Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Stiq Figures, May 14 - 20: He's heating up edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/27/stiq-figures-may-14-20-hes-heating-up-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/27/stiq-figures-may-14-20-hes-heating-up-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/27/stiq-figures-may-14-20-hes-heating-up-edition/#comments Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something - meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition.
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There aren't many sports games like NBA Jam. Back when Michael Jordan was the king of the court, the 1993 Midway arcade classic was known for its tight controls, secret characters, zany dunks, and outrageous catch-phrases by announcer Tim Kitzrow. While Jordan wasn't in the game (he reached his own licensing agreement with the NBA in 1992, and Midway was unable to secure a deal with him), it was Scottie Pippen that brought his excellent three-point shots to the court alongside Chicago Bulls teammate Horace Grant.

That is, Pippen's usually excellent three-point ability. NBA Jam creator Mark Turmell admitted in a 2008 interview with ESPN: The Gamer that Pippen's tendency to win close games was tuned down in certain circumstances. Specifically, when any Bulls player attempts a glorious last-second shot against Turmell's favorite team, the Detroit Pistons, a special piece of code in the game would average the shots out to be bricks.

Turmell said, "There was the big competition back in the day between the Pistons and the Bulls, and since I was always a big Pistons fan, that was my opportunity to level the playing field." This is one case where any close loss against a friend can be reasonably blamed on the game.

Continue reading Stiq Figures, May 14 - 20: He's heating up edition

JoystiqStiq Figures, May 14 - 20: He's heating up edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 27 May 2012 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>horace-grantJapaneseHardwareSalesmark-turmellmichael-jordanMidwaynba-jamscottie-pippenstiqfiguresSun, 27 May 2012 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Stiq Figures, May 7 - 13: I'mma can't use any of my dominoes edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/20/stiq-figures-may-7-13-imma-cant-use-any-of-my-dominoes-edi/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/20/stiq-figures-may-7-13-imma-cant-use-any-of-my-dominoes-edi/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/20/stiq-figures-may-7-13-imma-cant-use-any-of-my-dominoes-edi/#comments Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something - meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition.
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By now, Mario's cheerful, sing-song voice is as endemic to the character as his mustache and overalls. Sprightly proclamations of "It'sa me, Mario!" and the like have endeared voice actor Charles Martinet's work to the hearts and minds of millions, but it might surprise you to know that Martinet's first stint as the man behind the 'stache wasn't Super Mario 64. In fact, it wasn't a Nintendo game at all.

Martinet's first appearance as the prolific plumber was actually Mario's Game Gallery, a digital collection of card and board games for DOS, Windows and Mac OS, developed by Presage Software and published by Interplay. Mario's Game Gallery predates Super Mario 64 by roughly a year, but as you can tell from the collection of sound files above, Martinet had already settled into a ridiculous, heartwarming and hilarious groove as Mario Mario.

It's physically impossible to make it all the way through this video without laughing. In fact, it might be physically impossible just to make it all the way through this video.

Continue reading Stiq Figures, May 7 - 13: I'mma can't use any of my dominoes edition

JoystiqStiq Figures, May 7 - 13: I'mma can't use any of my dominoes edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 20 May 2012 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japanesehardwaresalesstiqfiguresSun, 20 May 2012 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Stiq Figures, April 30 - May 6: SG-1000 edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/13/stiq-figures-april-30-may-6-sg-1000-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/13/stiq-figures-april-30-may-6-sg-1000-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/13/stiq-figures-april-30-may-6-sg-1000-edition/#comments Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something - meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition.
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For most of us who've grown up outside of Asia, Sega's history as a gaming hardware manufacturer begins with the Sega Master System, released on North American shores in June of 1986 to the tune of $200. In truth, the Sega Master System was actually the Sega Mark III, which itself was the third iteration of Sega's real first foray into hardware design, the SG-1000.

The SG-1000 (an acronym of "Sega Game" 1000) was released in Japan on July 15, 1983 for ¥15,000, which at the time amounted to $62.48 USD, assuming an average exchange rate of ¥240.06 to the dollar. (Coincidentally, this was the also the day that Nintendo launched the Famicom.) Armed with a blistering 3.5 MHz CPU and two whole entire kilobytes of RAM, the SG-1000 was only mildly successful in Japan, Australia and New Zealand, but curiously saw much greater success in the piracy-infected Taiwanese market.

North America, however, never saw an official SG-1000 release, although the Telegames Personal Arcade was released stateside and was capable of playing SG-1000 carts, had they somehow managed to make the trip across the Pacific. The SG-1000 Mark II was released a year later in 1984, sporting a redesigned case and identical components (sound familiar?). Nowadays, Mark I versions of the SG-1000 can go on eBay for as much as $1,500 - a good bit more than the 63 bucks it would have run you back in 1983.

Continue reading Stiq Figures, April 30 - May 6: SG-1000 edition

JoystiqStiq Figures, April 30 - May 6: SG-1000 edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 13 May 2012 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japanesehardwaresalesstiqfiguresSun, 13 May 2012 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Stiq Figures, April 23 - 29: Forgotten hero edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/06/stiq-figures-april-23-29-forgotten-hero-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/06/stiq-figures-april-23-29-forgotten-hero-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/06/stiq-figures-april-23-29-forgotten-hero-edition/#comments Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something - meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition.
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There's a lot of noise going on about The Avengers this weekend, what with it having the most successful opening weekend in cinematic history and everything, but we thought we'd take this opportunity to remind everyone about a super hero they were forced to forget: The Sentry.

The Sentry, in his time, was a superhero filled with "the power of one million exploding suns," and was arguably the most powerful living being in the Marvel universe. He was also Reed Richard's best friend, a confidant of the Fantastic Four and mentor to the Hulk. Peter Parker even won a Pulitzer Prize for a photograph he took of The Sentry, though neither Peter, nor Richard, nor any other hero from the Marvel continuum (save for the Hulk) remembered any of this.

