Apple is negotiating with news organizations to let its AI-powered Siri access the latest news, with a proposed payment model that compensates outlets each time their content is used. The Wall Street Journal reports Apple may budget over $100 million, roughly 15 billion yen, for these payments.
Daytona International announced on August 17 that its select shop FREAK'S STORE will release 16 types of collaboration items with the character content Puppet Sunsun starting August 21. The lineup includes sauna goods made with the popular brand SAUVENIR, as well as clothing and miscellaneous items. The sauna items feature Sunsun in a sky-blue color scheme and include a sauna mat, hat, towel, and storage bag. Other items include clear pouches, mesh tote bags, and apparel such as long-sleeve and short-sleeve shirts, sweatshirts, and T-shirts inspired by capsule hotel and super public bath in-house wear. A sweatshirt featuring both Sunsun and Nonnon is also part of the lineup. Five items, including the sauna bag, sauna pouch, sauna mat, sauna set, and all-over clear pouch, are reservation sales and web-only, with delivery scheduled for around mid-September. The items will be sold at select FREAK'S STORE locations and the official online store Daytona Park starting August 21 at noon. Customers who purchase at physical stores receive a hand mirror novelty, while supplies last. Some stores, including Shibuya, Kyoto, and Nagano, will not carry the collaboration items.
Bob Iger received the Disney Legends Award at D23 in Anaheim on August 16. Josh D'Amaro presented the award, and surprise guests Harrison Ford, Robert Downey Jr., Ellen Pompeo, Al Michaels, and Diane Sawyer took the stage to honor Iger's leadership and his role in Disney's acquisitions and record-breaking releases.
Developer Tokisaka opened the Steam store page for Limit Livers One Week Before Deadline on August 15. The PC game is a deck-building roguelite management sim where players guide three VTubers through a week of deadline chaos, balancing schedules and resources to complete tasks like submitting proposals and replying to emails.
The officially licensed 'microSD Express Card 256GB for Nintendo Switch 2' has received a quiet price increase at the Nintendo Store. Both the Samsung and SanDisk versions, previously sold for 6,980 yen including tax, now carry a price of 8,980 yen including tax. The new pricing has also appeared at various e-commerce stores. As of August 17, the SanDisk version is out of stock at the Nintendo Store. No official announcement from Nintendo or the manufacturers has been confirmed regarding the revision. The price change follows a May increase for the Nintendo Switch 2 console itself, which rose from 49,980 yen to 59,980 yen. The Switch 2 only supports microSD Express cards, a new standard with improved read and write speeds, and is not compatible with standard microSD cards used with the original Switch. Market conditions, including rising semiconductor prices, are cited as a likely factor behind the increase.
The Secret World of Arrietty led the Japanese animation TV rankings for August 3-9 with a 7.4% household rating, followed by Sazae-san at 6.2% and Detective Conan at 4.9%. The list includes ten programs, with ratings ranging from 7.4% down to 1.5%.
Episode 6 of Tomb Raider King introduces Anubis and Osiris as powerful foes who challenge Jooheon in new ways. The episode features strong action sequences, creative choreography, and a satisfying moment of wish fulfillment as Jooheon kills his former boss. The review notes some weaknesses in monster design variety.
Since mid-August, social media users on X have posted negative reactions, including 'disgusting,' to restaurant promotional materials made with AI-generated images. The complaints center on unrealistic depictions, such as fried chicken that looks unlike fried chicken or noodles arranged too neatly. Some commenters suggest that choosing a well-known generative AI model or combining original photos can produce safer images. The article notes that significant differences between product images and actual products could potentially violate laws.
ASCII.jp's 178th weekly Steam sales ranking places Apex Legends first, followed by Big Walk and KINGDOM HEARTS -HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX-. The Kingdom Hearts collection, on sale at 70% off, rose after its release window for IV was announced as late 2027. Free-to-play titles dominate the top ten, with HOLOLIVE DREAMS and Escape from Tarkov in fourth and fifth.
ASCII.jp's gadget series highlights Gatebox3, a third-generation device that houses a virtual character in a transparent box. The latest model shifts from standalone operation to an external monitor method, displaying PC video input in 3D. It accepts user-prepared models, allowing customization of appearance, personality, and voice. Crowdfunding is currently open on Makuake.
GOKKO Co., Ltd. will release the vertical short drama 'Tagusari Brothers' First Contact 'D-day ~The Day Sin Disappears~' on the app POPCORN on Friday, August 7, 2026. The 50-episode crime suspense stars Jitsuko Uchida as a forensic examiner forced to kill her aunt after her daughter is taken hostage. Hitomi Kuroki, Daichi Imae, Satoshi Jimbo, and Atsuko Hashiyasume also appear. The story is a prequel set two years before the TBS Friday Drama 'Tagusari Brothers'.
