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Sony announced changes in price for the PlayStation 5 and the cost of the optional PS5 disc drive for Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and the UK. Certain variants of the console will be more expensive in locations in those regions. However, the disc drive price will be going down. It cited “high inflation” and “exchange rates” as the reasons for the changes. This means it will be closer in price to a Switch 2 in some places, which is €469/£395/AUD $699.95. PS5 Pros are unaffected.

In Europe and the UK, only the PS5 Digital Edition price is increasing, as the disc drive cost goes down in both regions. It will be €499.99, rather than €399.99. In the UK, it will be £429.99 instead of £359.99. The peripheral will now be €79.99 and  £69.99, as it previously cost €119.99 and £99.99. 

In Australia and New Zealand, both PlayStation 5 models, such as the standard one and PS5 Digital Edition, will cost more. One without a disc drive will be AUD $749.95 and NZD $859.95, while ones with will be AUD $829.95 and NZD $949.95. As for the new, lower disc drive prices, those will now be AUD $124.95 and NZD $139.95. 

Only these regions are affected so far. Sony didn’t mention any changes for countries in Asia or North America yet. It’s unknown if those could also be affected.

The PlayStation 5 Digital Edition and standard model, as well as the PS5 disc drive, are available worldwide, and prices in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and the UK go up on April 14, 2025.

The post PlayStation 5 Price Goes Up, PS5 Disc Drive Cost Goes Down appeared first on Siliconera.

FuRyu has released Beyblade X: XONE on Switch and PC. The top versus game is now available worldwide in Japanese and English. Multiplayer matches for this game are only available via online or local Switch connections, as the offline modes are exclusively single-player.

A majority of characters appearing in this game will come from Beyblade X, which had its manga and anime adaptations launched in 2023. However, it lets the player enter the series' universe with an original avatar. They will be able to play in matches against the anime characters in the main offline mode.

FuRyu is also gradually releasing more Beys as paid DLC. The first Digital Beybooster pack appeared on the game's launch day with the Rudder Phoenix 9-70G, Crest Leon 7-60GN, and Tide Whale 5-80E. The company also plans to put up two more DLC packs in the near future.

As a side note, the game's Asian English website noted that the Switch version is available via the Hong Kong eShop. But even though Chinese is the main language for the territory's eShop, it only contains the English version of the game. This is partly caused by the lack of an eShop dedicated to Southeast Asian countries, even though Nintendo has opened official webpages in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines in the early 2020s.

Beyblade X: XONE is available worldwide on Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam.

The post Beyblade X: XONE Appears Worldwide on Switch and PC appeared first on Siliconera.

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.

The post New Capcom Amazon Apparel Shows Ace Attorney and Kunitsu-Gami appeared first on Siliconera.

Final Fantasy XIV will be at PAX in Australia on October 11, 2024. There will also be a fan celebration a few days earlier and tickets for that will become available from September 6, 2024 on a first-come, first-served basis.

Square Enix will have a dev at PAX. The guests present will be Natsuko Ishikawa, a Senior Story Designer, and Saki Takayangi, the Quest Designer. There will also be a battle experience against Valigarmanda, a battle experience for newbies where they face off against a primal, and a photo spot for fans.

While the dev will be streamed, you have to actually be at the convention to receive goodies. Players who participate in the Valigarmanda battle can receive a bucket hat and a sticker pronouncing their victory. As for the New Player Experience, it’s for people who aren’t actually playing the game yet. They get the chance to face off the Good King Moggle Mog XII and after they finish the battle, they can get a free copy of the Final Fantasy XIV Online Starter Edition for whatever platform they choose.

Finally, the fan celebration will be on October 9, 2024 from 7:00 PM to 10:30 PM (AEDT). This is for anyone who’s a fan of the game, no matter their experience or time playing it. There will be a temporary tattoo station, themed drinks, special guests and more. Only 300 visitors will be able to get in and each person can apply for two slots. You can start applying from September 6, 2024.

Final Fantasy XIV is readily available on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Windows PC. You can read our review of Dawntrail, the latest expansion, here.

The post Final Fantasy XIV Will Be at PAX Australia 2024 appeared first on Siliconera.

