All posts by Jax

Singapore Comic Con 2019 (SGCC)

December 8, 2019 Jax

This is a busy end of the year in Singapore. After the Anime Festival Asia 2019 last week at Suntec, we now have the Singapore Comic Con at Marina Bays Sands Convention from 7-8 Dec 2019! Two days of fun and we are there to cover the event.

Singapore Pro Wrestling

In case you don’t know SPW stands for Singapore Pro Wrestling. Similar to your western counterpart WWE, SPW is about wrestling with a local twist.

Right at the entrance of SGCC, you will be greeted with a full wrestling ring with high adrenaline as audience watch local wrestler battle it out at a wrestling ring right before you eyes.

Fan-tastic Community Zone

Dedicated for all the hardcore pop culture fans, this area feature multiple fan clubs in Singapore. A good number of them are dedicated to the Star Wars franchise. You will see Mandalorain, Storm trooper and baby Yoda coexists together.

Artist Alley

Looking for things to buy? Support budding artists by buying their wonderful merchandise. This has to be the most crowded area in the entire show.

Main Floor

The SGTOY Display Booth has a fantastic collection of toy ranging from Disney Characters to Star Wars for you to admire. Toys are not for sale but the display cabinets are!

Let it go! Or should I say, into the unknown.

Various Toy companies such as Tamashi Nations and Mighty Jaxx are there to show off their wares. Some are not for purchase. But a look at them is totally free!

This year’s LEGO booth is totally awesome! The centerpiece of the booth is the huge Jurassic Park LEGO model. Kids can also try their hands on using an iPad to control LEGO monster ticks and cranes.

Of course Tokidoki is there for the fans. Expect to queue up to get in.

Mighty Jaxx with the popular ‘X-ray’ toys

Good Game Experience (GGXP)

A dedicated area just for gaming, this year SGCC has team up with PVP Esports to bring your esports from Mobile Legend to DOTA2.

Once you crossover to the area with many tables , you know you are in the GGXP area. Tabletop games are now a staple of the show.

You cannot miss the PVP Esports area.

Mr Kiasu X Spongebob. Two wacky duo meeting together in same universe.

Cosplayers

What’s a Comic Con without cosplayers? Here are some of the awesome cosplayers we spotted.

Until next year…

It has been a full pack two days. Time to save up for the next SGCC!

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C3 Anime Festival Asia 2019

November 29, 2019 Jax

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Anime and manga fan will know about this event. Happening now from 29 Nov (Fri) to 1 Dec (Sun) 2019, C3 AFA 2019 will bring you all things related to Japanese Anime and Manga culture. From cosplayer to games and merchandise, there are just so many things to do and see. Here are some of the things to look out for:

Pop Team Epic Shrine

Get your fortune told at the Pop Team Epic Shrine! Just scan a unique QR code and check out your fortune. I’d fortune telling is not your thing, simply take picture with their Tori gate and tell your friends you are in japan.

Takashi Nations Booth

Gundam fans be sure to visit the booth to see a 4m tall Gundam model. Besides that, you can also see the many new toys and figurine offer from Takashi Nations.

AFA PLAY stage

Something new this year is the play stage where you can watch gaming competition. Games include One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows and Disney Tsum Tsum festival. You can also sit down and play some PlayStation games in their comfy bean bag.

Walk down a manga gallery

Ever wonder what does a manga artist do to get you your manga? Walk down the manga gallery to learn more. Presented by Manga Plus.

Bandai Namco Entertainment

Do you know Pac-Man is developed by Namco? The same company now called Bandai Namco Entertainment is still making games till today. You might have already played some of their titles before. At their booth there is a few notable games to try. One Punch Man: Hero Nobody Knows is a fighting game featuring different classes of Heroes in the famous One Punch Man series.

There is also Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris for you to ‘dive’ into the wonderful virtual realty world.

Tsum Tsum fans can also try out the Tsum Tsum festival game for some multiplayer fun in the Nintendo Switch.

Anisong Karaoke at WACAVA booth

At the WACAVA booth you can get a chance to perform karaoke anisong on stage complete with your own audience! This is not just for fun but WACAVA is actually holding real audition to discover the next anisong singer. Be sure to sign up if you have what it takes or simple sign for fun!

