Tag: Japan - Page 15
News Grasshopper to Release Student Developed Vita Games in Japan
Edutainment
Lollipop Chainsaw developer Grasshopper Manufacture has announced the winners of its student development initiative, Game Campus Festa. The project – which kicked off last year – was launched as a collaboration between the developer and various Japanese schools. The fruits of the scheme will be released later this month on...
News Earth Defense Forces 3 Portable Announced for Vita
Bug's life
As teased yesterday, Earth Defense Forces 3 Portable is officially heading to PlayStation Vita. The updated port of the Xbox 360 exclusive is set to release in Japan later this year, and will boast full four-player co-operative multiplayer via ad-hoc and online. In Japan, the game will retail for ¥6,090 on its own, or as part of a...
News Tokyo Jungle Commercial is Barking Mad
Poultry in motion
Sony is making a lot of noise about Tokyo Jungle in Japan. The absolutely bonkers post-apocalyptic adventure has been a focus of SCEJ’s promotional campaign for weeks, and that’s concluded with the release of a television advert overnight. Just for the record, Tokyo Jungle is a game which lets you play as an elephant on roller...
News Japanese Sales Charts: Dragon's Dogma Takes Off
Flying start
Dragon’s Dogma got off to a roaring start in Japan, selling a whopping 302,040 units during its first week on sale. The impressive numbers make it the fastest selling new IP of the generation in the region. Sadly, the title did nothing to increase the PS3’s hardware sales. Sony’s home system mustered just 14k units, a minor...
News Japanese Sales Charts: Hardware Slump Continues
Difficult reading
Hardware sales continued to decrease in Japan this week. The Vita’s fortunes improved by a measly seven units, as it mustered a disastrous 6k sales for the second week running. In fairness, it was another timid week for all of Japan’s major consoles, with PS3 and PSP's overall totals also dropping. Even the infallible Nintendo...
News Sony Japan Braces for Vita's Biggest Month
Persona leading the charge
It’s no secret that PlayStation Vita has been having a torrid time in Japan of late, but Sony is optimistic about the platform’s fortunes heading into June. Retailers around the country are anticipating strong sales for the upcoming Persona 4: The Golden and the Vita version of the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection. In...
News Japanese Sales Charts: Hardware Sinks, Vita Stinks
All time low
It really does feel like Japan has given up on Vita for the time being. At this point, the handheld is guaranteed a fresh wave of negative press every week. And it’s really hard to put a positive spin on the system’s latest numbers, with the console selling just 6,340 units. The one redeeming note is that all hardware fell sharply...
News Next PlayStation Vita Game Heaven Event Planned for June
If at first you don't succeed...
The first of SCEJ’s PlayStation Vita Game Heaven events may not have gone quite to plan – forcing CEO Hiroshi Kawano to apologise to disappointed fans – but Sony’s keen to give the promotional showcase another shot. The company has teased a second broadcast in the latest issue of Famitsu magazine, and it’s...
News Lost Planet Spin-Off Discovered on PS3
Hide and seek
Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu has raised the curtain on EX Troopers this week, a new PS3 title that’s pitched as a spin-off to the Lost Planet series. The game will take place in a kind of educational academy, and details the fight between the snow pirates and Akrid aliens on EDN-3rd. It’ll feature anime cut-scenes, similar to...
News Japanese Sales Charts: Vita Drops Below Wii
Golden weak
Golden Week did nothing to improve the PlayStation Vita’s fortunes in Japan. Following a minor resurgence last week, the system dropped back down to a familiar position of 10k units sold. To compound the disappointment, the new handheld slipped behind Nintendo's aging Wii for the first time since its release late last year. It was...
News Crystal White Vita Announced for Japan
Tone it down
Sony's announced the first colour variations for PS Vita, pushing a Crystal White console out to Japan on 28th June. The white machine will launch in WiFi only and 3G/WiFi versions for the standard price of ¥24,980/¥29,980 respectively. There'll be matching white ear phones sold separately for the colour coordinated gamer. Then in...
News Japanese Sales Charts: Vita Enjoys Decent Sales Bump
On the rise
After a torrid couple of weeks in Japan, the Vita has finally emerged from its temporary slump. Sony’s shiny new system sold a respectable 12,299 units for the week ending 29th April – a significant improvement over last week’s worrying 8,206 units tally. The boost was no doubt orchestrated by the release of Surge Concerto: Ciel...
News Japanese Sales Charts: Vita Stagnates
A familiar story
This week’s Japanese sales charts prove the nation is gripped in 3DS fever. After enduring a tepid start, Nintendo’s handheld has become something of an unstoppable force, dominating the software and hardware sales charts alike. Meanwhile, the Vita continues to lurk beneath the decisive 10k units mark, selling 44 consoles less...
