So after much anticipation, Mirai Nikki (Eng. release as Future Diary) has recently gotten itself some additional support  when Japanese publishing company Kadokawa Shoten stated that they will be doing an anime adaptation of Sakae Esuno's series.  Initially, a "pilot episode" came bundled in as a premium DVD with the release of the eleventh volume in the series, hinting at lofty ambitions to get it televised.  The Japanese premiere will air some time in October, although a specific date has yet to be set.  Given the time it takes for the work to get translated and revocalized through English speaking voice actors, while vague, a fair projection as to when we may see Future Diary being aired in the States may be somewhere around early to mid Spring.

As of now,  the Mirai Nikki series has come to a close in manga format as of April 26, 2011 yet the English releases stopped a mere two volumes short, as of April 12th, due to Tokyopop's North America division effectively laying off nearly all of their employees which was in part due to the Borders bookstore chain's filing for bankruptcy.  While their European and film divisions remain open, the likelihood of it being finished, at least under the Tokyopop label, has less than a snowball's chance in Hell.  The notion that the series could be reprinted in either in an omnibus edition or in traditional manga format under the Viz label seems more likely given how their company owns a grand majority of the titles being printed out, more notably the titles popularized by the Shonen Jump publication series.  There are no guarantees, but for collectors such as myself who respect the integrity of the book, one can only hope that Viz may do a reprint.

-Reported by Kristoffer "Kaz" Sturm
Sources:
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2011-04-21/future-diary-tv-anime-confirmed-for-fall
http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2011/04/tokyopop-gives-up-on-manga-but-will-it-give-back-the-rights/

Remember that video game that turned into an anime? The whole .Hack series? Where you have to play from the very 1st game tot he last game to carry over your XP because if you didn't you get you ass handed to you by monsters much higher level then you? Yea that game err...anime is coming back in a full 3D CGI movie. To me it looks an awful like Final Fantasy 13, but still looks rather interesting. The funny thing about this is Cyber2Connect is working on the movie, the same guys who recently is working on Azura's Wrath. Sora Yuuki, a 14-year-old girl, starts playing the game with her friends Kakeru and Tomohiku. The characters seem to be using the avatars of previous important avatars like Kite, Orca, and Balmung. Weather you a long time fan or interested in seeing on what this will look like, check out the trailer below to see for yourselves. No word when exactly this will come out but well keep an eye out for this.

-reported by Anthony Beanes
sources: http://www.japanator.com/-hack-returns-with-a-new-3d-cgi-movie-20206.phtml

Who saw this coming? Kayne West, yes the guy who was an ass at the MTV awards, will be performing in LA for the Call of Duty XP event. He will be performing on the last day at the event at 8 PM. No word how long he will perform, but seems like Activision is pulling all the stops to for this event. There will also be a recreated paintball arena of the Modern Warfare 2 map, Scrapyard, a zipline, a recreation of Burger Town where you can eat, a recreation of The Pit you can run through, and an armory. Of course for those who are going and already payed the 150$ for the event will get the Modern Warfare 3 Hardened Edition of the game for free.

"We're pulling out all the stops," said Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg. "We promised our attendees and fans around the world a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the first Call of Duty XP, so we're thrilled to have Kanye on board."

The XP event will be on September 2-4th. This may sound great and all but I can't help but wonder, will this event be enough to carry over time in the following years? What do you guys think?

-reported by Anthony Beanes
sources: http://www.1up.com/news/call-of-duty-xp-live-kanye-west-performance

The past 24 hours have been nothing but Dues Ex love for all three major platforms; PS3, Xbox 360, and PC; but recently there have been copies of Dues Ex: Human Revolution with free OnLive coupons. The coupons are a free code to download a free copy of Dues Ex for the OnLive service so you can play your game anywhere you go on any PC or OnLive console. Gamestop has noticed this and started rejecting or taking the coupons out of the retail copies as they did not agree with OnLive's free game copies they are giving away. Gamestop see this is direct competition with their own online service, Spawn Labs' Impulse service, which is soon to offer games on demand streaming. Square Enix and Onlive refused to comment on this matter but as evidence this is happening Gamestop did send a letter to multiple gaming website outlets with a letter to not use the code or sell the code for the Onlive version.

