• Kotaku East

  Nerd Paradise Is Turning to Nerd Hell. Beware Evil Maids!

  In Japanese geek meccas like Tokyo’s Akihabara and Osaka’s Nipponbashi, otaku (nerds) flock to maid cafes. The establishments are staffed with young women, eager to talk, serve rice omelets, and play paper-rock-scissors with customers. For a price. And depending on the maid cafe, a hefty one. Maid cafes started taking off in Japan between 2003…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published February 22, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Kotaku East Starts Now

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

  By Brian Ashcraft Published February 22, 2012
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  The Problem With Gamification

  Greg Costikyan on the subject of gamification. Or, turning things/activities that aren’t games into games. The Problem with Gamification…[Play This Thing, via Super Punch]

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 22, 2012
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  Marilyn Monroe Eats Pizza, Sleeps Alone in The Sims

  Sims modder Pixel Pixies brings a touch of wholesome sex appeal to EA’s Sims 3 with her Marilyn Monroe skin, turning a modern family drama into a flick from the 50’s. I’ve never been able to get into the Sims games, but I remember spending a lot of time with earlier iterations importing mods and…

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 22, 2012
• Culture

  The BioShock, Dead Space & InFamous Art of Opus Artz

  Opus Artz is a concept studio in London which specialises in production art for the video game industry. Among its artists are guys like Bjorn Hurri and Theo Stylianides, so yeah, we’re about to see some good stuff. The studio has worked with clients such as EA, 2K, Paradox and Square Enix, on games like…

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 22, 2012
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  Pokémon Company Responds to Fake iPhone Pokémon Game

  In the wake of a rather high-profile App Store scam involving a Pokémon game (or at least its title screen), the Pokémon Company has issued a statement saying it’s on the hunt for the bad guys. “We continue to combat the unauthorised release of games, applications and merchandise that trick our fans into purchasing something…

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 22, 2012
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  Now This is What a LEGO Game Should Look Like

  Putting aside the recent LEGO licensed platformers, nobody has ever really got a LEGO game right. Even Traveller’s Tales’ games don’t really get it; they’re great because they’re simple and funny, not because they use LEGO in a particularly exciting or satisfying way. This 3D clip, from Francisco Prieto, is what a LEGO game should…

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 22, 2012
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  CultureTotal Recall

  How Sam & Max Hit The Road Taught Me To Love Words

  People who know nothing about video games like to sling mud. They’ll say that games rot your brain, waste your time and distract from your studies. I’m here to tell you that that’s a lie, and I have proof. Be sure to click the video above to see how educational this game can really be.…

  By Chris Person Published February 21, 2012
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  CultureTotal Recall

  Screw the Vita, Let’s Talk About the Other NGP

  The PlayStation Vita is out today in the US. Before it was known as the Vita, you may remember it was called the NGP. Which was a little awkward, since there had already been a handheld gaming system called the NGP. And it sure wasn’t made by Sony. While Sony’s NGP stood for “Next Generation…

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 21, 2012
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  Total Recall Starts Now!

  Let’s spend an hour looking backwards. It won’t hurt your neck. Promise.

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 21, 2012
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  Get Ready for the “Next” Metal Gear Solid

  Now that Bayonetta developers Platinum Games are working on Metal Gear Rising, Kojima Productions is free to work on something else. Like…another Metal Gear Solid game. The studio has begun a recruitment drive for “the latest Metal Gear Solid” which will be appearing on “high-end consoles and PC”. It’ll of course be built on the…

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 21, 2012
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  Quiet, Worf

  Hello there, and welcome to your Tuesday evening open thread. I hope you’re having a good week so far; 40% of the way to the weekend. Here are some things from around and about the internet for your perusing pleasure: “15 minutes of Worf’s ideas getting shot down by everyone on The Next Generation“ –…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published February 21, 2012
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  Western Studios are Helping Finish The Last Guardian

  Team Ico’s The Last Guardian, the studio’s first game since Shadow of the Colossus, has hit a bit of a rough patch. It’s been delayed a few times, key people have left the company, it’s a mess To help get it done and out the door, Sony has drafted in outside help from some of…

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 21, 2012
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  Origin Unleashes the First 3D Gaming Laptop With Dual Graphics Cards in SLI

  3D technology loves dual video cards, but gaming laptop manufacturers tend to shy away from dropping a pair of NVIDIA mobile cards in their machines. Something about keeping down cost. As I’ve demonstrated in the past, Origin PC isn’t a company that shies away from making a really expensive product, especially when it gets them…

  By Mike Fahey Published February 21, 2012
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  These LittleBigPlanet Awards Will Remind You Of Your Cosmic Insignificance

  Oftentimes we float through life, content to feel as though we are a Very Big Deal. See this room I’m in? I’m the only person in it! I matter, man! And then we come across something that makes us remember that oh yeah, the world is a gigantic place, filled to the brim with people,…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published February 21, 2012
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  A Spectrum of Games for a Spectrum of Gamers

  One of the many eternal battles the gaming community consistently fights among itself is the seemingly irreconcilable “gameplay” vs. “story” debate. The increasingly-heated argument has come back around again in full force over the past week or two, with public figures like Jennifer Hepler and David Jaffe being variously held up or dumped on for…

  By Kate Cox Published February 21, 2012
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  Video Games Are Easier Than Ever, Yet Harder To Manage

  If you’ve played games for more than a decade, you’ve undoubtedly witnessed the ongoing evolution of the medium. Some see technology as the primary driver, and there’s no question games look and sound better than ever. The rising tide of tech has lifted all boats, making it possible for even a small team of developers…

  Michael Abbott Published February 21, 2012
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  Notre Dame Basketball Player Quits Skyrim, Becomes a Star

  Surging college basketball player Jack Cooley doesn’t attribute his recent success to some sort of miracle or an act of God. Nor does he blame nonsense like “hard work” or “dedication.” Nope — he did it by quitting video games, according to an article published last week by The Chicago Tribune “Never get Skyrim,” Cooley…

  By Jason Schreier Published February 21, 2012
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  Right At Home On Hoth

  More like AT Ice-T | AT-AT ice sculpture made with a chisel and chainsaw. Seen this weekend in Bend, Ore., photo by Bill Linn..) The Call of Duty Game That Never Was I love behind-the-scenes insights into the making of my favorite games. Although I usually watch or read them after I’m finished with a…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published February 21, 2012
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  The Call of Duty Game That Never Was

  I love behind-the-scenes insights into the making of my favorite games. Although I usually watch or read them after I’m finished with a title, instead of before one is released, I enjoy reading and watching the stories of the production itself. Any successful game, large or small, takes a remarkable amount of coordination and dedication.…

  By Kate Cox Published February 21, 2012