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Click to watch embedded media The gaming IP arms race continued today as Sony bought vaunted developer Bungie for a whopping $3.6 billion. But what does that mean for Destiny fans and the industry at large? Join us on this discussion video as we talk about all of that and so much more. Alex Stadnik is here with associate editor Jill Grodt and Magazine Content Director, and huge Bungie fan Matt Miller to break down today's breaking news. We start by discussing the particulars of the deal as we know it now, including how Bungie is maintaining its independence . The studio has said that it still can self-publish and choose where its games can release. The studio's blog post also outlined that the goal is to keep Destiny communities intact and not strip the game away from Xbox users now or in the future.  While we may know the immediate plans for one of the biggest franchises in games, what about the future? Bungie is working on new projects, but will they be exclusive to Play...

  We're officially barreling toward the finale of Blade Runner: Black Lotus , so Crunchyroll is here with a new clip to preview the next episode. You'll be able to catch it as it goes down on Crunchyroll and Adult Swim on Saturday, February 5 at 9:00pm Pacific Time , and get a taste of what's in store below.     Finale description: Elle has fought her way to the top of the old Tyrell headquarters and is face-to-face with her creator at last. Will Black Lotus find the answers she is seeking? Or will she fall to her mysterious replacement, Water Lily?     ------- Joseph Luster is the Games and Web editor at Otaku USA Magazine . You can read his comics at subhumanzoids . Follow him on Twitter @Moldilox .   Source: Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

Shadow Warrior 3 has been a long-time coming for fans, but developer Flying Wild Hog finally confirmed the game is launching on March 1. A stylish (and self-aware) cinematic trailer celebrates the occasion in over-the-top fashion. Hero Lo Wang returns and has some new traversal tricks up his sleeve such as a wall run, grapple hook, air dash, and double jump. You’ll still be slicing apart enemies with your katana or riddling them with bullets using a variety of firearms. He'll need all the help he can get as he teams up with a powerful witch to slay a colossal dragon and hordes of demons. Flying Wild Hog also announced a new voice cast consisting of Mike Moh (Lo Wang), Andromeda Dunker (Motoko), and SungWon Cho (Zilla). Alex Dobrenko reprises his role as Hoji. Shadow Warrior 3 was first announced in the summer of 2020 for a 2021 release, a window that obviously came and went. Fans have waited somewhat impatiently for an updated launch date, making this a good way to start the we...

  Sav! The World Productions , the company responsible for bringing the Oban Star Racers  French-Japanese anime to TV in 2006 in a co-production arrangement with Japanese studios  Hal Film Maker  and Pumpkin3D, has announced plans to release the series on Blu-Ray. Oban Star Racers creator/co-director  Savin Yeatman-Eiffel and creative director/co-director  Thomas Romain jointly made the announcement in a YouTube video posted last Saturday and is embedded below.     Anime News Network has confirmed in additional correspondence that the release will include the entire 26-episode anime on five region-free Blu-ray discs with 1080p video at 24 frames per second, and the original 4:3 aspect ratio as originally broadcast in 2006. The release will also include 11 dubs in multiple languages: French, English, Japanese, German, Russian, Latin American Spanish, Latin Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Turkish, and Polish. The relea...

Click here to watch embedded media The original Final Fantasy VII catapulted JRPGs into the limelight and established a new standard for expansive gameworlds and emotional stories. Final Fantasy VII Remake is an homage to and reimagining of its predecessor's motifs: Eco-activism, classism, atonement, and companionship (among many other important themes).  We demonstrate how Remake's plot beats can be reevaluated with the themes of departure and reunion in mind. Square Enix plans to tell Cloud’s extensive story in parts but, because the first entry solely focuses on Midgar, Final Fantasy VII veterans get to experience the original game’s introductory setting and characters in more nuanced ways. The high stakes remain the same: The fallout from the Mako Reactor 1 and 5 bombings, the eventual destruction of the slums, and Sephiroth’s sudden and terrifying return. Our video essay considers these emotional moments and looks to provide other interpr...

  A new key visual (above) and a new teaser trailer (below) accompany the announcement of a new cast member for Kingdom 2: Harukanaru Daichi e ("Kingdom 2: To the Ends of the Earth"), an upcoming live-action film based on the epic historical manga by Yasuhisa Hara about a pair of young men whose friendship promises to shake the foundations of ancient China.   In Kingdom 2: Harukanaru Daichi e , actor Nana Seino plays Qiang Lei, a ruthless sword master and former assassin who joins Xin's cause.     Funimation currently streams the first Kingdom live-action film as well as the Kingdom TV anime in the United States, and describes the story of the series as follows:   A nameless boy and a young king have grown up in a nation plagued by war. The boy, Xin, has countlessly proven himself on the battlefield, and although initially starting on bad terms, he and the young king, Zheng, have become comrades. Zheng wishes to bring all the warring states under Qi...

