PS3 Japan Launch

Playstation 3 - Big in Japan Part II
Monday Update: 11:58AM EST
On Saturday, anxious Japanese citizens braved the November chill and the throngs of fellow citizens as queues formed in front of shops such as Bic Camera, Seibu, Gamers, and Softmap. A few of our customers in Japan wrote to NCS over the weekend to report their success (or lack thereof) in obtaining a PS3 console. Prospective customers who waited in front of well known stores with very long queues were largely turned away while wily buyers who waited in front of lesser known shops with smaller crowds were able to buy the PS3. Some stores implemented a lottery system with lucky winners allowed the chance to pay up for a PS3. Repeat: allowed.

Lines in Japan
Akiba
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gkS3lRXtRA
Kawasaki
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBEXkKqudZk
Shinjuku
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wsmtfg9uWtY
Osaka
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a2ruHzlSFM

Press Coverage in Yurakucho
http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/game/docs/20061111/bic.htm
http://ascii24.com/news/i/topi/article/2006/11/11/665779-000.html
http://akiba.ascii24.com/akiba/news/2006/11/11/665780-000.html

NCS Receives Partial Shipment
The first batch of confirmed PS3 preorders will ship out today but the remainder will ship tomorrow when the bulk of our stock arrives. As long as you confirmed or placed your preorder with us before Sunday at 11:33AM EST, your order will ship tomorrow. If your order is shipping today, you will receive an email before 1:00PM EST with tracking details. NCS is currently accepting new orders for both 20GB and 60GB models to ship on Friday of this week or Monday of next week (Note: our new shop processes transactions automatically and you will be billed at checkout):
Order a Japanese 20GB Playstation 3 at US$879 + shipping
Order a Japanese 60GB Playstation 3 at US$989 + shipping

Super Shiny Shiny²
Sony's stock photos of the PS3 don't convey how shiny the console is when it catches the light. Remember Padmé's glittering golden starship in Star Wars Episode 2? It's like that. Position the PS3 on a well lit table and be blinded by the bling. We're waiting for Flavor Flav to tie a chain around the PS3 and hang it from his neck while wearing a Viking helmet because that's what time it is. The membrane buttons on the console are also slick.

Region-Free Confirmation
NCS was able to test the USA versions of Marvel Ultimate Alliance and Tony Hawk's Project 8 on the Japanese PS3 and we confirm that both games boot and play perfectly. Kudos to Sony for doing away with region locks. With only five Japanese PS3 games available at launch, the availability of incoming USA PS3 games in the next few days will be a welcome addition to the fledgling software library. Please note however that PS1 and PS2 games are region-coded - USA PS1 and USA PS2 games are not recognized by a Japanese PS3 and will not boot.

PS3 Supply Situation
Sony plans on shipping 100,000 PS3 consoles in Japan every week after the launch. That should reassure buyers of ready availability for Japanese PS3 consoles up until the big holiday. NCS will update our website if there are any price changes in the next couple of weeks.

No Exploding PS3s Reported
Of the 58 Japanese customers who wrote in to NCS over the weekend, none reported glitches or errors with their new consoles. This is in stark contrast to the PS2 launch where we started receiving emails and reports of problems within hours of the launch in Japan. Many also remarked on the polished interface and the smooth sliding disc ejection. A cursory check with a few of our suppliers in Japan who sold a few hundred units locally was also satisfactory - no defects or returns yet.

Firmware Update
NCS customers: Please update your Japanese PS3 firmware with v1.10 upon receiving the console. The download is linked below and is a little under 100MB: http://djp01.ps3.update.playstation....b/PS3UPDAT.PUP

Playstation Network Online
The PS3 network lit up and went live over the weekend and gamers may chat with fellow Playstation devotees, check out rankings for games, view demos, and download Playstation games. That's right, a total of ten PS1 games are available for download at JPY2000 each. The titles "in stock" at the moment are:

» Arc the Lad
» Biohazard: Director's Cut Edition
» Bishi Bashi Special
» Jumping Flash!
» Konami Antiques MSX Collection Vol. 1
» Konami Antiques MSX Collection Vol. 2
» Hot Shots Golf 2
» Mr. Driller
» Silent Bomber (in our opinion, the best game of the lot)
» Tekken 2

Closing Comments
The launch line-up of Japanese PS3 software was meager but that proved to be no deterrent to buyers. The Playstation brand continues to be a strong selling point for Japanese consumers and we suspect USA consumers as well when the console launches here later in the week. That loyalty may assure Sony of a third term as the reigning industry juggernaut as a new generation transitions into place. Every new hardware launch carries a mix of excitement, trepidation, and fears of shortages. We've witnessed them all since the days of the Super Famicom and watched a few botched launches. That said, the PS3 debut has been one of the smoothest in our experience despite the onerous price hikes from suppliers. We've had fast deliveries and only a smidgeon of hemming and hawing from overseas distributors concerning inventory allotments. We're looking forward to a similarly smooth Wii launch in Japan on December 2.

