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Japan's latest sensation is a cryptocurrency pop group
If you're starting a pop group in Japan, where giant rosters and virtual superstars are par for the course, how do you stand out? By tying yourself to something trendy -- and in 2018, that means cryptocurrency. Meet Kasotsuka Shojo (Virtual Currency Girls), a J-pop group where each of the eight girls represents one of the larger digital monetary formats. Yes, you're supposed to cheer for bitcoin or swoon over ethereum (what, no litecoin?). The group played its first concert on January 12th, and naturally you had to pay in cryptocurrency to be one of the few members of the general public to get in.
This virtual assistant looks like an anime girl trapped in a coffee pot
Gatebox AI is an unusual virtual assistant that involves a projected CGI character kind-of trapped in a jar -- with voice controls! The sales pitch is that this virtual assistant will give the sensation of living with a fictional character, or according to how creator Vinclu Inc. words it, "your heroes". Which is fine, if your hero is a non-spectacular CGI anime character with blue hair and excessively submissive temperament. Behind the virtual idol/slave gloss, Gatebox AI's assistant functions approach a bare-bones Amazon Echo.
ICYMI: Pocket 3D scanner, light show record and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-440441{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-440441, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-440441{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-440441").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: Russia set a world record for the largest projected light show that took 140 Panasonic projectors to display. A Kickstarter project for Ulo the security camera is truly one of the most adorable pieces of tech we've seen for quite some time. And the EORA 3D scanner attaches to a smartphone and can upload scans to 3D compatible printing services right from the app.
Meet the J-Pop 'idol' robot that dances and dresses up just for you
This robot is a better dancer than half of the Japanese pop idol groups it's trying to emulate. While we're not going to torture ourselves (or you) by deep-diving into the curious phenomenon of Japanese idol units, but these robots were designed for (more often than not, male) fans looking to have a performer that, according to IT Media Lab: "dances especially for me" and those that wanted to create "their own performance stage in their home." Ahem.
Tales of Graces F gracing American shores March 13
It's been a long time coming, but it looks like the wait is nearly over. Well, by "nearly" we mean "three months from now," but that's better than nothing, right? The Namco Bandai localization of Tales of Graces F will bring purple pigtails and J-Pop to North American PS3s on March 13, according to the latest trailer above. Now, there will be several points during this trailer where you will instinctively reach for the mute button on your keyboard, but we beg that you try and tough it out. Not because it's ultimately worth it, but because we had to listen to the whole thing, and we want you to suffer like we did.
Persona's opening movie is catchy, stylish
With Persona's PSP port arriving in Japan soon, Atlus has just revealed the game's brand new intro -- and it's as stylish as those seen in the modern PS2 Persona games. The theme music also has that right Persona Jpop vibe -- classy, without being too upbeat. We're going to be listening to this track a few times during our blogging shift today.[Via PSPHyper]
Japanese songs may hit Rock Band soon
Did you notice the European invasion in this week's Rock Band DLC updates? Don't expect this to be a one-shot novelty. International tracks will continue to pour into the peripheral-laden music game, a Harmonix developer told us at last night's Rock Band party in NYC. When one person brought up the possibility of seeing Japanese rock music in the game, we were told to wait "a little over a week" for an official announcement regarding plans for future DLC. We don't know exactly what we'll see, but we do know that Rock Band will become an even more "international" affair. What could future DLC updates include? TM Revolution? Malice Mizer (pictured)? Any excuse for us to dress like Japanese rock stars at our next Rock Band gathering will make us quite happy. Stay tuned.
Star Ocean: Second Evolution commercial gets Jpoppy
Most RPGs in Japan come with some super-sweet, super-catchy J-pop song. Square Enix's upcoming Star Ocean: The Second Evolution is no different. The all-girl band Scandal performs the theme song to this upcoming game with their number, "Start." Check it out.[Via PSPHyper]
It's a Wonderful Music Sampler
Not only did people who went to the Square Enix Party get to try a bunch of new games-- and, well, a bunch of new releases of old games-- but they also got a bounty of free promotional stuff, including the set of CDs seen above. It contains songs from the soundtracks of two Final Fantasy spinoffs for the PSP, and from It's a Wonderful World, which is more in line with our interests.The CD's have been ripped, and we've got the Wonderful World sampler available for download. It's J-poppy and synthy! Is it ever synthy.1. Twister 2. Give me all your love[Thanks, Jamal!]
Tales of the World anime intro
All Tales games seem to come with catchy J-Pop songs and anime intros. The PSP-exclusive Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology is no different. This potpourri of fan-favorite Tales characters features "Hikari to Kage" (Light and Shadow) sung by Kana Uemura.It would be awesome if we could get an English translated version of this game. Considering the fairly large Tales fanbase in the States, I won't be surprised if Namco announces a release date one of these days.
Japanese Lumines II to feature expanded soundtrack
I praised Lumines II's soundtrack for its breadth and diversity. However, it looks like the upcoming Japanese release of this puzzle favorite will improve the already impressive song lineup by adding more Japanese music into the game. 1UP reports that artists like DJ Ken Ishii and the Genki Rockets will have additional songs, making this version of the game something importers and Mizuguchi collectors will certainly want to keep an eye on.The game's still far off: February 15th for 4980 yen ($43). The game won't be published by Bandai Namco, as previously expected. Rather, it will be self-published by Q? Entertainment, making their very first foray into publishing.
PSP puzzlers featured in new season of The 1UP Show
I ran into Milky from 1UP a few times at DigitalLife, and during our video game musings, we discovered our mutual love of one thing... Lumines. The latest episode of The 1UP Show (PSP version also available) reveals some new footage and details from the upcoming music puzzler. The show reveals that J-Pop artist Mondo Grosso will headline the introductory track for the game, and it looks like a lot of fun. What isn't so fun are the new English language pop music video levels. The music doesn't mesh with the game, and the videos can be distracting, according to the Milkman. Interestingly, the graphics of this puzzle game have somehow become more beautiful. Gyuh? The rest of the episode goes to detail about the customization options in the new Lumines, and unlockables, and the new "harder" difficulty level. If that wasn't enough Mizuguchi love for you, Gunpey is featured on the episode, and there's nothing but praise for the game. With stylish good looks, a rockin' soundtrack, and some addictive puzzle gameplay, it appears that Gunpey is where PSP owners will flock to get a new puzzler fix, if Lumines feels too familiar for them. Interestingly, the show reveals that both Lumines and Gunpey have been delayed in Japan to 2007, meaning American gamers will be able to enjoy these very quirky Japanese-centric games months before the land of the rising sun. And the reason? Because PSP has become so overshadowed by the DS. Lumines II arrives in stores November 7.
Missed Gitaroo Man? It lives again!!! First review
There are two kinds of people in the world: those that have played Gitaroo Man and those that have not. Chances are, you're in the latter group. IGN has posted up one of the very first reviews of this music game, and it's all swell. The game features some sharp visuals, complemented by its zany uber-Japanese style. Mix in a soundtrack that covers everything from "happy sunshine flower time" Jpop to "I want to kill myself while wearing leather" grunge, and everything in-between, and Gitaroo Man has the makings of a game that everyone must own. IGN simply states the game is "one of the finest games the genre has ever produced." The game received a mighty 8.8.If there are any flaws, it has to be that there's nothing really new for veterans of the original. But, more likely than not, you may have missed this original title when it came out on the PS2. Don't miss it again.(And for you DS owners, don't forget to pick up Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan!, one of Inis' other music games.)
