Oshi no Ko is one of the best anime and manga series in recent memory, but what about the live action series? Well, I watched the entire series from start to finish to let everyone know. The Oshi no Ko live action series isn’t actually bad at all; just decent. However, this series is very much made, specifically, for existing manga and anime fans.

The main issue behind this Japanese TV series is the format of it. It has eight episodes in total in its first and only season, adapting a large portion of the manga in a handful of episodes. Though these eight episodes are more than double the length of a normal anime episode, it does so much in so little time.

Without spoiling too much, the only existing season of this series adapts both seasons of the anime within eight episodes and even goes beyond that point in the manga. There are entire episodes that adapt a single arc, while others are done in a couple of episodes. This is such a swift pace that anyone new to the series will likely be left behind pretty easily.

The series just doesn’t take enough time for some plot points to resonate. Some of my favorite scenes only last for a minute at best. For instance, there is the fight between Akane and Arima during the Tokyo Blade production. This part almost needs 10-20 minutes to really dive into their argument and the backstories between them. However, it is done in a few seconds.

This unbelievably fast pace does lead to some positives. For one, it is a great way to recap the series for existing fans. In addition, some of the twists and turns have surprising emotional impact since they come out of nowhere at times. But if you are new, this is not the place to start.

Another concerning aspect of the Oshi no Ko live action series is what it changes. Some of this is intentional and interesting, but others are downright problematic. I won’t spoil the premise for newcomers, but it revolves around a pregnant teen idol. The manga and anime start with this twist and shows the idol Ai giving birth and all that.

However, this live action adaptation skips straight to Ai’s twin children as toddlers. Worse still, it doesn’t properly address Ai’s doctor and that situation until the end. This is even though this is the very beginning of the series. It is an intriguing change I like. But if you aren’t familiar with the storyline, it is confusing and unnecessary.

Then there are the changes to the Tokyo Blade story arc. In the original series, this is a stage play. This live action series was an excellent chance to make a real-life stage play episode. However, that isn’t the case. Not only is there not enough footage of Tokyo Blade itself, but it is a TV series rather than a stage play now. This is by far the most controversial change for me, which made this already somewhat boring arc even worse.

There is also a key missing character, which I dare not spoil here. But the return to Miyazaki Prefecture doesn’t see the introduction of a certain person there. Overall, the Oshi no Ko live action series will be quite confusing for newcomers to the franchise. It is a shame because the production value and most of the actors are excellent; just look at Ai’s opening performance scene and you’ll see. Nagisa Saito as Ruby is particularly impressive and she only gets better as the series goes on.

Unfortunately, though, the Oshi no Ko live action series is made in a way where it only works for existing fans. Whether you miss the manga or are waiting for the anime to come back, this is a great way to recap the series. It moves so fast that it doesn’t waste your time and it adapts the series well to live action. However, if you are new, it is best to read the manga or watch the two seasons of the anime first before checking this out.

The Oshi no Ko live action series is available on Prime Video.

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A 4K remaster Blu-Ray of Perfect Blue will come out on February 28, 2025. There will be a normal version, and a deluxe version that comes with several bonus goods. [Thanks, Famitsu!]

The normal Perfect Blue 4K Blu-Ray will cost 6800 JPY ($44.65). For 11,800 JPY ($77.45), you can get Ultra HD Blu-Ray & Blu-Ray set. This set will come with two Blu-Rays, as well as: a 35 mm film frame from the late 1990s depicting protagonist Mima, a booklet that includes the production process from Satoshi Kon’s blog Kon’s Tone, and a postcard set. Amazon JP is offering an exclusive bonus if you order from there. You’ll be able to get a replica of a theatrical pamphlet from the late 1990s.

Perfect Blue is an influential and well-received work that came out around 25 years ago in 1998. Madhouse produced it, and the late Satoshi Kon (Paprika, Paranoia Agent) directed it. It follows the story of Mima Kirigoe, a former J-pop idol who left her group in order to become an actress. A stalker begins to pursue Mima, which, combined with other stressors in her professional life, causes Mima to suffer from psychosis. People around Mima then start getting murdered, and Mima realizes that she’s the prime suspect.

