• Kotaku East

  Living in China is Life Behind the Great Firewall

  Hello Kotaku readers, my name is Eric, you’ve probably seen some of my articles these last couple of months. If you haven’t already figured it out I live in China (the Chinese mainland) and these last 3 years haven’t exactly been a picnic. Now don’t get me wrong, life in China isn’t bad. In fact,…

  By Eric Jou Published June 25, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Yes, Rule 34 Apparently Applies to Colorful Japanese Popstars, Too

  Last summer, teenage fashion blogger Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s popularity exploded with her debut single “PonPonPon”. The tune and its colorful video went viral, even hitting well beyond Japanese shores. While much of the fashion ideas in the “PonPonPon” or in Kyary (or rather, “Carrie” as she sometimes writes) were muted after going viral, the impact…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 25, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Chinese Arcade Owner Extorted For Cigarettes

  A man in the south Chinese metropolis of Chongqing, Sichuan Province, was recently sentenced to jail for 7 months for blackmailing and extorting a video game arcade for…cigarettes. According to Chongqing Daily, the man in question, Duan Wei had a criminal record and was previously in Jail for 4 years for theft. Duan Wei got…

  By Eric Jou Published June 25, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Cannibalism Isn’t Illegal, But Eating Penis Could Be Obscene

  This past spring, illustrator Mao Sugiyama prepared a special dinner: Mao’s male genitals (penis, testicles, and scrotum) as a ¥100,000 meal. Five diners ate the illustrator’s bait and tackle at an event in Tokyo. The penis eating event raised eyebrows in Japan and outside the country. Cannibalism is not illegal in Japan per se, so…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 25, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Resident Evil Restaurant Is “Comig Soon”

  Capcom, friend of bad spellers everywhere, wants you to know that a Resident Evil (née Biohazard) cafe is “comig soon” to Shibuya. Opening July 13 at 11am, the Biohazard Cafe and Grill will offer RE fans a place to dine on their favorite zombie treats. The cafe, which will only be opened for a year,…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 25, 2012
• Kotaku East

  It’s Looks Like Final Fantasy, But with Way More Nudity and Sex

  Illusion Field claims to be the ultimate “undressing game”. But this futuristic fantasy titles looks like it’s taking its cues from Japanese role-playing games. Hello Final Fantasy! Hello naked people! The game promises realistic characters and a beautiful game world, and the official site repeatedly states how this is the next gen of these types…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 25, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation Has a Slightly Different Name in Japan

  Instead of Liberation, it’ll be Assassin’s Creed III: Lady Liberty—probably because the English words “lady” and “liberty” are more famous in Japan than “liberation”, and, as one reader pointed out, “liberation” sounds like “revelation”. [Famitsu via [VG247]

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 25, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Mother Allegedly Had Her 4 Year-Old Child Steal an iPhone

  It wasn’t your typical iPhone crime scene. In Chongqing, China, a clothing store employee plugged her iPhone 4S in at the register to charge it. But after helping a mother and her young son, the clerk noticed that her phone was missing. The store’s surveillance camera supposedly showed how the mother and son team worked…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 25, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Tokyo Was Made for Giant Monsters, Giant Girls, and Camera Tricks

  For decades, Tokyo has been a battlefield. Huge monsters and heroes duke it out, crushing cars like bugs and destroying buildings like they were made of toy blocks. But it’s not only miniature models that make Tokyo perfect for monsters. Camera tricks do the job, too. Above is a series of photos that use tilt…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 25, 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 25, 2012
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  Star Trek’s Intro, Reborn for the 21st Century

  One of the biggest problems I’ve had with Star Trek over the years is that, recent movie aside, it’s so dorky. So old-fashioned. This re-imagined intro sequence, done by artist Shawn Sheehan, flips that to its advantage, crafting a clip that revels in its retro chic so much it nearly drowns in it. And it…

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 25, 2012
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  Uncategorized

  Prototype Movie Trailer Isn’t What You Think It Is

  There’s a movie coming out next year called The Prototype. It stars a “man” in a hoodie who is on the run, being hunted for his extraordinary powers. Combine the plot with the name and you’d be forgiven for assuming it’s a movie about Activision’s Prototype series. But it’s not. The Prototype the movie is…

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 25, 2012
• Uncategorized

  Honest Game Reviews are the Best Game Reviews

  If a retailer reviewed the games they were selling, would you trust them? Probably not, but then, most retailers aren’t like Australia’s JB Hi-Fi. Known here as a humongous, cut-price seller of anything that can turn on or be put in something that turns on, many JB managers hire students or other forms of young…

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 25, 2012
• Culture

  Kids Build Their Own Tiny Worlds of Warcraft

  Last year, World of Warcraft developers Blizzard asked university students to “submit an original 3D environment piece fit for World of Warcraft”. Basically, a digital diorama of a new WoW setting. After compiling entries for a few months, Blizzard has now revealed the Grand Prize winners, who each receive one hell of a prize package.…

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 25, 2012
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  Tanooki Suit, Frog Suit…Luigi Suit?

  Um. This is pretty gross. Dann Matthews [Tumblr]

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 25, 2012
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  You Won’t Believe How This Zelda Picture Was Made

  Take a good, close look at this beautiful painting based on The Legend of Zelda. It looks like it was done using PhotoShop, right? Maybe a speed painting on a tablet? Nope. It was done on a Nintendo 3DS. Using the simple art program Colors 3D!. That tiny screen, that fat stylus…to have come up…

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 25, 2012
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  About Time a Video Game Let You Freak Out and Flip a Table

  Flipping tables. It’s about as perfect a rage moment as you can get. And now, in WoW’s upcoming Mists of Pandaria expansion, you’ll be able to do it in a video game. While there’s actually a Japanese arcade game centred around this very premise, it’s a Japanese arcade game. This will be a little more…

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 24, 2012
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  Now THIS is Okami in HD

  After years of people asking, Capcom and Sony are finally releasing Okami in high definition on the PS3. While we’ve seen some screens of the project, they still look a little…jaggy. Maybe not as “HD” as people were hoping. Definitely not as gorgeous as these screens. Duncan Harris, of Dead End Thrills, has fired the…

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 24, 2012
• Uncategorized

  Is This a Photo of Heath Ledger, or a Joker Action Figure?

  OK, so the over-sized fabric and stitching on the jacket kind of give it away, but man. Whoever is doing the modelling at Hong Kong toy company Hot Toys needs a round of applause. The likeness here is terrifying Priced at $275, and due out in December, this Joker piece – that is actually a…

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 24, 2012
• Uncategorized

  There Are No More Heroes When Cosplay is This Amazing

  Hey, whaddya know, it’s cosplay superstar Omi Gibson, kicking this week’s round-up off with some blood-soaked dress-ups based on No More Heroes. Joining her is a cute little Zelda couple, some Black Widow and Tekken. There’s even some Arrietty cosplay. Because, you know. That movie was adorable. Shut up. To see the larger pics in…

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 24, 2012