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  EA Caught Pressuring Publications Over Battlefield 3 Reviews

  It’s an ugly thing, and one that sadly rears its head from time to time when big games are released: the practice of a publisher exerting a little too much pressure on gaming press. Of course, pressure is applied all the time! That’s the people in marketing and PR’s job, to try and make sure…

  By Luke Plunkett Published October 19, 2011
• CultureTotal Recall

  Vietnam was Hell, not a Series of Green Corridors

  Vietnam is a war that still looms large in the American psyche, both in terms of its impact on modern history and its portrayal in popular culture. Yet for all the protests, rock n’ roll and classic films that came out of the war, good Vietnam video games are hard to find. This is mostly…

  By Luke Plunkett Published October 19, 2011
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  Kinect, Windows Phone, Windows, Office: They All Live Together Peacefully In This New Ad

  Microsoft kicked off their new global campaign this week, showcasing not a one of their products, but all of them and they managed to squeeze in a little Dance Central too! Apparently this is the company’s first every multi-product Christmas ad campaign. EXCITING!!!

  By Brian Crecente Published October 18, 2011
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  30 Million People Play Angry Birds Every Day

  It’s been damned popular for a damned long time, but Angry Birds‘ numbers don’t appear to be dwindling at all. As Mashable reports, 30 million people play the portable game each day, logging over 300 million minutes of gameplay. Each day! That’s 208,333.3 days of Angry Birds played for each day of real time (or,…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published October 18, 2011
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  They Just Want Some Of Your Brains

  Hello late-night travelers, it’s time to do my second of many off-topic threads. I hope you are all doing well, and don’t doubt you have many things you’d like to discuss. In case you’re wanting for conversation fodder, here are some starters. The Walking Dead Premiered on Sunday, to mixed, mostly positive reviews -I thought…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published October 18, 2011
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  Look at How Microsoft Wants to Transform Sesame Street. It’s the Future.

  Microsoft wants to make Sesame Street interactive. We’re not talking about Sesame Street video games (though they’re doing that too). They also want to make the show—filmed puppets and all—a TV show that a kid standing in front of their TV can interact with You don’t have to imagine what interactive Sesame Street would look…

  By Stephen Totilo Published October 18, 2011
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  Vampire Diaries Star Joins Christina Hendricks in Need For Speed: The Run

  We already knew that Mad Men‘s Christina Hendricks will be voicing the female lead in the upcoming Need For Speed: The Run. Electronic Arts is now saying that Sean Faris, star of The Vampire Diaries, will be assuming the role of the male lead, Jack Rourke. EA’s Press Release describes Rourke as “one of the…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published October 18, 2011
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  Microsoft Takes a Shot at the Wii in Their Newest Dance Central 2 Ad

  I’ve never totally gotten the appeal of Wii dancing games, though clearly there are a whole ton of Just Dance fans out there who disagree. This new ad for Harmonix’s just-released Dance Central 2 takes a humorous dig at Wii games, and their obsolescence in the face of full motion-tracking. Honestly, while truly compelling Kinect…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published October 18, 2011
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  Dragon Age: Redemption Episode 2 Is Ready For You To Watch

  The second installment of Felicia Day’s Dragon Age: Redemption six-episode web series is live. I missed the first, but this one’s solid. Fun characters. Reverent to the video game lore without being embarrassing. If you want to watch in order, here’s the first episode Looks like we’re getting a duel in a later episode. And…

  By Stephen Totilo Published October 18, 2011
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  Batman: Arkham City Creators Will Compensate Those With Missing Catwoman Codes

  No sooner did a reader write to us that their brand-new copy of Batman: Arkham CIty came with a code-less Catwoman DLC card, then the official Arkham Twitter feed said they’re aware of the issue: “You will get to play as the sexy thief,stay tuned for update.” Batman PR had no further details for us…

  By Stephen Totilo Published October 18, 2011
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  PlayStation Vita Hits America and More on February 22

