• Kotaku East

  Your Girlfriend or DotA? An Online Love Story.

  It could be a complete fabrication. Or it could be a true story. Regardless, a love story is making the rounds online in China. It’s not just any love story. It deals with addiction, DotA, and one decisive match. The boyfriend in the story, as website Tech In Asia pointed out, seems like a jerk.…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published April 10, 2012
• Kotaku East

  From Persona to Baseball Hot Pants

  Lisa Yoshiki sure is busy. When not cosplaying as virtual idol Hatsune Miku in glossy magazines, she’s appearing on stage in the recent Persona theatrical play. And when she’s not doing that? She’s doing other things, like appearing at Japanese baseball games. Yoshiki, who grew up wanted to be a manga artist, recently threw out…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published April 10, 2012
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  Kotaku East

  Jamming to The World Ends With You Remixes in Kingdom Hearts 3D

  As Kotaku‘s own Kirk Hamilton pointed out last week, one of the most amazing things in Square Enix’s DS hit, The World Ends With You, was its techno/pop/rap soundtrack. While we aren’t getting a new game in the series anytime soon (if ever), we are getting the next best thing, Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop…

  By Richard Eisenbeis Published April 10, 2012
• Kotaku East

  China Gets Its First Female Street Fighter Champ

  Xiao Zhao became her country’s first female Street Fighter champion after coming out on top at a Super Street Fighter IV: AE v2012 tournament. Playing as Dhalsim, she defeated her competition at the Nanning Mario Arcade Center in Guangxi last month. Her prize? Besides self-satisfaction and that large cardboard cutout, Xiao Zhao was awarded an…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published April 10, 2012
• Kotaku East

  North Korea Has a Tractor Simulator. It’ll Plough the Fields of Your Mind.

  The wizards in North Korea created this: a computerized simulator that teaches students how to drive a tractor. It may not be pretty (it’s certainly not), but goodness, doesn’t it look amazing? This photo was taken at the Samjiyon Schoolchildren’s Palace in Samjiyon, North Korea. It’s an institution that specializes in after school programs for…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published April 10, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Akaneiro Is the Next Game from American McGee’s Spicy Horse

  Game designer American McGee and his Shanghai-based Spicy Horse are known for their vivid fantasies and brilliant art design. The studio’s upcoming title Akaneiro: Demon Hunters looks to be no exception. Spice Horse has already done its twisted take on Alice in Wonderland. With Akaneiro, the studio is putting its spin on Red Riding Hood—in…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published April 10, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Kotaku East Starts Now!

  Kotaku East runs from 4am to 8am Eastern. For more info about Kotaku East click here

  By Brian Ashcraft Published April 10, 2012
• Uncategorized

  It’s Dangerous to Drink Alone. Take Cards.

  A year ago, Swiss artist Nelde released some images of an idea for a deck of Zelda playing cards. They were, given the template, almost perfect. Well, encouraged by the positive feedback received, Nelde went and deigned the rest of the deck and has had them printed up by the lovely people at Fangamer. The…

  By Luke Plunkett Published April 10, 2012
• Uncategorized

  This “Oh Shit” Flash Game Will Destroy Your Day

  Oh boy. This is amazing. If you’ve seen former R&B star R. Kelly’s incredible Trapped in the Closet (if not, begin), well, this is a flash game based on Trapped in the Closet The game’s instructions are as follows: Click on R. Kelly’s face whenever he says “Oh shit!” Maybe some other stuff too. If…

  By Luke Plunkett Published April 10, 2012
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  Uncategorized

  Sonic 2 HD Contains Keylogger, Delete Immediately [Update 3]

  A group of fans recently released Sonic 2 HD, an alpha version of a very fancy home-made tribute to Sega’s classic platformer. The game even, inadvertently, throws in a bonus: free keyloggers for everyone! [Update: no it doesn’t!] It’s being reported that a “professional antivirus employee” has confirmed that copies of the game include “a…

  By Luke Plunkett Published April 10, 2012
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  Uncategorized

