Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme VS (Import Review)

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Mobile Suit Gundam is one of the most beloved franchises in anime history. However the series hasn't always adapted well in the gaming world. Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme VS is the latest edition in the Gundam VS series. Is this new edition worth the import? Or does this fall in line with horrible Gundam games.

 Story - Due to the genre of this game it does not contain a story mode.

 Gameplay - Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme VS consists of four modes Arcade, Co-op, Trial Mission and Online. In arcade mode you pick which mobile suit you want to pilot and what pathway you want to choose. For example I will pick Heero Yuy piloting Wing Zero I would then be assigned a partner by the cpu. From there I have a choice of which section I want to choose 1A, 2A, 3A, all the way to 8. Each section has it's own difficulty, stages and challengers. Each mobile suit has they own unique moves, specials and support. The combat system can range from easy to hard depending on which mobile suit you choose. The game made sure to keep true to the strengths and weakness of each mobile suit, which can be frustrating for some gamers. Don't expect the original Gundam suit that Amuro piloted to best the mobile suit of Zex Marquees with just pressing your buttons. Some mobile suits can fly or have faster speed and some have more powerful beam weaponry or a stronger sword. It's really fun to find out which mobile suit will work for you especially when the game packs a huge rosters of characters from almost every single Gundam series or movie from "Gundam Seed" to "Mobile Suit Gundam Stardust Memory" and more. You will spend a lot of time using different suits, perfecting moves and finding the one that works best for you. The combat is simple to use, you have your primary gun, and your melee attacks and depending on your mobile suit you can also called for support. In single players mode you have an A.I. partner which you can give commands too, to either fight freely or help your fight your opponent. The A.I. partner is usually helpful, but sometimes they will allow you to get double team which can be frustrating on the harder difficulty. 


Arcade mode when completed has some unlockables like secret characters that you will be able to use, other than that it really doesn't offer too much. Trail mission offers a little more for your buck. You complete missions and will be able to upgrade your mobile suits from weapons, power, melee and more.

 Graphics - The graphics follow the same formula and elements as previous installments, notably the PSP version with the use of cel shaded environments and more of a cartoon style approach. It works for this arcade melee style game. Each mobile suit looks exactly the way it should and you might notice some locations from previous games and Gundam shows.


Sound - If one thing all Gundam games do right is the sound. The game packs tons of music from your favorite Gundam series from opening themes to insert songs. The voice acting is top of the line with some returning cast members reprising they voices. Only thing I didn't like is that "Promised Land" by Nami Tamaki wasn't included it's one of my favorite Gundam songs.

 Replay Vaule - With mobile suits to unlock, a trial mission that will upgrade your Gundams and multi-player mode you will be playing this game for a while. It offers enough challenge for you want to keep playing, and the online mode is fun too, however it's difficult to get on if you don't understand Japanese.

 Final Grade C+/7.5 - Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme VS is a decent game, it offers up a challenge and gives fans what they desire giant robots beating each other up. Import wise though I would say only buy it if it's cheap, it offers only four main modes and if you want to play online you better know Japanese. The game is fun to play, the music is pure fan service and you will love using some of your favorite mobile suits, however I can only recommend this one to the die hard Gundam fans. 


Versus Valerie (Web Series)

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Hey Otakus and Geeks there is a cool web series that I watched today that you might want to check out. It's called "Versus Valerie." Here is a brief synopsis from the official site "Versus Valerie follows Valerie Lapomme, YouTube's Sexy Nerd Girl, as she navigates her chaotic life, sliding between reality and her video-game and genre-bending imagination. Season 1 of VsV consists of 12 episodes, each taking a referential cue from a specific element of nerd-dom - Doctor Who, Star Trek, Star Wars, Batman, Harry Potter, and many more."

