If you’re the type of person that likes to pick up older games for cheaper, such as those yearly sports games, don’t be expecting to be able to go online for any multiplayer for any of EA’s 2011 or older. Server space is of course finite, so EA is having to go through with another batch of server cuts to games this month. Unfortunately, while the majority of the games losing their servers are sports games the PC/Mac The Sims 2 is not, but still suffering from EA’s lack of space along with the iOS Trenches II.
A complete list of the games losing online servers, dates, and systems is as follows, so those looking for any possible online achievements should hop to it:
As was expected from their filing of bankruptcy in mid-December THQ has now been delisted from the NASDAQ Stock Exchange. Another blow to the company as it continues through the bankruptcy process, while delisted from NASDAQ the stock itself is still technically tradeable under the stock symbol THQIQ (the additional Q denoting the bankruptcy). What does this mean for those currently holding stock in the company? Trade them while you can, as after the bankruptcy is approved it will be privately owned and will likely be worth nothing, though at the time of writing THQ stock is only worth 22 cents a piece.
While the future of currently in production games is supposed to be secure in their development and release, only time will tell what will come of the company after the bankruptcy is approved and owned by, hopefully, people that know how to make money.
The Winter 2013 anime season has already begun partially and as such, Luke Hallidayand myself have chosen to share what we will be picking up, at least to start with, for this Winter season. While some may say that this season is very weak, I’ve found plenty of good looking shows to pick up and of course, plenty of romcom and harem shows! Here are the series that I will be picking up this season:
Puchimas! Petit Idolmaster If you enjoyed the original iDOLM@STER anime series then you may want to keep an eye out on this simplistic show focused around the daily lives of the 765 Pro idols with the added additions of creatures called “Puchidoru.” These little things are chibi creatures that resemble their idol counterparts not only in appearance but also in personality.
The show is unfortunately a mini-series that lasts only a few minutes each, but it will be aired daily on NicoNico. I adored the original iDOLM@STER series and the fact that so far this mini-show has had me laughing often and while the show may not interest most, it is a cute show about girls doing random things with their chibi-selves and a great way to spend a couple minutes each day.
Mangirl! This is certainly a strange title at first glance, considering it’s name but thankfully it is not a series about a hermaphrodite. Instead it actually promises to tell the story of female manga editors and how they have entered the field with almost no experience.
While this series may not have been something I would originally check out, the fact that this is again only a few minute long episode per airing makes it worth giving a shot. Plus with the promise of plenty of comedy in each episode, it’s worth at least checking out, even if it will be a cute girls doing cute things type of series.
Ai Mai Mi There really is something about five minute shows this Winter season, as not only are there quite a few airing this time, but a number of them have caught my eye. Ai Mai Mi will tell the story of a manga club with girls named Ai, Mai Mi and Ponoka as they deal with strange situations that apparently involve aliens when they aren’t working on manga.
This series was something I was about to pass over thanks to the first promotional video that was released. Not only does it contain some sub-par looking animation but the story itself sounds rather strange. However the strange off-the-wall humor, plus the fact that it’s advertisement shows what appears to be an octopus in a pot, makes me want to give it at least a few episodes before dropping.
Cuticle Tantei Inaba After looking at the summary of this anime, let alone the promo videos, have made me nominate Cuticle for perhaps the strangest sounding show of this season. The anime follows the story of a werewolf detective called Inaba Hiroshi who has a hair fetish. He is a private detective that has two assistants, a sadistic traip called Sasaki Yuuta and a partially-normal Part-timer Nozaki Kei. Not only does the group have to investigate a number of strange occurences, but they also have to hunt down a goat named Don Valentino that likes to eat money.
This show is absolutely nuts sounding and thanks ot the fact that there are some crazy looking characters and situations, I’m picking up this show for a number of reasons. Mainly thanks to the fact that it looks like a rather simplistic and fun show with off-the-wall situations and over-the-top character interactions.
Maoyuu Maou Yuusha A hero hunting down and killing the demon lord is something common amongst both anime and video games but would that really put an end to the fighting forever? The series Maoyuu Maou Yuusha seems to tackle that issue as the human’s strongest warrior enters the Demon Queen’s castle to slay her. However the Queen asks the hero to work together with her in an effort to bring peace to both sides without causing more conflict, because the sudden stop of war would ultimately lead to fighting amongst the victor.
I’m often one to pass over some of the more dramatic series when possible, however Spice and Wolf was one of my favorite series of all time, and now that promotional videos and more information for this series have been released, the anime feels similar to Spice and Wolf in quite a few ways. There is a lot of potential here and new situations that can be explored, so I cannot wait to see where this series may end up even though it is only twelve episodes long.
Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru Perhaps contender for the longest name of the season, I’ve actually been following the OreShura a little bit over the past few months and the story follows a group of highschoolers unlucky in love, though mostly through their own means. Eita hates everything to do with love and spends all of his time studying, however when the most beautiful girl in school Natsukawa confesses her love to him, he must accept. Though when Eita receives this confession, his childhood friend Chiwa is so annoyed that she will not give Eita up without a fight. Then when two new girls appear, this man who hates love suddenly finds himself in the middle of a love pentagon.
This type of series is bread and butter for me with it being your classic harem romcom and thanks to the fact that all of the girls in OreShura seem to have great characteristics and personalities, the series should shine. With Masuzu’s mysterious and theatrical side paired along Chiwa’s energetic loyalty and the fact that one of the girls suffers from some chuunibyou issues (looking at you Chu2Koi), there is plenty of great situations waiting to happen.
Senran Kagura Bouncing breasts. Well… I suppose I need to go into more detail than that. The Senran Kagura series is actually based off of a video game series of the same name. The story follows a group of ninja girls who attend Hanzou Academy, with the five girls being Ikaruaga, Katsuragi, Asuka, Yagyuu and Hibari, each of which fits your standard moe personality such as tomboy, stoic, clumsy and others.
The game series is known for its high levels of fan service and ripping clothes, but never any nudity. However now that the series has an anime, that will all change. Senran Kagura will sell itself on the high levels of fan service, bouncing breasts and panty shots as well as plenty of action. Pretty much anyone who enjoyed Freezing or Sekirei will find themselves enjoying this series, then again anyone who loves fan service and ecchi situations will be pleased. That is, if it isn’t obscured with horrible To-Love-Ru Darkness censorship…
Love Live! School Idol Project Love Live! School Idol Project is a unique sounding anime experience thanks to one thing. Audience Participation. Love Live! will allow Japanese fans to actually vote on what will happen to their favorite idol characters as the anime progresses, though how drastic these votes may change the direction of the anime are currently unknown. Either way, the story of Love Live! follows the story of a group of nine high school girls who want to become idols in an effort to boost the popularity of their school so that it will not be shut down.
Considering I already mentioned how I enjoyed the IDOLM@STER series, this should come as no real surprise. The few promotional videos I’ve seen so far as well as a couple of musical performances released for the band that this is helping promote, Muse, show that the JPop performances should be rather enjoyable and considering the fact this is, at least of the time of writing, the only anime of this season licensed for release in the West, it is certainly worth paying attention to.
AMNESIA We’ve already seen our standard harem romcom and ecchi packed shows of the season, now we have our standard otome video game adaptation and after checking out Arcana Famiglia this Summer I feel like checking out yet another otome style game. This time around, AMNESIA follows the story of a woman who wakes up one morning with no memory of who she is or anything around her. As such she must try to remember who she is with the help of a spirit called “Orion” while also trying to meet up with her boyfriend who she has no recollection of.
Considering outside of Kimi ni todoke and Arcana Famiglia, I haven’t had much experience with the otome genre, so this may be something that will likely only be given a few episodes and dropped if it does not turn out to be interesting very quickly, though the basic premise is intriguing, especially with all of the supernatural elements.
GJ-bu (Good Job Club) The origin of GJ-bu is a bit strange, as it is actually based off a novel that consists of 4koma… which is something I’ve never heard of at this point. Thanks to this and from what the promo videos have shown, the story of this anime is literally no story. Instead of that the show will directly focus on the life of the various characters and that is pretty much it.
GJ-bu seems like one of your standard shut your brain off and enjoy anime and I’m perfectly fine with that. The character designs aren’t especially attractive, but still something I feel like enjoying mostly thanks to the fact it will be slice-of-life comedy with cute characters doing cute things for a half hour every week, which at times is good enough for me.
Sasami-san@Ganbaranai Tsukuyomi Sasami is a hikikomori who has zero motivation to actually do anything and instead spends her days watching the outside world through her computer. Through this survelliance she kjeeps an eye on her brother as he encounters a number of girls who all seem to draw him into your standard harem romantic comedy.
Thanks to the fact that this is a romcom I’m already intrigued, but considering the fact that Shaft is working on the anime this is a must watch for me. This seems like a standard romcom that actually will be anything but thanks to the fact that the harem candidates look to be about as far away from run-of-the-mill as you can get.
Vividred Operation This is an original series which usually would give me pause except for one thing. Vividred is being directed by the same man who handled the Strike Witches series, Takamura Kazuhiro. As such this is already ranked highly with me and if promo videos are anything to go by, the series seems to be quite similar to Strike Witches in a number of ways, though it has seen an upgrade from flying panties to short shorts.
