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  Xbox LIVE Is Back Online

  Yes, we know. After being down off the grid for 24 for some scheduled maintenance, LIVE is back up. Notice any differences?

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 17, 2009
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  Battle Of The Wii Remotes: Official vs Third-Party

  Nintendo are no longer the only company in town with a Wii Remote on the market. You can get peripherals from third-party manufacturers too, with differing aesthetics and differing price points. So which is better? Mark over at Gizmodo has spent some quality time with three devices – the official Wii Remote, along with Nyko…

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 17, 2009
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  No, You Cannot Play With These FFXIII Figures Yet

  Final Fantasy XIII is not out yet, and it won’t be in Japan until this December. Know what that means? Let’s start the marketing blitz right now. Looks like Square Enix will be releasing figurines of various characters (of various quality!) from the upcoming title. Pricing is and a release date is still unannounced —…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 17, 2009
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  Mario Gets Played Off By The Keyboard Cat

  Ah, keyboard cat. I like the guy, because unlike other pieces of internet crap, he can remain humorous indefinitely, so long as the accompanying blooper is funny enough. And I’d say this one is funny enough. [via GSW]

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 17, 2009
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  PAIN Makes A Long, Painful Jump From PSN To Blu-Ray

  Sure, PAIN has a roster of annoying, forgettable characters and a one-shot gameplay mechanic. But it’s also good, honest fun, and has quietly become one of the star performers on the PlayStation Network. Next week, it hopes to become a star performer on Blu-Ray as well. Sony have announced that the game will be out…

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 17, 2009
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  Olivia Munn’s Playboy Cover Looks Like This

  Attack of the Show! host Olivia Munn is the “Babe of the Month” for Playboy, appearing in a non-nude pictorial and on the cover. We knew that. On tonight’s ATOS, Munn revealed the cover: Her in a red bikini. Pretty sure we’ve seen her in a bikini, though maybe not red and definitely not on…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 17, 2009
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  So, How Did Scribblenauts Come Up With 10,000 In-Game Items?

  The key appeal of DS platformer Scribblenauts lies in your ability to conjure around 10,000 items to aid you in your quest. But how did the developers come up with so many of the things? After all, you try and think of items you can use in a game. Off the top of your head,…

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 17, 2009
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  Grasshopper Manufacture’s PS3 Title Is “Risky”

  Grasshopper Manufacture, the developer behind Wii franchise No More Heroes, is working on a PS3 game — perhaps that rumored Kafkaesque title? Who knows? President of Marvelous Interactive, Yasuhiro Wada, does. Marvelous publishes Grasshopper’s games in Japan, and the exec says this about that mysterious PS3 title: “If we do that [game] we might go…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 17, 2009
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  And The Top 20 PC Games For May Were…

  The NPD Group have released a list of the 20 best-selling games sold through traditional retail channels for the month of May. And yes, there is interesting stuff beyond the usual parade of Warcraft and The Sims! Take, for instance, Empire: Total War’s staying power, managing to hold down fifth spot months after it was…

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 16, 2009
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  Harold Ramis On Why It’s Hard To Make Funny Video Games

  Compared to the number of funny movies, the number of funny games is quite low. Good comedy is hard! Harold Ramis is a funny guy, and he’s writer and/or directed a bunch of funny movies: Caddyshack, Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day. Why does he think are the challenges of making games funny? You would think comedy…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 16, 2009
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  Madden Demo Only Available To People Who Preorder Madden [Update]

  Madden is just about the biggest thing in gaming in the US (at least in terms of sales). So EA would want to get a demo for the game into the hands of everyone and anyone, right? WRONG. Only those preordering Madden at GameStop will get a demo for the game. A demo for a…

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 16, 2009
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  The Dragon Quest IX Boy Band Ad is Very Fishy

  Starting on June 20th, the following DQIX ad with musical act SMAP will be shown nationwide in Japan. Well into their thirties, SMAP is the country’s biggest boy band group. Back in April, SMAP singer Tsuyoshi Kusanagi was arrested for indecent exposure. When police officers approached him, Kusanagi replied, “What wrong with being naked?” After…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published June 16, 2009
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  First Nostalgia Trailer Evokes Feelings Of Familiarity

  Ignition Entertainment‘s Nostalgia for the Nintendo DS is accurately titled. Developed by Matrix Software and Red Entertainment, it will have Japanese role-playing game fans waxing nostalgic due to its well-worn mechanics and allusions. Flying airships? Check. Dungeon battles? Check. Plucky young spike-haired anime characters going on a globe-trotting adventure, fighting dragons, wyverns and other unimaginable…

  By Michael McWhertor Published June 16, 2009
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  Check Out These Custom Mario USB Thumb Drives

  They may not be licensed by Nintendo, but these homemade Mario-themed 4GB USB drives and USB extensions look amazing. That may explain the steep price. The Brick and Question Mark block extensions — in 1ft to 6ft configurations — go for just $20, but the actual USB drives that plug into the extension are $55…

  By AJ Glasser Published June 16, 2009
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  Microsoft On Metal Gear: Mission Accomplished

  So far this hardware generation, we’ve seen the number of third-party exclusives on any platform shrink to almost zero. The last major series to come around? Metal Gear Solid. Having long made a name for itself on Sony consoles, the next Metal Gear Solid title – Rising – will also be appearing on the Xbox…

  By Luke Plunkett Published June 16, 2009
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  Yup, Mad Dog McCree Is Out

  As previously revealed via GameFly, the Mad Dog McCree series of lightgun laserdisc shooters has rustled up a release on the Wii, thanks to Majesco and Digital Leisure‘s Mad Dog McCree Gunslinger Pack, which is now available. The Wii bundle features Mad Dog McCree, Mad Dog 2: The Lost Gold and The Last Bounty Hunter,…

  By Michael McWhertor Published June 16, 2009
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  Watch The Play Machinima Law Conference

  Almost two months ago, I attended a Machinima Law conference at Stanford University as part of an extra credit assignment. Today, you can watch what I saw for free. Stanford’s video game research project, How They Got Game, is hosting a series of videos from the conference. They’re kind of small, so you’ll have to…

  By AJ Glasser Published June 16, 2009
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  MTV Seeks Gaming Addicts For Reality Show

  MTV’s documentary series “True Life” is looking for you, if you’re addicted to playing video games to the point that that it’s ruining your life. The decade-old reality show is seeking hardcore addicts for “True Life: I’m Addicted To Videogames.” The reality show is seeking gamers with an unhealthy attitude toward the hobby, giving you…

  By Michael McWhertor Published June 16, 2009
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  Mecho Wars

  To: Ash From: Crecente Re: No Pizza, No Life I’ve been playing Mecho Wars for a chunk of the day on my iPhone. It’s a pretty neat Advanced Wars-style game, though I can’t same I’m a big fan of the art style or unit names. The base mechanic though is great. I know there are…

  By Brian Crecente Published June 16, 2009
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  World Of Warcraft Flavored Mtn Dew Ad Features Night Elf On Orc Action

  The first television spot for Blizzard and Pepsi’s marriage of World of Warcraft and Mountain Dew features a familiar scene: two attractive for television women buying six packs of Warcraft-themed soda and the ensuing supermarket brawl. Oh sure, this kind of thing happens all the time at my local Ralph’s. Telegenic women prepping for a…

  By Michael McWhertor Published June 16, 2009