 This is a show that I will be keeping an eye on every two weeks. It has a lot of charm, a lot of geeky and mature humor. The characters are really interesting from the first scene of Valerie leaving a one night stand to meet her friend to go to the local comic book shop. Immediately I was wrapped up into this world. The first episode has a Sherlock Holmes feel to it and it's something I'm curious to see what each episode will be like. You can check out the first episode below and visit the site Versus Valerie. Episode 1
Episode 2 Episode 3 Episode 4 Episode 5 Episode 6 Episode 7 Episode 8 Episode 9 Episode 10 Episode 11


Fairy Tail Ends: Along With Aya Hirano’s Seiyuu Career

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The anime adaptation of of Fairy Tail has been announced as ending on the 30th of March – and along with it the seiyuu career of no less an icon than Aya Hirano herself, as her last remaining major
role was that of Lucy.


Fairy Tail fans have been complaining of poor timing for the ending, which some suspect to have been precipitated largely by the poor reception its recent movie release experienced.
The manga original is expected to continue unaffected – and mangaka Hiro Mashima has commented on Twitter that “I can’t say anything now, but please bear the wait until the day I can make a good announcement,” which has been interpreted as a possible restart of the anime once the manga has accumulated more of a lead.


However, as the show represented 25-year-old Aya Hirano’s last remaining significant role since her dramatic fall from grace, as much attention seems to have focused on what will become of her “seiyuu” status.
According to a twit made by Hirano herself in 2011, supposed contractual issues were involved in her exit from the anime world – although it is hard to imagine many studios wanting to cast such a controversial figure amongst their top heroines:
“From last year I’m banned from appearing in any new anime, so I’m really grateful for 2nd seasons and long running shows! Really grateful!”
Although she does have some minor roles left in kiddy anime (in Anpanman and Jewelpet), no major active roles are now left her.



Despite not having any real roles at all, her agency still insists being a seiyuu is a core part of her career and dismisses any notion of her now concentrating on being a singer:
“Hirano entered the business as a seiyuu, and nothing about her main activity being that of a seiyuu has changed at all.
This is her agency’s real intent for her. She still has new offers, and she won’t refuse any she is capable of taking on.”
There is as usual a certain amount of scepticism accruing to these statements – the consensus appears to be that she has abandoned being a “multitalent” in favour of a monotalent career focused on generic J-pop, although some faithful lifeliners apparently still believe she is merely biding her time for a return to voice acting glory:

“She can start by stopping being a blonde and going back to black…”
“This is the girl who made a fuss about that taxi?”
“When the Monogatari casting changed I knew it was a scary business.”
“She still has a few small roles aside from Fairy Tail…”
“She still has 5 glorious years of being a Jewelpet regular!”
“I thought so too! Perhaps she’d can take on some dubbing roles on travel drama and Korean soaps. Though please stay off any Hollywood movies.”
“She narrated some NHK documentaries too!”
“I don’t think there is any more demand for her now? Even if she is a great voice actress, part of her role as seiyuu is drawing in customers.”
“She’s mainly a seiyuu, so at least judge her on her voice acting, guys. Although I hate her voice and acting as well.”
“Being the top seiyuu is not a status you can maintain for long. Just look at what happened to Hayashibara, she doesn’t have any roles these days either.”
“That’s because she concentrated on her family and stopped taking new work? She still has a few big ones.”
“She had her reasons, don’t lump her in together with the likes of Hirano, someone who discarded fans and colleagues alike.”
“At least Hirano is good example to new seiyuu of how not to do it.”
“Nobody reporting on her career even touches on the those pictures. They really show what a scary business it is.”
“No demand indeed. I hope they pass her roles on to new blood.”
“Women have a short shelf life. There are always young new girls with talent and popularity available to replace them. No need to keep using damaged second-hand goods under the circumstances.”
“There are loads more in the business where she came from. The fact otaku hated her was the end of her.”
“It seems more like she was forced out of the business by the other seiyuu, but I think she was good to have around. Why does everyone hate her so much?”
“Without the repeated scandals and the constant strange utterances she would never have fallen this far.”
“She’s a perfect example of a star who ruined herself.”
“A carnivorous girl like this is too much for anime otaku. Adieu, Hirano.”

