• piracy

    Canada Joins U.S. Piracy Watch List

    We warned you, Canada. The ESA dropped us a line today to inform us that our neighbors to the north have officially made the U.S. Priority Watch List for failing to protect intellectual property. More »
    04/30/09
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    Comment by Komrade Kayce - Hero of Soviet Kotaku: Lucky for you Americans, we've only got one road in this country. So if you want to visit the Prime... 22 Responses | Other threads

  • anti-piracy

    ELSPA Celebrates First Anti-Piracy Raid Of 2009

    The Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association rings in the new year with news of their first anti-piracy raid of 2009, in which they seized computers and more than 1,000 illegally copied games. More »
    01/09/09
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    Comment by tbombrocks: That really sucks. I wonder if they will give him back his computer? 64 Responses | Other threads

  • activision

    Activision Pirate Shaken By Legal Scare Tactics

    So Activision is going all RIAA on software pirates, and now the pirates have started to complain. Over at GameCyte an anonymous pirate who fell under the scrutiny of Activision's crack legal team laments over his harsh treatment at their hands, detailing how they callously based their monetary demand on his personal income and buying habits rather than the material infringed, and how they suggested that if he hire a lawyer he'd wind up paying them even more. Towards the end of the article he even muses on how people who hear of such harsh treatment might not buy Activision products anymore. More »
    09/24/08
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    Comment by fourzerotwo: I was shop lifting from this store the other day, and the manager was extremely rude to me when he... 30 Responses | Other threads

  • activision

    Activision Suing Pirates RIAA Style

    Peter Moore at EA may think suing pirates doesn't help, but Activision offers up a tall frosty glass of "fuck that" by suing a New York man for allegedly copying and distributing its games. More »
    09/21/08
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    Comment by Llost: Well done activision, find them, sue them, stop them. Simple as that and then maybe people will stop pirating games.... 39 Responses | Other threads

  • entertainment software association

    ESA Cheers For Pirates' Prison Sentences

    The Entertainment Software Association issued a press release today that for once wasn't scolding a U.S. state for pursuing unconstitutional game legislation. Instead, they take a moment to applaud the sentencing of two convicted software pirates - Kevin Fuchs of New York and Kifah Maswadi of Florida, both of whom received prison terms for their efforts at taking away money from hardworking developers and publishers. More »
    08/28/08
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    Comment by interstate78: this is just like the tobacco industry: they don't hit where it hurts. why all these laws if they could... 25 Responses | Other threads

  • pirates of the burning sea

    New Pirate Classes In PotBS

    Up until now, pirates in Flying Lab's MMO Pirates of the Burning Sea have gotten the short end of the stick. While the different nations had a choice of career paths, pirates were pirates, which works fine in PVE but in group PVP it led to an imbalance...everyone knows what they're up against when they're fighting pirates. Well not anymore. The upcoming 1.4 patch of the game is introducing two new pirate classes, separate factions in the Brethren of the Coast. Existing pirates will be become Cutthroats, the more brutal type of pirates, while players creating new characters can opt between that or the new Buccaneer class.
    Buccaneers are pirates too, but a bit subtler than their burning-bearded brethren. They steal and loot, but also manipulate the black markets. Some would call them gentleman adventurers, though few are true blue bloods. Buccaneers do not have the raw power of cutthroats, but they work well in groups and can help friends and cripple enemies.
    Bah. Either way they're still pirates, and one ninja could easily take either out. More »
    05/13/08
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    Comment by Yamen: I really like PotBS, it's kinda like Eve though, you have to be the kind of person who wants to... more » | Other threads

  • gta iv

    The Pirate Bay Is Unapologetically Now Liberty Bay

    While we wouldn't expect much in the way of apology or shame from the folks running mega-popular Swedish torrent tracker The Pirate Bay—that's not their style—we were just a bit surprised to see how timely and frank the site's home page was, now that cracked PAL and NTSC versions of Grand Theft Auto IV for Xbox 360 appear to have made their way online. The site doesn't show too much activity on the two torrents that promise free and illegal copies of GTA IV, but it sure seems like TPB is prepping for a rush. Remember, kids, stealing is bad! More »
    04/25/08
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    Comment by freespeech: go PIRATE BAY (LIBERTY BAY)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! more » | Other threads