Bandai Namco opened a new webpage to mark the 20th anniversary of Wangan Midnight: Maximum Tune. The company will gradually add congratulatory messages from both staff and players of the arcade game series. The page is only available in Japanese as of its initial reveal, but the company is also planning to add English and Chinese versions in the near future.

This anniversary specifically pertains to the Maximum Tune series of arcade racing games. Namco released the first-ever Wangan Midnight: Maximum Tune entry in July 2004. It modeled the arcade game after Michiharu Kusunoki's manga series that launched in 1990.

Bandai Namco gradually updated the arcade games with new iterations that also added new cars to the roster. The more recent entries have been noted for featuring not only Japanese cars but also those from international brands, such as Audi, Lamborghini, Dodge, and Chevrolet.

The company had also launched Wangan Midnight: Maximum Tune 6RR Plus in Japan in April 2024 to mark the series' 20th anniversary. The home country usually enjoys the latest iteration exclusively for a period of time before Bandai Namco brings it to other regions.

For instance, the original Midnight Tune 6 appeared in Asia Pacific in July 2019, which was roughly a year after it came out first in Japan in July 2018. The release gap for 6RR was reduced to just a month when it came out in Japan in November 2021 and Asia Pacific in December 2021, although it ended up completely skipping the 6R version that appeared in Japan in 2020. Bandai Namco has still yet to announce 6RR Plus' launch window outside Japan as of July 2024.

Wangan Midnight has also been often compared with Initial D. Both car street racing manga series have been featured in crossover content updates, although the Maximum Tune games have still yet to directly feature Initial D characters like what Sega did in Initial D The Arcade.

The only direct collaboration event between Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune and Initial D arcade games to date happened in 2015, and it only rewarded seasonal interface decorations without any actual character content. Bandai Namco instead featured the character crossovers in its mobile game Drift Spirits.

The Wangan Midnight: Maximum Tune arcade racing games are readily available in arcade centers worldwide. The series' latest iterations as of July 2024 are 6RR Plus in Japan, 6RR in Asia Pacific, and 5DX Plus in North America—which launched in January 2022.

The post Wangan Midnight: Maximum Tune 20th Anniversary Site Opens appeared first on Siliconera.

Shochiku revealed that it will launch a live stream of the Lupin III Kabuki show worldwide in mid-August 2024. The stream will be available in 28 countries and territories around the world.

This stream will contain recorded footage from the show that originally ran in December 2023. Kataoka Ainosuke performed as the eponymous protagonist in the story taking place in 16th-century Japan. Shochiku will stream the record simultaneously worldwide including Japan.

Here is the complete list of 28 countries and territories where the Kabuki show stream will be available:

• Americas: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, United States
• Europe: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, , , Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom
• Asia Pacific: Australia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates

The stream will be available via the video platform Mirail. People residing outside Japan will be able to purchase a ticket at 4,200 yen (~$26.15). The total price already includes the system usage fee of 200 yen, as the ticket itself is priced at 4,000 yen.

While people in Japan can also watch the stream on mobile devices, those residing in the other available countries can only watch it on Windows and Mac PCs. They will be able to access the stream with English subtitles via Edge, Chrome, or Safari browsers, but the platform will disallow VPN usage.

Shochiku has also ed an English-subtitled version of the Kabuki show's digest video on its YouTube as a preview for the full stream:

This Kabuki show is not the only non-anime adaptation of Lupin III to be made available worldwide. The live-action movie Jigen Daisuke has been available to watch globally via Prime Video since October 2023.

The live streaming of the Lupin III Kabuki show will be available on Sunday, August 11, 2024, at 9 PM JST / 8 AM ET. People who have purchased the tickets can also re-watch the archived video for a week until August 18, 2024.

The post Lupin III Kabuki Show Will Be Streamed Internationally in August appeared first on Siliconera.

Claynel revealed its new figure will feature the Hololive Vtuber Iroha Kazama. Pre-orders for the figure have also opened on multiple web stores with an MSRP of 27,500 yen (~$176.50). The figure will be available in Japan and other select countries in 2025.

The 1/7 scale figure will have a total height of around 270 mm (~10.63 inches), from the pedestal's base to Iroha's ponytail ribbon. The figure set will also include Iroha's mascot tanuki Pokobee and the Chakimaru sword.