The Perfect Blue Blu-Rays will come out on February 28, 2025.

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The official Genshin Impact Amazon store has recently restocked with some new merchandise, including the Klee Impression Apparel Series. There is also a promotion until December 2, 2024 in which you can buy items with special discounts.

Several items that are on promotion right now include plushie keychains and blind boxes of characters based on their region. There are also items for the Blaze to Natlan promotion, featuring characters like Mualani and Kinich. However, the main draw of the sale are the Klee Impression Apparel Series items, which also have a discount on them.

The merchandise in the Genshin Impact Klee Impression Apparel Series are:

• Dodoco beret: $28.99
• Gloves: $36.99
• Newboy cap: $28.99
• Plush slippers: $36.99
• Scarf: $36.99

All of these items are very similar to motifs and items that Klee wears in the game. However, they’re cute enough that you can wear them for everyday fashion if you so wish. This is similar to many other Impression Apparel Series lines from HoYoVerse, such as the Zhongli and Acheron collections.

As a note, this sale and these products are not available in every region. For example, while they’re available on the United States’ version of Amazon, the Canadian store doesn’t offer them. Since these items are official merchandise though, there are other stores that carry them and can ship them to regions outside of the States.

Genshin Impact is readily available on the PS4, PS5, Windows PC, Xbox Series X, and mobile devices.

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Amazon announced that a Mass Effect TV show is officially in development. While little is known about the nature of the project, Variety reported that the key figures involved in the production are Daniel Casey, Ari Arad, Karim Zreik, and EA's Michael Gamble. [Thanks, Variety!]

Daniel Casey, who is the lead writer and an executive producer on the Mass Effect TV show, is best known for his work on F9: the Fast Saga and the sci-fi film Kin. Karim Zreik will also be executive producer on the show, which falls under his Cedar Tree Productions label. Zreik's past work included executive producer credits on Marvel Studios projects like Daredevil and The Punisher. Ari Arad's career involved multiple other video game adaptations, including 2017's Ghost in the Shell, 2022's Uncharted, and most recently the 2024 movie Borderlands.

This is not the only video game project Amazon Studios has been working on. A live action TV series adaptation of Yakuza or Like a Dragon is currently streaming on Prime. In addition, an anthology series called Secret Level, which will feature 15 shorts based on the worlds of various video games by the creative team behind Love, Death and Robots, will be airing on Prime starting on December 10, 2024.

No plot details are currently known about the TV show, and there is no hint as to whether it will be an adaptation of Commander Shepherd's adventures or an all new story. There is no projected release date at this time.

The Mass Effect TV show is in development for Amazon Prime.

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Capcom has released new apparel designs based on Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess and the Ace Attorney Investigations series. People can now place orders for the new items via Amazon Merch on Demand.

The apparel collection features regular and long-sleeved T-shirts, as well as sweatshirts and pullover hoodies. The Ace Attorney Investigations designs feature silhouettes of Miles Edgeworth, Dick Gumshoe, and Kay Faraday doing an Objection pose, and a group image of the Blue Badger, Pink Badger, and Proto Badger. Meanwhile, the Kunitsu-Gami lineup will feature a circular illustration of Yoshiro and Soh, as well as an image of multiple Gaki monsters emerging from the gate.

People from several countries worldwide can place orders for the Ace Attorney Investigations and Kunitsu-Gami apparel via the American Amazon.com website. While the items are also available on the Japanese Amazon site, the latter only s domestic shipments inside the country.

Capcom has been gradually releasing apparel based on its game franchises via its Amazon Merchandise on Demand lineup. Prior examples included Street Fighter 6, Resident Evil 4, and Dragon's Dogma 2.

The new apparel collection with designs based on Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess and the Ace Attorney Investigations series is now available worldwide via Amazon.

