KAYAC Inc.[J] has released a smartphone transportation game application called "Go Go Cargo" for North America, and it's a free download at App Store and also Android Market.
"GO GO CARGO" is a simulation game in which the player serves as an operator of an express company and delivers the requested load by designing a transportation route across the tracks. As each designed delivery route carries a load more efficiently, the delivery area is expanded, with the goal of becoming the "transportation king." They are going to add actual US' places in the map.
"Unity" is a game engine for developers.
A map and GUI (graphical user interface) that lets you use many scenes simultaneously and control multiple cameras. Particle physics bring the track to life, with train smoke and a lively town that looks real.
The fundamental way of playing of GO GO CARGO
1) Choose Quest, choose a load and its delivery route, and send a load to the destination.
2) If a load is successful, you earn experience and money. If a delivery route is designed well, you get bonuses such as better gas consumption.
3) The map of the delivery area can be reset for each new attempt.
4) Try to clear the entire delivery area.
GO GO CARGO features
Try to make the best designed track across all areas, such as price, speed, load size, and other aspects.
A maximum of 32 tracks can be owned.
If you have a friend, you can work toward common goals and use each other's maps.
Your friends can earn experience and reliance points, which can increase their rank to get additional bonuses and gifts.
You can also customize the different towns by bringing decorations to them on the train. You can plan your towns freely after each trip.
You can earn many titles, but only the best can become the Transportation King.
As we reported on 25th, Twitter Japan and Mixi had a press conference today at 14:00 November 30.
The two of Japan's top social networking services are jointly to develop new services, as well as advertising products. Mixi's current services will have Twitter-support, too.
One example already started is seen on Mixi Xmas, a Mixi app provided by Mixi itself only during Winter holiday season, has "also to tweet" function after suggesting users to send a message on Mixi Voice. The two networks will collaborate on other seasonal events. My guess (Mixi threw away its microblog Mixi Voice and replace it with Twitter) was incorrect.
As the press conference beginning at 14:00, before the market close, shows, the announcement turned out to have small impact.
It could have been disappointing announcement that not much real changes and integration seem to be happening, however, Mixi users' sentiment on Twitter seems that people are satisfied that Mixi did not bring in any big change.
Tokyo market also showed some expectation before announcement, drop by disappointment after that.
[Update 15:50] No official announcement are posted on their website, yet. On Mixi's corporate site, the announcement has been posted [J].
Public-interest Foundation East Japan Railroad Culture Foundation Railroad Museum [J] and the Tokyo University graduate school information technology graduate course are organizing the “Digital Railway Museum,” aligning with the specially planned “Time Travel Exhibit” on display at the railroad museum. They will use new exhibition techniques as a result of both parties’ collaborative research.
The main features of the exhibit are as such: When you point the portable display towards the exhibit railcars, the “Train memory peep window” allows you to see the appearance of railcars active these days superimposed over the exhibit railcars; make the pushcar of the train that appeared in the display case via LCD become transparent or make it run; observe from various angles with “Digital display case ~ Pushcar GO! ~;” “Take time seat” makes your self from several seconds in the past coexist with your current self as a 3D space that appears before your eyes when you sit down in the train seat; The “Navilog” guide system uses the application in the portable display and concerns the history zone’s exhibit railcars; “Digital memory notes” use digital technology to reproduce “Memory notes” placed in unmanned stations and so on. It is an exhibit tying together the present and the past using plenty of AR (Augmented Reality) technology. Also the same exhibition’s “Hayabusa Board” (falcon board) is digitally archived and appears on the internet. The Post-Visit HAYABUSA Board [J], where Hayabusa Board Messages written by the spectators themselves can be seen by other eyes and at home, is also open to the public.
The 10 web services joined and asked for their readers to vote are Biglobe, Goo, Ameba, Mobage, Nico Nico Douga, @Peps!&Chip!!, Gadget Tsuushin, JustGiving Japan, iza and Jinriki-kensaku Hatena.
He was known by its unconventional, funky tweets as an local government character, which usually make boring messages. However, when a person behind the Twitter account, someone in the PR company worked for the town started making political, WWII related tweets, it caused severe backlash and the town shut down the Twitter.
Sukasuka Osechi
"Sukasuka" is a Japanese onomatope which describes how things are spacious, spongy. It was the first buzzed news on Japanese web in 2011. Groupon Japan selling very poor traditional new year food set resulted in its US CEO's apology.
Popopopo-n
3/11, Eastern Japan Disasters with earthquakes, tsunami and nuclear power plant problems of course affected Japanese web a lot.
Most of companies wanted to stop its TV commercials for weeks after the quake in a mood of voluntary restraint of commercial activities, non-commercial organization's enlightening videos were aired endlessly. The one annoyed people the most is this,
A line in a Japanese magic girls anime means "Please contract with me and you will be a magic girl!" caught many anime watchers heart this year. The line told by a small animal whose name is QB comes from magic world were used a lot on the web by changing "magic girl" with many other words.
National team of women soccer winning the FIFA World Cup 2011 was the first World Cup win by Japan national team, was of course told a lot on the web.
"Nadeshiko Japan" is an official nickname of the team. Nadeshiko is a Japanese name of a flower pink, which is often described ideal Japanese women in Japanese. (Twitter trouble with one of players only few days after the World Cup)
Buhiru
"Buhiru" is a newly coined Japanese verb which came from pig's calling sound "Buhi Buhi" so "buhiru" means "to sound like a pig". This is used when anime freaks describe themselves loving anime characters in self-deprecatory way. Japanese image for pig is dirty and greedy so it implies that they are accepting well-calculated kawaii character design even though they are aware of being looked down on by creators.
Yashima Sakusen
Yashima Sakusen (Operation Yashima) is an web movement occurred after the big earthquake, which appealed people to save electricity under power shortage around east Japan. It came from an operation in a popular Japanese anime Evangelion.
Anaroguma
Anaroguma(Analog + Kuma=bear) is an web-born anti-official character against Chidejika, which proceeded to replace new digital TV broadcast system.
#edano_nero
Another meme from the earthquake. Yukio Edano, Japanese cabinet's chief secretary at the disaster time, as a government spokesman, was worried by netizens by his too long appearance on official reporting programs. "nero" means imperative form of "to sleep" so Edano Nero means "Sleep Edano".
Japanese train announcements sometimes have strange accent which you never heard in your regular conversation. Some people say that it is intentionally invented and spoken to transfer the information under special noisy situation like on train or in platform, though I do not believe it.
"Daashieriiesu" comes from "Doa ga Shimari masu"(doors are going to be closed) and that is said to be used in Keikyu Railway company which connects Tokyo and Yokohama/Yokosuka. The strangeness was buzzed on the web.
Maru Maru Mori Mori
"Marumo no Okite"(The rule of Marumo) is one of the most popular TV drama in 2011. This "Maru Maru Mori Mori" is a name of its main theme song and a hook-line chant. Two kids singing and dancing with the song became a smash hit, ranked the highest sales as singer who born in 21 century.
Iine!
"Iine!" is a Japanese translated version of Facebook "Like!"