  • capcom digital day 08

    Hands On With Capcom's Piratical Plunder

    Nothing will have me running to check out a new game like the promise of pirates so when it was announced that a game called Plunder would be playable at Capcom's Digital Day I made my way to the room as soon as I could. Plunder, developed by Certain Affinity (Whose lead designer is Max Hoberman of Halo 2 and 3 multiplayer fame), is a real time multiplayer strategy game inspired by titles like Settlers of Cattan. On a hex tile board, players take control of their own pirate ship and attempt to gain domiance over the ports that are placed around different spots on the map. Capturing various areas will yield spoils that will allow you to upgrade your ships with faster speed, stronger shields and better firepower. Pointing and clicking on a hex area will start moving your ship to that space and passing by an enemy will initiate automated cannon fire between the two ships. The game is won when one player or team gains control over the majority of ports. More »
    03/13/08
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    Comment by Brimful: Looks alot like Entdecker which was made by Klaus Teuber the same guy that made Settlers. Here is the Game board geek... more » | Other threads

  • capcom digital day 08

    Gallery: Plunder

    Ahoy mateys! Feast your eyes upon this bounty of Plunder screens. Thar be twenty photos below in Davey Jones' Locker. Please continue filling in ridiculous pirate speak monologue here... More »
    03/13/08
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    Comment by teeth7: Yaargh, there be a game prettier than any beer wench I been seein' for quite some time. Be ye controllin'... more » | Other threads

  • pc

    PC Gaming's Piracy "Sales" Charts

    PC sales charts? Bloody useless. What good are sales charts when every second PC gamer just pirates games for nothing? Exactly. So Rock, Paper, Shotgun's Kieron Gillen has done a little digging through a single day's worth of downloads from bittorrent site Mininova and come up with some charts that help show what many PC users are actually playing, if not buying. More »
    03/05/08
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    Comment by rinerdar: PC developers need to just exclusively work off the Steam platform, thats where the money is. Audiosurf, Orange Box, and... more » | Other threads

  • pc

    Pirates of the Burning Sea Goes Live

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    01/22/08
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    Comment by Burning Lego Monk: @scarshapedstar: Are you trying to claim that there's no PVP in EVE...? After taking part in a few alliance battles involving 300+... more » | Other threads

  • game announcements

    Akella's City Of Abandoned Ships Pirated

    Russian developer Akella are the closest thing gaming has to pirate specialists. They've got titles like Pirates of the Caribbean (Xbox), Age of Pirates, and Sea Dogs under their belts already, and they've just announced a new game for 2008, City of Abandoned Ships. It's a pirate RPG that allows you to take the role of the pirates themselves or any of the usual suspects: England, France, Spain, or the Dutch. You'll get ship=to=ship combat, meet historical figures, and explore land-based locations throughout the Caribbean. They're so pirate they've even come up with a nifty anagram for their advancement system: P.I.R.A.T.E.S - Power, Impression, Reaction, Authority, Talent, Endurance and Success. They might be going a little overboard here, but years at sea will do that to you. City of Abandoned Ships is due in the first quarter of 2008, most likely for the PC. More »
    11/16/07
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    Comment by ajbcase: @Aescalon: I hope not pobs sucks more » | Other threads

  • bonus

    Pre-orders Of The Caribbean

    Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean Online is a free MMO, and like most free MMO's, things get better when you pay. Players who subscribe to Unlimited Access for $9.95 a month get better ships, better quests, better PVP, better weapons, and the ability to create a guild. Now Disney is sweetening the deal by offering a pre-order bonus for players who sign up for Unlimited Access early. Those willing to donate working credit card numbers will get 1/2 off the first month of their $9.95 subscription, a nifty cloth map featuring pictures of very small islands and the like, and an exclusive founder's title for each of your characters that proves you were there when the game started. A relatively sweet deal, but I'm still holding out for a Haunted Mansion MMO where Eddie Murphy gives me quests. More »
    10/16/07
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    Comment by AroundTheFur: the first quest eddie murphy will direct you on will be helping him find a transvestite. REMEMBER, PEOPLE!? more » | Other threads

  • avast

    Talk Like A Pirate Day

    It's September 19th, ladies and gentlemen, and you all know what that means. Whether you are a Pirate of the Burning Sea, a Pirate of the Caribbean, a Puzzle Pirate, or one of Sid Meier's stalwart band of buccaneers, today is your day. Break out the eye patch, cut off your leg and replace it with a wooden stump (do NOT actually do this), and crack open the rum, for International Talk Like A Pirate Day is upon us, may god have mercy on our souls. It's a special day for Kotaku, as it is a well documented fact that we are captained by the notorious dread pirate Crecente, whose exploits and bird shirts are the stuff of nautical legends. How are you planning on celebrating this day? As a ninja, I am going into hiding, though to be honest that's pretty much what ninja do anyway when they aren't killing pirates. Maybe I'll toss in a silent yar for the occasion.
    09/19/07
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    Comment by KM91: As a ninja guy, I refuse to talk like a pirate. Pirates are for having their necks snapped. more » | Other threads