Akiba Stage

Music, Guest Cosplayer and dance performance. This is the place to be for pure energetic events. Check out the stage schedule below

BanG Dream Girls Band Party – A new ANIPLUS cafe at Esplanade

A brand new ANIPLUS cafe is opening on the 29 Nov 2019 at The Esplanade Mall Unit 01-13C. The theme of the cafe from now till mid Jan 2020 will feature BanG Dream Girls Band Party. Besides food inspired by multimedia project, there will be exclusive merchandise for you to purchase at the cafe. Be sure to visit them!

Cosplayers

This is the day where people wouldn’t judge you (as much) when you dress up as your favorite character form the 2D world. Even if you are not a cosplayer, coming to AFA and seeing everyone in cosplayer is quite an experience by itself. Remember if you want to take photo of the cosplayer, do seek permission.

There are also guests cosplayer including Enako from Japan who is dubbed Japan’s no. 1 cosplayer!

Event

SITEX 2019 – The last consumer tech show for the year

November 28, 2019 Jax

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Did you miss the 11/11 sales? Fret not, there is still another chance for you to get the gadgets you want at SITEX 2019 which will start today from 28th Nov to 1st Dec, 11am-9pm daily at Singapore Expo, Hall 5 & 6.

At the media preview, we got our first look at this year SITEX. Here are some of the highlights that you can check out too when you visit the show.

Jumanji: The Next Level Booth

The sequel to the 2017 Jumanji starring Jack Black and Dwayne Johnson, Jumanji: The Next Level will be showing in Cinema on 5th Dec 2019. Before catching the movie, you can try out the movie-inspired obstacle course at their booth located in Hall 5 besides the entrance. Complete it under 70 seconds and you will win a compass carabiner. The course is pretty simple, no ninja skills required.

You can also take a selfie with the cast of the movie. Scan the QR code at the selfie booth to do that.

Xiaomi Booth

Xiaomi showcases a number of their smart-home devices at their booth. Beside your usual smart lights and kettles, for the first time in Singapore, Xiaomi is launching their portable projector with a build-in auto-focus function.

The smartphone lineup shown at this roadshow will be the Redmi Note 8 at $269 and the Redmi Note 8 Pro at $369. Both comes with a Quad Camera System.

Roidmi is Xiaomi’s new sub brand for vacuum cleaner. There will be three models available for pre-order. Collection date will be mid December. You can download an app to monitor the vacuum cleaner such as its battery life.

Samsung The Frame TV

At the Gain City booth, you can check out the Frame TV which is part TV and part Art work. The TV itself looks like a painting with changeable border. When you off the TV, you can turn off an ‘art mode’ which will start showing you famous paintings around the world, transforming your TV into a piece of painting instantaneously.

Vivo V17 Pro

The latest flagship phone from Vivo is the V17 Pro. Selfie lovers will like this phone as it comes with a industry’s first 32MP Dual Elevating Front Camera. It sports a professional-grade 48MP AI Quad camera that features a Super Macro Camera for ultra-close shots.

At this roadshow, you will get a free portable juice blender worth $39.90.

Sony PlayStation Booth

At the booth, you can try out a number of games that PlayStation has to offer. The highlight will be the Marvel Iron Man VR that you can try out which uses PlayStation VR to give you an out-of-body experience.

Games that you can try includes Overcooked 2, FIFA 2020 and Spider-Man.

Table Top and Card Game – Gallant Games

Gaming need not always be with your phone or computer. Check out Gallant Games booth where they will showcase different “offline” games that you and your friends or family can enjoy together.

Play with Robots at UBTECH

Fancy playing an Augmented Reality Game with Iron Man? At the booth, you can get to interact with a real Iron Man robot built by UBTECH. The MK50 Iron Man robot comes with coding capabilities for your kids to try their hands on simple coding logic.

There is also a robot soccer game that you can try out at the booth.

Aftershock – Custom Built Rig

For those who are interested in custom build PC, Aftershock has what you need. Some of their custom PC is showcased at the booth for your eyes to eyes to feast on. Of course if you prefer cash and carry laptops and desktops, they have it at this year SITEX as well.

D.Va Secret Lab chair

It’s pink. It’s D.Va. It’s Secret Lab! A bold pink Secret Lab chair is at the Secret Lab booth for you to try out. If pink is your color, this is the chair for you! Of course that is not the only chair available there.