The reason being that, in order to defeat The Void, his greatest nemesis that also happened to be a manifestation of his subconscious, The Sentry used his immense powers to erase the memory of his existence from nearly everyone on the planet, including everyone at Marvel Comics, and those who had read about his adventures in the past. The Sentry only resurfaced when a virus in his brain caused him to subconsciously implant memories of his forgotten life into comic book writer Paul Jenkins.

Once released from the debilitating grasp of the virus by Emma Frost, The Sentry became a member of, wouldn't you know it, The Avengers.

Continue reading Stiq Figures, April 23 - 29: Forgotten hero edition

JoystiqStiq Figures, April 23 - 29: Forgotten hero edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 06 May 2012 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japanesehardwaresalesstiqfiguresSun, 06 May 2012 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Stiq Figures, April 16 - 22: Digital distribution of yore edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/29/stiq-figures-april-16-22-digital-distribution-of-yore-editio/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/29/stiq-figures-april-16-22-digital-distribution-of-yore-editio/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/29/stiq-figures-april-16-22-digital-distribution-of-yore-editio/#comments Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something - meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition.
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It's funny how Nintendo getting on-board with digital distribution is such big news. Granted, Nintendo may seem a bit late to the party when compared with Microsoft and Sony, but it's not like they were exactly pioneers of the medium either.

We like to think that buying things digitally and either downloading or streaming them to our consoles is a modern invention, that it somehow classifies this era as futuristic or technologically advanced, but the truth is that digital distribution and stream-based gaming has been around since the dawn of time.

Well, very nearly, at any rate. In 1981, the PlayCable system was introduced for the Intellivision, allowing cable television subscribers to download games (up to four whole kilobytes!) into a special cartridge. Two years later, the CVC GameLine service was launched for the Atari 2600, allowing subscribers to download games via 1200 baud modem into a massive, silver "Master Module" cartridge.

If either of these services sound familiar, it's because the same basic premise was used just over 10 years later by the Sega Channel in 1994. So comparatively, when Microsoft launched the original Xbox Live Arcade in 2004, it was already 20 or so years behind the times.

Continue reading Stiq Figures, April 16 - 22: Digital distribution of yore edition

JoystiqStiq Figures, April 16 - 22: Digital distribution of yore edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 29 Apr 2012 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japanesehardwaresalesstiqfiguresSun, 29 Apr 2012 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Stiq Figures, April 9 - 15: Kirby edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/22/stiq-figures-april-9-15-kirby-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/22/stiq-figures-april-9-15-kirby-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/22/stiq-figures-april-9-15-kirby-edition/#comments Welcome to Stiq Figures, where the sales data is after the break and the posts don't matter. Every week, we take a look at, uh, something - meanwhile, the previous week's Japanese hardware sales figures are posted after the jump, and a discussion of said figures takes place in our comments. Those interested in the minutiae of the Japanese gaming economy get the numbers they so desperately crave, and everyone else gets something (hopefully) interesting to end their week on. It may not be conventional, but it's a time-honored Joystiq tradition.
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The announcement of a Kirby 20th Anniversary collection for the Wii reminded us of one of our favorite little anecdotes from the early days of Nintendo's life in America. See, during the development of the first Kirby game, Hoshi no Kābī for the Game Boy, series creator Masahiro Sakurai and Shigeru Miyamoto had a disagreement. Despite the Game Boy's inability to display color, Sakurai saw Kirby as being pink, whereas Miyamoto envisioned a bright yellow Kirby.

When it came time for Nintendo of America to localize Hoshi no Kābī as Kirby's Dream Land, the conflicting stories regarding Kirby's actual color resulted in the ghostly vissage you see above. Perhaps in an attempt to play it safe, or to reflect Kirby's actual color on the black and white Game Boy, everything from the box art to the television commercial featured a Kirby more akin to a Boo than the little pink puffball we've now grown to love.

Continue reading Stiq Figures, April 9 - 15: Kirby edition

JoystiqStiq Figures, April 9 - 15: Kirby edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 22 Apr 2012 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japanesehardwaresalesstiqfiguresSun, 22 Apr 2012 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Stiq Figures, April 2 - 8: Need for Cinema edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/15/stiq-figures-april-2-8-need-for-cinema-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/15/stiq-figures-april-2-8-need-for-cinema-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/15/stiq-figures-april-2-8-need-for-cinema-edition/#comments ImageWelcome to the inaugural installment of Stiq Figures, where the posts don't matter and the Japanese sales data is found after the break. As you'll recall, Stiq Figures is identical to the Japanese hardware sales report in every single way, save for its name. Even the time-honored tradition of making fun of Hollywood's terrible ideas has made the transition from old to new.

We know that EA is shopping around the Need for Speed movie to various studios around Tinseltown - what we don't know is how cognizant it is of the fact that this movie has already been made five times. Then again, Hollywood doesn't seem to have a huge problem with making the same movie over and over again.

Continue reading Stiq Figures, April 2 - 8: Need for Cinema edition

JoystiqStiq Figures, April 2 - 8: Need for Cinema edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 15 Apr 2012 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japanesehardwaresalesstiqfiguresSun, 15 Apr 2012 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Japanese hardware sales, March 26 - April 1: Stiq Figures edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/08/japanese-hardware-sales-march-26-april-1-stiq-figures-editio/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/08/japanese-hardware-sales-march-26-april-1-stiq-figures-editio/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/08/japanese-hardware-sales-march-26-april-1-stiq-figures-editio/#comments ImageStarting next week, the Japanese hardware sales report will be rebranded as "Stiq Figures," which we hope you'll agree is a hilarious and apt play on words with a little more spirit and personality. We spent literally minutes coming up with that during a bleary eyed, half-conscious PAX East morning meeting, so we're almost positive it's the best idea we've ever had.

Don't worry though, everything else will be exactly the same: The post will still have absolutely nothing to do with Japanese hardware sales, except for the wildly interesting sales figures tucked away after the break.

