News Nuggets - theOtaku.com
EA Sports: It's In The (Psychic) Game ~SomeGuy4
09
Feb
Since 2004, EA Sports has made predictions on each year's Superbowl by doing a simulation with that year's Madden NFL game. Well, this year's Madden 10 predicted a 35-31 win for New Orleans... and lo and behold (albeit with 31-17), the Saints won! Virtua!Madden even correctly predicted Drew Brees would nail the Superbowl MVP. And sure, coincidences are coincidences, so whatever... 'til you realize that EA Sports' Madden predictions have now correctly predicted 6 out of the last 7 Superbowls. Then it gets scary. Awesomely scary.
Japan Getting MOAR POKEMON This Year ~Snowy Day13
05
Feb
We haven't gotten HeartGold and SoulSilver yet here in the States, but Japan is already throwing the Master Ball for another new Pokemon title to hit shores sometime this year. There are no details other than it's a continuation of the series proper and everyone else in the world won't see it until next year at the earliest. Will we ever catch 'em all? Probably not.
Please Tell Me They Dry-Clean the Returns ~Dark Edge11
04
Feb
What a crazy market. Apparently, there is a company in Kyoto that allows customers to get underwear on a rent-to-own basis. For example, a bra retails for ¥13,000 (about $124 USD), but for a 15-month contract, you only have to put down ¥3,900 ($37 USD) initially and ¥500 ($4 USD) for the next 14 months. Convenient and freaky all at once. Way to multi-task, Japan.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Confirmed For Adult Swim ~Sangome19
04
Feb
It's finally confirmed, folks. Adult Swim is set to air Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, on February 14th at 12:00 AM EST/PST (February 13th at 11:00 PM for all our friends in CST). Happy Valentines Day, indeed.
Hedgehog Returns to Console 2D ~Ace4
04
Feb
Sonic the Hedgehog is returning to the second dimension. Returning to the original storyline, Sonic 4 will pick up the story from where Sonic and Knuckles left off over 15 years ago. The catch? It's episodic. The game will be released in chunks, much like Tales of Monkey Island or Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People. Whether the game will satisfy the "classic" Sonic cravings the fans have been demanding of Sega for years now remains to be seen.
The Academy Awards are Up, Up, and Away ~Timber7
03
Feb
Unfortunately for Miyazaki, Ponyo did not manage to score a nomination for the Oscar for Best Animated Film. However, Disney and Pixar's Up is up (haha) for Best Picture, marking the second time in history that an animated film has been nominated in the category (the last one was Beauty and the Beast in 1991). Adventure is out there!
How Do You Celebrate Unicorn? With GIANT ROBOTS ~redjacketalchemis3
02
Feb
In celebration for the release of Gundam Unicorn, Bandai will be officially streaming several Gundam series for a limited time. Currently, "Mobile Suit Gundam" English dub is available on Crunchyroll, and "Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam" with English subtitles is also available ANN.
Another Reason To Travel Hong Kong... ~SomeGuy8
26
Jan
The Fragrant Harbour just got a little more fun for traveling. Hong Kong International Airport made a deal with Sony Computer Entertainment Hong Kong to install 14 public use Playstation 3 kiosks throughout its terminals and coach stations. Travellers killing time can kick back with, among others, Uncharted 2, Assassin's Creed 2, or even Final Fantasy XIII (gotta love Asia). Somehow, from what I've seen from a single PS3 demo kiosk at work... 14 ain't gonna be enough...
One Piece Theme Park Opens in March ~ThousandMaster3
26
Jan
The Laguna Gamori marine resort complex, located in Gamori City, Aichi Prefecture, announced Monday that it will host a "One Piece Memorial Log in Lagunasia" theme park attraction from March 20-June 27. Laguna Gamori is promoting the new project as Japan's first attraction to follow and recreate the journey of Luffy and his gang.
Great Fortune For "Lucky Star" Town ~The Mask2
24
Jan
The town of Washiyama, Saitama Prefecture, Japan is definitely lucky. Ever since it became known as the setting for "Lucky Star", the town has earned approximately ¥1 billion (about $11 million USD) in revenue from tourists and merchandise sales. Visitors to the city have also increased by a reported 500 percent since 2007. Who says anime isn't boosting the economy?
We Want You, Haruhi Fans ~The Mask9
22
Jan
The TV Tokyo program "Cine-tsu" will be filming a segment at the Anime Jungle store in Los Angeles for a forthcoming episode about the upcoming anime film "The Vanishment of Haruhi Suzumiya", and they want Haruhi fans and cosplayers to go there and join the fun. The event will be held on January 25 (Monday) at 5:30 pm.
Gundam Statue: An Economic Savior? ~The Mask1
22
Jan
According to the government of Shizuoka City, the Gundam statue is expected to attract 900,000 visitors and bring in ¥ 40 billion (or around US $440 million) to the local economy within 300 days once it will be erected in the city later this year. Aside from that, 9,600 jobs will also be generated for several operations in the site.
BBC Guy Sells His Toys For Haiti ~The Mask1
22
Jan
Because he doesn't have enough room in his home, British Broadcasting Company (BBC) presenter Jonathan Ross will be selling some of his Japanese toy collections through the Mandarake toy shop in Japan. And as an added bonus, proceeds of the sale will be for the benefit of the Haiti earthquake victims.
British Woman's Pokemon Collection Gets The Guinness ~The Mask3
22
Jan
Twenty-one year old disabled British woman Lisa Courtney has been awarded with the Guinness World Record for having the world's largest Pokemon memorabilia collection. For the past 12 years, Courtney has collected around 13,000 Pokemon items, and it has served to help her cope with the bullying that she endured in school due to her disabled arm.
The Past 50 Years of Manga ~The Mask0
22
Jan
The Yomiuri Shimbun has published an interview with Doraemon co-creator Fujiko Fujio A and manga creator and critic Jun Ishikawa regarding the past 50 years of the manga industry. In the interview, they discuss the birth of the manga magazines "Weekly Shonen Magazine" and "Weekly Shonen Sunday" in 1959, the state of the manga industry during the olden days, and the developments in the industry as the years passed by.