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RGG Studio shared a clip from Like a Dragon: Yakuza, the Amazon live-action adaptation based on the original game, of Ryoma Takeuchi as Kazuma Kiryu singing “Baka Mitai.” The song is a staple in the series’ karaoke lineup, appearing in seven mainline games and spin-offs.

The Like a Dragon: Yakuza “Baka Mitai” video is displayed as it would be in the games, with karaoke present in the event someone would want to sing along. As in the games, there is a point in the song when Kiryu looks at a photograph. In this case, the image shows a younger version of him with Akira Nishikiyama, Miho Nishikiyama, and Yumi Sawamura. 

Here is the full performance:

While “Baka Mitai” appears in Yakuza Kiwami, thus retroactively showing up in the original Like a Dragon game, it first debuted in Yakuza 5. Since then, it appeared in multiple mainline games like Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. The spin-offs Like a Dragon: Ishin and Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, also featured versions of it. In Yakuza: Like a Dragon, an English version appeared.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is now airing on Amazon Prime, with three episodes available now and more arriving on November 1, 2024. 

The post Like a Dragon: Yakuza Includes ‘Baka Mitai’ Performance appeared first on Siliconera.

The Amazon Prime live-action adaptation of Yakuza, Like a Dragon: Yakuza, has premiered and the English cast for the show is in the credits. It stars Aleks Le as Kazuma and Johnny Yong Bosch as Nishiki.

Here is the full English cast for the main characters of Like a Dragon: Yakuza, in order that they appear in the credits:

• Kazuma: Aleks Le (Makoto, Pharos, and Ryoji in Persona 3 Reload)
• Nishiki: Johnny Yong Bosch (Broly in Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero)
• Yumi: Xanthe Huynh (Marianne in Fire Emblem: Three Houses)
• Miho: Dawn Anderson (Borealus in Starfield)
• Kazama: Paul Nakauchi (Hanzo in Overwatch)
• Date: Nick Martineau (Kim “Horangi” Hong-jin in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II)
• Dojima: Kaiji Tang (Satoru Gojo in Jujutsu Kaisen)

Some of these talents previously appeared in the Yakuza or Like a Dragon series. Bosch was in Yakuza: Like a Dragon as the young version of Masumi Arakawa, as well as more minor characters like Lau Ka Long. In the same game, Kaiji Tang voiced the protagonist Ichiban Kasuga. Xanthe Huynh was Haruka Sawamura in both Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.

Like a Dragon: Yakuza is the live-action adaptation of the first game in the series. The show stars Ryoma Takeuchi as Kiryu and Kento Kaku as NIshiki. It follows yakuza member Kazuma Kiryu, who serves ten years in prison after taking the fall for his childhood friend Nishiki. After serving his sentence, Kiryu returns to the city of Kamurocho and finds himself wrapped up in a conspiracy that threatens to topple the balance in the criminal underworld.

Like a Dragon: Yakuza is available on Amazon Prime and the second half of the show will stream from November 1, 2024.

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Amazon announced it will be the streaming home of Look Back, the movie based on the one-shot manga by Chainsaw Man creator Tatsuki Fujimoto. We’ll be able to watch it next month starting on November 7, 2024. An Amazon Prime subscription will be required. 

Look Back follows two students named Fujino and Kyomoto who love creating manga. While the two start out close while in school, events end up leading to the two growing apart as they get older and their goals shift. However, events cause the two to become involved in each others’ lives again.

The film recently appeared in theaters outside Japan. GKids announced a limited run of it in October 2024. Showings only appeared between October 6-7, 2024.

Look Back isn’t the only one-shot manga and story by Tatsuki Fujimoto, as the Chainsaw Man and Fire Punch mangaka created a number of others both before and after his two long-running series. Goodbye Eri appeared after Look Back, with the manga available worldwide. Viz Media also released the compilations Tatsuki Fujimoto Before Chainsaw Man: 17–21 and Tatsuki Fujimoto Before Chainsaw Man: 22–26 outside Japan. These are collections that gather multiple past stories the author created together.

