AUTOMATON WEST

Major Japanese gacha game introduces “out-of-app” payments to bypass Apple and Google's high transaction fees - AUTOMATON WEST Major Japanese gacha game Monster Strike opts for "out-of-app" payments in order to bypass strict fees set by Apple and Google Play stores.

Major Japanese gacha game introduces “out-of-app” payments to bypass Apple and Google’s high transaction fees
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Thanks to Suikoden’s anime adaptation being made in-house, the developers don’t have to take a backseat as mere supervisors, says series producer  - AUTOMATON WEST Suikoden series producer Rui Naito and IP/game director Takahiro Sakiyama talk about the perks of producing an anime adaptation in-house.

Thanks to Suikoden’s anime adaptation being made in-house, the developers don’t have to take a backseat as mere supervisors, says series producer
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Dead or Alive creator Tomonobu Itagaki passes away  - AUTOMATON WEST Tomonobu Itagaki, known for his work on Koei Tecmo’s Dead or Alive series, has passed away at the age of 58.

Dead or Alive creator Tomonobu Itagaki passes away at 58
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Konami cancels Silent Hill f’s original soundtrack release, citing “various circumstances” - AUTOMATON WEST The physical release of the official Silent Hill f soundtrack, originally scheduled to come out on December 17, has been cancelled.

Konami cancels Silent Hill f’s original soundtrack release, citing “various circumstances”

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12 classic Japanese shoot-em-ups to be permanently removed from Steam due to publisher license expiring - AUTOMATON WEST Starting October 31, twelve titles developed by Psikyo will become permanently unavailable for purchase on Steam.

12 classic Japanese shoot-em-ups to be permanently removed from Steam due to publisher license expiring

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Nintendo says there are currently no data leaks from recent cyberattack on its servers  - AUTOMATON WEST Amidst rumors of a cyberattack, Nintendo has yet to find any evidence pointing to internal data being compromised or leaked.

Nintendo says there are currently no data leaks from recent cyberattack on its servers

The company has not found any evidence of personal information or development data being compromised
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Dead or Alive Xtreme Venus Vacation leaps to Steam's top 10 bestsellers in Japan  - AUTOMATON WEST Amidst several in-game events, Dead or Alive Xtreme Venus Vacation jumped 50 places on Steam's Japan Top Seller ranking.

Dead or Alive Xtreme Venus Vacation leaps to Steam's top 10 bestsellers in Japan
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Strict ban on Nintendo Switch 2 listings extended on major Japanese online marketplace, Pokémon Legends: Z-A bundles to be banned as well  - AUTOMATON WEST Months after the Switch 2's launch, Japan's major e-commerce platform Yahoo! Auctions is maintaining a ban on all listings involving the console.

Strict ban on Nintendo Switch 2 listings extended on major Japanese online marketplace, Pokémon Legends: Z-A bundles to be banned as well
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Silent Hill f is hiding a small silly “character” off-screen in one of its cutscenes  - AUTOMATON WEST Exploring Silent Hill f's out-of-camera views, BoundaryBreak has discovered a secret "funny little guy" in the game.

Silent Hill f is hiding a small silly “character” off-screen in one of its cutscenes

The dummy model's role is to cast an ominous shadow over protagonist Hinako's fallen form
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Are Japanese Steam users really that stingy with positive reviews? We asked 5,000 of our readers, and the answer is yes, kind of - AUTOMATON WEST We recently asked 5,000 of our Japanese readers about how often they left reviews on games they enjoyed, and why (or perhaps, why not).

Are Japanese Steam users really that stingy with positive reviews? We asked 5,000 of our readers, and the answer is yes, kind of
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Hideo Kojima says no one was accepting his free Death Stranding 2 tissues on the streets of Tokyo until he tweeted about it online - AUTOMATON WEST Hideo Kojima looks back on his unusual tissue marketing campaign for Death Stranding 2 and why he chose it.

Hideo Kojima says no one was accepting his free Death Stranding 2 tissues on the streets of Tokyo until he tweeted about it online
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Resident Evil's new strategy mobile game does away with paid gacha in favor of direct purchases. Developers detail monetization model  - AUTOMATON WEST Resident Evil Survival Unit's developers shed light on the RTS mobile game's monetization model and gacha system.

Resident Evil's new strategy mobile game does away with paid gacha in favor of direct purchases. Developers shed light on monetization model
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Sony Music's monopoly over Aniplex anime means non-associated musicians have a hard time scoring openings, artist says - AUTOMATON WEST Sakanaction's frontman Ichiro Yamaguchi talks about how difficult it is for musicians score deals for anime openings.

Sony Music’s monopoly over Aniplex anime means non-associated musicians have a hard time scoring openings
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Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX officially confirmed to be a part of the Universal Century series by Bandai Namco - AUTOMATON WEST Bandai Namco's Gundam website confirms that Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX is officially a part of the Universal Century timeline.

Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX officially confirmed to be a part of the Universal Century series by Bandai Namco
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Ninja Gaiden 4's easy mode isn't about effortlessly sweeping through the game, but learning. Directors on "flexible" difficulty design philosophy - AUTOMATON WEST We ask Ninja Gaiden 4 devs Masakazu Hirayama and Yuji Nakao about how they handled the different difficulty settings in the game.

Ninja Gaiden 4's easy mode isn't about effortlessly sweeping through the game, but learning. Directors on "flexible" difficulty design philosophy
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Silent Hill f actress opens up about losing her grip on reality in Hinako’s role. “I only remember fragments”  - AUTOMATON WEST Japanese actress Konatsu Kato talks about the struggles she experienced in the role of Silent Hill f protagonist Hinako Shimizu.

