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  Nielsen Drops the Ball on Console Usage Numbers

  Remember that study of video gamer habits Nielsen released earlier this week showing the Wii in third place and the Playstation 3 in seventh, last even after the GameCube and original Xbox? It was wrong. Fast Company reports that they’ve been told that the graph was mislabeled. The real graph, which now appears in the…

  By Brian Crecente Published April 9, 2009
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  D&D Co-Creator Dead At 61

  Co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons and one of the founding fathers of the role-playing genre, Dave Arneson has passed away at the age of 61. While the late Gary Gygax, who passed on a little more than a year ago, added fantasy elements to war gaming to create the basis for Dungeons & Dragons, it…

  By Mike Fahey Published April 9, 2009
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  Grand Slam Tennis Cover Features Tennis Star Triple Play

  Instead of focusing on just one athlete for the cover of Grand Slam Tennis for the Wii, EA plasters three of the biggest names in tennis across the front of the box. In one fell swoop, EA has taken my cumulative knowledge of tennis and condensed it neatly into a game cover. John McEnroe, Roger…

  By Mike Fahey Published April 9, 2009
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  Play Crysis Wars For Free Starting Today

  Starting today players can play all of Crysis Wars online for free, including each of the game’s three multiplayer modes and all 23 maps. The free trial runs until April 17. EA and Crytek plan to release Crysis Maximum Edition, a compilation of all three Crysis games, on May 5 for $40. “When Crysis Wars…

  By Brian Crecente Published April 9, 2009
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  People’s Dork Pictures Are So Very Funny

  To: Crecente From: Bashcraft RE: The World is Shrinking You seen this site? It’s been a source of amusement today. Would totally submit one of my childhood dork pics, but sadly, all my dork pics are at my parent’s home in Texas. Do you have dork pics? Sure you do. Everyone has at least one…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published April 9, 2009
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  What Were Big Huge Games Working On (And Have They Found A Buyer)?

  Big Huge Games used to be THQ’s baby. Now they’re on the chopping block. What got them to that stage? Maybe it was these two games, recently canned, that the company were working on. One was for the Wii, and was called God: The Game. Taking elements of Zelda, The Settlers and…Animal Crossing, it looked…

  By Luke Plunkett Published April 9, 2009
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  OK, THIS Is A Racing Rig

  Earlier in the week, we posted a rather nice-looking racing rig. Thought it was pretty swish. All that did, though, was prompt reader The Dude to email in, saying “You call that a racing rig?!” Well, yes, we did, but his exclamations were for a good reason. See, he pointed us towards I-Way. Which is,…

  By Luke Plunkett Published April 9, 2009
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  Monster Hunter Takes Over Fake Evening News

  Capcom’s Monster Hunter series is huge in Japan, but not in the West. This faux news broadcast is very heavy on PR spin, but does explain the whole phenomenon. Or at least tries to. Monster Hunter Freedom Unite was originally released in Japan in 2008 and has sold over 2 million copies. This June, it’ll…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published April 9, 2009
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  Brave Little Publisher Bringing Japanese Indie Games To The US

  Bless you and your big hearts, Rockin Android. The new company, based out of LA, exist for a sole purpose: to publish Japanese indie games on the PC in the United States. It’s a niche market they’re catering to, sure, but also one that’s sure to be appreciative of the effort. As of now there…

  By Luke Plunkett Published April 9, 2009
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  This Akihabara Electronic Billboard Is For Gaming

  YouTube users vs. cell phone owners, FIGHT! Recently in geek paradise Akihabara, electronics giant Toshiba tested an interactive billboard game. The game was played on an electronic display over the entrance of Akihabara electronics superstore Yodobashi Camera. Up to six players (cell phones and YouTube users) duked it out in a 90-second race to paint…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published April 9, 2009
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  Don’t Know How It Plays, But Dead Space Wii Looks Gorgeous

  Dead Space on the Wii is a “guided experience”. Read: on-rails shooter. That’s a shame. Oh well. At least it looks great! Putting aside the fact this is another damn developer diary, with selling points like “our game weapons have alternate fire modes”, there’s a lot of gameplay footage to be had in this clip…

  By Luke Plunkett Published April 9, 2009
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  Borderlands Now Cel-Shaded?

