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Dual-Wielding Star Wars Nut Arrested for Lightsaber Assault
A man from Hillsboro, Oregon has been arrested and charged with assault after allegedly attacking customers at a Toys ‘R Us store with…two plastic lightsabers. The man, armed with two “blue” sabers (so he thought he was a good guy!), started swinging the toy weapons at customers in the Hayden Island store last Wednesday. When…
By Luke Plunkett Published December 19, 2011 -
UncategorizedPS Vita Freeze and Touch Screen Issues
Whenever new hardware launches, whatever it is, there are problems. The PS Vita is new hardware, and while I haven’t experienced any hardware issues, others have. These are some of them. According to YouTube videos, there are some machines experiencing lock-ups and freezing. One error appears to occur during the System Update, which then freezes.…
By Brian Ashcraft Published December 19, 2011 - Uncategorized
Help This Man Make LEGO Zelda a Reality
Back in the mists of time, before man walked the internet, I wrote a story about a LEGO Zelda movie a guy made. It was pretty great! So imagine my surprise when, over the weekend, the film’s creator Michael Inglis got in touch to let us know that he’s now taking the idea of LEGO…
By Luke Plunkett Published December 19, 2011 -
UncategorizedTesting Out Vita’s Near. In the Back of a Car.
Near is a PS Vita app that searches for PS Vitas in the vicinity, and then lets you know how many people are playing the Vita, what games others are playing, and what their opinions are. It’s a neat feature, and I give it a whirl. Parts of the video get bumpy—sorry about that! Near…
By Brian Ashcraft Published December 19, 2011 - Uncategorized
Relive the Horrors of Dating With This Party Flirting Game
Drink or say something stupid. Drink. Drink then say something stupid. Drink. Drink then try and say something charming, only to end up saying something stupid. That’s how flirting goes for most people at a party, and for some unknown reason if you feel like reliving the experience, FlirtOff absolutely nails it. After creating your…
By Luke Plunkett Published December 19, 2011 - Uncategorized
Mafia Wars Helps Drive 54 Year-Old Woman to Embezzle $166,000
Bettysue Higgins, who until recently worked as an admin assistant for a law firm, has pleaded guilty to embezzlement charges after her fraudulent spending on casual video games was caught out. Between 2006 and 2010, Higgins wrote out around 220 checks using the forged signature of the firm’s executive director Steven Prince. In the last…
By Luke Plunkett Published December 19, 2011 - Uncategorized
Where Can Japanese Nerds Take Non-Nerds on Dates?
You might be a nerd. I’m a nerd! But just because you are one, that doesn’t mean your significant other is. Your partner, whether they’re male or female, might not like video games, anime, manga—or whatever. That still doesn’t mean you both can’t explore geekdom together! A recent issue of Japanese women’s magazine Otome Sugoren…
By Brian Ashcraft Published December 19, 2011 - Uncategorized
Final Fantasy XIII‘s Lightning Strikes Skyrim
It’s East meets West. A Japanese gamer has inserted Final Fantasy XIII heroine Lightning into The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim with a character mod. Here are the results. What do you think? The stockings and starch white outfit look out of place, but Lightning sure can pull off a simple tunic. Japanese role-playing game Final…
By Brian Ashcraft Published December 19, 2011 -
UncategorizedThat Weird New Pokémon Game Has a Trailer
It wasn’t a dream. There really is a video game coming that crosses the world of Pokémon with that of Nobunaga’s Ambition, a Japanese history series developed by Tecmo Koei. This is its trailer. See? Not dreaming. That’s a trailer. The game’s full name is Pokémon + Nobunaga’s Ambition, and it’s out on the DS…
By Luke Plunkett Published December 19, 2011 -
UncategorizedWhich Is Faster: Vita Game Cards or Vita Downloads?
With the PlayStation Vita, you can buy retail game card games or download digital versions from the PlayStation Store. It’s your call. But before you do, there’s something you should know: one is slightly faster than the other. In this video from sister site Kotaku Japan, a card copy of PS Vita game Uncharted: Abyss…
By Brian Ashcraft Published December 19, 2011 -
UncategorizedLeft 4 Dead Movie Released, is Batshit Crazy
Last week, a very slick-looking trailer for a Left 4 Dead fan flick appeared online. It set a very sombre, serious tone. Over the weekend, the actual short film was released. It is not what you’ll have been expecting. If you’re at all interested in seeing how it was made, you can check out a…
By Luke Plunkett Published December 19, 2011 - Uncategorized
See a PlayStation Vita Skinned Alive, so the Internet Can See its Insides
If you’re at all squeamish about seeing naked electronics, with chips and wires lying exposed in broad daylight, go elsewhere and make yourself a cup of tea. If you can handle seeing the insides of a PlayStation Vita, though, read on! Here is one, torn apart by a Japanese site to satisfy the internet’s need…
By Luke Plunkett Published December 19, 2011 - Uncategorized
Video Game Almost Predicted Kim Jong-Il’s Death
Kim Jong-il, who has ruled the Communist state of North Korea since 1994, has passed away. Which means 2011 shooter Homefront was only two weeks off making one of the most timely (if accidental) fictional statements in video game history. In Homefront, a game which takes the death of Kim as the catalyst for a…
By Luke Plunkett Published December 18, 2011 - Uncategorized
Dog Days of Christmas
Dog Days of Christmas | Kane & Lynch 2 evidently can be had at a stocking-stuffer price at reader Vincent K.’s local Walmart. Veni, Vidi, Vita There is, officially, a new gaming machine on the market. The PS Vita went on sale in Japan today. Kotaku‘s Brian Ashcraft has comprehensive coverage of the device—what you…
By Owen Good Published December 18, 2011 - Uncategorized
Video Playback Quality Poorer Under New Xbox Dashboard: Report
The Xbox 360’s video player does not display video properly, a problem that testers reported during the new dashboard’s beta period, and one confirmed by Eurogamer this weekend. The issue seems to be that the new dashboard forces videos to display at limited-range RGB levels, which in layman’s terms means the color looks washed out.…
By Owen Good Published December 18, 2011 - Culture
Republic Service
Though many have plunged in with early access privileges, Tuesday is the official launch date for Star Wars: The Old Republic, one of the most anticipated MMOs in years. Other releases include Trine 2 on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live and, yes, Postal III is still listed for release on Tuesday over Steam. Monday…
By Owen Good Published December 18, 2011 - Uncategorized
Early Access Old Republic Gamers Get Two Days ‘Grace Period’ [Corrected]
For the record, there will be a “grace period,” in which those currently playing Star Wars: The Old Republic may still continue their character’s progress on the full title they’ve purchased, when that arrives. Previously, BioWare had suggested there would be no such “grace period.” [Correction] The grace period is meant to bridge Early Access…
By Owen Good Published December 18, 2011 - Uncategorized
Bad Bosses
Each week throws off several new video game lists ranging from the humorous to the trivial. What’s better? A list of those. Here’s a roundup of the rundowns out there. •The 50 Hardest Video Game Bosses, and How to Beat Them [Complex] Tavion in Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast was the last boss who truly…
By Owen Good Published December 18, 2011 -
UncategorizedBattlefield 3 Gets the Freddie Wong Treatment, and It’s Pretty Damn Good
Battlefield 3 has finally figured out that the key to making a successful television ad is not to pick a theme song whose essential lyrics must be bleeped, and just put it all in the hands of filmmaker Freddie Wong. Using Back to Karkand‘s forklift and “online battle tactics that many of you should know…
By Owen Good Published December 18, 2011