  The PlayStation Vita, Sony’s successor to the PSP and its answer to Nintendo’s 3DS and Apple’s ascendent game-playing iPad, will be out on February 22, just three months after it launches in Japan, in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia, and Latin America. Sony says there are more than 100 games in development for the system,…

  By Stephen Totilo Published October 18, 2011
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  Rage Creators Were Unprepared for Tough Questions, Reporter Asserts

  You may recall that a couple of weeks ago, Gamasutra’s Brandon Sheffield ran an interview with id Software’s CEO Todd Hollenshead about Rage. In the interview, Sheffield expressed some doubts about the game, and wasn’t convinced by many of Hollenshead’s answers. It was a solid piece of journalism, and as our own Stephen Totilo pointed…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published October 18, 2011
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  Dry Bones

  Dem Bones, Dem Bones –I went to the doctor today, more than a year after doing something terrible to my shoulder during a Kendo bout. Apparently I’ve torn or detached one of my bicep ligaments. I like to think it’s from overuse after years, decades of fencing and then a bit of Kendo. Trish thinks…

  By Brian Crecente Published October 18, 2011
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  Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure Could Be the Most Expensive Game You Ever Buy

  While at least two of us at Kotaku enjoy Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure enough to recommend a purchase, that doesn’t mean we’re oblivious to the costly downsides to a game that sells its downloadable content on toy store shelves. To experience everything Skylanders has to offer as of this writing would cost roughly $225. Merging physical…

  By Mike Fahey Published October 18, 2011
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  Double Fine Unveils Happy Action Theater, a Party Game for Kinect

  Last Friday, Double Fine invited a gaggle of press over to their San Francisco Headquarters for hot dogs, beers, and game announcements. In addition to announcing Costume Quest on Steam and some new (and fun-sounding) Iron Brigade DLC, they also announced a new game: Happy Action Theater, a minigame collection for the Xbox Kinect. Now,…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published October 18, 2011
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  GameStop Robber Leaves Shoe Behind, Gets 12 Years in Prison

  A Washington, D.C.-man who robbed a Gamestop in 2008 for nearly $7,500, but left the store one shoe light, was sentenced to a dozen years in prison today. Terrence Terrell Conner was sentenced in Greenbelt Maryland on Monday, the Associated Press reports. Connor and two others walked into the GameStop on Dec. 23, 2008. The…

  By Brian Crecente Published October 18, 2011
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  There’s a Little Thrall in Everyone’s BlizzCon 2011 Bag, Courtesy of Mega Bloks

  In celebration of their upcoming World of Warcraft and StarCraft II lines, Mega Bloks is hitting BlizzCon 2011 big time, with a tiny Thrall for every convention attendee, a limited edition StarCraft II Battlecruiser, and much, much more. I’ve become a bit of a Mega Bloks fan ever since I picked up one of their…

  By Mike Fahey Published October 18, 2011
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  Kotaku Gets Some Face Time on Times Square Billboard

  Kotaku got an appearance on CNN’s Times Square billboard today in New York. Pretty cool, huh? What? You don’t see it? It’s right there. There, to the right. Hmm, let me get another pic for you. Try that next image in the gallery up above this text. Does that help? No… OK, to the right…

  By Brian Crecente Published October 18, 2011
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  Being Heroes? Pfft. Ratchet & Clank Want to Stay Up Late and Play Video Games.

  Everybody’s favorite lombax-and-robot duo returns to the PS3 in an all-new, co-op focused adventure this week. Here’s the opening cinematic sequence from the game, showing off the trademark humor that Insomniac’s known for bringing to the Ratchet & Clank games. The interview sequence at the beginning reminds me of this classic bit from the beloved…

  By Evan Narcisse Published October 18, 2011
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  PC Gamers Enter Arkham City November 15

  With the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions now on sale, Warner Bros. turns its attention to the delayed PC version of Batman: Arkham City, tacking on a November 15 release date for North America, November 18 in Europe.

  By Mike Fahey Published October 18, 2011