-reported by Anthony Beanes
sources: http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/222342/gamestop-discarding-deus-ex-onlive-coupons/

Its a fact, there are alot of vocoloid fans out there especially those who love Miku. A year or two ago there was a PSP rhythm vocoloid game called Project Diva. In the game you would click the right buttons on your controller to the beat of the song like you would in Rock Band or Guitar Hero and at the same time a fully 3d music video would be displaying most of the screen. Seems like it sold enough to get a sequel and thats what they plan to do. The sequel will come out this year in Japan on november 1oth for the PSP. But what is really the interesting story is that promoting the game is an anime music video of Miku. This is such a big tease for a vocoloid anime that fans have been wanting for the longest time. Will we see a vocoloid anime? Probably but not now.

reported by Anthony Beanes 
sources: http://www.japanator.com/theme-from-project-diva-extend-gets-an-anime-pv-20166.phtml#ext

Fairy Tale has been well receieved among fans of the series, and was licensed by Funimation to bring it over here to the states. Today Funimation has released the full cast of voice actors taking part in this anime series and they are:

ALZACK Austin Tindle
ANGELICA Heather Walker
AQUARIUS Jessica
Cavanagh
BELNO Wendy Powell
BISCA Angela Chase
BOB Antimere
Robinson
BOBO Elias Taylorson
BORA Ian Sinclair
BYARD Tyson
Rinehart
CANA Jamie Marchi
ELFMAN Christopher R. Sabat
ERIGOR Jonathan
Brooks
ERZA Colleen Clinkenbeard
DUKE EVERLUE Christopher Ayres
GRAY
Newton Pittman
HAPPY Tia Ballard
HOROLOGIUM Ben Bryant
JELLAL Rob
McCollum
JET Michael Chinnici
KABY Dave Trosko
KAGEYAMA Chad
Cox
KARACKA Chris Cason
KEMU Jerry Russell
LAKI Apphia Yu
LAXUS
Patrick Seitz
LEVY Kristi Bingham
LOKE Eric Vale
LUCY Cherami
Leigh
LYON Jerry Jewell
LYRA Kristin Sutton
MACAO Brian
Mathis
MAKAROV R Bruce Elliott
MIRAJANE Monica Rial
MOKA Kenny
Green
MYSTOGAN Rob McCollum
NAB Mike McFarland
NARRATOR Bob
Magruder
NATSU Todd Haberkorn
RAYULE Will Christoferson
REEDUS Sonny
Strait
ROMEO Kayla Carlyle
SHERRY Trina Nishimura
TOBY Chad
Halbrook
UR Kira Vincent Davis
ULTEAR Lydia Mackay
VIJEETER Tyler
Walker
WAKABA Charlie Campbell
YUKA Anthony Bowling
ZARTI Mark Stoddard

Take it or leave it, we want to hear what the actual dub anime in action. The full DVD/BD set will be released on November 12th of this year.

-reported by Anthony Beanes
sources: http://www.animenews.biz/funimation-releases-complete-english-cast-list-for-fairy-tail-7180/

Hey portal fans, do you guys remeber when Valve said there be DLC for Portal 2 in the summer? Yea, well that didn't happen so we had to wait for a while to hear anything about it. Through a kotaku story Valve has annouced today that the free DLC will be coming this mid-September to PC. Not sure when the console versions will get it but I do know PC will get it free and console's might DLC you have to pay to get.

-reported by Anthony Beanes
sources: http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/222175/first-portal-2-dlc-coming-mid-september/
http://kotaku.com/5832185/portal-2s-first-dlc-will-still-technically-arrive-this-summer

For a while we had a hunch that the next Xbox was being worked on but wasn't quite sure if Microsoft would make the leap from the current xbox to the next. Well today through an interview with one of the Microsoft's repersentives he gives little hints that there is indeed another Xbox coming.

