Is it just me, or has news been slow these days?

 Posted by at 10:47 pm  Hatsune Miku, Other, Videogames  1 Response »
May 142012
 

So yeah. The past few days have been pretty dry for reporting anything news-worthy, save for a few small things. Unless I’ve been missing something major. I’m pretty bored at the moment. One thing I like to do to pass the time is to play OSU!, which is a free rhythm game for the PC. If you’re familiar with Elite Beat Agents for the Nintendo DS, the gameplay is quite similar.

The game has thousands of user generated beatmaps, including Vocaloid. The majority of the community is interested in Anime and everything related, so this comes as no surprise. If you’re interested, you can register and download the game completely free from here: http://osu.ppy.sh/

Practice the included tutorial track, then use the search on their site for tracks related to Vocaloid or anything else you’re interested in. The game has both offline and online play modes. The game is also completely customizable with skins. If you ever want to find me, my username is jrharbort (http://osu.ppy.sh/u/jrharbort).

Here is one example video that shows what the gameplay is like. Keep in mind this is on a high difficulty track on the highest difficulty setting. Even I’m nowhere near this skilled.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7-r5b2lP2I]

Limited Edition Project Diva Themed PS Vita Announced for Pre-Order [UPDATED 5/13/2012]

 Posted by at 12:12 am  Hatsune Miku, Merchandise, Videogames  8 Responses »
May 082012
 

ALL OF MY WANT!

Sony Japan recently unveiled a new limited edition crystal white PS Vita that’s complete with with a custom Hatsune Miku themed skin. This beautiful piece of hardware is set to release on August 30th, just one day before Hatsune Miku’s 5th anniversary. The PS Vita sells as a bundle that will also include the new Project Diva game and a 4GB memory card. The price for the Wifi Only model is set for ¥34,980 ($428 USD), and the 3G+Wifi will sell for ¥39,980 ($500 USD).

The bundle is only available for pre-order within Japan. If a source is discovered for international pre-orders, I’ll be sure to update this post. You can check the website of the announcement by clicking the image, or simply by clicking here.

Pre-order sources have been discovered! The Wifi versions can be found here: Click here or here.

And now for a vid on the new color scheme and design:

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPYd8DD6sKg]

Time to Promote Some Obscure Artists

 Posted by at 9:52 pm  Hatsune Miku, J-Pop, Other, Other Vocaloids  6 Responses »
May 052012
 

Image by AO via Pixiv.

It’s an obvious fact that we all love Vocaloid music. It’s the bread and butter of the community that binds us all together. It should be no secret that I have a strong likeness towards Vocalectro (Vocaloid+Electronic) music. Dance music can get you jumping, trance can set a calming or uplifting mood, and techno rock can get you pumping. It’s a genre that I really enjoy, and I learn about many artists in my searches for new content. I’ve stumbled across artists with amazing talent, but aren’t getting the recognition they deserve. So I would like to dedicate this post to some notable artists who deserve attention for their amazing work.

Tranceformer Yuno

Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/MultiTranceformer
Nicovideo Channel: http://www.nicovideo.jp/user/146610/video
Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/tranceformer-yuno
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tranceformer-Yuno/252303988178847
Piapro: http://piapro.jp/yunoyunoyunoyuno

Tranceformer Yuno is a Vocaloid artist that produces Progressive House trance music that is among some of the best you’ll ever listen to. When I stumbled across him, he only had 3 subscribers. I was utterly shocked to see this due to the amazing level of his work. After I promoted his work on my own channel, he soon had over 70 subs. He was extremely grateful for the help. And the most impressive part? He makes this music for fun as a hobby. That’s just incredible. Here’s a track from his channel as an example of his work. The title in English is “Horizon”.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leXUKwhwLV4]

 

PTaka

Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/PTakatube
Nicovideo Channel: http://www.nicovideo.jp/user/10400914/video
Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/ptaka
Piapro: http://piapro.jp/M217445

PTaka is a relatively new face in the Vocaloid scene, and he has started off using the new Vocaloid named IA. The very first song I heard from him was called “Dream”, and it got me hooked on IA’s character. The artist did not have a youtube channel, as he never even considered sharing his work with the world outside nicovideo. After I spent some time talking with him, he quickly agreed to set up a youtube account. Afterwards, I helped advertise his work on my own channel. If you want to look into IA’s character a bit more to see what she’s capable of, this artist does a fantastic job. Here is the promotional video I made to help advertise his work.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34Wucl7DQ_8]

 

Revolution Boi

Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/RevolutionxBoi
Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/revolutionboi
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Revolution-Boi/103052269751450

Revolution Boi was the first U.S. based Vocaloid DJ and remix artist. His work with music while he was in Japan has allowed him to become familiar with Vocaloid before Hatsune Miku herself even existed! His work over time has developed quite well, and he often partners up with other artists and DJs to create amazing collab works. Just recently, he gave me permission to help promote some of his most recent remix work involving the tracks Sweet Devil and Tell Your World. If you’re interested in checking out a western Vocaloid artist, Revolution Boi is an excellent place to start! Here is the promotional video I made to showcase some of his work.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWigbFUeeGc]
 

Calling all Vocaloid Nendoroid and Figurine Owners and Photographers!

 Posted by at 9:30 pm  Hatsune Miku, Other  No Responses »
May 012012
 

Are you a Vocaloid fan who owns at least one Vocaloid nendoroid, and do you enjoy taking pictures of them? Or do you perhaps own any dolls, plushies, or scaled figurines? And even more, would you like your images featured on a Japanese blog? If so, great!

Tokiko, the owner of Tokiko’s Diary Sapporo (one of our partner sites), is a blog writer that blogs about her daily activities using her Nendoroid as the starring host. It’s really fun to watch and read.

Tokiko is looking for submissions from people around the world to be featured on her blog. Tokiko lives in the heart of Sapporo, the hometown and birthplace of Hatsune Miku! She would love to see what kind of figurines people around the world have, where the fans are from, and what you think about Hatsune Miku! Her blog is somewhat small, but it’ll be a fun chance for your images and messages to be seen by a Japanese audience.

If you own a Hatsune Miku nendo or other related Vocaloid nendoroids (plushies, dolls, and figurines are also acceptable!), and would like to share your images, then send your messages to [email protected]. But please follow these guidelines!

1: Please provide your name. This can be your screen name, or real name.

2: Tell her where you’re from! Just the name of your country is fine if you’re shy.

3: Please use only images that you own! Don’t steal other people’s work!

4: Images in 580×436 pixel size are preferred.

5: Please do not send any explicit material (no erotic or violent images).

6: Finally, include a message explaining why you love Hatsune Miku!

Tokiko is looking forward to what everyone has to share. If you want to read her blog, you can click the partner link on the right, or just click here. The English translation button for the blog is in the upper right corner of her page. Thank you very much to everyone who participates!

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