Continue reading Japanese hardware sales, March 26 - April 1: Stiq Figures edition

JoystiqJapanese hardware sales, March 26 - April 1: Stiq Figures edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 08 Apr 2012 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japanesehardwaresalesstiqfiguresSun, 08 Apr 2012 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Japanese hardware sales, March 19 - 25: April Fools' Day edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/01/japanese-hardware-sales-march-19-25-april-fools-day-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/01/japanese-hardware-sales-march-19-25-april-fools-day-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/01/japanese-hardware-sales-march-19-25-april-fools-day-edition/#comments
When I was but a wee lad, my oldest sister Erin played an April Fools' joke on me by convincing my young, squishy mind that Sega had announced that they were going to stop making video games systems. Since we were a Genesis household and my love of Sonic was boundless, I was understandably upset. After a few minutes of supporting the lie, she shouted "April Fools'!" and then knocked the Star Crunch out of my tiny hands and ran away.

Many, many years later in the fall of 2000, Erin and her husband gave me a Dreamcast for Christmas. Three months later, production of the Dreamcast had ceased.

The moral of the story is this: Be careful what you joke about. Saying something, even when it's untrue, gives that idea power in the universe and makes it a more likely occurrence. Now, I'm not saying that my sister is responsible for Sega leaving the hardware business, but I am saying that ... actually no wait, that's exactly what I'm saying.

Continue reading Japanese hardware sales, March 19 - 25: April Fools' Day edition

JoystiqJapanese hardware sales, March 19 - 25: April Fools' Day edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 01 Apr 2012 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japanesehardwaresalesSun, 01 Apr 2012 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Japanese hardware sales, March 12 - 18: Mad Men edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/25/japanese-hardware-sales-march-12-18-mad-men-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/25/japanese-hardware-sales-march-12-18-mad-men-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/25/japanese-hardware-sales-march-12-18-mad-men-edition/#comments
Tonight is the two-hour Mad Men season premier on AMC, and what better way to celebrate Our Mrs. Reynolds' long awaited return to prime-time television than by playing a YouTube-based pixel-art Choose Your Own Adventure game about the show? Conveniently, such a game has been embedded above for your enjoyment.

For those of you who aren't current with the series, I should warn you that while satirical, Mad Men: The Game does contain minor spoilers, so you may want to hold off on playing until you're entirely caught up. Also, how can you not be caught up? You've had literally years to get up to speed. Get out of my office.

Continue reading Japanese hardware sales, March 12 - 18: Mad Men edition

JoystiqJapanese hardware sales, March 12 - 18: Mad Men edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 25 Mar 2012 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japanesehardwaresalesSun, 25 Mar 2012 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Japanese hardware sales, March 5 - 11: We now join our story already in progress edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/18/japanese-hardware-sales-march-5-11-we-now-join-our-story-alr/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/18/japanese-hardware-sales-march-5-11-we-now-join-our-story-alr/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/18/japanese-hardware-sales-march-5-11-we-now-join-our-story-alr/#comments Now that GDC and SXSW are totally and completely over, things should be getting back to normal around here. Broadcast interruptions like last week's non-existent Japanese hardware sales post will be a thing of the past, at least until PAX East starts up three weeks from now.

Rather than run last week's numbers, we're going to jump right back into our usual groove with the most current figures from Media Create. I will, however, give you a brief rundown of what you missed: Many people in Japan bought many things, some of which were related to video games. All purchases cost varying amounts of money and totals for the week were either slightly different than the previous week, or dramatically different, depending on what actually happened.

There, see? All caught up. Let's get back at it:

Continue reading Japanese hardware sales, March 5 - 11: We now join our story already in progress edition

JoystiqJapanese hardware sales, March 5 - 11: We now join our story already in progress edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 18 Mar 2012 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>JapaneseHardwareSalesSun, 18 Mar 2012 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Japanese hardware sales, February 20 - 26: Greatest idea ever edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/04/japanese-hardware-sales-february-20-26-greatest-idea-ever-ed/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/04/japanese-hardware-sales-february-20-26-greatest-idea-ever-ed/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/04/japanese-hardware-sales-february-20-26-greatest-idea-ever-ed/#comments We're totally in love with the idea of creating fighting games based on other gaming IPs. Arc System Work's Persona 4 Arena is looking really solid, for instance, but if you'd asked us which gaming universe should be turned into a fighter, Persona wouldn't have been our first answer. This got us thinking, what other unlikely universe might make a totally rad fighting game?

The answer, as we're sure you'll agree, is obvious: The complete works of Hayao Miyazaki. Can't you just see it? Princess Mononoke squares off against Nausicaä of the Valley in an all out, over the top, no-holds-barred battle for cinematic supremacy! Laputa Gardener Robot vs. Ō-Totoro! Kiki vs. Porco Rosso! Yubaba vs. Moro no Kimi! There can be Cat Bus DLC and everything.

Hell, No Face is practically in BlazBlue already. Let's make this happen, Arc System Works.

Continue reading Japanese hardware sales, February 20 - 26: Greatest idea ever edition

JoystiqJapanese hardware sales, February 20 - 26: Greatest idea ever edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 04 Mar 2012 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japanesehardwaresalesSun, 04 Mar 2012 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Japanese hardware sales, February 13 - 19: Kasumi Ninja edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/26/japanese-hardware-sales-february-13-19-kasumi-ninja-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/26/japanese-hardware-sales-february-13-19-kasumi-ninja-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/26/japanese-hardware-sales-february-13-19-kasumi-ninja-edition/#comments
"I saw it, so now you have to see it," is a common phrase around the Joystiq offices. The course of our daily work takes us to many strange and unexpected parts of the Internet, and often times throughout the day someone on staff will witness something so horrible that it must be shared in order to save their own sanity.

Today, I've decided to extend that tradition to you, our beloved readers. While looking up pictures of the Atari Jaguar's monstrous controller to win an argument on Twitter, I stumbled across a fighting game I'd never heard of before: Kasumi Ninja. The game's muddy, generic graphics, Space Mutiny soundtrack and painfully faux-accented announcer are only the tip of this atrocity iceberg, and in order to free myself it, I must pass it on to you. I am so, so sorry.

