11.30.06
Posted in Japanese, News at 9:31 pm by yuka
The month running up to Christmas is always a bugger for staying in and watching TV. Why, you ask? Inane adverts, like Debenhams, M&S, Asda… They were the main offenders up until now. Every single break in the last couple of hours had at least one Xbox360 advert. It’s not that I hate the console or the games on there… it’s just unwieldy, and not that universally friendly (be it games, or console/control itself), and expensive for what it is. Plus, Peter Moore, the spokesman for the console actually said a while ago that gaming isn’t for girls. The cheek! Anyway… despite their aggressive marketing tactics, PS2 is still outselling them – haha! When will Microsoft learn that offloading tons of money into a project doesn’t necessarily make it successful?
One of the PS3 launch titles, is a sequel to that famous Genji game. Kind of based loosely on Japanese history, and the reviewer for the article above is raving about how handsome Yoshitsune (of the Genji house) is. Screenshots look impressive though, never mind our personal preferences. Out now in Japan for approx. £29.90, we’ll have to see if the game will make itself available over this way too, with the rather late launch of the new console.
Another PS3 title in the wings, is Mist of Chaos (you may go to the site, but not much has been done to it as of yet). Since Famitsu is already raving about it, check out their screenshots. Rumoured to be released Feb. next year for approx. £35.70.
All the stores in the chain TSUTAYA will have a nice gaming fan campaign on for a while (1st Dec. ~ 14th Jan. ‘07) where you get a freebie of either of these two items:
1) if you buy a DS game, the Mario clear file
2) if you buy a PSP game, the PS Schedule Book
You’re not going to get that Mario file anywhere else, apparently – collectors, are you listening?
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11.20.06
Posted in Japanese, News at 11:40 am by yuka
Those of us who follow the Mana series are looking avidly for any little tidbit of info to be had on the next game, available on PS2. As seen here, the graphics look brilliant, and it’s the usual action RPG, as opposed to those infinitely annoying (I’m sure some RPG fans would beg to differ) turn-based ones. Out on 21st Dec. in Japan for approx. £35.70, titled only as Legend of Mana 4. Their website announces that when pre-ordered, there’s a freebie in the form of a CD with 5 titles (’Breath of Mana’ and ‘Rising Sun -piano solo version’ is only to be included with this pack, and no other – so collector’s item).
Another Tales of series from Bandai/Namco is set to be released 21st Dec. also, for approx. £140. Pricey, you say? Indeed. Though as can be seen, it’s a bundle. The game itself is for the PSP, and no doubt can be purchased separately, but for collectors, Tales of the World Radiant Mythology Bundle Pack offers the metallic blue PSP, AC Adapter, Battery Pack, Memory Stick (32MB), Original Pouch, Original Strap, Original Cloth, on top of the game itself. Whether that’s worth that much, is open to discussion.
Hardly appropriate for my readership, but one I’d like to mention anyway, is a new game for the DS that’s verging on being educational, especially for junior high students in Japan. タッチで楽しむ百人一首DS 時雨殿 seems unique in its focus. Aside from aforementioned students, 百人一首 (100 poets of old, and their poetry to be recited/memorized) is something that is considered ‘entertainment’ in a form that’s likened to Scrabble – and therefore all the family to enjoy. From what I can tell of the screenshots, it basically helps you to memorize each poem via some game references. Perfect for kids :) Mind, the meaning of the poem itself may be lost in translation, so to speak, but interesting nonetheless. The game comes with a map of Kyoto (Japan’s old capital, and many of those poets lived in and around the area) and marked places of interest. If you do have a fairly good knowledge of the language, it might be something to give a try, if only for the mapped out guides. Out 14th Dec. for approx. £19.
Angry Kirby? It is apparently possible. In all those promotional stuff for Japan, Kirby is certainly happy and looking benign, whereas looking at the American versions, well, he looks far from happy, if not angry. I can offer a fairly simple explanation for this phenomenon. In Japan, it’s customary to always have a fairly non-expressive face outwardly… or an expression that conveys to others that you are polite. So, Kirby, cannot be seen to be angry. Cute is ok though. In America however, people are perhaps more honest – if you’re angry, why not show it? Plus, it makes cute Kirby look more like the hero he’s meant to be – he’s tough, he’s macho, he’s angry. Simple differences in perception. I wonder if most Japanese exports are treated this way, not that I noticed anything happening outwardly to those Transformers of old.
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11.11.06
Posted in Japanese, News, UK at 6:01 pm by yuka
One of the leading games magazines in the UK, gamestm really hasn’t learnt any lessons. Back in July, I posted them an email detailing all their dubious translations on their column by a Tim Rogers about a certain ‘Japanese lesson’ that he was writing about. Sadly, I didn’t get any replies – I just wrote to say that seeing they’re trying to teach my language to others, would they kindly stop mangling it much – reasonable, I thought, especially considering I pointed out which bits needed amendments.
