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  Shooting Virtual People Makes You Better at Paying Attention, Science Says

  It’s good timing for everyone to be excited about Call of Duty: Black Ops II, it seems. New research finds that playing the game, and others like it, can actively change your brain for the better. Several previous studies have found that playing different kinds of games has a different effect on the brain, from…

  By Kate Cox Published May 3, 2012
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  Valve Knows They Keep You Waiting. There’s Even an Amusing Chart About It.

  Nothing’s worse than thinking you’re going to get something cool at a certain time and finding out that there’s going to be some sort of delay. Damn you, delays! While other companies wouldn’t own up to the amount of time they keep folks waiting, Valve is better than that. The developer of the Team Fortress,…

  By Evan Narcisse Published May 3, 2012
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  Video Gaming’s Most-Celebrated Sex Comedy Is Coming Back, With a New Asian Girl

  Yesterday, Al Lowe told me a dirty joke. “What do you call a redneck with a pig under one arm and a sheep under the other arm? “Bisexual.” Al Lowe likes telling jokes, many of them dirty. Back in 1987 he created Leisure Suit Larry, an adventure game about a loser who tries to score…

  By Stephen Totilo Published May 3, 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! So this month’s painting pairs a well-off gentleman…

  By Evan Narcisse Published May 3, 2012
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  EA Backtracks On Shutting Down Rock Band Mobile

  Publisher Electronic Arts seems to have backtracked on its plans to shut down the mobile version of Rock Band following a massive outcry from fans and press yesterday. Yesterday, customers with the iOS version of Rock Band received a message saying the game would shut down on May 31. Now, EA says that was an…

  By Jason Schreier Published May 3, 2012
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  Charlie Brown as the Hero of Hyrule? Good Grief!

  Charles Schulz’s Peanuts comic strips stand as one of the most brilliant artistic achievements of the 20th Century. You could say the same about The Legend of Zelda video games. So, yes, I’m going to vote for this shirt design by Threadless contributor Winter the Artist. You should, too. He’s also got a great Chewbacca…

  By Evan Narcisse Published May 3, 2012
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  Oh Hey, a Virtual Console Game! Remember Those?

  Back in late 2006 we were convinced that one day our Wiis would be filled with every classic video game we ever wanted, thanks to the magic of the Virtual Console. That dream is dead now, but the Virtual Console continues to hang-on in superlative fashion. Today on the Wii Virtual Console it’s Super Hang-On,…

  By Mike Fahey Published May 3, 2012
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  Gravity Rush Looked So Damn Beautiful From the Very Beginning

  Raise your hands if Gravity Rush is the reason you got a PlayStation Vita or plan on getting one. Wow, that’s a lot of hands! All the anticipation for Gravity Rush comes from the game’s combination of a clever core mechanic with a unique aesthetic. A new post over at the PlayStation Blog shows a…

  By Evan Narcisse Published May 3, 2012
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  Scooby Doo and Looney Tunes Converge in One Free-to-Play Online Cartoon Universe

  Two of Warner Bros. most beloved children’s franchise come together later this year in Cartoon Universe, a free-to-play browser-based online adventure world. You know, for the kids. The first project out of WB Games Montreal, Cartoon Universe is a colorful kid-friendly destination for fans of The Looney Tunes Show and Scooby Doo. Kids will be…

  By Mike Fahey Published May 3, 2012
• Kotaku East

  China’s First Official Home Console Is Much Better Than Anticipated

  When I first saw the Xbox Kinect, I was a GA (Game Advisor or peon) at GameStop,. I felt a sense of wonder and I thought, “This must be the future”. This morning, when I saw the finally released Eedoo CT510, I felt the same sense of wonderment that I had when I first saw…

  By Eric Jou Published May 3, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Adult Video Games, S&M Play, and Foot-Sniffing Can Drive Away Sweethearts

  Hobbies are a personal thing. What might float your boat might not float your lover’s. And sometimes, your hobby might repulse them entirely. An online survey of one thousand revealed what hobbies have caused boyfriends or girlfriends to run far, far away. Those hobbies were largely otaku and fetish related. Here’s a list of hobbies…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 3, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Digging Up Bamboo Shoots. And Then Eating Them.

  This week is Golden Week in Japan—a series of holidays. Because it’s Golden Week, Japanese game news has pretty much come to a halt. The entire country is on vacation. Earlier this week, I had a day off. And I spent the morning digging up bamboo shoots, or as they’re called in Japanese, takenoko. (I’m…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 3, 2012
• Kotaku East

  This FPS Cover Girl Reminds Japan of a One Piece Character

  There’s already been a real-life Boa Hancock doppelganger (check here). Online in Japan, netizens are calling Chongqing-born model Ai Shang Zhen China’s version of Boa Hancock. Boa Hancock is the Snake Princess from One Piece Zhen is a popular model in China, promoting electronics and Italian sports cars. She is also one of the image…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 3, 2012
• Kotaku East

  China’s First Home Console Is Expensive and Elusive. Yet, I Found One.

  China’s first home grown console hit China late last month. But the console was incredibly hard to find. This wasn’t because it was flying off shelves. It was because nobody had heard of it. Originally known as the Ebox and the iSec, the now named CT510 from Eedoo felt very much like vaporware. In China,…

  By Eric Jou Published May 3, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Japanese Arcade Owner Is So Sad about Japanese Arcades

  Video arcades are a dwindling business in Japan. Since the peak of the market in 2006, the number of arcades and scale of individual arcades has been dropping steadily. Kiyoshi Kameyama, the owner of the Amnet Gotannda arcade described the current video arcade climate in an interview with website Online Player EX. Arcades used to…

  By Toshi Nakamura Published May 3, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Hidden Sexual Innuendo In The World Of Super Mario

  Mario, the Italian plumber with a kidnap prone girlfriend is the poster child of Nintendo. But is there hidden sexual innuendo in the world of Super Mario? Some Japanese players seem to think so. Consider the following: Mario: The size of his nose as a metaphor for a large member. Luigi: His name in Japanese…

  By Toshi Nakamura Published May 3, 2012
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  Kotaku East

  Little Girl Played with an iPad. She Got Her Teeth Knocked Out.

  Scrolling and swiping. Flat on her back, a young girl in Taiwan was playing with an iPad on her bed. When she got tired, the iPad slipped out of her hand and hit the girl in the mouth. The corner of the iPad hit her front teeth, causing them to chip. Cracked smile aside, the…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 3, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Man Wanted Porn Star to Follow Him on Twitter. She Didn’t, So He Took Legal Action.

  On Twitter, just because you follow someone, that doesn’t mean that person will follow you back. That’s just how it works. Aoi Sola is one of Japan’s most popular adult video actresses. She also has a huge following in China. No wonder she has over 300,000 Twitter followers. People love Aoi Sola. A 40-something man…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 3, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Japanese Manga and Anime Titles Are Too Damn Long. Here’s Why.

  The anime scene in Japan, while not exactly booming in recent years, has certainly kept up appearances, starting over 50 new anime series in the month of April alone. Most are sequels or are based off of existing properties, like manga or light novels. Among some of the recent popular shows based on light novels,…

  By Toshi Nakamura Published May 3, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Pikachu Meets Gundam Meets Holy Crap

  It’s like best of both worlds made better—way better. Japanese model builder mashed Gundam Wing with Pokémon to create this Pikachu Wing. Brilliant! Have a look at more pics in the above gallery. Pikachu Wing Version [Modelers Gallery]

  By Brian Ashcraft Published May 3, 2012