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  Culture

  12 Steam VR Games That Look Cool, Even If I Didn’t

  Valve and HTC’s virtual reality headset, the Vive, is almost here. It’s the one that tracks you while you move around, and it’s pretty damn cool. During a recent event, I got to play 12 of the games that it’ll launch with. Here is what they look like and what I looked like while playing…

  By Nathan Grayson Published January 29, 2016
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  Two New Cartoon Versions of the Justice League Are Coming Soon

  A new animated movie and series will be featuring DC Comics’ biggest super-team, just in time to tie-in to Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice. Don’t worry: Kevin Conroy will be doing Batman again on the new TV show. First up is a new movie that pits the Justice League and Teen Titans against each…

  By Evan Narcisse Published January 29, 2016
• Culture

  Counter-Strike Players Think Valve’s Strict New Mod Rules Go Too Far [Updated]

  Valve recently brought the hammer down on custom Counter-Strike servers that don’t fall within a set of very specific guidelines. It’s a big change to the game’s ecosystem, and many players don’t think it’s for the better. In a post on Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s official site, Valve announced the following rules: We’re aware that some…

  By Nathan Grayson Published January 29, 2016
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  The 15 Most Twisted Video Game Achievements

  My favorite trophies and achievements in video games are the gimmick-based ones. They’re not about finishing a level or getting a certain amount of headshots. They’re about doing something specific, often something outlandish, silly, deliberately provocative, or plain screwed up. They can add levity to a sober gaming experience, provide a diversion from a linear…

  By Kevin Wong Published January 29, 2016
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  The Division Is At Its Best When You’re Stabbing People In The Back

  The only technical testing I’ve done with the beta of Ubisoft’s upcoming game The Division is seeing whether I’ll like it. So far, it has passed that test. The third-person online shooter, the full title of which is Tom Clancy’s The Division and which I’ve been playing on Xbox One, is designed to at least…

  By Stephen Totilo Published January 29, 2016
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  What It’s Like To Watch Your Game Studio Financially Fall Apart

  As the pace of new video games picks up, so does the amount of people writing about ‘em. That’s good for Worth Reading, our weekly round up of the best stories around the Internet. Hey, You Should Read These “Great work on Starward Rogue, team! Now you’re all laid off…?” by Chris Park It’s never…

  By Patrick Klepek Published January 29, 2016
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  Reviews

  Rise of the Tomb Raider: The Kotaku Review

  When we last saw Lara Croft, she was growing out of being a victim. A victim of fate, of other people’s aggression, of her own uninspired previous playable incarnations. She’s still growing, but she’s different now. [This review originally ran on 11/9/2015. We’re bumping it up because the PC version just came out. We’ve also…

  By Evan Narcisse Published January 29, 2016
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  Danny Devito Would Make For An Excellent Detective Pikachu

  If you needed proof of this magic combo, Tealhollow1 on YouTube has created a hilarious video demonstrating why Nintendo should get behind this idea. As of this writing, 19,497 people have signed a Change.org petition. There are a number of us that feel as though Danny DeVito would be a prime fit for the voice…

  By Patrick Klepek Published January 29, 2016
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  Some Real Rules For Shilling Video Games On YouTube

  Earlier this week, Kotaku was approached by a marketing firm working for the publisher Perfect World. They wanted us to help sell two of their games. And in the process, they inadvertently gave us a behind-the-scenes peek at what it looks like when YouTubers shill for game companies. The marketing firm in question, Reelio, sent…

  By Jason Schreier Published January 29, 2016
• Esports

  2014 StarCraft World Champion Taken Into Custody In South Korea

  The Korean e-Sports Association (KeSPA) announced this morning that 2014 StarCraft 2 World Champion and 2015 runner-up Lee “Life” Seung Hyun, has been taken into custody by authorities at the Changwon District Prosecutor’s Office in the South Gyeongsang province of South Korea. There is no official word as to the cause of the investigation, or…

  By Rob Zacny Published January 29, 2016
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  Thunderdome Is A Game Where You Play As A Flying Chainsaw Bear

