PLEASE READ: The NEW SHOP is separate and distinct from the OLD SHOP. If you place an order on the OLD SHOP, you will not be able to use the NEW SHOP to check on your order and vice versa. Unfortunately, we were not able to resolve the two shop databases in order to transfer customer histories and accounts. Both shops are fully operational and capable of taking orders.
 
 

PS3 An auspicious launch JPN

PS3 Box as big as a human JPN

PS3 Kutaragi pushing weight JPN

PS3 HD Visual Sampler JPN

PS3 Evening Lines JPN

PS3 Daytime Lines JPN

PS3 Harried workers moving gear

PS3 Network Online goes live

PS3 Tower Aspect Mode JPN
 

Images courtesy of Watch Impress
 PS3 Japan Launch, Some Preorders Shipping Today, Rest Tomorrow
Playstation 3 - Big in Japan Part II
 Monday Update: 11:58AM EST
   On Saturday, anxious Japanese citizens braved the November chill and the throngs of fellow citizens as queues formed in front of shops such as Bic Camera, Seibu, Gamers, and Softmap. A few of our customers in Japan wrote to NCS over the weekend to report their success (or lack thereof) in obtaining a PS3 console. Prospective customers who waited in front of well known stores with very long queues were largely turned away while wily buyers who waited in front of lesser known shops with smaller crowds were able to buy the PS3. Some stores implemented a lottery system with lucky winners allowed the chance to pay up for a PS3. Repeat: allowed.

Lines in Japan
Akiba
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gkS3lRXtRA
 Kawasaki
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBEXkKqudZk
 Shinjuku
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wsmtfg9uWtY
Osaka
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a2ruHzlSFM

Press Coverage in Yurakucho
http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/game/docs/20061111/bic.htm
http://ascii24.com/news/i/topi/article/2006/11/11/665779-000.html
 http://akiba.ascii24.com/akiba/news/2006/11/11/665780-000.html

NCS Receives Partial Shipment
   The first batch of confirmed PS3 preorders will ship out today but the remainder will ship tomorrow when the bulk of our stock arrives. As long as you confirmed or placed your preorder with us before Sunday at 11:33AM EST, your order will ship tomorrow. If your order is shipping today, you will receive an email before 1:00PM EST with tracking details. NCS is currently accepting new orders for both 20GB and 60GB models to ship on Thursday or Friday of this week. (Note: our new shop processes transactions automatically and you will be billed at checkout):
 Order a Japanese 20GB Playstation 3 at US$879 + shipping
Order a Japanese 60GB Playstation 3 at US$989 + shipping

 Super Shiny Shiny˛
    Sony's stock photos of the PS3 don't convey how shiny the console is when it catches the light. Remember Padmé's glittering golden starship in Star Wars Episode 2? It's like that. Position the PS3 on a well lit table and be blinded by the bling. We're waiting for Flavor Flav to tie a chain around the PS3 and hang it from his neck while wearing a Viking helmet because that's what time it is. The membrane buttons on the console are also slick.
Region-Free Confirmation
   NCS was able to test the USA versions of Marvel Ultimate Alliance and Tony Hawk's Project 8 on the Japanese PS3 and we confirm that both games boot and play perfectly. Kudos to Sony for doing away with region locks. With only five Japanese PS3 games available at launch, the availability of incoming USA PS3 games in the next few days will be a welcome addition to the fledgling software library. Please note however that PS1 and PS2 games are region-coded - USA PS1 and USA PS2 games are not recognized by a Japanese PS3 and will not boot.

 PS3 Supply Situation
    Sony plans on shipping 100,000 PS3 consoles in Japan every week after the launch. That should reassure buyers of ready availability for Japanese PS3 consoles up until the big holiday. NCS will update our website if there are any price changes in the next couple of weeks.

 No Exploding PS3s Reported
   Of the 58 Japanese customers who wrote in to NCS over the weekend, none reported glitches or errors with their new consoles. This is in stark contrast to the PS2 launch where we started receiving emails and reports of problems within hours of the launch in Japan. Many also remarked on the polished interface and the smooth sliding disc ejection. A cursory check with a few of our suppliers in Japan who sold a few hundred units locally was also satisfactory - no defects or returns yet.