After a long walk at SITEX, this is definitely the best booth to visit to rest your tire legs.

Event, Game News

Finally our very first Singapore Comic Con 2019!

November 26, 2019 Jax

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This year Singapore will finally have her very own Singapore Comic Con! While the name is new, the convention is actually a continuation of the yearly Singapore Toy, Games & Comic Convention (STGCC), one of Singapore’s top Pop Culture show. We are just two weeks away from the convention which will take place on the 7th and 8th Dec 2019 at the Marina Bay Sands Expo Hall A/B/C from 10am-7pm. Ticketing information can be found here.

Although the word ‘Toy’ has been taken out from the show name, what’s a Comic Con without toys? Exhibitors will be bringing their latest toy collections to the show. For Star Wars fans, be sure to check out the Star Wars Chess set complete with Princess Leia, Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker.

Besides the latest pop culture merchandise, fans can look forward to a star-studded line-up, including three-time New York best-selling artist famed for his artwork in graphic novels such as Batman: The Black Mirror series, Mark Simpson or better known as Jock. Alongside Jock, comic book artist and penciller, Greg Capullo will also be present for a special meet & greet session. Fans can also catch a glimpse of pop surrealist, Tara McPherson in action this year.

A visit to the Good Game Experience (GGXP) area is a must for all gamers. PVP Esports zone will be holding the finals of Singtel’s PVP Campus and Corporate Leagues featuring Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Dota 2 at the area.

From console games to tabletop games, be sure to check out this area to get all your gaming fix. If you are a Pokemon Trading Card gamer, do participate in the Pokémon Trading Card Game Special Event Championship at the Comic Con Pokémon Special Event, by Maxsoft and Project EXT. Register here on their website.

With so much to do and see, Singapore Comic Con should definitely be on your agenda for your next weekend outing!

Event

Gaming zone at SITEX 2019

November 20, 2019 Jax

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SITEX 2019, which will take place from 28th Nov to 1st Dec 2019 at the Singapore Expo, will feature a dedicated gaming zone. Here are some of the things to look out for.

Free Play Area

SITEX is not just about buying gadgets and electronics. At this free play area, you can try your hand at some of the featured games and even stand to win prizes! For example, you can take part in the MSI Gaming Triathlon Challenge 2019, where three separate 1v1 game challenges will be randomly drafted out of a pool of 10 games. These games include golden classics like Tetris and Puzzle Bobble and modern day favourites such as Street Fighter V and the newly released FIFA 20. This make it a fair competition regardless of age.

There will also be an area for retro-gaming. Arcade classics like Columns, Bomberman, Mario Kart, Metal Slug X, and old school “versus” fighting games such as Super Street Fighter II will be available at the area transporting you back to the 80s and 90s. Classic game consoles such as the SEGA Saturn, Nintendo Entertainment System, Neo Geo, and the original PlayStation

Card and Board game enthusiast are not neglected. Gallant Games, a game store in Singapore, will be participating in the exhibition this year. Popular table-top role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons and Warhammer 40,000 will be brought in by Gallant Games.

Upgrade your Gaming Gear

Home-grown gaming chair company Secretlab, now a regular at SITEX, will be at the show again this year. If you need a good gaming chair to go with your gaming rig, you should definitely try out their chairs at their booth.

If you need to upgrade your machine, check out Aftershock PC booth and Dell’s Alienware booth. Dell will be showcasing their latest Alienware Aurora Desktop R9.

For the Creator

East Asia Institute of Management (EASB) and Lionheart Studio, the competition will hold their Battle Arena Competition catered for aspiring artists and design enthusiasts. There will be three competitions namely, Ultimate speed painting, Game Design Prototype and Digital Art Workshop.

More details on the competition requirements and guidelines can be found at http://easb.edu.sg/en/sitex-competition.

GameTrader.SG is the official Media Partner for SITEX 2019

Game News

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare beta is out!

September 13, 2019 Jax

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The latest Call Of Duty simply titled Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is out now in beta across PS4, Xbox One and PC. PS4 players will be able toXbox get their beta version as early as today (for those who preordered) while the PC and player will have to wait a few days more till 19 Sept.

