Taipei Game Show 2009

Well, it is that time of year again! Time, that is, for my yearly Taipei Game Show roundup. No longer being in Taipei, I experience TGS through the same vehicles most of you do, the blogs and Flickr streams of sweaty young men more interested in the booth babes than the games. Game Watch, however, comes to the rescue with what looks to be actual journalism, albeit in Japanese. The big news in Western media outlets this year was Sony's meat-space Playstation Store.

Taipei Game Show 2008

It's 2008 and once again the Taipei Game Show is upon us! There's coverage up at wikinews and ImpressWatch(igs, sony, ms, funtown, unalis, softworld). And finally, toddintaipei's photos.

Update: Impress Watch has added a table of contents page for their Taipei Game Show coverage. They've also added some general Taipei gaming coverage, including lots of photos of shops, etc.

More from Taipei Game Show 2007

Final set of links from the Taipei Game Show:

GameWatch explores Taipei and finds, among other things, Guang Hua Market, some new maid cafe, and a giant Gundam store called Gundam Base Taipei. I wish I'd known about the GBT! Or maybe it's new. They took a lot of nice pictures of familiar places, but now those familiar places have PS3s.

Taoyuan Nights has tons of great pictures from the event and some good commentary as well.

There's a youtube video of the WoW booth, though I haven't watched it yet due to the complexities of running Flash on Linux in 64bit Firefox(read: not possible and I refuse to go 32bit).

And finally, ridiculous booth babe pics in some forum.

Taipei Game Show 2007

Taipei Game Show 2007 began festivities on Feb. 8. Boy, browsing pictures from the event really brings back old memories!

Check out coverage(and pics!) from Impress Watch, The Daily Bubble Tea, and IslaFormosa.

DigiTimes also has some more, ah... news-like reporting on the event.

Guang Hua Computer Market

The otaku(to borrow a word from Japanese) mecca of Taipei is, without a doubt, Guang Hua Market. Just don't go expecting Akihabara, OK? This is Taiwan, man, so expect a little grit with your geek paradise. Expect a bajillion scooters and even more people to perpetually throw themselves in your path, forever screwing with your meticulously planned approach vectors. Expect food stands selling corn dogs. And heaven help you if your idea of geeking out is having a milkshake at some posh maid cafe somewhere.

What you should expect to see are motherboards, lots and lots of motherboards. You will also see a lot of mp3 players, graphics cards, power supplys, computer cases and case accessories of every description, many PC games in Chinese, a few in English, Japanese console games, manga, dvds, AV(wink, wink, nudge), books on computers, recordable media, and everything you could possibly need to connect X to Y. To illustrate this last point a bit better, let me relay a personal anecdote or two. Exhibiting the foresight I am know for, I brought my Saturn PS2 pad(this is a PS2 controller in the form of an old Sega Saturn controller, perfect for arcade style games) with me to Taiwan. I did not bring my PS2 and had no method to connect this to my computer, but I had a hunch Taipei wouldn't let me down. Guang Hua delivered in about 10 minutes with a PS/PS2 to USB converter. It works like a charm and has led to much emulation goodness on my PC. For a more serious challenge, I also decided to look for a way to run homebrew code on my Nintendo DS -- I hate paying shipping on stuff like this and the hunt itself is kind of fun. Once again, Guang Hua delivered with a Passkey2 for less than $30(I already had a gba flashcart).

Getting to Guang Hua is pretty easy, but there is some confusion due to the fact that they tore down the building that the market was previously housed in. They are building a nicer building, set to open in 2007 I believe, but for now you can find the market in a temporary structure on Civic Blvd. near Xinsheng Rd. If you hop off the MRT at Zhongxiao Xinsheng station, just walk north till you get to Civic and hang a left. Guang Hua will be a little ways down on the left. There will be about a thousand scooters out in front of it and you may even see the ad in the image on the left there(by the way, if you are wondering what the Taipei Game Show -- last held in February -- is like, just take that picture and multiply it by about 100,000. That'll give you an inkling).

