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  Microsoft’s Aaron Greenberg Talks CES, Xbox 360 In ’09 And Beyond

  We caught up with Microsoft’s Aaron Greenberg, Director of Product Management for Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE, to chat about the console’s presence at CES, the year ahead and the number 17 million. While Greenberg was appropriately coy about the Xbox 360’s upcoming line-up beyond what has been announced — yes, there are more games…

  By Michael McWhertor Published January 14, 2009
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  Sony Surveying Gamers On Next PSP Features?

  Sony may be testing the waters of public opinion on the direction of the next PlayStation Portable, surveying gamers on a host of new hardware and software features for a possible PSP2. Kotaku reader Charlie forwarded us details on the survey, which asks a the participant to rank a suite of currently unavailable features from…

  By Michael McWhertor Published January 14, 2009
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  In-Game Web Browsing Added To Steam

  Steam’s handy, no doubt about it. But it just got made handier, with Valve today rolling out in-game web browsing to users of the service. Just hit shift+tab, and you’ll see a “web” button. The browsing (first appearing as a beta last month) was added as part of a larger Steam client update, which also…

  By Luke Plunkett Published January 14, 2009
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  Ex-Force Unleashed Producer To Tackle MMOG

  Ex-LucasArts producers Isa Anne Stamos signed up with Berkeley, CA game developer MindFuse Games today to work on their “advanced-casual MMOG” Gatheryn. I don’t know much about Gatheryn or what an advanced-casual massively multiplayer online game is supposed to be. But I gather (get it?) from the screenshots that it’s set in a steampunk fantasy…

  By AJ Glasser Published January 14, 2009
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  Judge Upholds $28 Million Award To Retired NFL Players Over Madden Suit

  U.S. District Judge William Alsup upheld a decision to award retired NFL players $28.1 million in the group’s lawsuit against the league’s player union over allegations they were cheated by an unfavorable deal with EA. A federal jury ruled in November that the former NFL players were due $7.1 million for the use of their…

  By Michael McWhertor Published January 14, 2009
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  Bioh4zard 2 Recreates Resident Evil 2 In Left 4 Dead

  We can become pretty calloused toward user created mods, but when someone goes to the effort of recreating Resident Evil 2‘s entire scenario in Valve’s Left 4 Dead, our cold hearts melt. Such is the case with Bioh4zard 2, a work-in-progress user created campaign that recreates the locations — but not necessarily the exact events…

  By Michael McWhertor Published January 14, 2009
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  Video Games Are Not Recession-Proof, Says NPD

  GameDaily reports that Michael Klotz, senior account manager at the NPD Group, says the video games industry is already feeling the effects of the recession. Gee, I could have told you that, looking at the list of recent industry layoffs. But Klotz pointed out in a Game Business Law summit at Southern Methodist University’s law…

  By AJ Glasser Published January 14, 2009
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  Here’s What PlayStation 3’s Dress Looks Like

  Sony introduced Dress to Japanese PlayStation 3 owners today, the fashion application that allows users to design new clothing and dress up their avatars — for a price, of course. How does it look? Well, the clothing looks good, considering Sony has partnered with real-life brands like Puma and Beams to give Dress users ready-to-wear…

  By Michael McWhertor Published January 14, 2009
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  How IS the baby?

  To: Ash From: Crecente Re: So… How Is The Baby? I’ve checked on the baby a few times with you, but I keep forgetting to ask. How are you and MRS Bash holding up? I’ve heard having a second child is like 10 times the work instead of twice the work. Is that really true?…

  By Brian Crecente Published January 14, 2009
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  LocoRoco 2? Cheap!

