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  When Minecraft Griefers Invade Real Life

  Minecraft griefers are scary. Real life Minecraft griefers are even scarier. So watch out for flying pickaxes. And creepers. [YouTube — thanks, Miles!]

  By Jason Schreier Published May 7, 2012
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  Monday Watch This, Play This

  Watch! Mortal Kombat gets a few new additions. Watch! Minecraft players reign terror in town. Play! Ash shoots his surroundings through the virtual reality of his iPhone. Watch! What’s that in the shadows? It’s Mexican Ninja.

  By Tina Amini Published May 7, 2012
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  Possible World Exclusive: Kinect Dog Food Game

  There is a Kinect-powered video game in the Columbus Circle subway station in New York City. It’s being used to sell dog food. Because Kotaku never rests, and because we can’t let Game Informer and television’s Geoff Keighley hog all the big video game world exclusive announcements, your editor-in-chief had to stop and shoot a…

  By Stephen Totilo Published May 7, 2012
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  Beyond Good & Evil 2 Probably Will Have to Wait for the Next Generation of Consoles, Alors

  I speak a little bit of French. Just enough, in fact, to get the gist of what Rayman creator Michel Ancel is saying in this interview. The Ubisoft developer confirms work continues on the long-awaited sequel to cult favorite Beyond Good & Evil, but also says that it’ll need better tech than is currently available.…

  By Evan Narcisse Published May 7, 2012
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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! Look who’s a multimillion dollar pro football player!…

  By Evan Narcisse Published May 7, 2012
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  Three Cheers for Joss Whedon: King of the Geeks, King of the World

  It is a truth universally acknowledged that Joss Whedon rules. This truth is celebrated across many disparate swaths of the internet, from Buffytown to Fireflyville to Dr. Horribleopolis. As a writer and director, Whedon has mastered the art of twisting and reimagining bits of genre junk that we love—Cowboys! Vampires and witches! Supervillains! Horror movies!—and…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published May 7, 2012
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  Can You Name the Video Game Rabbit Hero Forever Etched on My Forearm?

  Long before Epic’s Cliff Bleszinski made a name for himself with Unreal and Gears of War, he already made a name for himself in the heart of at least one young(er) gamer with the PC’s answer to the platforming mascot character. His name is Jazz Jackrabbit, and if you don’t know who he is then…

  By Mike Fahey Published May 7, 2012
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  Owen Good to Discuss MLB 2K12 Perfect Game Scandal on ESPN Radio

  Kotaku‘s Owen Good will appear on ESPN 1080 of Orlando, Fla. this morning as a guest of “The Beat of Sports” to discuss the cheating alleged in MLB 2K12 Perfect Game Challenge. “The Beat of Sports” airs from 9 to 11 a.m.; Good is expected to join the program around 10:20 a.m. You can listen…

  By Owen Good Published May 7, 2012
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  Company of Heroes 2 Will Make You A Russian Commander Fighting Nazis

  Rumors have been hot and heavy that THQ would be announcing a sequel to hit PC strategy title, Company of Heroes and, today, the beleaguered publisher has done exactly that. As hinted by the vintage newspaper page we showed last week, the sequel to the 2006 game will focus on the WWII battles between Nazi…

  By Evan Narcisse Published May 7, 2012
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  One of the Most Popular Family Guy Episodes Gets Its Own Video Game

  With ten seasons of Seth McFarlane’s Family Guy to explore it might seem silly to base a new video game on one single episode. That is unless the episode in question is season eight’s brilliant “Road to the Multiverse.” Outed on Friday via Amazon and confirmed by Activision this morning, Family Guy: Back to the…

  By Mike Fahey Published May 7, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Bringing Anime Food to Life

  For Chinese who grew up in the 80s and 90s, Japanese anime had a profound impact on their lives. You can walk along any Chinese university and see someone wearing a Rukawa Kaede basketball jersey from the basketball anime Slam Dunk. Walk down to some young hangout areas, and you’ll see Chinese girls wearing Arale-chan…

  By Eric Jou Published May 7, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Idiot Calls in Bomb Threat to Imitate Video Game

  Bomb threats are never fun; they scare the living daylights out of people and create massive delays at airports. One Chinese gamer, thought it would be fun to imitate the plot of a video game and decided to issue a false bomb threat against Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport. On the evening of April 27, the…

  By Eric Jou Published May 7, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Japan’s Youngest Self-Made Billionaire Lost $700 Million Today [Update]

  Think you had a bad day? Japan’s youngest self-made billionaire, Gree honcho Yoshikazu Tanaka, just lost US$700 million bucks. This weekend, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported that Japanese government could regulate social games that have players pony up extra cash for the chance to win rare in-game items, because it could be illegal. Previously, Kotaku reported…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 7, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Meet China’s Video Game Rumor Monger

  As gamers, we all know that Blizzard, known notoriously for their “it’s done when it’s done,” policy, is the master of building game hype. In China, there are so many game companies filling the online space, meaning that marketing and hype has become somewhat problematic. Opting for the Blizzard method, some companies refuse to say…

  By Eric Jou Published May 7, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Amazon Japan to Buy Used Games

  Starting today, Amazon Japan will buy your used video games in exchange for Amazon gift tickets that can be used on the site. The site even picks up the shipping charges. [CNet]

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 7, 2012
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  Kotaku East

  Some of Japan’s Biggest Names Team Up for…an iOS Game

  Famed role-playing game music composer Nobuo Uematsu. Scenario writer Kazushige Nojima (Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII). Art director Hideo Minaba (Final Fantasy VI and Final Fantasy IX). And character designer Nakaba Higurashi (Baten Kaitos). All are going forces for iOS role-playing game Borderwalker. In the game, your goal is to restore the world…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 7, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Study Hard with an I.V. Drip

  Think you’ve got it hard at school? Ha! You could be studying your brains out for China’s Gaokao, or the country’s notoriously stressful national college entrance exam. These photos were taken at a high school in Xiaogan City, China. Seniors are getting amino acid drips so they can keep cramming for their college entrance exams,…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 7, 2012
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  Kotaku East

  The Super Moon Made Giant Gundam Even More Awesome

  Did you see the Super Moon (née “SuperMoon”)? On May 5, the moon was, as NASA pointed out, 14 percent bigger and 30 percent bright than all other full moons of this year. Impressive! Even the giant Gundam in Tokyo’s Odaiba checked out it out. In this stop motion video, clever editing, smart filmmaking, and…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 7, 2012
• Kotaku East

  The Cars and Cosplay of this Party Are Dreamy

  Held in both Osaka and Tokyo, Dream Party is a bi-annual event for bishoujo (beautiful young girl) computer games. This weekend, Dream Party rolled through Tokyo, filling the Tokyo Big Sight convention hall with cosplayers, figurines, computer games, and cars covered in nerdy decals. Last year, cosplayers got in the way of the crazy cars;…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 7, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Schoolgirl Hogs Subway Seats with Her Furry Friends

  Japanese subways are cramped. During rush hour, you’re lucky to get a seat. Most likely, you’ll probably find yourself standing, packed in like sardines. But this isn’t rush hour. It’s comedy hour. A young schoolgirl apparently hogged an entire bench with her plush toy commuter friends. This looks to be a gag—and a very amusing…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 7, 2012