Tuesday, October 03, 2006

PS3 Overheating Report

Shares of Sony dropped overnight on renewed concerns about the Playstation 3. According to a syndicated AP Story, bearish traders reacted to a report issued by an analyst at Macquarie Equities which mentioned PS3 overheating problems at the recent Tokyo Game Show. A spokesperson for Sony explained the problem by citing that poor ventilation inside kiosks led to "one-of-a-kind temperature irregularities."

What we're taking away from Sony's statement is, as long as gamers don't place their PS3 consoles inside a kiosk at home, no one should experience overheating problems. There. Problem solved. Statements provided by corporate mouthpieces are always correct and one must never question the official line.

NCS expects to start preorders for the Japanese PS3 tomorrow. We've received details from a pool of suppliers and have enough information to set a price that'll elicit equal amounts of laughter and jaundice.

Caltoy Polar Bear Plush

Sega's Caltoy brand goes back to the basics and announces a teddy bear. Measuring 33cm or 12.99" tall, the Caltoy Polar Bear wears a blue or pink scarf (to keep the cold at bay) and holds a little polar bear offspring close to its bosom. Similar to all other Caltoy animals, the bears possess beady eyes and near non-existent maws. Due to the dimensional weight for this item, NCS recommends only shipping with UPS Ground within the United States or USPS Airmail for our international customers. Pricing is set at US$49 per polar bear and preorders are welcome today.

Animal Crossing 16cm Plush

The rascals from Animal Crossing have endured a spate of merchandising deals this year and Banpresto pushes their way into the AC space one more time. The sleepy-eyed Tom Nook leads a quintet of plush figures which measure 16cm or 6.29" tall and are made of soft and lightweight material. Cradle the whole gang of them in your arms and you still wouldn't be exerting yourself. From the upper left and rolling clockwise, the Animal Crossing characters are: Tom Nook, Hopper, Rosie, Whitney, and the crazed Mr Resetti who carries a felt pickaxe. Cross him at your peril. Preorders are welcome to ship in mid-late Dec 2006 at US$9.50 per plush.

Aokubi Daikon Plush

Takara shares the Aokubi Daikon love by granting a license to Japanese manufacturer Eikoh to produce their own interpretation of the popular vegetable-inspired character. Daikon is a fairly recent addition to the Japanese toy merchandising landscape and has saturated the shelves of shops with all manner of product from sponges to pens to pouches.

Eikoh's Daikon product is a massive 70cm or 27.55" tall plush which will be available in two variants - the first features a sedate looking Daikon and the second version is angry. The first Daikon protects itself by clasping its root-like hands together while the second Daikon's root-hands are apart and apparently ready to attack. Preorders are welcome to ship in mid-late January 2007 at US$49 per plush. Due to dimensional weight sizing for this item, NCS recommends shipping only by UPS Ground within the USA.

Domokun Cube Plush

When Domokun isn't watering the television or eating his favorite beef dish, we're inclined to think that he just stands around with his mouth open. With a maw that covers a sizable portion of his face, Domokun's facial color scheme is brown and red. A lot of red.

Eikoh announces another Domokun plush where the chocolate colored creature is shaped like a perfect cube. Domo's recognizable face is plastered on one side of the cube and three variants are available for preorder: Domokun with black eyes, Domokun with sleepy eyes, and Domokun with angry eyes. Each cube measures 15cm x 15cm x 15cm in dimension which converts to 5.90" imperial. Preorders ship in mid-late January 2007.

Hello Kitty Cosmetics

Estée Lauder need not fear them yet but Sanrio and Sega have announced a set of cosmetics intended for teenage girls. The makeup tray consists of a transparent case that's segmented into five compartments. Inside, four types of eyeliner and lip liner are included along with an application pencil. The coup de grace is the Hello Kitty line art imprinted on the top of the lid to give it that special magic that appeals to all of womankind. Pricing is set at US$5.50 per makeup case and preorders are scheduled to ship in mid-late January 2007.

Hokuto no Ken Talking Tapestry

The fighters in Hokuto no Ken are bad asses. Make that vocal bad asses. To bring the bold and brash intonations of Kenshiro and cohorts into your home, pick up one of Sega's Hokuto no Ken Talking Tapestries which hangs on a hook and features a voice box that's activated by a motion sensor. When a buster ambles up to the tapestry, his motion will be detected and Kenshiro will speak. Loudly. The buster will then go into convulsions from the shock or chortle in a self-effacing manner. Each tapestry measures 33cm or 12.99" tall and pricing is set at US$25. Preorders are welcome to ship in mid-late January 2006.