Source: Sankaku Complex.com

Who's Hotter 2 Broke Girls Cast Comparison

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Hey Otakus and Geeks fans, it's time for another segment of Who's Hotter! This time we are going to compare Beth Behrs and Kat Dennings ( Caroline and Max ) from the CBS series 2 Broke Girls. I have to admit both ladies are smoking hot, so this was a very tough choice. Ok before I make my choice here is a Bio on both Actresses:

Beth Behrs: She studied drama both at high school and at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, appearing in a number of plays before enrolling to study drama at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television in Los Angeles.

A few one-off parts on high profile US TV shows led to her breakthrough role as Caroline Channing in "2 Broke Girls" (2011).

 Kat Dennings:  Kat was predominantly home-schooled, graduating at the age of 14. Her family subsequently moved to Los Angeles, California to support Kat acting full-time. After work doing commercials, she began work in television, starting with a role on HBO's "Sex and the City" (1998), following up with roles on "Raising Dad" (2001), The Scream Team (2002) (TV), "Everwood" (2002), "Without a Trace" (2002) and "ER" (1994), among others.

Kat made the move to the big screen with supporting roles in Raise Your Voice (2004), The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005) and Big Momma's House 2 (2006). She later achieved a level of fame with roles in The House Bunny (2008) and Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008). Kat continues to act in feature films and is an avid video blogger.

Ok this was tough, but I'm going to have to go with my favorite Kat Dennings. So again Guys and Girls I'm going to show some sexy picks and let you the fans decide on Who's Hotter! Comment below about your choice.

Beth Behrs

 

 



Kat Dennings





 








 2 Broke Girls Mondays CBS


Fairy Tail Anime Last Episode To Air On March 30th

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Hey otakus out there some very sad news for us fans of the Fairy Tail anime. It was reported in Kondasha TV Magazine the show will have it's final episode one March 30th on TV Tokyo. The episode will end at 175 and the title of the episode is called "The Face Of The Girl I Saw." No word on why the show is being stopped at the moment, but let's just hope this is just a break and that it will return soon. Anime Rules!!!!

Saint Seiya: Sanctuary Battle (Import Review)

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Saint Seiya is what I consider a very underrated anime franchise. I had the pleasure of buying the import game for the PS3,"Saint Seiya: Sanctuary Battle" which follows the story of the original first season, and manga when the Seiya and his friends take on the 12 golden saints in order to save Saori Kido from death. Is this import worth picking up? Or should you save your money?

 Story - The story is told in the story mode aspect in the game. You play as Seiya and his friends as they attempt to save Saori Kido from dying. In order to do this you'll have to stop the 12 golden saints in each sanctuary. The game does a great job of retelling key moments in the Saint Seiya storyline. Each character is  given enough game time presence so you can understand the story arc, their backstory and motives. The story is told through cut-scenes, and narratives using actual game time and it works and it will keep you invested. 

 Gameplay - Saint Seiya is an action beat em up with RPG elements. The story mode consists around 12 stages that is divided into two parts, the beat em up level and then the boss fight. The first section of the stage you play as Seiya or one of his friends depending on the story on the path to the sanctuary to fight one of the golden saints. You move your character from section to section clearing the area of enemies until you reach the sanctuary to fight the boss. The standard enemies A.I. is fairly easy. There is no strategy to they attacks and it can be easily overcome by button mashing or releasing your special attacks. This makes the game feel really repetitive because the enemies don't really put up a fight. You just button mash, special attack and move on to the next area and do it all over again. The only time the first section feels challenging is when you're overwhelm by enemies, however that can be solve with the use of your special attacks.


Special attacks can be performed when you have energy to performed them. Players are given two bars a health bar which monitors your health and your energy bar which determines if you can perform special attacks. Following standard beat em up m.o. the health and energy bar can be regain by enemies dropping items or knocking pots that are place across the stage. After each level you are given the option to upgrade your characters attacks and buy new combos. The higher an attack becomes the more damage it will do on your opponents and less trouble you will have with the boss battles.The boss battles are what really make this game fun to play. Each golden saint is challenging to fight. No matter how strong your attack is, or what level of difficulty you are playing the golden saints will bring a challenge. Each saint is arm with normal attacks, special attacks and an ultimate attack. Some saints even take you to another realm where you must escape while they perform attacks or clear an area. The golden saints do a great job of testing your skills and making you think of when to use your special attacks.