Continue reading Japanese hardware sales, February 13 - 19: Kasumi Ninja edition

JoystiqJapanese hardware sales, February 13 - 19: Kasumi Ninja edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 26 Feb 2012 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japanesehardwaresalesSun, 26 Feb 2012 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Japanese hardware sales, February 6 - 12: Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/19/japanese-hardware-sales-february-6-12-dragon-ball-gt-final/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/19/japanese-hardware-sales-february-6-12-dragon-ball-gt-final/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/19/japanese-hardware-sales-february-6-12-dragon-ball-gt-final/#comments
Hearing about the greatest news ever yesterday got us waxing nostalgic on the history of Dragon Ball games. Sure, they're a fairly common occurrence nowadays, what with the series being a household name for more than a decade and everything, but there was once a time in the mid 1990s where the western world was so ignorant of Goku and friends that his games didn't even get released.

Well, except for one: Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout was released for the PlayStation in 1997, a year after the series had debuted on American syndicated network television and a year before it would become the dominant force on Cartoon Network's Toonami programing block. Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout was so rare and so expensive that, at the time, it was cheaper to modify a PlayStation and import the Japanese version than to buy a second-hand North American copy. Unfortunately, as you can tell from the video above, it was one of the worst fighting games ever made.

Continue reading Japanese hardware sales, February 6 - 12: Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout edition

JoystiqJapanese hardware sales, February 6 - 12: Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 19 Feb 2012 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japanesehardwaresalesSun, 19 Feb 2012 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Japanese hardware sales, January 30 - February 5: Love song edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/12/japanese-hardware-sales-january-30-february-5-love-song-edit/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/12/japanese-hardware-sales-january-30-february-5-love-song-edit/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/12/japanese-hardware-sales-january-30-february-5-love-song-edit/#comments
We talk a lot of trash about Valentine's Day because it's hilarious and easy, but in all honesty, there's nothing wrong with two people using the greeting-card holiday as an excuse to express their love for each other. To make up for our maliciousness, we want to help facilitate that lovin' by providing some nice background music for your romantic evening.

Start off the night with the acoustic cover of Skrillex's Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites by Bear Cavalry embedded above. Once things get a little cozy, follow that up with this piano version of Intuition by Feist, and when the moment is right, throw on Glory Box by Portishead to shift the mood into overdrive. Leave that on repeat for as long as necessary, and then bring things back down with Bjork's All Is Full of Love. Now, get a room you two!

Continue reading Japanese hardware sales, January 30 - February 5: Love song edition

JoystiqJapanese hardware sales, January 30 - February 5: Love song edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 12 Feb 2012 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japanesehardwaresalesSun, 12 Feb 2012 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Japanese hardware sales, January 23 - 29: Crystal ball edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/05/japanese-hardware-sales-january-23-29-crystal-ball-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/05/japanese-hardware-sales-january-23-29-crystal-ball-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/05/japanese-hardware-sales-january-23-29-crystal-ball-edition/#comments By now, Super Bowl XLVI has finished and the victor has emerged victorious, their glimmering rings reflecting a light of shame into the hearts and souls of the defeated. This article was written much earlier in the day, however, so I'm going to use this as an opportunity to flex my fortune telling muscle and predict the outcome. You have my absolute word that this post will not be altered or edited in any way prior to it being posted.

If I'm right, you owe me 50 bucks. If I'm wrong, and frankly when has that ever happened, I'll record an acoustic cover version of any song the commenters decide on, and post it as next week's hardware sales post. Ready?

Based on the fact that Venus is in Pisces until February 8 and Mercury won't be in retrograde for another 35 days, I'm going to call the NY Giants as tonight's winners.

Continue reading Japanese hardware sales, January 23 - 29: Crystal ball edition

JoystiqJapanese hardware sales, January 23 - 29: Crystal ball edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 05 Feb 2012 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japanesehardwaresalesSun, 05 Feb 2012 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Japanese hardware sales, January 16 - 22: Forbidden love edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/29/japanese-hardware-sales-january-16-22-forbidden-love-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/29/japanese-hardware-sales-january-16-22-forbidden-love-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/29/japanese-hardware-sales-january-16-22-forbidden-love-edition/#comments His back slammed against the metal examination table, its ice-cold surface a stark contrast to the heat between them. The colonial marine's standard-issue helmet began to slip as she pushed him down, her claws lightly scratching his skin in an all-too-familiar fashion. The sensation filled him with lust, and shame, and when his helmet finally hit the floor the resulting clang reverberated throughout the halls of the still-sleeping ship.

"Not here," he whispered, his breath clouding in the humid, recycled air. "They'll catch us for certain, we'll both be killed."

"SCREEEEEEEEEE," she cooed back, extending her ovipositor and whispering into his ear with her second mouth. "Screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee."

Continue reading Japanese hardware sales, January 16 - 22: Forbidden love edition

JoystiqJapanese hardware sales, January 16 - 22: Forbidden love edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 29 Jan 2012 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japanesehardwaresalesSun, 29 Jan 2012 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Japanese hardware sales, January 9 - 15: Looking back edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/22/japanese-hardware-sales-january-9-15-looking-back-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/22/japanese-hardware-sales-january-9-15-looking-back-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/22/japanese-hardware-sales-january-9-15-looking-back-edition/#comments
What with Resident Evil 6 being a real, honest-to-goodness thing now, we thought'd we'd take this opportunity to look back at the series and appreciate how far things have come since the olden days. For example, were you aware that the original Resident Evil was ported to the Game Boy Color, only for the project to be canceled and the port never released? What about the existence of the Tiger Game.com version of Resident Evil 2 seen above, which was actually released? Like, for humans?

Seriously, kids these days take their fancy graphics and cover systems for granted. Back in our day, all we had were horrible games, and sometimes they didn't even come out! And we were grateful!

