3.29.2016

NAMCO opens VR amusement facilities "VR ZONE Project i Can" in Tokyo on April 15


NAMCO opens VR amusement facilities "VR ZONE Project i Can" in the DiverCity Tokyo 3F on April 15. But it's limitation for half a year and Only people who made a reservation online can enter it. Unfortunately under 13 years old cannot enter it.



"VR ZONE Project i Can" is VR arcade for adults, we can enjoy various contents using VR, and BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment develops the contents. The contents that they plan now are six kinds. Walking over the board which stuck out on the high-rise building, cliff precipice ski, car racing, horror escape the room, driving of the train, and driving of the huge robot. Play times are 6min ~ 14min and play fees are 700yen ~ 1000yen. However, we cannot pay them in real coins. We must realize e-money of BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment "Bana Coin" of  before entering there.







They start entrance registration in web site on April 8 12:00. Demonstrations of VR contents are popular always anywhere in Japan. However, the people must wait for a long time because VR are too popular. They want to solve it in permanent amusement facilities and registration. But unfortunately the text of the web site is only Japanese. Foreign tourists who want to experience these, please use the translation sites!

 

3.28.2016

Level-5 and NHN PlayArt released English ver. of Yo-Kai Watch's mobile game Yo-Kai Watch Puni Puni

Level-5 and NHN PlayArt released "Yo-kai Watch Wibble Wobble", the English version of Yo-Kai Watch's mobile game Yo-Kai Watch Puni Puni last week in US, Canada and Australia. The downloading is free(iOS/Android).

See Also:
Yo-Kai Watch's mobile game Yo-Kai Watch Puni Puni released soon in North America






Yo-Kai Watch of the 3DS game is an RPG, but this is a puzzle game. At first, players make friends with Yo-Kai butler Whisper, and battle against Yo-Kais who are in the downtown with puzzle according to his guide. When players win to Yo-Kais, they can make friends with them. The basic game system is the same as Japanese ver. Yo-Kai Watch Puni Puni. However, as a matter of course, all texts, names of Yo-kai, names of their skill are modified by English. For example, "Puni"(Puzzle bubble) in Jp ver. is "Wib-Wob". In addition, all voice actors of characters are changed in English ver., too. Almost all voices are recorded only for this newly. They gave enough localization for a mobile game.

3.27.2016

Nintendo's first mobile apps Miitomo passed 1M downloading from release in only 3 days in Japan


Nintendo released their first mobile application Miitomo this month in Japan. Naturally it became the big topic and passed 1 million downloading from release in only three days. They release this at the end of this month in a global market if on schedule, but do not announce the concrete date.

First of all this is not game application. Players can make own avatar Mii, coordinate it with various fashion items and make funny images. Mii does various questions to players, when players reply them, informations are accumulated. This is avatar Social Networking Service rather than game application, and may be a rival of LINE PLAY(LINE's mobile virtual world).

 At first players choose the area where oneself lives in.

 Next, input the date of birth.

 Time to make Mii! Players can choose various parts and make Mii, but this has a function to generate Mii automatically from selfie. This is very simple.

Own Mii was completed at last.

This has original virtual currency Miitomo coins. Players can get it by achieving missions(ex, reply questions of Mii) in application.


The fashion items which Mii wears first are too simple. At first let's purchase new fashion items.




The rare fashion items are available by the mini-game such as the pinball. However, this is very difficult.

Furthermore, players put expressions, poses, background images of Mii together, make funny images and can share them in other sites such as Facebook. It is just like the camera application.

Sometimes friend's Mii come to own room, but because this is the social networking service that is async, the real-time chat is impossible. The Miis only share the information that they can show.

This is very easy avatar service. It may be comfortable for the people who were tired from messaging application, Facebook and Twitter.

3.24.2016

Compact earphone which prevents oversleeping

It is everyday scenes in Japan that people doze in commuter trains, and you might have overslept in a train if you were the worker who worked in a busy city in Japan. Stationery company King Jim released a simple and convenient alarm earphone.


 This earphone has vibrating motors and wakes up users by stimulating the ear of users directly. Users can use "Alarm mode" that set the time when they must to get up and "Timer mode" that set the time in minutes. When you get up in the morning, Alarm mode is convenient and When you get on a train, Timer mode is required. For example, when you must get on a train to the destination for 30 minutes, if you set it in Timer mode for 30 minutes, you do not pass the destination even if you doze off by any chance. Users can choose vibration among three phases, and of course this earphone functions as a common earphone also with smartphones, tablets and audio players. One AAA alkaline battery is necessary for this and users can use this for about six months. The price is 6480 yen(tax included).




via http://www.kingjim.co.jp/sp/nmr10/

3.21.2016

Gungho confront Pokemon GO by new geolocation apps "Puzz-Dra Radar"

Puzzle & Dragons is a Gungho's popular mobile game. It passed 40 million downloading in Japan in this month. However, they add a newer element to this. They released geolocation application "Puzz-Dra Radar(パズドラレーダー)" in conjunction with Puzzle & Dragons. The downloading is free(iOS/Android), but can use it now only in Japan.