The movie Look Back will be streaming on Amazon Prime starting on November 7, 2024. The manga is available outside Japan via Viz Media.

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Amazon Prime Day is back yet again for its October 2024 sale day. As always, fans only have 48 hours from October 8-9, 2024 to take advantage of some of the best deals. For my fellow gamers out there, these are the best October 2024 Amazon Prime Day video game sales worth taking a look at.

Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 (53% off) 6i1cd

This is by far the best deal I have found in general for Amazon Prime Day 2024 in of PS5 games. You get the Master Collection, which includes remasters of the first three Metal Gear Solid games, plus a slew of extras like older titles and digital books. The best part is it is on sale for $19.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage (54% off) 6y614h

Assassin's Creed Mirage has a much smaller scale and higher focus on assassination, which makes it more like the first few games. So if you were a fan of the Ezio Trilogy, this might be up your alley. And if you’ve been wanting to take a look at this one ahead of Assassin's Creed Shadows, it is on sale during Prime Day with a 54% discount.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (61% off) 5a431w

Where this game based on the Avatar movies lacks in content, it makes up for in some of the most immersive and beautiful first-person open-world gameplay. It might be worth a look for some players at only $26.99, despite being less than a year old at the time of Amazon Prime Day 2024.

Banishers: Ghosts of Eden (33% off) 5u5b2k

If you like intense, high-quality storytelling with solid enough action, this is a game worth checking out. It may not be the cheapest game on this list but it has a worthy enough 33% discount. This is solid given that the game just came out this same year.

More Best October 2024 Amazon Prime Day Video Game Sales x5u3c

If you are looking for more of the best Amazon Prime Day October 2024 video game sales and deals, here are some additional ones worth a look:

• Madden NFL 25: 39% off
• EA Sports College Football 25: 39% off
• Bluey: The Videogame - 38% off
• Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown - 60% off
• Cat Quest III: 33% off

Amazon Prime Day 2024 is only happening from October 8 to October 9, 2024. If you want to take advantage of these deals, you'll need to act fast.

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As is common during Amazon Prime Day sales, there are an array of Apple product promotions, and the October 2024 deals include discounts on the AirPods, Apple Watch, MacBook laptops, and iPads. All of them are billed as Prime Big Deal offers, which means you must be a subscriber to take advantage. Also, the discounts range from 24% to 35% off of items.

There are the most Apple Watch opportunities this time around, and the deals on those during the Amazon Prime Day sale tend to hover around 25%. The sheer number is due to the fact that there are different band color options and sizes available. Here’s the full list of all of those options available:

• Apple Watch SE GPS + Cellular 4with Starlight Sport Band (S/M) - $233.99
• Apple Watch SE GPS + Cellular with Starlight Sport Band (M/L) - $283.99
• Apple Watch SE GPS + Cellular with Storm Blue Sport Band (S/M) - $283.99
• Apple Watch SE GPS + Cellular with Storm Blue Sport Band (M/L) - $283.99
• Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) with Midnight Sport Band (S/M) - $169.99
• Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) with Starlight Sport Band (S/M) - $199.99
• Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) GPS + Cellular with Starlight Sport Band (S/M) - $219.99
• Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) GPS + Cellular with Starlight Sport Band (M/L) - $249.99
• Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) GPS + Cellular with Storm Blue Sport Band (M/L) - $249.99
• Apple Watch Series 9 with Starlight Sport Band (M/L) - $388

When it comes to the October 2024 Amazon Prime Day MacBook sale options, only two laptops are available. One is the 13-inch Laptop with M3 chip with 8GB RAM and 256GB of storage. That is $849, rather than $1,099, during the promotion. The other is the 15-inch Laptop with M3 chip variant that has 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. That comes in at $1,044, rather than $1,299.

