AUTOMATON WEST

Danganronpa fans get cruel piece of Mondo Owada merch for 15th anniversary - AUTOMATON WEST Spike Chunsoft's Danganronpa 15th anniversary merch lineup has gone viral after introducing a "Mondo Butter Pouch."

Danganronpa fans get cruel piece of Mondo Owada merch amidst 15th anniversary festivities

Interestingly, it's the only item in the lineup that has a limit of one purchase per person
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Kadokawa and Aniplex establish new joint anime film distribution company Animec - AUTOMATON WEST Established by Kadokawa and Aniplex, the company will specialize in distribution sales and promotion of animated films.

Kadokawa and Aniplex establish new joint anime film distribution company Animec

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Square Enix takes action against admin of Final Fantasy 14 news blog over harassment of development staff  - AUTOMATON WEST Square Enix announced on March 2 that it has taken action against the administrator of the Japanese aggregator news blog  Netoge Sokuhō (formerly “FF14 Sokuhō”) for publishing article(s) that harmed t...

Square Enix takes action against admin of Final Fantasy 14 news blog over harassment of development staff
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Stellar Blade developer Shift Up looking to strengthen its self-publishing capabilities  - AUTOMATON WEST Stellar Blade studio Shift Up is expanding its capabilities as a global, multiplatform publisher amidst recent growth.

Stellar Blade developer Shift Up looking to strengthen its self-publishing capabilities
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“Overwhelmingly Positive” indie visual novel Magical Girl Witch Trials surpasses 500,000 units sold and 25,000 reviews less than a year after launch - AUTOMATON WEST Magical Girl Witch Trials developer Acacia recently announced that the game had surpassed 500,000 units sold on Steam worldwide.

“Overwhelmingly Positive” indie visual novel Magical Girl Witch Trials surpasses 500,000 units sold and 25,000 reviews less than a year after launch

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From ASMR tea brewing to tingly ear cleaning: 5 relaxing Japanese indie games  - AUTOMATON WEST Weekly indie showcase, this time introducing five relaxing Japanese indie games, from ASMR cafes to atmospheric visual novels.

From ASMR tea brewing to tingly ear cleaning: 5 relaxing Japanese indie games
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Pokémon cards are finally becoming accessible to kids again as Japan’s speculative bubble collapses  - AUTOMATON WEST Prices of Pokemon TCG cards are rapidly dropping in Japan, making them more accessible to children, according to a Tokyo retailer.

Pokémon cards are finally becoming accessible to kids again as Japan’s speculative bubble collapses
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“I can fix her.” Bunny Garden developer announces new game in which you have to clean your gorgeous girlfriend’s filthy, cluttered apartment - AUTOMATON WEST Qureate recently announced 5 new titles slated for a 2026/27 release, one of which is the mysterious "Filthy Room Girlfriend project."

“I can fix her.” Bunny Garden developer announces new game in which you have to clean your gorgeous girlfriend’s filthy, cluttered apartment

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Hololive’s indie publishing label to temporarily halt all new game submissions and reorganize its review system amidst rising interest - AUTOMATON WEST Hololive's indie publishing label holo indie announced a major revision of their game review system, temporarily halting all new submissions.

Hololive’s indie publishing label to temporarily halt all new game submissions and reorganize its review system amidst rising interest
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Dead or Alive Xtreme: Venus Vacation’s newest character is Nozomi, a strait-laced new owner of the Venus Islands  - AUTOMATON WEST Dead or Alive Xtreme: Venus Vacation is getting the new Venus Nozomi, voiced by Niina Hanamiya.

Dead or Alive Xtreme: Venus Vacation’s newest character is Nozomi, a strait-laced new owner of the Venus Islands
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Black Lagoon director’s anime studio Contrail to be absorbed by MAPPA amidst financial losses - AUTOMATON WEST Japanese animation studio Contrail, led by director Sunao Katabuchi, has announced its merger with MAPPA following financial losses.

Black Lagoon director’s anime studio Contrail to be absorbed by MAPPA amidst financial losses

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Sony’s game division announces record-high starting salary increases in Japan  - AUTOMATON WEST Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) will be significantly raising starting salaries for new hires starting Apil 2026.

Sony’s game division announces record-high starting salary increases in Japan
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Anime’s massive success in US theaters has more to do with the power of fandoms than the medium itself becoming dominant, according to Japanese filmmaker and journalist - AUTOMATON WEST Japanese filmmaker and journalist Mirai Konishi talks about anime's recent boom in popularity across US theaters.

Anime’s massive success in US theaters has more to do with the power of fandoms than the medium itself becoming dominant, according to Japanese filmmaker and journalist
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Suda51 doesn’t know what makes a “Suda51 game” a Suda51 game  - AUTOMATON WEST Goichi Suda recently told Famitsu he has "no idea" what it is that defines a "Suda51 game," but that his dev team is an important part of the magic.

Suda51 doesn’t know what makes a “Suda51 game” a Suda51 game
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Stellar Blade director’s celebratory image of new Yoko Taro Evangelion anime earns dissatisfaction from NieR: Automata modeler over alleged AI use  - AUTOMATON WEST Yoshikaze Matsushita, who worked on several character designs and models in NieR:Automata, expressed dissatisfaction with an image posted by Hyung-tae Kim.