    WOWOW, a Japanese premium satellite television station, announced today that Junji Nishimura (SAMURAI DEEPER KYO, Kyo Kara Maoh!) will direct the forthcoming anime adaptation of Rieko Hinata's fantasy novel series Hikari no Ou (literally means The King of Fire Hunters ) on a script by Mamoru Oshii ( Ghost in The Shell ).   It is not known at this time when the anime will be aired, but since Oshii has also been given the role of "composition," it is expected to be a multi-episode work.  Signal-MD ( Recovery of an MMO Junkie , Platinum End ) has been confirmed as its anime production company.    Nishimura and Oshii recently teamed up for the 2021 original series VLAD LOVE ; Oshii served as the original story writer, series composition, and general director, with Nishimura as the director. They have been occasionally working together since the 1980s, when Oshii was the director of the Urusei Yatsura anime series. One of their earliest work...

  Spike Chunsoft recently revealed a new story trailer and release date for AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES - nirvanA Initiative , the latest from Zero Escape series writer Kotaro Uchikoshi. The sequel to the hit detective adventure game is coming to PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Windows 10, and Steam in North America and Europe on June 24 , and you can see more of what's in store in the preview below.     Kotaro Uchikoshi also shared thoughts on the new story:   The themes of the new story. Two is one. Two opposites is the main theme of the game. For example, Yin and Yang, man and woman, double helix... Love and hate could also be one of them. The title "AI" also means "love" in Japanese. Similar to the previous work, this game will involve various types of love. Familial love, love for the opposite sex, and love that is not bound by any framework. In addition, this work will dive into the opposite of love, hatred. A love-hate mystery that begins w...

  With cast of characters as large as the one in  My Hero Academia . You've probably taken all sorts of quizzes to find out who your Class 1-A match is. So who are you most like from Class 1-B? How well do you think you know yourself? Take this quiz and find out!     Did you get your favorite Class 1-B character? Let us know in the comments!      Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story,  pitch it  to Crunchyroll Features! Source: Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

  Shueisha's legal manga service  MANGA Plus by SHUEISHA announced today that every single chapter of their currently serialized works will be released for free to be read by anyone once –in countries where the service exists of course! The  First Read Free promotion is part of MANGA Plus's third-anniversary celebrations and includes over 100 series' and 1,000s of chapters (yes, ONE PIECE is included!).   Here's a list of some of the works that will have all their chapters available to be read once:   ONE PIECE My Hero Academia Jujutsu Kaisen Black Clover Dr. STONE Mission: Yozakura Family UNDEAD UNLUCK Mashle: Magic and Muscles Ayakashi Triangle Magu-chan: God of Destruction Me & Roboco High School Family: Kokosei Kazoku SAKAMOTO DAYS The Elusive Samurai WITCH WATCH Blue Box PPPPPP Ayashimon Protect Me, Shugomaru! Doron Dororon Boruto: Naruto Next Generations Dragon Ball Super World Trigger Seraph of the ...

  The crew of the Yamato face tough battles and an impossible choice in a new promotional video that previews the first 15 minutes of Space Battleship Yamato 2205: A New Voyage Kosho -STASHA- , an ongoing theatrical anime film series that serves as a sequel to Star Blazers: Space Battleship Yamato 2202 and as a remake for the 1979 film, Space Battleship Yamato: The New Voyage .     Funimation currently streams the newest Space Battleship Yamato series under its English title of Star Blazers , and describes the story of the series as follows:   Three years after the Yamato’s voyage to restore Earth, a lasting peace with their old enemy bears fruit. Due to Earth’s newly acquired technological might, mankind begins a military expansion. However, a new threat emerges that will again put humanity to the test. In response to a mysterious plea, the Yamato and its crew undertake one more mission for the good of their species.     The Space Battleship ...

