Tag: Japan - Page 12
News There's a Bit More Colour on the Japanese PS4 Store Than Ours
Bright and breezy
As is apparently law in the Land of the Rising Sun, the Japanese iteration of the PlayStation 4’s store has launched amid a flash of pinks and pastel blues. Much like the system’s Eastern box art, the online plaza adopts a slightly more colourful guise in its native nation – perhaps partially fuelled by the availability of...
Soapbox How a Niche PS Vita Exclusive Made Me Feel Wanted
Kerry Brunskill has been wooed
This sort of topic tends to get emotions running high and insults flying faster than you can shout “Burn the witch”, so I thought that it would be a good idea to lay a few points on the table first. To begin, this is not an anti-male article or even a pro-feminist one; this is just a collection of my own personal...
News Over in Japan, the PS4 Launch Is an Excuse for One Hell of a Party
Play and peace
There’s little over a week to go until the PlayStation 4 officially deploys in Japan, and that means that platform holder Sony is starting to put its launch marketing campaign into gear. Fresh from cruelly teasing Eastern gamers earlier in the year, this brand new commercial makes the next-gen console’s release look like an excuse...
News Not Even Japanese Magazine Famitsu Likes PS4 Exclusive Knack
Yakuza Ishin restores enthusiasm in PS4
Japan may be receiving a free copy of Knack in order to compensate for the PlayStation 4’s meagre delay, but it can’t seem to buy a good review score at the minute. Fresh from being stomped by much of the Western media,
News Persona 4 Arena Sequel Delivers a Suplex to Importers
And it hurts
The Japanese language barrier can get in the way of a lengthy JRPG, but it's less problematic if you merely want to smash someone's head in. However, it seems that importers will have to wait a little longer for the uniquely named Persona 4 The Ultimax Ultra Suplex Hold, as fans eagerly awaiting the sequel to Arc System Works' fighting...
News Capcom Delays Free PS4 Title Deep Down Because It Doesn't Look Good Enough
Wait, really?
You could comfortably argue that Deep Down is the best looking PlayStation 4 exclusive announced at the moment, but publisher Capcom doesn’t agree. Despite originally being poised to poke its way into beta around the time of the next generation console’s launch in Japan, the company has now confirmed that eager game
News Japanese Sales Charts: PS Vita Sales Increase by 150 Per Cent Year-on-Year
Rising from the ashes
It’s the console that everyone loves to kick, but the PlayStation Vita is actually on the rise in Japan right now. Media Create statistics show that Sony’s flagship handheld format is the only device to build upon its early 2013 sales, with the diminutive device seeing an impressive 150 per cent upswing in popularity...
News Final Fantasy XIV Will Be Reborn on PS4 on 14th April in Japan
Level up
You may be waiting a little longer than expected for Final Fantasy XV, but Square Enix certainly isn't messing around with the PlayStation 4 port of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. With a beta for the next generation upgrade due out alongside Sony’s new console in Japan on
News Why Is No One Talking About Vita Brawler Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds?
Girl power
In an age where game development costs rival summer blockbusters, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for the industry to find space for hidden gems. Once the crown jewel of the PSone era, these relatively unknown titles have become less common outside of the indie space. Fortunately, they still exist in Japan, where outings such as...
News Devil May Cry's Dante and Virgil Return in Sengoku Basara 4
Back from the dead
With the recent reboot of Devil May Cry, many franchise fans worried that the old Dante design may be left to rot in a gaming graveyard. However, footage of a DLC add-on for the upcoming PlayStation 3 title Sengoku Basara 4 shows that the silver-headed hero's time isn't up just yet, with Dante and Virgil costumes available for two...
News Japan May Be Handheld Land, But It Still Wants the PS4
Greatness awaits
There’s a reason that Sony is using plenty of ammunition to promote the PlayStation Vita in Japan, and that’s because the region can’t get enough of handhelds. The astronomical sales of the Nintendo 3DS compared to the muted numbers attached to the Wii U and PlayStation 3 show how trends have changed – but there may yet be...
News Sony: PlayStation 4 to Become Our Main Focus in Japan
Firm to turn its attention to its freshest flagship format
Sony is well known for supporting its older systems long after their successors arrive – after all, it only ceased production on the PlayStation 2 this time last year. However, judging by comments made by SCEJ executive Hiroshi Kawano, it may be planning a much swifter transition from the...
News Japanese Sales Charts: PS Vita Keeps Plodding Along
Handheld keeping its head above water
The holidays have come to a conclusion in Japan, but the PlayStation Vita has held on fairly well. Naturally, it couldn’t sustain its stellar performance from the week prior, but the portable platform still managed to shift just shy of 30,000 units – and that’s without any major software releases to back...