 Besides the main story mode the game offers mission mode. In mission mode you have three options, Single Challenge, Tag Challenge and Survival. Single Challenge is basically time attack mode, you have to clear the stage as quick as possible in order to get a high ranking. Tag Challenge is when you select two character with or without and friend and fight through the various stages. Finally Survival mode is fighting a gauntlet of enemies until you die. I found Survival mode the most addictive mode out of the three, because the increase of enemies becomes challenging and they even throw in some minor bosses for good measure.

 Graphics - The graphics does well capturing the anime spirit of Saint Seiya. It uses a little cel shaded elements and it works for this type of game. The graphics really show the spirit of the anime during the special attacks, the use of the aura and other realm will make a Seiya fan smile. There was no lagging issues or really any tech specs to complain about.

Sound - The game is Japanese dub with English subtitles and the performance are like watching the Japanese dub of the anime. The music isn't that memorable but it does well enough to hold your interest. It has a couple of stand out tracks and the opening theme will get you pump to play the game. 

 Replay Value - The game offers some replay value with mission mode and the story mode and boss battles are good enough for a second round. The game also has some unlockables like collecting all the saint figurines, so collectors who want to buy might want to see which saint will be good for them. I had no problems picking up the controller to play the game again. It's like playing a beloved arcade game.

 Final Grade B-/8.0 - "Saint Seiya: Sanctuary Battle" isn't a perfect game, but it's far from a bad one. The game does feel repetitive at times, but poses a challenge with the boss fights. It remains faithful to the anime/manga that it's adapting and fans of the franchise should give this a shot. It's worth the import.




Sayaka Nakaya Graduating From AKB48

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AKB48's member Sayaka Nakaya announced today that she will be graduating from the group to pursue her career as an anime voice actress. Her last performance will be on March 6th 2013 with her current Team K team. I wonder what role Sayaka is going for and I would love to see what she could do in the anime world. Here is the official statement from Sayaka blog (http://ameblo.jp/nakaya-sayaka):

"I'll let ...'ve announced today, March 02, at the concert , I graduated from AKB48 Sayaka Nakaya with performances on March 6. I will get with the announcement of the sudden, I'm really sorry. Then let me ranked in the general election ... No, I was thinking graduation from earlier. But, it's fun and your members can work. Be happy to watch the smile for everyone. I honestly graces this environment. But I was able to meet event that can be decided finally. It is a favorite anime voice actor audition. I have already started. There is no guarantee that the pass. But that's because it really wanted to do. I wanted to do to hit throw a rich environment of this now. In addition, I also quit the office to which they belong now Mousa well as AKB48. Because the one who does not belong to the production in terms of the voice actor audition, I decided. I'm sorry I have become a sudden announcement. It is really starting from scratch. I think it may have come from the gun barrel until now. In the future, thank you for your support of Sayaka Nakaya??" 
Sayaka Nakaya




Freezing (Anime Review)

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Set in a slightly futuristic world where Earth has been invaded and is at war with aliens from another dimension called the Nova, the story follows the adventures of a Japanese boy named Kazuya Aoi who enrolls for training at a special school for genetically modified girls called Pandoras who battle the aliens, and their male partners, called Limiters, who use a special power called "freezing" to limit their opponent's mobility. The protagonist makes the acquaintance of an unusual older girl named Bridgette L. Satellizer who appears to be the most powerful Pandora in her class, but has not yet chosen a male partner to be her Limiter, and in spite of the warnings of all his friends, he decides to be her Limiter.