Oh, and I also bought a new copy of ESPGaluda for PS2 at Guang Hua for about $24. Holy hell it was sweet when I bought that! That game is like $60-65 on the import sites, if you can even find it. It has this nice sticker on it that says, "OFFICIAL PRODUCT. Pricing and 'For Japan Only' mark printed inside the case are not applicable. MADE IN JAPAN." It has another sticker which says, "DVD video inside the package are exclusively for Japan Market." Yeah, it seems like this is the official Japanese version, which comes with a dvd, only repriced for Taiwan.


Tags: Taiwan, Taipei, GuangHua, videogames, otaku

Chinese Learnin'

Wow, I've been studying Chinese here for two months and this is the first post to mention it. Naturally, the factors which bring me to finally broach the subject aren't entirely positive. The crux of the matter is that after two months of going to class for 2 hours a day, my ability to conduct basic activities in Chinese has only marginally improved. Perhaps I'm expecting too much progress, too quickly, but I honestly think that I could have made just as much progress listening to Pimsleur(or any other high quality aural learning tool) for 1 hour a day and working through the book myself. My current problems with my classroom environment, as I see it, are threefold.

First of all, I'm in a class that isn't perfectly suited to my level. I've had probably the least experience with Chinese of any student in the class, but too much experience to get much out of the pure beginner's class(At least, so I thought. I'm starting to regret the decision to move up to the next class. After all, I don't think I could do much worse.) Since virtually all classroom discussion is conducted in slightly-too-difficult Chinese, a lot of the immersion is lost on me. Immersion only works if the input is comprehensible and for me a lot of it isn't. I don't feel like I'm necessarily alone in this because I haven't noticed any real improvement in my classmates either. I could be wrong on that account, but I do know several of my classmates have expressed disappointment of their own. I don't completely blame the school for this; it is difficult to construct a program that works for everyone when most people don't enter it at the introductory level. I think they could make a little more effort in forming classes of equivalent students though. They could make a good approximation by simply separating western students from the Japanese and Koreans; although I would miss the cultural diversity quite a bit if they did do this.

Second, Chinese spoken in the classroom barely resembles what I hear on the street. I guess this is unavoidable in the beginning due to students' limited vocabulary and the need to speak a little slower and with proper pronunciation. Also, most spoken interaction is between fellow students, and we all suck at Chinese. Part of the problem here is the organization of our text. Topic wise and vocab wise, it isn't ideal for students actually living in a Chinese environment. Personal anecdote: I still don't understand what people are saying to me when they ask if I want something 'here' or 'to go'. They don't construct the question the way I would, that is for sure(and unsurprising).

Third, the class moves way too fast and there isn't nearly enough repetition. Perhaps I could overcome this if I studied more outside of class, but I still think way too much is being crammed into this class. In addition to flying through the text, the instructor supplements it with extra materials including tons more vocabulary. I ignore as much of this vocabulary as possible unless it seems particularly useful. The end result is that I don't have a solid grasp on anything that I have covered in this class that I didn't have some exposure to before. The grammar patterns I learned from Pimsleur during my evening commute back in the States are the ones that flow most naturally for me. Before coming here, I took a class back in the States that met once a week for 2 hours. We spent more time going over the text in class(the same text I'm using here) and the gap between classes allowed for plenty of time to digest vocabulary before the next class. With only 20% of the class time(plus a little Pimsleur), I probably made 50% of the progress that I am making in my current class. Also, the teacher of that class would correct pronunciation mistakes fairly frequently, something which rarely happens here.

For those who are curious, I'm studying at National Chengchi University, or Zhengda, as it is often called. Aside from my personal circumstances, I'm pretty happy with the program here. I even like my teacher despite it all. I'm also not sure if my experiences are really representative of Zhengda as a whole. I choose Zhengda because people seemed happier overall with Zhengda than with the better known program at Shida. Perhaps I just suck at foreign languages or am lazy. I really don't know because I have little to compare my current experience with. I do recognize my complaints as being fairly common among students of Chinese here in Taiwan however, and this leads me to believe that the methods used are not ideal.


Tags: Taiwan, Chinese, Mandarin

Disconnected

Taipei: urban, fast-paced, glittering neon on an asphalt foundation. There's something different though, a shared bucolic memory still impressed into the culture, memories of harder times still lingering in an older generation. Organization is on a smaller scale, recalling a rural past. The modern equivalent of village markets lie huddled in the shadow of looming high rises. Office ladies in high heels and Gucci buy breakfast on the street, served by women who don't have the time to look so nice -- their family business is open morning to night, seven days a week. In the early morning old men and women practice qi gong, revering nature and spirit from a concrete slab.