Here are some of the sample images for the figure:

The regional availability of this figure will be limited. While most Japan-based stores will only ship the figure domestically, there are some stores that can bring the figure outside Japan, although not all countries are covered. People residing in the U.S. or Canada can place orders on Good Smile Online Shop U.S. Meanwhile, Amiami s a wider range that covers most countries in the Americas and the Caribbean, as well as the U.K., Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.

Hololive Vtubers have had numerous figures modeled after themselves. Good Smile Company has particularly revealed a large variety of figures ranging from the Pop Up Parade figure of Amane Kanata to the figma action figure of Kiara Takanashi.

The 1/7 scale figure of the Hololive Vtuber Iroha Kazama will be available in 2025.

The post Hololive Iroha Kazama Figure Will Appear in 2025 appeared first on Siliconera.

Claynel has started accepting pre-orders for its Summer Adventure figure of Reisalin "Ryza" Stout from Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout. People in Japan can place their orders on Aniplex and AmiAmi web stores at 22,000 yen (~$145). The latter's international storefront also features the figure, but it will only be available in select countries and regions.

This static figure will be specifically based on the anime adaptation of Koei Tecmo and Gust's RPG title that started airing in Japan in July 2023. The 1/7 scale figure will have an overall height of 235mm (~9.25 inches).

Here are some of the sample images for the new Ryza figure:

The availability of this figure outside Japan will be limited. Even though AmiAmi is usually known for ing worldwide shipping, its listing for the Summer Ryza figure has a fine print stating the limited amount of countries and territories that can receive the figure. It will be available in the entire Americas from north to south. But other than that, the figure will only be available in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.

AmiAmi and Aniplex will close pre-orders for the 1/7 scale Summer Adventure figure of Reisalin "Ryza" Stout from the Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout anime show on August 5, 2024. Claynel will formally release the figure in March 2025.

The post Atelier Ryza Reisalin Stout Summer Figure Will Appear Next Year appeared first on Siliconera.

Cover revealed that its Hololive Vtubers will perform at a concert in Dreamhack Melbourne 2024. This will also mark the first time a concert by the Vtuber group appears in Australia. The concert will take place on April 27, 2024.

The concert will have a balanced roster of representatives from all three branches of the female Vtuber group Hololive. Houshou Marine and Tokoyami Towa will come from the Japanese side, while Calliope Mori and the Australian Vtuber Hakos Baelz will represent Hololive English. Hololive Indonesia's Pavolia Reine and Kureiji Ollie will complete the six-person roster.

Sales for online and physical tickets to access the concert will open on Friday, March 22, 2024, at 1 PM AEDT (Thursday, March 21, 2024, at 10 PM EDT). The online live-streaming tickets will be available worldwide at 4,200 yen (~$43 USD) with an additional booking fee of 220 yen. People who have this ticket will also be able to re-watch the archived video up to four weeks after the concert date.

People who have a physical festival ticket to attend Dreamhack Melbourne 2024 in person will be able to purchase a Hololive standard upgrade with guaranteed concert seating for $49 AUD (~$32 USD). The pricier Hololive upgrade at $89 AUD (~$59 USD) will feature prime seating positions and an entry into a raffle for a Meet and Greet session with one of the Vtubers.

Dreamhack Melbourne 2024 will run at Rod Laver Arena on April 26-28, 2024. The Hololive concert in Dreamhack Melbourne 2024 will take place on Saturday, April 27, 2024.

The post Hololive Vtubers Will Perform at Dreamhack Melbourne 2024 appeared first on Siliconera.

The Austrailian Classification Board and Classification Review Board Annual Reports 2022-23 appeared, and it included the Silent Hill: The Short Message rating and story details. However, the description also featured a number of spoilers from the new Silent Hill project. [Thanks, silent-mario on Reddit!]

The game came up during the section discussing Mature Accompanied MA 15+ rated games. This is one of the stronger advisory categories, and it falls between Mature and Restricted R 18+. The rating for it began by noting it featured “strong suicide themes, horror violence, and coarse language.” However, at the end it did note that all of the imagery and content do “not exceed strong in impact,” which is why it didn’t get an R 18+ rating instead.

However, the bulk of the description goes over the plot. It mentions Anita is in a German apartment building called The Villa searching for insight about her friend. It also mentioned this Silent Hill game will be another “exploration-based psychological horror game” when discussing the general story.

