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  The Secret World Reveals New England’s Dirty Little Secret

  Funcom’s upcoming supernatural MMO The Secret World reveals the dark truth New Englanders have tried in vain to hide behind their colorful leaves and inexpensive lobster dishes: The place is brimming with evil. As far as secrets go, it’s not a very well-kept one. Stephen King has been tapping that evil New England ass for…

  By Mike Fahey Published July 6, 2011
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  Talk Amongst Yourselves

  Wednesday? Again? Let’s make this day go by faster by chatting about video games, shall we? Today we’ve got a newcomer to the TAYpic gallery! Welcome Po5TMAN to the crew, and a big thanks for your fantastic first efforts! To get your TAYpic featured here, be sure to submit your images to #TAYpics, and please…

  By Jen Schiller Published July 6, 2011
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  Nintendo Nixes Future iPhone, Android Games Despite Pokemon Title

  The decision to bring a Pokemon game to the iPhone doesn’t mean that Nintendo has softened its views on Apple’s gaming phone. Speaking with Bloomberg, a spokesman said that Nintendo’s decision to only develop games for its own hardware “hasn’t changed and won’t change.” While Pokemon is typically only published on Nintendo game systems, it…

  By Brian Crecente Published July 6, 2011
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  Tiny Ships, Tiny Aliens, Tiny Galaga 30th Collection

  It’s been nearly 30 years since Galaga stormed onto the arcade scene, delivering to fans of fixed shooters an arguably better version of Galaxian Galaga 30th Collection is a celebration of that upcoming anniversary, which hits on July 23, bringing a free version of Galaxian to iPhone owners and a chance to pick up Galaga,…

  By Brian Crecente Published July 6, 2011
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  Where Are You From?

  Mavericky | DALLAS, TEXAS: The skyline of downtown Dallas. (Photo: Mike Ehrmann | Getty) Are China’s Days of Cockblocking Console Makers Numbered? Game consoles are made in China. But they cannot be legally sold in China. Game consoles are banned. This year, Lenovo is launching a game console in China. Funny, that. The Fantastic Character…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published July 6, 2011
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  In Japan, the PSN Store Returns

  Finally! After being online since late April, the PSN Store is up and running in Japan. [Kotaku Japan]

  By Brian Ashcraft Published July 6, 2011
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  Microsoft Doubles Down in Japan

  Okay, in Japan, people don’t really buy the Xbox 360. That isn’t to say Japanese people don’t like foreign things. They love foreign things. They just don’t love the Xbox 360. Microsoft isn’t giving up! Today, the company revealed　an internal reshuffling, putting Takashi Sensui, who heads up the Home & Entertainment division, in charge of…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published July 6, 2011
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  Japan and the West Duke It Out in This Fighting Game Documentary

  Here’s a look at Finalroundbats, a Tokyo-based fighting game tournament. If you’ve ever wondered what the fighting game scene looks like in Japan, this is a window in. It looks kind of murky and moody! Scott Popular hosts the events. More about him and money games here

  By Brian Ashcraft Published July 6, 2011
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  Are China’s Days of Cockblocking Console Makers Numbered?

  Game consoles are made in China. But they cannot be legally sold in China. Game consoles are banned. This year, Lenovo is launching a game console in China. Funny, that. The iSec, previously called eBox, is slated for a September or October release. The console, which features Kinect-style controls, was supposed to be out earlier…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published July 6, 2011
• Culture

  The Fantastic Character Art of Akihiko Yoshida

  Akihiko Yoshida has been at Final Fantasy developers Square Enix since 1995, when he joined Squaresoft, one of the companies (along with Enix) that merged to create the RPG powerhouse. In that time he’s worked on a ton of Final Fantasy games, the most prominent of them being Final Fantasy XII, Final Fantasy Tactics and…

  By Luke Plunkett Published July 6, 2011
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  A Man Did Not Make This Beautiful World. A Computer Did.

  Procedurally-generated worlds, in which the computer is able to randomly design an entire area on the fly, are the future of game development. They already exist in the games of today, of course. Minecraft, for example, procedurally-generates a new game world every time you begin a new game. But Minecraft doesn’t look as pretty as…

  By Luke Plunkett Published July 6, 2011
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  The Sweet Little Music Video Made With a Nintendo DSi

  Artist Justin Wallis has taken Gecko’s chiptune track 1988 and made his own music video for it, using little but his drawing skills and a Nintendo DSi. The video, about a “small talk with a girl”, uses his illustrations laid over a series of photos taken with the DSi’s crummy little camera. Which, in this…

  By Luke Plunkett Published July 6, 2011
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  Final Fantasy. The Music Game.

  Never mind that the music game fad has passed, Square Enix is releasing a Final Fantasy music game. The title is a mouthful. Called Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy (ungh), the game features music from the popular role-playing series. Characters from past FF games also make an appearance. Gameplay is divided between field or dungeon sections and…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published July 6, 2011
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  Duke Nukem Forever is Suddenly All About the Rainbows

  Nyan Cat, which is either the best or worst thing to happen to the internet in 2011, is certainly the best thing to happen to Duke Nukem Forever in this clip from the game’s opening stage. Having seen (and, admittedly, drawn) a dick or two on that whiteboard in my time, it’s great seeing somebody…

  By Luke Plunkett Published July 6, 2011
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  Not Your Typical PSP Memory Stick

  If Photo Kano is all the creepy picture taking you could ever want, then you’re going to need a new Memory Stick. Good thing Sony is releasing just that! Going on sale September 29, the Photo Kano 4GB Memory Stick is priced at ¥3,280 (US$40). It comes with a redeemable code for Photo Kano PSP…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published July 6, 2011
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  And Just Like That, Oblivion Looks Amazing all over Again

  It’s aged a little now, but when Oblivion was first released, it was breath-taking. This new mod, Andoran, restores a lot of the game’s swagger. Andoran is a complete overhaul of Elder Scrolls IV. Conceived as a prologue to events in the core series, and true to the canon, it’s basically an entire new game,…

  By Luke Plunkett Published July 6, 2011
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  Final Fantasy VII Stop Motion Is Eight Minutes of Holy Shit

  YouTube user counter656 (aka John Huang) is quickly making a name for himself online with his stop motion videos. The 30-year-old likes making these videos for fun and is trying to upload a new one every 2 months. In the gallery, check out his Mega-Man and Gundam videos (one of which we’ve featured before).

  By Brian Ashcraft Published July 6, 2011
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  The GameFAQs of 1994 Was Way Cooler

  These days, if you’re stuck in a game, you hit the internet. YouTube and GameFAQs are your best friends. Back in the 1990s, things weren’t so simple! Your options were more complicated. You could ask your friends for help, but they were likely to either not know or be full of shit. You could call…

  By Luke Plunkett Published July 6, 2011
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  Japan’s Pop Princess Wants to Give You Tales Loot

  On August 31, Ayumi Hamasaki is releasing a new EP called Five. Since Hamasaki is singing the theme for upcoming role-playing game Tales of Xillia, a limited edition version of her new mini-album will come with a redeemable download code. The code can be entered into Tales of Xillia for an in-game, rabbit-eared “Song Princess”…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published July 6, 2011
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  Would You Play a Game Called Chad Ochocinco’s Barely Legal Thigh Master?

  No? How about Scottie Pippen’s Battle Typing? Mormon Drop? Nurse Party? Those are just four of the combinations you’ll get when you waste minutes of your life clicking on the Video Game Name Generator, which throws together random celebrities, verbs and the word “Chronicles” to give us names that are only so absurd because they’re…

  By Luke Plunkett Published July 6, 2011