Only two iPads are showing up during the Amazon Prime Day sale. However, there are different discounts depending on the options you select. Here’s the list of them:

• Apple 10.2-inch iPad (2021) WiFi model with 64GB storage and AppleCare+ (2 Years) - $258
• Apple iPad Mini (6th Generation) WiFi model with 64GB storage and no AppleCare+ - $349.99
• Apple iPad Mini (6th Generation) WiFi model with 256GB storage and no AppleCare+ - $499.99
• Apple iPad Mini (6th Generation) WiFi + Cellular model with 64GB storage and no AppleCare+ - $499.99
• Apple iPad Mini (6th Generation) WiFi + Cellular model with 256GB storage and no AppleCare+ - $649.99

As far as headphones go, two offers appeared. One is a set of the AirPods Pro 2, which is $168.99 during the sale event. Those typically cost $249. The other is the pair of AirPods Max wireless over-ear headphones for $438.99, rather than $608. However, to get that deal you must also get the option with two years of AppleCare+.

The Amazon Prime Day sales will run October 8-9, 2024.

The post Amazon Prime Day Apple Watch, iPad, and MacBook Sale Appears appeared first on Siliconera.

As is common during Amazon Prime Day sales, there are board games deals that are part of the event on October 8-9, 2024, and many of them are ones based on video games. Given the nature of the promotion though, some are rotating and only available at certain times throughout the day. Some are only for Prime , while other of the drops are available to everyone.

The majority of the sales on board games based on video games available during Amazon Prime Day at the moment are heavier ones. This means that they have some pretty intense mechanics, sessions could a minimum of an hour, and it could take a few playthroughs to really grasp everything. This also means they’re typically more expensive and can cost $50-100 when they aren’t on sale.

Here is a list of some of the more notable board games reduced at Amazon right now:

• Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood of Venice - $70.97
• Bloodborne: The Board Game - $83.22
• Civilization Board Game - $40.99
• Cyberpunk 2077: Gangs of Night City - $81.49
• Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - The Adventure Game - $91.99
• Fallout: The Board Game - $52.49
• Far Cry: Escape from Rook Islands - $24.99
• Monster Hunter World: The Board Game Ancient Forest - $95.30
• Plague Inc. Board Game - $33.49
• Witcher: Old World Deluxe Edition - $142.99

There are also some of these board games based on video games Amazon Prime Day deals that involve sales on titles meant for younger audiences. For example, a number of Pokemon and Super Mario-themed ones are present. 

Here’s what you can pick up:

• Hasbro Jenga: Super Mario Edition - $18.49
• Hasbro The Game of Life: Super Mario Edition - $22.99
• Monopoly Junior Super Mario Edition - $18.49
• Pokemon Trainer Guess Legacy Edition - $20
• Ravensburger Minecraft Builders & Biomes - $24.49
• Ravensburger Pokemon Labyrinth - $14.99
• Ravensburger Super Mario Labyrinth - $20.99

The latest Amazon Prime Day sale runs October 8-9, 2024. 

Image via CMON 

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The Amazon Prime Day sale kicked off on October 8, 2024, and there are now deals on the types of microSD cards compatible with the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck. Ones from both Samsung and SanDisk are part of the promotion. There are also Lexar Play models on sale.

Both the Samsung and SanDisk microSD card sales on Amazon are specifically listed as “Prime Big Deal” offers for the day. While three of the Lexar ones are reduced, they don’t have that indicator on the page. So while some may only be for Prime subscribers, others can be purchased by anyone.

Here’s the list of all the deals available. Note that while there are certain sizes that are reduced, the others are still full price.