Chaomoon launched the 2D platformer MMORPG Soul's Remnant in early access on Steam on August 13. The free-to-play game, built over 10 years by two developers, has reached a 'Very Positive' rating with 80% positive reviews from 490 reviews and a peak of 4,367 concurrent players. Developer Chaomoon discussed the project on Reddit.
Yanako RPGs opened the Steam page for Dokimon: The Living Soil on August 17. The farming and monster-raising game follows a retired Ranger from Doki Monsters: Quest settling in a Gunma-inspired countryside town. Players farm, cook, fish, and battle in caves with roguelike elements. Release timing remains undecided.
Developer Quantum Vial Games announced Pill & Chill, a physics-based pill sorting game for PC via Steam, scheduled for release in the fourth quarter of this year. Players sort hundreds to 1,000 tablets and capsules by color using a spatula, with no time limits or scores. The game features ASMR-conscious sound design and an open beta and demo before launch.
SuperGroupies is selling Blue Archive collaboration goods modeled on five Arius Branch School students: Saori, Atsuko, Hiyori, Misaki, and Subaru. The lineup totals 10 items, with body bags at 18,700 yen and long wallets at 15,400 yen each. Reservations run from August 17 at 16:00 to September 14 at 12:00, with delivery scheduled for early January 2027.
Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency reported a fire incident on June 15 in Okinawa involving the Anker Soundcore 3 speaker, which burned the product and its surroundings while inside a vehicle. The cause is under investigation. The agency urges owners to stop using the device immediately and contact Anker Japan.
REXEV and Remixpoint signed a business partnership agreement on August 17, 2026, to jointly develop an aggregation business for distributed energy resources, starting with Remixpoint's sales pipeline of about 1,000 low-voltage grid storage batteries. The companies aim to build an energy platform integrating sale, ownership, and operation of storage batteries.
Actress Hayden Panettiere has died in South Carolina, USA, at age 36. Her representative confirmed the news to Deadline, and her father, Kip Panettiere, released a statement expressing deep sorrow. The cause of death has not been disclosed. She was known for playing the immortal cheerleader Claire Bennet in the drama HEROES.
Publisher Jungle Game Lab and developer Zzangdol Games released No Results Found on Steam on August 14. The free immersive simulation adventure game casts the player as a government religious researcher reinvestigating the Nine-Armed Octopus Cult, one year after all 227 members drowned during a ceremony. It holds a Very Positive rating with 99% of roughly 300 user reviews positive.
Anime News Network rates Chainsmoker Cat episode 7 a 4.1 community score, calling it the show's finest half-hour for its balance of crude humor and melancholy. The episode introduces Yani and Imoko's deceptive mother, checks in on a troubled Yaku, and features Aru's alcohol-withdrawal tremors causing an earthquake that strands Oya naked outside with his sex doll.
Yanako RPGs announced Dokimon Quest: II on August 16 for PC via Steam, with a 2027 release planned. The monster-collecting RPG continues the story as the player time-travels 200 years to the Edo-period Zeros region to save Maiko. New Dokimon, a rebuilt battle system, and a partner mechanic are introduced.
NIJIN Academy, operated by NIJIN Co., Ltd., will hold a summer special event featuring VTuber Kiki Sasasaki for elementary and junior high school students on Friday, August 28, 2026, from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM. The online event, titled "Drawing Exchange with Popular VTuber Kiki Sasasaki - Picture Chat Event," will use a picture chat tool that lets participants draw together on a single canvas in real time. Sasasaki, who has over 300,000 YouTube subscribers, will interact with students through conversation and collaborative drawing. The event is open to students nationwide, with participation available via PC or tablet from home. Registration is handled through a dedicated Peatix page. NIJIN Academy operates an alternative school for students not attending regular school, as well as a project school for enrolled students, and the event is part of its effort to provide a safe space for children to connect through shared interests. Sasasaki began her activities in January 2023 and was selected as a YouTube trending creator in December 2023.
Takashi Yamanaka, who plays former Tent executive Ali Khan in the second season of TBS's Sunday drama VIVANT, opened a two-day pop-up curry shop in Kichijoji, Tokyo, on August 15 and 16, 2026. The shop, named Street Corner Chicken Curry with Iced Milk Tea, drew attention after Yamanaka posted photos on X and Instagram showing a poster of himself in a red turban and curled beard holding a ladle, which reminded fans of his VIVANT character. Yamanaka, a certified Curry Meister since 2016, has a history of curry-related projects, including a BS11 program where he created original curries. Fans who visited praised the curry's gentle flavor and noted long lines. Yamanaka hinted at a possible future reopening, suggesting the next event may draw even larger crowds.
