Q Attack, Round 16 - Are Vocaloids the Future of Otaku Culture?

Tiger and Rabbit are fans of Vocaloids, purchasing everything from music to games and even anime, but how far does their love go? What exactly is a “Vocaloid” and are they the future of Otaku culture? Tiger and Rabbit answer these questions and so many more in the latest installment of Q Attack.

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Rabbit: You know, we’ve seen and done a lot of different things.

Tiger: Like what?

Rabbit: We’ve gone to anime and game conventions, been to a few Las Vegas shows, attended various concerts from classical to J-Pop, watched a live D&D game at a performing arts theater, and many other things.

Tiger: Yeah, it’s been a fun ride but why bring all this up?

Rabbit: There’s one thing that I still would love to see live and in person.

Tiger: And what’s that?

Rabbit: See a Vocaloid!

Tiger: But we’ve seen a Vocaloid, even messed with it a bit.

Rabbit: How rude!

Tiger: Wait, what?

Rabbit: Why would you mess with one? That’s just mean.

Tiger: *shakes head* I’m confused, are we even talking about the same thing here?

Rabbit: I’m talking about seeing a Vocaloid live in concert, what are you talking about?

Tiger: I was talking about the voice synthesizer program.

Rabbit: I guess we should clarify what a “Vocaloid” really is.

Tiger: At its core, a Vocaloid is a software program that allows the manipulation of a synthetic singing voice that was created with the use of vocals from a real singer or voice actor. It’s basically a singer in a box for people who want to create their own music even if they can’t sing themselves. Using this software, a person can input melody and lyrics, change stress of pronunciations, add effects like vibrato, and change the tone of the synthetic voice.

Rabbit: But everything changed when they started using human personae to market the programs. Thus, characters like Hatsune Miku were born! Now they are full blown brands with music, manga, merchandise, and even pizza faces. My favorite has to be Megurine Luka, she’s so pretty.

Tiger: Just to clarify, you know it’s not a real person right?

Rabbit: She’s real enough, I mean I listen to her songs and I’ve seen her concert performances.

Tiger: But those songs were written by a lot of different artists who just happen to use its voice for vocals.

Rabbit: Her voice.

Tiger: It’s not a real person!

Rabbit: She’s right there on the TV screen singing World’s End Dancehall, in English no less!

Tiger: Which was completely created by wowaka!

Rabbit: ^starts to cry^ You’re so cruel! This is just like that time when Tink was dying and you wouldn’t clap.

Tiger: Because Tink is a light they shine on the wall.

Rabbit: ^bawling^ She almost died because of you!

Tiger: Alright, alright… I’ll clap next time we see Tink. Are you happy now?

Rabbit: And take back what you said about Luka.

Tiger: Fine, she is a real… thing. Can we continue?

Rabbit: I don’t think you are being sincere but fine, go ahead.

Tiger: Vocaloids have become much more than a singing synthesizer computer program. I just purchased the graphic novel, Kagerou Daze, which is written by Shizen no Teki-P AKA Jin. The story is about the Mekakushi Dan, a group of teenagers with eye-related powers. It started out as a Vocaloid series of music videos, called Kagerou Project, on Niconico but now encompasses light novels, manga, and anime. The anime Mekakucity Actors is pretty awesome too, we saw it Sakura-Con 2015.

Rabbit: ^rubs forehead^ That's really confusing.

Tiger: Kind of like the band EGOIST.

Rabbit: Oh right. EGOIST is made up of Ryo from Supercell and Chelly. They created the band for the anime, Guilty Crown. Chelly provides the vocals under the persona of Yuzuriha Inori, the heroine of the show, because EGOIST is also the band in the anime.

Tiger: You know, I miss the days were you could assume that a singer was a real live person and that the band you were listening to wasn’t fictional.

Rabbit: Kind of confusing, yeah?

Tiger: No kidding. Anyway, we are getting off track again. So Vocaloids like oldie Hatsune Miku and popular IA have really cemented their place in geek culture.

Rabbit: It’s true that the Vocaloid character novels have exploded in Japan, forming its own genre separate from light novels.

Tiger: I’d argue that Kagerou Project is the flag of the current Otaku generation in Japan.

Rabbit: Makes us sound old when you think we’re of the Gundam generation of Otaku. That’s Gen Two for those who aren’t familiar with the Otaku Generations.

Tiger: Hey, we like some Gen Four stuff too… sort of.

