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  Real Steel Action Figures Are 1000x Cooler Than the Movie

  Despite the fact it featured fighting robots, Real Steel was a massive disappointment because it had too much human drama, not enough fighting robots. Not that this matters when it comes to action figures based on the movie. Because they can simply be giant, badass robot action figures. And they can be works of art…

  By Luke Plunkett Published May 22, 2012
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  Turning One of the Internet’s Most Annoying Tasks Into a Game

  You know what CAPTCHA is? It’s that thing that makes you enter letters and numbers on a website to prove you’re a human, and not a machine hell-bent on learning our human ways and killing us all by downloading a .zip file. It’s probably the thing I hate most about the internet, so it’s lovely…

  By Luke Plunkett Published May 22, 2012
• Culture

  The Colourful Concept Art of Pink77

  Chinese artist XiaoPeng Xing, aka Pink77, has been working in the games industry for eight years now, lending his talents out to clients like Activision/Blizzard and online juggernaut Tencent. His calling card? Bright colours and the female of the species. Some of these images are for professional projects, others – like his King of Fighters…

  By Luke Plunkett Published May 22, 2012
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  Daytona Cars Look Better as Transformers

  Video game clothing emporium Meat Bun returns just in time for my Australian winter with a range of shirts based on that most timeless and unchanging of genres: racing games. The four news shirts draw on everything from Ed “Big Daddy” Roth to Mario Kart to OutRun to a Daytona x Transformers crossover. My body…

  By Luke Plunkett Published May 22, 2012
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  If You Don’t Have 64-Bit Windows in 2013, You’ll be Missing Out

  Not in an advertising sense, “missing out” on pointless features. You will quite literally be missing out on some games, as EA has revealed that come 2012 a whole range of titles using DICE’s Frostbite 2 engine – the one powering games such as Battlefield 3 – will need a 64-bit operating system to even…

  By Luke Plunkett Published May 22, 2012
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  The Game of Thrones Games Suck, so Try These Awesome Mods Instead

  It’s a predictable tragedy, but a tragedy nonetheless: both of the recently-released Game of Thrones video games suck Those wanting to mess around with a virtual Westeros, though, know that all is not lost, because some mods for existing games are here to help soften the blow. While these aren’t official, standalone titles – and…

  By Luke Plunkett Published May 22, 2012
• CultureTotal Recall

  Now You Too Can Play the Terrible Akira Video Game!

  In 1988, Taito released Akira, cash-in on the hugely-popular animated film of the same name. Just in case you were wondering if Japanese developers somehow made better movie adaptations in the 1980s, no, they did not. The game was terrible. Still, that’s mostly second-hand information, as most Westerners have never actually played the game, since…

  By Luke Plunkett Published May 21, 2012
• CultureTotal Recall

  Activision’s 1984 Catalogue Did Not Feature Call of Duty

  Before the internet, before people even really cottoned onto the idea of games magazines, publishers had to sell things the old-fashioned way: with TV ads and catalogues. Most catalogues were simple affairs, all bright lights, screenshots and slogans, but sometimes publishers went a little left field. Like Activision did in 1984 when it basically commissioned…

  By Luke Plunkett Published May 21, 2012
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  60% of the Time, It Works Every Time

  You know what they say about Sex Panther… Hi there Kotaku, and welcome to another week under the sun. Here now, some things to read and maybe talk about. “The Real World” has turned 20 – Well that is quite a while ago. Our Father’s Not in Heaven: The New Black Atheism – Super provocative,…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published May 21, 2012
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  Sony’s Got a New Multiplayer Shooter in Development

  Sony has tasked German studio ACONY Games with the development of Bullet Run, an upcoming multiplayer shooter that’s based on the premise of a reality TV series gone bad. Taking a page out of properties like Running Man and Battle Royale, Bullet Run has players take control of contestants “in a fight to the death…

  By Luke Plunkett Published May 21, 2012
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  Nolan North is in Star Trek 2 Because J.J. Abrams Likes Uncharted