  Sony is letting you have LocoRoco2 for a song. In brand new video game terms, that’s $19.99 USD or, in SCEA pricing terms “the cost of just two movie tickets.” Following a PSP pricing strategy similar to the one SCEA used with the original Patapon, the sub-twenty dollar scheme may simply be a “please, please,…

  By Michael McWhertor Published January 14, 2009
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  Prep Up Your NXE Avatar With New Threads

  Your New Xbox Experience avatar just got a wardrobe booster, thanks to the fashionistas at Microsoft and Rare. It’s a noticeably preppy update to the Avatar closet, perfect for a weekend beach house getaway. Fans of polos, cardigans, chinos and other yacht-appropriate casual wear will want to deck out their Avatars with the latest threads.…

  By Michael McWhertor Published January 14, 2009
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  Rumor: Next Grand Theft Auto Could Hit By The Holidays

  We’d think that the next proper Grand Theft Auto game, Xbox 360-exclusive expansions notwithstanding, is a long way off. Not Game Informer, though. The magazine is reportedly expecting the next entry by end of year. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? Didn’t Grand Theft Auto IV just ship? Well, if Game Informer’s “Loose Talk” is correct, pegging…

  By Michael McWhertor Published January 14, 2009
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  Microsoft Gets Smart (Could Get Smarter)

  Microsoft is teaming up with Best Buy to encourage parents and caregivers to talk about video game playing and ratings with their kids, Microsoft announced today. The Get Game Smart website is filled with glowing endorsements about family gaming, a break down of what exactly the Entertainment Software Rating Board’s ratings mean, and some neat…

  By Brian Crecente Published January 14, 2009
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  Final Skate 2 Pre-Launch Screens Are Vegetarian Friendly

  With Skate 2 shipping next week, EA released this final batch of screenshots to remind everyone of what they’ll be missing if they don’t get it, without an ounce of dead animal in sight. Having tinkered about a little bit with the demo that was released last week on the 360, I’ll probably show up…

  By Mike Fahey Published January 14, 2009
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  Electronic Arts Thinks I’m a Cannibal

  Here’s one piece of swag I won’t be donating to a charity. Electronic Arts sent me a freezer box this morning packed with Skate 2 assets and two frozen steaks. I’m pretty sure I won’t be storing that in my closet until November. But what’s this about the two 6 ounce steaks being “prepared fresh…

  By Brian Crecente Published January 14, 2009
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  .hack Is Coming Back On PSP

  The latest issue of Famitsu has confirmation on the next video game episode long-running, but niche appealing .hack series from CyberConnect. .hack//LINK is making the jump from manga to the PSP in 2009. In what we’re guessing is an attempt to glom on to the success of Capcom’s Monster Hunter Portable series, CyberConnect and (we’re…

  By Michael McWhertor Published January 14, 2009
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  SimAnimals Trailer Is Dangerously Adorable

  The latest trailer for EA’s SimAnimals highlights how adorable and cuddly the wild animals in the forest are, as opposed to the ferocious, baby-eating animals we see in the nature documentaries. Due out next week for the Nintendo DS and Wii, SimAnimals is a pet sim that replaces your cuddly, store-bought hamster with an entire…

  By Mike Fahey Published January 14, 2009
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  You Got Your Baroque in My Battlefield

  Danny Elfman, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the International Contemporary Ensemble. They’re just a few of the classically trained musicians jumping on the video game bandwagon lately to make absurd amounts of cash. Just how absurd? Game composer and Game Audio Network Guild founder Tommy Tallarico tell the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that the typical fee for a…

  By Brian Crecente Published January 14, 2009
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  Kojima “Addicted” To Left 4 Dead, Considers Renouncing His Japanese Status

  The man behind Metal Gear Solid, Hideo Kojima, has got Left 4 Dead fever, a first-person shooter addiction rare in the typical Japanese video game fan. “Maybe I should quit being Japanese,” Kojima joked. In a newly published Famitsu interview, by way of 1UP, the Kojima Productions head worries further about the disparity between Japanese…

  By Michael McWhertor Published January 14, 2009
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  Dragon Age Prequel Novel Released This March

  BioWare crams so much story into their games that they need to release some of it in book form, hence Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne, the novel prequel to Dragon Age: Origins. Due out on March 3rd from Tor Books, Dragon Age: The Stolen Throne tells the tale of the rebel lord Maric, who leads…

  By Mike Fahey Published January 14, 2009