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  Talk Amongst Yourselves

  Welcome to Kotaku’s official forum, known affectionately as Talk Amongst Yourselves. This is the place where we gather on a daily basis to discuss all things video game and existential. Want to talk about new games, old games, games that aren’t even out yet? Knock yourselves out! Did you hear the thumping electro bass of…

  By Evan Narcisse Published June 27, 2012
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  40 Years of Atari All at Once, All for You

  40 years ago today, Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney got together and founded the company that catapulted the world into the video game era. It was called Syzgy. Or it would have been, but Syzgy wasn’t available, so they called it Atari. The rest is a gigantic, four decade-spanning infographic celebrating the company’s rise from…

  By Mike Fahey Published June 27, 2012
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  A Closer Look at the Wii U’s Xbox-esque Pro Controller

  On the latest episode of Nintendo Can’t Win For Trying*, we’ve got the Wii U Pro Controller, which has been criticized for both being too similar to the Xbox 360 controller (well, to be fair, it does) and for having one major difference from the Xbox 360 controller. (They put the right stick where?) I’ll…

  By Stephen Totilo Published June 27, 2012
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  Memorize the Fighting Moves of Your Favorite Persona Characters

  Perhaps I constructed that headline incorrectly. What it should read is “Memorize the Fighting Moves of My Favorite Persona Character and Five Others”, because no one could ever defeat Chie Satonaka. I guess that would have been too long. Persona 4 Arena comes to North America on August 7, and Atlus is rolling out a…

  By Mike Fahey Published June 27, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Korea’s Silly “Shutdown Law” Might Be Unconstitutional

  While the U.S. Supreme Court susses out the constitutionality of health care legislation, South Korea is navigating the legality of its Shutdown Law. As previously mentioned, the Shutdown Law was created to prevent gamers under sixteen from gaming during a six hour block at night so apparently they would sleep (or study?). The law has…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 27, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Fifty Bucks? For This Final Fantasy Food? Really?

  At the recent Decade of Final Fantasy XI Vana★Fest 2012, Square Enix and gamers celebrated ten years of FFXI. Ten years! That’s quite a milestone and definitely worthy of celebration. This meal, however, isn’t. The above lunch box cost ¥4,000 (US$50), which is shocking to people in pricey Japan. The meal looks like something you…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 27, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Attack Civilians, And Sleeping Dogs Will Penalize You in Japan

  The Japanese version of Sleeping Dogs has a few country specific edits, such as penalizing players who harm civilians in the game and cutting a scene that shows a person’s exposed organs. [Siliconera via VG247]

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 27, 2012
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  You Think You Can Hold Up Tifa’s Suspenders?

  While Square Enix still hems and haws over a Final Fantasy VII remake, cosplayers continue to don the duds of the game’s iconic heroine, Tifa Lockhart. A white t-shirt, suspenders, a mini skirt and red boots, Tifa’s character design is simple. It’s also one gaming’s most memorable and easily identifiable. Anyone can put together a…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 27, 2012
• Kotaku East

  This Guy Doesn’t Need Paper to Draw Cute Characters. Sand Will Do.

  Manga creator Mine Yoshizaki, best known for Sgt. Frog, recently went to the shore, where he left a sand drawing for all to see. This is it. Yoshizaki first got his start making manga based on video games, before establishing himself as a manga artist. Besides Sgt. Frog, he’s also known for creating characters and…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 27, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Report: Tales of Xillia 2 Dated

  According to leaks from Japanese magazine Weekly Jump, role-playing game Tales of Xillia 2 will be out November 1 in Japan. [ゲーム情報！ゲームのはなし]

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 27, 2012
• Kotaku East

  John Travolta Sure Looks Like a Japanese Manga Character

  People age. They get old. Some retain their youthful looks. Others gracefully slide into their golden years. John Travolta? The 58 year-old now resembles a Japanese manga character. Last night, Travolta appeared at the Savages premiere, making out with his wife and seemingly groomed as professional assassin Golgo 13. It’s not just the clothes, it’s…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 27, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Hindu Leader Says Controlling Goddess in Online Game Is “Denigration”

  Upcoming free-to-play online game Smite features three Hindu gods: Kali, Vamana and Agni. According to religious leader Rajan Zed, the manner that they are depicted in the game is insensitive to Hindu worshippers. The game, Zed contends, trivializes these highly revered Hindu deities, who are worshipped in temples and home shrines and not simply reduced…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 27, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Sony Boss Steps Down from Sony Computer Entertainment

  Kaz Hirai, Sony’s CEO, is stepping down as chairman and executive director at SCE. He’ll still be involved in a part-time capacity, however. The decision seems to be so Hirai can focus on running Sony Corp. [Inside Games]

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 27, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Luigi Has a Bra on His Face

  Cannot. Unsee. Reddit user SexyPenguin‘s seven year-old daughter pointed out that Luigi’s mustache looked like a bra. That it does. That it really, really does. No wonder Luigi’s so frightened—you would be too if you had underwear permanently affixed to your face. My friend’s 7 year old daughter told me… [Reddit]

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 27, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Meet Dead or Alive 5‘s Newest Fighter

  This is Rig, the latest fighter to enter the Dead or Alive 5 fray. Not much is known about the new character: He’s from Canada and his fighting style is taekwondo. Voice actor Hiroki Tochi, who has done lots of work with game studio Tri-Ace, will bring Rig to life. The first images of Rig…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 27, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Dangerous Game of Real-Life Frogger Almost Ends in Tragedy

  Growing up, my parents taught me two things: be polite and don’t play in the street. These two kids in Changde, China might know their Ps and Qs, but it looks like they didn’t get the memo about playing in traffic. Out of what appears to be sheer boredom, the two young children sprint across…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 27, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Kotaku East Starts Now!

  Kotaku East runs from 4am to 8am Eastern. For more info about Kotaku East click here

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 27, 2012
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  That’s No Moon…It’s An Insanely Detailed Death Star Made Out of a Ping Pong Ball

  Japanese craftsman tatumaru5963 took a ping pong ball, cut a piece out of it, made some alterations, painted it up and hey presto. A teeny tiny version of the Second Death Star. I look at the size of this thing, I try to think of the skill needed to get it looking this good, and…

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 27, 2012
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  This is Why I’m So Damn Excited About Carrier Command

  I’ve been chipping away at Carrier Command’s beta for a while now, and telling most people who’ll listen how much fun I’ve been having. Those who know the track record of developers Bohemia Interactive (ArmA) or the limitations of the original game it’s based on (first released in 1988) often wonder why that is. This…

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 27, 2012
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  Meet the New Woman Behind Lara Croft

  Developers Eidos have done away with the long-standing tradition of having a real-life Lara Croft promote a Tomb Raider game. Instead, they’ve done something far more useful: brought in someone to actually play Croft in the game English actress Camilla Luddington will basically be Lara Croft in the upcoming Tomb Raider reboot, as she’s done…

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 27, 2012