News Sony Japan President Kawano Teases Various Incoming PS4 Games
Why so secretive?
Hiroshi Kawano, the president of Sony Computer Entertainment Japan and Asia, has hinted that the upcoming release schedule for the PlayStation 4 is going to be pretty full. Well in Japan, anyway. In an interview with Famitsu.com, the executive stated: "We plan to release new games at a regular pace. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground...
News DriveClub Puts the Brakes on Its Japanese Release Date
Yet another delay
Before we start this article, we'd just like to take a minute of silence to express solidarity for our long suffering compatriots in The Land of the Rising Sun. First they learned that they wouldn't be getting Sony's next-gen marvel until February, then they were subject to a TV commercial that seemed solely designed to rub their...
News This Is One PS4 Box That You Probably Won't Be Seeing on Western Store Shelves
More's the pity
With the PlayStation 4’s launch in Japan now fast approaching, publishers are beginning to reveal the cover art for their release day wares. One such box that slipped through our news net late last year is this one for Yakuza Ishin, which bucks the series’ Eastern trend by adopting a full colour image. Pretty neat, huh? Despite...
News Wait, Japan Almost Got the PlayStation 4 First?
Missed it by that much
A few days ago, we reported on a decidedly average Japanese advertisement for Sony's next-gen marvel. Apart from its patently ho-hum premise, the biggest problem with the commercial was that it almost seemed to antagonise the long suffering Japanese public over the fact that they won't be getting the shiny black box until 22nd...
News Japanese Sales Charts: PS Vita Stretches Its Legs with Strong Sales
Second wind
There have been times since its release where the PlayStation Vita has hinted that there’s a mainstream seller just itching to step out of the Nintendo 3DS’ shadow, and this is one of those moments again. While it still couldn’t thwart its closest competitor’s never-ending spell at the top of the Japanese sales charts, the put...
News PS Vita Welcome Box Aims to Generate Interest in the Struggling Handheld
Japan only, unfortunately
To say that the PlayStation Vita is in a tricky position would be a resounding understatement. Sony's handheld darling is emphatically adored by those that own it, but seemingly ignored by everyone else – including the buying public. In a bid to reverse the machine's failing fortunes, the platform holder has announced a...
News Romeo and Juliet Have an Even Racier Relationship in This PSP Title
"Do you bite your thumb at me, sir?"
Family may have torn star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet apart in ol’ Bill Shakespeare’s classic tragedy, but its bloodlust that separates the pair in Quinrose’s bizarre PlayStation Portable-based otome adventure. The sequel to last year’s romance-‘em-up Romeo vs. Juliet, the upcoming Romeo &...
News Could This Be PlayStation Vita's Sauciest Game Yet?
Probably not safe for work
Compile Heart’s no stranger to bringing supposedly sexy content to the PlayStation Vita. Monster Monpiece, its previous release for the portable platform, saw you rubbing the system's front and back touch panels in suggestive back and forth motions in order to pleasure the flustered anime ladies on screen – but the...
News PS4 Shooter Killzone: Shadow Fall to Snag Exclusive Content in Japan
Hig hig hooray
Japan’s tolerance for first-person shooters may have increased, but the region has never been particularly accepting of the Killzone franchise. Sony understands that, opting to hold back the PlayStation 4’s launch in its home nation in order to deploy alongside heavy-hitters such as Yakuza Ishin rather than Guerrilla Games’...
News Pssht, Japan's First PS4 Advert Is Pretty Predictable
Where are the dancing fish?
There was once a time when Japan used to create commercials that would force you to question your very own sanity, but this inaugural PlayStation 4 spot is about as conventional as they come. Posted on the platform holder’s official YouTube page overnight, it shows several of the system’s big launch events from around...
News Natural Doctrine Misses PS4's Japanese Launch by a Minor Margin
Down but not out
Sony may have delayed the PlayStation 4 in Japan in order to ensure that it has a compelling software lineup, but that hasn’t prevented one of its big launch titles from slipping into March. Kadokawa Games’ strategy role-playing game Natural Doctrine had been set to launch alongside the system on 22nd February, but it will now...
News Latch onto Eleven Minutes of Oddly Specific Freedom Wars Footage
Handcuffed to your handheld
People in Japan must have more patience than the rest of the world. While we tend to fidget whenever a trailer fails to show an explosion for more than five seconds, this footage of PlayStation Vita exclusive Freedom Wars outlines the title’s control scheme in painstakingly precise detail. Did you know that the left...