  • pirates

    PotBS Celebrates Talk Like A Pirate Day In Seattle

    Pirates of the Burning Sea has become the official video game of International Talk Like A Pirate Day (September 19th), and to celebrate they are raiding the coastline of Seattle, causing a right ruckus in the streets, and hanging about the Seattle Aquarium looking swarthy and unkempt. Local Seattle pirate group SeaFair Pirates will be on hand, offering tours of the waterfront on their pirate ship, and you'll get a chance to meet the devs and get some hands-on time with Pirates of the Burning Sea. There'll even be an appearance by Talk Like A Pirate originators John "Ol' Chumbucket" Baur and Mark "Cap'n Slappy" Summers, commemorating the game's official pirate status. You can hit the jump for more details, though I would suggest hitting the official RSVP page first, as spots are limited. The event runs from 7-10PM, leaving you plenty of time to get home and lock your doors before September 20th - Unofficial Kill Pirates Like A Ninja Day. Only kidding. Locking your doors won't help, silly. More »
    09/17/07
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    Comment by dArk_stAr: I don't see anything about rum... more » | Other threads

  • wrong

    Screw Attack's Top Ten Ninjas

    I don't think any of the Ninja in Screw Attack's Top Ten Ninja(s) actually deserve to be on the list. Sure, they're all good at doing whatever it is that they do, but come on, top ninja? You can see them! Top be a top ninja you have to start your training early, slipping out of your mother's womb in the dead of night to avoid being detected by the doctor's special "look at the baby in your tummy" device. Amateurs.
    08/29/07
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    Comment by ertyu: what the hell? No Ayane? No Rikimaru? No Shadow? These people are retarded.... more » | Other threads

  • hot flashes

    Too Many Ninjas!

    One thing I've learned: You can never have too many ninjas. Pirates, yes. Ninjas, no. Still, there is a flash game called Too Many Ninjas!. It's annoyingly bizarre little flasher with purple ninjas that is not nearly as great as its own title. Still, I was only able to kill 20 of those little buggers, when I realized there may be too many ninjas, but not enough fun. More »
    08/09/07
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    Comment by Jesterhead369: damn this game is fun. the highest i've gotten so far is 46. more » | Other threads

  • pirate vs ninja

    Take Your Sims On A Wondrous Journey

    And the relentless march of Sims 2 expansion packs continues, as was foretold by prophecy. In early September you'll be able to take a break from torturing your Sims to death and burying them in the backyard of their tasteful suburban home to travel to exotic locations around the world where you can torture them to death in some foreign guy's backyard! EA announces The Sims 2: Bon Voyage, the expansion pack that not only adds a variety of vacation-themed objects, activities and locales to the game, but also brings the fabled Ninja VS. Pirate debate to your simulated world. In the Far East your Sims will encounter a local resident known as the Ninja, and in the version of the expansion in my head it will be the last encounter they ever have. Meanwhile, on a tropical island somewhere, your Sims can explore a giant pirate ship - the largest object yet to grace The Sims 2 franchise - which I am assuming will be filled with the bodies of dead pirates, because this fictional reality has Ninja in it. More »
    07/26/07
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    Comment by FunkyJ: I'm an unabashed Sims fan, and will be getting this for sure! Ninjas & Pirates are already in the game though...... more » | Other threads

  • e307

    Big PotBS Happenings On Talk Like A Pirate Day

    Here's the E3 trailer for Pirates of the Burning Sea, the seafaring MMO from Flying Lab that recently announced a publishing deal with Sony Online Entertainment. While I didn't learn much we haven't already reported on the game at the show, I was told by two separate members of the dev team to keep an eye out for September 19th, better known as Talk Like A Pirate Day. Not the release date apparently, but something big, with extra emphasis on big. My money's on a large-scale raid of Cuba.
    07/16/07
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    Comment by v00deux: Talk Like a Pirate Day is always on my birthday! haaaaapieeee burrrrrrrrthday to me more » | Other threads

  • fascinating

    Elf Bowling Trailer Reveals Santa's Checkered Past

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    07/10/07
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    Comment by Haingis: a little part of my left hand died when i saw this... more » | Other threads

  • ahoy

    "Duke Nuke Em Forever" Out!

