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  Left 4 Dead Meets The Sims, Francis Looks…Different

  It had to happen. Somebody – in this case Ben Borthwick – has recreated Left 4 Dead in The Sims 3. Complete with a household narrative. I’ll spare you the story (you can read up on that yourself if you’re interested), and instead just focus on what he’s done to the characters. Well, what The…

  By Luke Plunkett Published July 30, 2009
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  New Final Fantasy XIII Field Screens

  A trio of gorgeous screens showing Final Fantasy XIII characters Lightning, Snow and Oerba in three very different FFXIII field settings. Beautiful stuff. Final Fantasy XIII is coming to the PS3 in Japan sometime this winter. スクエニ、PS3「FFXIII」情報総まとめ【後編】。バトルシステムや召喚獣、イベントシーンを公開 [Game Watch]

  By Brian Ashcraft Published July 30, 2009
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  Sega: Fixing Sonic Is Going To Take Time

  Once was a time Sonic games were just as good as Mario games. Some may even say better. That time, however, was back in the 1990’s. And it’s been a while since the 1990’s. Yet the blue hedgehog is still Sega’s most prominent mascot, and Sega keep on churning out Sonic games, even though they…

  By Luke Plunkett Published July 30, 2009
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  Hey Nintendo, Why Aren’t Core Third Party Games Selling?

  Third party Wii titles like MadWorld and The Conduit are aimed towards core gamers. And…they’re not selling so hot. Why the heck not? Tons of people own Nintendo Wii consoles. According to Nintendo’s Denise Kaigler, “You know, I don’t know. It’s hard to say. It could be titles have the same type of sales curve…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published July 30, 2009
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  Punch Sackboy, Right In His Goofy Little Face

  The tables, they have been turned. Rather than having other characters appear in his game, Sackboy is making the leap into somebody else’s. The game in question is Rag Doll Kung-Fu, and he’ll be made available as a playable character as part of tomorrow’s PlayStation Store update, where he’ll join the game’s unlockable characters in…

  By Luke Plunkett Published July 29, 2009
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  PaRappa Creator Exploring Platform Options

  The DS has been a juggernaut in Japan, racking up amazing sales. But nothing lasts forever, not even strong platform sales. PaRappa The Rapper creator Masaya Matsuura is looking for a new option for platform development. “I think many developers and publishers are just focusing on DS but everybody understands [DS’ significance in the market]…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published July 29, 2009
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  Happy Birthday ESRB!

  Happy Birthday ESRB! Fifteen years ago to the day, SEGA and Nintendo proposed the Entertainment Software Rating Board in the wake of the Mortal Kombat gore game controversy. As Wired points out, the original ratings were: • Early Childhood (eC): Suitable for ages 3 and over, usually educational in nature. • Kids to Adults (K-A):…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published July 29, 2009
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  Yakuza 3 So Not Coming To America

  I’ve played the demo for Yakuza 3. It’s pretty good! I loved the way it revels in the minutiae of Japanese culture, right down to the fully-stocked convenience stores. Sadly, the demo is as close as I’m going to get. Sega America’s Ray Almeda has told The Examiner that the game won’t be released in…

  By Luke Plunkett Published July 29, 2009
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  Dreamcast, NES Ported to Papercraft

  Sure, they don’t work, but these cardboard consoles definitely start more conversations. Best part, you don’t even need tape or glue. Thicker paper is recommended, as is a nice printer that can handle 150dpi printouts. You don’t technically even need color, like these old-school pals. (There is a little bit of red, in the logos;…

  By Owen Good Published July 29, 2009
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  Punch-Out!! Developer Envisions, Wants Sequel

  Unsurprisingly, the developer of the critically acclaimed Wii re-imagining of Nintendo’s Punch-Out!! would like to make a sequel. Yes, Next Level Games enjoys steady work and continued paychecks apparently. But the proposed ideas for a sequel are what’s interesting. Next Level Games’ gameplay lead Bryce Holliday tells the Official Nitnendo Magazine UK that the developer…

