Business, Videogames, Technology, Pop Culture, Japan and some random thoughts of my life
Some days ago I was in Akiba (Akihabara), also known as the Otaku’s Mecca. Nothing special here, I was just wondering around and testing my new camera. I’m a big fan of Akira and Katsuhiro Otomo, so this spot totally got my attention when I saw the Freedom banner under the bridge.
If you want to see a bigger version of the pic, click on it and you can see it on my Flickr.
The song is produced by Tanaka Yasutaka (中田ヤスタカ), Capsule’s mastermind, founder of the record label Contemode and basically the “coolest” producer in Japan right now.
This project is called Coltemonikha, and the song is named Communication.
Enough. Enjoy the song and enjoy the lyrics. 
Cool huh? I’m a big fan.
ps. If you like it, you can buy in mini album at Cd Japan.
Hi I’m Lucy
Recently
Her Face is always changing
Comical
Chemical
Cynical
Classical
Communication
Upside DownGood morning Joe
Recently
His hair is always jumping
Shampoo
Kangaroo
Peekaboo
Pakapoo
Communication
Cut down onGood night I’m Kate
Recently
She can’t sleep any more
Glacial
Social
Official
Special
Communication
Oh I seeHi I’m Jimmy
Recently
He can’t eat pineapple, yet
Lovely
Lonely
Heavenly
Sorry
Communication
Oh my god!
There’s a great piece on Wired Magazine written by Lisa Katayama about one of the most fascinating Web 2.0 personalities in Japan.
His name is Hiroyuki Nishimura, and you should read the article to know more about what he does. In short, he’s the guy behind 2ch.net and the video site Nico Nico Douga, Japan’s answer to Youtube.
Update and correction: According to Joi Ito, “Japan is an unhappy culture. The people are lonely and depressed, and the Internet is a release valve.”
This was Joi’s opinion about Hiroyuki and his projects, so this whole definition of Japan’s culture was actually from Joi and not Hiroyuki at all. So, perhaps, that’s why Nico Nico Douga and 2ch are very successful in Japan?
Anyways, I think this is probably the most accurate definition of many Japanese people I know.
(Photo by Joi Ito)
Even tough I’m in Japan, I am so happy to say that one of our printed magazines just reached it’s issue #100.
It’s been a long road since I started this company with a bunch of friends, -ups and downs like any other company and many problems in the beggining- but in the end the satisfaction to reach this point after 100 months of work is amazing.
Our editor in chief, Lorenzo Grajales, just posted the cover of the issue in his blog. The cover features a really neat metallic-finished paper and the artwork was made by famous illustrator/artist Hector Sevilla who did the artwork for the cover of Konami’s Lunar Knights.
Congrats to our team of editors, designers, and everyone at the office, and to all who have contributed with Atomix in any way or form. Thank you all.
The other day I was reading this note in Kotaku where Sam Houser (President, co-founder and visionary behind he GTA franchise) said “Fuck Casual gamers”.
Grand Theft Auto is unquestionable a successful franchise, just look at the hype the game generated in traditional media, videogame outlets and so. Sam’s argument is interesting, but I guess it leaves more questions than answers. I’ll quote him “Yeah, fuck all this stuff about casual gaming. I think people still want games that are groundbreaking…We’re hopefully going to prove that there’s also a very big audience for people who want entertainment in another form, who think of games as being a narrative device that can challenge movies”.
He’s got a point in a way, but to be honest with you this comment is kinda scary coming from him, an individual whose power and influence in the videogame industry is huge.
To me, “a groundbraking title” doesn’t mean it has to be for hardcore gamers, nor that it has to have next gen graphics. Wii Fit, Rock Band, Guitar Hero and Flow are a bunch of cool games, groundbraking in many ways and without a label that reads “this game is only for casual gamers”. Casual Gamer: what is the meaning of that? how many hours do you have to play to be a casual gamer? or a hardcore gamer? IF you buy only one title per month, are you a casual gamer? GTA4 can’t be played by a casual gamer? Let’s say an “average joe” who plays Madden all day long decides he wants to play GTA4, does he becomes a hardcore gamer for that?.
I don’t get it, and I don’t know who is behind all this shit “creating” labels for gamers in this industry.
Games should be consider a an entertainment form like movies or television without all this crap. It’s clear that there are games for everyone and every taste, but to say that your game is only for hardcore gamers -nowadays-, it feels ridiculous and retarded.
All this makes me wonder something else, does game companies have to spend 100 million USD to build a game that CAN be considered “ground braking”?.
One of my favorite blogs about Japan (design, pop culture and so) is doing an interview with famous illustrator/artist Yoshitaka Amano. The piece is worth reading for any hardcore fans of Final Fantasy’s beautiful artwork. I had the chance to interview him before for our magazine and I have to say that I was impressed about how cool and simple this guy is. I remember that the Square Enix people were also kind enough to give me a signed art book from him, I wonder where that book is?.It’s also a surprise for me that one of his studios (or his main studio perhaps?) is located in Moto Azabu which is really near from my house in Tokyo, like, I can even walk there. I should go and say hello soon. 
This is my personal blog. My name is Oscar Yasser Noriega and some people know me as "Akira". I'm currently based in Tokyo, Japan and I consider myself a full time entrepreneur. You can read a small Bio about what I do and what've done.
You can contact me or add me at my Flickr, MySpace, Hi5, Facebook and Twitter.
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