At BIC2026, Seoul Economic Promotion Agency's booth showed Seorin: Ark of Echoes, a 3D strategy defense RPG from startup Windrome. Development began in April 2026. The game is a modern fantasy where players enter others' inner worlds, called Memoria, to stabilize distorted memories and emotions. Enemies represent emotional fragments like anxiety and loss, and the goal is stabilization, not destruction. The team collaborates with a psychiatric hospital.
Mirai Speaker's ear-cuff hearing amplifier project on GREEN FUNDING surpassed 500 million yen in total support, with over 15,000 backers and a record number of support comments for the platform. The project also set a new record for total support in the hearing amplifier category. General sales begin August 20, 2026.
Brook Gaming announced on August 17 that it will exhibit at Tokyo Game Show 2026, held September 17-21 at Makuhari Messe. The booth will showcase the company's gaming hardware lineup, including the Wingman series, which won the EVO Awards Best Product 2025, alongside fighting game hardware, controllers, multi-platform converters, and mobile gaming accessories. The booth is divided into four themed zones, with first-time displays of the 8K Core Fighting Board, an updated StarRay PS5 Controller, the new entry-model NEO Lite, and a new mobile keyboard. The 8K Core Fighting Board features an average button input latency of 1.39ms and polling rates of 8000Hz on PC and 1000Hz on PS5. Under the theme "Powered by Brook Inside," the company plans a joint display with over 10 arcade stick brands, including the all-button arcade controller Brook Fighter Starburst. The Wingman series, under the concept "CONNECTED WITHOUT LIMITS," will include a demo corner for keyboard and mouse operation using the Sniper 2. New products such as the Ras1ution3 racing wheel converter and SD2 will also be shown. The StarRay controller adds new features and a dedicated app for customization. The NEO Lite supports PS5, PS4, and PC with a symmetrical design. A Nintendo Switch 2 controller is planned for 2027. For mobile gaming, the Brook AeroFlux Tactical Folding Keyboard, described as the world's first mobile tactical command center, will be displayed, with a demo using the Taiwanese developer Interserv International Inc.'s new mobile MMORPG M2M, including a venue-limited M2M collaboration design.
Robot Entertainment Kombat held REK2 on August 15, featuring approximately 180 cm tall humanoid robots in a real-time fighting tournament. Japan's Hiroyuki Osone won the final against SUSLIKE, taking the title for the second consecutive time after winning REK TOKYO 2026. The event was billed as the first 6-foot-class robot battle in US history.
AbleYou showed UpBRELLA at Busan Indie Connect Festival 2026. The 2D puzzle platformer stars a witch who uses an umbrella to glide, bounce, and trigger switches. Developer Kim Yunu said the three-person team builds puzzles around one tool, with influences including the knowledge-based game Ooo.
The staff for Star Detective Precure!, the 23rd main Precure anime, revealed Sunday a new ending theme song and character visuals. The theme, "Itsuka Wakaru ☆ Kitto Aeru," is performed by Akane Kumada and Yūka Masui. The staff also unveiled visuals for new Star Kiraring forms of Cure Answer, Cure Mystic, Cure Eclair, and Cure Arcana, plus a Future Form visual for Cure Answer in the upcoming film.
Fanplus and Ticketplus will sell paid streaming tickets and distribute footage from THE ORAL CIGARETTES' 2024 Zepp tour FC-only live, 'BKW!! Premium Party "THE AIN'T RIGHTS"', on August 26 via the FanStream app and StreamPass platform. The stream includes archive viewing through September 9, with tickets priced at 1,500 yen for fan club members.
RE:VISION, a free school that uses e-sports as an entry point for truant children, is expanding nationwide through a franchise system. The Chiyoda Campus, which pre-opened in April 2026, began full operations in August. The school uses Minecraft and Fortnite for interaction and Tenjin X for learning.