Rabbit: You hated The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.

Tiger: I just didn’t get it. I really didn’t. This is why I don’t like calling myself an Otaku. I’m a gamer; I think that’s pretty apparent to most people. I can talk about them a lot. Anime and other Otaku related topics I have a harder time with. There are just so freaking many of them. And then there’s the themes like moe or harem. And the tropes! There are just too many things to wrap my mind around. Video games are so much easier to keep track of.

Rabbit: So true. Plus, the delay of anime and manga getting to the U.S. doesn’t help either. We hear people talking about popular shows only to find out that they’re streaming them and it will take months if not a year or so to get an official version here. I know how you are with your physical media.

Tiger: Yeah, I don’t stream anime at all, when would I have the time? So I’m definitely behind the eight ball on what’s popular and trendy. Though, I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. So… uh… what was the question for this Q Attack?

Rabbit: Huh?

Tiger: It was your turn to pose the question.

Rabbit: ^scratches head^ I… uh… forgot?

Tiger: *Chases Rabbit around the room* How could you?! You little rascal, get back here so I can bop you on the head!

Rabbit: Threats of violence aren’t very encouraging!

Tiger: Okay, okay, we can salvage this somehow so we don’t waste anymore time. Sit down and let’s finish this.

Rabbit: ^cowering in a corner^ I don’t believe you.

Tiger: I promise I won’t do anything to you… for now.

Rabbit: Fine, so what’s the question oh wise and sadistic kitty?

Tiger: *rolls eyes* Do you think Vocaloids are the future of Otaku culture?

Rabbit: Oh, nice save there. Hmm, let me think about this for a minute.

Tiger: Well, I don’t think they are or maybe I hope they aren’t. Trying to keep up with all of the different Vocaloids out there is hard and confusing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan, I have my favorite bands and producers, but Vocaloids taking over Otakuland? I’m not so sure about that. They are popular and will remain so but I think the traditional anime, manga, and light novels will keep their popularity. Either way, it’s all about the quality of the work  and a great story with well-written characters will always drive popularity. Maybe I’m just being my usual stubborn self, but I miss the old days of going to a store and buying a CD or popping in a video game and playing it without ten thousand day one patches. Now, everything is connected to the internet, I stream my music from a cloud, and the bands I listen to are made up of virtual characters. My head can’t take anymore, so no, they aren’t the future. Because if they’re the future, then we’re obsolete. And as much as I love the sound of Vocaloid music, I’d take a real human like Chelly any day of the week.

Rabbit: I actually think they might be the future of Otaku culture. I can definitely see the appeal. You have these personae that not only can you interact with via video games but you can also read about their daily lives, listen to their music, and even see them perform live. Plus, you can even have them sing your own songs; that’s pretty powerful to me. There’s a strong enough illusion that they are real, but unlike real celebrities, you won’t see them screwing up their lives or doing something you dislike. Vocaloids feel very “Japanese” to me, in a lot of aspects even though they have ones for other countries. Just think of the monetary value they have too, like with Kagerou Project. Jin started with creating music with these personae but now they have a light novel series, manga, anime, and a metric ton of other merchandise that they’re involved in. Talk about brand power.

Tiger: You do realize that a tonne or metric ton as you call it, is actually smaller than a short ton, also known as a U.S. ton?

Rabbit: ^sticks out tongue^ Geez, it’s a figure of speech. But no, I didn’t know that and I have no need to know that information. Why do you even… you know what, never mind. Anywho, with Kagerou Project representing the current teenage Otaku Generation, you don’t have to wonder if Vocaloids will be sticking around for a while. I also saw an article stating that over half of the top 20 karaoke songs that teenagers sing are from Vocaloids. They’re prevalence in Japanese culture, especially for teenagers, shows that Vocaloids aren’t the future; they’re the present.

Tiger: Speaking of present, maybe you should take the time now to work on your memory. You’re starting to lose it; maybe I need to put you in a care home.

Rabbit: Hidoi yo!

Are Vocaloids the Future of Otaku Culture?
Tiger     vs     Rabbit

Random Happy Time, 22 O'Clock - Too Cool for School!

Rabbit and Tiger banter back and forth about what it means to be “cool.” Whether it’s geek chic or trendy gamer, being cool has taken on a whole new meaning in this era were the geeks were right.

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Tiger: You just had to get The Faint reference in there, didn’t you?