News PS Vita Exclusive Freedom Wars Sheds Its Shackles at Jump Festa
On parole
Now that Media Molecule’s adorable paper-based platformer Tearaway has been tossed onto store shelves, the release schedule for the PlayStation Vita is looking a little bleak. Fortunately, there are new titles on the horizon, including Japan Studio’s co-operative demon slayer Freedom Wars, which is due out at some point in 2014. It...
News Japanese Sales Charts: PS Vita TV's Audience Shrinks Again
Gran Turismo 6 takes pole position
Sony may be considering ways in which it can broadcast PS Vita TV overseas, but we reckon those plans may be shelved soon if the diminutive device doesn’t pick up the pace in its home territory. After a miserable first month on the market, the micro-console has now slumped to just 3,772 sales in Japan according...
News DriveClub Drifts into Japan's PS4 Launch Lineup
Right around the bend
DriveClub’s delay may have been disappointing at the time, but it’s allowed Evolution Studios to transform the next generation racer into something special judging by the recent batch of trailers that the Runcorn-based studio’s released. Of course, that means that the conversation’s shifted to cons
News Japanese PS Vita TV Advert Brings the Whole Family Together
And saves television, too
The PS Vita TV has been out in the wild for a few weeks now, and its performance has been lacklustre to say the least. As if in answer, Sony has released a brand new commercial to try and pitch the diminutive streaming box to families. The advertisement traces one family's journey through the eyes of its small screen, and...
News Grand Theft Auto V Scores the Big Haul at Japan's PlayStation Awards
Everyone else was robbed
You may not be aware of it, but Sony holds a ceremony in Japan every year to celebrate the best selling PlayStation games of the past twelve months. The event offers industry bigwigs an opportunity to glug some champagne and take home a pretty prize – and it’s the folks at Rockstar Games that nabbed the Platinum Trophy...
News Sony Deploys Disgusting Soul Sacrifice Delta Demo on 12th December
Grimms' ghastly tales
Soul Sacrifice Delta, the re-release of Sony’s sick monster slaying exclusive for the PlayStation Vita, will score a demo in Japan on 12th December. The platform holder has released a brand new trailer showcasing battles against Snow White and Little Red Riding Hood to get you salivating over the sampler – but these...
News Japanese Sales Charts: PS Vita TV Suffers a Sharp Decline in Viewers
No storm surrounding Lightning Returns
Thunder only happens when it’s raining, and it was dry as a bone in Japan last week. The latest Media Create sales report paints a pretty depressing picture of the Eastern games industry, as almost all of the big releases bombed. PS Vita TV was among those disappointments, moving just 7,686 units in its...
News Hohokum Slithers Away from PS4's Japanese Launch
No laughing matter
Originally intended for release alongside the PlayStation 4 in Japan, Honeyslug’s intriguing zen-‘em-up Hohokum now has a vague “sometime in 2014” release window attached to it. The title had been set to slide onto the next generation console on 22nd February in the East, but it will now take it easy until later in the...
News Gran Turismo 6's Japanese Ad Feels the Need for Speed
School run
You may have forgotten amid the hustle and bustle of the PlayStation 4’s launch, but Gran Turismo 6 is due out next week around the globe. With no next generation consoles due out this year in Japan, the simulation racer is getting a big push in developer Polyphony Digital’s home nation – and that includes this quirky commercial...
News Japanese Sales Charts: God Eater 2 Bursts onto the Scene with PS Vita TV
Tuned in
You may be forgiven for thinking that the PlayStation 4 was the only new gaming hardware launch last week – but you’d be wrong. While our friends in Japan are forced to wait until February to get their hands on the next generation console, they at least have a new toy to fill the time in the form of the PS Vita TV. The diminutive device...
News Sony's PocketStation Plots a Return as a PS Vita Application in Japan
Replay puny peripheral's minigames
It’s always nice to know that Sony has its priorities in the right place. The struggling PlayStation Vita may be the most powerful portable platform on the market, but the manufacturer has opted to invest resources into a PocketStation application, allowing you to play a handful of the under supported PSone...
News Sony Liberates Freedom Wars Footage on 21st November
Good behaviour
Crikey, all of the components are in place for a killer month of PlayStation, aren’t they? Not only is Sony’s next generation console set to deploy in North America and Europe this month, but the firm’s also readying the launch of the promising PS Vita TV in Japan, teasing something to do with its
News Tune in to This Cheerful PS Vita TV Features Footage
Everyone's happy here
Japan may not be getting the PlayStation 4 until early next year, but it seems perfectly happy to play with the impending PS Vita TV while it waits. Due out imminently in the Land of the Rising Sun, this bright and breezy trailer offers
News Clear Makes a Comeback with This Throwback DualShock 3
Showing its circuits
You can forget your customised PlayStation 4 controllers – this ace crystal DualShock 3 is taking us back to a time when everything from Tamagotchis to floppy disks shipped in see-through shells. Coupled with today’s strange PocketStation trailer, it’s clear that SCEJ is feeling a spot of 90s nostalgia – and it’s...
