Motomiya Daisuke G.E.M. Figure Announced at Mega Hobby Expo 2016

Original image uploaded by @mega_girlshobby.

May 28th, 2016. Today's Mega Hobby Expo not only offered a first look at the colored Matsuda Takato & Guilmon G.E.M. Series figure announced earlier this month, but was also accompanied by the surprise announcement of a Motomiya Daisuke & V-mon figure pair. Previously Digimon Adventure 02 fans had expressed some frustration in the light of Takato's figure announcement, as studio Mega House had previously only produced a figure for Ichijouji Ken of 02, seemingly jumping straight to Tamers despite having produced figures of every one of Adventure's Chosen Children. The announcement that Daisuke will be receiving a figure of his own has seemingly put these concerns to rest in wake of the announcement, although the figure's time frame has not yet been announced.

Original image uploaded by @susuyan81.

The expo also featured the upcoming card tin and accompanying Hyper Colosseum cards, providing a first look at some of the set's reprints. These will be compatible with the D-Ark Ver. 15th, and faithfully replicate the appearance and foiling of the original cards. Particular notable among the cards shown is King Device, an option card which on the original D-Ark Ultimate could be slashed alongside Queen Device to gain simultaneous bonuses to HP, AP, and SP.

The card identifying the V-mon & Motomiya Daisuke figure. Original image uploaded by @mega_girlshobby.

Digimon Adventure tri. voice actor and general Digimon fan Matsuzawa Chiaki tweeted about the expo, expressing gratitude to MegaHouse for supporting Digimon, and expressing hope that Frontier would be next.

D-Ark Ver. 15th Card Set Includes Takato's Storage Tin

May 21st, 2016. Bandai's official Carddass website updated today with information on the upcoming Digital Monster Card Game D-Ark ver. 15th Edition set. According to their webpage, it will be a special product of the defunct Digital Monster Card Game, containing 65 cards related to the Digimon Tamers anime. The set's total contents is listed below, with all of the cards listed being compatible with the D-Ark Ver. 15th Digivice. The set will also include a special storage tin, "Takato's Favorite Box Tin," modeled on the tin used by Matsuda Takato to store his cards in Tamers. This is the first time this product has been available.

The set will include:

• 65 cards in all: 59 reprints, 2 new cards (featured in Tamers but not printed previously), 2 newly-created original cards, 1 lenticular Blue Card, and 1 lenticular Red Card.
• 1 Takato Card Storage Box Tin
• 1 Digital Monster Tamers Special Book (A5 size)

The total cost of the entire set will be 6,480 yen, about $59 at the current exchange rate. The set's order page will open on July 22nd, 2016, and is limited to twelve copies per person. Further announcements are coming on June 10th, 24th, and July 15th. As stated in V Jump magazine, the set will be sold through the Premium Bandai web shop, not through traditional retailers or card shops.

Like the last year's Digimon Adventure 15th Anniversary Set, the D-Ark ver. 15th Edition set does not contain booster packs nor distribution based on rarity, but rather simply includes one of everything. The Digital Monster Card Game--also known as Hyper Colosseum--has not had a "normal" booster set release since 2005, and today is rarely played physically outside of the fan-organized quad-annual DIGIMADO tournament series. Instead, the game primarily survives via online play among its Japanese fans, with its metagame remaining static for many years.

D-Ark Ver. 15th Digivice Teaser Page Goes Online

"Through fifteen years of time...The countdown to Adventure, begins now--"

May 20th, 2016. The official Premium Bandai web shop updated with a teaser page for the D-Ark Ver. 15th Digivice, which was previously leaked yesterday in an early issue of V Jump magazine. As revealed in V Jump, the first colors for the D-Ark will be Matsuda Takato (red) and Makino Ruki. (Blue) Mirroring the original D-Ark toy, accompanying trading cards are depicted in the teaser, likely for card slash functionality. The page promises a further evolution of the Ver. 15th series, with additional information scheduled for on June 21st.

A list of devices the D-Ark Ver. 15th is intended to be compatible with is not yet public. The original D-Ark was somewhat disruptive within its own time for being incompatible with the first virtual pets and Digivices, only having compatibility with the Pendulum series, Pendulum Progress, and D-3.