Rabbit: I love that song!

Tiger: *shakes head*

Rabbit: ^singing^ The geeks were right!

Tiger: So, I’ve started to notice how being a geek is somehow trendy now.

Rabbit: I know, it’s kind of weird.

Tiger: I’m not sure I’m a fan. I’m not saying every geek, fan, or Otaku is this way; but a lot of them seem a little uppity.

Rabbit: Yeah, that happens at the conventions we go to. Remember the one time where a guy was looking for the Valkyria Chronicles anime? He said it like “Val Korea” and some girl jumped down his throat for saying it wrong. Called him out for being a poser and corrected him.

Tiger: I get disliking posers, we’ve met our fair share of them too, but I don’t get why geeks and gamers need to prove their hardcoreness to others. I just don’t get it. I loved gaming when it wasn’t the trendy thing to do so it’s odd to see it in this light.

Rabbit: You’ve never been trendy.

Tiger: *sighs* So true. Even when I buy a really niche game or anime, I’m still not hip because it takes me years to get around to them and by that time, everyone knows about it.

Rabbit: I kinda blame the Big Bang Theory for making geek chic a thing.

Tiger: Oh please don’t bring up that show, I hate it. HATE IT.

Rabbit: Is that why you didn’t buy anything in fuego when we were in there?

Tiger: Yes, partly. A lot of their t-shirts are references from that TV show but I also felt like they were trying too hard. Maybe I’m just too old to play the cool hipster.

Rabbit: You still wear a lot of geeky shirts though.

Tiger: Most are video game themed and I try to get ones that are vague references so you really need to know what it’s about to understand it.

Rabbit: No the "cake is a lie” shirts?

Tiger: That one is getting old along with the "arrows to so many knees", but I do have a token cake shirt.

Rabbit: What’s your favorite “you gotta know to know” shirt?

Tiger: Hmm, tough one but I really like my shirt that has a bunch of sheep drunk at a bar.

Rabbit: Aw, that’s so cute and wrong. Is that a Catherine reference?

Tiger: Bingo. I also have a University of Eastern Colorado hoodie.

Rabbit: Wait; there is no University of Eastern Colorado.

Tiger: Exactly. Go Big Horns! What about you, anything that people might find uber chic?

Rabbit: I have a shirt that has a bunch of different colored glasses on it.

Tiger: You’re so cool, Senpai! Though really, sometimes I don’t get the need to be trendy or popular, especially for geeks. That seems very anti-geek to me.

Rabbit: The Doublclicks said it best, “I’ve got nothing to prove.” But I can understand how some get that mindset. Already, we’re in an “in crowd” with gamers. It’s pretty easy to separate hardcore from casual gamers, not that we need to draw lines in the sand. But you know the difference and it’s more fun to talk with hardcore fans about our passions.

Tiger: I still hold fast that we’re mediumcore gamers.

Rabbit: You’re like Poland.

Tiger: What?

Rabbit: New Zealand?

Tiger: You mean Switzerland, that I’m neutral?

Rabbit: Yeah, that’s it.

Tiger: *shakes head* I feel like a total n00b when we talk about Vocaloids though. Man, some of the people we have met live and die by their love of them. I’ve just branched out to GUMI and now she’s considered old! I can’t keep up.

Rabbit: Poor Tiger, do you need me to get your cane.

Tiger: Dagnabbit, I don’t get these young whippersnappers and their newfangled music.

Q Attack, Round 15 - Are You Hyped about E3 2015?

Tiger and Rabbit decide to tackle E3 2015 in this rapid fire version of Q Attack. Taking their personal highlights from the press conferences and games from the show floor, Tiger and Rabbit talk about which games they’re hyped for and which ones were duds.

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Tiger: Hey Rabbit! Guess what?

Rabbit: You hear bells chiming to announce that an unholy Union is nearby?

Tiger: Err, no, I don’t even…

Rabbit: ^chortles^

Tiger: *shakes head* It’s time for our E3 2015 coverage! This will be the first E3 we’ve talked about on TvR.

Rabbit: ^claps hands^ Ooh, this should be fun. Are we going to milk this for the next couple of months?

Tiger: Actually, I thought we’d do something different and answer the same question for the different games that were announced during this year's E3 in one gigantic edition of Q Attack.

Rabbit: Great idea, let’s do it! I want to pick the games though; I know there are a few that you’ll skip over.

Tiger: Fine, fire away.