Firmware Update
    NCS customers: Please update your Japanese PS3 firmware with v1.10 upon receiving the console. The download is linked below and is a little under 100MB: http://djp01.ps3.update.playstation....b/PS3UPDAT.PUP

 Playstation Network Online
   The PS3 network lit up and went live over the weekend and gamers may chat with fellow Playstation devotees, check out rankings for games, view demos, and download Playstation games. That's right, a total of ten PS1 games are available for download at JPY2000 each. The titles "in stock" at the moment are:

» Arc the Lad
» Biohazard: Director's Cut Edition
» Bishi Bashi Special
» Jumping Flash!
» Konami Antiques MSX Collection Vol. 1
» Konami Antiques MSX Collection Vol. 2
» Hot Shots Golf 2
» Mr. Driller
» Silent Bomber (in our opinion, the best game of the lot)
» Tekken 2

Closing Comments
    The launch line-up of Japanese PS3 software was meager but that proved to be no deterrent to buyers. The Playstation brand continues to be a strong selling point for Japanese consumers and we suspect USA consumers as well when the console launches here later in the week. That loyalty may assure Sony of a third term as the reigning industry juggernaut as a new generation transitions into place. Every new hardware launch carries a mix of excitement, trepidation, and fears of shortages. We've witnessed them all since the days of the Super Famicom and watched a few botched launches. That said, the PS3 debut has been one of the smoothest in our experience despite the onerous price hikes from suppliers. We've had fast deliveries and only a smidgeon of hemming and hawing from overseas distributors concerning inventory allotments. We're looking forward to a similarly smooth Wii launch in Japan on December 2.

Links of Interest
 Watch Impress dissected a PS3 console (note the PS2 chip onboard)
http://pc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/2006/1111/ps3.htm

Watch Impress swapped a HDD, You can too (Must be ATA 2.5" form factor)
http://pc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/2006/1111/ps3.htm

NNN News Report on the PS3 (May be traumatic for some viewers)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cjx6MlWZ2LE

Early adopters may peruse the USA PS3 manual in English
http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/current/index.html
 
 

NDS 200 Mannin no KanKen JPN
 NDS 200 Mannin no KanKen: Tokoton Kanji Nou - New, In Stock
«©NCSX» Read a Japanese passage and use your Japanese kana to Chinese character (kanji) translation skills to decipher portions of the text that are highlighted with a red line. Similar to the aspect change in Nintendo's Brain Trainer, players rotate the Nintendo DS 90˚ counterclockwise and hold the handheld like a book. Handwritten answers are scribbled on the touch screen and automatically entered once the writing stops. The character recognition is good and even if your chicken scratches aren't perfect, a selection of relevant and related characters will appear so that you can tap on the one you meant to write. The Mannin no Kanken software offers 7000 questions for Japanese kanji learners to hone their abilities.
 
 

PS2 Mai-Kinoto HIME JPN
 PS2 My Otome HIME aka Mai-Kinoto HIME- New, In Stock
«©NCSX» Travel to the Windbloom Kingdom and join the cast of My Otome in fast-paced 3D battles that take place in mid-air ala Psychic Force. However, My Otome HIME is not a true fighting game in the classic sense of the genre. When NCS thinks of fighting, we imagine a free-flowing game where punches, kicks, and guards flow in direct control from the player. Not so in My Otome where the movements of the fighters are stuttered and not free flowing although the attacks spool out in fluid succession.
   For example, when poised on a battle field, the girls only have a set number of positions where they may move on screen. In a close combat situation where two opponents are face to face, there are exactly five cardinal positions to move the fighter - high, level, low, and towards the left or right to evade and strategize. Level refers to being face to face with the opponent. There is no true freedom of movement but the stutter-step action seems to work if you're the kind of fighting game fan who enjoys fast, chaotic, and constrained action. Although the fighters have limited range of movement, they can ignite attacks and special blows in quick motion and pound out HP draining combos. «NCS Game Notes»
 
 

PS2 Mai-Kinoto HIME LE JPN
 PS2 My Otome HIME LE aka Mai-Kinoto HIME - New, In Stock
«©NCSX» The limited edition of My Otome HIME LE includes the following items in addition to the game:

» B2 Size folding poster which features Arika Yumemiya, Natsuki Kruger, Mai Tokiha, and Nina Wang side by side in compartmentalized spaces.

» 24-page art booklet which contains new illustrations of the My Otome cast, handwritten notes and comments from the voice actresses who breathe life into the HIME gals, and commentary from the creative staff.

» Mikoto cell phone strap figure which has a little gold ring attached to its left ear for hanging purposes. In the anime series, Mikoto is a dark-furred feline with a ninja-star shape on its forehead and a golden bell around its neck. These details make it to the figure intact.

   The items are packaged in a limited edition box which sports variant cover artwork. All preorders will ship today and new orders are welcome.
 