  A Kid’s Cardboard Arcade is the Most Beautiful Thing You’ll See Today

  Caine is nine. And like all the best nine year-olds in the world, Caine is obsessed with video games. In Caine’s case, it’s arcade games, and he’s so obsessed he built himself a giant cardboard arcade. This is the story of Caine’s arcade. If you’ve had a shitty day, or just need something to make…

  By Luke Plunkett Published April 10, 2012
• Uncategorized

  Mass Effect Prankster Livens Up TV Show

  Q&A, an Australian current affairs program, ran an episode over the weekend about Easter. A big part of the show is that, while conversations are taking place in the studio, a ticker on the bottom of the screen lets viewers get their $0.02 in. Given the topic involved religion, then, it’s easy seeing how ceekel…

  By Luke Plunkett Published April 10, 2012
• Uncategorized

  Bulletstorm Probably Won’t Get a Sequel, PC Pirates Blamed for Poor Sales

  Bulletstorm, one of 2011’s more surprising critical successes, wasn’t as big a hit at the register, with Epic Games boss Mike Capps telling GameSpot that “From a sales perspective it was good, but not amazing. I think EA was hoping we’d do better.” In terms of whether this means we’ll see a sequel or not,…

  By Luke Plunkett Published April 10, 2012
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  Uncategorized

  Is This Footage From Valve’s Mysterious Space Game?

  It’s been whispered about for years now that Half-life creators Valve either are, or at least were, working on some kind of sci-fi game. There were rumours, there was rumoured concept art of spaceships, and now there might be test footage of the game (or at least its universe) in action as well. Gray Horsfield,…

  By Luke Plunkett Published April 10, 2012
• Uncategorized

  The Cutest Damn Video Game, Comic and Movie Stars You’ve Ever Seen

  Artist Mike Mitchell recently held a show at the kinda-famous Gallery 1988, in which he showed off a whole ton of nerd superstars with enormous heads, enormous eyes and tiny, tiny little arms. You can buy prints of just about all of these from Gallery 1988’s site, or if you’re after something more authentic, some…

  By Luke Plunkett Published April 10, 2012
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  CultureTotal Recall

  In 1974, Arthur C. Clarke Predicted the 2001 Internet

  Not just as a vague concept, either. The famed science fiction author absolutely nails it, from the bank statements to the hardware to the social changes to the possibilities for communication. “Visionary” is an awful, over-used word, but it’s cases like this which are the rare exceptions you can actually use it and it fits.…

  By Luke Plunkett Published April 9, 2012
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  CultureTotal Recall

  RIP, the Man who Helped Get me Into Video Games

  When I was four years old, my father took me out to a local electronics store and said we were buying a computer. OK, I thought, not really knowing why that was such a big deal. Twenty-seven years later, I now know it was one of the most significant days of my life. That day…

  By Luke Plunkett Published April 9, 2012
• Uncategorized

  Wait, I’m Doing the Open Thread Tonight? Quick, Find Me a Cat With a Cherry!

  Thank goodness for Reddit. Otherwise you’d be staring at something other than this picture of a cat with a cherry right now, and that headline would make absolutely no sense. Kirk is out today, having traveled to Imagination Land to be given the key to the city for his bravery in doing something very brave…

  By Mike Fahey Published April 9, 2012
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  Uncategorized

  Grand Theft Auto: Iraq is no Game, It’s Just Assholes With Guns

  Mercenary outfit Blackwater has been accused of some pretty terrible things during its time operating as a “security contractor” in Iraq. Something captured in these shocking videos. Part of a great feature over on Harper’s (registration required), they show what happens when angry men are overpaid and set loose on a country that, while everyone…

  By Luke Plunkett Published April 9, 2012
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  Uncategorized

  The Guild Wars 2 Collector’s Edition is That Much More Enticing When Set to Music

  Perhaps a mere picture of the Guild Wars 2 collector’s edition wasn’t enough for you. Perhaps early access and name reservation isn’t your thing. No, that’s not it. You just haven’t seen it in video form with a dramatic score. Prepare yourself. Guild Wars 2 pre-purchase begins tomorrow, giving gamers all around the world (well,…

  By Mike Fahey Published April 9, 2012