  This is everything that makes video games wonderful (and ridiculous.) In Thunderdome, not only can you compete against other players to try to murder as many humans as possible, you can also duke it out against other chainsaw bears, too. Judging from the footage, the whole ‘chainsaw’ thing makes up for not having full control…

  By Patricia Hernandez Published January 29, 2016
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  Cancelled Saints Row Game Gets Released For Free

  Last night, the developers at Volition did something remarkable. They revealed a cancelled game in their biggest series, Saints Row, and then they set it free, releasing it to the public for anyone to download. The game, Saints Row Undercover, was originally slated for the PSP before Volition decided to cancel it. At first it…

  By Jason Schreier Published January 29, 2016
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  Suramar, World of Warcraft: Legion‘s New Zone, Looks Stunning

  World of Warcraft’s next expansion is shaping up nicely. It just got a new alpha build, and while it’s still in early development, one thing’s for sure: Suramar, a new zone in the Broken Isles, is already looking absolutely terrific. You might remember a simpler version of Suramar from WarCraft III. It is the home…

  By Gergo Vas Published January 29, 2016
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  One-Punch Man, Summed Up In Two Minutes

  Without Saitama’s cyborg buddy Genos, One-Punch Man wouldn’t be the same. He’s the one who gives Saitama’s life context and meaning. Also, he just can’t shut his mouth. The folks over at FimFlamfilosophy drew a short animation, and tried to summarize the anime series, this unique friendship and their love of punching things, by following…

  By Gergo Vas Published January 29, 2016
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  Uncategorized

  Happy 20th Birthday to the Best Duke Nukem Game

  While you may or may not agree on whether it’s the series’ best, Duke Nukem 3D was still a very important milestone in first-person shooter history. Released as the followup to a pair of platformers from 1991 and 1993, D3D starred the catchphrase-spewing, muscle-bound Duke Nukem on a quest to save the planet’s women from…

  By András Neltz Published January 29, 2016
• Kotaku East

  Five Surprising Things about the New Pikachu

  Detective Pikachu sure is different from what we’re used to. Not only does the character solve mysteries, but he also talks. There are more surprises to be had. Via the official site for upcoming 3DS game Great Detective Pikachu: The Birth of a New Duo, here are tidbits about the character that stand out: 1.…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published January 29, 2016
• Kotaku East

  The Official Hello Kitty Mobile Phone 

  This fall, a new Hello Kitty shaped mobile phone will go on sale. Where? Japan, where else. Priced at 12,000 yen (US$100), the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled phone comes with a rather small 1.54 inch screen. However, when you close the flip phone shut, it looks like a small Hello Kitty figure. This might be…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published January 29, 2016
• Kotaku East

  Japan Is Getting Sake-Flavored Kit Kats

  This has to be the most unusual Kit Kat flavor yet. According to NariNari, the country is getting sake Kit Kats starting February 1. There is sake powder between the chocolate and the wafers, giving the Kit Kats a delicate sake flavor. NariNari explains that the taste sensation will mix the sweetness of chocolate with…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published January 29, 2016
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  That Final Fantasy and Louis Vuitton Collaboration? It Exists in the Real World, Too. 

  First, there was a CG trailer with the Final Fantasy XIII character. Then, there was an interview. And now, Louis Vuitton shops are plastered with Lightning. There’s one word for this and that word is “surreal.” In Japan, commenters on the popular bulletin board 2ch have been uploading photos of Louis Vuitton shops and real-world…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published January 29, 2016
• Kotaku East

  Chaos;Child is a Murder Mystery with Delusions and Superpowers

  If I were to sum up in two sentences my experience with delusion-filled murder mystery visual novel Chaos;Child, it’d be these: 1) If I’d known how incredibly long Chaos;Child was, I’d never have played it and 2) I’m so happy that I played Chaos;Child Chaos;Child is one of the games in the Science Adventure Series…

  By Richard Eisenbeis Published January 29, 2016