Silent Hill f actress opens up about losing her grip on reality in Hinako’s role. “I only remember fragments”
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Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact is 30% off for the first time since launch  - AUTOMATON WEST The 3x3 tag team fighting game Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact will be 30% off until October 21/22 across digital storefronts.

Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact is 30% off for the first time since launch
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Gundam GQuuuuuuX physical edition gets first "diskless package" in Bandai Namco Filmworks history  - AUTOMATON WEST Bandai Namco Filmworks announced several physical editions (Blu-ray, DVD, diskless packed) of the Gundam GQuuuuuuX anime for 2026.

Gundam GQuuuuuuX physical edition gets first “diskless package” in Bandai Namco Filmworks history
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Korean indie psychological horror that puts you in the role of a stalked K-POP idol wouldn’t have been possible without the developer’s wife. “She was right about most things” - AUTOMATON WEST Sasaeng is an indie horror game that lets you live the life of a K-pop idol, with all the glamour, luxury, and - obsessive stalker fans.

Korean indie psychological horror that puts you in the role of a stalked K-POP idol wouldn’t have been possible without the developer’s wife. “She was right about most things”
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Ninja Gaiden 4 creators say “fairness in dying” is what sets apart a challenging action game from an unreasonable one  - AUTOMATON WEST Ninja Gaiden 4 directors Yuji Nakao (PlatinumGames) and Masakazu Hirayama (Team Ninja) on balancing difficulty with fairness.

Ninja Gaiden 4 creators say “fairness in dying” is what sets apart a challenging action game from an unreasonable one
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Hotel Dusk: Room 215 author's new mystery adventure Dark Auction coming to the West in January 2026. Free demo out now  - AUTOMATON WEST Dark Auction is a new mystery adventure game coming from Hotel Dusk: Room 215 and Another Code: Two Memories author Rika Suzuki.

Hotel Dusk: Room 215 author's new mystery adventure Dark Auction coming to the West in January 2026. Free demo out now
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Japanese martial arts instructor recreates Ghost of Yotei’s unreal back unsheathing motion  - AUTOMATON WEST An instructor of the Tenshinryuu martial arts school attempted to recreate Ghost of Yotei's much discussed odachi back (un)sheathing.

Japanese martial arts instructor recreates Ghost of Yotei’s much discussed sword unsheathing motion
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Japanese government urged to “immediately” boost support for video game, anime and manga industries, crack down on piracy   - AUTOMATON WEST The Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) requests immediate and long-term measures from the government for promoting popular content IPs.

Japanese government urged by nation's biggest business lobby to “immediately” boost support for video game, anime and manga industries, crack down on piracy
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Blue Protocol: Star Resonance is peaking at more than 90,000 concurrent players, but Steam reviews are “Mixed” due to server issues and aggressive monetization - AUTOMATON WEST Blue Protocol: Star Resonance's is currently in the top 15 most played games on Steam - but why is it getting such mixed reviews?

Blue Protocol: Star Resonance is peaking at more than 90,000 concurrent players, but Steam reviews are “Mixed” due to server issues and aggressive monetization
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Umamusume: Pretty Derby revises story and voice lines that referenced Republic of Ireland’s non-existent royal family  - AUTOMATON WEST Umamusume: Pretty Derby's latest Japanese version update addresses an unusual discrepancy in Fine Motor's backstory.

Umamusume: Pretty Derby revises story and voice lines that referenced Republic of Ireland’s non-existent royal family
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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s devs set out to honor what made old-school RPGs special, and somehow ended up adding a full-on climbing platformer  - AUTOMATON WEST Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 creative director Guillaume Broche on why the game packs so much extra content, particularly the Only Up minigame.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s devs set out to honor what made old-school RPGs special with optional side content, and somehow ended up adding a full-on climbing platformer
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Pokémon Legends: Z-A hands-on preview: the series is finally trusting its players with more challenging gameplay, and it’s never felt more immersive - AUTOMATON WEST We played Pokémon Legends: Z-A, and it felt like a real step-up from Pokémon Legends: Arceus - both in difficulty and immersion.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A hands-on preview: the series is finally trusting its players with more challenging gameplay, and it’s never felt more immersive
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“Pure action games never get old,” and Ninja Gaiden 4 will be the game to prove that. We ask Team Ninja and PlatinumGames about what players should expect from the new title - AUTOMATON WEST AUTOMATON asked Ninja Gaiden 4 directors Masakazu Hirayama and Yuji Nakao about what players should expect from the upcoming title.

"Pure action games never get old,” and Ninja Gaiden 4 will be the game to prove that. We ask Team Ninja and PlatinumGames about what players should expect from the new title
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Silent Hill f tops Japanese retailer’s best-seller ranking for September, based on data from 1,000 physical stores  - AUTOMATON WEST According to data from 1,000 GEO video game stores across Japan, Silent Hill f was the top selling title in September.

Silent Hill f tops Japanese retailer’s best-seller ranking for September, based on data from 1,000 physical stores
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Another major Japanese adult comic platform opts for diversifying local payment options amidst Visa and Mastercard censorship  - AUTOMATON WEST After having Visa and Mastercard transactions abruptly suspended on the platform, Japanese adult doujinshi platform Toranoana introduced a local alternative.

Another major Japanese adult comic platform opts for diversifying local payment methods after a year of suspended Visa and Mastercard transactions
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