Editor’s note: There will be Silent Hill: The Short Message spoilers from the Australian Classification Board Annual Reports 2022-23 description below. 3t4d49

Here is a screenshot showing the full statement from the description that include the spoilers regarding Anita in the game. Note that they mention graphic descriptions of self harm and suicide. The Australian Classification Board description did note that during the cutscenes, there will be text about seeking help if people feel this way in real life.

Silent Hill: The Short Message is apparently in development for unnamed platforms. The most recent release is the streaming media project Silent Hill: Ascension, which is airing now. 

The post Silent Hill: The Short Message Australian Rating Appears, Has Spoilers appeared first on Siliconera.

Square Enix announced that it opened Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link closed beta test applications. However, only people in Australia and the United Kingdom can apply, and only about 3,000 players will be picked.

The announcement included details about when the closed beta test will happen, a trailer, and insight into what’s going on with it. People can apply to take part in the Android and Apple iOS tests until November 19, 2023. If someone is 18 and in Australia or the UK, they can apply via the official site. 

Those picked for the iOS test will take part between November 29, 2023 and December 8, 2023, and about 1,500 will be chosen for it. If someone is g up for the Android one, that won’t happen until sometime in January 2024. Again, about 1,500 people will be picked.

People will also need certain devices to take part. Someone trying for the iOS closed beta will need an iPhone XS with iOS 15.0 and 5GB of space. People with Android ones need a Snapdragon 845 or better with at least Android 10, 4GB RAM, and 5GB space.

Finally, here’s the new Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link closed beta test trailer, which shows some story elements and hints at how it works. Like Pokemon GO or Monster Hunter Now, it is a GPS-based game and action RPG. So someone will actually be traveling. 

Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link is in development for mobile devices and set to release in 2024. The closed beta test registration is open until November 19, 2023. The iOS test will run November 29, 2023 through December 8, 2023.

The post Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link Closed Beta Test Applications Open appeared first on Siliconera.

The very first Stardew Valley concert will take place in February 2024. In total, the orchestra tour will consist of fourteen concerts that will take place in six countries around the world. Tickets will go on sale on October 13, 2023, and you can purchase them from the official website.

The concert tour is titled “Festival of Seasons,” and a key visual has been released for its announcement. The new artwork shows what looks like various of the Stardew Valley cast sitting in the main town square area while playing instruments. The town location in the visual should be very familiar for players since it’s right by Harvey’s Clinic and Pierre’s shop, which are next to the path leading to your farm.

You can check out the full announcement below:

Here are the full dates and locations for the Stardew Valley concert tour:

• February 17, 2024: Los Angeles, CA
• February 23, 2024: Boston, MA
• February 24, 2024: Philadelphia, PA
• February 29, 2024: New York City, NY
• March 2, 2024: Seattle, WA
• March 9, 2024: Chicago, IL
• March 10, 2024: St. Louis, MO
• March 15, 2024: Toronto, ON
• March 17, 2024: Montreal, QC
• April 5, 2024: Melbourne, AU
• April 20, 2024: Sydney, AU
• April 29, 2024: London, UK
• TBA 2024: Seoul, KR
• TBA 2024: Bangkok, TH

There is also a short trailer on the official website for the concert. It shows scenes of the game interspersed with a recording of a chamber orchestra performing familiar tracks from it. Because the tickets are not available yet, there is no price information currently.

The Stardew Valley concert tickets will go on sale at 10 AM on October 13, 2024. Stardew Valley is available on the PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, and mobile devices. The Version 1.6 update is currently in development.

The post Stardew Valley Concert Tour to Begin in 2024 appeared first on Siliconera.

Massive Monster joked that Cult of the Lamb could be removed from sale on January 1, 2024. This was brought on due to changes in fees from using the Unity Engine, which the game built on. (Editor's Note: This was updated on September 13, 2023.)

Massive Monster made the announcement that it will be "deleting" Cult of the Lamb as of January 1, 2024. This is because the game is built on the Unity Engine, which will see the introduction of a new install fee. This fee will require developers to pay Unity a fixed price for each install of the game.