In America, a Survivor contestant is subject to an epiphany: that fish, as in food that you eat, are the same fish that swim in oceans and aquariums. Same season, but different episode and everyone is freaked out when the young, Taiwanese born girl eats the leftover scraps of their chicken feast -- scraps being any part you can name with a word more specific than breast or wing. I laugh at them, but even so, I grew up on a poultry farm and wouldn't suck the eyeball out of a bird's head if you paid me. How many generations am I removed from someone who would?

Tags: Taiwan, Taipei, Survivor

Taipei Gamer Sidequest: Zhongwen RPGs

Yeah, that's right...Chinese RPGS. The stated purpose of this little voyage, the Main Quest if you will, is to learn me some Chinese. But there's a lot more to any good RPG than the main quest. You gotta get out there and explore! Talk to the people and all that jazz! Today I finished up a little quest that I'd been hoping to complete for a while now.

It all started on Yahoo Auctions Taiwan. I finally decided to take the plunge and create an account. Completing this stage mostly involved much copying and pasting of Chinese characters into various electronic translation tools. This culminated in me receiving an automated SMS with a special code to enter online to verify my phone number, something I hadn't anticipated. Luckily I had bought a phone and a prepaid sim card a couple weeks ago. Once that was done, I was in. I just had to find Zhongwen RPGs. Actually, I had already found two for the megadrive. I just needed to bid. Click here to take a look at one of them. For a good laugh, scroll down a bit till you see the 3 tabs -- the rightmost one should read "問與答(1)". Go ahead and click on that one to see how I operate when I'm looking for Zhongwen RPGs. For a really HUGE laugh, copy my question into Google's Chinese-English translation tool(ignoring the fact that this is traditional Chinese and the tool is for simplified). Now, my Chinese there is babytalk and I can see one error right away, but still, Google's translation is pure nonsense!

Reasonably satisfied with the seller's response, he gave the address of a McDonald's where I could meet him to do the exchange in person, I went ahead and bought both of the Zhongwen RPGs he was selling. One of them was the fabled Beggar Prince. The other one, the one I linked to above, I had tested out on an emulator. To put it succinctly, I was floored. The sprites were about twice the size they usually are in these type games, there appeared to be tons of characters, and combat played out on the same screen as movement. Holy hell it was awesome! I might not have bought either of them if that game hadn't struck me the way it did.

Moving on, after a few brief emails, the seller sent me his phone number and told me to call him. I was a little nervous about this, but I was even more afraid of not fulfilling my contractual obligations and getting thrown in the slammer. So I called the dude up this morning, but all I get is a bunch of Chinese and some music. He calls me back a few minutes later, and damn, I couldn't understand a word he was saying. Somehow I pulled it together though, and I was able to tell him that I would go to that damn McDonald's and I would call him when I got there. It definitely worked a lot better when I did the talking and just asked him yes or no type questions.

So, off I was to the McDonald's in Xinzhuang City, at 303 Xintai Rd. Xinzhuang, although I guess it isn't technically part of Taipei, is still basically in the Taipei Metropolitan area. The MRT, however, doesn't go all the way out there yet and I had heard it was kind of a shithole out there in the Western suburbs. Well, I would soon find out. I hopped on the MRT and took it as far westward as it would take me, to Xinpu. From there I hailed a taxi and showed him the address. Over the Danshui we went into a very noisy and crowded Xinzhuang City. About four bucks later, I was standing outside the McDonald's at 303 Xintai Rd.

To make a long story short, I met the seller there, he was a fairly young guy on a scooter, and got my two Zhongwen RPGs for 600NT(about $18). Smooth transaction. A++ seller. 很好! After that, I snapped a few pictures of Xinzhuang -- definitely overcrowded, but not nearly as bad as I had feared -- and grabbed some lunch. Then I started looking for a bus to take me back, and then decided I might as well just walk all the way back to Xinpu. Unfortunately I was blocked by a bridge that was absolutely not safe for pedestrians. So I gave up on that plan, walked back the way I had came and found Bus 802, bound for Xinpu.

