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  Your Guide to the New Kotaku Network

  Starting on the evening of February 12, Kotaku will begin to offer scheduled programming. Your listings are above. What does this mean? We’re changing. Not completely, of course. We are still a website. We are still one built on a love for video games and a passion for both reporting and writing about them. (You…

  By Stephen Totilo Published February 10, 2012
• Kotaku East

  This Is Kotaku East

  As more and more publications are dialing down their Japan coverage, Kotaku had this crazy idea: Why not increase ours? And better yet, why stop at Japan? Welcome to Kotaku East Since 2005, Kotaku has unabashedly covered Japan from Japan, breaking news and providing a boots-on-the-ground look at the country’s gaming and geek culture. The…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published February 10, 2012
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  Alternate-Reality Intrigue is the Key to The Hacker‘s Charm

  Partly for nostalgia, but definitely on its own merits,The Hacker is my favorite mobile game, so far, of 2012. The first rejected password on that green monochrome screen took me back more than 25 years to Activision’s Hacker on the Commodore 64, a game that had no real instruction manual, just that opening screen. LOGON.…

  By Owen Good Published February 10, 2012
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  LittleBigPlanet Karting Is a Real Thing

  Apparently, the reports that Sackboy will getting a driver’s license turned out to be true. Sony’s confirmed that a kart racing game based on Media Molecule’s hit platformer/construction series is in development via Twitter

  By Evan Narcisse Published February 10, 2012
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  In Case You Skipped Final Fantasy XIII, Here’s a Breakdancing Recap Rap

  Final Fantasy XIII-2 comes with a multi-chapter, fully voiced summary of the plot of its predecessor, which is extremely convenient for fans that decided to pass up XIII in favor of not getting involved in a giant argument. It does not feature pixel breakdancing or any sort of lyrical rampage. This one does. Kotaku reader…

  By Mike Fahey Published February 10, 2012
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  These Mass Effect 3 Videos Make the Wait Until March 6 Feel Like Forever

  Mass Effect 3’s less than a month away, but that span of time feels like an eternity. The relaunch of the website for BioWare’s sci-fi epic isn’t helping either. It’s sporting videos that tease out elements of the upcoming threequel from multiplayer to narrative. It seems like they’re there to help along people new to…

  By Evan Narcisse Published February 10, 2012
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  Who Is Best Dressed?

  VITA | TOKYO, JAPAN: Video game The Legend of Heroes: Evolution gets a press conference with funny outfits. Ha. Ha. (Photo: Game Impress Watch) Blizzard and Valve go to War Over DOTA Name Blizzard once made a game called WarCraft III. Then someone made an awesome mod for it called DOTA. Then Valve decided to…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published February 10, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Foreigners Rejoice! EA’s Biggest Titles Come to Japan in English

  For those living in Japan and wanting to play Western games in their original format, the invention of the Blu-ray disc was a godsend. Suddenly games shipped with both versions, Japanese and English, right on the same disc. But for some reason, EA never followed suit. From Mass Effect 2 to Mirror’s Edge, the English…

  By Richard Eisenbeis Published February 10, 2012
• Kotaku East

  The Most Extensive Pac-Man Collection Ever

  For the 30th Anniversary of Pac-Man way back in 2010, the 3331 Arts Chiyoda gallery on the outskirts of Akihabara held an exhibition showcasing the most complete collection of all things Pac-Man the world has ever seen. One room was filled with every piece of merchandise imaginable-from lunchboxes to pens to T-shirts-while another was dedicated…

  By Richard Eisenbeis Published February 10, 2012
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  First There’s Cross-Dressing and Dancing. Then Shock. Then Respect.

  Graphic design company MokuMoku Factory also makes live-action shorts. They’re fantastic. Why, you ask? Well, I’ll give you thirty-one seconds to watch this clip—and that should do all the explaining you’ll ever need. Hatsune Miku, for those not familiar, is the virtual idol cosplayed by the dancing dude. This clip is from a longer MokuMoku…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published February 10, 2012
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  Iconic Japanese Mecha Inspired…a WiFi Tower?