Buy Cult of the Lamb now, cause we're deleting it on Jan 1st. https://t.co/nSWg9DP0sh

— Cult of the Lamb (@cultofthelamb) September 12, 2023

It then followed up with the following message:

The amount of news channels that 100% believed us have clearly never seen this image before. https://t.co/08q8eufRVC pic.twitter.com/4LiLW9tYfb

— Cult of the Lamb (@cultofthelamb) September 13, 2023

A similar sort statement was issued by the publisher Devolver Digital. In a post on the social media site formerly known as Twitter, the company advised developers to mention the engine they’re using when pitching the title. While not explicitly stated, it seems it could affect if the company will be interested in publishing games built in Unity going forward.

Definitely include what engine you’re using in game pitches.

It’s important information!

— Devolver Digital (@devolverdigital) September 12, 2023

Cult of the Lamb isn’t the only game whose developers have expressed frustration in Unity’s decision. Among Us developer Innersloth confirmed it is looking into porting the game to a different engine. Aggro Crab, currently working on the undersea Soulslike Another Crab’s Treasure, called on Unity to reverse the stance in their typical foul-mouthed fashion. VR onboarding platform SideQuest VR confirmed that it will not tolerate the personal data of their s being used for this purpose.

Cult of the Lamb is available now for the Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. It may be removed from sale on January 1, 2024.

The post Massive Monster Jokes About Removing Cult of the Lamb from Storefronts (Update) appeared first on Siliconera.

Square Enix announced a Final Fantasy XVI event for dogs called Paws of Valisthea. It will be held Darlinghurst, Australia. Attendees will be able to bring their dogs to Darlo Bar on June 17, 2023 as they play the game, see them in costumes connected to Eikons, or win prizes. ission is free on Eventbrite. It will be held between 10am and 1pm AEST.

The page noted that dogs are optional for this Final Fantasy XVI event. It is also an adoption event, in case you don’t have a pet, with the RSPCA NSW there. Dog treats will be offered, and people can take photos with the dogs. There also will be a contest to win the game and a PS5.

The event page also offered a look at some of the Final Fantasy XVI Eikon costumes for the dogs. From left to right, there are examples of dogs dressed as Shiva, Ifrit, and Phoenix. It is unknown if there could also end up being coats inspired by Bahamut, Garuda, Ramuh, Odin, and Titan.
[gallery columns="1" size="full" ids="967007" link="file"]

There's another event coming up for the game soon. In Los Angeles, California, there will be a pre-launch event on June 11, 2023. That will be streamed online as well from when it begins at 3pm PT/5pm ET/11pm CET.

Final Fantasy XVI will be available for the PlayStation 5 on June 22, 2023. There is a six-month exclusivity period. The Final Fantasy XVI Paws of Valisthea event will be held in Darlinghurst, Australia from 10am-1pm local time on June 17, 2023.

The post Final Fantasy XVI Paws of Valisthea Event for Dog Owners Heads to Australia appeared first on Siliconera.

NIS America Shared a new Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles trailer announcing its official release date. The game will first release on August 19, 2023 for people in North America. About two weeks later, it will appear in Europe on September 1, 2022. Finally, people in Australia and New Zealand will see it on September 8, 2023, according to the game's official site.

This marks the first time both Rhapsody II: The Ballad of the Little Princess and Rhapsody III: Memories of Marl Kingdom are being officially localized for Western audiences since their original releases in Japan on November 1999 and December 2000 respectively.

Check the latest trailer for Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles confirming the release date below.

https://youtu.be/LXqKHWi3lUM

The trailer showcases the series’ second title, Rhapsody II: The Ballad of the Little Princess. This game follows the story of Kururu, princess of the Marl Kingdom, on her quest to find her true love while avoiding many evil schemes and obstacles. Unlike the first game, combat takes a more traditional turn-based style, leaving behind the tactical RPG system.

The collection does not include the first game of the series, but players can already find it on Steam or as part of the NIS Classics Volume 3: La Pucelle: Ragnarok / Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure on Switch.

Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles will be available for the PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Windows PC via Steam in North America on August 19, 2023, Europe on September 1, 2023, and Australia on September 8, 2023. Rhapsody II and Rhapsody III will be sold separately on PC. A limited edition for the Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles collection was previously announced as well.

The post Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles Release Date Set appeared first on Siliconera.