NHN comico announced on August 17 that the manga app comico will end its service at 23:59 on January 6, 2027. The service, which began in October 2013, helped establish vertical-scroll, full-color manga as a standard format for smartphones in Japan. It distributed over 600 original manga and reached more than 25 million cumulative domestic downloads as of 2026. The shutdown will happen in stages. New chapter distribution, work rental updates, coin sales, and new member registration will stop at 23:59 on August 31, 2026. Sales and rentals of works will stop at 23:59 on September 28, 2026, after which rental gauges and tickets become unusable. Users can view purchased works from their bookshelf until the service ends. The operator is preparing to transfer purchased works to the ebook store MechaComic, with a transfer period scheduled from January 7 to April 30, 2027. Unused paid coins will be refunded, with details announced by January 6, 2027. The announcement does not cover the end of NHN comico's WebToon production business, which continues to distribute works to over 20 platforms.
Sega announced a special collaboration between the short anime Sonic & Friends and illustrator Kanahei's Kanahei's Small Animals to celebrate the series' third anniversary in August 2026. The collaboration illustration and new concept art were unveiled, and a pop up store will run at Shibuya MODI from October 2 to October 12.
Publisher HYPER REAL showed NAME OF THE WILL: 集団後遺症 at BIC 2026 in Busan. The horror adventure from Zeitgeist Studio puts players in a cult-run housing facility where daytime lessons and interrogations are scored, and nighttime stealth segments carry the risk of being caught and sacrificed. A demo is on Steam, with full release planned for Q1 2027.
Sega and Colorful Palette added STEAKA's new song "Stardust Rain" to Project Sekai Colorful Stage! feat. Hatsune Miku on August 15, 2026. The unit song features KAITO and MORE MORE JUMP! and is available to all players through the in-game Present feature. The 3DMV and 2DMV are on YouTube.
Yume Nairai, head of human resources firm Yuinaira, appears in the film Devil Cafe: Welcome to Finis, opening August 16, 2026, and wrote, composed, and sang its opening theme, "Flower Bud." The film adapts the Chiba TV drama Devil Cafe and stars Mahiro Yamaguchi.
At BIC2026, 4Gamer.net previewed Game Company's Clumsy Employee Mina, a Korean office romantic comedy visual novel from studio Atticfriends. The demo shows new employee Lee Mina causing a gacha rate error that throws the company into chaos. The game supports Japanese via provisional AI translation and is exhibited at the Smilegate STOVE booth.
Mazda released a teaser video on August 15, 2026, for the MAZDA RX-VISION GT3 EVO, an evolution of the RX-VISION GT3 CONCEPT racing car in the Gran Turismo series. The car was first shown at the Gran Turismo World Series 2026 Round 2 Tokyo event. It is scheduled to appear in Gran Turismo 7 within 2026.
Investment learning platform SOBA OTOME announced a partnership with Web3 pet care app LOOTaDOG. The collaboration combines financial education with Web3 entertainment to help investment beginners take their first step. The first joint project is scheduled to be revealed soon, with more content and community events to follow.
BANDAI SPIRITS has revealed the full lineup for Ichiban Kuji Hololive ~RPG Style~, a no-losing character lottery featuring four members of the VTuber agency Hololive Production in original RPG-themed costumes. The prizes include figures of Ayame Hyakki, Subaru Oozora, Flare Shiranui, and Noel Shirogane, each based on newly drawn illustrations. Additional goods include acrylic visual boards, a mug, Chokonokko chibi figures, can badge sets, aurora acrylic stands, rubber charms, and pixel art acrylic stands. The Last One Prize, awarded to the person who draws the final ticket, is an acrylic visual board. A Double Chance Campaign offers a set of four Chokonokko figures through a separate lottery. The lottery is scheduled for sequential release starting September 5, 2026, at Lawson, Ministop, bookstores, hobby shops, official Ichiban Kuji shops, and Ichiban Kuji ONLINE. Each draw costs 850 yen including tax. Online sales begin at 5:00 PM on September 7, 2026. The product page on the Ichiban Kuji Club website lists all prizes with images.
HONEY∞PARADE GAMES opened pre-registration for the Android version of Shinobi NEXUS -Senran Kagura- on Google Play on August 14, 2026. The iOS and PC (DMM GAMES) versions began pre-registration on July 31. The game is set three years after Shinobi Master Senran Kagura: New Link and follows new shinobi girls designed by Nan Yaegashi. It is a command RPG with cel-look 3D graphics, featuring dress-up, communication, and diorama functions. Pre-registration is available on the App Store, Google Play, and DMM GAMES. For the DMM GAMES version, a campaign offers a total of 300,000 yen worth of DMM points via lottery. A mini-game where players click to support shinobi girl training has also been released, with reward videos for clearing training. The game is scheduled for release in 2026 on iOS, Android, and Windows, free-to-play with item purchases. Character profiles and secret ninja art videos are on the official website.