I feel like a damn resourceful bastard to get these Zhongwen RPGs.


Tags: Taiwan, Taipei, gaming, videogames, Chinese, Beggar Prince

Super A'Can in Da House!

I now have in my posession a Super A'Can. Even though I'm not keeping it, it is still kind of exciting. If only I had a game for it. Then I could "test" the system before parting with it. Unfortunately, I haven't seen any A'Can games for sell here, making it quite likely that I will never actually play the system.

Here are a few pictures:






Tags: Taiwan, Super A'can, gaming, videogames

VIP Cinema

Now this is how an evening at the cinema should be! Taipei's Cinemark theatre at the Core Pacific Living Mall is a dream come true for film connoisseurs like myself. No longer do you have to rub shoulders with the unwashed masses parading out to the theater in droves to see tripe like Ice Age 2. Never again will you be pulled violently from your morbid ponderings by their raucous laughter. Now you can sit in silent reverie while contemplating the post-modern significance of vampire-on-werewolf action in Underworld: Evolution. Finally you can admire without distraction the exquisite costume design, from blood-matted fur to Kate Beckinsale's skin tight, zippery leather jumpsuit.

To see for yourself, simply go to the ticket window and buy a movie ticket for one of the VIP movies. If the movie you want to see isn't being offered on one of the two VIP screens, then you just aren't avant garde enough. Proceed to the normal theaters with the rest of the riffraf. Once you have your VIP ticket, take a trip over to the balcony where you can sneer down at the simpletons as they buy popcorn on the other side for their pedestrian movie-going experience. Feel free to head over to the VIP entrance 20 minutes or so before the movie start time. You can have a seat at the bar while eating your free popcorn and watching previews on high-def televisions. When the young lady behind the bar informs you that it is time, you can enter the theater. You will know for sure that you have made the right decision when you see the faux leather seating with classy wood veneered armrests. Also, before the movie begins, be sure to take a moment to reflect on the achievements of your civilization, focusing primarily on the fact that there is a 10 story, deathstar-like 'Core' suspended in the mall above you. And finally, use your new-found sense of superiority to derive even greater enjoyment than you thought possible from your $10 movie ticket.


All kidding aside, I actually thought Underworld was a pretty good movie. And for the record, I had no choice about the VIP. If I wanted to see Underworld, then it was going to be as a VIP.


Tags: Taiwan, Taipei, movies

Taiwan Beverage Hall of Fame: First Inductees

One of the little things I really enjoy about Taiwan is the wonderful selection of beverages available in the convenient stores which dot the island. Any activity a human being can undertake is better with a beverage in hand, kind of a score multiplier for Life if you will(Needless to say, given the convenience of obtaining beverages here in Taipei, my chain combo is ridiculously high at the moment).

Given my love of tea/coffee/soda/juice, I thought I'd start selecting a few of my favorites for special commendations. The theme of this first round of inductees is 'Bottled Refreshment'.

Starting on the left we have two coffee drinks, somewhat similar to the Starbuck's bottled frapicinos you can buy in the States. I think I actually like the taste of the Starbuck's version better, but these are much cheaper and... voluminous. Also, they aren't as sweet so you can get you're caffeine kick without feeling like you have to skip breakfast.

Next up is Kirin something-or-other black tea(紅茶). That something-or-other is probably describing the delicious lemony taste. The tea is fairly sweet, but unlike soda goes down smooth. If you aren't that familiar with Kirin, you may not know that they are a Japanese beverage company which produces much more than the beer they sell in the U.S. In Japan especially, you can find all types of Kirin drinks.

After Kirin we have an unsweetened green tea, which I just tried for the first time today. I liked it a lot, better in fact than another green tea I was going to put on this list. Overall, I just thought this one was smoother and had less of an aftertaste. I'm a huge fan of green tea in general, but back home I mostly stick to drinking it hot since all the bottled brands are expensive and loaded with either sugar or sugar substitutes.

The last two inductees are relatively sweet green and black teas. They are pretty much my standard choices, along with Kirin's offering above, when I want a tea with a little sugar.

Well, that's all for 'Bottled Refreshment'. In later editions I hope to discuss Taiwan's many tea stands and coffee houses.


Taiwan, Taipei, beverages

Welcome to Taipei!