  By Michael McWhertor Published July 29, 2009
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  Your 360 Needs HDMI for Avatar’s 3D Effects

  If you ponied up for a 3D-enabled TV because you want to take advantage of 3D-enabled games, you need to make sure you have an HDMI-enabled console to go with that. Ubisoft reminds us that James Cameron’s Avatar: The Video Game will need 1080p resolution from an HDMI cable if you’re grabbing up that game…

  By Owen Good Published July 29, 2009
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  Report: Games Underserve, Underrepresent Minorities

  A report from the USC Annenberg School for Communication finds that the video game racial landscape has a long way to go to match that of American society, fairing about as well or worse than that of television. The study surveyed the “top 150 games in a year across nine platforms and all rating levels”…

  By Michael McWhertor Published July 29, 2009
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  See The GLAAD On Games Panel For Yourself

  If your Kotaku comment made it into the talking points of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation panel a couple of weeks ago, this video immortalizes your screen name. Even if you weren’t one of the chosen few, you can still get a lot from watching what went on at the panel. I pulled…

  By AJ Glasser Published July 29, 2009
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  The Bachelor, The Bachelorette Find Video Game Love

  Good news, lonely gamers. Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has signed on with Ludia to pump out games based on ABC’s The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, letting you experience the romantic thrill of combing through scores of suitors from your couch. Expect games based on both dating games to ship “across multiple platforms” following the conclusion…

  By Michael McWhertor Published July 29, 2009
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  Meatball Subs

  To: Bash From: Crecente Re: Passports, We Got New Passports You know what’s better than homemade bolognese sauce? Left over bolognese sauce with meatballs. That is all. What you missed: DJ Hero Gets Carrying Case, DJ Stand Aliens Vs. Predator: The Prey inFAMOUS Movie In The Works EVE Online: The Butterfly Effect Uncharted 2 Update:…

  By Brian Crecente Published July 29, 2009
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  These Are Lips’ Number One Hits

  Microsoft has confirmed the final lineup for Lips: Number One Hits, the sequel to the Inis-developed karaoke game that hit the Xbox 360 last year. You’ll be able to tap into your inner Lady Gaga and MC Hammer this October. As number one hits tend to be, the Lips sequel is filled with nothing but…

  By Michael McWhertor Published July 29, 2009
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  Atlus Really Wants You To Stop Importing Demon’s Souls, Expands Bribery

  Demon’s Souls is coming stateside, thanks to publisher of all things niche Atlus. Therefore, it would really appreciate it if you’d stop importing the already translated Japanese version, now rather cheap. It’s doing so with many, many pre-order goodies. Today those offerings expand, as Atlus notes on the official PlayStation.blog that not only will Demon’s…

  By Michael McWhertor Published July 29, 2009
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  Square Enix Says Star Ocean PS3 Listing “An Error”

  A listing for the PlayStation 3 version of Star Ocean: The Last Hope appeared on retailer Gamefly this week, an unannounced port of the Xbox 360 version. Square Enix reps now say that retailer listing was made in error. Sqaure Enix reps told Kotaku “We cannot comment on a PS3 release at this time.” However,…

  By Michael McWhertor Published July 29, 2009
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  EA Signs Fedor Emelianenko For EA Sports MMA

  EA Sports and Tiburon have signed one more fighter for its upcoming mixed martial arts title, adding Russian heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko to the list of brawlers mixing it up in EA Sports MMA. Emelianenko will be joined by Dutch-American Gegard Mousasi and Brazilian Renato Sobral, three fighters who join “a long list of fighters” that…

  By Michael McWhertor Published July 29, 2009
• Reviews

  Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Review: Almost Half-Good

  It’s a movie tie-in game for a film based on a blockbuster book series, so really, what did you expect of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince besides visual fan service? Originality? The Harry Potter movie games are pretty much interchangeable. Harry runs around Hogwarts in some abbreviated version of the film’s plot with a…

  By AJ Glasser Published July 29, 2009