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Konami's canceled 'Silent Hills' featured a horror manga master
Konami didn't just waste the talents of famed director Guillermo del Toro when it canceled Silent Hills -- it also tossed aside a legend of the comic book world. Del Toro has revealed that horror manga master Junji Ito (of projects like Gyo and Hellstar Remina, above) was supposed to be collaborating on the project. It's unclear just what he was working on, but his tastes for unnerving imagery and warped storylines are likely good clues as to what you were going to get. And that's a real shame: Ito's approach is a perfect fit for the psychological horror of the Silent Hill series, and he might have helped the new title escape the common tropes of the genre. Let's just hope that Ito shapes other games in the future.
Please notice the Crunchyroll app on Wii U, senpai
Thousands of hours of anime are now available on Wii U consoles via the Crunchyroll app on the eShop, Nintendo and Crunchyroll have announced. The app, which hosts shows like Naruto Shippuden, One Piece and Sword Art Online, features sample videos for free, but if you want total access, you'll need a Premium membership. Crunchyroll offers several different Premium memberships: one that provides unlimited selection of manga ($4.95/month), one providing unlimited selection of anime ($6.95/month), and an "all-access" version which combines anime and manga while adding drama shows to the mix ($11.95/month). [Image: Crunchyroll]
Square Enix sues SNK over past copyright infringement allegations
Square Enix announced that it brought a declaratory judgment suit against SNK Playmore as a response to previous accusations of copyright infringement. SNK sued Square Enix in May, claiming the Final Fantasy publisher used copyrighted SNK characters without permission in the High Score Girl manga. SNK alleged that characters from The King of Fighters and Samurai Shodown were used more than 100 times without permission. Following the lawsuit, police collected evidence in early August from Square Enix's offices, and the publisher stated it "has been cooperating fully with police investigations since the domiciliary search, and will continuously maintain the cooperative stance with good faith." Square Enix is now seeking an authoritative opinion from the Osaka District Court to determine that it has not infringed on SNK's copyright and will "prove the point through civil procedures." [Images: Square Enix]
SNK sues Square Enix, claims copyrighted material in manga
Authorities in Japan are investigating the claim that Square Enix uses copyrighted SNK characters without permission in the manga High Score Girl. SNK filed a lawsuit against Square Enix in May, and police visited Square Enix offices on August 5 to collect evidence, Sankei News reports (as translated by Kotaku and C-Sword on Shoryuken). High Score Girl includes characters from SNK's The King of Fighters and Samurai Shodown more than 100 times, SNK claims. Square Enix says SNK never asked it to stop publishing the manga. High Score Girl is making the jump to anime, and SNK realized the infringement when a production company asked to use SNK's copyrighted characters and sounds in the show, the report says. Pages of the manga in the SRK forum show High Score Girl also depicts Capcom's Street Fighter and NetherRealm's Mortal Kombat arcade games. [Images: Square Enix]
PSA: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle available now
Bandai Namco hasn't put much effort into promoting CyberConnect2's PlayStation 3 fighter JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle, so consider this your official notification that the game is now available for purchase. However, you shouldn't expect to walk into your local GameStop and find a copy. As we mentioned earlier this year, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle is only being released as a digital, PlayStation Network download and via limited physical copies on Amazon and the Bandai Namco online store. Supplies are still available at either retailer, so those hoping for a box to go along with their new 2D fighter should place an order before they run out. As its name suggests, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle is based on Hirohiko Araki's long-running manga JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. Though they share subject matter and the 2D fighter genre, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle is unrelated to Capcom's JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, a fighter which debuted in 1998 and later hit the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in an updated high-definition release. [Image: Bandai Namco]
Harvard students learn about Apple's history through manga
There's no doubt that Harvard's Business School is serious business, but its students are surprisingly learning about the history of Apple's two Steves through a non-traditional medium: manga. Professor Noam Wasserman has been teaching about Wozniak's and Jobs' friendship and eventual falling out for years as a cautionary tale. But, for the first time, he's using a more visual medium that portrays the two tech titans as smooth, baby-faced young'uns with big anime eyes as a supplement to the course's text. To be clear, it's not that Jobs manga you've likely heard of in the past. This particular Japanese-style comics is actually an adaptation of Wasserman's Harvard case study titled "Apple's Core," which tells the story of Apple's early days.
The 'father of manga' joins Google's Cultural Institute
One of the (if not the) most influential manga artists ever, Osamu Tezuka, has joined the digital halls of the Google Cultural Institute. If there was no Tezuka, there would have probably been no Dragonball, no One Piece... well, you get the picture. The collection includes a Google Street View tour of the museum founded in his honor, as well as a beautifully curated selection of photos, artwork and video clips. It's all been timed to coincide with Atomu's (Astro Boy) birthday, the robot boy that's now 62 years old-- and starred in Japan's first (yes, first) anime. While the collection might not touch the mind-blowing 700 total manga titles the artist completed in his lifetime, it's a mighty well-presented primer.