Continue reading Japanese hardware sales, January 9 - 15: Looking back edition

JoystiqJapanese hardware sales, January 9 - 15: Looking back edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 22 Jan 2012 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japanesehardwaresalesSun, 22 Jan 2012 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Japanese hardware sales, January 2 - 8: A personal appeal edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/15/japanese-hardware-sales-january-2-8-a-personal-appeal-editio/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/15/japanese-hardware-sales-january-2-8-a-personal-appeal-editio/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/15/japanese-hardware-sales-january-2-8-a-personal-appeal-editio/#comments You know, we've been thinking about it, and now that fighting games are big business again, maybe it's time to revive some of the franchises that debuted near the end of the last era? Games that, for all intents and purposes, were never given the attention they deserved by the fighting game community or the gaming media. Games like JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, or Rival Schools.

So, Capcom (we know you're reading this, don't even play): These franchises were the lifeblood of the genre needed last time around; they just came too late. Don't make the same mistake twice -- do yourself a favor, get ahead of the curve, and make us another game about a dog that summons a robot car and a vampire named Vanilla Ice.

Continue reading Japanese hardware sales, January 2 - 8: A personal appeal edition

JoystiqJapanese hardware sales, January 2 - 8: A personal appeal edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 15 Jan 2012 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japanesehardwaresalesSun, 15 Jan 2012 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Japanese hardware sales, December 26 - January 1: Pre-CES edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/08/japanese-hardware-sales-december-26-january-1-pre-ces-editio/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/08/japanese-hardware-sales-december-26-january-1-pre-ces-editio/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/08/japanese-hardware-sales-december-26-january-1-pre-ces-editio/#comments This week is gonna be nuts, you guys. The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is the largest of its kind in the United States, as well as one of the biggest in the world; manufacturers from all over the globe traverse the Nevadian desert in order to show off their latest tech, and our own Mike Schramm will be on site to sample their wares.

Who knows what kind of mysterious, life-altering devices will be revealed during the show? Will Samsung enter the console race? Will the Dreamcast resurface as a subscription-based set-top box running WebOS? Will Sony finally unveil the successor to the Move, the Okay, Stop? Keep an eye on the CES 2012 tag to find out!

Continue reading Japanese hardware sales, December 26 - January 1: Pre-CES edition

JoystiqJapanese hardware sales, December 26 - January 1: Pre-CES edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 08 Jan 2012 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japanesehardwaresalesSun, 08 Jan 2012 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Japanese hardware sales, December 19 - 25: Auld Lang Syne edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/01/japanese-hardware-sales-december-19-25-auld-lang-syne-editio/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/01/japanese-hardware-sales-december-19-25-auld-lang-syne-editio/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/01/01/japanese-hardware-sales-december-19-25-auld-lang-syne-editio/#comments
Out with the old and in with the new, you guys! It's 2012, and that means it's time to forget every single thing that happened in 2011 and make all of the same mistakes again. Remember how Donna from accounting was super offended by the unintentionally erotic flower arrangement you sent her during Secretary's Week? Well, get ready to do the same thing to Amy, Donna's replacement!

Also, be sure to remember that 2012 is a leap year, and as such each and every one of you will be allotted 24 whole extra hours to do whatever you want. Now, due to a shortage at Time & Stuff, there weren't enough extra days for everyone to have their own, so you'll all have to share February 29. Here's to one more trip around the sun!

Continue reading Japanese hardware sales, December 19 - 25: Auld Lang Syne edition

JoystiqJapanese hardware sales, December 19 - 25: Auld Lang Syne edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 01 Jan 2012 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japanesehardwaresalesSun, 01 Jan 2012 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Japanese hardware sales, December 12 - 18: Festive holiday song edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/25/japanese-hardware-sales-december-12-18-festive-holiday-song/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/25/japanese-hardware-sales-december-12-18-festive-holiday-song/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/25/japanese-hardware-sales-december-12-18-festive-holiday-song/#comments
Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, the Winter Solstice or Candle Nights, we here at Joystiq want to wish the very best for you and yours this holiday season. Thank you for reading our website; we love you all very much.

Continue reading Japanese hardware sales, December 12 - 18: Festive holiday song edition

JoystiqJapanese hardware sales, December 12 - 18: Festive holiday song edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 25 Dec 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japanesehardwaresalesSun, 25 Dec 2011 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Japanese hardware sales, December 5 - 11: Gobots edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/18/japanese-hardware-sales-december-5-11-gobots-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/18/japanese-hardware-sales-december-5-11-gobots-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/18/japanese-hardware-sales-december-5-11-gobots-edition/#comments
The fact that Square Enix is releasing a transforming arcade game made us nostalgic for the first transforming car robots we encountered as youths. No, not the eponymous Transformers, but rather their oft-overlooked older siblings, the Gobots. Like everything cool in the 80s, the Gobots were originally Japanese, a toy line called "Machine Robo" localized for American consumers by Tonka.

Gobots debuted in American toy stores in 1983, with Hasbro's competing Transformers line arriving one year later. While time has certainly shown who won this battle of branding prowess, we'll always have a special place in our dark little hearts for our first experience with transforming Japanese robots.

Continue reading Japanese hardware sales, December 5 - 11: Gobots edition

JoystiqJapanese hardware sales, December 5 - 11: Gobots edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 18 Dec 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japanesehardwaresalesSun, 18 Dec 2011 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Japanese hardware sales, November 28 - December 4: Feel-good edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/11/japanese-hardware-sales-november-28-december-4-feel-good-edi/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/11/japanese-hardware-sales-november-28-december-4-feel-good-edi/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/11/japanese-hardware-sales-november-28-december-4-feel-good-edi/#comments
All right, let's just try and forget that any of this ever happened and focus on something positive, rather than dwelling on the dark, grim spectral vissage that loomed over our tiny defenseless planet last night. So! Press play on the song above, and remember that:
See? The world isn't such a bad place, you guys. Sure it has its problems, but so long as we remember to take stock of everything we have to be thankful for, we'll have the will to push through the darkness. Let's look at some hardware sales figures.