Well, they’ve done it again, unsurprisingly. In one of the examples I read today (standing in WHSmith… no, I’m not buying a magazine that snubs such a well-intentioned email), they had inserted a phrase ‘janaissuyo’… which in proper (formal) Japanese would be rendered as ‘janaidesuyo’, and means ‘it is not’. To me, this is sacrilegious, almost. It’s like teaching some Japanese kids (in one of those jukus over there) to say ‘eh up, me duck’ instead of ‘how are you?’ or ‘hi’ or something more simple and in keeping with the general language rather than a somewhat weird localization. Or what about teaching some kids to say ‘och, aye’ (in proper Glaswegian accent, mind!) instead of ‘oh yes’ and such. Although ‘janaissuyo’ is not a particular localized phrase, it is nonetheless something that no self-respecting language teacher would tell his/her students, seeing that ‘lower’ form of language is considered somewhat like the Cockney accent, famous of London. Tsk, tsk… do your research if you’re going to have it published!
In all the Japanese sites today, the pages are filled with ‘how many lined up at which store in which city’ for the much awaited PS3 launch. Apparently, the queues were nearly as bad as that of the DSLites earlier this year, and most stores were sold out way before closing time. Ah the ever patriotic Japanese… :)
And WoW: Burning Crusade is due out January 16th next year, though as regards the Collector’s Edition, neither amazon nor play.com seem to have any signs of ‘pre-ordering’ as of yet. At least it’s not too long a wait now.
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11.08.06
Posted in Japanese, News at 11:54 am by yuka
A few days ago, I had a comment (not spam – seriously, ‘erotic enema’? please stop!) from someone who wanted to find an mp3/midi of the theme song from Luminous Arc. The game itself is due out this winter on DS, but no mention, certainly, of any music availability. After much searching through Japanese sites, I have come across one interesting bit of info: the game CD was given out as a freebie at the Tokyo Game Show not too long back. Aside from one link leading me to an auction from Yahoo (jp) which finished a month ago now (for approx. £3.55), I could get no image of this elusive CD. The official blog (this post written by one of the composers, Yasunori Mitsuda) does say however, that as the game is out soon, please wait a little longer. I’d imagine, as most RPG games are, CDs will be released soon after the game release. In their post updated today, they have said that the release date will be announced within the week, so not too long at all :)
FF XII, since being sold in the Americas has reached 1.5million in copies shipped (3.9million, including Japan). The whole of the FF series has apparently sold more than 70million copies, two countries combined. They reckon it’s the high quality CG that made this so successful… but I’m thinking it’s more to do with the storylines (however good the graphics, if the story was shit, surely no one in their right mind would buy it?).
Anyhoo, Square Enix has also announced that there’s a ‘Square Enix Museum 2006′ at Animate (アニメート) in their main store at Ikebukuro, between 7th and 15th this month. Open between 10am-8.30pm (mon.-sat.) and 10am-8pm (sun.), tel. (03)3988-1351. They also say that some of the original artwork will be sold direct to those who make it there.
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11.03.06
Posted in Japanese, News at 1:55 pm by yuka
In the two or more weeks I decided to not write (due mainly to lack of non-marketing fare), things have finally started moving again. A lot of it is, because of Wii, and the much awaited titles launching simlutaneously.
First up is Zelda: Twilight Princess coming out on both Wii and GC for the same price of approx. £34. As this is one of the launch titles, it’ll be coming out 2nd Dec. in Japan. (The promo vid is 2mins 5secs long.)
Out yesterday, was a DS game for Kirby for £24. The movie itself seems all too familiar, but check out the cute enemies you’ll have to face, and go ‘awww!’ :)
With the launch of Wii, Nintendo (as planned) will be relaunching some of their oft-recalled titles for ‘Wii points’ (no, I don’t understand fully what that entails). 49 titles are scheduled for within this year (18 Famicon, 11 Super Famicon, 1 N64 – well obviously, it’s Super Mario 64, duh!, 11 Megadrive – Ecco is included, 8 PC Engine – Bomberman ‘94 et al.).
The Nintendo World 2006 (Wii Experience Convention) will be held in Osaka (12th) and Tokyo (25th, 26th) between 9am and 4pm. The Tokyo one, of course, will be held an hour out of the city by train, at Makuhari Messe. There, you’ll get to see such ‘amazing promo vids’ (as one site lauded) from the new Super Smash Bros. and Biohazard games.
Almost as if Sony doesn’t want to be outdone by all the fuss being made about Nintendo and its products, for two weeks (6th~19th) they will be hosting a PS3 showcase at the Sony Building in Ginza, Tokyo (tel. 03-3573-2371, 11am-7pm). Yes, you do get to try them out too. The company also will be introducing new colours on both the PSP and PS2. Personally, I find that shade of pink a trifle offensive – garish, even, but each to their own I guess. As regards the PSP, the pink version will be sold from 22nd, the silver from 14th Dec., and the metallic blue from 21st Dec. for approx. £103.95; as regards the PS2, both the pink and satin silver versions will make it to the stores by 22nd for £80.
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