• Kotaku East

  What Do Steve Jobs, Brutal Dictators, and Japanese Porn Stars Have in Common? Playing Cards.

  That’s because the folks at Chinese playing card company HCG churn out an array of cards featuring, not only the movers and shakers of modern history, but also those who move and shake in Japanese skin flicks. The company’s most recent decks include Steve Jobs, Muammar Gaddafi, Osama Bin Laden, and Japanese porn stars like…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 18, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Persona Stage Show Returns!

  Earlier this yar, Persona 4 was turned into a stage show called Visualive Persona 4. Well this October, that show is getting a sequel: Visualive Persona 4: The Evolution. [Famitsu]

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 18, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Madoka Is Flicking You Off All in Good Fun

  At the recent AK-Garden hobby show in Japan, the figurine of Puella Magi Madoka Magica‘s Madoka Kaname got an array of customized (and amusing) accesories. Have a look. Puella Magi Madoka Magica is a magical girl anime that has spun off into manga and video games. And now, she’s giving you the bird. How…magical. 小物パーツ系使用例がまどか率高すぎかつ「MADか☆マギカ」状態な件…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 18, 2012
• Kotaku East

  The Red Campaign in HD…Well Not Really.

  Last week when I was on the subway, I saw a young Chinese boy with thick glasses playing a game on a shiny white iPad. To my surprise and dismay he wasn’t playing Infinity Blade, Grand Theft Auto III or even Angry Birds. Instead he was playing a simple Chinese side scroller. Intrigued, I totally…

  By Eric Jou Published June 18, 2012
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  Kotaku East

  If This Is the Future of Gaming, Then We’re All Gonna Look So Stupid

  If you thought you looked like a goober while playing plastic guitars, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Mocap Games promises players a full immersive experience that puts them directly in the game. That isn’t necessarily a good thing. It is a good thing for those who like looking like goobers. Recently, Mocap Games shows off…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 18, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Meet The Most Fashionable Badass Mecha on Earth

  Louis Vuitton evokes images of pricy brand name goods, durable bags, and high fashion. It does not evoke images of giant mecha, wielding giant swords. That, however, might change. You are looking at a Gundam Astray Louis Vuitton mod. I never thought the LV monogram would work on a blade sheath. It does. It really,…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 18, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Can You Spot the Real Chinese Apple Shop?

  In China, there are honest-to-goodness Apple Stores. There are also authorized Apple resellers. But there are also many unauthorized ones. Of course, official Apple Stores in big Chinese cities like Beijing look like official Apple Stores anywhere in the world. The authorized resellers, however, are easier to fake, which is why they’ve popped up all…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 18, 2012
• Kotaku East

  In This Tokyo Toy Heaven, Kids Are Not Allowed

  “Toique” is a new Tokyo space that offers a place to play with toys. The shelves are stacked with playthings. There are colorful tubs packed with toys. Big tables invite you to sit down and solve puzzles or play with blocks. However, this isn’t kid’s play. In fact, those under the age of 15 are…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 18, 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 18, 2012
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  The Legend of Zelda Nursery Welcomes a Brand New Hero

  Cole Bradburn is expecting a son. And when his new, little hero arrives, he’ll have a Legend of Zelda nursery waiting for him. Make that, a hand-painted Zelda nursery. Bradburn and his friend Wes of Yoshi’s Island nursery fame both spent over 150 hours (over the course of 3 months) to paint the nursery; Wes…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 18, 2012
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  Nintendo, PLEASE, Make This Zelda Box Set a Reality

  Last year, Zelda’s 25th anniversary came and went with little fanfare from Nintendo. What people wanted was a nice big commemorative box set. What we got was…a concert tour and a 3DS. Designer Jason Nowak knows what we wanted, though, and took a crack at designing it. The results are…beautiful. A wooden box, a little…

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 18, 2012
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  Start Your Day With This Incredible Blade Runner Animation

  Swedish reader Anders Ramsell has uploaded this clip that recreates the opening sequence of classic sci-fi flick Blade Runner as an animation. That uses over 3000 paintings To be exact, it employs 3285 watercolour images to show the film’s famous intro scene that begins with talk of turtles and ends with a bit of the…

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 18, 2012
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  The Return of the World’s Nuttiest Arcade Gamer

  This guy impressed the pants (and socks) off us last year with his arcade game role-playing, getting so into Ghost Squad that he became Ghost Squad. Well, Sega’s replacing the older title with a new one, Operation Ghost. Which means, yup, he gets to try out an all-new routine. GHOST Squad Guy Meets Operation GHOST…

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 18, 2012
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  Ever Wonder What Happened to all the Street Fighters?

  We’ve got one interpretation. And it’s a funny one. But it’s not terribly realistic. Which is why, in some ways, I like this version of “what happened after” for the Street Fighter series a little more. Canadian artist Arman Akopian has done these great images of some of the central characters in the franchise, depicting…

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 18, 2012
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  Avengers Action Figure Looks Just Like a Tiny Scarlett Johansson

  When we first showed off Hot Toys’ amazing Avengers figures, there were two pieces notable in their absence. One was The Hulk, the other, Black Widow. Well, here’s Black Widow. She was worth the wait. While Hot Toys have made a figure based on the character before, that one was, let’s just say, a little…

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 18, 2012
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  Adventure Time, Meet Studio Ghibli. Studio Ghibli, Adventure Time.

  You know that wonderful feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when two of your favourite things come together unexpectedly? Like tiny butterflies covered in honey, fluttering around down there? Yeah, I’ve got that now. Feels pretty great. Artist David has combined cartoon series Adventure Time (well, mostly the fabulous gender-bending episode) with…

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 18, 2012
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  The One Topic Guaranteed to Bring Out the ‘Idiotic Pebbledicks’

  The always-wonderful Charlie Brooker weighs in on the furious and indignant response from some quarters following last week’s topic du jour, as seen here and here Sometimes it’s hard to be a woman. Especially when you’re made out of pixels [The Guardian] (Original image by Sam Spratt | Tumblr)

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 17, 2012
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  Guild Wars Gets Sucker Punched While Fighting Games Just Stand There

  It was only last week I was applauding the amount of quality male cosplay on display. This week? The men are shook. They’re either in hiding or just taking the week off. Disappointing for those who like a good bit of the usual male staples, like Team Fortress and Assassin’s Creed, but on the bright…

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 17, 2012
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  A Hard-Drive in Slow Motion is a Thing of Beauty

  There’s one in your Xbox 360. There’s one in your PS3. There’s probably at least one in you desktop and/or laptop as well. Hard drives are everywhere, and have been with us forever, so we tend to take them for granted. No longer. Like the human body, it’s only when you break it down and…

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 17, 2012
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  When the Ocarina of Time Takes Things a Little Too Far [UPDATE]

  Continuing the Father’s Day theme – which around here is an excuse for a Legend of Zelda theme – reader TJ says the special day means that, for once, he “got to pick my new little guy’s outfit”. Looking sharp, little Elliot. UPDATE – Reader Eric did exactly the same thing. This little guy won’t…

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 17, 2012