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle to see limited physical release in the West
We've known for a while that developer CyberConnect2 was planning to bring its manga-based 2D fighter JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle to Western territories, and now we have a few more details on how exactly that's going to happen. According to Crunchyroll, when JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle makes its English-language debut, the game will feature all of the updates released to date for its Japanese counterpart. Additionally, the Western iteration of the game will include an exclusive arcade mode that pits players against randomly-selected opponents. By defeating these foes your character can earn gold which is useful in purchasing upgrades and items for use in future battles. Despite the added content, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle will not see a wide-scale release outside of Japan. Instead, the PlayStation 3 game will appear as a download on the PlayStation Network, while limited quantities of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle will appear in physical, boxed form on Amazon and at publisher Bandai Namco's Club Namco online store. Both retailers have priced pre-orders of the physical game at $50. While it's still unclear when JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle will appear, Crunchyroll claims that the fighter will be released in March. When asked, Bandai Namco representatives refused to confirm or deny this timeframe. [Image: Bandai Namco]
First chapter of Steve Jobs manga now on sale in Japan
The first chapter of the eponymous Steve Jobs manga is now available in Japan. The comic, penned by award-winning artist Mari Yamazaki, is reportedly the graphic version of Walter Isaacson's official biography Jobs. The story begins with Jobs asking Isaacson to write his biography. Shoppers in Japan will find the first chapter in the current issue of Kiss, the manga serial publication. We'd love to get a look if you care to send some photos.
Apple starts offering paid iBookstore content in Japan
While Apple's iBookstore is available in numerous countries, readers who sit outside of a certain privileged zone have had to make do with public domain e-books at best. The Japanese won't have to settle as of today: a low-key iBookstore expansion gives them access to paid content, including manga and other more localized material. Accordingly, there's an iBooks 3.1 app update rolling out that both unlocks "hundreds of thousands" of titles in the Japanese store and improves support for Asian languages as a whole. Residents who've been looking for the most official means of reading JoJolion on their iPads just need to grab the refreshed iBooks at the source.
Nexon launching free-to-play Ghost in the Shell FPS in first half of 2014
Nexon has announced that it will release an online PC FPS called Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex in the first half of 2014, in partnership with Kodansha Ltd., the comic book publisher behind the long-running Ghost in the Shell series.Stand Alone Complex will be based on the Japanese animated series of the same name and will offer up a cooperative battle mode, as well as other ways to battle with and against cyborgs. Considering the game is coming from Nexon (the maker of games like Maple Story, Combat Arms, and Dragon Nest), it probably comes as no surprise to learn the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex will be free-to-play and supported by microtransactions.We've got almost a year to wait for this one, but Nexon also points out that it is only the first of a few different games it will be making with Kodansha as part of a deal announced in December 2012.
Massively Exclusive: Elsword trailer introduces Sheath Knight class
This past fall, Kill3rCombo released phase two of Elsword's Awakened update, bringing with it the new Velder's Hallucination dungeon filled with gigantic mobs to slaughter. Now, you can dive into that dungeon and commence with said slaughter as a new class! Introducing the Sheath Knight: a dual-wielding swordsman who slices and dices his way through mobs and players alike. The Sheath Knight, so named for his magical sheath that enables him to use two swords simultaneously, focuses on melee combat and speed. How does the Sheath Knight compare to the other five already established classes? The Elsword team sat down with us and answered a few questions about this new playable character. You can also check out some of the SK's moves in the video after the break.
Nexon partnering with Kodansha for Ghost in the Shell online title
How does a Ghost in the Shell MMO grab you? We're not sure whether it's a reality just yet, but we do know that Nexon has entered into a development agreement with manga publishing giant Kodansha to produce an online title based on Ghost in the Shell: STAND ALONE COMPLEX. Nexon's press release offers no details on the game itself, so anything beyond the source material is guesswork at this point. The original Ghost in the Shell manga was met with critical and popular acclaim upon its 1989 release and has since been adapted into an extensive expanded universe that includes films, television shows, and a 1997 PlayStation game. Nexon's new title "will be based on the award-winning series Ghost in the Shell: STAND ALONE COMPLEX, Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GIG, and Ghost in the Shell: Solid State Society." [Source: Nexon press release]
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite update optimizes your Manga mania, offers quicker settings
Amazon is on the cusp of launching the complete Kindle line in Japan, so it's only right that the online retailer fine-tune its firmware for local reading habits. A new version 5.3.0 update for the Kindle Paperwhite puts much of that focus on Manga, introducing options to fit the stylized comics to the screen as well as tweak their page refresh interval separately from that of plain old text. Wider efforts to improve font rendering touch on Japanese characters in the process. Even if we're a little rusty with our hiragana, there's still some usability tweaks in store: settings are accessible directly from the menu, readers can purge their home screens of recommended content and sample books now sync their position relative to the full title. The bookworms among us that are too impatient to wait for an automatic update to 5.3.0 can hit the source link for the full skinny and a fast-track installation through USB.