Continue reading Japanese hardware sales, November 28 - December 4: Feel-good edition

JoystiqJapanese hardware sales, November 28 - December 4: Feel-good edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 11 Dec 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japanesehardwaresalesSun, 11 Dec 2011 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Japanese hardware sales, November 21 - 27: Rampant speculation edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/04/japanese-hardware-sales-november-21-27-rampant-speculation-e/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/04/japanese-hardware-sales-november-21-27-rampant-speculation-e/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/04/japanese-hardware-sales-november-21-27-rampant-speculation-e/#comments
Thanks to our wonderful and incredibly good-looking commenter Haikiba, we now know that the ant we reported on earlier today was not licking its butt at all, but was actually infected by a deadly, behavior-modifying jungle fungus known as Cordyceps. The terrifying and fascinating specifics of the fungus are explained by the BBC Planet Earth clip above, which draws some interesting parallels between the ants and The Last of Us' teaser trailer.

For instance, once infected ants start behaving erratically, uninfected ants carry their spore-riddled brethren as far away from the nest as possible. This correlates with the quarantine signs shown in the trailers, and may explain the motivation behind the riots as well. We took a look at the source code for The Last of Us' official site, and besides discovering that the trailers are (unsurprisingly) hosted on SCEA servers, we also found a high-resolution image of Cordyceps fungi tucked away behind the embedded player.

The Planet Earth clip also mentions that there is a specific strain of Cordyceps fungi for each breed of insect that it infects; is The Last of Us a game about a human-calibrated species of Cordyceps? At the moment, all signs point to maybe.

Continue reading Japanese hardware sales, November 21 - 27: Rampant speculation edition

JoystiqJapanese hardware sales, November 21 - 27: Rampant speculation edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 04 Dec 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japanesehardwaresalesSun, 04 Dec 2011 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Japanese hardware sales, November 14 - 20: Cyber Monday edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/27/japanese-hardware-sales-november-14-20-cyber-monday-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/27/japanese-hardware-sales-november-14-20-cyber-monday-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/27/japanese-hardware-sales-november-14-20-cyber-monday-edition/#comments Tomorrow is Cyber Monday, which as far as we can tell is exactly like a regular Monday except that it's been augmented with futuristic mechanical enhancements and prosthetic limbs that replace its hands with guns or chainsaws or something. Oh! And there are sales.

Unlike Cyber Monday's wicked step-sister Black Friday, however, no one has ever been crushed to death waiting for an Amazon Lightning Deal, or received a face full of pepper-spray through their Macbook's built-in webcam. The event is still an expression of the capitalist American ideals that define our country, but it also proves that ridiculous deals can be found at your desk, rather than at the cost of your personal safety.

What we're saying is, do yourself a favor. Don't go to work tomorrow; work is hard. Stay home and shop.

Continue reading Japanese hardware sales, November 14 - 20: Cyber Monday edition

JoystiqJapanese hardware sales, November 14 - 20: Cyber Monday edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 27 Nov 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japanesehardwaresalesSun, 27 Nov 2011 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Japanese hardware sales, November 7 - 13: SOPA edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/20/japanese-hardware-sales-november-7-13-sopa-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/20/japanese-hardware-sales-november-7-13-sopa-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/20/japanese-hardware-sales-november-7-13-sopa-edition/#comments We like to poke fun around here, but the Stop Online Piracy Act is actually pretty serious business. As creative people ourselves, we're all for protecting intellectual property rights and for ensuring that those who make things for a living are able to live off what they make. What we're not okay with is the asinine notion that removing everything associated with ocean-based mercenaries from the Internet will somehow stop people from stealing software and movies. It makes zero sense.

... Oh, pirates. Like, in a figurative sense. Look, just because we're an integrally vital part of the Internet doesn't mean we understand how it works or any of the words people use on it.

Continue reading Japanese hardware sales, November 7 - 13: SOPA edition

JoystiqJapanese hardware sales, November 7 - 13: SOPA edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 20 Nov 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japanesehardwaresalesSun, 20 Nov 2011 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Japanese Hardware Sales, October 31 - November 6: Rocky road edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/13/japanese-hardware-sales-october-31-november-6-rocky-road-edi/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/13/japanese-hardware-sales-october-31-november-6-rocky-road-edi/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/13/japanese-hardware-sales-october-31-november-6-rocky-road-edi/#comments News of the cinematic adaptation of Asteroids resurfaced earlier this week when Slashfilm reported that Universal has hired Evan Spiliotopoulos (responsible for that upcoming Snow White thing) to pen the script for the worst idea anyone has ever had, and that the plot is still similar to reports from 2009: Two brothers must find each other, and themselves, in outer space. Or something.

You know, we looked into it, and it turns out Hollywood already made a much better Asteroids movie in 1998 staring Bruce Willis and Liv Tyler's mouth. It had an Aerosmith soundtrack and everything.

Continue reading Japanese Hardware Sales, October 31 - November 6: Rocky road edition

JoystiqJapanese Hardware Sales, October 31 - November 6: Rocky road edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 13 Nov 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japanesehardwaresalesSun, 13 Nov 2011 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Japanese hardware sales, October 24 - 30: Marathon preparedness edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/06/japanese-hardware-sales-october-24-30-marathon-preparedness/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/06/japanese-hardware-sales-october-24-30-marathon-preparedness/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/06/japanese-hardware-sales-october-24-30-marathon-preparedness/#comments Next week is a pretty big week you guys, what with all the Modern Warfares and Skyrims and everything, and it's crucially important to make sure that you're prepared, both physically and mentally, for the extended periods of marathon gaming that lie ahead of you.

For instance, have you told your parents/coworkers/significant other(s) about what you'll be doing all next week? In order to avoid inadvertent police reports and costly missing person investigations, make sure to brief your social network on your pending absence from organized society. Also be sure to arrange for someone to swing by and feed whatever pets you may have, as remembering to feed yourself will be enough of a responsibility.