Do note that the actual game is not out yet till later this year.

Below is the full press release:

CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE MULTIPLAYER BETA STARTS TODAY

Weekend 1 Multiplayer Beta Kicks-off on PlayStation 4 Today

Fans on Consoles and PC Can All Play Together in the Crossplay Multiplayer Open Beta Next Weekend, Previewing the Deepest Call of Duty Multiplayer Experience to Date

Singapore, September 13, 2019 – Today, the highly-anticipated Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® beta* kicks-off for PlayStation 4 fans to get hands-on with an early look of the game’s critically-acclaimed multiplayer. Throughout the weekend, Infinity Ward will be logging valuable feedback and gameplay information ahead of the game’s global launch on October 25.

Following the recent Modern Warfare 2v2 Gunfight Open Alpha, which was the largest Alpha or Beta in Call of Duty history on PlayStation 4, the Modern WarfareBeta will deliver a deeper look at several elements ofModern Warfare’s multiplayer universe, including tight close-quarter 2v2 Gunfight gameplay, traditional 6v6 Multiplayer and large-player count experiences on massive maps featuring a wide array of vehicles. The Beta will expand in Weekend 2 to include all platforms, and for the first time in Call of Duty history, feature crossplay testing as fans across console and PC will be able to play the Modern Warfare Beta together prior to next month’s launch.

Winner of the “Best Online Multiplayer” by Game Critics Best of E3 2019, Modern Warfare’s ultimate multiplayer playground delivers an action-packed online experience with best-in-class down the barrel gameplay, along with unprecedented depth and variety in gameplay. The Beta test will feature a suite of new multiplayer modes that redefine the Call of Duty sandbox, ranging from the close-quarter frenetic 2v2 Gunfight, up to and including the epic large-scale Ground War mode supporting up to 64 players, night gameplay maps, and the fully immersive Realism mode.

“With Modern Warfare, we’re bringing the gaming community together like never before. Starting with the beta we are going to be soliciting player input and feedback that will help us to polish and refine the Day One experience at launch,” said Patrick Kelly, Creative Director and co-Studio Head, Infinity Ward. “Starting this weekend we’re planning to give players access to a new features and maps each day. Then next weekend, we will introduce crossplay, enabling players to connect with friends and other gamers across platforms. We are also planning to expose more new content and ways to play in the second weekend. In all, we can’t wait for the community to jump in both weekends.”

Players will have two weekends to join in on the fun, with new content and playlists rolling out throughout the beta.

PlayStation 4 Exclusive Beta – Weekend 1
- September 13 – 17 (Open Beta, PlayStation 4)

Beta featuring crossplay testing – Weekend 2
- September 20 – 21 (Early Access, PC and Xbox One; Open Beta, PlayStation 4)
- September 22 – 24 (Open Beta, PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox One)

For the full rundown of all planned Beta content as well as information for feedback and updates, please visit https://blog.activision.com/call-of-duty.

While the beta is just a portion of the overall Modern Warfare multiplayer offering, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare offers a unified narrative experience across all modes of play, including the thrilling single player story campaign and the all-new Special Ops co-op mode accessible to all skill levels.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is scheduled for release globally October 25^th on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The title features a fully-optimized PC version, developed in partnership with Beenox, which will be available exclusively on Battle.net^®, Blizzard Entertainment’s online gaming platform. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is published by Activision, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI) with development led by award-winning developer, Infinity Ward, and additional development support from Beenox, High-Moon Studios and Raven Software.

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Lenovo Legion Y740 Gamer Laptop

March 11, 2019 Jax

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Gamers these days are simply spoiled for choices when coming to choosing their gaming laptop. At the CES 2019, Lenovo announced it’s next generation Legion Gaming laptops, the Legion Y740. Today, it’s available for purchase! Below is the press release for the new Legion Y740.

Singapore, 8 March 2019 – Today, Lenovo launched its new Legion Y740 gaming laptops in Singapore. First unveiled at CES 2019 in Las Vegas, the Legion Y740 was designed with a gamer-first mentality and promises an unparalleled gaming experience for all users.
Built to accommodate the on-the-go gamer, Lenovo Legion laptops have only gotten better over time. This year, the sleek, modern laptops have been upgraded so that they are in step with the higher performance that players demand in 2019.