Rabbit: One, two, seino!

Tiger: The first presser of E3 was the debut of Bethesda Softworks and they started with a lot of blood and guts.

Rabbit: The best way to do it. They finally showed off Doom, which was revealed behind closed doors at QuakeCon.  What did you think of this game?

Tiger: I was impressed; it looked gorgeous and ran smoothly. The environments looked great; I also loved the weapons and their effects.

Rabbit: The plasma rifle or whatever it's called was especially pretty.

Tiger: And those gorgeous melee kills. Wow.

Rabbit: Icky.

Tiger: What? You didn’t like the gore-fest?

Rabbit: Ultra uber violence isn’t my cup of Sunny D but I can see why people are interested in it.

Tiger: Well, even though I’m not a big Doom player, it’s definitely on my radar. Plus, I like that it looks fun to play in both single-player and multiplayer modes. With some shooters, the campaign can be quite tedious.

Rabbit: I think I’ll leave it up to you to find out for the both of us. I can say that it was one crazy way to kick off E3.

Are You Hyped for Doom?
Tiger     vs     Rabbit

Tiger: Admittedly, we had an arm wrestling contest, coin toss, and a staring contest just to pick who got to give this next game a thumbs up.

Rabbit: Technically, we both would like to but the paradox would obliterate the TvR universe!

Tiger: We’re talking about Fallout 4 people! Fallout 4! I’m a huge fan.

Rabbit: So am I.

Tiger: I think I’m the bigger fan.

Rabbit: You just like to blow stuff up with teddy bears and use VATs on people. I love Fallout for its story. Speaking of which, I think it’s awesome we will be able to see the pre-apocalypse world before going into Vault 111.

Tiger: Lots of cool things revealed about this game, almost too many to talk about. I’m really glad that all the useless junk you collect finally has a purpose in crafting. All those tin cans… *shudders* So many to pick up.

Rabbit: I want to build an awesome house to live in and one for Dogmeat!

Tiger: We should actually be able to find him this time, since he seems to be a big part of the game.

Rabbit: I want a cute ‘iddle puppy! He can't die either which is awesome, because if he did, I'd cry.

Tiger: I take it you’re hyped for this game?

Rabbit: I actually am pretty hyped up for Fallout 4. It’s been a long time coming and I really like the idea of the new additions. What about you?

Tiger: Since we can’t destroy our universe with a paradox, I will say that I’m not very hyped for this game. It’s not because I don’t want to play it but it’s because I already know what I’m going to get with it.

Rabbit: And what’s that?

Tiger: Pure awesomeness, so my expectations are already set. If anything, I could potentially be disappointed with it since I’ve set the bar so high for this game already.

Rabbit: ^shakes head^ Harsh man, harsh.

Tiger: I think the biggest part of this announcement was 11.10.15, don’t have to wait long.

Rabbit: I know what I’m doing with the rest of my year.

Tiger: Wait, we only have one PS4 and I called dibs.

Rabbit: Sonna hidoi!

Are You Hyped for Fallout 4?
Tiger     vs     Rabbit

Tiger: Switching publishers, up next is Mass Effect: Andromeda which just got a trailer, no actual gameplay footage.

Rabbit: ^hands clasped together^ It brought tears to my eyes.

Tiger: I just finished Mass Effect 3 recently and I have to say it was a pretty good game.

Rabbit: Pretty good? It’s an amazing game and the story of Commander Shepard and the crew of the Normandy is unparalleled.

Tiger: But Shepard is dead.

Rabbit: Way to spoil it for our readers! And technically the Commander could still be alive.

Tiger: Yeah, I got that ending and I thought it was stupid.

Rabbit: You think any ending that doesn’t end with everyone dying is stupid.

Tiger: Point taken. But c’mon, you really think you’ll be able to fall in love with a new lead character and a new cast of characters?

Rabbit: I’m actually hoping that no one from the original trilogy shows up because I want to fall in love with new people. It was hard seeing Leliana in Dragon Age: Inquisition without my character from Origins there. It was like “She’s my girl but she’s not my girl cause I’m a different dude” sort of feeling.

Tiger: *scratches head* I don’t know how to segue out from that… you hyped?

Rabbit: ^flashes big toothy grin^ Totally!

Are You Hyped for Mass Effect: Andromeda?
Tiger     vs     Rabbit

Tiger: Up next is a game that I had little interest in until it was shown off at E3.