Welcome to Taipei, foreigner. We hope you'll find the bus system safe, convenient, and easy to use!

I like Taipei a lot, but the bus routes can be just a tad hard to figure out sometimes.

Tags: Taiwan, Taipei

Convenience Stores

I know it isn't that original or anything, but I wanted to write a bit about convenience stores here in Taiwan. Taiwan has the highest density of convenience stores in the world with one store per 2800 people(Japan is Taiwan's closest competitor with one store per 3000). In practice this means that most city blocks here in Taipei have at least one, and it is not unusual to see two competing stores almost side- by-side. There are five main chains that I see here: 7-11, Family Mart, Hi-Life, OK, and Nikomart. But they are really all about the same; two convenience stores of roughly the same size will carry basically the same products, regardless of the name on the sign.

There are differences between what a Taiwanese convenience store will carry compared to one in the US though. In addition to all the drinks and snacks, you can buy computer games in convenience stores here. They also sell things like usb hubs, mice, magazines that aren't targeted at truck drivers, and fairly expensive bottles of liquor. Oh, and boxer shorts. Now, if you happen to be out and about in the city and suddenly need a new pair of boxers... well, I'd say that is pretty convenient. Selling computer peripherals is pretty convenient as well, especially if you use a computer as much as the Taiwanese seem to. The fact that Taiwan is still primarily a cash-based society has even opened up the opportunity of allowing you to pay your bills at convenience stores.

In short, convenience stores here allow for a lot more possibilities when it comes to 'convenience store runs.' Not only are the ubiquitous beer and cigarette runs accounted for and present -- this isn't just speculation on my part, I have witnessed the execution of a Taiwanese beer run by Taipei high schoolers -- but you also have 'Oh shit! My electric bill is due today' runs, 'Hell! My World of Warcraft game card expired and I'm almost 60' runs, and my personal favorite(though I don't know exactly how common among the natives) 'Damn I need some green tea and dorritos' runs.


Tags: Taiwan, Taipei, convenience stores

Final Fantasy Fans

So, I was roaming my new stomping grounds today in search of mahjong . That's right, mahjong. Specifically, mahjong that I can play on my Nintendo DS. I eventually settled on a Japanese -- What!? The Japanese make mahjong games!? -- effort titled Everybody Loves Mahjong(I think). It's pretty cool, but that is not really the point here. The point is that I wish I had had my camera with me.

But first, some background:

Final Fantasy XII is another Japanese videogame, one which was released last week in Japan and which will sell many, many more copies than Everybody Loves Mahjong, no matter how much the Japanese love mahjong. The Final Fantasy series is quite popular in Taiwan as well. It was on store shelves here in Taipei last week selling for upwards of 70 USD(ELM was about $26) . What I'm trying to convey is that yes, Final Fantasy XII is popular, but hell you can buy it already so calm down! Got it? Alright.

So, back to the mall, there were lots of PS2 demo stations setup with Final Fantasy XII. One of these had about 12 kids(actually, they were all probably in their early twenties at the least) crowded around it watching another kid play the game. Some of the dudes were standing there with what I would consider appropriate expressions and body language. That is to say, they looked kinda bored. Good for them. There was one kid though that made me wish I had a video camera, or had at least brought my powershot. He was kind of standing with his weight tilted forward on the balls of his feet, shifting back and forth. He was damn excited. You would think by looking at him that Taipei had been offered a franchise in the NBA and in their inagural year the Taipei Tai Chi Masters had made it to the finals, and he was watching overtime of game seven right then and there. And then, when one of the characters unleashed one of those super mega attacks that Final Fantasy is famous for, you should have seen him! Wow! I don't know though, maybe they were watching some kid beat the game or something. I have no idea, but it doesn't seem like it should be any more exciting than, "Hey, that was pretty cool."