Stellar Blade director’s celebratory image of new Yoko Taro Evangelion anime earns dissatisfaction from NieR: Automata modeler over alleged AI use
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Resident Evil Requiem doubles down on Umbrella Noodles by creating a bizarre official commercial for the fake product - AUTOMATON WEST Capcom publishes a Resident Evil Requiem ad featuring the "controversial" Umbrella Noodles after fictional copyright dispute with Nissin.

Resident Evil Requiem doubles down on Umbrella Noodles by creating a bizarre official commercial for the fake product
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The official February newsletter for Steam's chaotic roguelike Elin has been released, packed with more nyan nyan nyans! - AUTOMATON WEST Elin State of the Game – February 2026, the third edition of Elin's official newsletter.

The official February newsletter for Steam's chaotic roguelike Elin has been released, packed with more nyan nyan nyans!
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Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy’s third entry is progressing “very smoothly.” We ask director Naoki Hamaguchi why the team chose not to switch to Unreal Engine 5  - AUTOMATON WEST Interview with Final Fantasy VII Remake series director Naoki Hamaguchi about the development of the trilogy's third and final instalment.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy’s third entry is progressing “very smoothly.” We ask director Naoki Hamaguchi why the team chose not to switch to Unreal Engine 5
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Japanese indie dev "thrilled and embarrassed" after viral boob POV clip gets their sci-fi gender-bending “sexyroid” FPS to 40k Steam Wishlists - AUTOMATON WEST Developer of indie FPS Misha celebrates 40,000 Steam Wishlists after an in-development clip went viral for its unique "jiggle physics."

Japanese indie dev “thrilled and embarrassed” after viral boob POV clip gets their sci-fi gender-bending “sexyroid” FPS to 40k Steam Wishlists

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10-year-old adult visual novel Senren Banka celebrates over 1 million units sold, witnessing a huge jump in sales over the past two years - AUTOMATON WEST Japanese developer Yuzusoft recently announced that their visual novel Senren Banka sold a whopping million units worldwide.

10-year-old adult visual novel Senren Banka celebrates over 1 million units sold, witnessing a huge jump in sales over the past two years

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Microsoft Japan raided by antitrust watchdog over suspected unfair trade practices  - AUTOMATON WEST On February 25, the Japan Fair Trade Commission conducted an on-site search and seizure of Microsoft’s Japanese subsidiary in Minato, Tokyo.

Microsoft Japan raided by antitrust watchdog over suspected unfair trade practices
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"I'm still angry at the game industry" CyberConnect2 CEO's efforts to shake up Japanese entertainment's stick-in-the-mud approach are driven by his love for Shonen Jump manga - AUTOMATON WEST In a recent interview, CyberConnect2 CEO Hiroshi Matsuyama talks about the "driving force" behind his creativity.

“I’m still angry at the game industry” CyberConnect2 CEO’s efforts to shake up Japanese entertainment’s stick-in-the-mud approach are driven by his love for Shonen Jump manga
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Yoko Taro’s dark retelling of Monster Hunter Rise resurfaces after the announcement of his brand-new Evangelion anime - AUTOMATON WEST Theorizing what a Yoko Taro-penned Evangelion might look like, fans have managed to dig up his old retelling of Monster Hunter Rise's story.

Yoko Taro’s dark retelling of Monster Hunter Rise resurfaces after the announcement of his brand-new Evangelion anime
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Mobile game developer denies gen AI use after AI tool watermark shows up on official promo artwork  - AUTOMATON WEST The developer of Dot Hero (Dot Yuusha) has issued an apology to Japanese players following controversy over alleged generative AI use.

Mobile game developer denies gen AI use after AI tool watermark shows up on official promo artwork
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Japanese university develops robot Buddhist priest amidst national priest shortage  - AUTOMATON WEST Called a Buddharoid, the robotic priest has been trained on classic Buddhist scriptures.

Japanese university develops robot Buddhist priest amidst national priest shortage
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Guilty Gear Strive’s overseas publishing rights to be transferred from Bandai Namco Entertainment to developer Arc System Works  - AUTOMATON WEST As of February 26, publishing rights for Guilty Gear Strive in EMEA and Asian regions will be officially transferred to Arc System Works.

Guilty Gear Strive’s overseas publishing rights to be transferred from Bandai Namco Entertainment to developer Arc System Works
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Resident Evil's Umbrella Corporation files fictional copyright infringement lawsuit against ramen maker Nissin - AUTOMATON WEST As Resident Evil Requiem's release approaches, Capcom is ramping up online shenanigans through a fictional lawsuit by Umbrella Corp.

Resident Evil’s Umbrella Corporation files fictional copyright infringement lawsuit against ramen maker Nissin
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New Sakura Wars announcement coming in Spring 2026, according to series composer, but it’s not a game  - AUTOMATON WEST Kohei Tanaka, who’s written music for both the Sakura Wars game and anime series since 1996, recently provided a hint about an upcoming announcement.

New Sakura Wars announcement coming in Spring 2026, according to series composer, but it’s not a game
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“MADE IN JAPAN COLLECTION" Sale Featuring Japanese Games Now Live on Steam [AD]

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Steam's Made in Japan Collection showcases some great Japanese games, ranging from indie hidden gems to triple-As - AUTOMATON WEST Here are 10 hidden gems currently on sale via Steam and JETRO's "Made in Japan Collection."

Steam's Made in Japan Collection showcases some great Japanese games, ranging from indie hidden gems to triple-As. Here are 10 recommendations [AD]
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