Sanctuary of Small Things Announced for PC, Playtest Live on itch.io
The announcement introduces a cozy co-op monster game where collection is based on healing rather than combat, with a playtest already available.
Automaton
Santo Nomu Marks 8 Years, Shifts From Official VTuber to Official Character
Santo Nomu's transition from official VTuber to official character signals a strategic evolution for one of the few remaining corporate VTubers from the 2018 era, aiming for wider recognition beyond the VTuber scene.
KAI-YOU
Apple in Talks to Pay News Outlets for Siri News Access
The variable compensation model, paying per use rather than a fixed fee, would be an unusual departure from typical AI-news contracts and could set a precedent for how AI assistants license news content.
ASCII.jp
Puppet Sunsun and FREAK'S STORE Collab Goods Launch August 21
The collaboration extends Puppet Sunsun's merchandise reach into lifestyle and sauna categories, a market the character has not previously entered according to the sources.
Denfaminicogamer, Inside
Harrison Ford and Robert Downey Jr. Honor Bob Iger at D23 Disney Legends Ceremony
The ceremony brought together the actors who anchored Disney's biggest franchises to publicly credit Iger's leadership style, with Downey Jr. and Ford framing his legacy around bold risk-taking and protecting creators.
Cinema Today
Deadline VTuber Rogue-Lite Limit Livers One Week Before Deadline Announced
The store page reveal confirms the solo-developed title's full scope, including its three VTuber leads and five challenges, as it moves toward a Steam release.
Automaton
Nintendo Switch 2 microSD Express Cards Rise 2,000 Yen at Nintendo Store
The quiet price hike, without any official announcement, marks the second Nintendo hardware or accessory price increase this year, and it hits a product that is the only storage expansion option for Switch 2 owners, making it a forced cost for users.
GAME Watch, Automaton, Denfaminicogamer, and 1 more
Japanese Animation TV Rankings for August 3-9
The weekly ranking shows the continued dominance of long-running series and a Studio Ghibli film broadcast drawing the week's top audience in the Kanto region.
Anime News Network
Tomb Raider King Episode 6 Review: Anubis and Osiris Raise the Stakes
The introduction of Anubis and Osiris adds mythological depth and new challenges that could shift the series' direction, as Jooheon's actions irrevocably alter the timeline.
Anime News Network
Restaurant AI Promo Images Draw 'Disgusting' Backlash on Social Media
The backlash highlights that the problem with AI-generated promotional materials is less the technology itself and more how restaurants deploy it, with model choice and usage shaping public reception.
ASCII.jp
Apex Legends Tops Steam Sales Ranking, Kingdom Hearts ReMIX Climbs to 3rd
The Kingdom Hearts collection's climb to third shows a sale plus a release-window announcement can push a legacy title up the Steam chart.
ASCII.jp
Gatebox3 Crowdfunding Brings a Digital Companion Home
Gatebox3's shift to an external monitor and user-prepared models marks a practical evolution of the virtual companion concept, making it more flexible and customizable for users.
ASCII.jp
Vertical Drama 'D-day' Prequel to 'Tagusari Brothers' Starts Streaming on POPCORN
The release extends the 'Tagusari Brothers' universe into vertical short drama format, with a prequel that reuses the franchise's crime-suspense premise and a cast that overlaps with the main drama.
ASCII.jp
Soul's Remnant, a 10-Year Solo-Built MMO, Surges on Steam
The success of Soul's Remnant, built almost entirely by one developer over a decade, shows that a small-scale MMORPG can still find an audience on Steam when it prioritizes build freedom and avoids pay-to-win mechanics.
Automaton
Dokimon: The Living Soil Announced as Post-Retirement Farming Spin-Off
The spin-off expands the Doki Monsters universe into a slower, farm-life direction while keeping the monster-raising core, and it follows the studio's recent sequel announcement and free Steam giveaway.
Automaton
Pill & Chill Brings Physics-Based Pill Sorting to Steam in Q4
Pill & Chill follows the recent trend of detailed sorting games, and its release before the developer's other announced title, Pharmacy Simulator, suggests the studio is capitalizing on that boom.
Automaton
Blue Archive Arius Squad Gets SuperGroupies Body Bags and Long Wallets
The collaboration extends the Arius Branch School lineup beyond the four main squad members to include Subaru, whose design draws from her appearance in Vol. 6 of the game's story.
Denfaminicogamer
Consumer Agency Flags Fire Risk in Anker Soundcore 3 Speakers
The fire report comes after Anker Japan began a recall in October 2025 for four products, including the Soundcore 3, over possible foreign material contamination in cells from a supplier's manufacturing process.
Denfaminicogamer
REXEV and Remixpoint Form Business Partnership on Storage Battery Aggregation
The partnership combines Remixpoint's customer base and sales capability with REXEV's energy management technology and market operation know-how, aiming to create a stock-type business model with continuous revenue from remote control and market operation.
ASCII.jp
Hayden Panettiere, Known for HEROES Role, Dies at 36
Panettiere's death removes a figure who carried a defining role in HEROES, a drama that was also a major hit in Japan, and who had publicly documented her struggles with addiction and postpartum depression.
Cinema Today
Free Steam Game No Results Found Launches to Very Positive Reviews
The game's strong early reception suggests that its unguided investigation mechanics, where clues are not highlighted, are resonating with players.
Denfaminicogamer
Chainsmoker Cat Episode 7 Balances Gross-Out Gags With Genuine Sadness
The review argues episode 7 is the series' strongest because it finally uses nearly every supporting cast member while maintaining the show's signature gross-out tone.
Anime News Network
Dokimon Quest: II Announced for PC, Set in Edo-Period Zeros Region
The sequel rebuilds the battle balance from scratch and adds a partner system, while the studio's MonTamer Maker engine gets UI improvements for faster battles.
Automaton
VTuber Kiki Sasasaki to Host Drawing Chat Event for Students
The event is planned and run by middle school students aiming to become VTubers themselves, making it a child-led project rather than a standard corporate promotion.
ASCII.jp, PANORA