Tags: Taiwan, Taipei, gaming, videogames, Final Fantasy

More Retro Game Shopping

In a previous post I covered the game shops and arcade at Wannian Plaza. Since posting my findings I have not been sitting idly by, sipping oolong tea while gazing out my apartment window. Oh no, unsatisfied with my findings at Wannian, I have continued my search! And I am happy to report that I have found quite a few nice game shops. Details below:


Location

All of these shops are located in Taipei City Mall, an underground shopping mall running beneath Civic Blvd near Taipei Main Station. Check out the map here. I haven't explored the entire mall, but the shops I've found are all in the area around mall exit 5. One easy way to get there from the MRT station is through the Station Front Metro Mall on the west side of the station. Take exit 7 from the Station Front Mall and walk north along Chongqing Rd. to exit 5 of the Taipei City Mall. Walk down the steps and you should see one game store almost directly in front of you. This shop has a lot of new releases, but if you walk east a little ways you will see several other shops selling a variety of current and classic releases. There are also some shops to the west, but most of the good ones that I found are to the east.


The Goods

Several shops were well stocked with retro games and consoles. All the classic consoles were there, though not in large numbers. One shop even had the Super A'Can! I eventually bought a Japanese Megadrive 2 and two games -- Shadow Dancer and Elemental Master -- for around $80. Not too bad, although Shadow Dancer was pretty expensive at $30. One vendor had Panorama Cotton, but at a price of nearly one month's rent, I had to pass. Between the various shops they had most of the classic Megadrive games, which is one reason I went with the Megadrive over a Saturn. They had some pretty good Saturn games, but most of the great ones are just too expensive. I think I will stick to the Megadrive for now.

Overall, the shops here beat the ones at Wannian in every way. The only thing missing is a good arcade. I'm planning on heading back here to try and score a copy of Under Defeat when it is released later this week.


Tags: Taiwan, Taipei, gaming, videogames

Xbox 360 Launch

So the 360 officially launched yesterday here in Taiwan. I was vaguely aware that March 16 was the day but honestly didn't care that much. The fact that most of the shops have been selling imported consoles since the Japanese launch kind of steals the thunder don't ya think?

Fortunately, another blogger out there has picked up the slack and took some pictures of the launch party held last night over in XinYi.

Tags: Taiwan, Taipei, gaming, Xbox

Taiwan Weekly Famitsu

I bought a few Taiwanese videogame magazines the other day. Since I'm the Taipei Gamer, I had to do it even though I can't read them. I bought three of them and I bought them at a convenience store. They had several others that I didn't buy because hell, three magazines that I can't read is enough. I can read the titles of two of them though, and one of those it turns out is a translation of the mightiest of all Japanese videogame magazines, Weekly Famitsu. I'm going to start with that and maybe talk a bit about the others in later posts.

Taiwan Weekly Famitsu

Well, what can be said. It's basically a translation of the japanese version. The issue I have is dated March 17. Considering that I bought it around the 4th, that seems a bit late(or early). I have always hated that about magazines by the way. A subscriber to a monthly magazine should get the March issue sometime in March, preferably. But he'll generally get the March issue in mid-Feburary and be completely done with it by March as he awaits the April issue. When you consider that the content of the March issue was most likely prepared in January or earlier it is doubly annoying! I've read lots of magazines and believe me, magazine editors are not that prescient. Back to Taiwan Weekly Famitsu, it appears thinner than the Japanese version, not that I know all that much about Weekly Famitsu, but I believe theTaiwan version has a lot less ads. I see a number of articles that seem familiar because I occasionally read articles about what articles there are in this week's Weekly Famitsu; that is the kind of grip this magazine has on the denizens of the internet. I can only assume that these articles are just straight translations of what's in the original version. I can spot some local content though. There is Taiwan's 'Top 15 Selling Games' list, Taiwan's 'Top 15 Most Wanted Games' list, and Taiwan's 'Top 20 Games' list. The last two are voted on by the readers, I'm sure. It is also worth noting that Japan's top selling/most wanted lists are included as well. This is because videogame players everywhere are obsessed with Japan. I am reproducing Taiwan's lists below because they are illustrative of Taiwan's gaming culture and because I want to engender a love for Taiwan in the world's gamers via this website.


Read More


Taiwan's Top 15 Selling Games For Week of ...