Available with up to the latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPUs, Intel® Core™ processors and Windows® 10 Home, the Legion Y740 laptops offer blazing-fast gaming speeds to play the latest releases, photo and video editing, binge-watching shows, or multitasking simultaneously at once. On top of this, there are no flashy lights or garish colors to distract, thanks to its discreet design.

The top-of-the-line Lenovo Legion Y740 has what the most serious core gamer needs. The cutting-edge GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q GPU is available on the 15-inch model, giving it more than enough power to run the latest action-filled titles. Its bigger 17-inch sibling supplies even more power with up to the GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q GPU, upgraded from the last generation’s GeForce® GTX 10-series GPUs.

‘Gamers uses their laptops and PCs not just for gaming, but for everything from work to video editing and watching movies. Furthermore, we know from our research that there isn’t a ‘typical gamer’; gamers are every day people from all walks of life. Hence, we built the Legion Y740 such that it delivers unparalleled gaming performance, but also strikes a good balance between work and play,’ says Eddie Ang, Country General Manager, Lenovo Singapore.

You can get the specs of the Laptop from this link.

For purchase, you can visit Lenovo’s online shop here

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Review of new Hong Kong Pokémon hub

December 17, 2018 Jax

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With the closure of Hong Kong Pokemon Hub within a year, fans of Pokémon are left without an official Pokémon store outside of Japan to go to. So it was a surprise to us that a new Pokemon Hub has just opened recently on the 8th Dec 2018 at the popular Langham Place in Mong Kok! Located at the heart of Mong Kok, Hong Kong, this is the almost perfect location for a relaunch of the Pokemon Hub. And so with much anticipation, we went over to the place on it’s first day of opening.

Sadly, there wasn’t any live Pikachu or Eevee mascot present at the shop on opening day. Having been to the Tokyo Pokemon Cafe and Pokemon Center, the Hong Kong shop is really rather underwhelming. The shop space itself is small (not more than 30m² I would say ). Merchandise-wise, you are able to find an assorted collection of Pikachu and Eevee plushies in various costumes. Some of which can also be found in the Tokyo Pokemon Center which is good if you do not have the chance to go to the one in Tokyo.

There is a 2m tall Pikachu mascot that you can take picture with. However, it maybe tough to get a good angle given that the store is limited in space. For photo opportunity, you can try the huge Lapras at the entrance or the wallpapers outside the store.

All in all, we wouldn’t recommend going specifically to this Pokemon Hub unless you are an absolute fan or happen to be in the area. Merchandises are limited in choices and there isn’t much instagrammable pictures to take. Nonetheless, before the opening of the Pokemon Center in Singapore, this could be the only place to get your Pokemon fix at an official store outside Singapore.

Address: Level 12, shop10-11,朗豪坊Langham Place Mall, 8號 Argyle St, Mong Kok

Opening Hours: 11am to 11pm

General

Anime Festival Asia 2018 – A special 10th year anniversary

November 30, 2018 Jax

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As we head towards the end of the year, fans of Japan Anime and Pop culture would probably be going to Japan for holiday. If you are still in Singapore and want a taste of Japan be sure to visit Anime Festival Asia (AFA) 2018. AFA 2018 is an annual anime festival held around around Southeast Asia. The Singapore edition is always held towards the end of the year. Let’s us take you on a quick tour of the event.

Pop Team Epic booth features a photo booth where you can take picture with this two iconic character. And of course, the middle fingers are censored.

This year is the 10th anniversary of AFA. It is indeed a long running event that has become a yearly pilgrimage for all anime fans in Singapore.

Giant Fate Grand Order (FGO) poster can be seen hanging around the convention hall.

This cute mascot is what all these Fate Grand order fab has been waiting for. Kawaii!

Fate Grand Order has a rather giant booth this year.

Many shops are selling figurines at special offer. Remember to bring more cash to the event!

Bili Bili booth at AFA.

You cannot miss the Gundam booth. It’s the first booth you will see when entering the hall. Like last year, a 2m plus tall Gundam will greet you at the main entrance.

We are in the midst of the third season of Sword Art Online Alicization. The highly acclaimed series has a strong following of fans. And if you are one of them, check out the popularity board where you can get to vote for your favorite SAO character!