Digimon Universe Introduces "Appmon" and "Digital Kids Card Game"

May 20th, 2016. Via Famitsu, Bandai announced today that the Digimon Universe Applimonsters property will be accompanied by a "Digital Kids Card Game" along with other products. The TV anime Digimon Universe Applimonsters will broadcast in Autumn 2016, as part of a cross-media project. The anime will also be accompanied by toys, "video games, and magazines among other things." A description of the anime series was provided, and is translated below.

The TV Anime "Digimon Universe Applimonsters" is...
The "Digital Monster," or "Digimon" series for short, originally began in 1997 with the LCD toy "Digital Monster," and in 1999 broadcast as the TV anime Digimon Adventure, from then on becoming beloved by people of all ages. Inheriting that genealogy is the new story Digimon Universe Applimonsters.

The keys to Universe are the "smartphone applications" that now connect many people all across the world. The setting is one where lying dormant in those "applications" are artificially intelligence lifeforms "Applimonsters," or "Appmon" for short, of which "There are only as many monsters as are applications." 

The Digimon series continues to fascinate with a future a little ways ahead.

Now in this work, "artificial intelligence" and a tour of battle become a big topic, and "Appmon" play a heated part.

Universe is a collaboration between the toy company Bandai, the game company Bandai Namco Entertainment, and the animation studio Toei Animation. More information on the series will be available at the 2016 Tokyo Toy Show on June 9th. The Toy Show will be open to the public beginning on the 11th.

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.

Omegamon Alter-B Artwork Shown in 4/21 V Jump

05/19/2016: Clearer images provided courtesy of Jeff Ruberg.

On May 1st, 2016, Twitter user @violetvento23 uploaded this scan from monthly V Jump magazine, featuring Omegamon Alter-B of Digimon World -next 0rder-. The artwork used is the same used in Alter-B's in-game trading card. (Shown below.) This issue should not be confused with the 5/21 issue, which introduces the new Digimon Universe series.

The page details a new DLC episode found in the ver.1.03 update patch in which the Three Gods of Destruction (Kuzuhamon, Gaioumon, and Titamon) can be recruited as villagers for the city of Floatia, and provides a short profile for Alter-B, but this last part is cut off.

The description at left reads "Its whole body gives off an ominous light!!" and at right "An irregular transformation!?" At the bottom of the page, an advertisement for the V Jump Books official strategy guide mentions the positive reception the guide has received.

Alter-B is one of two new Digimon introduced by -next 0rder-, alongside Omegamon Zwart D. The design is a Zwart recolor of Omegamon X-Antibody, with the normal Garuru Cannon and Grey Sword swapped to become the Garuru Sword and Grey Cannon.

New Series "Digimon Universe Applimonsters" Allegedly Leaked by the Site that Spoiled Xenoverse 2

05/19/2016 Update: This has been confirmed by images from V Jump.

May 17th, 2016. Japanese spoiler blog Alternator reported today that the latest issue of V Jump magazine contains an announcement of a new upcoming Digimon series, Digimon Universe Applimonsters. Said to be an Autumn 2016 collaboration between Bandai, Bandai Namco Entertainment, and Toei Animation, Universe Applimonsters is supposed to encompass a toyline, TV anime series, and video games. Alternator acquired the information via a furage ("Flying Get") meaning they acquired an issue of the magazine more than a day ahead of its street date. Such acquisitions are made possible by paying off middleman distributors, or stores that get their stock early. Alternator's original statement with an English translation is provided below.

「デジモンユニバース　アプリモンスターズ」
"Digimon Universe Applimonsters" (Dejimon Unibaasu Apurimonsutaazu)
バンダイ×バンダイナムコエンターテインメント×東映アニメーションのホビー・ゲーム・TVアニメ超大型プロジェクト2016年秋始動、というのですがどうもこれ名前からしてもスマりそう。
A super massive scale hobby, game, and TV anime project between Bandai x Bandai Namco Entertainment x Toei Animation beginning in Autumn 2016, or so it says, but going by this name it seems more likely to fit smartphones.
6/9からの東京おもちゃショー2016でさらなる情報解禁ともあるので、スマんなくても3DSったりはしそうですし。
Additional information will be unveiled at the Tokyo Toy Show beginning 6/9, if not for smartphones then likely for 3DS.
ちなみにおもちゃ連動という事でPSVitaの可能性は低かろうと考えていますが、デジモンワールドnext 0rderについても無料配信コンテンツで謎のデジモンが育成出来るという情報もあり、まだ動きは続いていきそうです。
By the way, I think the possibility of toys accompanying the PS Vita may be low, but since there is also information about freely distributed content for Digimon World -next 0rder- allowing you to raise a mysterious Digimon, this activity is likely to be followed up on.