CL: Well, we think we're more than halfway through but given we are still
growing, we think we're at a healthy part in the life cycle still because we've
pumped this adrenaline into the arm of the business with Kinect and the scope
and scale of what that means for publishers and developers I think is huge...
So we think we're a little over halfway with the life cycle of the
console, but that’s not to say there won’t be an overlap...
GC: So those 10 years, they won't be the Xbox 360 alone? The Xbox 720, or
whatever it's called, will presumably be leaking into some of those 10
years?


CL: Could possibly be the case. I'm not going to announce specifically or
talk about timing. But you could imagine there could be overlap, it depends.
We’re not being specific about the next generation at this stage. We're very
fixated on what we're doing right now and the success we're enjoying.

I think its going to happen eventually, but at the same time I really don't want to migrate my stuff to the new Xbox since I invested so much money and games into this current one. We probably won't hear much of this untill next year at E3.

reported by Anthony Beanes
sources: http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/222178/microsoft-there-could-be-overlap-between-xbox-720-and-xbox-360/

Another day at Gamescom in Germany and another big day in news. Here is the list of big news that happen today at Gamescom.

Devil May Cry gameplay trailer

When a new Devil May Cry game was announced being made, many groan at the new Dante and the different play-style he has. Love it or hate the new character design of Dante today Ninja Theory showed off a new trailer showing his "Angel" and "Devil" abilities with his weapons. Like in the last Devil May Cry game, you have the options of leveling up your weapons to deal more damage and getting new moves. Same goes with the weapons you have only this time its called Angel and Devil weapons and moves you can choose to level up. Details on how that exactly works has not been said but after seeing this trailer this convinced me on getting this game when it comes out.

In these slow times where there isn't a lot of big games to buy in the summer over at Gamescom Sony announces a price drop for their PS3 Slim model. Sony had dropped the price of the PS3 slim down to $250 effective immediately. Which means as of right now, all PS3 slims are $250. Question is now was this move necessary from Sony to boost sales? Or was it more of a push against the other companies to get a leg up in the console war race. I know one thing for sure, there is now no excuse to not get a PS3.

During EA's press conference, a new SSX trailer was shown today. Showing the less gritty and the more stylish gameplay we all know and love EA showed off some features in the game that got everyone interested. What brings out the best in you? Taking a cue from other games like Geometry Wars 2 in SSX your friends or the next guy's time  will be shown every time you race down the track to beat it. Making the competitiveness amongst gamers a bit more of a incentive to beat the next guy's record. Beating the next guy's record will give you in game cash as well as other rewards. Another feature that was interesting in SSX online functionally is called RiderNet. RiderNet is essentially a voting system for all the players in the game to switch tracks, tracks how everyone is progressing, and for the sore losers in the room they is a down vote button. If a player is not having fun or is getting beat every time they can down vote the player or your friend if you wish. Also there be some functionality with social media with the game like facebook and twitter. The last feature in SSX that was announced today was that SSX will support 100,000 players at the same time during one race. Of course there would be no way Xbox or PS3 can handle that many models at one time, so its still is 100,000 competitors at one time only you be racing to see who gets the fastest time and you see yourself and no other people around you.

For you D and D fans wanting to play another NeverWinter game well that has been put on hold for now. Cryptic Studios are in the middle of being bought out by the publisher Perfect World Entertainment hence the delay on the game. The last NeverWinter game was back in 2006 and with fans craving for more, they will have to wait a bit longer for NeverWinter to return to the D and D action.

In a rather interesting move by Sony not only did they cut the price for their PS3 slim but they are also cutting the price again for their PSP but this PSP is a new model and exclusively for Europe. PSP has not done well here in the states but is doing very well in Japan and in Europe. So tending to the market that is supporting them Sony is making a new model with that in mind. It will not support wifi and is pretty much there as a pure gaming device to play UMD's  as well as what you can get in the PlayStation store on the PS3.