  Back when we saw Borderlands in December 2007, the sci-fi open world shooter looked gritty and rugged. Word has it that the game now looks cartoony. The game was originally slated for a holiday 2008 release, but was pushed back to this year. Last holiday, a Borderlands tester twittered about the game, writing, “…Borderlands, still…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published April 9, 2009
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  Sonic Cosplay Will Frighten The Neighbours, Alert Authorities

  Yes, there is big money to be made in cosplay these days. But we’d have imagined that market to focus on properties like Final Fantasy and World of Warcraft. Not Sonic the Hedgehog. But hey, in this world, there’s a market for everything. Even creepy adult-sized Sonic universe costumes made from foam, plastic and a…

  By Luke Plunkett Published April 9, 2009
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  Nintendo President: “Wii In Unhealthy Condition”

  Wii sales are sliding in Japan. Nintendo wants to re-energize the Japanese market because the company is “beginning to look vulnerable.” New sales figures show the PS3 outselling the Wii for the first time in 16 months. The Nintendo Wii dropped 69 percent in the five weeks to March 29. According to Nintendo president Satoru…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published April 9, 2009
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  Introducing Your International Street Fighter IV Champions

  When the dust settles on the American Street Fighter tournament, the winners will be off to the world champs in Vegas. Where they’ll face off against these guys. Chung-gon Lee (Korea) The Korean champ. Would kick your ass. Tatsunori Kajimoto (Japan) The Japanese champ. Would also kick your ass. Daigo Umehara (Japan) Probably the best…

  By Luke Plunkett Published April 9, 2009
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  What Were The Top Ten Selling Games In March?

  March is over. It was a good month, but like we said, it’s over. Let’s take a look back at the top ten selling games in Japan. Famitsu publisher Enterbrain has collected data for the period started February 23, 2009 and ended on March 29, 2009. Here goes: 1. Ryu Ga Gotoku 3 (Yakuza 3)…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published April 9, 2009
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  No Fatal Frame For Europe, Either

  Fatal Frame probably won’t be released on the Wii in the US. If it makes you feel any better, Americans, it probably won’t be released in Europe either. Echoing yesterday’s “not our fault” statement from Tecmo, Nintendo Europe have said “there are currently no plans to release this game in Europe”. As we know, “no…

  By Luke Plunkett Published April 9, 2009
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  Watch Valkyria Chronicles With English Right Now

  The anime based on SEGA’s PS3 title Valkyria Chronicles has debuted in Japan. Here’s the entire first episode — with English subtitles, too! The anime is produced by A-1 Pictures under the direction of Yasutaka Yamamoto (episode director of xxxHOLiC: Kei, Big Windup!). The theme song is sung by Canadian Catherine St. Onge (aka newly…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published April 9, 2009
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  Nintendo: DSi Sales Numbers High, No DS/Wii Price Cut

  In a presentation in Tokyo today, Nintendo discussed not only Wii Sports Resort, but Wii price cuts and Western DSi sales numbers as well. Given by Nintendo president Satoru Iwata and senior director Shigeru Miyamoto at the Foreign Correspondent’s Club of Japan, the presentation covered more than the Wii Sports Resort release dates and reaffirming…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published April 9, 2009
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  Wii Sports Resort, MotionPlus Out In July

  Nintendo have today announced a release timeframe for Wii Sports Resort, the sequel to their insanely-popular Wii pack-in title, Wii Sports. The game – along with the Wii MotionPlus peripheral technology it’s there to support – will be out in Japan in June, reports KBC analyst Hiroshi Kamide. Those outside of Japan will have to…

  By Luke Plunkett Published April 9, 2009