  Just as much as we like watching  My Dress-Up Darling , the animators that work on the series love the TV anime adaptation of  Shinichi Fukuda 's manga. This week saw not just the chief animation director  Jun Yamazaki release an illustration for this week's episode, but also the animation director Gin-san , and costume designer (who drew all of Marin's outfits!) Erika Nishihara , showing off all of Marin's good sides–cause it's all of them!     その着せ替え人形は恋をする 第4話 １カットだけ作監やってました！宜しくお願いします！ #着せ恋 pic.twitter.com/bw5b7apYQ0 — 山崎淳 ひまおう (@himaholic3) January 29, 2022       #着せ恋 　4話作監やりました、、よろしくお願いします、 did sakkan for episode 4 thanks,,, pic.twitter.com/sy3fwuFAv8 — 銀さん (@G10sensei) January 29, 2022       ???? #着せ恋 pic.twitter.com/xIxQyevpEZ — 西原恵利香∞Erika Nishihara (@erk_nshr) January 29, 2022     The  My Dress-Up Darling  TV anime is directed by  Keisuke Shinohara  and feat...

  With the premiere of the original sports TV anime  Salaryman's Club overnight in Japan, the NUMAnimation YouTube channel released the creditless opening and ending animations and themes for everyone to enjoy as they get their shuttlecock game on. The opening features the sounds of  Novelbright singing "The Warrior," while the ending features Mafumafu performing "Nisen Gohyaku Man no Ichi."   Opening animation   Ending animation   Salaryman's Club   on Japanese TV on January 29 in the NUMAnimation block on TV Asahi at 25:30 (effectively, January 30 at 1:30 AM). Crunchyroll streams the series after it airs every Saturday.     Source:  NUMAnimation on YouTube   ---- Daryl Harding is a Japan Correspondent for Crunchyroll News. He also runs a YouTube channel about Japan stuff called  TheDoctorDazza , tweets at  @DoctorDazza , and posts photos of his travels on  Instagram . ...

  Shueisha revealed today that  Kohei Horikoshi 's superhero manga  My Hero Academia   has gone plus ultra (again!) and reached the milestone of  more than 65 million copies of the series printed (physically) and sold (digitally)  as of the release of the 33rd volume on February 4 in Japan, as the number includes the first print run of the volume as well as any reprints of older volumes that may go sale on the day, as well as including all digital copies of the manga.   Breaking it down by region, in Japan,  My Hero Academia  has  printed (physically) and sold (digitally) 45 million copies , while the rest of the world that number is 20 million copies printed (physically) and sold (digitally) –not surprising as the series is constantly at the top of graphic novel rankings around the world. This brings  My Hero Academia  back above JUJUTSU KAISEN , overtaking sports series Major   and   The...

  The Tokyo Revengers exhibition started in Ikebukuro on January 29, giving fans a look behind the series as well as real-life versions of outfits. Ahead of the opening, Comic Natalie and a select few other Japanese-based outlets got to walk through the exhibition and show off what they saw–including a giant gold Mikey statue!      The exhibition space also has a photo spot with Mikey where you can live your dream of riding with him.     As well as the motorbikes that are seen in the series.     With real-life versions of the outfits worn by the other gangs.         The Tokyo Revengers exhibition is currently being held in Ikebukuro Sunshine City Exhibition Hall A until February 14.   Source: Comic Natalie   ----   Daryl Harding is a Japan Correspondent for Crunchyroll News. He also runs a YouTube channel about Japan stuff called  TheDoctorDazza , tweets at ...

Elden Ring features numerous mini-dungeons like caves and catacombs to explore alongside giant sprawling dungeon crawls like Stormveil Castle. Castle Mourne, nestled in southern Limgrave on the Weeping Penninsula, is a place where horrors abound. Chimeric leonine creatures and other surprises await the player should they dare approach. While this locale would fall into the mini-dungeon classification, it's substantially larger than any of the minor offerings that I experienced during my 10 hours of gameplay, with a dangerous approach and several checkpoints.  Watch our exclusive Elden Ring gameplay in the video below. Afterward, check out our commentated breakdown of the footage here . Click here to watch embedded media Subscribe to the Game Informer YouTube channel  and Twitch channel so you don't miss future videos. Find all of our exclusive coverage, including the 18-page magazine cover story, right here .  Source: Game Informer

Legendary writer George R.R. Martin collaborated with From Software and Hidetaka Miyazaki to essentially create the mythology of the world of Elden Ring before the catastrophic Shattering event. The characters involved were often crafted as humans, heroic but flawed in their journeys and adventures. However, as From Software took on the task of converting these characters to entities that would fit into Elden Ring, these mythic heroes and personalities got broken down into something twisted and more suited to occupying a “boss monster” role. “When Martin wrote these characters, and when he provided that origin story that mythos for the world of Elden Ring, these demigods were much closer to their original form, and maybe closer to human form back then, before the Shattering, before it all started. So it was more up to us to interpret this and say, ‘how did they become such inhuman monsters? And how did the mad taint of the shattered shards of the Elden Ring and its power affect them?...