Sonic Generations is a game we are all curious about but what I can tell from the new trailer today is that modern sonic will be running in the classic sonic stages while classic sonic will be running in the modern levels. Interesting as that may be I do love the redone levels from the classic sonic games in action. At the very end of the trailer they showed off both classic and modern tails joining in with both sonics.

In the new trailer for Asura's Wrath, it shows Asura and his father duking it out after a relaxation at a hot springs. Of course in this training Asura's father is going a bit overboard to train his son but in this action pack trailer nothing says action then spiky anime hair. 

During EA's press conference Mass Effect 3 showed of a new trailer showing off the squad controls with a few additional surprises. A few things that pop out in my mind is that Commander Shepperd's omni gel now that can be used as a melee weapon looks like it can be upgraded or a new ability to just blow people up with it, with one swift motion. At the very end of the trailer Commander Shepperd is seen throwing the old disc grenades that were in Mass Effect 1 now are back in Mass Effect 3. Tron gots nothing on these disc games!

Seems like the folks over at Dice heard everyone thoughts on the E3 demo that many called the most boring live demo ever seen. So they came back with a new trailer showing off the mutiplayer aspect action with new vehicles shown including jets. 64 player action as everyone fights their own skirmishes whether it be in the air or on the ground. Graphics looks as good as always but the more I watch this the more I am convinced this is the better of the two shooters coming out.

In a few hours the Dota 2 tournament will begin and millions will watch on as old Dota Players step up to the plate to see how the game looks, feels, and played. Valve is hosting the tournament as the schedule for the upcoming matches are already up and set. The tournament starts at 1 am pst/ 4 am est time. If you plan to stay up late to watch some good matches head over to the Dota 2 website as they will host the stream for everyone to enjoy. Though by the time your read this it will be already over but I am sure the matches will be shown again via youtube or steam.

                                                                                    Dota 2 site

You ever wondered how that plane crashed in the Uncharted 3 trailers? Well in this new trailer you found out how and its pretty awesome how it did too. You see also why Nathan Drake is by himself on this adventure and some cool game play footage. Oh and also there is going to be a Uncharted 3 bundle pack with the new discounted PS3 slim for $300. Talking about bang for your buck.

Chris was looking for Jill for the longest time, now its Jill's turn to return the favor. In this new adventure not only does Jill need to find Chris but at the same time take on a new threat against the Veltro Crest as they are on the verge of unleashing a virus much like the others Resident Evil fans known over the years. It is Chris and Jill's job to stop them in time to save the world. yea I know corny but hey its another Resident Evil game.

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is already shaping up to be even a more crazier game then ever before as two new characters were announced today for the game. Joining the fight is Marvel's Dr. Strange and Resident Evil's Nemesis. Both very different from one another and both very deadly. Dr. Strange is more of a mix of Magneto, Phoenix, and Dormammu while Nemesis is just a beefed up tank that would take out the likes of Sential with ease. Also in the trailers shown not only the new chracters that are new but also showing existing characters getting some new moves as well along with balance and tweeks. We will find out more as this game comes closer but man these two are looking pretty damn good.

-reported by Anthony Beanes
sources: gamepro, 1up, youtube, g4tv, gameinformer, and Shacknews

As if this week couldn't of started any bigger with Gamescom going on in Germany, big announcements were made yesterday. Here's a short recap of those big announcements.

New Batman Villain in Arkham City...Mr Freeze.

It's Ice to meet you all....okay aside from the ice puns Arnold made famous in the Batman and Robin movie, Mr. Freeze will be joining the fray of already a stacked cast of villains Batman has to face. Mr. Freeze is back and in his efforts to try to save his deathly ill wife, Nora, he is experimenting on a cure. Even to go as far as using real life humans to find a way to cure his wife. That's when Batman enters. From the looks of things there won't be any more villains left to use in the next game at this rate for Batman to face. We will fight Mr. Freeze and the other villains this fall when Batman Arkham City comes out for Xbox, PS3, and PC.