 

PS2 Sakigake!! Otokojuku JPN
 PS2 SP2000 Ultimate Vol. 34: Sakigake!! Otokojuku - In Stock
«©NCSX» Musclebound bruisers from different walks of life battle and belittle each other in a surprisingly good 2D fighting game from D3P.

NCS Game Notes
» Fighters are cel-shaded and colored with bright colors for a distinctive look. The fighting is presented on a 2D plane and hearkens back to old school fighting games where the camera pulls in when the combatants are close and out when they're far apart. Backgrounds are well done including one where a troupe of yankii-styled gangsters are apparently punching the air and another where seated monks sit forlornly in the background.

» There are 8 playable characters in the beginning but another 13 fighters may be unlocked as they're encountered and beaten during the course of the game. The fighting mode is like KOF where one chooses three fighters and then battles against another trio. The order of each fighter on your team is chosen by pressing the button that corresponds to whom you want to fight first and second. Third place is then filled automatically. «G-Notes»
 
 

PS3 Gundam: Target in Sight JPN
 PS3 Gundam: Target in Sight - New Import
From the publisher
   Nine months have passed since Zeon forces invaded the Earth. At the brink of annihilation, the Earth Federation Forces are mobilizing to launch a massive counter assault against the occupying forces. Now, it is time to choose your side! Join the Federation Army to repel the invaders from the Earth or pledge your alliance to Zeon and claim the Earth to free humanity from the Earth's gravity!

   Powered by the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system, Mobile Suit Gundam: Target in Sight throws you into the midst of futuristic war zones brought to life in ultra realistic graphics. The call for arms has been made! Form your own mobile assault force, strategize their next moves and battle with them side by side while you command them to triumph.
 
 

PS3 Resistance JPN
 PS3 Resistance: Jinrui Botsuraku no Hi - New Import
From the publisher
   Resistance: Fall of Man is a first-person shooter from Insomniac.

   In Resistance: Fall of Man, the U.S. and Britain band together in a last-ditch effort to save Europe and Asia from a horrific scourge. In mere decades, the Chimera a species of unknown origin propagating a virus that converts other life forms into more Chimera has overrun Russia and all of Europe. Humanity's hope for survival is slim, and the tide of the battle rests on the shoulders of U.S. Army Ranger, Sgt. Nathan Hale.

Game Features
   Resistance: Fall of Man draws players into a deep, frightening story that rewrites the 20th century and pits the United States and Britain against a horrific species of unknown origin.
 
 

PS3 Ridge Racer 7 JPN
 PS3 Ridge Racer 7- New Import
From the publisher
   Choose from 40 different machines, over 22 courses (with reversed courses, the total grows to 44), and a new customization mode with 375,000 exterior customizations and 7,150 tuning customizations, allowing the player to make each machine their own. Through Sony's new online network service, players will have the opportunity to take their customizable rides and race against others from around the world, taking Ridge Racer 7 to a whole new global level of racing action!

Game Features
   Drift racing at its best: Ridge Racer 7 includes a total of 40 machines and 22 exhilarating courses filled with nitrous filled straight-aways and hairpin turns. With reversed courses, the total grows to 44, the most in the series ever!
 
 

NDS Akumajou Dracula: GOL JPN

PS2 Naturo Konoha Spirits JPN
 NEWS Import Outlook - Arrivals on Wed-Thurs
   PS2 Naruto Konoha Spirits leads preorders for the week followed by the new Akumajou Dracula on NDS.
NDS Akumajou Dracula: Gallery of Labyrinth Konami
  Magic Perfection Nintendo
  Puzzle Series Vol. 5: Slither Link Konami
  Puzzle Series Vol. 6: Illust Logic Konami
  Puzzle Series Vol. 7: Crossword 2 Konami
PS2 3D Mahjong + Janpai Tori Magnolia
  Naruto Konoha Spirits Tomy
  Negima 3-Jikanme Live Version Konami
  Negima 3-Jikanme Play Version Konami
  Sengoku Musou 2 Empires Koei
  Sengoku Musou 2 Empires Treasure Box Koei
PSP Akudaikan Manyuuki Global A
  Plus Plumb 2 Again Takuyo
  Sudoku Konami
  Vulcanus Capcom
 
 

GBA Super Robot Taisen 2 USA

GC Happy Feet USA

NDS Final Fantasy III USA

NDS Yoshi's Island DS USA

PS2 Naruto Chronicles USA

PSP Gitaroo Man Lives USA

PS3 Genji Days of the Blade JPN

PS3 Ridge Racer 7 JPN

Wii Rampage Total Destruction

X360 History Channel: Civil War