Sony PS4 Will Play Used Games

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Sony has officially confirmed that the PlayStation 4 will be able to play second-hand games after all, after a patent on a method of blocking them and the much enhanced online delivery system of the new console led to much speculation that it would finally axe the used game market with a registration system.
Whilst downloadable titles – seemingly intended as the main delivery method – will of course be at the whim of Sony’s highly reliable servers and not subject to resale or unrestricted transfer, Sony honcho Shuhei Yoshida has confirmed physical copies will be playable without restriction even if previously owned:

[Do you agree that if you buy something on a disc, that you have a kind of moral contract with the person you've bought it from that you retain some of that value and you can pass it on?]
“Yes. That’s the general expectation by consumers. They purchase physical form, they want to use it everywhere, right? So that’s my expectation.”
[So if someone buys a PlayStation 4 game, you're not going to stop them reselling it?]
“Used games can play on PS4.”

 Another interview carried a similar confirmation by Yoshida, also seemingly ruling out region locks:

 “When you purchase disc-based games for PS4, they will work on any hardware.”

Suspicions that Sony was planning on eliminating the second-hand sales market as a way of reclaiming the billions in revenue it apparently siphons away from game publishers and into the coffers of game retailers flared after it emerged that Sony recently patented a method of blocking used games from functioning, although Sony denies it has anything to do with the PS4.
However, in other comments Yoshida also revealed that publishers will be able to add anti-resale registration schemes to their titles themselves, potentially allowing them to block or discourage resale without any PR hassle for Sony.

source: Sankaku Complex

SPOILER ALERT Damian Wayne to Die in Batman Incorporated 8?

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Seriously, read no further if you don't wanna know.



 It's official. This Wednesday's Batman Incorporated #8 will feature the last stand of Damian Wayne.
The arrogant little assassin is the child of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul, and the grandson of Batman's greatest enemy.  Everything Grant Morrison has been planning since the start of BATMAN, INCORPORATED leads to this stunning issue!

 The New York Post let the cat out of the bag - perhaps to get the bird - as it's revealed that Robin Damian Wayne will find his death at the hands of a burtal enemy. Regarding whether Damian will stay dead - as this is comics - or if there will be another new Robin, Morrison offered, "You can never say never in a comic book . . . Batman will ultimately always have a partner.”

Wolf Children Wins Animation Of The Year Award At Tokyo Anime Awards

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Tokyo Anime Awards 9th Annual Awards Of Merit announced the winner of the Animation Of The Year award. The winner is the movie "Wolf Children" directed and written by Mamoru Hosoda. Those not familiar with Mamoru's work he's has brought you anime films like "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time" and "Summer Wars." Wolf Children follows Hana a 19-year-old student who falls in a "fairy-tale like" love with a "wolf man". Over the course of the 13-year story Hana gives birth to two children—older sister Yuki, and younger brother Ame, or "Snow and Rain". At first the family quietly lives in city trying to hide their wolf heritage, but when the "wolf man" suddenly dies Hana makes the decision to move to a rural town, far from their previous city life. Check out the trailer below.





Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX Confirmed For North America.

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Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of SQUARE ENIX® interactive entertainment products in the Americas, today announced that KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5 ReMIX will be available this fall in North America exclusively for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system.


Fully remastered in HD, KINGDOM HEARTS HD 1.5 ReMIX is a compilation of the critically acclaimed KINGDOM HEARTS FINAL MIX, previously exclusive to the Japanese market, and KINGDOM HEARTS Re:Chain of Memories. In addition, the two-in-one-disc package will feature HD cinematic story videos from KINGDOM HEARTS 358/2 Days, enhanced gameplay mechanics and PlayStation®3 system trophies. Players can now relive the origins of the celebrated franchise with Sora, Riku and the colorful cast of Disney characters, including Mickey, Donald and Goofy.



Retro Game Look Back At WCW/NWO Thunder

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It's time to go back into the videogame vault and look at yet another wrestling game. Today's retro game look back is WCW/NWO Thunder for the Playstation. This was one of the worst wrestling games I've ever played, from the horrible graphics, broken gameplay and lack of commentary. Don't believe me check it out below.








Lenni Reviews: Ayako by Osamu Tezuka

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(Image Source)

Any otaku worth their salt knows Osamu Tezuka. He’s the godfather of manga, a master storyteller, and is known for some of the most influential manga and anime ever created. When presented with “Ayako”, I was very excited to read something of Tezuka’s I’d never read before.