This is geolocation treasure hunt application using the GPS of smartphones. Players can collect various virtual items in this application using positional information in the movement of the reality world, and can change them for challenge rights of special dungeon and special monsters in Puzzle & Dragons. This is similar to general geolocation mobile games. In Japan, geolocation mobile games was popular from the futurephones era. In addition, Nintendo and Niantic develop geolocation mobile game of of the Pokemon series "Pokémon GO". Of course Gungho will mind this.

mixi also entered VR business


A lot of Japanese mobile game companies pay attention to VR. mixi is no exception. They make money in popular mobile game Monster Strike, but, in addition, released new 360-degree panoramic video service Kimidake360 °(きみだけ360 °: Only for you 360 °).

Kimidake360 ° is mobile VR contents version of "Kimidake LIVE" providing original video of artists. Users can see 360-degree panoramic video of artists by using simple VR goggles supporting smartphones(Like the Google Cardboard). In the beginning, they showed contents of Boys band Break through. These are shown in Japanese 360-degree panoramic video platform Hacosco Store.

3.18.2016

Air cleaner which can exterminate mosquitoes


Air cleaner absorbs dirty air and exhaust clean air. SHARP paid attention to this function and developed Air cleaner which can capture mosquitoes without using chemists. The mosquitoes are drawn to ultraviolet rays, like black, and want to be covered in the dark and the shade. They adopted these in a design of Air cleaner. The body of this is black, has UV lights emitting ultraviolet rays and plural small windows. When mosquitoes near it, it absorbs them with dirty air and capture them with an adhesion sheet. Because chemists is unnecessary as for this, families having infants, elderly, or pets can use this in peace.
Originally SHARP released this in the ASEAN countries from September, 2015, but they sell it in Japan from April 23. It is important that they release this before summer begins. Because the spread of epidemics by mosquitoes is a social problem in Japan also.

3.15.2016

This button type speaker gives voices to stuffed toys


If stuffed toys can talk... Anyone would dream in childhood. Toy speaker "Pechat" realizes it. Parents attach this to children's favorite stuffed toys, pretend to be the stuffed toys, and can talk to children. Pechat is the yellow button-shaped chat speaker which HAKUHODO's new product development project monom developed, has lithium ion rechargable battery, and links smartphones in Bluetooth.


When users talk to Pechat's smartphone apps, it converts their voice into the cute voice of stuffed toys automatically and replay it from Pechat. In addition, this has function to convert texts into voices, templates of lines, automatic responses function, and alarm function. Furthermore, it has a function that detects the crying of children and informs it to the parents' smartphone, so parents can use this as a monitoring tool. Unfortunately it is undecided on the sale date of this. However, HAKUHODO showed this in a trade show of SxSW 2016.

3.12.2016

Japan's national public channel NHK showed 360-degree contents of The great Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami

March 11 is a memorial day of The great Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. Five years passed, but the rehabilitation is behind the original plan, and many people still suffer. We must not let memory of  this disaster weather.
Today, Japan's national public broadcasting organization NHK showed interesting data. They showed images and videos that took scenery of the disaster-stricken area with a 360-degree camera.

http://www.nhk.or.jp/d-navi/vr/shinsaivr/

The most of these ruins are in the places that became restricted residence area by a nuclear plant accident. As for them, time stops before five years.

For example, there were ever 125 kids in this kindergarten. Fortunately, all of them were saved because they evacuated immediately, but they could not go to this kindergarten again.

It is a large office in a mess a little. Town's emergency management headquarters was established here only  March 11, 2011. However, all residents of the town evacuated on next day.

Unfortunately this site has only Japanese. However, it is easy to see videos and images if you are used to VR contents.

3.11.2016

Yo-Kai Watch's mobile game Yo-Kai Watch Puni Puni released soon in North America

Yo-Kai Watch strikes the North America last October and increases fans steadily. Following this, Level-5 carries out the next move. They release popular mobile game Yo-Kai Watch Puni Puni soon in North America. The English title is "Yo-kai Watch Wibble Wobble".

See Also:
Level-5 and NHN PlayArt released a mobile game of Yo-Kai Watch


Yo-Kai Watch Puni Puni is released in Japan in last October and has already passed 6 million downloading. The tie-up with the real Yo-Kai medal and movie of Yo-Kai Watch was held in this game, too. Now, the goods and books using character designs of Yo-Kai Watch Puni Puni are sold.

妖怪ウォッチ ぷにぷに オーぷにング攻略BOOK (ワンダーライフスペシャル)

オーエスケー 妖怪ウォッチ ぷにぷに ダイカットシール容器 レッド SLD-1B

ヨロズマート限定  妖怪ウォッチ ぷにぷに ぷにっとぬいぐるみ ジバニャン

"Yo-Kai Puni"(Round cute faces of Yo-Kai) becomes the English name "Wib Wob" in Yo-kai Watch Wibble Wobble.
The opening movie like the Japanese version has been already shown.