Weirdness Toro Stars in This Bizarre PocketStation Teaser
All will be revealed next week
Sony’s ill-fated PocketStation memory card peripheral could be on the verge of a comeback, if we’re making sense of this bizarre Japanese teaser video. The footage – released on the platform holder’s official Eastern channel overnight – shows two reporters (?) chasing down a person dressed in a Toro Inoue...
Weirdness Criminal Girls Invitation Scores Strangely Saucy Trailer
Not safe for work
Who needs Monster Hunter-esque titles when you can have Criminal Girls Invitation instead? The enhanced PlayStation Vita port of Imagepoch's popular PlayStation Portable hit sees you guiding a group of scantily clad prison birds through a tower in order to be reincarcerated. Unsurprisingly, the illicit ladies are not always keen on...
Weirdness There Are Ecstatic Rabbit Statues in This PS Vita Commercial
The hares and the handheld
We never, ever tire of Japanese commercials. Last year, Sony opted to promote the crystal white iteration of the PlayStation Vita by releasing a video of local celebrity Shigeru Matsuzaki singing about it – and now it’s followed up with a spot showing statues playing games such as Final Fantasy X HD Remaster, God Eater...
News PS Vita May Not Have Monster Hunter, but Sony Wants to Sell Japan on Similar Games
Giant killers
Ever since the PlayStation Vita’s release, Sony has been trying to belittle the fact that Monster Hunter has switched sides to the Nintendo 3DS. While the mega-franchise made a name for itself on the PlayStation Portable, the Japanese giant has failed to secure an entry in the Capcom published series for its latest handheld so far,...
News Japanese Sales Charts: New Model Pushes PS Vita Above 60,000 Units
Celebrate good times
It may lack the clarity of its predecessor’s gorgeous OLED screen, but the new PlayStation Vita appears to have done the business for Sony in its home territory. While many feared that it may be overshadowed by the release of Pokémon X and Y, the system still managed to move an impressive 60,166 units. That’s an enormous...
Weirdness Sony Has Produced a Manga to Promote PS Plus in Japan
Everything's better with anime eyes
Free titles such as Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance and Remember Me may sell PlayStation Plus subscriptions in Europe and North America, but Sony is plumping up for a different strategy in its home territory. As spotted by Sili
News PlayStation 4's Packaging Is Way More Colourful in Japan
Taste the rainbow
Japan always gets better box art than Europe and North America, and the PlayStation 4’s colourful packaging is no exception to the rule. While the international wrapper has an air of royal class to it, the Eastern edition is just plain fun. It includes an oversized image of Knack on the front, and a rainbow pattern equivalent to...
TGS 2013 Western Publishers Are More Prepared for PS4, Says Sony
Platform holder explains console's delay in Japan
Sony’s making history with the PlayStation 4 by launching it in Western regions before its home territory. All previous prominent PlayStation launches – aside from the PSPgo – have deployed in Japan first, but the platform holder has decided to push the next generation console back until 22nd...
TGS 2013 Sony Surprised by Strong Western Response to PS Vita TV
Sending the right signals
The recently announced PS Vita TV may be a bit of an unusual gizmo, but it’s quickly becoming a desirable product for PlayStation fans. The miniscule machine includes the full PlayStation Vita operating system, but outputs to a television, allowing you to watch movies, enjoy select portable games on your plasma screen,...
Live Watch PlayStation's Tokyo Game Show 2013 Keynote Here
A whole new world
A new day has dawned, so it only seems natural for there to be a PlayStation press conference right around the corner. The latest keynote on the company's impromptu schedule revolves around the firm's next generation console, with top Sony brass expected to delve a little deeper into the world created by PlayStation 4. It's not...
News Japanese Sales Charts: This Is Why Vita Needs Monster Hunter
In the shadows of giants
A former PlayStation Portable breadwinner, Monster Hunter’s curious absence has been felt ever since the PlayStation Vita’s release. But the great dinosaur-sized hole is more pronounced than ever at the moment, as the hotly anticipated Monster Hunter 4 has just deployed on the Nintendo 3DS in Japan. Unsurprisingly,...