Whether this news is to be regarded as trustworthy or not is a source of contention. The facts are as follows; Alternator has been around since April 2013, and in that time seems to have maintained a clean record, not attempting to spread hoaxes. The other statement in their post, that Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 will be announced for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, was proven true four and a half hours after they first reported it. Alternator normally labels rumors, but is treating Digimon Universe as fact. No other source has corroborated the Universe story, but the site also has a number of other claims made around the same time, and confirming or debunking them may point to the reliability of the Universe story;

• Weekly Famitsu volume 1433 features a Guilty Gear Xrd -Revelator- illustration as its cover image. (As of yet unproven; the "current" cover on Enterbrain's website is from volume 1432. This has been confirmed true as of 5/19/16.)
• At 9:52 PM on 05/17/2016 JST, Alternator reported that the same issue contains a lengthy interview with five team heads from Koei Tecmo, summarizing each person's portion. Approximately eight minutes later Hachima Kikou (veteran source of 9+ years) corroborated this. Alternator's summary matches up with the actual interview, down to the ordering of individual points like Ruby Party developing a "neoromance" title that will appeal to men as well as women, and the 20th anniversary of Atelier. An English translation of Hachima Kikou's version of the interview was published by Gematsu.
• At 1:57 AM on 05/11/2016 JST, Alternator reported that Persona 5 producer Hashino Katsura would be providing commentary in Dengeki PlayStation volume 614, which was confirmed within twenty-four hours by Persona Central's scans of the issue.
• They also described Divine Prison Tower: Mary Skelter and Genkai Tokki: Seven Pirates being covered in the same issue of Dengeki PlayStation, but no scans of these sections have surfaced. Their statement that the next issue would feature a full guide of Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, as well as an introductory feature to Dragon Quest Heroes 2, were both later confirmed when images of the magazine cover were put out by Enterbrain.

The site's regulars are accepting the Universe story at face value, some of them expressing disappointment in the comments at the lack of a Cyber Sleuth 2. After scrutinizing Alternator's track record, I'm inclined to believe that they're telling the truth. Alternator has been publishing game news for several years with no indication of attempting to create or promote hoaxes, has put out reliable furage before, and has a relatively strong following for a site of its size that indicates a degree of trust. Whatever the truth is, we'll know come next V Jump. The next issue's street date is May 21st.

Digimon World -next 0rder- Coming to Taiwan in June, No PS4 Port

April 15th, 2016. Bandai Namco Entertainment Taiwan announced that the PlayStation Vita game Digimon World -next 0rder- will be coming to the island country on June 9th, 2016. Like Cyber Sleuth, which Taiwan got a translation of ahead of western gamers in November 2015, the game currently appears to be in undubbed Japanese but with traditional Chinese subtitles and in-game text.  But unlike Sleuth, the game will exclusively be brought over on the PlayStation Vita, with no PlayStation 4 port having been announced. No word has been given as to whether or not -next 0rder- will be coming to English-speaking countries; previously Sleuth debuted in North America and Europe about 70 days after it did in Taiwan.

This is a key localization for Bandai, as it marks the first time in over seventeen years that a World game has been localized in Chinese. Initial screenshots already show successful implementation of Chinese text in gameplay, suggesting that progress on the translation has been ongoing for some time. Bandai Taiwan reuploaded one of the game's primary official trailers to YouTube, which is in Chinese-subtitled Japanese. Unlike Bandai of Japan, Taiwan has chosen to present the title as -Next Order- online, whereas other sources like @Digimon_game use -next 0rder-.

Ver.1.02 Digimon World -next 0rder- Patch Fixes Bugs, Online Mode

April 14th, 2016. The official Digimon World -next 0rder- title site added the game's long-awaited ver.1.02 update today, a massive update containing  numerous bugfixes and modifications to the gameplay. Tamers can make use of the postgame scenario teased last month after bringing the overall maximum Prosperity rating for Floatia over 100, after recruiting Scumon, Numemon, and Platinum Numemon. The update also revises the Different Dimension Box in Jijimon's House to allow tamers to battle online using their in-game LCD virtual pets three times per day. (Previously, they could only battle once per day.) The number of building materials that can be retained has also gone up, from 100 to 200.

The bugs remedied by 1.02 are as follows;

• Tamers being sent outside the boundaries of the map after battling in Logic Volcano.
• One of the partner Digimon's lifespans drastically increasing without respect to the other
• Random disabling of the "Go to bed" option while camping.
• Digimon LCD sprites not displaying when inflicted with the Flat status effect (which reduces the Digimon to an LCD sprite)
• A bug preventing players from claiming two copies of the same item as a post-battle drop. 
• Various other issues.

After updating, the title screen will switch from daytime to dusk, and the game's version number will update on the lower right-hand corner.