facetraining
Latest
Hotel Dusk sequel and ... Face Training announced for DS in Europe
[GAME Watch] In a press release announcing its European lineup for the next three months, Nintendo made sure to include a couple of surprises. Last Window: The Secret of Cape West, the DS sequel to Hotel Dusk (developed by the now-bankrupt CING), will bring the first game's unique style of sketchy noir to Europe on September 17. One week later on September 24, Nintendo of Europe is resurrecting an extremely odd title from Japan: Face Training: Facial exercises to strengthen and relax from Fumiko Inudo, a game about facial exercises designed to keep your face youthful and expressive. The original Japanese version shipped with a camera that attached to the DS through the GBA slot. The European version is for DSi and DSi XL only, and uses those systems' built-in cameras, along with an included stand. The other major new release in Nintendo's European lineup is Art Academy: Learn painting and drawing techniques with step-by-step training, out on August 8. This is a full DS game based on a series of DSiWare art education apps. More DS and Wii releases can be found in the full schedule.
People of Europe to receive improved faces in Q2?
Remember Otona no DS Kao Training? Non-game. Free camera. Facening. Well, the folks at French site JeuxActu are just absolutely goshdarn convinced that Intelligent Systems' face training non-game is packing its bags and heading to Europe during Q2 this year.As Nintendo has yet to pass official comment on this, we're cautiously treating this as rumor for now, but the incessant popularity of training games in Europe makes us think there could be some truth in the speculation. If it does turn out to be correct, it also means Europeans will be getting that rather dinky camera add-on. As well as having totally awesome faces.
From Face Training and yoga to the world
We couldn't help but giggle when we saw this article on "facial yoga" that described it as the hot new craze. It's certainly not new to us DS hipsters; after all, we've already got a game dedicated to stretching and firming our faces, and since the practice is apparently the latest it-exercise (despite being around for years, much like regular yoga), it seems likely that Otona no DS Kao Training may sweep in on the heels of Let's Yoga and hit the United States.Of course, then the real question becomes: will Nintendo (and others, like Konami, the company behind Let's Yoga) start to change the way they advertise the DS in the United States? We can't help but wonder if it seems unlikely; after all, we still have no official "face" for Brain Age beyond our favorite disembodied head, and it's rare that we see advertisements for our favorite piece of hardware on the scale that we see those for the Wii.
Training a face, one day at a time
Infendo's Dale Rubin is undergoing a bold experiment: diving headfirst (obviously) into the science of facening. He picked up a copy of Face Training and is dutifully contorting for his facial health and for our education.The experience sounds rather a lot like Brain Age for faces, with Facening spokesperson Fumiko Inudou('s head) substituting for our beloved Dr. Kawashima. Once the initial setup was done, Dale began the task of making some faces based on prompts. He was photographed making each of these faces, and then graded on his performance. He got an 89%-- an A on his very first day of face-making class!Just like with Brain Age, the impossible seems to be happening-- we're becoming genuinely interested in the weird training game. Hey Dale, how about some daily pictures, so we can track your face's youthening process? Since that's kind of the whole point of Face Training and all.
Turn and face the training
Nintendo has added three new Face Training commercials to their official site; thankfully, the new commercials are all relaxing and enjoyable and not loaded with unintentionally nightmarish visuals. Nintendo is lucky (or smart) for making a game that requires players to contort their faces during normal play in a way that looks just like awe. They can just show that instead of having actors make such stunned. It quietly reinforces the message of all ad campaigns that "hey, our product is great." Similarly, one commercial demonstrates the "I am intrigued about your product, and seek more information, perhaps from your website" eyebrow-lift/squint combo.
Today's most beautiful video: Face Training
Ever since we heard about it, we've been waiting to see Face Training in action. The DS muscle control game program just launched in Japan, and three commercials show it off. We're amazed.A camera connects to the GBA slot, and the DS perches on a stand, pointing the lens at the player user. Face Training then seems to monitor and rate your ability to smile. Aside from physical therapy, we're not sure where the market is for this game application. Maybe Japan has more of a need to practice eyebrow movements than we ever realized. See the trailers after the break. (Or for an even longer look, visit the game's Japanese site.)
Dirk Benedict would approve of these Face Training screens
If anyone would enjoy a video game about face exercises, it would be The A-Team's Templeton "Faceman" Peck, right? He'd be the first to tell you that when you escape from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground where, today, still wanted by the government, you survive as a soldier of fortune, you want your face to inspire as much confidence as it can. For that, we imagine him saying, you need to be as wrinkle-free as possible.It's equally important to look your best when scamming a free hotel room for your troop of friendly mercenaries as it is when quipping at some terrorists as they ineffectually fire their M-16s at you. If you have a (face) problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find it, maybe you can import ... Face Training.
