Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Episode 1: Zack and Angeal

Japanese Gamers Want Quality, Don’t Care About Price

“A survey of 3,422 Japanese gamers showed that they care more about a console’s game library than its price, while the cheaper Nintendo platforms come out on top in ownership.”

Isn’t that a contradiction?

Via Next-Gen

Game Sales Reach $18 Billion

“The US games industry rose an astounding 43 percent in 2007 bolstered by strong performance in every product category,” said NPD analyst Anita Frazier. “While hardware sales realized the greatest percentage growth over 2006 due to the closely scrutinized console hardware transition, each category under the video games industry umbrella reached their own personal bests in terms of annual sales.”

Via Gamespot

Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G Screens

How To Make A Japanese PC Playstation Store Account (And Use It!)

Don’t have a Playstation 3 or just hate going through the process of using the PS3 to access the Japanese Playstation Network Store? Then boy have we got the guide for you. Follow the directions below and you’ll be up and running in no time.

One thing you will need is a Japanese PSN Card. Play-Asia sells many varieties at excellent prices so I suggest you pick from one of the many available below. (more…)

Kojima Says 3 New Projects Unveiled Soon

At the end of the latest Hideo Podcast the man himself mentions that there are 3 more projects currently under wraps that will be revealed in the near future. What’s most interesting is that all 3 of these will be hitting the US this Summer! While one was almost announced and then retracted all 3 should be known by the spring.

Next Jaffe Game Hidden In Twisted Metal: Head On

“Listen, if you want to know what our next game is, it’s absolutely revealed if you have a sharp eye in Twisted Metal Head On: Extreme Edition. It’s hidden really, really, really well. And just because it’s hidden in Twisted Metal doesn’t mean it has anything to do with Twisted Metal. That’s why it’s so well hidden. It’s a really cryptic riddle we put in there.”

Via GamePro 

Bluetooth PSP/PS2 Headset Mod

“With this mod I’m able to voice chat wirelessly on PSP games like the SOCOM FTB franchise using my Bluetooth headset. In addition to working with the PSP I can also use the same Bluetooth headset to voice chat wirelessly on any PS2. In case you didn’t know if you try to play say SOCOM: Combined Assault (a PS2 game) on the PS3 without this mod you cannot use a Bluetooth headset because the PS2 game is not coded to take advantage of the PS3’s Bluetooth functionality, but with this now you can!”

Learn How @ Instructable

Unboxing An Import PSP Slim, The Difference Between A US And Japanese Import PSP

So have you ever wondered what the difference between a US PSP and an Import Japanese PSP is? If you’re crazy like me and you have, read on.

1. All the manuals are in Japanese (duh).

2. On startup the default language is Japanese (again duh) and all you have to do is navigate up and select English to proceed.

3. There is an option for the USB PSP camera and the 1 Seg Japanese TV Tuner.

4. The base packs don’t come with a memory card or headphones.

And that’s about it.

The main reason to import is to get a fancy color that’s not available anywhere else and of course I botched that process and got an ice silver which is apparently available here. Though if you want something special like mint green, lipstick red, or felicia blue you can check out the always updated list of imports available in the box below.

bestsellers »Systems«

Famitsu Scans & News For 01/16/2008

Idolm@ster Live 4 U! (X360)

-Rhythm game element to the performances
-Scoring and feedback
-Easy, Medium, and Hard difficulty Modes
-First downloadable song: shiny smile

Star Ocean 2 (PSP)

Monster Hunter Portable G (PSP)

Gundam: Giren no Yabou Axis no Kyoui (PSP)

Bionic Commando (PS3/360)

Valkyrie of the Battlefield (PS3)

More @ NeoGAF