Either way, in the world of Vividred there exists a machine known as the Manifestation Engine that makes energy consumption a thing of the past and the world is at peace, however when aliens invade Earth to steal the Engine, they must be fought off with powerful weapons known as Palette Suits. As such, Isshiki Akane, Futaba Aoi and other girls must work together to hold off these aliens that have been dubbed the “Alone.” Thanks to the pedigree of the series and the number of well-known staff behind the project, Vividred looks like it just may be the best show this season.
Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai NEXT The second season to the original which aired last year, Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai NEXT is an easy pick up for me thanks to how much I enjoyed the first season as the antics of the Neighbors Club are just too much to avoid. It looks like the story will pick up with the same pace as before, with the now short-haired Yozora butting heads against Sena as Kodoka gets stuck in the middle of the two, while also having to deal with a boys-love loving mad scientist Rika and the maid-trap Yukimura.
This second season looks to continue the same exact type of antics, though obviously with more story development as the characters grow closer together while trying to make friends with others. As such, I’m looking forward to this unique romantic comedy once again.
Mondai-Ji-tachi ga Isekai Kara Kuru sou Desu yo? Actually, take back what I mentioned about OreShura, this series has the longest name this season. The story of this anime follows a group of three problem children who have been sent letters by a mysterious bunny eared girl. These letters have been sent to them because they happen to possess powerful supernatural abilities and when they open these letters, they are transported to a fantasy world where they will have to battle against a number of evil creatures and eventually even fight the Devil King himself.
This story is actually an adaptation of a light novel series and with it comes a great sounding plot that is a bit similar to a few shows in recent memory. The closest of which would be Dog Days, and it should really come as no surprise that the same director behind that series, Kusakawa Keizou, is helming this anime as well. The story looks like it may develop into a harem of some kind, though that may not be the case by the time is all said and done. Either way, this one is another highlight for me and a good one to finish this list with.
With the Winter 2013 anime season well and truly upon us, myself and Travis Bruno have decided to share our picks for this season. Of the many series slated to air this Winter, I find myself not seeing any obvious standouts. Instead I see a few good shows with potential. These are the series that I will be watching this season of anime:
Maoyu:
An epic Tolkien styled fantasy anime? Count me in! One look at the trailer for this anime had me sold. It focuses on an unnamed Hero and Demon Queen that must work together in order to bring a lasting peace to both warring sides of a seemingly endless battle between humans and demons. It’s got an interesting premise and it very well could be the sleeper hit of this season.
My only worry with this series is that it is being produced by ARMS a studio that I don’t personally have a fondness for after numerous lackluster series. Here’s to hoping that this one lives up to its potential despite being done by a studio with a less than impressive track record.
Cuticle Detective Inaba:
I plan on picking up this one for viewing based simply on the bizarre concept. It’s just so weird that it could actually be good, but on the other hand it could also be an utter mess. Regardless I’m interested in checking this out whether it is great or a train wreck both would make for great viewing no doubt. I guess I should probably try explain what this anime is about right? Okay I’ll give this a shot..
Cuticle Detective Inaba follows the titular detective who happens to be part wolf as he solves crimes by examining peoples hair through taste. Because of his unique ‘style’ of investigation he has developed a hair fetish. His secretary is a cross-dressing little boy and his arch enemy is a mafia boss who happens to be a goat named Don Valentino who has a fetish of eating money.
So this could either be pure genius or the aforementioned train wreck. Either way I’m tuning in for this one.
Senran Kagura: This looks like it could be a fun action series. I know next to nothing about it, besides the fact it’s based on a side-scrolling action game featuring a cast of big breasted women. There is really only one main reason that you would be watching this one, I’d be honestly shocked if you had another reason, it’s best summed up in the words of Travis Bruno: “Boobs.”
Phantom Thief Roman: It’s no secret that I love Monkey Punch and his huge body of work. In particular I’m a fan of his most famous creation Lupin the 3rd. When I first took a look at Phantom Thief Roman I couldn’t escape the feeling that it would be like Lupin in 18th century Japan. That’s pretty much what it is and that alone has me sold on this one.
There is something so astonishing about Monkey Punch’s series that just captures my imagination like no other can. It’s his sense of adventure, humour and excitement that is unlike any others, it’s uniquely Monkey Punch and it seems Phantom Thief Roman carries that spirit. This is a must watch for me.