This is your face on Face Training
This promotional piece for Face Training has a bit of an infomercial vibe. Seems pretty appropriate for a wrinkle-reducing video game, doesn't it? The demonstration gives you a pretty good idea of what using Face Training is like: the game presents some kind of face for you to make, and a soothing female voice counts off the time to hold it. After the demonstration video, News Japan anchor Christel Takigawa plays the game on-air, but mistakes the instructions for "giggle." The second video features Takigawa playing the anan game. Hard-hitting news![Via Kotaku]
Face Training commercials totally freak us out
There's something unsettling about the way Nintendo's Otona no DS Kao Training commercials highlight the faces of their subjects to point out improvable areas. Maybe it's that the red tint, stained over their mouths and eyelids, resembles the exaggerated, sloppy make-up we've come to associate with sinister clowns. Or perhaps it's the way their faces remain dead still while the layers are applied, save for the occasional blinking eyes, moments away from transforming into one of those screaming spectres that often haunt flash movies.Imagine how creepy this scene would be: You're using the DS camera with Adults' DS Face Training, doing your daily exercises, when suddenly, you realize that the face on the touchscreen staring back at you isn't your own. Instead, you see a sickly-looking girl, completely soaked as if she'd just drowned. Before you can ask her what's happening, the lights in your room flicker off. You can hear the wet coughs of her laughter twisting out of her throat and your handheld's tinny speakers as the door behind you creaks open.If you're not already hiding under a blanket, make sure to peek past the post break for the commercials.
Face Training's price causes us to make a thoughtful face
It is possible that some of you may be persuaded to buy Face Training. This is assuming two things: first, that you would like to have a stand, and second, that something other than Adults' DS Face Training, homebrew or official, will make use of the DS camera. A distant third possibility, that you feel a strong desire to stretch your face at your DS, would supercede the first two. We would enjoy a DS Lite stand, and we hope we'd have a use for the camera, so it's not inconceivable that we'd consider this a deal worth looking into.Play Asia is taking preorders for the game at $48.90, which is their normal asking price for a Japanese DS game. That's not too bad for a camera, a stand, and (ahem) miscellaneous bonus content. We hope it's within range for a few homebrew developers, at least.Of course, its regular-priced-ness in Japan means that if, by some clerical error, Adults' DS Face Training somehow came out in the US, it would be regular US price of $30-$35. Don't hold your breath on that one-- although it may be good for your face to puff out your cheeks like you're pretending to hold your breath.
Conjecture Countdown: 3 days to go
Even with a diminished E3, there's no controlling the wave of rumors that hit the Internet every year before the show. Why fight it? From now until E3 hits, we'll be posting one piece of wild speculation every day. Some may be patently ridiculous, and others just might turn out to be true. Even some of the ridiculous ones might turn out to be true! Rest assured, everything will be totally made-up and unfounded. Except, of course, when we speak about all the ass Reggie is going to kick. That part? Totally true.Rumor: Iwata's face will appear much younger this year, for some reason.
Guess what kind of game uses the new DS camera
If you guessed any kind of game at all, sorry. If you correctly identified that as a trick question, then you win at DS fandom. That's right, the DS Lite is getting an official camera peripheral, and the first piece of software to use it is Otona no DS Kao Training (Adults' DS Face Training.) In fact, the camera is called the Facening Scan, leaving no question as to its intended use.What's Facening, you may ask? Well, it's a regimen of facial stretching designed to reduce wrinkles and sagging, and to make your face appear smaller.The camera is included with the software, as is a DS Lite stand. You bring your own ridiculous face-- you probably already got your first lesson in Facening when you read about this piece of software![Via NeoGAF]
Brain, Skin and now Face Training DS
Nintendo seems to be starting at the brain and slowly working outwards when it comes to training. Their latest Japanese training title translates roughly to Face Training, which has you training with the use of a new Nintendo DS camera. We don't know if the game recognizes when you are doing the proper facial expression and moves on from there or if you're just supposed to look at yourself in the screen to make sure you're doing it right.The game is hosted by Fumiko Inudo who is apparently a face expert like the disembodied head of Dr. Kawashima is a brain expert. The game was apparently co-developed by the creators of Fire Emblem and releases in Japan on August 2 with no US announcement made (yet?). We're still holding out for Dream Skincare to help us cover up years of Cheetos abuse.