  It seems like Nolan North is in everything. If there is a video game, and that video game has a voice cast, he is somehow bound to be in it somewhere. North is now best known for his starring role as Nathan Drake, in the PS3’s Uncharted series. He’s a smart-ass Indiana Jones for the…

  By Kate Cox Published May 21, 2012
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  This Free Game Takes Populous And Gives It a Sworcery Makeover

  Populous, the original “god game,” is a true gaming classic. Designed by Mr. Peter Molyneux (who, reminder, will be joining us on Spke TV to provide analysis during E3), it was simple and to the point—you’ve got a civilization of people. Sheperd them as you will. Game designer and illustrator Jon Caplin is clearly a…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published May 21, 2012
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  The Most Suspenseful Gaming Moment I’ve Encountered Happened in Diablo III, and I Could Only Watch

  A capable party of three was accidentally whittled down to one last night while playing Diablo III, an unfortunate event that predicated ten minutes of tension and anxiety unparalleled in any other game I’ve played. My level 14 Barbarian, accompanied by another Barbarian, level 16, and a level 17 Witch Doctor, were just about to…

  By Mike Fahey Published May 21, 2012
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  So, Activision and Call of Duty’s Creators Had a Pretty Bitchy Relationship

  A stack of emails released as part of the ongoing legal action between Activision and Call of Duty’s creators have turned up some hilariously catty exchanges and contingency plans coming from the publisher’s top brass. Posted over on the LA Times, a 2009 email from Activision’s president of publishing, Mike Griffith, mentions a plan to…

  By Luke Plunkett Published May 21, 2012
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  These Squishy Nintendo Controllers Were Meant for Hugging

  Haven’t you always wanted to cozy up with an NES? Okay, well, maybe not so much. They do have a lot of sharp edges, and do you even know where that controller has been? I swear I saw the dog licking it yesterday, and then your little brother— Well. Over at her shop Felt Sew…

  By Kate Cox Published May 21, 2012
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  Hoof-Life, Mares of War, and Other Games Reimagined Under Pony-Power

  I know what you’re thinking. Don’t we get enough My Little Pony images in our comment section on a daily basis? No, especially not enough video game parody covers from a guy that remembers the PlayStation classic Evil Zone (Evil Pone). Commenter Raso719 tipped us off to these imaginative video game covers, lovingly crafted by…

  By Mike Fahey Published May 21, 2012
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  Devil May Cry Reboot Out In January 2013

  Capcom’s Devil May Cry reboot will be out on January 15, 2013. That date covers both Europe and North America, and covers both Xbox 360 and PS3. The PC version? It’ll be out sometime in 2013. It had previously been announced to be out sometime in 2012.

  By Luke Plunkett Published May 21, 2012
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  Bungie’s Next Huge Game is an Xbox-First “Sci-Fantasy, Action Shooter,” Court Records Show

  The court case between Activision and developers Jason West and Vincent Zampella has brought all kinds of ugliness to light. But filings for the case have also made the details of the April, 2010 contract between Bungie, developers of Halo, and Activision a matter of public record, revealing Bungie’s upcoming game development plans. The L.A.…

  By Kate Cox Published May 21, 2012
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  Diablo III Accounts Getting Hacked, Gold and Items Going Missing [UPDATE]

  More troubles are plaguing Diablo III A report on Eurogamer relates one incident when staffer Chris Donlan’s account for playing the hit action RPG was accessed by someone who claimed to have bought it. On the official Diablo III forums, other users are also reporting instances of illicit access and gold theft . Apparently, the…

  By Evan Narcisse Published May 21, 2012
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  Sounds Like Konami Will Be Announcing a New 3DS Castlevania at E3

  The latest rumor suggests that Konami will be announcing a new Castlevainia game called Castlevania: Mirror of Fate at E3. This comes via the Dutch website N1ntendo who deduced from Konami’s E3 schedule that the new game will be announced. According to N1ntendo, the game will be called Mirror of Fate and will have two…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published May 21, 2012