News Move Stripping Game Dancing Eyes Canned
For shame
What do you get when you combine PlayStation Move, tiny monkeys and stripping? Dancing Eyes is the answer — or, at least, it was. Famitsu (via Andriasang) reports the game is now cancelled and won't see the light of day. Namco Bandai hasn't given any reason for the cancellation, but we imagine it's something to do with the tiny monkeys...
News Soul Sacrifice Introduces a True Fantasy on Vita
Once upon a monster
For a game we know next to nothing about, Soul Sacrifice is beginning to seem like a big deal. The PlayStation Vita exclusive – revealed in Famitsu magazine earlier in the week – has now been granted a fairly high-budget teaser website, showing off some concept art from the game. Set to a thumping drum-beat and images of...
News Japanese Sales Charts: Vita Continues Its Decline
How low can you go?
Whatever Soul Sacrifice is, it can’t come soon enough. With no new releases to speak of, the Vita continued its decline in Japan this week, selling a paltry 8,250 units. To its credit, it wasn’t the only system to decline. Only the DSi LL managed to post an improved figure, beating its previous tally by a measly seven units...
News Super Monkey Ball Vita Demo Rolls into Japan Tomorrow
Do the splitz
In news that should have fans of encased primates doing the monkey for the remainder of the day, SEGA has confirmed that a demo for Super Monkey Ball: Banana Splitz will release on the Japanese PlayStation Store tomorrow. The full game will be a mixture of the familiar and the new, allowing players to roll their way through a fresh...
News Sony Announces Nasne for Japan
Compatible with PS3 and Vita
Sony’s PS3-based DVR technology Torne proved a massive hit in Japan when it launched in 2010. Now the platform holder is aiming to level-up its domestic entertainment support with Nasne, a network recorder and media storage device that features a built-in tuner and 500GB hard-drive disc. The biggest difference between...
News Japanese Sales Charts: Vita Dips Below 10k Units
The end is nigh
A lot of industry conscious gamers hold a significant amount of faith in Japan’s weekly sales figures. It’s those same commentators that invented the so-called "10k units rule". The fabricated philosophy states that if a system’s sales are above 10k units a week, it’s “alive”. But should the unthinkable happen...
News Sonic 4: Episode II Japan-Bound on 16th May
Spinteresting
SEGA's Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2 just got its first official release date: 16th May in Japan. The second episode of the retro reboot will cost ¥1,500 — that's about £11.49 or $18, but expect Western prices to be much lower: the original was $14.99 before dropping to $9.99 after a few months. There's also a special bonus for...
News Japanese Sales Charts: Baseball Spirits Hits a Home Run
Minor boost for Vita
There was a Mickey Mouse-shaped cloud raining over the Japanese sales charts this week, as Square Enix’s Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance cooed its way to the top spot. It was joined by numerous iterations of Konami’s Pro Baseball Spirits series, as the PS3, PSP and PS Vita versions of the latest bat-and-ball entry all...
News Sony Tempts Japanese Gamers With Free 4GB Vita Memory Card
Sweetening the deal
While positive noises have been made about the Vita's early sales in North America and Europe, there's been little hiding the fact that it's enduring a tough spell in Japan. It seems that gamers in Sony's homeland are happier to buy a PSP or, in even greater numbers, a 3DS. Despite this, it can't be said that Sony isn't trying...
News Japanese Sales Charts: Vita Sturdy, Yakuza Spin-Off Strong
What's hot in the land of the rising sun?
The PS Vita managed to keep its head above water again this week, with its sales numbers boosting well above the dreaded 10k units mark in Japan. Sony’s new handheld was unable to outsell its predecessor, the PSP, though, which was boosted by the release of the anticipated Yakuza spin-off, Black Panther 2...
News New Little King's Story Footage Sets Our Minds at Ease
Fit for a king?
The first stills and details of New Little King's Story had us worried it would be a radical departure from its predecessor, the classic Little King's Story on Wii. Judging by this new trailer below we needn't have worried, as the upcoming Vita game has all the bizarre enemies and soldier flinging of its Nintendo counterpart...
News Mysterious Namco Teaser Points Towards PlayStation
Famous face buttons
Earlier in the week, Namco Bandai released a mysterious Japanese teaser website hinting at a brand new “action adventure” title. That website has now updated with images of the PlayStation’s face buttons, hinting at some form of exclusivity. It’s unclear what the game is or which PlayStation platform it is for, but...
