This summer, you will be able to add to the Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen roster through the magic of downloadable content. We don’t know when, we don’t know for how much. We do know this robot, though.
Activision has released more images of Transformers that will be part of the bundle. We’ve got original-style Optimus Prime and new-style Soundwave.
These two robots join the original Starscream, the new TK and others for this upcoming DLC pack.
Source: Kotaku.com
When we were kids, we collected baseball cards. Jose Canseco, Mark Grace and Ken Griffey, Jr. In Japan, kids these days (hey, more like adults!) can collect voice actress cards.
Vocal thespian Rie Tanaka (Phantasy Star Portable, Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3) is releasing her first set of “trading cards” this September.
One pack will set you back ¥525 (US$5.50), while a box is priced at ¥6,300 ($66). A carton is ¥107,100 ($1,100). There are 147 different cards. Collect ‘em all!
Source: Kotaku.com
While Japan has a few different PS3 colours to choose from, Americans are stuck with…black. Oh, and a silver controller. But only until October, because in October, there’ll be two new controller shades to choose from.
Those shades are “Deep Red” and “Metallic Blue”, both of which you’ve seen before as PSP colours.
Source: Kotaku
Aksys Games has launched a placeholder website for Record of Agarest War, the “soul breeding” Japanese strategy RPG that is completely distracting me with its teaser image. What were we talking about again?
Oh yes! Record of Agarest! We’ve mentioned the game on several different occasions, generally in the middle of the night when the kids were tucked safely in their beds, dreaming of…well, most likely dreaming of the same sort of things we were posting. We’ve studied the undearware differences between the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions, checked out some of the game’s artwork, and we even reported on the game coming to Europe.
I’d go into detail about what the game is about, and what “Soul Breeding” entails, but I think Aksys’ choice of teaser image speaks for itself.
Source: Kotaku
According to a status update by 4chan maintainer moot, AT&T is blocking its customers from accessing parts of the 4chan message boards, including /b/ (“random”), which is responsible for 30% of 4chan’s traffic.
4chan’s /b/ section is infamous for its “no rules” policy, with the only rules being a ban on certain illegal content, such as child-pornography (although virtual child-pornography is tolerated), and “invasions” (organized incursions into and flooding of other online communities).
AT&T has made no statement explaining or even confirming the action.
Originally an English spin off of the Japanese 2chan BBS, 4chan has become immensely popular in its own right.
Source: AnimeNewsNetwork
No deal signed yet for CLAMP‘s fantasy romance manga.
The North American publisher Dark Horse Comics has revealed at its Comic-Con International panel on Saturday that it is negotiating with the Universal film studio on the rights to develop a movie based on CLAMP‘s Clover manga. However, the two companies have not made a deal yet. Dark Horse acquired the North American rights to publish the manga last year after Tokyopop had previously published it.
Source: AnimeNews Network
Adult game inspired 2 television anime series, several novels & manga volumes.
The MangaGamer.com company has announced at the Anime Expo convention in Los Angeles this weekend that it has licensed the English-translation rights to NAVEL‘s Shuffle! adult romance visual novel for personal computers. MangaGamer.com plans to release the software as a download on its website this summer. It also plans to release other NAVEL titles, but has not announced which ones.
The game series inspired two television anime series, as well as several novel and manga volumes. Funimation licensed and released the first Shuffle! anime series in North America in 2008.
MangaGamer.com also confirmed its tentative plan to release the first four chapters of the Higurashi: When They Cry (Higurashi no Naku Koro ni) suspense horror visual novel franchise at the end of October, followed by the next four chapters about two months later. Like Shuffle!, Higurashi: When They Cry will be available as a download from MangaGamer.com’s website.
Source: AnimeNewsNetwork
First part of game series planned for English release at end of October.
The MangaGamer.com company has announced at the Anime Expo convention in Los Angeles this weekend that it has licensed the rights to translate 07th Expansion‘s Higurashi: When They Cry (Higurashi no Naku Koro ni) suspense horror visual novel franchise. According to the company, the license includes the first eight personal computer games, which 07th Expansion calls “sound novels.” MangaGamer.com plans to release the first part of the series at the end of October, followed by next one about two months later.
The game series inspired two television anime series, several video anime projects, two live-action films, and manga adaptations by several artists. Funimation has taken over North American distribution of the first Higurashi television series from Geneon Entertainment, but no announcement has been made yet of future Higurashi anime licenses in the region. Yen Press publishes one of the manga adaptations in North America.
Source: MangaGamer.com & AnimeNewsNetwork
Arcade flight simulator from Bandai NAMCO, Ace Combat team to ship in 2009.
The North American software publisher Xseed Games will be releasing Bandai Namco Games‘ adaptation of Mamoru Oshii‘s The Sky Crawlers anime film in time for the holiday season. The full English title of the arcade flight simulator for the Nintendo Wii console is The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces. Masanori Kato, a producer on the Ace Combat game series, directed the Project Aces team on The Sky Crawlers game’s development.
Source: IGN
The Atlus Spoils customer appreciation program continues to live up to its name, with the announcement that every launch copy of Shin Megami Tensei: Persona for the PSP comes packed with a two-disc soundtrack.
That’s right, two-discs, not just half the soundtrack, like the disc that shipped with Persona 4 for the PlayStation 2. The music is from long-time Megami Tensei composer Shoji Meguro, who collaborated with Hidehito Aoki, Kenichi Tsuchiya and Misaki Okibe on the original game’s music.
Of course, between the new localization, new animations, and the inclusion of the Frost Queen quest, which wasn’t in the North American version of the original Personal, MegaTen fans were going to buy this anyway, soundtrack or not. Still, it’s nice to know that there’ll be something extra waiting when they go to pick up the game on September 22nd.
Source: Kotaku.com