Chihayafuru Season 2:
Season 1 of Chihayafuru was a huge surprise to me. I never imagined it to be the complex and exciting series that it turned out to be. It was well written with a fully-realised cast of characters, setting and concept. I never knew anything about the game of Karuta before watching Chihayafuru but admittedly it is something I’d love to give a try one day. The way that this game/sport is animated and portrayed is utterly enthralling and Madhouse did not skimp on highlighting the beauty of it all.
Because of my love for season 1 of Chihayafuru it only makes sense that I’d pick up season 2. I can’t wait to spend some more time with Chihaya and friends and witness their successes, failures and above all else their love of Karuta.
All in all this is easily the series I’m most excited for this relatively quiet season of anime and as a fan of the series I couldn’t be more happy.
Upcoming indie open-world RPG, Legends of Dawn, is coming to both Kickstarter and Steam Greenlight thanks to developer Dreamatrix and Aurofinity. The RPG looks like a fantasy game where players will be adventuring across landscapes and battling large monsters of death.
The team behind the game are confident that they will have it released by February, but are in need of some emergency funding to pay for Voice Actors and for some licenses that they’ve integrated into their engine. You should check out the Kickstarter page for info on how you can back them and the rewards you can receive for doing so. You should also check out the Steam Greenlight page for information on voting for the game to be released.
Unsurprisingly, iPhone 6 and iOS 7 has been reportedly in development as many devs have noticed iOS 7 and “iPhone 6,1” flags have shown up in the app usage logs. The Next Web has traced the IP showing up in the logs to have originated from Apple’s Cupertino campus, meaning these flags are most likely not faked.
Currently, no official announcement or acknowledgement of iOS 7 or iPhone 6 has been made from Apple, but the probability that Apple is working on both is extremely high. At this point, we can only speculate if iPhone 6,1 means an actual iPhone 6 or simply an iPhone 5s. Read more about the flags here.
Capcom Senior Vice President Christan Svensson posted on the official Capcom forums about their plans for the Wii U. “With regard to WiiU, in general we’re looking forward, not back so late ports are generally not on the table,” said Svensson. The announcement should hopefully put to rest any active hopes that big Capcom titles like Resident Evil 6 will not see a Wii U release any time soon.
This move separates Capcom from other publishers like Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment and EA who have been quick to bring older titles like Arkham City and Mass Effect 3 to the Wii U.
Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment and Lego Group announced Lego Legends of Chima set of games to compliment the recently released Legends of Chima universe. Legends of Chima now includes Lego construction sets, vehicles, a TV series, and three video games.
The first game is Lego Legends of Chima: Speedorz for iOS and browsers. The racing game will feature major Legends of Chima characters racing through Chima. Players will be able to collect studs to customize their characters and Speedorz while racing for the Golden CHI. Legends of Chima: Speedor will be released for iOS on January 3rd and on Lego.com shortly. The game is developed jointly by TT Games and 4T2.
Lego Legends of Chima: Laval’s Journey will be released for PSP Vita in summer 2013 and Nintendo 3DS in autumn 2013. The game features the warrior Laval and friends in their epic adventure. The game will be developed by TT Games.
Lego Legends of Chima Online is a free to play game for children by WB Games Montreal. Players will be able to use the Chima Vault and collect points from Speedorz and Laval’s Journey to cash in for special rewards usable in Legends of Chima Online. Players will build and customize their equipment and kingdom with LEGO bricks and quest through Chima to assist Laval.
You may recall a certain game called Crimson Dragon, or perhaps Project Draco, which is a Kinect game for the XBLA that features the original developers of the Panzer Dragoon series and how it was meant to be released sometime earlier this year. However not only did that release never happen, information concerning the title has been very slim.
However Microsoft recently placed a demo for the game on the Japanese Xbox Marketplace by accident and then pulled it off, but before they could do so a few gamers were able to acquire the demo. As such, you can now check out a video of someone playing through the, surprisingly in English, demo below. As for a release date, currently there is no known date nor still any word from Microsoft concerning the title.
If you were hoping to be playing the Ragnarok Online 2 English open beta now that it will finally be launched tomorrow, well you’re probably out of luck. After providing numerous stress tests allowing people from all over the world to access the game and test out it’s features, Asia Soft has announced that they will not be bringing the beta to 95% of those countries.
In fact, this English beta will only be available to residents that live in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand or Vietnam. Apparently the reason for this is due to a licensing agreement with the developer of the game Gravity and they have apologized on their Facebookpage, though fans of the game are rightly outraged and are launching numerous tirades against the company for not revealing this fact sooner.
Hope is not lost though, as Ragnarok Online 2 will apparently be released in North America and the Philippines sometime later this year, but thanks to this little fiasco, Gravity will probably have a lot of work to do to make it up to disappointed fans.
