Dark Diamond

Kawaii: Rock that asian pose

Sol — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:33:31 +0000

Listed as the definitive guide to Asian poses, aptly named Asianposes.com sets the stage for learning the hardest of poses. As challenges are listed, strike your pose and upload the greatest pics for the world to see…poser weeaboos need not apply.

[AsianPoses]

© Sol d-_-b for Dark Diamond, 2009. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Cute , Japanese Culture , Kawaii

Cute, Japanese Culture, Kawaii

Killing has never been so much fun: Magic Usage in Bayonetta

Sol — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:11:20 +0000

In more revealing witch goodness, Platinum Games demonstrated there are more wicked ways than a simple bullet storm, death hair slam, or leggy roundhouse kick to slay an enemy. Unleash your magical energy for a “torture attack”, dealing a myriad of successive moves to send the demons back from whence they came forth.

[Gametrailers via/ Joystiq]

© Sol d-_-b for Dark Diamond, 2009. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bayonetta , Hot , Videogames

Bayonetta, Hot, Videogames

An Animated Epic? Dante’s Inferno Anime Spin-off

Sol — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:10:20 +0000

Due out in February in both Blu-ray and DVD formats, Dante’s Inferno: An Animated Epic is a collaborative effort by several studios to create “6 terrifying visions of Hell”. It looks fun, gory, and reminiscent of Le Chevalier D’Eon if I was having a bad acid trip.

© Sol d-_-b for Dark Diamond, 2009. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Anime , Cross over , Videogames

Anime, Cross over, Videogames

Experience The Darkside… Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles

Sol — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:59:01 +0000

To kick off the North American release of The Darkside Chronicles for the Wii Capcom released what they dub as the first interactive game trailer. While being very similar in style to the Super Mario Youtube smash video, Capcom get us ready for some zombie killing. Have your mouse ready…

[GameTrailers]

© Sol d-_-b for Dark Diamond, 2009. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Marketing , Resident-Evil , Wii

Marketing, Resident-Evil, Wii

iPhone Apps: Number Farming Found in Vampires Live

Sol — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:52:57 +0000

With yesterday’s iPhone post listing some merits of game development, there is a seedier side to owning what amounts to a GPS handheld computer wherever you go. A lawsuit has been filed with Studio8, makers of the popular Vampires Live, Ninjas Live, Racing Live, and a number of other (insert noun) Live games. The suit alleges Strom8 knowingly inserted an electronic backdoor to farm phone numbers from downloaders.

Is it all worth the fervor? Some would say no, I mean everyone has access to your telephone right? You give your number to universities, pizza chains, and a number of other businesses. Whether it be an error in judgement, although Storm8 notes it’s a bug, the point of contention for me is a privacy issue. As a business decision recording phone numbers may be a way just to track who is downloading it, but as a marketing decision I see a way to profit by selling my private information to 3rd parties. If you take my information tell me. If I find out later you’ve done it secretly, I’ll be none too pleased. Wouldn’t you be upset if Domino’s and PizzaHut sold your information and home address to telemarketers or am I just being crazy?

[BoingBoing]

© Sol d-_-b for Dark Diamond, 2009. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: iphone , privacy , public service , Vampires

iphone, privacy, public service, Vampires

iPhone Sweetness, Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies

Sol — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:41:59 +0000

Last year we felt Apple’s chest pounding on the iPhone being the greatest mobile gaming device ever, was a bit premature. Now with nearly 100,000 apps and counting, the iPhone continues to be in the headlines as both indie and corporate developers further exploit the technology producing rich content and memorable experiences, although I’d add we continue to mock said statement. In the case of Call of Duty: World at War: Zombies (CoDWaRZ?), the IdeaWorks Game Studios port of its console counterpart delivers. While one of the more expensive apps, the $9.99 goes a long way and is sure to suck down your battery life.

The app allows for multiplayer over WiFi and Bluetooth, with a promise of DLC in the future. After I got it installed and played the first tutorial round I found the controls a little wonky, but you have the option of using the accelerometers in leu of the onscreen virtual controls which provide the feeling of more control. It takes some getting used too, but I know I’ll be playing this for some time.