News SCEJ Announces New Corporate Structure
All change
It sounds as though Sony’s really keen to reinvent its Japanese arm. It wasn’t long ago that the company announced it had placed former Sony Santa Monica founder Allan Becker in charge of its domestic studios, and it has now followed up with a corporate restructure. Beginning 1st April, SCEJ will operate under new “First Party...
News Japanese Sales Charts: One Piece Still on Top
Vita sales up... Just
Namco Bandai’s rip-roaring PlayStation 3 exclusive One Piece: Pirate Musou has enjoyed a second week at the top of the Japanese sales charts after blowing the doors off the week prior. Despite selling way over 500k units last week, the PS3 release still managed to rustle up another 90,133 sales, bringing its overall tally...
News Yakuza: Black Panther 2 Demo Drops in Japan
Like a dragon
SEGA’s released a demo for Yakuza’s second PlayStation Portable spin-off, Yakuza: Black Panther 2, in Japan. The demo, which is exclusive to Famitsu for the time being, features four components, including a sample of the game’s story mode, a chunk of hub-world Osaka to explore, a battle tutorial and a taste of the game’s...
News Japanese Sales Charts: One Piece Does the Business for PS3
Massive numbers for PS3 exclusive
One Piece: Pirate Musou – also known as One Piece: Pirate Warriors – gave the PlayStation 3 one of its strongest ever Japanese software debuts this past week, as it topped the charts with a whopping 655,774 units sold. Just to put things into perspective, it outsold the combined total of the remaining 19 titles...
News Sony Bringing New PSP Colour to Japan
Life in the old dog, yet
The PlayStation Portable is still hot in Japan (regularly outselling Sony’s beefy new hardware, the PS Vita, on a weekly basis). And so Sony has decided to capitalise on its former handheld’s continued longevity by announcing a new colour for its home region. Dubbed Sky Blue/Marine Blue, the two-tone PSP certainly looks...
News SEGA Teases Major Shining Series Announcement
Coming next week
SEGA has a big surprise up its sleeve for Shining fans next week. The official Shining Blade Twitter — via Andriasang — tweeted that the "biggest thing in series history" will happen next week. Previously the account has hinted that information about the next game will be included in the packaging for Shining Blade,...
News Gravity Rush to Score DLC in Japan
Kataclysmic
Japanese gamers have had a couple of weeks to mess around with Gravity Rush, but the fun doesn’t end there. Sony’s announced that it is planning to release three downloadable packs for the hotly anticipated title, each bundling a costume, two side missions and three challenge missions. They’ll cost ¥400 each. The first pack’s...
News 3G PS Vita Outsold Wi-Fi at Japanese Launch
Staying connected
The Wi-Fi version of the PlayStation Vita comfortably outsold its 3G alternative during the system’s UK launch last week, but it was a very different story in Japan. Figures released by Media Create (via Andriasang) overnight show that the more expensive 3G device was significantly more popular during the PlayStation Vita’s...
News PS Vita Masters Are Sony's Answer to Apple Genius
And they're coming to Japan
Sony's putting so-called PS Vita Masters in Japanese retailers to answer consumer questions about the new console. From 25th February to 1st April, the staff will explain the system's built-in features, its 3G functionality and generally push you towards picking up one of the shiny handhelds. They also get to wear special...
News Tokyo Jungle Stomping onto PSN in June
A right old din
Sony’s finally attached a date to its bonkers downloadable indie project, Tokyo Jungle, in Japan. For those that aren’t familiar with the title, the game takes place in a deserted, futuristic Japan which has transformed into a brutal safari. Taking control of various animal species, you must both survive and uncover the truth of...
News Sony Responds to Reports of Vita Losing Developers
Troubles in Japan
You may have read some news of dwindling Vita sales in Japan, which has been the case since its opening week and a source of worry for Sony gaming supporters. It seems that the pressure is starting to tell on Japanese developers, with reports of trouble ahead for the young handheld. According to a report from Japan's Nikkei...
News Japanese Sales Charts: Gravity Rush Unable to Stop Dwindling Vita Sales
Newton's law
Like the falling apples that formulated Sir Isaac Newton’s theory of gravity, the release of Gravity Rush – known as Gravity Daze domestically – could not thwart the dwindling numbers for Sony’s new handheld in Japan. The snazzy handheld – which releases worldwide next week – managed to sell just 13,939 units, its lowest...
News New Little King's Story Dated for Japan
Get out the red carpet
For those very few that enjoyed the delights of Little King's Story on Wii, the confirmation of New Little King's Story on Vita came as wonderful news. As confirmed by Andriasang, there isn't long to wait for Japanese Vita owners to enjoy some royal authority. It's been confirmed that New Little King's Story will be released...
