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  A Guide to Proper Commenting

  Let’s start with what is the heart of Kotaku’s commenting principals: Commenting is a privilege not a right. Whether today is your first day reading the site or you’ve been reading it since the day I stepped foot in Kotaku tower, you don’t have the right to troll, to name call, to get off topic…

  By Brian Crecente Published January 14, 2009
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  2K Boss: Wii Market Is Full Of Crap

  Anyone who has browsed the Nintendo Wii section of their favorite video game retail outlet lately has to agree with 2K Games global president Christoph Hartmann – the Wii market is flooded with crap. There are a ton of games out for the Nintendo Wii to be sure, but for the uninformed consumer, finding a…

  By Mike Fahey Published January 14, 2009
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  Zork Returns In MMO Form, Somewhat

  The classic adventure game Zork is back, this time in the form of a browser-based casual MMO Legends of Zork, published by Ireland-based Jolt Online Gaming. The Great Underground Empire is in ruins, FrobozzCo International has implemented massive layoffs, and a newly unemployed traveling salesmen sets off in search of treasure and adventure in this…

  By Mike Fahey Published January 14, 2009
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  Welcome To the Family: A Letter From Xbox 360’s John Schappert

  Welcome to the Family is a series of three letters that will run this week from the heads of Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo. We asked each of the companies to write up a welcome letter to new owners of their consoles. They did the rest. We are running them in the order they were received.…

  By Brian Crecente Published January 14, 2009
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  So… How Is The Baby?

  To: Crecente From: Bash RE: TV That’s the question I’m getting a lot these days. It’s a nice question! While Mrs. Bashcraft’s pregnancy was rather rough on her (her morning sickness was so bad she needed to be hospitalized), the actual delivery was smooth. Taking care of Micro Bash has been smooth as well. Sure,…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published January 14, 2009
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  GAME To Offer Rentals As Well As New Games

  GAME, GameStop/EB’s biggest competitor in both Europe and Australasia, currently sell new games. And sell used games. But soon, they’ll be offering a third way of getting hold of a game. And that’s rentals. Having recently partnered with rental group SwapGame, the retailer are to offer British customers the option of paying a monthly subscription…

  By Luke Plunkett Published January 14, 2009
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  How Is The iPhone Different From The DS & PSP?

  Easy. It’s a phone. But hey, like I said, that’s easy. For a more complicated answer, why don’t we see what VP of iPod and iPhone product marketing Greg Joswiak has to say. In a departure from some of the company’s more boisterous, were-gonna-git-you-DS claims, Joswiak tells Edge that the DS and PSP are from…

  By Luke Plunkett Published January 14, 2009
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  Watchmen Artist Says Watchmen Game Is “Completely Canon”

  Watchmen: The End is Nigh is a video game tie-in for the movie version of the Watchman graphic novel. No, don’t leave yet! Keep reading. The beat-’em-up-meets-puzzle-game will be released in an episodic format to coincide with the upcoming film. While Watchman writer Alan Moore is off being bonkers and not involved with the game,…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published January 14, 2009
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  A Control Pad For Those Who Roll Twenties

  Or have “Magic Happens” stickers on their bumper. Either or. I have neither, but might still pick one of these up, if only to scare small children and sensitive house guests with. It’s called the “Dragon”, and while it doesn’t breathe fire, it does have eyes that light up. But that’s not the best part.…

  By Luke Plunkett Published January 14, 2009
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  Is Nintendo Making A Motion Sensing DS Card?