Rabbit: Barbie and Her Sisters Puppy Rescue?

Tiger: You know something? Maybe I should do this on my own.

Rabbit: But then it wouldn’t be TvR, it would be TvT and that kind of looks like a pointy-nosed man crying and you don’t look like a pointy-nosed crying man.

Tiger: I’m just going to pretend that didn’t happen. So Star Wars! It’s kind of a big thing right now with the animated shows and the new movies. Now, we also have one of the best Star Wars video games coming back in glorious high-definition. Star Wars: Battlefront!

Rabbit: ^pew pew^

Tiger: It has Jedi versus Sith-

Rabbit: ^vrrrooom crash keeeesh^

Tiger: Vehicles like the classic AT-AT and my favorite, the Incom Corporation T-47 airspeeder, AKA the snowspeeder-

Rabbit: ^ka bash ka boom^

Tiger: *turns to Rabbit* What the heck are you doing?!

Rabbit: I’m adding dramatic sound effects like all Star Wars movie have.

Tiger: Just… just stop, please just stop.

Rabbit: I definitely thought this was one of the best looking games demoed at the show but I still don’t like that it's heavily focused on multiplayer. I was hoping there would be a little more to the single-player mode but it sounds bare-bones to me.

Tiger: It has epic Star Wars characters in epic Star Wars battles! Running stunningly on current gen systems and features amazing settings! It has freaking snowspeeders!

Rabbit: I guess that means you’re excited?

Tiger: I’m ecstatic!

Are You Hyped for Star Wars: Battlefront?
Tiger     vs     Rabbit

Rabbit: Here are four words I never thought I’d see together: NieR by Platinum Games.

Tiger: Oh man, yeah, wow.

Rabbit: I don’t see how your response is any different than me replying with sound effects.

Tiger: This, this is a dream come true. A dream I didn’t know I even dreamt ‘cause its awesomeness is unfathomable. Platinum Games, NieR, Okabe… so hyped.

Rabbit: I forgot you were a Drakengard fan.

Tiger: Yes, NieR is a spin-off series based off of Drag-On Dragoon’s fifth ending. I know the trailer didn’t show much but the art looked like… like… a dragon flying over the heavens spewing flaming gold coins onto the land.

Rabbit: That beautiful, huh?

Tiger: My eyes almost got moist. It’s not Vanquish 2 but it’s sure damn close.

Are You Hyped for NieR by Platinum Games?
Tiger     vs     Rabbit

Rabbit: It’s now time to practice our French accents and talk about a new IP from Ubisoft Entertainment. It’s a melee combat game that features samurai, knights, and Vikings called For Honor.

Tiger: This game kind of touched on a childhood fantasy of mine.

Rabbit: Having a group hug with a bunch of hairy men?

Tiger: Of course not! No, being a noble knight and chopping off my enemies’ heads.

Rabbit: ^sighs^ I should have known. The 4v4 demo was surprising to see at the presser but I wasn’t overly impressed with what I saw. The combat looked slow.

Tiger: I’m assuming it has a more advanced counter/parry combat system similar to what Assassin’s Creed was trying to do. I think that’s why it looked more like a true duel versus an all out hack ‘n’ whack fest. I think strategy is key when you go against another player which I can dig because it makes it more of a challenge.

Rabbit: I wouldn’t mind playing as a samurai but if all you’re doing is fighting 4v4 to storm someone’s castle, I think it would turn boring very quickly.

Tiger: We still haven’t seen enough to say what it’s completely about but I love Ubisoft Montreal so I’m really hopeful this could turn into a fun game.

Rabbit: I still just think you want a hug from a Viking.

Are You Hyped for For Honor?
Tiger     vs     Rabbit

Tiger: Finally, it’s time to talk about Tom Clancy’s The Division!

Rabbit: And Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege and Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands.

Tiger: Nani?

Rabbit: If I let you talk about all of these games separately, this long Q Attack will turn into an endless one. Plus, I know you’re going to have the same answer for all three games.

Tiger: Fine, but I am going to talk about each one at least a little bit, starting with The Division. Wow, we finally got to see the Dark Zone or what is the PvP area of the game. Running into other teams could mean an all out battle for supplies or newfound allies in your fight to survive.

Rabbit: I thought it was a really jerk move of Ryan to betray his team at the end of the demo.

Tiger: Seriously, if you ever do that to me in this game, I will disown you.

