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Kotaku EastHow Suicide Made This Japanese Game Developer Famous
Suda51 (Goichi Suda) is one of Japan’s most famous game directors. In the West, this is due to his cult classic PS2/GameCube title, Killer7, or his best-selling Wii series, No More Heroes. In Japan, however, he first became famous for another game entirely: Super Fire Pro Wrestling Special on the Super Famicom. Back in 1994,…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published April 27, 2012 - Kotaku East
China To Launch a New Console. Price Tag: $600!
For years now, there have been rumblings about the eBox, or its other moniker, the iSec. Yet, the console was pushed back, and then it seemed to vanish completely. Well, it’s back and slated to come out soon. Real soon. Now called CT510, this is the Chinese game console the Lenovo backed and co-invested in—the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 27, 2012 -
Kotaku EastDiabolical Pitch Strikes Out
When I first played Diabolical Pitch, it was at the Tokyo Game Show 2011. There at the Microsoft booth, I played this Kinect title in two-player coop mode with a beautiful Japanese booth babe. I had a lot of fun. It was only when I played the game at home alone this last week that…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published April 27, 2012 - Kotaku East
This Akira LEGO Diorama Will Make You Scream “Kanedaaa!”
Internet person Arkøv created this wonderful Akira diorama, complete with concrete rubble, Tetsuo, a flowing cape, Kaneda, and a laser cannon. Pew. Pew. The diorama is somewhat abstract, smartly sidestepping mini-fig representations to bring Akira to life. I am…impressed. In 1988, Akira was turned into a feature film anime by Katsuhiro Otomo, who created the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 27, 2012 - Kotaku East
Pregnant Woman Stripped After Supposedly Stealing an iPhone
Earlier this week, a 20-something woman was accused of stealing an iPhone from another customer at an apparel shop in China’s Yongkang City. The customer, who had set the phone down on a table, noticed it was missing, and then Mob mentality kicked in and people began cutting the thief’s clothes and hair. Her shirt…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 27, 2012 - Kotaku East
Thieving Nerds Stole To Hang Out with Maids and See Idols
They were called the “Five Guys”. Fitting, because there were five of them. They weren’t just buddies. They were apparently criminals, who went on a crime spree that resulted in burglary and arson. And they were nerds. The Five Guys wanted money, but apparently, not for drugs or booze. They wanted money so they could…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 27, 2012 -
UncategorizedSony Confirms New PS3 Fighting Game, Complete With Stupid Name [UPDATE]
Sony has tonight confirmed the worst-kept secret of 2012; namely, that it will be releasing a first-party PS3 fighting game, and that it’ll actually be called PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale In addition to first-party characters, the game will feature mascots from third-party outfits as well. It’s due on the PS3 this holiday season. You can…
By Luke Plunkett Published April 27, 2012 -
UncategorizedStuntmen Turn GTA Into Trials, Jackass
Give this compilation video a few minutes to warm up and get past the credits. Or, if you’re impatient, skip to 1:21. From then on in, these guys aren’t even playing Grand Theft Auto any more. They’re playing something else Fan-Made “GTAIV Epic Stunts” Video (Vol. 5) Is Full of Win [Rockstar]
By Luke Plunkett Published April 27, 2012 - Culture
The Delicious Art of Kinman Chan
Artist Kinman Chan has done a lot of work in the movie business, lending his talents to animated films like Mars Needs Moms and A Christmas Carol. He’s also, though, been an artist in the video game industry, where he’s worked for companies like Rockstar and Sony, on games such as Resistance and Red Dead…
By Luke Plunkett Published April 27, 2012 - Uncategorized
What Did Obi-Wan do Between Cutting Anakin’s Legs off and Meeting Han Solo?
There are years between the time we last see Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: Episode III and the first time we see him in Episode IV. Enough for him to transform from a strapping young Scottish man into an elderly English Academy Award winner. If you’ve ever wondered what he looked like in that time,…
By Luke Plunkett Published April 27, 2012 - Uncategorized
This Busty Fighter’s Giant Thighs Might be Too Much For American Eyes [Update]
The upcoming, and very lovely-looking Dragon’s Crown, has two websites, one for Japan, one for the US. Both are almost identical in design except for one thing: character art. On the Japanese site, you can see nice, big pieces of art for each of the game’s playable characters. On the US site, though, two of…
By Luke Plunkett Published April 27, 2012 -
CultureTotal RecallThe Shameful History of Hip Hop in Video Game Advertising
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, video game publishers and their cohorts in the marketing world thought it would be a good idea to use rap in their commercials. It was not. This clip takes us on a tour of some of the worst, and while some are stretching the definition of hip-hop, others are entirely…
By Luke Plunkett Published April 26, 2012 - CultureTotal Recall
The Story Behind Sony’s Homebrew Development Kits
Almost a year ago to the day, I wrote a piece on Sony’s Net Yaroze, a kit which allowed PS1 users to make their own video games. Well, anyone who was interested in the subject, please check out this enormous feature over on Gamasutra, which even has in-depth interviews from the men behind it. [Gamasutra]
By Luke Plunkett Published April 26, 2012 - CultureTotal Recall
Nintendo Power Sure Had Some Amazing Artwork Inside
After I posted those amazing old Zelda images from Nintendo Power the other day, I got an email from reader Yannick, who just so happens to run a blog that collects all kinds of awesome old Nintendo Power artwork by Katsuya Terada. Double Dragon, Contra, there’s all kinds of old NES games Terada has brought…
By Luke Plunkett Published April 26, 2012 - Uncategorized
The Old Republic Expands into the Middle East and Dozens of Other Countries
Some 38 additional countries now will have access to Star Wars: The Old Republic, all of them located in the Middle East or parts of Europe. EA today announced plans to extend the distribution in that hemisphere. Subscription prices will vary by country, EA said. [GamesIndustry International]
By Owen Good Published April 26, 2012