Links of Interest
Watch Impress dissected a PS3 console (note the PS2 chip onboard)
http://pc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/2006/1111/ps3.htm

Watch Impress swapped a HDD, You can too (Must be ATA 2.5" form factor)
http://pc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/2006/1111/ps3.htm

NNN News Report on the PS3 (May be traumatic for some viewers)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cjx6MlWZ2LE

Early adopters may peruse the USA PS3 manual in English
http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/current/index.html

200 Mannin no KanKen: Tokoton Kanji Nou

Read a Japanese passage and use your Japanese kana to Chinese character (kanji) translation skills to decipher portions of the text that are highlighted with a red line. Similar to the aspect change in Nintendo's Brain Trainer, players rotate the Nintendo DS 90˚ counterclockwise and hold the handheld like a book. Handwritten answers are scribbled on the touch screen and automatically entered once the writing stops. The character recognition is good and even if your chicken scratches aren't perfect, a selection of relevant and related characters will appear so that you can tap on the one you meant to write. The Mannin no Kanken software offers 7000 questions for Japanese kanji learners to hone their abilities.

My Otome HIME aka Mai-Kinoto HIME

Travel to the Windbloom Kingdom and join the cast of My Otome in fast-paced 3D battles that take place in mid-air ala Psychic Force. However, My Otome HIME is not a true fighting game in the classic sense of the genre. When NCS thinks of fighting, we imagine a free-flowing game where punches, kicks, and guards flow in direct control from the player. Not so in My Otome where the movements of the fighters are stuttered and not free flowing although the attacks spool out in fluid succession.

For example, when poised on a battle field, the girls only have a set number of positions where they may move on screen. In a close combat situation where two opponents are face to face, there are exactly five cardinal positions to move the fighter - high, level, low, and towards the left or right to evade and strategize. Level refers to being face to face with the opponent. There is no true freedom of movement but the stutter-step action seems to work if you're the kind of fighting game fan who enjoys fast, chaotic, and constrained action. Although the fighters have limited range of movement, they can ignite attacks and special blows in quick motion and pound out HP draining combos. «NCS Game Notes»

My Otome HIME LE aka Mai-Kinoto HIME

The limited edition of My Otome HIME LE includes the following items in addition to the game:

» B2 Size folding poster which features Arika Yumemiya, Natsuki Kruger, Mai Tokiha, and Nina Wang side by side in compartmentalized spaces.

» 24-page art booklet which contains new illustrations of the My Otome cast, handwritten notes and comments from the voice actresses who breathe life into the HIME gals, and commentary from the creative staff.

» Mikoto cell phone strap figure which has a little gold ring attached to its left ear for hanging purposes. In the anime series, Mikoto is a dark-furred feline with a ninja-star shape on its forehead and a golden bell around its neck. These details make it to the figure intact.

The items are packaged in a limited edition box which sports variant cover artwork. All preorders will ship today and new orders are welcome.

SP2000 Ultimate Vol. 34: Sakigake!! Otokojuku

Musclebound bruisers from different walks of life battle and belittle each other in a surprisingly good 2D fighting game from D3P.

NCS Game Notes
» Fighters are cel-shaded and colored with bright colors for a distinctive look. The fighting is presented on a 2D plane and hearkens back to old school fighting games where the camera pulls in when the combatants are close and out when they're far apart. Backgrounds are well done including one where a troupe of yankii-styled gangsters are apparently punching the air and another where seated monks sit forlornly in the background.

