• Uncategorized

  So… No New Final Fantasy XIV Trailer at E3… Yeah.

  Final Fantasy XIV, remember that? Remember how Square Enix was supposed to make it all better? Well, according to Square Enix, the game’s latest trailer will “skip” E3. [Square Enix]

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 28, 2012
• Uncategorized

  Monday Watch This Play This

  Watch This: One Brave Battlefield 3 Soldier Takes On An Entire Army To Kill A Pesky Sniper Play This: Finally, a Decent Real-Time Strategy Game on the iPad

  By Tina Amini Published May 28, 2012
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  Uncategorized

  Finally, a Decent Real-Time Strategy Game on the iPad

  RTS games have been tried on the iPad before, but have usually resulted in stilted affairs, or simple attempts at cloning a PC control system. Autumn Dynasty, on the other hand, gets things right I picked up the game on Friday when it went on sale, and it’s the best $5 I’ve spent to date…

  By Luke Plunkett Published May 28, 2012
• Tips & Guides

  Snacktaku Presents: Memorial Day Cookout Tips

  Every year in late May, American’s across the country gather in their backyards for good food, good friends, and large amounts of beer. It’s Memorial Day, one of the greatest free eating opportunities of the year. But one cannot simple charge into the nearest backyard and begin devouring everything in sight. For one thing, many…

  By Mike Fahey Published May 28, 2012
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  Uncategorized

  One Brave Battlefield 3 Soldier Takes On An Entire Army To Kill A Pesky Sniper

  Snipers, man, amirite? They’re fiends. They find one good corner where even a scope glare won’t give them away, and they pick you off one by one. Well this Russian soldier isn’t having any of that. He takes on the entire slew of US enemies to get to the problematic sharpshooter. Will his bravery be…

  By Tina Amini Published May 28, 2012
• Kotaku East

  A Chinese Idol in a Movie About Chinese Gaming Adolescence

  Zhao Yihuan, best known as the Chinese Dairy Queen girl, has been making the rounds lately to promote her latest movie Qing Chunqi 3 (青春期3 which roughly translated is “Puberty 3”). While the primary focus of her latest media push has been on her movie, Zhao is also using her movie to promote the new…

  By Eric Jou Published May 28, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Online Game Lays Down the Law with 30-Year Bans

  For many online games, the selling of in-game items, in-game gold, and personal information is a problem. It sounds like it’s a problem in free-to-play online title Cocoloa because the game is now trying to combat that with bans that last three decades. In a message on the game’s official site, the game’s operators note…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 28, 2012
• Uncategorized

  What’s Hideo Kojima Doing on the New Z.O.E.? Not Enough.

  Late last week, Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima revealed a new Zone of the Enders project. Fans of the sci-fi series have been waiting for Kojima to start work on a new Z.O.E. Thing is, he won’t be doing much much work on it. While he’ll be acting as producer, Kojima won’t be writing, designing,…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 28, 2012
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  She Tried To Make Good Video Games For Girls, Whatever That Meant

  Companies fail all the time, but this, this was different. For Brenda Laurel, it was personal. Logistically, Purple Moon amounted to six years and $40 million dollars spent on research where thousands of kids were interviewed, and eight games were produced. Prior to 1996, when the company was created by Brenda Laurel, a pioneer extraordinaire…

  By Patricia Hernandez Published May 28, 2012
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  Digital Image Lady Returns to the Tokyo Game Show (Yet, Again)

  For the third year running, Osaka-based artist Ippei Gyoubu once again created the digital lady for the Tokyo Game Show. This year’s theme is how smiling faces are connected with video games. Check out 2011’s poster and 2010’s poster. Will Gyoubu’s digital lady return for 2013? Oh, the suspense! 「東京ゲームショウ2012」のメインビジュアル公開。 [4Gamer]

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 28, 2012
• Uncategorized

  Look Like an Assassin With This Ridiculous 3DS Carry Case

  If you’re going to go to the trouble of getting a carry case for your Nintendo 3DS, you may as well go all out and get this hitman-esque case from Japanese accessory-makers Actec. It’s going for almost $150, which given the size seems a bit much (even taking into account the cost blowout converting USD…

  By Luke Plunkett Published May 28, 2012
• Culture

  This Summer, Drink Up Salty Watermelon Pepsi in Japan

  It’s quickly becoming an annual summer tradition: Pepsi Japan releases truly interesting flavors to help the country cool down. This summer, the flavor is “Salty Watermelon”. Above, you can see what the drink’s packaging and color will look like. Watermelon is very much a summer food in Japan, where people are known to sprinkle some…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 28, 2012
• Kotaku East

  This Car’s Trunk Is Open for Illegal Chinese Business

  Street vendors in China are a common sight—even those peddling their wares from the back of their car. These vendors sell everything from small animals to counterfeit handbags any thing that can fit in an automobile trunk. This photo, taken by Darnell Gardner Jr. is of a street vendor in Gulou Beijing selling goods from…

  By Eric Jou Published May 28, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Chinese Anti-gaming Expert Turns Out To Be (Surprise!) a Hypocrite

  A famous Chinese anti-gaming expert has his foot in his mouth after appearing at a “game tasting” event in Shenzhen last week. Tao Hongkai, a professor studying addiction at Central China Normal University, has been around in China for ages giving seminars and talks about the evils of online gaming. But last week, it seems…

  By Eric Jou Published May 28, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Old Gamer Beaten by His Wife and Begs Judge for a Divorce

  Last week, a 50-something Chinese man got on his knees in Baishan City in Jilin Province, China. He begged a judge to grant him a divorce from his wife, even though the two recently retook their vows. The man, Li Gang, makes about US$473 a month working, while his wife Wang Li is a home…

  By Eric Jou Published May 28, 2012
• Kotaku East

  A List of Places To Visit in Japan

  Via blogger Danny Choo, here’s a list of places you should visit in Japan. [DannyChoo]

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 28, 2012
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  Kotaku East

  White Dude Spits on Chinese Man and Rides Away on Bicycle

  Recently, relations between Chinese and non-Chinese have become, to put it mildly, tense. Footage of foreigners apparently doing illicit and unpleasant things has only strained the relationship. This latest one won’t help. The clip features foreigner getting in an argument, spitting on a Chinese man, and then riding away on his bicycle. I do not…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 28, 2012
• Uncategorized

  This Formula One Champ is a Big Japanese Role-Playing Game Geek

  A favorite otaku (geek) hobby in Japan is taking photos of toys. The pictures can make oh-so-cute miniature figurines look lifelike. But this trend isn’t only a Japanese thing. It’s also a Formula One racer thing—at least for one man. Via social media, Spanish F1 driver Fernando Alonso provides a look at Formula One that…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 28, 2012
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  Kotaku East

  Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R Will Kick Your Teeth In

  Check out the latest trailer for Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R. The game is getting location texts in Tokyo early next month.

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 28, 2012
• Kotaku East

  These Things Japanese People Don’t Want To Do Alone

  Some things are fun in a group. Some things are fun alone. And something things are just unpleasant without the company of others. An online research site polled nearly one thousand of its users about things people find painful when flying solo. Here’s a look (those polled could list multiple answers): 9. Eating at a…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 28, 2012