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  Designing a Better Steam, For PC and TV (and Phones!)

  Unlocks aside, Valve’s Steam service works pretty damn well. One thing it’s always been a little lacking in, though, has been its appearance. The latest redesign helped, but it’s still a little cluttered, a little messy. So designer Josh Collie thought he’d take a swing at redesigning the thing. I like what he’s come up…

  By Luke Plunkett Published May 15, 2012
• CultureTotal Recall

  The Creator of Mario and Zelda Reveals his Secrets (in 1999)

  In 1999, Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto gave a keynote address at the Game Developers Conference. An address you can watch here in its entirety. Remember, this isn’t the quasi-executive, Wii Music Shigeru Miyamoto we know today. This is the designer at perhaps the height of his powers, with games like Super Mario 64 still fresh…

  By Luke Plunkett Published May 14, 2012
• CultureTotal Recall

  Fresh New Images of Tired Old Hardware

  If you’re short on ideas for new wallpaper, and have a bit of a thing for old video game hardware, check out French artist Alan Cloiseau’s collection of vintage Sega, Sony and Nintendo systems and controllers. His personal site has plenty more great art.

  By Luke Plunkett Published May 14, 2012
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  The Name’s Gambit; Remember It

  Hello camp Kotaku, and welcome to another Open Thread. If you’re reading this, it’s probably 10:40 PM EST, which means only 5.3 more hours until Diablo III unlocks. Well, 5.3 hours and one minute. (Or yes, if you want to be “more accurate,” 5 Hours and 21 minutes.) While you’re waiting, take some time to…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published May 14, 2012
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  Check Out All The Loot In The Diablo III Collector’s Edition

  Blizzard certainly didn’t skimp on the Diablo III collector’s edition. It’s a big honkin box, filled with an amount of loot appropriate for a game that is all about, well, loot. Stephen’s copy arrived at Gawker HQ… but he wasn’t there to receive it, so our own Tina Amini opened it up and had a…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published May 14, 2012
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  Blizzard Offers Some Unlucky Diablo III Fans Refunds, Others “Free” Games

  Poor Aussie Diablo III fans who pre-ordered the game then lost their money (and game!) when retailer GAME went into administration yesterday, you’re suddenly in luck. Blizzard will be footing the bill, and getting you the games you paid for. The company has issued a statement that basically says “if you kept your receipt, buy…

  By Luke Plunkett Published May 14, 2012
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  The Witcher Developers are Working on at Least One Entirely New Game

  The Polish game studio CD Projekt is hiring for two new games, at least one of which has nothing to do with The Witcher One of the franchises is described as “dark fantasy” (just like The Witcher), and the other sounds like something totally different. “Our mature dark-fantasy world is well known around the world,…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published May 14, 2012
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  If You Ever Wanted To Get Kicked Out of PAX, Here’s How

  Comedian Nathan Barnatt, in his performing persona of socially awkward Keith Apicary, was removed from PAX East this year after interrupting the Rooster Teeth panel with a stage-rushing, trouser-dropping incident. Barnatt’s own compiled footage of Apicary’s antics at PAX East is now available. In the first half, he wanders around the convention like a geeky…

  By Kate Cox Published May 14, 2012
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  I Still Have No Idea What The Hell Class To Play in Diablo III

  Diablo III comes out tomorrow. Which really means it comes out tonight at midnight. I’m excited to play it—more excited than I would have thought I’d be, to be honest. There’s only one problem. At the beginning of my adventure, I’m going to have to make a choice—I’m going to have to pick a character…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published May 14, 2012
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  Here’s 1:07 of Footage From Prometheus, Showing the Ship Landing

  You’ve seen spaceships land a million times, but rarely has it ever looked as pretty as it does in this clip from upcoming sci-fi flick Prometheus

  By Luke Plunkett Published May 14, 2012
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  Activision Pays Ex-Call of Duty Developers $42 Million

  The ongoing legal feud between publishers Activision and former employees Jason West and Vince Zampella, the creators of the Call of Duty franchise, took an interesting turn today when Activision coughed up over $40 million. Note that this is not part of any settlement; according to Polygon, it’s the result of Activision doing a little…

  By Luke Plunkett Published May 14, 2012
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  Sounds Like The Amalur Studio is Having Money Troubles

  NBC News in Rhode Island is reporting that Curt Schilling’s Rhode Island-based game development house 38 Studios is meeting with Governor Lincoln Chafee to resolve “issues” with the state. This comes after the state of Rhode Island loaned 38 Studios $75 Million to relocate from Massachusetts. According to the NBC report, if 38 defaults on…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published May 14, 2012
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  Just When You Thought Free-To-Play Gaming Couldn’t Look Any Bleaker

  The free-to-play model has been taking hold in the west. More and more games are being designed around letting people play to their heart’s content, then monetizing the game in other ways once players are invested in the game. Writer/roustabout/troublemaker Michael Thomsen has written a scathing critique of free-to-play gaming titled “Will Work for Fun.”…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published May 14, 2012
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  Gamefly Trashes Gamestop In Their New Ad, Literally

  Video game rental service GameFly takes one hell of a shot at video game retailer GameStop in this new commercial. If you’ve ever tried trading games into GameStop, you’ve probably said something like “$9 cannot be your real offer” too. You probably didn’t trash the store, though. Please don’t trash stores. GameFly Commercial – You’re…

  By Jason Schreier Published May 14, 2012
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  Max Payne 3 Unloads Both Barrels Into Game Critics and They Just Won’t Die

  Just when he thought he could lose his tragic past in a booze and pill-addled haze, Rockstar Games drags Max Payne out of retirement for a third series of unfortunate events. If I were him, I’d go after them first. Luckily I am not Max Payne. My family is still, for the most part, alive.…

  By Mike Fahey Published May 14, 2012
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  Fans Piece Together the Box Art for Halo 4

  And here we have what looks like the box art for Halo 4, as assembled by NeoGAFer spawn031. An email from Microsoft went out with fragments of this image, titled “Your piece of the Halo 4 puzzle.” Each email came with a bit of this image, which spawn031 assembled and monsterfracas shared. Hey, now. That…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published May 14, 2012
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  Behold, The Ultimate Game of Thrones Tweet

  I love a good Game of Thrones joke as much as the next guy. But this one, made by Twitter user iScoff, really does take the cake. The Twitter-cake. The cake of tweets. He somehow manages take commonly mocked topics like Twitter’s character-limit and penchant for encouraging us to share our wretchedness (which our own…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published May 14, 2012
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  Mom and Dad of Game Developer Imprisoned in Iran Plead For Mercy

  The parents of American citizen Amir Hekmati haven’t heard much about their son in March, when the Iranian government overturned the accused spy’s death sentence and ordered a retrial. He presumably remains imprisoned in Iran. Hekmati’s parents recently recorded this video, trying to humanize their son and weeping for his return. There’s nothing happy here;…

  By Stephen Totilo Published May 14, 2012
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  Now Here’s a Guy That Just Hates (Captain) America

  Speak Up doesn’t have to be about video games, especially when a commenter as famous as fake Tony Danza comes out against a shining example of America colors on a comic book character. So what with The Avengers in theaters and all that it’s sparked conversation about the rest of the movies, and one thing…

  Speak Up Published May 14, 2012
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  Culture

  Maple Bacon Fudge: The Homemade Snacktaku Review

  Give a man a snack, you keep him sated until dinner; teach a man to create a snack, and he’ll make it once, tell everyone about it, and then never make it again, no matter how excellent it is. This weekend I made maple bacon fudge. I may never make it again, but I am…

  By Mike Fahey Published May 14, 2012