1. Monster Hunter 2 (PS2)
   
2. Something 3 (PS2)
   
3. Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams (PS2)
4. Monster Hunter Portable (PSP)
5. Dynasty Warriors(PSP The Best) (PSP)
6. Naruto Something 3 (PS2)
7. Ridge Racers (PSP)
8. Some DS Racing Game (DS)
9. Some game by Banpresto (PS2)
10. Another DS game (DS)
11. Black (Xbox)
12. Something 4 by Capcom (PS2)
13. Naruto Something 4 (GC)
14. Kingdom Hearts 2 (PS2)
15. Tourist Trophy (PS2)

Taiwan's Top 15 Most Wanted Games

1. Final Fantasy XII (PS2)
2. Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (GC)
3. Dead or Alive 4 (360)
4. Something 5 by Capcom (360)
5. Some Microsoft RPG (360)
6. Something by Capcom (PS2)
   
7. Some RPG by Sega, maybe Phantasy Star Universe (PS2)
8. Some Pokemon RPG (DS)
9. Ninety-Nine Nights (360)
10. Final Fantasy III (DS)
11. Another Century's Episode 2 (PS2)
12. Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3)
13. Devil May Cry 4 (PS3)
    
14. Resident Evil 5 (PS3)
15. Mother 3 (GBA)

Taiwan's Top 20 Best Games

1. Final Fantasy X (PS2)
2. Something 3 by Capcom (PS2)
3. Dragon Quest VIII (PS2)
4. Dynasty Warriors 4 (PS2)
5. Ninja Gaiden (Xbox)
6. Final Fantasy X-2 (PS2)
7. Something MX by Banpresto (PS2)
8. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Easter (PS2)
9. Something that looks like Dynasty Warriors (PS2)
10. Resident Evil 4 (GC)
11. Dragon Quest V (PS2)
12. Resident Evil 4 (PS2)
13. Devil May Cry 3 (PS2)
14. Something with a long name by Banpresto (PS2)
15. Final Fantasy VII (PS)
16. Something by Tecmo (PS2)
17. Dynasty Warriors 3 (PS2)
18. Something by SCE (PS2)
19. Something 4 by SCE (PS2)
20. Kingdom Hearts (PS2)

OK, maybe that wasn't as useful as it could have been. But hey, it's better than nothing and you can at least see the trends if not always the specific games. PS2 is big here, as you can see. Keep in mind that Famitsu doesn't cover PC gaming, a big part of Taiwan's gaming scene.

Tags: Taiwan, gaming, videogames, Famitsu

T.A.I.P.E.I.

Forget what you think you know. Forget that "Taipei" is the (bad) Roman transliteration of the Chinese name for the capital city of the Republic of China, 台北. You also might as well go ahead and forget those two characters each have a meaning of their own in the Chinese language. It's all wrong.

Today, I went to Taipei 101. Not only did I go there, I went to the 89th floor. While there, I learned a lot -- well, a little -- about mass tuned dampers, the symbolism inherent in the design of the building and it's communications infrastructure. Most importantly, I learned that Taipei is actually an acronym.

Technology
Art
Innovation
People
Environment
Identity

So that's why they used a 'P'!

Also, 101 symbolizes both binary code and "better than 100%".

Tags: Taiwan, Taipei

McDonald's

It is about 6 o'clock and I'm hungry as hell. I just left the coffee shop where I was studying and am on my way back home. There's a McDonald's right by my apartment so I decide to drop in; I'm feeling a bit too tired to put in the effort necessary to 'eat local'. I place my order and while waiting for my food I notice that there's a little green box on my tray.


Looks like I just ordered a Happy Meal.

Taiwan Basketball

Basketball is really popular here. There's a cable channel that shows bball like 24 hours a day. At least, I have never seen anything other than basketball on that channel. I just finished watching an exciting fourth quarter between Taiwan Beer and the Dacin Tigers in the um, Super Basketball League(SBL). It's sort of like NCAA ball, but without dunkin'. I haven't watched the channel enough to know if all they show is Taiwan basketball, or if they show Mainland ball as well. It is definitely all chinese though.

It's also hilarious to watch. Here's a sample transcript:

Announcer 1: <really fast chinese>
Announcer 2: <more really fast chinese>
1: <rfc> turnover! <rfc>
2: Woah!
1: Wow!
1: <rfc>
2: <rfc>
1: <rfc> Wah!
...

I'm starting to get some of the lingo down though. I know 2-pointer and 3-pointer. And the English that gets mixed in is kind of funny.


Oh wait! Now they're showing highlights of the game set to Green Day!

Tags: taiwan