AUTOMATON WEST

Japan doesn't have a shortage of light novel authors, but the number of readers is decreasing. Kadokawa's pursuit for foreign talent is a way to "stir things up in the market" - AUTOMATON WEST Editor-in-chief of Kadokawa-owned publishing house discusses the reasons behind organizing an English-speaking light novel contest.

Japan doesn’t have a shortage of light novel authors, but the number of readers is decreasing. Kadokawa’s pursuit for foreign talent is a way to “stir things up in the market”

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Sword Art Online: Echoes of Aincrad would take about 10 years to develop if the devs tried depicting all 100 floors of the titular world, according to series producer - AUTOMATON WEST Developers of Echoes of Aincrad talk about how much of the novel and anime's original story and setting is depicted in the game.

Sword Art Online: Echoes of Aincrad would take about 10 years to develop if the devs tried depicting all 100 floors of the titular world, according to series producer

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Aniplex announces “arsonist vs firefighter” multiplayer impostor game, co-developed by Fate/Grand Order and Star Ocean devs  - AUTOMATON WEST Co-developed by Lansengle and tri-Ace, OCTOPinbs is an action-based social deduction game coming to Steam in Spring 2026.

Aniplex announces “arsonist vs firefighter” multiplayer impostor game, co-developed by Fate/Grand Order and Star Ocean devs
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Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake demo hands-on: The camera overhaul brings big improvements, but ghosts being a tad too easy to see in HD might lessen the scare factor for some  - AUTOMATON WES... Hands-on impressions of the short demo for Koei Tecmo's upcoming Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake.

Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly Remake demo hands-on: The camera overhaul brings big improvements, but ghosts being a tad too easy to see in HD might lessen the scare factor for some
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Gintama creator “stopped drawing manga and started dieting intensely” after the series finished. Upcoming Dandelion anime project was launched to motivate him  - AUTOMATON WEST Weekly Shonen Jump editor-in-chief talks about how the Netflix anime adaptation of Hideaki Sorachi's Dandelion came to be.

Gintama creator “stopped drawing manga and started dieting intensely” after the series finished. Upcoming Dandelion anime project was launched to motivate him
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Kadokawa announces huge anime production center consolidating six animation studios, aiming to build a “World-Class Anime City” - AUTOMATON WEST Entertainment company Kadokawa has announced plans to establish a new animation production hub consolidating 6 animation studios.

Kadokawa announces huge anime production center consolidating six animation studios, aiming to build a “World-Class Anime City”

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Granblue Fantasy to host Fullmetal Alchemist collab event, with Edward Elric featured as the first gacha character  - AUTOMATON WEST Edward Elric will be a a playable character in Granblue Fantasy's upcoming collaboration with the Full Metal Alchemist IP.

Granblue Fantasy to host Fullmetal Alchemist collab event, with Edward Elric featured as the first gacha character
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Goodness, how did that go unnoticed 😅 You saw nothing! (Thanks for reading!)

Major ranking of manga people want to see animated in 2026 topped by “The Mortifying Ordeal of Being Seen”
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When a three-month project turns into four years: looking back on Japanese indie developers' struggles to estimate development time - AUTOMATON WEST AUTOMATON WEST's Weekly Throwback.

When a three-month project turns into four years: looking back on Japanese indie developers’ struggles to estimate development time
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Pokémon Pokopia has shattered a popular Japanese headcanon that Slowpoke is a cute, sleepy gyaru  - AUTOMATON WEST Slowpoke's choice of pronouns in Pokémon Pokopia came as a big surprise to Japanese fans who like to envision the Pokemon as a gyaru.

Pokémon Pokopia has shattered a popular Japanese headcanon that Slowpoke is a cute, sleepy gyaru

Slowpoke's shocking choice of first-person pronouns seems to be the reason
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Sword Art Online: Echoes of Aincrad comes with a "Death Game" mode that deletes your save data when you die, but it’s not a soulslike, devs say - AUTOMATON WEST Developers behind Bandai Namco Entertainment's new Sword Art Online game, Echoes of Aincrad, discuss its "Death Game" mode.

Sword Art Online: Echoes of Aincrad comes with a “Death Game” mode that deletes your save data when you die, but it’s not a soulslike, devs say
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Bizarre browser-based gacha game from Japan turns Wikipedia articles into actual trading cards which you can pull from booster packs - AUTOMATON WEST Solo developer harusugi recently released Wikigacha, a browser trading card gacha game based entirely on Wikipedia articles.

Bizarre browser-based gacha game from Japan turns Wikipedia articles into actual trading cards which you can pull from booster packs

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Domain of anonymous Japanese bulletin board 5channel permanently suspended. Site now active only on alternative domain  - AUTOMATON WEST Jim Watkins, the administrator of Japanese anonymous bulletin board 5channel, reported on March 6 that the site’s domain has been suspended.

Domain of anonymous Japanese bulletin board 5channel (the predecessor of which inspired 4chan) permanently suspended. Site now active only on alternative domain
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Japanese indie dev's upcoming shooter combines "Armored Core's high-speed mech action with Ace Combat's beautiful landscapes"  - AUTOMATON WEST Omega Phenex Commenced Project Six is a fast-paced mecha shooter that draws inspiration from Armored Core and Ace Combat.

