1h ago
The Computer Entertainment Association announced on August 10 the winners of the newly established SELECTED INDIE 80 Excellence Awards and the finalists for SENSE OF WONDER NIGHT 2026 (SOWN2026), part of the indie game project at Tokyo Game Show 2026. Lidrox's Finding Polka took the Platinum Award. Seven titles received Gold Awards, including Valentin Wirth's Become, a micro-scale adventure ADV featuring a sperm protagonist, which also appears among the SOWN finalists. The Excellence Awards evaluate works from the SELECTED INDIE 80 lineup on creativity and completeness. The ceremony is set for September 18 at the International Party + Indie Night. SOWN2026, now in its 19th edition, selected eight finalists from 151 applications; presentations run from 15:50 on September 17 at Makuhari Messe and stream on the official TGS program. Video creator Pokky returns as official indie game ambassador for a fifth consecutive year, serving as a SOWN judge and announcing the Pokky Award during the event. The SELECTED INDIE 80 website, launched the same day, lists 79 works chosen from 1,513 applications.
3d ago
UCC Japan launched 'BECOME A COFFEE FARMER' on Roblox on August 5, 2026. The game lets players collect wild coffee, grow it on a farm, process it in a factory, and sell it. The company aims to familiarize young people with coffee and its production story.
Jul 1
Haahuile Entertainment released 'Newbie: Become a Skateboarder' on Steam Early Access on July 1. The physics-based skateboarding game emphasizes realism with ragdoll physics and no fixed animations. It is priced at 530 yen with a 40% discount until July 12. A full release is planned for November 2027.
Jun 29
Quantic Dream is offering Detroit: Become Human at 90% off on Steam, dropping the price to 450 yen until July 10, 2026. The game, which sold over 15 million copies, saw a boost from a similar winter sale earlier this year. Its themes of AI and ethics may resonate more now than at its 2018 PS4 launch.
Jun 27
Employees at Quantic Dream have gone on strike, demanding the cancellation of planned mass layoffs that they say would prevent the completion of the in-development action-adventure game Star Wars Eclipse. The strike, organized by French labor union STJV, took place on a day when Lucasfilm representatives visited the studio. According to a report from French media outlet Gamekult, 115 employees are subject to the layoff plan. The layoffs follow the cancellation of the free-to-play game Spellcasters Chronicles in May, which had launched in early access only four months earlier. Quantic Dream had previously announced a studio restructuring and stated that Star Wars Eclipse would not be affected. However, strike participants told Gamekult that former Spellcasters Chronicles developers lack the skills to transfer to the Eclipse team and that one month of tool training would have been sufficient. They predicted that if the layoffs proceed, Star Wars Eclipse will not be completed. The strike comes as Quantic Dream's best-known title, Detroit: Become Human, continues to sell well; it surpassed 15 million units sold in January 2026 and currently holds an Overwhelmingly Positive rating on Steam.
Jun 24
The official Anime Times YouTube channel began streaming all 12 episodes of the first season of The Old Man in the Countryside Becomes a Sword Saint on June 22. The free release runs until June 28 at 23:59. The anime adapts the light novel series by Shigeru Sagasaki, originally serialized on the user-generated novel site Shousetsuka ni Narou. Season 1 originally aired from April to June 2025. Season 2 is set to premiere on July 8, making the free streaming a direct lead-in for new viewers. The story follows Beryl Gardinant, a middle-aged swordsmanship dojo master in a rural village who believes his skills are only slightly above average. His quiet life changes when a former student, now captain of the Kingdom's Knight Order, recruits him as a special instructor. The cast includes Hiroaki Hirata as Beryl, Nao Touyama as Alucia Citrus, Hitomi Ueda as Srena Risandela, and others. The free streaming covers the entire first season, allowing audiences to catch up before the second season begins.
Jun 16
The main PV for the TV anime adaptation of "Koko wa Ore ni Makasete Saki ni Ike to Itte kara 10-nen ga Tattara Densetsu ni Natteita." has been released. The series premieres on TOKYO MX and other stations on July 6, with Prime Video streaming three days ahead. The opening theme is sajou no hana's "Soredemo Uten wo Koete Yuku" and the ending theme is Name Undisclosed's "Arigatari na Nichijou to Koun na Hibi e."
Jun 16
The main promotional video for the TV anime adaptation of Here I Leave You, Go Ahead, and 10 Years Later, I've Become a Legend. has been released ahead of its July 6, 2026 premiere. The video previews the opening theme by sajou no hana and the ending theme by the unnamed artist. Broadcast details and streaming plans were also announced.