• 128 GB Lexar Play microSDXC - $14.99 instead of $17.49.
• 128 GB Samsung Pro Plus microSDXC - $12.99 instead of $25.99.
• 128 GB SanDisk Extreme microSDXC - $14.99 instead of $20.99.
• 128 GB SanDisk Ultra microSDXC - $12.99 instead of $18.99.
• 256 GB Samsung Pro Plus microSDXC - $22.99 instead of $39.99.
• 256 GB SanDisk Extreme microSDXC - $21.49 instead of $27.99.
• 256 GB SanDisk Ultra microSDXC - $18.99 instead of $25.99.
• 512 GB Lexar Play microSDXC - $39.99 instead of $49.99.
• 512 GB Samsung Pro Plus microSDXC - $39.99 instead of $75.99.
• 512 GB SanDisk Extreme microSDXC - $36.25 instead of $42.70.
• 512 GB SanDisk Ultra microSDXC - $31.99 instead of $38.98.
• 1 TB Lexar Play microSDXC - $74.99 instead of $129.99.
• 1 TB Samsung Pro Plus microSDXC - $109.99 instead of $119.99
• 1 TB SanDisk Extreme microSDXC - $78.69 instead of $92.99.
• 1.5 TB SanDisk Ultra microSDXC - $89.29 instead of $149.99.

As a reminder, there are some microSD card size limits for the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck. Nintendo established it can only handle up to 2GB microSD or microSDXC. It’s also presumed that’s the limit for the Steam Deck, since that’s the size limit on microSDXC in general. 

Amazon Prime Day runs October 8-9, 2024, and various microSD cards that can be used with the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck are reduced as part of it.

The post Amazon Prime Day Sale Adds Switch, Steam Deck MicroSD Deals appeared first on Siliconera.

Actor Munetaka Aoki will play Majima in Like a Dragon: Yakuza, which will be a live-action adaptation of the first game. Majima, along with Kiryu and Nishiki, appear on a new key visual for the show.

Aoki debuted in 2002 and has appeared in numerous Japanese films and TV shows over the course of his career. Some of his roles include Sanosuke Sagara in Rurouni Kenshin, Benkei in Taira no Kiyomori, and Kiso Yoshinaka in The 13 Lords of the Shogun. He also appeared as Sosaku Tachibana in Godzilla Minus One. He is ing Ryoma Takeuchi (Kiryu) and Kento Kaku (Nishiki), who are the two leads of the show. We can expect to see cast information for characters like Kazama and Haruka as we get closer to the show’s premiere.

News for Like a Dragon: Yakuza first appeared earlier this year. As mentioned earlier, it will adapt the first game. Like in the game, it will jump between two eras—1995 and 2005—as it follows both Kiryu’s return to Kamurocho and, most likely, Nishiki’s descent into darkness. There will be six parts in total, with the first half appearing in October 2024. The second half will start streaming from November 1, 2024.

Like a Dragon: Yakuza will start airing on October 24, 2024. You’ll be able to watch it on Amazon Prime.

The post Like a Dragon: Yakuza Key Visual Shows Actor for Majima appeared first on Siliconera.

Bandai Namco announced that service will be ending for Blue Protocol in Japan and Amazon also confirmed the worldwide release is canceled as a result of the shutdown. The Japanese version will remain active until January 18, 2025. 

The announcement appeared on both the Japanese and English websites for the MMORPG. There is also a Japanese video going over the announcement and final roap. The team will continue adding new content and updating the game until it is closed down. The paid Rose Orbs currency is no longer being sold, and there will be no refunds for those purchases. Bandai Namco will give out 5,000 Rose Orbs on the first day of every month starting in September 2024 and running until January 2025. Players can get 250 Rose Orbs every day. They can also get the season for free starting with the just-released ninth one.

Here is Bandai Namco’s full English statement about the Japanese shutdown of Blue Protocol and the global version being canceled:

We regret to inform you that the Japanese version of Blue Protocol will be ending service on Saturday, January 18, 2025.

Due to the end of the Japanese version, we are no longer able to continue development of the Amazon Games version, so after discussing with Amazon Games, we have decided to cancel the release of this title in the US and Europe. We sincerely apologize for this inconvenience.

Amazon Games has high expectations for Blue Protocol, and the two companies have had a good relationship up until now and have been making preparations, so we are very disappointed.

