for Rurouni Kenshin live-action movie is full of life (and colour) Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/main-visual-poster-for-rurounikenshin-live-action-movie-is-full-of-life-and-colour/ By KarbyP on June 28th, 2012
Warner Bros. Japan this week unveiled a “main visual” poster for its upcoming live-action adaptation of Rurouni Kenshin – also known as Samurai X in the West – for the big screen, starring Takeru Sato (Kamen Rider Den-O) as protagonist Kenshin Himura. “No matter what happens, I will come back,” the tagline goes. The new poster is in full-colour and features all the main ensemble cast members, in stark contrast to a black-andwhite teaser poster for the movie, carrying the catchcopy “Beware of the nice guy” and created by famed photographer Kazumi Kurigami, that Warner Bros. Japan originally revealed back in March.
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Rurouni Kenshin opens in theatres across Japan August 25. Here’s a list of cast members for the movie. Source: Natalie [via Crunchyroll]
Okami Gets HD Re-release Source: http://sgcafe.com/2012/06/okami-gets-hd-re-release/ By magnetic_rose on June 28th, 2012
The HD version of Capcom’s visually stunning action RPG Okami will hit streets in Japan on 1st November. Okami HD features HD graphics and full support for Sony Move controllers. The remastered PlayStation 3 version is titled Okami Zekkeiban (～～～～～), and will retail for JPY ¥3,990. The game will also be sold for USD 19.99 over the Playstation Network. Source: Crunchyroll
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