This Ver. 15th's tagline is an allusion to Digimon Tamers' opening theme The Biggest Dreamer, although it references a part of the lyrics not heard in its TV size version--"For a long time / I've heard the countdown / I'm prepared / Let's start now, change into zero!"

The toy is preceded by the D-3 Ver. 15th, which will be distributed next month.

V Jump Announces Digimon Universe, D-Ark Ver. 15th, TCG, Possible Maicoomon Evolution in -next 0rder-

05/20/2016 Update: An official site for Universe is live.

May 19th, 2016. An early leak of this month's issue of V Jump magazine posted by @white4527 confirms the information previously published by Alternator, that a new collaboration project between Bandai, Bandai Namco Entertainment, and Toei Animation called Digimon Universe Applimonsters (デジモン Universe アプリモンスターズ Dejimon Unibaasu Apurimonsutaazu, also translated as App Monsters) will be coming in 2016. A second page posted by @kouniko25252 discusses merchandise celebrating the ongoing fifteenth anniversary of Digimon Tamers, primarily a newly-announced D-Ark Ver. 15th Digivice.

More information on Universe will become available at this year's 2016 Tokyo Toy Show on June 9th. The current teaser image features the face of a new Digimon and a magnifying glass, as well as a number of smartphone-style apps. This page states that Universe will be a hobby, game, and TV anime project, which matches Alternator's description. The page's copyright attributes its content to the "Appmon Project." (アプモンプロジェクト)

The D-Ark Ver. 15th will feature two new Digimon not found in the original models, Megidramon and Sakuyamon Miko Mode. It will come in two colors, Matsuda Takato (red) and Makino Ruki (blue). Additionally, a "Digimon Card Special BOX" has been announced, containing a new Digimon Card Game D-Ark Ver. 15th Edition derived from the original Hyper Colosseum TCG used in Tamers.

These will both be Premium Bandai web shop items, and will be available for preorder July 22nd, going out in January 2017. The Special BOX will cost 6000 yen plus sales tax, while the D-Ark's price has not been announced. All previous Ver. 15th Digivices cost 9990 yen prior to tax.

The issue also covers the upcoming Beelzebumon Blast Mode and Makino Rukino G.E.M. figures, which now have determined prices. Blast Mode with an accompanying Impmon figure will cost 13,200 yen prior to tax (about $130 US) and Ruki with Renamon will cost 6800 yen prior to tax. (About $70 US.)

Finally, another image posted by @white4517 reveals that yet another update for Digimon World -next 0rder- will allow tamers to raise an "unknown Digimon" in Digimon World -next 0rder-. This "mysterious new Digimon" can be raised after clearing a new scenario, and will be available for download beginning in June. While the Digimon is not named, the profile image is similar to the Maicoomon evolution teased in the second chapter of Digimon Adventure tri. Seeing as Maicoomon was already made DLC previously, it's probable that this is her evolution. Additionally, the official V Jump Books Digimon World -next 0rder- Official Guidebook will be reprinted at 1300 yen.

Digimon Celebration Encourages Tamers to Bring Their Digivices

December 18th, 2015. Fan event organizer Digimon World Tour updated the Pittsburgh Digimon Celebration event page today, encouraging tamers to bring their Digimon virtual pets and Digivices to the event. The Celebration will take place on February 6th, 2016, just four days after the North American launch of Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth on the PlayStation 4 and Vita. Fans will be able to play a collection of Digimon games on-site, including the Rumble series, and demos of Cyber Sleuth. World Tour is setting up several giveaways at the event and asking fans of all types to attend, whether they're cosplayers, gamers, or anime fans. Structured over Facebook, currently just over 40 persons have committed to going, while 90 have expressed "interest," and 268 others have been invited.

Although not originally planned as part of the event, fans began discussing the possibility of organizing an impromptu Digivice and/or virtual pet tournament soon after the page went up, as well as a separate competition for those that will have already bought Cyber Sleuth. Thus far, World Tour has been unable to make any absolute promises. More details about the Celebration can be viewed here.

Those looking to purchase a virtual pet or Digivice prior to the event should consult File Island's connectivity charts to see which are compatible beforehand, and our recent price guide. At present the Digivice iC, Xros Wars Mini, and Digimon Neo are the least expensive toys on the market, ranging for between $18 and $30.