    Pirates have a sense of humor, too! This copy of "Duke Nuke Em Forever" was spotted at a Chinatown in Australia. Sure, it's probably just a slightly modded take on an earlier Duke Nuke Em title. Behold! Perhaps the greatest pirated game. Ever, even. More »
    07/09/07
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    Comment by Consolcwby: Remember, it could be a worse purchase than this repackaged crap - it could've been the packaging for the PRE-ORDER... more » | Other threads

  • sailing takes me away

    SOE Sails The Burning Seas To E3

    We told you about the Flying Lab Software agreement with SOE first last night, and now Sony Online Entertainment finally catches up with some hot press release action, including word that Pirates of the Burning Sea will be presented at E307 as part of SOE's lineup. The star of SOE's lineup I'd daresay. SOE VP of Business Development David Christensen mildly downplays. More »
    06/26/07
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    Comment by hockeykid20: pirates are the coolest along with sailing. the game looks totaly tight and crazy. The game looks like the coolest... more » | Other threads

  • scurvy dogs

    Pirates of the Burning Sea Signs With SOE

    Direct from the Pirates of the Burning Sea web site, Flying Lab Software has announced a publishing partnership for their giant online pirate party with none other than Sony Online Entertainment of Everquest, Planetside, and....Vanguard fame. More »
    06/25/07
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    Comment by Aether: Howdy folks, this is Troy 'Aether' Hewitt, Director of Community Relations for Flying Lab Software and Pirates of the Burning... more » | Other threads

  • game cake

    The Worms Game Cake

    You might think that worms and cake are not something you'd want to put together, but Kotakuite Stuart W. has changed all that. For his 21st birthday, Stuart and his dear Mum put together this great cake based on his favorite game, Worms. Not only is it an awesome cake, but it has a pirate theme as well which always goes over big here at Kotaku tower. As far as game cakes go, this is definitely one of the most detailed ones we've seen in a while. Great job, Stuart, and your mom too. Oh, and Happy Birthday! Flynn De Marco
    05/19/07
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    Comment by steve86uk: Great cake Stu. Will have to give you a game of worms on the 360 sometime soon. I love it... more » | Other threads

  • pretty prancing pirates

    Clip: More Damn Jack Sparrow

    Disney has released a new trailer for Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, just in case you were one of those five people who didn't realize the game and movie are coming out next week. More »
    05/18/07
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    Comment by hansofdoom: i'm one of those 5 people more » | Other threads

  • pirates of the caribbean

    Clip: Release The Kraken!

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    05/12/07
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    Comment by polkalizer: The cutscene looks very very nice, I don't understand everyobodys dissing of the graphics, they look very "current gen" to... more » | Other threads

  • sunflowers

    Ubisoft Buys SunFlowers

    Which is apparently, the name of a PC game developing company more known in Germany than anywhere else in the world. SunFlowers is also the owner of the publisher of the game, Anno 1701, a piratey-looking kind of Civilization coming to the DS. The president of Ubisoft, Yves Guillemot had this to say: More »
    04/12/07
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    By Kim Phu

    Comment by NitrousO: They better not attempt to make their games more mainstream (IE destroy it)! D:< I just found 1701 and I... more » | Other threads

  • clips

    Bounty Bay Online Trailer

    Behold the trailer for Bounty Bay Online, an upcoming MMO filled with "seafaring tales and pirate fascination." More »
    04/11/07
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    Comment by GingerMohawk: Is this a joke or a real game? more » | Other threads

  • pirates

    Gallery: Pretty Prancing Pirates

    Here at Kotaku we are required by ancient code to deliver equal representation to ninjas and pirates, so since I posted the Ninja Gaiden DS bit earlier, I am forced to deliver unto thee these screenshots of Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End. Originally titled PotC: At Land's End, the well-documented pirate inability to pull off khakis and a polo shirt caused producers to go in a different direction. More »
    04/02/07
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    Comment by kcorbo: @Hater3000: No, you're not I hated the second PotC. Complete waste of my time. I'd much rather play the KH2... more » | Other threads

  • opera

    Opera Browser for Playstation 3

    A developer from the Opera Desktop Team has announced that they have a "ppc-linux.6" package available now for the Playstation 3. This means for any of you who had the cojones to pry that thing open and install Linux on to your Playstation can tinker around with the coveted Opera Browser. Kim Phu More »
    04/02/07
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    By Kim Phu

