Some of the video game franchise’s greatest heroes appear in promotion for its latest title.
Square Enix (Page 8)
Final Fantasy XV still hasn’t been released, but its heroes were out and about all over the Tokyo Game Show.
This isn’t one of Ondore’s lies. Gamers are really getting the chance to go back to Ivalice, and it’s never looked better.
Not all blackboard doodles are created equal.
Grab your tickets and your keyblades, because two Kingdom Hearts concert series are coming with a total of 15 performances in six countries.
A creative Dragon Quest Builders player has managed to build a Mario Kart-inspired in-game race course so impressive, he received praise from the game’s producer himself.
“I never thought this day would come,” says the Final Fantasy VII hero. Neither did we, Cloud. Neither did we.
While the stories for Final Fantasy games generally have nothing to do with each other, there have been a few threads that tangentially tie the games together, such as magic, a character named Cid, and an airship. Another popular element is a set of characters that have been around since the third installment of the game, the humble Moogles.
So when the official Final Fantasy XV Twitter account polled its followers to see if they wanted the beloved Moogles in the franchise’s newest game, the obvious answer was a resounding, “Of course, kupo!”
Just as languages around the world are each unique yet beautiful, art has also developed its own flavor depending on where you are from. When comparing Western and Asian animation, there is a distinct style difference when it comes to the shape of faces, size of facial features, and the overall aesthetic. Both styles are very appealing, but when push comes to shove, all of us probably have a preference between the two.
Art is also a conversation though, and it can be transposed between two different worlds, such as Western art with an Asian flair or vice versa. One artist’s rendition of Final Fantasy characters drawn with a Western touch is making us super-excited because they look like they are ready for their Disney close-ups.
It’s hard to say which game is more highly anticipated, Final Fantasy XV or Kingdom Hearts 3, but with both of them tentatively scheduled for a 2016 release date, we just might find out. Or not…because a recent tweet about the latest Final Fantasy game is causing us to believe that a 2016 release date could be a pipe dream. Although there has been no delay announced, if the date is pushed back it might be in part due to the rocky situation they are in: they need more rocks!
As the graphics in video games have become increasingly sophisticated, a new and unexpected expense has surfaced for design teams hoping to make their game’s environments as realistic as possible: the so-called “location hunt.”
While in the good ol’ days of pixel graphics, design teams could just look at some photographs or even paintings of real-world locations for inspiration, modern gaming’s open, 3-D worlds demand level and object design so advanced that it becomes a near-necessity for teams to travel to locales that closely resemble the digital worlds they’re hoping to create, getting actual eyes on, say, that volcanic mountain they plan to have the player venture through, or checking out the minute curves and angles of some military hardware they plan on dropping into the game.
Ironically, though, while the “location hunt” is still considered work, outside of the unlucky design team that has to go inside of a volcano for that epic RPG boss fight or something, these excursions can actually end up looking suspiciously like a vacation. Just ask the Final Fantasy XV design team, who recently posted a YouTube video of their location hunt.
The last few years especially have seen a notable increase in the number of western-developed narrative-driven video games. Notable entries include Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead, The Wolf Among Us, and of course Game of Thrones, which deliver their respective stories in downloadable chunks once every few months, leaving players itching to play the next episode and find out what happens.
Telltale pretty much cornered the market on this genre until French development studio DONTNOD Entertainment released the absolutely captivating five-part supernatural high school story game Life Is Strange. The game has been a surprise hit, selling over a million copies to date, with players falling in love with the endearingly complex characters, time-travelling mechanics, mellow game atmosphere, and killer soundtrack. In fact, the game has done so well for itself that publishers Square Enix have decided it’s time Japan got a piece of the photo-snapping, heavy decision-making, time-rewinding fun for themselves. Yep, Life is Strange is being released in Japan, and it’s getting an entirely new Japanese voice cast, too!
Check out the reveal trailer to hear Max, Chloe and the rest of the characters speaking Nihongo!
















Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
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Family Mart opens new “Famima” flagship store in Tokyo that’s like a tourist attraction
Japan reacts to Donald Trump’s “Islamic Republic of Japan” remark
Japanese airport rebrands itself as “Sushi Airport” to attract foreign tourists
Studio Ghibli theme park’s new dessert is a drinkable version of Hayao Miyazaki’s pilot daydream
Hollywood live-action Naruto movie announces global search for its Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura
Giant Mewtwo statue disappears from real-life Pokémon Center in Japan, may be headed to America
McDonald’s Japan reveals new Pokémon collaboration range, covering McNuggets and lucky bags
Solid gold Hedorah kaiju from the Godzilla series is now available to pre-order
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Japan triples departure tax, foreign tourists and locals now must pay more to leave country
A visit to Sri Lanka’s knockoff knockoff Uniqlo (no, we didn’t stutter) to see its rare “Pikachus”
New Mt. Fuji overnight bus takes travelers from downtown Tokyo straight to the most popular hiking trail
Don’t judge this Kiki’s Delivery Service book by its cover, because it’s not actually a book!
7-Eleven Japan releases chocolate cookies that taste like freshly baked melon bread
7-Eleven Japan now has Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches, but how do they taste?[Taste test]
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Studio Ghibli store Donguri Republic announces opening of first-ever store in America
New Japanese overnight train coming to connect Tokyo with Tohoku in sleep-travel style
Japan launches first overnight Shinkansen bullet train between Tokyo and Osaka this summer
Japanese sweets shop sells an ohagi so exquisite it sells out by noon
Forget Tokyo go-karts – there’s a new way to sightsee on four wheels in Japan
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
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Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
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Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Studio Ghibli theme park’s new dessert is a drinkable version of Hayao Miyazaki’s pilot daydream
Hollywood live-action Naruto movie announces global search for its Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura
Giant Mewtwo statue disappears from real-life Pokémon Center in Japan, may be headed to America
McDonald’s Japan reveals new Pokémon collaboration range, covering McNuggets and lucky bags
Solid gold Hedorah kaiju from the Godzilla series is now available to pre-order
Starbucks Japan puts a bow on peach season with new limited-edition Peach Creamy Tea Latte
Foreign tourists staying in one part of Japan can now get nightly government hotel discounts
Yoshinoya and Dragon Quest slaying scalpers with shift to made-to-order collaboration merch
Godiva Japan is now offering two Chocolixirs for the price of one, and here’s how to get them
Climbing season officially opens for Japan’s Mt. Hiyoriyama, the shortest mountain in the country
Japan now has a Pokémon airport that features every species of Flying-type ever[Video]
New Mt. Fuji overnight bus takes travelers from downtown Tokyo straight to the most popular hiking trail
Kurokawa Onsen celebrates 40 years of its beloved bathing pass with redesign, summer festivities
Potato-Chip-Flavored Dressing coming to stores in Japan