Speaking of feeding yourself, don't forget to do that! Nutritional sustenance is vital to maintaining a continually living body, despite what your mind may tell you when it's presented with the reality of momentarily leaving Skyrim. When the time comes to evacuate your bowels, we recommend constructing a complicated series of mirrors and periscopes in order to erect a line of sight between your toilet and your television. It's a costly investment, granted, but just imagine the alternative.

Continue reading Japanese hardware sales, October 24 - 30: Marathon preparedness edition

JoystiqJapanese hardware sales, October 24 - 30: Marathon preparedness edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 06 Nov 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japanesehardwaresalesSun, 06 Nov 2011 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Japanese hardware sales, October 17 - 23: Halloween history edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/30/japanese-hardware-sales-october-17-23-halloween-history-edit/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/30/japanese-hardware-sales-october-17-23-halloween-history-edit/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/30/japanese-hardware-sales-october-17-23-halloween-history-edit/#comments We spend hours making these things every year (Jack-o-lanterns, not hardware sales posts), but do you know why we make them, or why they're called Jack-o-lanterns in the first place? Gather 'round, children:

Continue reading Japanese hardware sales, October 17 - 23: Halloween history edition

JoystiqJapanese hardware sales, October 17 - 23: Halloween history edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 30 Oct 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japanesehardwaresalesSun, 30 Oct 2011 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Japanese hardware sales, October 10 - 16: Tinseltown edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/23/japanese-hardware-sales-october-10-16-tinseltown-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/23/japanese-hardware-sales-october-10-16-tinseltown-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/23/japanese-hardware-sales-october-10-16-tinseltown-edition/#comments So normally, whenever we catch wind of another asinine video-game to movie adaptation, we photoshop the MST3k crew onto a screenshot or logo and come up with our own, equally asinine concept for an adaptation. It's a good system, and laughs are generally shared by everyone involved, but this week's horrible movie adaptation rumor is actually really great, leaving us sans-gimmick.

So, uhm, how 'bout them Japanese hardware sales?

Continue reading Japanese hardware sales, October 10 - 16: Tinseltown edition

JoystiqJapanese hardware sales, October 10 - 16: Tinseltown edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 23 Oct 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japanesehardwaresalesSun, 23 Oct 2011 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Japanese hardware sales, October 3 - 9: Forgotten Batman edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/16/japanese-hardware-sales-october-3-9-forgotten-batman-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/16/japanese-hardware-sales-october-3-9-forgotten-batman-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/16/japanese-hardware-sales-october-3-9-forgotten-batman-edition/#comments
Out of all the subplots and sidekicks and alternate timelines to turn into bonuses or DLC for Batman: Arkham City, why ignore the very best Batman of all?

Continue reading Japanese hardware sales, October 3 - 9: Forgotten Batman edition

JoystiqJapanese hardware sales, October 3 - 9: Forgotten Batman edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 16 Oct 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japanesehardwaresalesSun, 16 Oct 2011 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Japanese hardware sales, September 26 - October 2: Coming soon to a theater near you edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/09/japanese-hardware-sales-september-26-october-2-coming-soon-t/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/09/japanese-hardware-sales-september-26-october-2-coming-soon-t/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/09/japanese-hardware-sales-september-26-october-2-coming-soon-t/#comments The news of yet another inane potential video-game movie-rights deal has fired the creativity spark-plugs in our brain engines, revving our imaginations all the way to the red line. Or something. Anyway, we've come up with another brilliant game-to-film adaptation for Hollywood, since they seem fairly inept at the task, and because that's how things work around here.

In a world, ravaged by nuclear war ...
In a time, immeasurable and distant ...
One man, must embark on the journey of a lifetime, confronting ancient forces of LIFE ...
... DECAY ...
... and INSANITY.

PRIMAL RAGE. SUMMER 2013.

"WELCOME TO URTH."

Continue reading Japanese hardware sales, September 26 - October 2: Coming soon to a theater near you edition

JoystiqJapanese hardware sales, September 26 - October 2: Coming soon to a theater near you edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 09 Oct 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japanesehardwaresalesSun, 09 Oct 2011 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Japanese hardware sales, September 19 - 25: Ballz edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/02/japanese-hardware-sales-september-19-25-ballz-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/02/japanese-hardware-sales-september-19-25-ballz-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/02/japanese-hardware-sales-september-19-25-ballz-edition/#comments
Now that Bloody Roar is back on the table, we consider the fighting-game flood-gates officially open. Sure, it would make sense to bring back big-name franchises like Killer Instinct, Clayfighter, or if you want a deep cut, Battle Arena Toshinden or Bushido Blade, but where's the fun in that? Repetition and predictability is what killed the scene the last time, and if we're going to bring a series back from beyond, it should be something most people are unfamiliar with.

That's right, we're talking about Ballz, the 1994 almost-3D fighter from PF Magic and Accolade. PF Magic, you'll recall, was also responsible for the Petz franchise that would eventually become Ubisoft's bread and butter. As you can see from the video above, Ballz was so ahead of its time, the smack-talk displayed by its billboards still hasn't been invented, 17 years later. The early nineties may not have been, but we think 2011 is ready for some Ballz.

Continue reading Japanese hardware sales, September 19 - 25: Ballz edition

JoystiqJapanese hardware sales, September 19 - 25: Ballz edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 02 Oct 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japanesehardwaresalesSun, 02 Oct 2011 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Japanese hardware sales, September 12 - 18: Joystiq Noir edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/25/japanese-hardware-sales-september-12-18-joystiq-noir-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/25/japanese-hardware-sales-september-12-18-joystiq-noir-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/25/japanese-hardware-sales-september-12-18-joystiq-noir-edition/#comments "Still? Really?"

The incredulousness in Chief Grant's voice was palpable as it barked from the other side of his desk. He faced away from me, his leathery face staring aimlessly out the warped office windows, his peppered gray hair obscured by the back of his dilapidated old chair. He was as sick of this town as the rest of us, maybe even more-so. Lord knows what that man's blackened, lifeless eyes had seen.

"Yes Sir," I said. "McElroy just called from a pay phone near the scene; he says they're still beating that same horse, even though it's been dead since yesterday evening."