Bandai is releasing two new HUNTER×HUNTER figure lines featuring the Phantom Troupe. The S.H.Figuarts Chrollo Lucilfer figure is now available for pre-order from August 3, 2026, at Amazon, AmiAmi, Bic Camera, and Yodobashi Camera. The figure includes various expression parts, a materialized book, and interchangeable wrist parts. It can reproduce scenes such as actions activating Nen and the iconic pose with his hand in his cloak. The manufacturer's suggested retail price is 9,900 yen including tax, with release scheduled for February 2027. Separately, Bandai's Gashapon figure HG series Vol.2 features four Phantom Troupe members: Chrollo, Hisoka, Feitan, and Machi. Each figure is about 9 cm tall and costs 500 yen per play. Sales begin on Gashapon Online from 11:00 AM on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, and run until 11:59 PM on Monday, August 24, 2026. Delivery is scheduled for around late December 2026, though the figures may appear at capsule vending machines nationwide before delivery.
ARDORBIT's Poreia is a 3D puzzle adventure for PC. Players guide a small robot named Soma through a ruined city, using magnetism on objects marked with an EIDOS pattern to pull, lift, stack, and launch them. The demo at BIC 2026 introduced a shadow monster called Skia that reacts to sound, plus flashback scenes and a story about lost memories.
At BIC2026, 4Gamer played Kintsugi, a puzzle platformer by students at France's IIM Digital School. Players use a magic gold substance to repair broken platforms and climb walls. The game is a vertical slice, free on Steam, with about 10 to 15 minutes of playtime. Lead programmer Maxime Corby says the team aims for a full game of two and a half to three hours.
At Busan Indie Connect Festival 2026, Sprout Studio showed War In The Dark, a turn-based strategy game where players send commands to units using Morse code via short and long spacebar presses. Players also intercept enemy communications by tuning a radio frequency, reading their next move before executing commands.
Dentsu Group, with GeekOut and Studio Koi Koi Inc., announced on August 3 that it will handle planning and production for the Roblox adventure RPG Egg Hunt 2026: The Grand Eggspress. The game inherits the spirit of the community event Egg Hunt, sending players aboard a train through six worlds to find over 100 eggs.
Konami Digital Entertainment announced on August 17 that Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls, the Apple Arcade-exclusive action RPG, will end its service on September 3, 2026. Distribution on Apple Arcade will cease earlier, on August 20, giving players a short window to finish the game. The title launched on Apple Arcade on September 17, 2021, meaning its service will have run for approximately five years. Players control series characters such as Alucard, Simon, and Charlotte, using their unique skills to battle demons across stages. The game involved familiar series staff, including illustrator Ayami Kojima and composer Michiru Yamane, and was formally announced in 2018 before its 2021 release. The official Castlevania X account posted the notice, thanking players for their support. Whether the game will receive an offline version or appear on other platforms remains unclear. Apple Arcade is a subscription service priced at 900 yen per month, available on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV, offering over 200 games without ads or additional charges.
VTuber NewsDrop presented a survey of VTubing culture at ONLive 2026 in Pasig City, timed to approach Kizuna AI's 10th anniversary this November. The presentation covered the growing accessibility of VTubing and the evolution of its technology, with footnotes referencing the outlet's published stories and notable VTubers. Mobile apps were a focus: AniLive pioneered mobile VTubing for overseas audiences before rebuilding as Avvy, an avatar creator usable on stream, while IRIAM US became a leading mobile platform nearing its second anniversary. The presentation also cataloged hardware and software, from VICON's industry-standard motion capture used by COVER to affordable options like Rebocap and SlimeVR, plus Warudo, which powered OffKai Expo Gen 5's 3D meet-and-greet project. Beyond streaming, the survey noted VTubers appearing in concerts, trading cards, literature, esports, and theater, citing examples like Tokino Sora's TV appearances, Natsume Kurusu's light novel adapted into anime, and Hoshimachi Suisei's agency Studio Stellar for her mainstream music career.
2K Games announced the establishment of Small Axe Studios in Vancouver, Canada, built from its Sports Lab project that began in 2023. The studio is led by Aaron McHardy, a former EA Vancouver producer on FIFA and Madden NFL, and includes other ex-EA developers. The sport of its first title has not been disclosed.
At Busan Indie Connect Festival 2026, developer r2turntrue showed Video Editor: Record, Edit, Upload!, a puzzle platformer for PC where players record protagonist movements as clips on a timeline, edit them, and upload the result to gain subscribers. Limited film forces efficient recording, and later stages add an assistant whose clip must be aligned with the protagonist's. A demo is on Steam.