Rabbit: Stop bopping me on the head and you have a deal.

Tiger: *shaking fists* Now R6 is my baby. My baby! R6 is back, booyah! After Patriots died a horrible death, I was worried I’d never see my beloved franchise return but return it has and with a vengeance. I’m excited to rock out with some of the best operators in the world to hunt down terrorists in highly destructible locales.

Rabbit: Am I gonna get stuck holding the shield again?

Tiger: But you do so well being the bait.

Rabbit: The Ghosts game is what really surprised me.

Tiger: Yes, open world Ghosts? Give it all to me!

Rabbit: They didn’t seem as high tech this time around.

Tiger: No, but all you need is a gun and a lot of bullets if you're a Ghost. Hunting down a drug cartel in a sprawling world with vehicles will make up for the lack of gadgets. They may reveal more weaponry and tech too, at a later date.

Rabbit: I’m not sure how they’re going to differentiate this from The Division though. Think about it, I know the settings are different but both games feature operatives in open world environments.

Tiger: Ubi didn’t say if Wildlands is an MMO so it could just be a four player co-op game and/or single-player with AI. I’d assume they’d have drop in and drop out play, which would be rad.

Rabbit: Not too rad or you’d need a Pip-Boy.

Tiger: I already got mine preordered. Granted Wildlands is the one game we don’t know much about and I’m not expecting to see it anytime soon. All I can say is that Tom Clancy games are some of my favorites and I’m stoked to know that we’re getting three great titles!

Are You Hyped for Tom Clancy's The Division, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege, and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands?
Tiger     vs     Rabbit
x3x3

Rabbit: Next up is Sony’s press conference that brought back The Last Guardian from the dead!

Tiger: I never thought in a million years we’d actually see this game again.

Rabbit: ^points finger^ That’s what you get for not believing. I always knew that I’d see my ‘iddle big bird dog again!

Tiger: Little? Bird dog?

Rabbit: ^whispers^ Trico, my precious.

Tiger: *shakes head*

Rabbit: I’m so excited for this game, I loved ICO and Shadow of the Colossus, there’s nothing quite like the art style of those two games.

Tiger: The Last Guardian does retain the same vibe of the previous games. You can always spot an Ueda game, always, there’s nothing out there quite like it. I do wonder if it’s still on PS3 or if they’ve moved it to PS4.

Rabbit: Maybe they’ll do both like Persona 5. No matter, I will get it on every console it’s released on!

Tiger: I just wished they showed us a little more. I know the demo on the show floor was longer but I was hoping to see more of the environment than what we saw. It basically looked like the original video from ten thousand years ago.

Rabbit: True, but I’m sure we’ll start seeing more in due time.

Tiger: Think there will be any open world areas ala SotC or will it stick with ICO’s tight levels?

Rabbit: Since we saw a mixture of both games’ play styles, I’d guess the environments will be a mixture of both as well so I’m hoping to be able to fly my buddy around some wide reaching plains.

Tiger: You excited?

Rabbit: Am I? AM I? ^squeals^ I’ve been waiting since the dawn of time for this game, of course I am!

Tiger: I don’t think I’ve heard you scream like a giddy little basketball player over a game in years.

Are You Hyped for The Last Guardian?
Tiger     vs     Rabbit

Rabbit: ^shakes head^ Guerrilla games, you make games I don’t like and then when I’ve given up on you, you pull Horizon: Zero Dawn on me. Robot dinosaurs, a female protagonist who wields a bow, and loincloths… it’s like the perfect trifecta.

Tiger: *raises eyebrows*

Rabbit: Bare with me here. It’s an action RPG that has you hunting robot creatures for supplies with some pretty basic weapons. It’s not guns and jetpacks, it’s crossbows and strategy. This is such a huge departure from anything, anything we’ve seen this year.

Tiger: I will definitely give you that, not only did this game look amazing but it looks like nothing else at Sony’s press conference or even at the show.

Rabbit: With almost every game looking phenomenal at this show, design and setting help a game to stand out and Horizon does just that. I know it’s early, I know we didn’t see much, but I have a good feeling about this game.

Tiger: Even though you don’t like the dev?

Rabbit: I’ve always found Killzone games to be very pretty but very boring, and I'm not that shallow of a person to love a game on looks alone, like someone I know. ^points at Tiger^ Killzone lacked substance but I’m hoping that Horizon’s already deep narrative will be utilized to the fullest. I mean, they said that there are two apocalypses that happen before the game even starts! That’s one insane story so I hope they keep it rolling and make a game about a character I’ll get attached to and a world I can be invested in.