Continue reading Japanese hardware sales, September 12 - 18: Joystiq Noir edition

JoystiqJapanese hardware sales, September 12 - 18: Joystiq Noir edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 25 Sep 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japanesehardwaresalesSun, 25 Sep 2011 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Japanese hardware sales, September 5 - 11: Childhood mindfreak edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/18/japanese-hardware-sales-september-5-11-childhood-mindfreak-e/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/18/japanese-hardware-sales-september-5-11-childhood-mindfreak-e/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/18/japanese-hardware-sales-september-5-11-childhood-mindfreak-e/#comments
Every time Tokyo Game Show rolls around, we're always reminded of how much Japan's culture and entertainment industry has shaped and affected our lives. The video-game industry is the most obvious example of this, sure, but our childhoods were almost handcrafted by Japanese pop culture, whether we knew it then or not.

Voltron, for instance, wasn't an American cartoon and wasn't actually called "Voltron." The show is, in fact, an amalgamation of two different super robot anime from the early-eighties: Beast King GoLion and Armored Fleet Dairugger XV. Character names like "Akira Kogane" and "Takashi Shirogane" were westernized into "Commander Keith" and "Lance," and many plot devices were also changed to make the series appear less violent than it actually was. Zarkon's soldiers, for example, were referred to as robots instead of living creatures in order to mitigate the weight and implications of their deaths at the hands of the Voltron Force.

Continue reading Japanese hardware sales, September 5 - 11: Childhood mindfreak edition

JoystiqJapanese hardware sales, September 5 - 11: Childhood mindfreak edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 18 Sep 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japanesehardwaresalesSun, 18 Sep 2011 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Japanese hardware sales, August 29 - September 4: Joystiq joystick edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/11/japanese-hardware-sales-august-29-september-4-joystiq-joysti/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/11/japanese-hardware-sales-august-29-september-4-joystiq-joysti/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/11/japanese-hardware-sales-august-29-september-4-joystiq-joysti/#comments Completely of our own design and not at all a major rip-off of something else, the Joystiq Non-Joystick Joystick prototype is coming along smoothly, as you can see from the totally legit and not-at-all doctored photo above.

Play-testing is underway, and it's a lot more capable than our previous attempts at a joystickless joystick, but we're still having trouble recreating 1-to-1 movement with the new design. Frankly, the subtle design flaw causing the problem eludes us, and if we don't figure it out soon we may have to abandon the project entirely.

Continue reading Japanese hardware sales, August 29 - September 4: Joystiq joystick edition

JoystiqJapanese hardware sales, August 29 - September 4: Joystiq joystick edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 11 Sep 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japanesehardwaresalesSun, 11 Sep 2011 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Japanese hardware sales, August 22 - 28: Choose again edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/04/japanese-hardware-sales-august-22-28-choose-again-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/04/japanese-hardware-sales-august-22-28-choose-again-edition/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/04/japanese-hardware-sales-august-22-28-choose-again-edition/#comments Okay fine, so yesterday's Choose Your Own Adventure adventure may have been a little biased toward killing you. We're willing to be the bigger people here and admit that we're sorry that you think that we done you wrong, so to make it up to you we've written a second, completely fair and totally not designed to be unwinnable (we promise) Choose Your Own Adventure adventure. Enjoy!

As you settle into the captain's chair of the Cosmo-Voyage Class Starship "The Laslo Goran," the wool of your freshly pressed Universal Space-Universe Fleet uniform has given you an itch, just above your right knee.

If you want to scratch the itch, click here.

If you want to ignore it, click here.

Continue reading Japanese hardware sales, August 22 - 28: Choose again edition

JoystiqJapanese hardware sales, August 22 - 28: Choose again edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 04 Sep 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japanesehardwaresalesSun, 04 Sep 2011 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Japanese hardware sales, August 15 - 21: Pontificating post PAX edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/28/japanese-hardware-sales-august-15-21-pontificating-post-pax/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/28/japanese-hardware-sales-august-15-21-pontificating-post-pax/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/28/japanese-hardware-sales-august-15-21-pontificating-post-pax/#comments Another PAX has come and gone, and just as it begins its long migration back east, so do tens of thousands of conventionistas, each taking unique stories and memories along for the journey. As you board your flights back home, we beg that you look around yourself. For one brief, tiny moment, allow the harsh emotional walls that surround you to lower, and feel the intimate, spiritual connection you share with your fellow attendees. These people are your compatriots, your soul-sisters, your spirit animals.

"Remember when that stuff happened?" someone might say. "I do remember," their friend will reply. "I do remember the stuff."

And silently, you'll smile to yourself, because you remember the stuff as well.

Continue reading Japanese hardware sales, August 15 - 21: Pontificating post PAX edition

JoystiqJapanese hardware sales, August 15 - 21: Pontificating post PAX edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 28 Aug 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japanesehardwaresalesSun, 28 Aug 2011 23:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Japanese hardware sales, August 8 - 14: Oh wait, never mind edition]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/21/japanese-hardware-sales-august-8-14-oh-wait-never-mind-edit/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/21/japanese-hardware-sales-august-8-14-oh-wait-never-mind-edit/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/21/japanese-hardware-sales-august-8-14-oh-wait-never-mind-edit/#comments So, it turns out the complete collapse of all functional society that we predicted last week didn't actually end up happening, and in fact, now things look better than ever. Hooray!

Other than the PS2 and some DSi/Lite/LL sales that got cannibalized by the 3DS, everything is back in the black. Hell, even the PSPGo managed to sell 20 units somehow, a feat nearly as impressive as the 3DS' over-four-thousand-percent rebound. Slicing a massive chunk off of your product's MSRP does amazing things to your sales, it turns out. Head on through for the raw data.

Continue reading Japanese hardware sales, August 8 - 14: Oh wait, never mind edition

JoystiqJapanese hardware sales, August 8 - 14: Oh wait, never mind edition originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 21 Aug 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>JapaneseHardwareSalesSun, 21 Aug 2011 23:30:00 EST