Trends in Japan - CScout Japan Blog

Live Dream sensor stage from Sega Toys

Written by: Michael Keferl on September 12, 2008 at 10:33 am | In DIGITAL LIFE | No Comments

UPDATE: The Sega Live Dream is now available online.

Coming up in the Ippin Mono (Rare Goods) series from Sega Toys is a home audio set that, like the Grand Pianist and Little Jammer Pro (shop link), plays “live style” music at home. In this case, however, there are no robotics, but sensors in the stage that react when an instrument is placed on it.

live dream sega toys

Containing 30 tracks, and expandable with extra cartridges, the Live Dream can play up to 18 tracks simultaneously, depending on which instruments you have on stage. Place the piano on, and immediately hear it from the side of the stage that you place it on. The other 17 instruments, from drums to guitars, all work the same way and allow you to experiment with different instruments on the same songs.

You can see some video of the Live Dream in our coverage of this year’s Tokyo Toy Show, along with lots of other new goods from Sega and other makers.

Tags: Ippin Mono, Live Dream, Sega Toys, Tokyo Toy Show
Category: DIGITAL LIFE
Other categories: MARKETING IDEAS, LIFESTYLE / FASHION, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution No Derivatives license

Home Jukebox mp3 Wurlitzer from Sega Toys

Written by: Michael Keferl on January 23, 2008 at 6:04 pm | In DIGITAL LIFE | 1 Comment

The idea of “adult toys” may conjure up a different image for some (dirty minds!), but Sega Toys and others have done very well in the past few years promoting their lines of toys geared to adults. For Sega, these are called Ippin Mono (rare objects), and the upcoming ~~Jukebox 19xx~~ Home Jukebox is no exception.

A 1/10 scale model of the classic Wurlitzer 1015 from 1946, the ~~Jukebox 19xx~~ Home Jukebox plays all of your favorite songs through an SD card or even by attaching your iPod to the system. Just insert ¥100, choose your favorite song, and delight in the LED lights synchronized to the music.

Not nostalgic enough? There’s even a carousel of mini albums that are grabbed by the robotic arm and spun on the turntable! We also heard from our source that the ~~Jukebox 19xx~~ Home Jukebox overlays some “scratchy” sounds the replicate a record (hopefully optional. Release is scheduled for July, and will retail for around $280.

Via IT Media

Tags: Ippin Mono, Sega Toys
Category: DIGITAL LIFE
Other categories: MARKETING IDEAS, LIFESTYLE / FASHION, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

Bandai’s Little Jammer PRO gets a sultry vocalist

Written by: Michael Keferl on February 28, 2007 at 1:57 am | In DIGITAL LIFE | No Comments

The latest addition to Bandai’s Little Jammer family is a sexy female jazz singer. Though we’ve yet to hear her voice (which is a real woman singing), she has her own speaker like all Little Jammer pieces and has been designed to accompany the latest Little Jammer album Live! the Debut. Just as a song begins, she turns on her platform and faces the mic, ready to sing. While other Little Jammer band members move their instruments with the tune, the vocalist moves her mouth, shakes her waist with her singing, and moves her left hand to the beat all in complete synchronicity to the music. Even for tracks with no singing she still moves to the rhythm.

kenwood-bandai-little-jammer-pro-vocalist

kenwood-bandai-little-jammer-pro-vocalist-album

Bandai’s target market for the vocalist is baby boomer males (with disposable income of course), and they expect to sell about 10,000 pieces within the next year. Available from March 9th, she comes complete with the new album for ¥16,800 ($140). No word on a male vocalist yet, but we suspect that it wouldn’t be nearly as popular as this red-dressed mechanical seductress.

More on Little Jammer Pro here. You can buy the original set and the vocalist here.

Pictures and info via Bandai

Tags: Bandai, Ippin Mono, Little Jammer
Category: DIGITAL LIFE
Other categories: MARKETING IDEAS, LIFESTYLE / FASHION, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

Sega Grand Pianist miniature grand piano

Written by: Michael Keferl on February 2, 2007 at 1:40 am | In DIGITAL LIFE | 1 Comment

The Sega “Grand Pianist” is an amazing work of technological and musical art. Despite being only 4mm wide, each key works just as on a real piano, delivering natural sound through the speaker. It comes with 100 built-in songs (expandable with an SD card to play many more), and for every song the keys actually move and play the song like a miniature player piano! Be sure to watch the video below…

sega-grand-pianist-piano-1

Features:

* 88 tiny, yet responsive, keys you can play yourself
* The keys move perfectly to each song on their own
* Amazing detail and size
* Great sound, with songs chosen by violinist Taro Hakase
* Piano bench