» There are 8 playable characters in the beginning but another 13 fighters may be unlocked as they're encountered and beaten during the course of the game. The fighting mode is like KOF where one chooses three fighters and then battles against another trio. The order of each fighter on your team is chosen by pressing the button that corresponds to whom you want to fight first and second. Third place is then filled automatically. «G-Notes»

Japanese import outlook

PS2 Naruto Konoha Spirits leads preorders for the week followed by the new Akumajou Dracula on NDS.
NDS	Akumajou Dracula: Gallery of Labyrinth	Konami
	Magic Perfection	Nintendo
	Puzzle Series Vol. 5: Slither Link	Konami
	Puzzle Series Vol. 6: Illust Logic	Konami
	Puzzle Series Vol. 7: Crossword 2	Konami
PS2	3D Mahjong + Janpai Tori	Magnolia
	Naruto Konoha Spirits	Tomy
	Negima 3-Jikanme Live Version	Konami
	Negima 3-Jikanme Play Version	Konami
	Sengoku Musou 2 Empires	Koei
	Sengoku Musou 2 Empires Treasure Box	Koei
PSP	Akudaikan Manyuuki	Global A
	Plus Plumb 2 Again	Takuyo
	Sudoku	Konami
	Vulcanus	Capcom

USA Release Outlook

The entire launch assortment of USA Wii games is scheduled to arrive on Tuesday and Wednesday along with the rest of the USA PS3 games. Please note that allocations of USA Wii and PS3 hardware are still unknown at this point but we should receive news in the next couple of days. NCS expects widespread shortages and subsequent pandemonium towards the end of the week. Body armor, a helmet, and a makeshift weapon of some sort might be useful if you're planning on camping out...
GBA	Bionicle Heroes	Eidos
	Eragon	Vivendi
	Happy Feet	Midway
	Shrek Smash and Crash	Activision
	Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis	Sega
	Spider-Man: Battle for New York	Activision
	Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation 2	Atlus
	Tomb Raider: Legend	Eidos
GC	Bionicle Heroes	Eidos
	Happy Feet	Midway
	Shrek Smash and Crash	Activision
	Tomb Raider: Legend	Eidos
NDS	Asphalt: Urban GT 2	Ubisoft
	Bionicle Heroes	Eidos
	Brain Boost Beta Wave	Majesco
	Brain Boost Gamma Wave	Majesco
	Charlotte's Web	Sega
	Eragon	Vivendi
	Final Fantasy III	Square
	Gunpey DS	Bandai
	Happy Feet	Midway
	Monster Bomber	Majesco
	Spider-Man: Battle for New York	Activision
	Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop 2	Bandai
	Tomb Raider: Legend	Eidos
	Yoshi's Island DS	Nintendo
PS2	Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses	Activision
	Bionicle Heroes	Eidos
	Capcom Classics Collection Volume 2	Capcom
	Eragon	Vivendi
	Happy Feet	Midway
	Harley Davidson	Activision
	Naruto Uzumaki Chronicles	Bandai
	NFL Street 3	EA
	Shrek Smash and Crash	Activision
	SingStar	Sony
	Xiaolin Showdown	Konami
PSP	Gunpey	Bandai
	Mortal Kombat: Unchained	Midway
	EA Replay	EA
	Eragon	Vivendi
	Gitaroo-Man Lives!	Koei
	NFL Street 3	EA
	Over the Hedge: Hammy Goes Nuts	Activision
	Pocket Racers	Konami
	Rayman Raving Rabbids	Ubisoft
	Sega Genesis Collection	Sega
	Shrek Smash and Crash	Activision
	Sonic Rivals	Sega
	Warhammer: Battle for Atluma	Bandai
	Xiaolin Showdown	Konami
	Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Tag Force	Konami
PS3	Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII	Ubisoft
	Genji: Days of the Blade	Sony
	Madden NFL 07	EA
	Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire	Bandai
	NBA 07	Sony
	NBA 2K7	2K Sports
	NHL 2K7	2K Sports
	Resistance: Fall of Man	Sony
	Ridge Racer 7	Namco
	Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07	EA
	Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom	Sony
Wii	Avatar: The Last Airbender	THQ
	Barnyard, The	THQ
	Call of Duty 3	Activision
	Cars	THQ
	Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy	Midway
	GT Pro Series with Wheel	Ubisoft
	Happy Feet	Midway
	Madden NFL 07	EA
	Marvel Ultimate Alliance	Activision
	Rampage Total Destruction	Midway
	Rapala Trophies	Activision
	Rayman Raving Rabbids	Ubisoft
	Spongebob: Creature from the Krusty Krab	THQ
	Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz	Sega
	Trauma Center Second Opinion	Atlus
XBX	Capcom Classics Collection Vol. 2	Capcom
	Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 4	Konami
	Eragon	Vivendi
	Xiaolin Showdown	Konami
X360	Bionicle Heroes	Eidos
	Eragon	Vivendi
	History Channel: Civil War	Activision
	Sonic the Hedgehog	Sega
	WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2007	THQ