    Comment by moon.razzia: Whoops! Really, really sorry. (-_-") I thought I still can't post :P more » | Other threads

  • clips

    Clip: PotC World's End Trailer

    Here's the first trailer for Disney's Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End, which is looking far better than a licensed game has any right to. I might actually be excited about this one, which is odd seeing as I'm not a big fan the films themselves. Call it the ninja in me.
    Disney could have just as well released the "Jack Sparrow Swagger Simulator" for $60 and rabid fans would have gobbled it up. In a situation where jsut about anything would have sold well it's good to see what looks like a real quality title being delivered. Michael Fahey
    03/23/07
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    Comment by Nintenjoe: wait that wasn't LotR:RotK? I'm starting to get sick of developers using hack n' slashers as a last resort for licensed... more » | Other threads

  • capcom

    Capcom Pirates Set Sail For Wii

    Capcom today announces a brand new game coming this fall to the Nintendo Wii, and by gum it's chock full of pirates! More »
    03/16/07
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    Comment by quen: Woo! Sounds good. I hope it is a point/click adventure (ideally with some more Wiimote-specific stuff too) but sometimes 'puzzles'... more » | Other threads

  • crecente

    Crecente Hits Xbox.com

    Ahoy! Some big time bloggers attended Microsoft's "Bloggers Breakfast." Guys like Slashdot's Michael Zenke, Joystiq's Chris Grant, GameSetWatch's Simon Carless, D-toid's Robert Summa and Wired's Chris Kohler. And Microsoft picked the one who looks like a pirate to throw up on Xbox.com. Shiver me timbers. Brian Ashcraft More »
    03/08/07
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    Comment by raine204: No no.... Hes saying.... "Ya know, the whole bj thing is good and all, but she's using too much teeth....God the pain,... more » | Other threads

  • humor

    Think Your Boss Is Bad?

    Sure, your boss might be a short-sighted, mean-spirited person with no actual grasp of what you do or worse...a pirate, but at least they don't get blackballed by the plumbers union or get followed by their own orchestral theme music. thisisby.us writer Elle Dee explores what it would be like if video game bosses were our actual bosses. More »
    02/26/07
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    Comment by Ilia Chentsov: Bonus points for mentioning Baba Yaga's hut, though the old witch herself would also be a nice addition to the... more » | Other threads

  • everquest

    Gallery: Everquest: The Buried Sea

    It is amazing how a game that was so much a part of my life years ago can now sneak up on me with an expansion when I'm not looking. I received a slew of screenshots for the new Everquest expansion The Buried Sea sometime last night, and when I looked online to find a release date, I discovered that it was yesterday. The update introduces new missions, guild banners, powered armor of sorts, and ship-to-ship pirate combat, furthering the confusion between this and Pirates of the Burning Sea. Amazing how well the game is holding up after what, eight years? Michael Fahey More »
    02/14/07
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    Comment by Cheddies: is this for Everquest 1? i seem to remember somthing about everquest II coming out a while back! - I... more » | Other threads

  • pirates

    Clip: Pirates of the Burning Sea Ship Combat

    Flying Lab Software has released a teaser trailer of sorts for their upcoming MMO, Pirates of the Burning Sea, which features a look at ship combat as well as a tantalizingly brief glimpse of character-based action. More »
    02/06/07
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    Comment by Sunjammer: Ninjas are a natural constant of physics. I'm not sure how you can even describe something that doesn't, on some... more » | Other threads

  • kotaku


    This is us blogging.
    And not. Mark Wilson

  • wii

    Who's Winning Next-Gen? Ask Crecente.

    More »
    12/29/06
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    Comment by subnet6: @giovonti, "i think the new Smash Brothers Brawl is suppose to use the classic controller. That being a peripheral controller how... more » | Other threads

  • miyamoto

    Pirated Miyamoto Painting on eBay

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    12/06/06
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    Comment by Marlor: The only thing that gives away the fact that Crecente isn't actually a pirate are his alarmingly white teeth. Pirates don't... more » | Other threads

  • ninja

    Games of the Ninja

    In honor of the Day of the Ninja, I present this ninja video gaming compilation I found buried in the bowels of YouTube. It showcases some of the best ninja games of the past decade, as well as Red Ninja. The background music is Big Pun's "You Ain't a Killer", which includes more than your fair share of profanity. More »
    12/05/06
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    Comment by kamu: Yeah it was a pretty ridiculous statement but my point is that I actually got some enjoyment out of that... more » | Other threads