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.

Download：
Android https://market.android.com/details?id=com.kayac.gogocargo
iPhone http://itunes.apple.com/app/id469051412?mt=8

Tags: Android, iOS, Japan, USA by Maki Omori
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“AmebaPico,” the overseas 2D virtual space managed by CyberAgent, has acquired 4 million users.  This was brought to light from their English version Twitter account.

“Ameba Pico” is this company’s overseas English version of their Japanese virtual space Ameba Pigg [J], offered as a Facebook application.  Like ameba Pigg, you create your own avatar, customize your clothing and make your room, and users enjoy communication with others.  However the space adjoining with foreign users and the item design as well as the system has been arranged.  This service opened in March of 2010 and since then has done well picking up users.

Translation authorized by VSMedia

Tags: News, Social game, USA by Chiho Komoriya
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NTT, or rather NTT West subsidiary NTT Solmare, is planning to sell 100 e-comics from China in its home market of Japan, Asia and the US. NTT Solmare partnered up with Zhejiang Publishing United Group and will initially offer two e-comics each in Japan and the US by the end of this year.

In 2012, the plan is to expand the business to Malaysia and Singapore. According to Japanese business daily The Nikkei, most of the comics will be sports or comedy titles. Zhejiang Publishing will be responsible for handling rights and translation into Japanese and English.

All titles will be delivered to smartphones and tablets only. NTT Solmare plans to ink deals with other Chinese publishers in the future and aims at expanding its international business volume from the current US$1.3 million to US$13 million.

NTT Solmare is currently offering mobile content (manga, e-books, games) in a total of 31 countries.

Tags: China, Japan, News, USA by Serkan Toto
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Geekwire has been reporting (1, 2) US Amazon's locker experiment in Seven-Eleven in Seattle, USA. With the locker, US Amazon customers will be able to receive their items not at home but at store.

I noticed that this news may be big as many other popular English blogs referred it. For me it is interesting because that option is totally common in Japan.

Amazon Japan has been doing it since July 2008 at Lawson, which has 8,600 stores nationwide.

Only Lawson supports this service among 6-7 major convenience store chains, however, as Japan is slightly smaller than California, and if you see the number of California Starbucks is about 2,000, Lawson exists 4 times more than Starbucks in California. It is pretty dense. I would say you can expect Lawson on your commute path.

English blog NHK wrote this Amazon Japan's service before.

Some major Japanese online bookstores offer the service that you can pick up the ordered books at convenience store. If you have an Internet connection in Japan, this way is better.
There are a lot of convenience stores in any cities in Japan and it is very easy to find some stores near any hotel or destination. Almost stores are open for 24 hours and 365days. They provide not only foods and drinks but also various kinds of services.

There are other "receiving at store" delivery offered by following major online shopping services.

Yamato Transport - 7-11, Family Mart, Three F

Rakuten Books - Circle K, Sankusu, Family Mart, Mini Stop

Seven and Y 7-11 (they are in the same company group)

BK1 online bookstore - Newdays (in Japan Railway stations)

Yahoo! Shopping - depends on shop tenants

Tower Records Online - Family Mart, Sankusu, Circle K, Mini Stop
(Tower Records Japan has no capital connection with US Tower Records now)

Dinos - Family Mart, Lawson, Mini Stop, 3F, Circle K, Sankusu

Docomo Online Shop (cellphone) - Circle K, Sankusu, Family Mart

One big difference from Seattle's experiment I notice is that there are no lockers in Japanese store, the delivered parcels are just kept under shop clerks, most of who are part timer and often foreigners in urban area.

Tags: Japan, USA by Akky Akimoto
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The so-called Mashup Awards have a relatively long history in Japan's web world, with the 7th event scheduled to be held in Japan next month (here's Asiajin's report on the last event from December 2010).

It has been organized in Japan every year so far, but now the Mashup Awards 7 (MA7) event is coming to Silicon Valley, too: on October 19, there will be some sort of sub-event in Palo Alto called "MA7 Ninja Challenge".

The organizers explain:

At the event, up to 10 startups interested in the Japanese market will be presenting in front of industry experts in the market to get professional advice.

At this event, developers in the US (including CTOs in startup companies or engineers who are interested in the Japanese market/ Asian market) will give a presentation (pitch) about their products, services or technologies they have developed.

In contrast, for the companies which participate in MA7, the experts who are familiar to the Japanese/Asian markets will participate in this event. Expert advisors will give advice through Q&A of each participant and discuss about how to expand as well as support the product's growth into the Japanese market . Also, this event becomes a great place to meet developers and partners in Japan.

What's cool is that the winner of the contest in Palo Alto gets the chance to move to the 2nd Round of the so-called "Mashup Battle" and win MA7 as a whole, too.

The call for presentations ends on October 12. All US-based startups/individuals interested in entering the Ninja Challenge can apply here (in English).

Details of the MA7 Ninja Challenge event:

When: 6:00pm, Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Where: DOCOMO Innovations, Inc.
Map: 3240 Hillview Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94304
Tickets: http://ninjachallenge1.eventbrite.com (the event is free)

More information about MA7 in English can be found here and here.

Tags: Announcement, Japan, USA by Serkan Toto
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