  Maybe! A Nintendo trademark that’s appeared on the Japanese trademark database indicates such. The trademark is for a “DS Houi Sensor Card” with “houi” meaning “direction” or even “cardinal point” in Japanese. Website Siliconera wonders if that means it refers to the ability to sense motion or detect direction. (Maybe Nintendo is making some sort…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published January 14, 2009
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  Your Geometry Wars Megamix Is Here

  It’s a late happy new years from Bizarre, with the release of a 13-minute long track entitled “46860 Choices” going out to all the Geometry Wars fans in the house. Put together by Chris Chudley of Audio Antics, the track is free, and if you’re wondering why it sounds so familiar, it’s a mix tape…

  By Luke Plunkett Published January 14, 2009
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  “Wii Is Driven By Girls And Women”

  Hey! Girls play video games. I know that, you know that, and even Tim Curry knows that. But what’s more, publisher Ubisoft says, females drive the Nintendo Wii. According to Ann Hamilton, senior brand manager with game publisher Ubisoft, “What’s driving the Wii sales is the use of Wii by women, girls and families… It’s…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published January 14, 2009
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  Sony Sue Over Hacker-Friendly PSP Battery

  Datel – makers of the Wii’s Freeloader, amongst other things – were working on a third-party PSP battery that would have made it easier to hack the PSP-3000. That is, until Sony sued. A notice to customers pre-ordering the device – called the Lite Blue Tool – apologises for the fact the product will now…

  By Luke Plunkett Published January 14, 2009
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  Hey Game Developers, Learn How To Use Your Game Writers!

  Video game writing is still in its infancy. It’s a baby, so to speak. But, it’s maturing. Mirror’s Edge writer Rhianna Pratchett says the key to integrate scribes into the team. According to Pratchett, “I think far more developers are aware of the need for writers but they don’t really know how to integrate them…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published January 14, 2009
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  So What Games Are Porn Stars Into?

  Right now, I’m playing Mirror’s Edge. Thanks for asking. I, however, am not a pornographic film star, and as such, what I’m playing is nowhere near as interesting as what they’re playing. Catching up with a select few of them at the AVN show in Vegas last week, GameDaily asked them the tough questions. Who…

  By Luke Plunkett Published January 14, 2009
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  Final Fantasy Creator Is Interested In Doing A Wii Game

  Hironobu Sakaguchi is best known for two things: Creating Final Fantasy and his ‘stache. His resume is more than that! He’s also created Blue Dragon for the Xbox 360 and now the Nintendo DS. Since Microsoft Game Studios published Blue Dragon, we don’t have our hopes up for the game appearing on the PLAYSTATION 3.…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published January 14, 2009
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  Take A Tour Of Microsoft’s Fake Retail Store

  There are Apple Stores. So why not Microsoft Stores? It’s a good question. Turns out there is a Microsoft store. Only…it’s at Microsoft HQ, isn’t open to the public and isn’t even a real store. Confused? Let’s take a tour. It’s called the Microsoft Retail Experience Center, and is apparently designed to show how “Microsoft…

  By Luke Plunkett Published January 14, 2009
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  The Sun Teaches Us How To Make Sackboy

  Stuck between articles on googly-eyed Amy Winehouse, UK tabloid The Sun has a helpful PDF how-to for knitting a Sackboy toy. No, really. Not exactly the sort of content one would expect from The Sun. Though, the article’s intro seems laced with typical Sun sexual innuendo: “STUCK for something to do over the New Year…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published January 14, 2009
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  Your Insane Fanboy Form Letter

  Fanboys are crazy. We hate them. They do make us snicker, so here is a fill-in-the-blank fanboy letter courtesy of game site Hardcasual. It’s supposed to be to a game company, but many of these lines echo online chatter. Unfortunately. To the folks at [GAME COMPANY], let me first say I’ve [-ED VERB] all your…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published January 14, 2009
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  Fable 2 Gets A Halo Assault Rifle

  So Fable II’s DLC is out. You got it yet? If so, head on over to the Box of Secrets and trade in some pure experience. Do that and you’ll get…a gun from Halo. Don’t believe us? Here she is. It’s called “Hal’s Rifle”. Basically a firearm that looks identical to Halo’s classic Assault Rifle,…

  By Luke Plunkett Published January 14, 2009