CoDWaRZ iTunes

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All screens from me.

© Sol d-_-b for Dark Diamond, 2009. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Call-of-Duty , iphone , Mobile-Games , zombies

Call-of-Duty, iphone, Mobile-Games, zombies

What’s under there? Underwear! Empowering Unmentionables

Sol — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:41:26 +0000

To be fair and balanced, I’ve thrown a bone for the men and some balls for my ladies. First up , called “Nice Cup in Bra”, Triumph International Japan gives us the meditative relief of a hole in one. The 1.5 meter unfurling grass-green top exposes two cups which chant out “Nice Shot” with each successful putt. Want to complete the outfit and be a foe on the course? The bottom half of this cheeky skirt, emblazoned with “Be Quiet” on the rear, allows for easy removal to be used as an audience flag, signaling others to shush. You mean business.

[PinkTentacle]

And for my bros I give you, “Oda Nobunaga”. I know it’s a mouthful and at $100 bucks a pair a bit pricey, but what better way of strolling through your job as a salaryman, sealing the deal with the pride and nobility of the magnificent samurai underneath your power suit.

[Mainichi Daily News]

© Sol d-_-b for Dark Diamond, 2009. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Fashion , Japanese Culture , Samurai , WTF

Fashion, Japanese Culture, Samurai, WTF

The Zombie Apocalypse Is Here… Again

Ivan 'Nahu' Lozano — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:40:51 +0000

Oh yes, it’s that time of the year again, the time where strangers and relatives turn on you, get violent and an insatiable thirst for flesh. No, not the start of the holyday season, although that makes sense, I’m talking about the Zombie Apocalypse, it’s back once more with Left 4 Dead 2. The game just got released a few hours ago and I’m giving it three thumbs up (it’s a birth defect). But just as with the holidays, the spirit of the zombie apocalypse is also that of sharing. So let’s share the warm fuzzy feeling of shooting the horde of the undead together!

Join the Dark Diamond Steam Group where you’ll be able to play with some of us as well as with other dear readers. You can bet that’s all we’ll be playing for days. Also feel free to share your Xbox Live Gamertags, phone numbers, credit card details and social security numbers.

© Nahu for Dark Diamond, 2009. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Horror , L4D , Survival , Videogames , zombies

Horror, L4D, Survival, Videogames, zombies

Barely Games: The Unexploited Power Of Pretend Games

Ivan 'Nahu' Lozano — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:56:32 +0000

Yes, you can pretend to be Konata, but we aren’t talking about that kind of pretend. This is about the games of pretend you played as a kid, when the colored squares in the floor were lava and you’d die if you stepped on them. And also the kind you play today, even when you’d never admit it, like when you sit at your desk and pretend to be working for 8 hours a day.

We’re kidding on that last one, but Russell Davies takes pretend very seriously and he thinks it should become a bigger part of gaming in the future. He gave a presentation at London’s Playful event on the place pretending takes on our lives and how utterly magical it can be when we use it for gaming. This is augmented reality like you haven’t seen it before. The full presentation transcript, along with the slides and videos are on his site it its a must read. It’s smart, funny and very insightful. If you care for the deeper meanings of gaming or augmented reality you’d do yourself a favor by reading it.

[Russell Davies / Via Wonderland]

© Nahu for Dark Diamond, 2009. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Augmented-reality , Gaming Design , Videogames

Augmented-reality, Gaming Design, Videogames

Prejudice, Grammar & Metaphysics: A Day In The Life Of An English Teacher In Japan

Ivan 'Nahu' Lozano — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 10:05:26 +0000

Being a language teacher in a foreign country is never easy, in a country as prejudiced and complex as Japan it’s even harder. Here’s a little video which pokes fun at the ridiculous and uncomfortable situations of an English teacher in Japan. It’s a bit hit-or-miss but I was cracking up one minute in.

Now if you excuse me I have to go call the police, there’s a lood party next door.