Dota 2 has been something in the works that no one really expected and on top of that being supported by Valve. Dota or Defense of the Ancients, is a mod in Warcraft 3 that has its own campaign, characters to choose from, basically a whole new game using the Warcraft 3 engine. Years has passed since the original and with Valve's support for the community and mod support they are helping with Dota 2. Today at Gamescom they showed off a new trailer for the game on the different type of characters you can control. People can enter the beta for the game this fall but it will be for tournament play for prize money. Dota 2 is coming out for PC only at this time.

The one fighting game that is been kinda under the radar as of late is Soul Calibur 5. With its new improvements in the game and added on features what really drives the game is not only its core fighting mechanic but also the characters themselves. Some have been revealed in short spots here and there in some trailers but in it's latest trailer they show off some of your old favorites coming back for another round of fighting. Voldo, Ivy, Tira, Sigfried, and Maxi make their return to the battlefield. Also, with the new characters coming into the fray Soul Calibur 5 is shaping up to be another big step up in the fighting game space between the other big name fighting games out there. No word on when exactly but the game is due out next year in 2012 for PS3 and Xbox 360.

Gearbox comes out with the heavy hitters at Gamescom as they showed a short trailer of their new game, Borderlands 2. More guns, more vehicles, and more co-op play to satisfy everyone's desires in Borderlands 2. Nothing much else to report but if you want to know more check out the details on what we discovered a few days ago.  But there is small details that can be explained like the duel wielding weapons, new environments to play in, and new enemies to face.  Borderlands is coming to the xbox 360, PC, and PS3.

Borderlands 2 details link

People were skeptical or were not really sure how the cross up feature works in the new Street Fighter X Tekken game. Thanks to Capcom we can see how it really works out in this trailer showing of the possible combinations of characters in the new moves that you can possibly use in a cross up. Additionally after the demonstration the trailer shows off new characters in action including, Hugo, Ibuki, Raven, and Kuma in action.

The guys who brought you Shadows of the Damned now bring you a game that is more colorful. Introducing Lollipop Chainsaw where you play as a high school cheerleader fighting the undead with your chainsaw! Yea there is no way around it Suda loves the strange and obscure and in this game trailer not only shows game play but the character herself. Think Devil May Cry action with Dead Rising elements. Suda in a recent interview with 1up has stated he always wanted to do a game with a school in it. The talks Suda had with his company about who or what should be in this environment and well, cheerleader came to mind and from then on they ran with it.


"Actually I've wanted to do a crazy horror-action game like this set in a school for a while now," Suda commented. "Something where the classrooms, corridors, gymnasium and so on are suddenly transformed into something completely different. I was also working on a game concept centered around using a chainsaw as a weapon, and once the idea for the Juliet character began to form, it was just a perfect fit."

Despite the premise, Lollipop isn't a particularly gory game -- instead, the visual design is meant to play up the cute 'pop' aspect of the title. "Instead of sprays of blood, we have the zombies emitting bursts of pink light," Suda said. "When it comes to gore, we can certainly go that way if we want, but we wanted to give the game more of a 'pop' feel."

"Since Juliet's a cheerleader, there's going to be action moves that take advantage of her cheerleading skills," added Yoshimi Yasuda, president of Lollipop publisher Kadokawa Games. "There are other ways to attack outside of the chainsaw, too, and part of the fun is figuring out which move to use at which time."

The game itself is already 70% done and Grasshopper Studios already has a publisher for the japan and US release of this game. No word when this game is coming out but I am sure we hear more about it very soon. Lollipop Chainsaw is due out for PS3 and Xbox 360.

-reported by Anthony Beanes
sources: gametrailers, youtube,  http://www.1up.com/news/suda51-talks-lollipop-chainsaw,