  Patlabor, the iconic Japanese anime, will be reborn this year—as a WiFi tower. Osaka’s MSystem is rolling out a new series of “intelligent” WiFi towers named after the Patlabor mecha, complete with licensing approval for using the moniker. The tower’s design was based on the AV-98 Ingram, the Tokyo Police Patrol Labor (“Patlabor”) featured in…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published February 10, 2012
• Kotaku East

  The Japanese Side of the PlayStation Button Confusion

  Nihonjin no Shiranai Nihongo (The Japanese that Japanese People Don’t Know) is a collection of real-life stories centering on a young Japanese woman as she teaches Japanese to a group of foreigners in Tokyo. Presented in manga form, the stories are usually about the simple questions her students ask her and the culture shock she…

  By Richard Eisenbeis Published February 10, 2012
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  From Cosplayer to Cover Girl

  It was only last fall that Macau-born Sunny Lin’s cosplay made waves throughout Asia. Japan declared that Lin was the closest to a living incarnation of Boa Hancock from One Piece Based in Taiwan, Lin is the February cover girl for FHM Taiwan, underscoring just how rapid her assent has been and that it is…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published February 10, 2012
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  Bandai Namco Games Making “Bandai Namco Studio”

  Today, Bandai Namco, known as Namco Bandai in the West, revealed it’s created a new studio called Bandai Namco Studio. It will be responsible for Tekken, SoulCalibur, Taiko no Tatsujin, the Tales games, and the Gundam games. [BNG]

  By Brian Ashcraft Published February 10, 2012
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  Virtual Snow Idol Being Rebuilt. Hopefully It Won’t Injure Old Ladies.

  After a snow sculpture of virtual idol Hatsune Miku crumbled and injured an elderly woman at the Sapporo Snow Festival, officials destroyed the statue. The original statue, while cute, suffered by poor balance. Seven craftsmen are working around the clock to complete the safer sculpture. The new statue features “Snow Miku” carved in relief, and…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published February 10, 2012
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  The Stupidest PS3 Password Story Ever

  When Sony was hacked in 2011, it was major news. People’s personal information was put at risk. This latest PlayStation password story is not major news. It shouldn’t even be on television. TV Asahi, a major Japanese television network, is reporting that Ramos Angelo Miguel, 22, was arrested in Tokyo’s Fussa City for using somebody…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published February 10, 2012
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  Tim Schafer Even Makes Kevin Costner Movies More Bearable

  In case you’ve been away or in a coma for the past 24 hours, see here for reference Fund of Dreams [GameTrailers @ Facebook]

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 10, 2012
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  Team Fortress 2 Channels LL Cool J (What?)

  There’s a new item in Team Fortress 2 that the Scout can employ which plays music. Sounds pretty trivial, but man, you’ve got to read Valve’s description of the item. My radio’s bad from the Boulevard. I’m a hip-hop gangster and my name is Todd. Terrorising my neighbours with the heavy bass. I keep the…

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 10, 2012
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  What Pokémon Would Look Like as Classic Disney Characters

  Canadian artist Beth Turnsek is the one to thank for these amazing Pokémon images which reimagine the Japanese series in her own charming style, which resembles classic animated films. What’s cool about this series is that she’s gone through and drawn her favourite pocket monster from each variety, so you’ll find a single Earth Pokémon,…

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 10, 2012
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  Blizzard and Valve go to War Over DOTA Name

  Blizzard once made a game called WarCraft III. Then someone made an awesome mod for it called DOTA. Then Valve decided to make a game called DOTA 2. Then Blizzard decided to make something called Blizzard DOTA And now Blizzard is fighting a legal battle with Valve over the whole thing. What a mess Two…

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 10, 2012