[Japan Probe]

Japan, video, WTF

Cosplay Sells: Japan, Cosplay And Backpacks

Ivan 'Nahu' Lozano — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 10:39:20 +0000

This isn’t exactly a new entry in our long series of cosplay sells TV ads, but it is a derivative of one. Kyowa, a brand of backpacks in Japan, is taking a page from Aeon with their latest TV ad. In Kyowa’s ad we see a foreign aerobics instructor doing an energetic routine while repeating a tagline and… weird creatures dance in the back.

Aeon’s ad featured a cute anglo-japanese idol doing a dance along with little kids dressed as bears in the back. Perhaps when it comes to Japan and backpacks you better not mess with the formula. It’s almost like mad libs!

Foreign female dressed as NOUN does VERB while little PLURAL NOUN dance in the back.

I propose: Foreign female dressed as a zebra does pantomime while little ducks dance in the back. I’d buy that backpack! Now its your turn guys, show us your ideas in the comments!

[Japan Probe]

Ads, Cosplay, Japan, WTF

Videogame Voice Acting: Worst Moments

Ivan 'Nahu' Lozano — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:35:45 +0000

We’ve all heard horrible voice acting, for crying out loud, we love anime and there’s hardly a better example of horrible voice acting than english dubbed anime. Games are no exception though, specially during the days of the PSX and the early years of the PS2. Here’s a video compilation of some of Videogame’s worst voice acting moments.

It becomes pretty obvious pretty fast that bad voice acting is out there and there’s plenty of it, but that there’s also a huge amount of horrendous dialogue to begin with, specially Japanese games localized to english. Dear localizers, stop trying to sound like what you think a cool 13 year old sounds like. Now if you’ll excuse me “I have to stay alive and write this article before I die”.

© Nahu for Dark Diamond, 2009. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: video , Videogames , voice acting , WTF

video, Videogames, voice acting, WTF

Roombas Go Retro For Fully Playable Pac-Man

Ivan 'Nahu' Lozano — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:00:11 +0000

I cant believe no one had done this before, if you had asked me I’d sworn I’d seen this some years ago. A group of researchers from Colorado University took a group of Roombas, those cheap, charming and delightfully exploitable vacuuming robots, and turned them into a gigantic Pac-Man game, complete with user controlled Pac-Man, Furtive ghosts and many, many dots.

Now how about someone sets one of these lose in the highway for a quick game of Roomba Frogger?

[Gizmodo]

© Nahu for Dark Diamond, 2009. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Fan made , Hacks , Retro , Robots , Videogames

Fan made, Hacks, Retro, Robots, Videogames

Nintendo Starts A Witch Hunt Against R4 Sellers

Ivan 'Nahu' Lozano — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:36:22 +0000

Are you a witch? Are you or have you ever been a member of the communist party? Do you sell an R4? You haven’t? Funny because your friends say you do!

Oh haven’t you heard? Witch Hunts are in style once again thanks to Nintendo in Japan. The company, along with a coalition of other gaming industry companies are asking people to rat out people or companies selling the R4 backup player for the Nintendo DS. In a secure and anonymous website users are asked to tip Nintendo off about individuals or companies selling the device which allows you to play downloaded copies of games, they are even going after personal auctions selling an R4. The intention is to use the information in a legal suit Nintendo has against the selling of the device.

Call me old fashioned but when you’re asking your customers to rat out on each other, even on a personal level, that’s just asking for trouble. Thankfully this is only in Japan, sadly this is only in Japan and unless Nintendo somehow insults the nationalist spirit of Japan no one is going to say as much as a peep about it.

[Kotaku]

© Nahu for Dark Diamond, 2009. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: DS , law , Nintendo , Piracy , Videogames

DS, law, Nintendo, Piracy, Videogames

Gargantuan Gigantor Gets Glorified

Ivan 'Nahu' Lozano — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:20:07 +0000

Mark another one that after over a year of tracking went past my head, the giant Tetsuyin 28 statue built on Kobe for the character’s 30th anniversary was finally unveiled last month. No moving parts, no steam, no dramatic lighting. Just a quiet reminder of the founder of Japan’s dream of one day ruling the world with a robotic fist.

I for one welcome our future mechanical overlords.

Anime, Japan, Manga, Mecha