In terms of sheer scope and power, “Ayako” does not disappoint. Ayako, the product of an incesuous relationship between the head of the Tenge clan and his son’s wife, sees too much of the family’s dark side and ends up imprisoned in a basement to keep the family sins quiet. Tezuka’s telling of this poor woman’s life from childhood to adulthood is unmercifully dark and cruel, almost beyond belief.

The backdrop is post war Japan when an occupied Japanese government is dividing up the properties of wealthy landowners like the Tenge family to give to tenant farmers. In the fight to keep what they can, the family is willing to do anything to save face, including kill, blackmail, and keep a little girl a prisoner for her entire life.

There are times where the machinations you see are just unreal. It difficult to believe anyone could be so cruel but there are rays of hope and snippets of humor that keep the book from being completely depressing. Tezuka’s art is in rare form, providing an eerily cartoonish display for such a dark story.

While it is a great book, Lenni advises reading it in spurts with a more upbeat book in the wings to break up the sadness. “Ayako” is a fantastically rendered trip through the darkest parts of humanity so I advise a literary flashlight, so to speak. You won’t regret reading it, though.

New VOCALOID3 Megpoid English Launch Event

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NEW PEOPLE, Inc, a San Francisco-based entertainment company bringing the latest examples of Japanese popular culture to North American shores, celebrates the latest wave of the Vocaloid music phenomenon as it presents a special FREE Megpoid Launch Event featuring Vocalekt Visions on Sunday, March 3rd. 

  The all-day VOCALOID3 Megpoid English launch event commences at 12:00 noon, and will offer a variety of dance and Vocaloid performances, free VOCALOID3 Megpoid English software workshops, demos, and other activities that will run thru 6:00pm. NEW PEOPLE is located at 1746 Post St. in San Francisco’s Japantown. Vocalekt Visions, a unique Bay Area-based Vocaloid performance troupe, will present two special Vocaloid holographic performances inside the NEW PEOPLE Cinema, at 2:00pm and 4:30pm, which will feature Megpoid songs performed by GUMI and complemented by live on-stage dancers. Tickets are free and will be available from the NEW PEOPLE Cinema box office on a first come/first served basis. 



Cinema box office will open at 12:30pm. All the attendees will receive a FREE trial version of VOCALOID3 Megpoid English while supplies last. Vocaloid music, which has swept Japan and is gaining popularity in North America, is characterized by a variety of pop-flavored animated avatars, or “virtual pop stars,” that sing and perform songs written using innovative software that enables users to synthesize the performer’s voice by inputting lyrics and a melody. VOCALOID3 Megpoid English notably features the virtual persona of GUMI, a character and avatar developed by manga artist Masami Yuuki. The new VOCALOID3 Megpoid English release is an English singing synthesizer application powered by Yamaha's Vocaloid3 software and published by INTERNET Co., Ltd. The voice of the GUMI character is based on that of Megumi Nakajima, a popular Japanese singer and voice actress. During the event, visitors can learn how to use the software in a series of hands-on workshops and software demonstrations to be held in the NEW PEOPLE lobby. Copies of the Megpoid software, along with other Vocaloid products and collectables, will also be for sale. More information on VOCALOID3 Megpoid English is available at www.ssw.co.jp/en/products/vocal3/megpoid/index.html. “NEW PEOPLE was the very first venue that brought Vocaloid music to the attention of North American audiences and we’ve continued to celebrate the genre’s colorful Japanese pop culture roots with a variety of unique events over the last few years,” says Seiji Horibuchi, the President/CEO of NEW PEOPLE, Inc. “The launch of the first English Vocaloid software is very significant and should inspire U.S. users to create an even bigger catalog of great vocaloid music. We’re very pleased to invite Vocaloid and J-Pop fans, music lovers, technophiles, and anyone that just digs good beats to attend this fun free event in Japantown!” More information on NEW PEOPLE is available at www.newpeopleworld.com.