Japanese Charts Tales Of Innocence R Pushes Vita Past PSP
Who's innocent now?
The PlayStation Vita enjoyed something of a minor resurgence in Japan this week — aided by the release of Namco Bandai's Tales of Innocence R. The remake propelled PlayStation Vita sales up to just under 19k, pushing it past its predecessor for the first time since launch. From Software's mech battler, Armored Core V, took the...
News You Can't Deny The Brilliance Of This Live-Action Gravity Rush Trailer
Apples are renowned for their sweet taste and gravitational properties
They're also the star of Sony's brand new live-action Gravity Rush commercial. Uncharted: Golden Abyss and WipEout 2048 may be the PlayStation Vita's headline releases — but we really think Gravity Rush is the star of the system's line-up. Gorgeous, original and totally unique:...
News Japanese Sales Charts: PlayStation Vita Dips To 15k As Hardware Sales Plunge
The PlayStation Vita hit its lowest point yet in this week's Japanese sales update -- though hardware was down all around
The newly released Sony portable sold just 15k units, while the Nintendo 3DS managed a whopping 80k. It was a disappointing week for all non-3DS hardware though, with the PSP and PS3 both managing just 21k and 17k respectively...
News Super Stardust Delta Demo Explodes Onto Japanese PlayStation Network
It's about time the PlayStation Vita got some new content in Japan
Despite a stacked launch line-up, the system's been something of a barren wasteland for almost a month. That's all starting to change now, though. The release of WipEout 2048 this week has kick-started the system into life — with a demo for Super Stardust Delta the latest content...
News Japanese Retailer Outs Chunky Resident Evil Bundle
Resident Evil is certainly in the spotlight right now
A Japanese retailer has supposedly outed a bundle featuring Resident Evil 5 and the Resident Evil: Revival Selection. For those that don't know, the Revival Selection bundles the recent HD releases of Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil: Code Veronica. According to the retailer, the bundle is due...
News Japanese Sales Charts: New Year Lull Brings PlayStation Vita Sales Below 20,000
Before we start rushing for the doomed boat, it's worth pointing out that, while PlayStation Vita's Japanese sales are disappointing once again this week, they are not entirely out of whack with the other trends in the market
Still, the recently released system suffered an almighty dip, selling approximately 50% of last week's tally, a number which...
News Japanese Sales Charts: PlayStation Vita Holds Steady As 3DS Dominates
At this point in time, there's no chance of any system catching up to the Nintendo 3DS in Japan, so there's no point in even discussing it
Nintendo might have seemed "doomed" after a disappointing 3DS launch last year, but it's now conjured up a triple threat of unstoppable software releases. There's nothing anyone can do. As a result, a...
News Andrew House Reflects On PlayStation's Tough 2011
Andrew House, Sony Computer Entertainment's new gaffer, has admitted that 2011 was a rough year for the electronics manufacturer
In an interview with The Guardian, House admitted that the hacking incident and Japanese earthquake took its toll on the company — but also resulted in a strong sense of unity between employees. "Yes, it has been a...
News Japanese Games Market Declines In 2011 Despite New Hardware
The Japanese games market declined in 2011, according to reports published by Enterbrain via Famitsu
That was despite a 2.4 percent increase in hardware sales — up to ¥179,740 million ($2.3 billion) — spurred by the releases of the Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita. Indeed, while the hardware bump was significant, it wasn't enough to stave off...
News Japanese Sales Charts: PS Vita Sells 42K, 3DS Unstoppable
Considering all the doom and gloom around the Internet regarding the PlayStation Vita's unspectacular second week sales, the system actually held relatively well in its third week
Given some armchair analysts were expecting the sytem to drop as low as 10k units, its actual sell through of 42k units looks mightily impressive in comparison. Of course,...
News Sumioni Demo Hits Japanese PlayStation Vitas On January 25th
Acquire's quirky ink-based PS Vita platformer, Sumioni, is to get a demo in Japan on January 25th
The contents of the demo are unknown at this point, but expect enough content to get a taste for the game's mix of touch and platforming mechanics ahead of its domestic release on February 9th. The game was confirmed for Western release late last year,...
News Wave The White Flag: Japanese Retailer Cuts The Price Of 3G PlayStation Vita
When we saw headlines popping up around the web this afternoon regarding the price of the 3G PlayStation Vita, we wondered for a split-second if Sony had done the unthinkable -- prematurely slashed the price of the PlayStation Vita
After all, there's a lot of headlines filling our Twitter feed right now that run with the words, "Japanese...