Are You Hyped for Horizon: Zero Dawn?
Tiger     vs     Rabbit

Tiger: So out of all the surprises, there was one that was heart stopping, literally.

Rabbit: Suzuki coming out on stage and announcing Shenmue III on Kickstarter. Wowza!

Tiger: I don’t think I’ve been that surprised at a Sony press conference since they announced the $600 price tag of the PS3.

Rabbit: That was not a good surprise. This, however, was a good surprise.

Tiger: I have to ask, how are you so excited for a game that you’ve never played its precursors before?

Rabbit: I’ve played Precursor before, on PS2.

Tiger: *pulls Rabbit’s ears* Listen to me! Not Jak and Daxter, I’m talking about Shenmue and its sequel.

Rabbit: Oh, I see, I see-

Tiger: *mutters* Said the blind rabbit.

Rabbit: Well, you only have to talk to other gamers that are… older than we are to know the importance of the Shenmue series. I know we’ve never been Sega gamers but even so, we both know the impact Suzuki Yu has had on the gaming industry.

Tiger: Virtua Fighter, FTW!

Rabbit: This is an opportunity for us to experience a piece of gaming history, something that most people thought was impossible. It already reached its funding goal in record time and the buzz around this game is incredible. I’m not going to miss the chance to play this game, even if I’ve never played the previous iterations.

Tiger: You kickstarted it, didn’t you.

Rabbit: ^grins^ Uh-huh.

Are You Hyped for Shenmue III?
Tiger     vs     Rabbit

Tiger: We’ve talked about a lot of games and cut a lot of games out of the mix. There’s just too much to cover and not enough blog space to fit them all!

Rabbit: There’s one game left to see who’s hyped for it and who’s not. The game that’s last on our list is Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End!

Tiger: *groans* Really? Do we have to talk about this game? It’s going to get so much coverage by the media. It’s Naughty Dog, there’s nothing to really discuss. This game will look amazing, play well, and will be a huge hit for the PlayStation 4.

Rabbit: But there’s a drivable jeep now! And destructible environments! And a skyhook!

Tiger: I think that’s from a different game.

Rabbit: You get my point. Nathan Drake is back but this time he’s older and wiser. The gameplay looks gritty, the levels are larger, and it has a story centered on brotherly love. Aww, how sweet.

Tiger: They didn’t look all that chummy to me.

Rabbit: This is the final hurrah for Team Drake and it looks like they’ll be going out with an Uncharted-esque bang!

Tiger: I get that you’re excited now but I know you're going to cry after you beat the game. This is the end of Drake after all.

Rabbit: ^sniffles^ I love those guys so much, it’s gonna be hard to say goodbye.

Are You Hyped for Uncharted 4: A Thief's End?
Tiger     vs     Rabbit

Tiger: That wraps up our thoughts on some of the biggest and most anticipated titles from E3 2015-

Rabbit: ^waves arms around^ Chotto matte!

Tiger: What now?

Rabbit: Did you really just thumbs down everything from Sony?

Tiger: Uhh, yes I did.

Rabbit: Some Sony fangirl you are.

Tiger: I never said I was a Sony fangir… okay maybe I did but it’s not like I’m not excited for their games, I’m just more excited for others. I know Sony First Party always delivers AAA games so for me, I know exactly what to expect from them. And look who's talking, you thumbs down all of the Ubisoft titles.

Rabbit: Of course, I’ve never been one for their games. Even if I wanted to give them a thumbs up, you would have beat me to death.

Tiger: Well, no matter, there were plenty of games announced and shown at this E3 to make every gamer happy.

Rabbit: I also thought it was strange that you are excited for a lot of games that focus heavily on multiplayer.

Tiger: Yeah, I’m not the biggest fan of multiplayer games but what they showed was pretty awesome. I’m not sure how I’m going to play some of these games but I’m still looking forward to them.

Rabbit: I think this was one of the best E3s we’ve seen in a while. There were actually a few real surprises and good ones to boot. Lots of games, new IPs, and we even saw games that are coming out this year!