HTC ties up with GREE and brings VR into amusement facility


Taiwan's HTC Corporation tied up with Japan's GREE in VR business. They bring VR contents into Japanese amusement facility such as the theme park, the karaoke studio, and the shopping center jointly.

GREE enters the VR business from last year, exhibit the demo version of the VR social game in Tokyo game show 2015, and established new studio GREE VR Studio which developed VR contents.

See Also:
GREE entered the VR business and established GREE VR Studio

VR is the one of the hot topics in Japan, but it is still only early adopters. GREE and HTC intends to diffuse it to ordinary people.


The new mobile game of Pokemon using the AI is released in this spring

Now, Nintendo makes efforts in a mobile game. This is the part, too. The Pokemon Company and HEROZ release new mobile game of Pokemon "Pokemon Komadtar(ポケモンコマスター)" in this spring.



This is PvP board game using figure of Pokemon. Players collect figure of Pokemon with the different characteristic each, form deck, and battle with other players. HEROZ is in charge of the development of this. Their core technology is AI, they run online shogi(将棋: Japanese chess) service using the AI, and this AI won against a professional shogi player for the first time in the world. However, the AI of Pokemon Komadtar does not confront players, and it supports players. Of course, when a lot of players play a game a lot, the AI grows wise and evolves. This is right a mobile game to evolve and the evolution is one of the important elements of Pokemon.


3.04.2016

Japanese mobile game superstar Nameko become TV anime in public broadcasting channel NHK

Japanese mobile game superstar Nameko becomes anime again. They released anime DVD in 2013. However, they broadcast the short anime series in national public broadcasting channel NHK this time. It is broadcasted on every Sunday.

See Also:
Japanese popular mobile apps character Nameko becomes the Anime at last




The title is "Nemko -Sekai no Tomodachi-(なめこ~せかいのともだち~: Nameko -Friends of World-". This is broadcasted in NHK's education program for children "Nyanchu World" in April 10. One broadcast time is three minutes, and the designer of the game draws Nameko of the new design for this.

Outline...
Welcome to the forest of Nameko! --- Here is the "Forest of Nameko" where various Nameko gathers from all over the world. Nameko to live in there began the guide of the forest with friends to tell the charm of the forest to everyone. Their team name is "Universal Ranger of the forest of Nameko", the abbreviated designation is "NUR". Nameko coming over to the forest of the world are very unique and individual. Well, what kind of trouble will arise today in the forest...?!

The setting of characters in this anime are different from the games. For example, because mushrooms are agamogenesis, Nameko in games are asexual condition. However, Nameko in this anime is a boy.


On the other hand, Love-Nameko is a girl.


And, as you see, Robo-Nameko is a robot.


A lot of anime which came out of games has been broadcasted in Japan until now, but this is the first time that anime of characters who came out of a mobile game is broadcasted in education program of national public broadcasting channel.

3.03.2016

Android OS transceiver which has a camera

Teisen releases the transceiver with the camera which can send images in high compression image codec in July. It works by the Android OS. You may think this to be the same as smartphones or tablets. However, the mobile is not usable in big disaster. On the other hand, simplicity radio such as the transceiver is available for stable communication even if lifelines are destroyed. In addition, the photography function is important in damage rehabilitation works. They realized an effective image transmission function using high compression codec "MXcodec" which Information System Research Institute developed. Its transmissible distance is 1~4km, has a voice mail function, and of course drip-proof/dust-proof structure. By the way, according to them, the transceiver with the camera is the world first.

3.01.2016

Official crime prevention apps of the Metropolitan Police Department


You may see dog girl in this apps, but this is not entertainment or game apps. This "Digi Police" is crime prevention apps by the Metropolitan Police Department. They offer various useful information to prevent phone fraud such as "it's me scam" by this application. In addition, the application has the practical function such as personal alarm, police stations search, open criminal investigation information, inquiry counter introductions. However, they do not forget to appeal to users for a friendly image...by Japan-specific style. This application has the camera function of their official character, characters collection function, and fraud karuta - the card game that words to be used in a fraud crime are displayed at random- also. They may not help crime prevention immediately, but may become the motive to run application to users many times. Download is free(iOS/Android).



The man who stole game characters of Monster Strike was arrested


According to Japan's Sankei News, the 33-year-old jobless man who lives in Osaka and stole rare characters of mixi's popular mobile game Monster Strike using cheating software was arrested. This is a crime called "illegal production of private electromagnetic record" in Japan.
He downloaded cheating software from the Internet and stole three kinds of rare characters from Monster Strike using it. Furthermore, he made three kinds of characters a set and sold it on Internet auction for about 1,500yen(about 13USD). He earned 4,400,000yen(about 38,720USD) by this criminal technique from last April through this February. He accepts a crime and tells that he fed his family by selling game characters.
The Hyogo Prefectural Police cybercrime measures section found his crime in the cyberpatrol which they carried out in last December.