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  Don’t Invite Batman To Your Birthday Party

  And if you must invite Batman to your birthday party, make sure it’s the nice one. Not the Christopher Nolan version. He’s kind of a dick. The Dark Knight Birthday [YouTube]

  By Jason Schreier Published April 23, 2012
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  Monday Watch This, Play This

  Watch! Link is difficult to control on the Wiimote. Watch! First-time PAX exhibitors tackle booth-building. Play! Ashcraft shoots Bambi in Deer Hunter Reloaded. Watch! Be careful of which Batman you invite to your kid’s birthday party.

  By Tina Amini Published April 23, 2012
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  Four-Year-Old Boy Kills His Father After Not Getting a PlayStation

  A preschool-aged boy in Saudi Arabia reportedly fatally shot his father this weekend because of a PlayStation. The AFP reports that according to Arabic-language press, the boy, about four-and-a-half years old, had asked his father to buy him a PlayStation of some variety. When his father returned without a Sony device in hand, the child…

  By Kate Cox Published April 23, 2012
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  Designers Behind BioShock, Dragon Age, And Fallout Spill Their Game Writing Secrets

  You’ve already read Kate’s summary of “Plot vs. Play,” the PAX East panel about storytelling in video games, but now you can watch the whole thing courtesy Mash Those Buttons From right to left: Ben Gilbert (Reporter, Joystiq), David Gaider (Senior Writer, BioWare), Chris Avellone (Creative Director, Obsidian), Ken Levine (Creative Director, Irrational Games), Jason…

  By Jason Schreier Published April 23, 2012
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  Here’s What You’ll Need to Make Max Payne 3 Look This Good on Your PC

  Now, PC gamers, you might be mad that you’ll have to wait a few weeks after the console release to get Max Payne 3 on your screens. But, as is often the case, Rockstar’s noir threequel finds its most beauteous iteration on the personal computing platform. Look at those crow’s-feet on Max’s eyes! The arm…

  By Evan Narcisse Published April 23, 2012
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  Talk Amongst Yourselves

  How was your weekend, dear readers? Did some stuff you need to confess to total strangers? You’ve come to the right place! 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…

  By Evan Narcisse Published April 23, 2012
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  Max Payne 3 Multiplayer Is Good, Essential and Rockstar’s Boldest Move In Years

  There must be something about the number three that signals that Rockstar Games is done messing around and is about to get serious. Grand Theft Auto III? That 2001 masterwork let the world know that Rockstar was ready to take over single-player video gaming. Eleven years later comes another “three” (they don’t do many of…

  By Stephen Totilo Published April 23, 2012
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  I Am One of Those Horrible Neglectful MMO-Playing Parents

  Whenever I post a story about a parent neglecting their children while playing a massively-multiplayer online role-playing game I can’t hide my disgust for that sort of person, so you can imagine how I felt about myself this weekend when my two ten-month-old children left the house in the middle of a boss fight. I…

  By Mike Fahey Published April 23, 2012
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  The Goriest Video Game Deaths You’ll See All Year, In Less Than a Minute

  If you’re the kind of person who gets grossed out easily, you might want to plan on ignoring Sniper Elite 2. That’s because the World War II shooter shows you exactly what it looks when a bullet enters a skull. Or a heart. Or male reproductive organs. We captured some of the disturbingly detailed kills—except…

  By Evan Narcisse Published April 23, 2012
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  “Harley Quinn’s Revenge” Coming With the Batman: Arkham City Game of the Year Edition

  As long rumored, the GOTY edition of the Dark Knight’s latest adventure will feature all-new story-based content focusing on Harley Quinn, the homicidal clown-girl that keeps the Joker warm at night. It comes with all of the previous DLC—which focused on new challenge maps, alternate outfits and playable outfits—and also includes a download code for…

  By Evan Narcisse Published April 23, 2012
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  Marketing Survey Hints at a Rayman Origins Sequel of Mythic Proportions

  Ubisoft’s critically acclaimed platformer Rayman Origins is going to get a sequel; it’s pretty much inevitable. What form that sequel will take might be hinted at in these screens taken from a marketing survey by one of our readers, hinting at a world filled with dragons, ghosts and Greek gods. Rayman Origins received rave reviews,…

  By Mike Fahey Published April 23, 2012
• Kotaku East

  The Continent of a Boring MMO… Zzzzz…

  Chinese and Korean online MMO’s are a dime a dozen, and Tecent and Webzen’s latest MMO, The Continent of the Ninth, definitely feels stale. Despite the gorgeous graphics and a very simple battle system, I wasn’t taken byThe Continent of the Ninth. It is by no means a bad game; it just felt boring to…

  By Eric Jou Published April 23, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Japanese Media Keeps Beating Up on Sony

  Once upon a time, Sony ruled Japan. Those days are over. Don’t believe me? Just look at how the Japanese media keeps turning the Tokyo-based electronics maker into a punching bag. This sort of thing isn’t unique to Sony; the Japanese media was dishing the same punches to Nintendo last year. Sure, sometimes jabs are…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published April 23, 2012
• Kotaku East

  How Tourists Are Encouraging Chinese Knock-Offs

  There are countless markets in China that sell un-branded merchandise that appears to be blatant knock-offs, but there are certain places in every major city in China that sell knock-off and counterfeit goods right in the open. Located in big cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, these markets are huge tourist traps. They sell…

  By Eric Jou Published April 23, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Own Online Property in China? The Chinese Government Will Recognize It!

  Starting in May, Chinese netizens will soon be able to own and pass down online property as China launches its first virtual property notarization services. The legality of who owns online property, and what to do with online accounts if the players die or get e-divorced has long been a topic of interest in China.…

  By Eric Jou Published April 23, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Key Developers Leaving Square Enix…for Social Gaming

  Turnover at game companies is high. But Japanese game developers who work on big titles for big companies tend to stay put. But what happens when your company is being eclipsed? In the past few years, the Japanese mobile and social game industry has exploded. Companies like DeNa and Gree are doing great business, while…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published April 23, 2012
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  Marvel at China’s Ballsy Rip-Offs

  The way that licensed products are remixed and reworked in China is endlessly fascinating. Thanks to lax laws (laws that are increasingly less lax), Chinese businesses can get away with things they never could in other countries. Increasingly, more and more Chinese are turning their noses up at knock-offs, demanding the real deal. Still, I…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published April 23, 2012
• Kotaku East

  PS3 Exclusive Fighting Game Delayed a Month in Japan

  Aquapazza, the upcoming PS3 fighter, has been pushed back from June 28 to July 26 in Japan. The developer didn’t not disclose why the game was delayed. [Aqua Plus]

  By Brian Ashcraft Published April 23, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Manga Girls Show Improper Gun and Knife Use

  Leave it to Japan to explain correct weapon use in manga form. A new book, Drawing! Gun and Knife Combat Pose Style Graphics, claims to do just that. The book has over 800 color as well as black-and-white photos and manga style illustrations of various weapons and females showing how to hold said weapons. There…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published April 23, 2012
• Kotaku East

  In the Next Few Years, Chinese Will Dominate the Internet

  English is the most widely used lingo on the internet. But in a few years, that will change. Currently, English comprises 27 percent of the internet. Each year, it keeps getting smaller and smaller. In 2005, English was 32 percent of the net, and in 2000, it was 39 percent. Chinese, on the other hand,…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published April 23, 2012