Tiger: Yes, I love that we saw new IPs to save us from sequelitis. It felt like E3s of yesteryear showed games that were years away from being released, this time most games had a late 2015 or 2016 date on them. I have to admit I was really disappointed in the early games that came out this year. I felt like there was nothing for me and that maybe I should take a break from gaming but E3 has restored my passion for games.

Rabbit: That’s great news! Too bad we still have to wait months for some of these games to come out.

Tiger: R6 in October, Fallout in November, the Division in March, and Nier in whenever Plat decides to finish it.

Rabbit: It’s so hard waiting, why do they do this to us?

Tiger: *laughs* That’s why they call it “hype.”

Random Happy Time, 21 O'Clock - I See Games, You See Games!

There are even more games to discuss from E3 2015! Tiger and Rabbit have been watching hours upon hours of coverage from E3 and take the time to share other titles they thought were notable. From indie to AAA and even some tech talk, you will find it all here in this edition of Random Happy Time!

**^^**
Tiger: *moans* There’s so much to talk about from E3 2015.

Rabbit: It’s like trying to eat a twenty pound turkey all by yourself on Thanksgiving.

Tiger: Only you would attempt that feat.

Rabbit: I wanted to discuss No Man’s Sky but we ran out of space during the Q Attack.

Tiger: I still don’t know how you play that game. You travel in your ship, discover planets, land on those planets, and then what? Kill everything you see?

Rabbit: No. (→_→)

Tiger: Kill other travelers you stumble upon?

Rabbit: No. (←_←)

Tiger: Kill yourself because you go mad from isolation?

Rabbit: Σ(O_O) Why does everything revolve around killing with you?

Tiger: That’s what video games trained me to do.

Rabbit: Well, I guess you can do all of that in No Man’s Sky if you want but you don’t have to. You can search for new planets, explore the ones you’ve found, trade items you collect, or make money by selling your discoveries.

Tiger: I still don’t know how to play it. Firewatch looked cool. I’ve heard good things about that game.

Rabbit: The art style is very unique and I like the premise.

Tiger: I’m surprised you haven’t mentioned Unravel, I thought you’d be all over that.

Rabbit: Yarny looks like a demon! 〜(＞＜)〜 He’s scary!

Tiger: Eitr from Devolver Digital looked interesting. I’d love to see more of that game.

Rabbit: The Vita was actually mentioned during Sony’s presser! Albeit it was only briefly, very, very briefly. I’m surprised you didn’t bring up Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate. I thought you were a huge fan?

Tiger: I’m a huge burned out fan, is what I am. I loved the AC series but Black Flag and onwards really killed the franchise for me. I’ll still end up playing Syndicate but it won’t be for a long time. I do think they’ve realized their mistakes so I’m hopeful that they may be able to turn the series around.

Rabbit: They didn’t talk about Morpheus as much as I thought they would.

Tiger: (￣_￣)・・・ How are you supposed to show off VR without actual demos?

Rabbit: That is a tough one; it’s really one of those things you have to experience firsthand. I loved what we saw with Oculus Rift when we played it so I will probably pick up Morpheus if the price is right.

Tiger: It has to be at or under $400, anything more than that and I think Sony will have troubles. I’d prefer $300 but with new tech, I’m not sure if they can get that price.

Rabbit: They showed off Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst.

Tiger: Ugh, I wanted to enjoy that game but not being able to see red against a white background made playing it extremely difficult. Let’s hope they fix that for the sequel.

Rabbit: Last but not least is Persona 5! (☆▽☆) It’s getting a western release this year!

Tiger: Not cool.

Rabbit: Huh? I thought you liked the Persona series.

Tiger: I do but with everything else that’s coming out this year, I won’t have time to play them all.

Rabbit: That’s fine, I’ll play it first and then you can play it after me.

Tiger: But you spoil everything and I mean everything. You can’t help but talk about games and their stories.

Rabbit: ^twiddles thumbs^ Sorry. 人(_ _*)

Tiger: So last topic. Do you like the “milk it for all it's worth” posts like we did for Sakura-Con or the “cram as much as we can until it explodes” approach to E3?

Rabbit: I kind of like breaking big events into multiple posts, I feel we get a chance to really discuss the topics versus just skimming over them briefly.

Tiger: I really enjoy cramming everything together. Once you get on a roll, you want to keep on chatting about the topic. Both ways are fun and I'm glad we've been able to utilize each. I do feel bad for our editor though, this E3 post was pretty long.

Rabbit: ^bows^ We’re so sorry, please forgive us! (シ_ _)シ