After months of waiting, we finally got our hands on Pokémon Legends: Arceus. Not only has Brian played it, but he's beaten it and is ready to give his final verdict on the title. Brian is joined this week by Game Informer 's Alex Stadnik, who has also been playing the latest Game Freak title and is raring to share his thoughts on the first major game release of 2022. If you'd like to follow the people from this episode on Twitter:  Brian Shea (@brianpshea ),  Alex Stadnik (@Studnik76) The All Things Nintendo podcast is a weekly show where we can celebrate, discuss, and break down all the latest games, news, and announcements from the industry's most recognizable name. Each week, Brian is joined by different guests to talk about what's happening in the world of Nintendo. Along the way, they'll share personal stories, uncover hidden gems in the eShop, and even look back on the classics we all grew up with. A new episode hits every Friday! Be sure to subscribe...

  The Aichi Tourism Bureau has released a new promotional ad on its YouTube channel entitled "Play Along With The Wind". The ad, which is structured like a short film with nods to Studio Ghibli 's thematic tropes was produced in collaboration with the famed studio to promote the forthcoming opening of the long-planned Ghibli Park , the amusement park dedicated to Studio Ghibli's franchises and characters that is now slated for opening on November 1st, 2022. The promotional short is embedded below, followed by the behind-the-scenes video:   Play Along With The Wind - English   Behind The Scenes - Japanese   Synopsis This work recounts the story of a girl who finds a print of a feather in a bag left behind by a traveler in the woods as a powerful wind suddenly picks up in the corner of her eye. As the girl chases down this wind, she runs through various spots in Aichi Prefecture and eventually finds the feather in the home of Satsuki and Mei… This is the st...

Players that have been enjoying From Software’s last decade of action/RPG fare have discovered recurring characters, themes, and weaponry to be found in various forms across the games. While they don’t always make an explicit appearance, sometimes they’re found as shimmering surprises that delight (and terrify). This is the case during Ludwig’s phase two battle, where he decides to pull out the Moonlight Greatsword and attempt to dunk on the player with some incredibly flashy power moves. In Elden Ring, players will be able to interact with the duplicitous traitor Patches as well as acquire both the Storm Ruler and Moonlight Greatsword.  “I can confidently say yes, this time. Elden Ring is the sort of game that forgives a massive sense of volume and bulk,” says game director Hidetaka Miyazaki. “And so I felt like I was entitled to include these things this time. So yes, you will find them if you look hard enough.” Of course, with Elden Ring being a vast open-world full of s...

  Visual novel developer Key along with parent Visual Art's has announced the forthcoming debut and first details of its latest mixed media franchise in Prima Doll . The first announcement for the franchise is a TV anime adaptation that is currently in production with a premiere slated for this year alongside figure and tie-in novel releases. The initial cast and staff are detailed below:   Prima Doll characters   Haizakura ( Voiced by: Azumi Waki / Character Design: Na-Ga ) - Karasuba ( Voiced By: T omori Kusunoki / Original Design: fuzichoco ) - Gekka ( Voiced by: Miyu Tomita / Original Design: Yui Hara ) - Houkiboshi ( Voiced by: Yuki Nakashima / Original Design: En Morikura ) - Retzel ( Voiced by: Akari Kito / Original Design: lack )  A teaser trailer has also been released, embedded below:     The staff consists of Bibury Animation Studios handling animation production, with Tensho of Rewrite fame handling ...

    The official website for Kyoto Animation's light novel label KA Esuma Bunko announced on January 26 that Umihime Mare / Marine Princess Mare , a new fantasy novel written by Masahi Nishikawa ( Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid script writer), is set to be released on March 18, 2022. The novel will be released as the 10th anniversary title for the label, which established in June 2011 with the first volume of Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions .   Akiko Takase ( Violet Evergarden character designer) serves as the illustrator, and the novel's cover illustration by her has been revealed in a CM below.          Synopsis:   Nirai Canai, the underwater kingdom that lies on the far side of the ocean. Mare, the mermaid princess of the kingdom, is angry at the humans who pollute the sea. However, her father, the king, doesn't even try to deal with it. When Mare reaches the end of her patience, in a decaying cave, she fin...