Japanese indie dev’s upcoming shooter combines “Armored Core’s high-speed mech action with Ace Combat’s beautiful landscapes”
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Arknights: Endfield’s factory systems will “diversify rather than become more complex,” developers say. If things feel difficult, “there’s no need to rush”  - AUTOMATON WEST Interview with Arknights: Endfield level designer RUA and lead planner Ryan about the game's extensive factory building and automation gameplay.

Arknights: Endfield’s factory systems will “diversify rather than become more complex,” developers say. If things feel difficult, “there’s no need to rush”
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AI: The Somnium Files and Triangle Strategy dev's new game is a morally grey Akutagawa-inspired noir fantasy in which the players will "hate the choices they make" - AUTOMATON WEST Studio TENDA just released KOKUTOTO, a morally grey visual novel inspired by Ryunosuke Akutagawa's classic short story Rashomon.

AI: The Somnium Files and Triangle Strategy dev’s new game is a morally grey Akutagawa-inspired noir fantasy in which the players will “hate the choices they make”
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Anime-style 3D demon-exorcism game Homura Hime launches to “Very Positive” Steam rating
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The closure of two major Final Fantasy 14 news aggregator sites is a “big turning point” for the Japanese FFXIV community. Veteran player explains what made them so influential - AUTOMATON WEST Lucky Bancho, a prominent Japanese FFXIV veteran known for conducting large-scale, unofficial yearly censuses of active players on The Lodestone, weighs in on "matome sites."

The closure of two major Final Fantasy 14 news aggregator sites is a “big turning point” for the Japanese FFXIV community. Veteran player explains what made them so influential
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Steam release of Japanese “psycho fujoshi” horror visual novel cancelled due to “issues that couldn’t be resolved with a few revisions.” Developers say they saw it coming - AUTOMATON WEST Game creator Takiya Ijima recently announced that Apathy: Psycho Fujoshi would not be coming to Steam due to "unresolvable issues."

Steam release of Japanese “psycho fujoshi” horror visual novel cancelled due to “issues that couldn’t be resolved with a few revisions.” Developers say they saw it coming

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SIKI, a 3D bishojo aerial shooter where you play as a humanoid drone girl, to enter Early Access on Steam on March 20
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“Pokémon’s graphics express what they need to, there's no need for more.” Japanese fans discuss criticism of visuals in Pokémon’s recent entries - AUTOMATON WEST Pokémon fans in Japan discuss the shift in visuals in the recent entries of the series, following the announcement of Winds and Waves.

“Pokémon’s graphics express what they need to, there’s no need for more.” Japanese fans discuss criticism of visuals in Pokémon’s recent entries

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Japanese players can finally access Final Fantasy 7 on Steam with recent re-release, but domestic region-locking remains an issue for several titles  - AUTOMATON WEST Much like users had hoped, has Final Fantasy VII finally become purchasable on Steam in Japan following the game's recent update.

Japanese players can finally access Final Fantasy 7 on Steam with recent re-release, but domestic region-locking remains an issue for several titles
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Umamusume: Pretty Derby has an "incredibly powerful format that can generate an infinite range of stories," movie adaptation director says  - AUTOMATON WEST Ken Yamamoto talks about the strengths of the Umamusume: Pretty Derby franchise from the perspective of a seasoned movie adaptation director.

Umamusume: Pretty Derby has an "incredibly powerful format that can generate an infinite range of stories," movie adaptation director says
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The total number of Pokémon has officially surpassed the number of kanji Japanese kids have to learn in elementary school - AUTOMATON WEST With the addition of Generation 10, the total number of Pokémon has officially surpassed the number of kanji taught in elementary schools.

The total number of Pokémon has officially surpassed the number of kanji Japanese kids have to learn in elementary school

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Koei Tecmo partners and invests in AI startup behind new character chatbot-style LLM  - AUTOMATON WEST Koei Tecmo has partnered with SpiralAI, the developer of Japanese character-based conversational AI model Gepetto2.

Koei Tecmo partners and invests in AI startup behind new character chatbot-style LLM "Geppetto2"
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Final Fantasy 11 is closing off yet another major server to new players due to overpopulation  - AUTOMATON WEST Starting March 10, Final Fantasy XI's top three largest servers - Asura, Bahamut and Odin - will be closed off to new players.

Final Fantasy 11 is closing off yet another major server to new players due to overpopulation
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Cult 1999 Japanese PC game Cookie’s Bustle finally “freed from years of copyright abuse,” Video Game History Foundation reports
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From Madness with Love dev drops ‘creepy but soothing’ new game that “even men who have diarrhea for 2 hours straight after seeing horror would want to play” - AUTOMATON WEST Japanese indie horror developer Jamsanpoid discusses the cute but horror worldview of their latest game, Toganeyobi.

From Madness with Love dev drops ‘creepy but soothing’ new game that “even men who have diarrhea for 2 hours straight after seeing horror would want to play”
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Japan’s game industry may not be seeing mass layoffs, but reductions are happening “beneath the surface,” devs say  - AUTOMATON WEST Japanese industry professionals talk about the "less visible ways" rising costs have been affecting domestic developers.

Japan’s game industry may not be seeing mass layoffs, but reductions are happening “beneath the surface,” devs say
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