Cosplay has clearly become global phenomenon. No longer confined to the country of Japan, the art of costumed play has now taken root in places like California and Rome.

Given how far reaching cosplay has become, Alltern8.com will now be bringing you regular news reports and links about cosplay from all corners of the globe. From individual blog reports to major news coverage, if people are talking about cosplay, you'll be reading about it here!

In this edition of the Worldwide Cosplay News Roundup:

1. AFA’09 Regional Cosplay Championship Finalist and Cosplay Pre-Registration

Well, the results for the AFA09 Regional Cosplay Championship have been announced! The AFA Cosplay Committee has chosen which groups will represent their country for the top title as “South-East Asia’s Best Cosplayer”. Representing The Philippines: Alodia & Ashley; Indonesia: The Endless Illusion; Singapore: ST Revolution; Singapore: 00 Emotions; Malaysia: Sakai no Gumi; and for Thailand: Houshin Engi. The winning team will take home a trip for 2 to Tokyo, Japan as the grand prize.

2. Image Anime Cosplay Contest Announced

Image Anime (located at 242 West 30th Street., New York City, USA) is hosting an in-house cosplay contest for local anime fans on Halloween. The contest begins at 4 p.m. on October 31, 2009 and runs until 6:30 p.m.. There’ll be separate categories for guys and girls. A couple important notes: no weapons, there are no changing rooms, and cosplays must have a PG rating.

3. Cosplay Contest at Eastwood City’s “Sleepless Halloween Nights” Event

Eastwood City (Philippines) is hosting a cosplay contest on October 30, 2009. Registration is at 7 p.m., and the contest begins at 8 p.m. The prizes range from McDonald’s giftcards to Eastwood City Cinema Passes. Visit www.philanime.com for more information.