We want to provide an experience that makes you feel like you've entered the world of anime.

The project has taken on the challenge of creating a world where each and every player canenjoy an adventure as the protagonist of an anime.

Since the announcement, you have all been looking forward to the game, and we have been making preparations for its release. However, we have come to the conclusion that it would be difficult to provide a service that satisfies you all, and therefore we have decided to cancel the release of the Amazon Games version.

We deeply apologize to everyone for this sudden announcement.

Here is Amazon’s official statement on Blue Protocol service ending:

Bandai Namco Online announced that they have made the difficult decision to end service on Blue Protocol. They will shut down their Japanese Blue Protocol servers in January 2025, and have ended plans to release the game in the West in collaboration with Amazon Games.

In their statement announcing the end of service, Bandai Namco Online said, “We have enjoyed a strong relationship with Amazon Games throughout the development of Blue Protocol, and both of our teams are disappointed that we will not be able to deliver the game to players around the world.”

We know this is disappointing news, and we share your disappointment. We love the world and characters of Blue Protocol, and we were excited to welcome players around the world into Regnas. We Bandai Namco Online in expressing deep gratitude to the ionate fans who followed BBlue Protocol development and participated in the Closed Technical Test.

We have great respect and appreciation for the talented team at Bandai Namco, and wish them success in their next endeavors. You can read Bandai Namco Online’s full statement about Blue Protocol here.

Prior to the shutdown notice, Bandai Namco regularly added new content to Blue Protocol. In June 2024, chapter 6 appeared. We also saw new classes appear after launch. One was the Beat Performer, and another was the Blitz Lancer.

We did have some idea that there were issues with Blue Protocol before this latest announcement. In February 2024, a Bandai Namco report suggested it was underperforming. In a Famitsu interview with the developers in June 2024, Director Keisuke Fukuzaki said they were looking at when they noticed players dropping off and would work to try and address causes.

Blue Protocol is available for the PS5, Xbox Series X, and Windows PC in Japan until January 18, 2025, and the global release is canceled.

The post Blue Protocol Ending in Japan, Worldwide Release Canceled appeared first on Siliconera.

Amazon announced that some of its early Prime Day deals are available ahead of the July 16-17, 2024 event, and many involve TVs.. While there aren’t any video games yet, there are some deals on monitors and Fire Tablets occasionally pop up. 

In of the immediate Amazon Prime Day 2024 TV deals on Amazon Fire TVs, here are some of the ones people can immediately get and their reduced prices. Note that you do need to have Amazon Prime to get the lower price.

• Amazon Fire TV 43" 4-Series 4K UHD smart TV - $229.99
• Amazon Fire TV 50" Omni QLED Series 4K UHD smart TV - $445.98
• Amazon Fire TV 55" Omni QLED Series 4K UHD smart TV - $419.99
• Amazon Fire TV 65" Omni QLED Series 4K UHD smart TV - $659.99

A few Samsung TVs and monitors also appeared. Here’s the list of ones available at time of writing:

• Samsung 27” Odyssey G30A Gaming Computer Monitor - $149.99
• Samsung 32” UJ59 Series 4K UHD Computer Monitor - $229.99
• Samsung 65” QLED 4K Q60D Series Quantum HDR Smart TV - $897.99

One phone is also showing up in the early sale page. It is the the Samsung Galaxy A35 5G A Series for $349.99. The normal price is $399.99. This is the version with 128GB of storage, and it arrives unlocked.

The Megan thee Stallion Amazon Prime Day 2024 page is live and does include a few gaming products in her “list” of recommendations. One of the items is the Xbox One and Series X Deep Pink controller, which is showing for $56.90 instead of $64.99 at the moment. That section also shows the $149.99 Pink Pixio PX248 monitor and YOWU Cat Ear Headphone 4 headset for $129 instead of $169.99. It may be better to check back on Prime Day proper to see if those prices go lower.

The official Amazon Prime Day sale will start in the US on July 16, 2024.

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