Sony shuts down PSP Comic Store after October 30th, leaves most of us in the lurch for now
PSP Comic Store, we hardly knew ye. No really, we hardly knew ye -- which is probably why Sony is warning PSP owners that its comic book portal is shutting down after October 30th. Come Hallowe'en, we'll lose the option to download the necessary app or buy additional titles. Any currently owned comics will be available to download again until mid-January, but readers will be on their own to preserve existing libraries after that. Outside of Japan, that creates significant problems for literary PlayStation fans: while PS Vita owners in Sony's home country will get a Manga store and reader in October, there's no equivalent crutch for other countries (or any PSP owners) at this stage. The console maker is non-committal and says there's nothing it can discuss "at the moment," which to us is a hint that we shouldn't plan our reading hours around a PSP or PS Vita in the near future. [Thanks, Sooraj]
Phase two of Elsword Awakened update brings dungeon changes [Updated]
While phase one of the Elsword Awakened update focused on skills and enhancing PvP, the second phase centers on teamwork by zeroing in on dungeons. Not only can players delve into the new Velder's Hallucination dungeon and battle mammoth mobs, but the creatures occupying all dungeons have become smarter. Launching today, this update also includes level-60 items and makes crafting materials for weapons three times more plentiful than before. In celebration of the update, players can participate in numerous pirate-themed events inspired by "Talk like Pirate Day," including banding together to repel bands of invading pirates. Folks who work together as a team can earn free pirate costumes and accessories. Players can enjoy the Elsword Awakened update for free by downloading the game from the official site. [Update: Trailer of Velder's Hallucination dungeon added] [Source: Kill3rCombo press release]
NTT DoCoMo releasing limited edition JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Optimus Vu
If you can't get enough of the adventures of the Joestars and their various progeny, then you're in luck. NTT DoCoMo knows how to keep hardcore fans happy, releasing a limited run of 15,000 LG Optimus Vu with the phablet carrying custom wallpaper and illustrations from the creators of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. Beneath the surface, it's the same phone we've seen before -- albeit with support for mobile TV standard Nottv. If you're now throwing your yen at the screen, we'd suggest going to your nearest store on August 30th, because online sales are limited to 750 on that day and a further 750 on September 1st.
Kill3rCombo bumps Elsword level cap to 56, offers giveaways
Kill3rCombo wants you to know that it has added some new content to its manga-inspired Elsword side-scroller. Players may now "dive deeper into the once pristine seaside kingdom of Hamel" thanks to two new levels (which bring the game's level cap to 56). The devs are also releasing a new El Officer costume for Chung, who is the game's newest playable character. In addition to the new leveling content, Kill3rCombo is giving players a chance to win numerous prizes simply by logging in during the month of July. An Elsword-themed iPad, Amazon gift cards, and various in-game goodies are all up for grabs, so head to the official website to learn more. You can also check out a video of Chung in action after the cut. [Source: Kill3rCombo press release]
Red 5 unveils part one of Firefall manga, shuts down ARG [Updated]
Firefall's beta test is moving steadily along toward the game's (hopefully) upcoming release, and fans are probably hungry for some more background on the MMOFPS title. To help satiate that appetite, Red 5 has released part one of the Firefall manga series penned by legendary sci-fi author Orson Scott Card and his daughter Emily Janice Card. The comic, entitled Trespasser, is penciled by renowned artist Joe Ng of UDON comic fame, and follows mohawk-sporting heroine Pilgrim as she kills gargantuan mutant bugs and has a bit of a run-in with the law. The manga's story begins prior to the crash of the Arclight, which heralds the beginning of the in-game timeline. Hopefully the narrative will serve to fill in some of the details regarding the events that lead up to Firefall itself. Red 5 will be unveiling two new pages every Tuesday, so head on over to the comic to get up-to-speed, then be sure to check in weekly for the rest of the story. [Update: Red 5 has also announced it is shutting down Firefall's alternate-reality game to avoid storyline overlap and conflict with the manga.]
Elsword update offers new continent, dungeons
How does a new continent sound, Elsword fans? If it sounds pretty cool, you're in luck because Kill3rCombo is offering that and more in its latest manga MMO update. Players may explore two new dungeons, fight challenging end bosses, and work toward a new level cap as well as several new titles in the game's Rulensia and Fluone areas. The new locales are designed for players of level 45 or above, and Kill3rCombo says that players can even battle their way through underwater gameplay courtesy of the Sunken Resiam dungeon. Elsword offers five customizable characters, evolutionary fighting skills and job classes, and plenty of action-packed combo abilities. Check out the official site for more details. [Source: Kill3rCombo press release]
