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  Why Does The EyePet Box Art Look Different From Other PS3 Games?

  The box art for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe’s EyePet recently made its way out to retailers—like Amazon.co.uk—a new branding treatment for PlayStation 3 games that downplays the console’s previous branding. In particular, the “PlayStation 3” portion. While we’re not clear that EyePet’s box art is final, the assets that Amazon UK has features a slightly…

  By Michael McWhertor Published August 17, 2009
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  Bethesda Clarifies No Elder Scrolls V Statement

  Last week at QuakeCon 09, Bethesda’s Todd Howard was quoted as saying the company had “no current plans” for a fifth Elder Scrolls game. According to Bethesda, that’s not what Howard said at all. The developer’s Pete Hines posted a statement on the Bethesda Blog today, clarifying Howard’s comments regarding the future of the Elder…

  By Mike Fahey Published August 17, 2009
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  Gearbox’s Amazing Offices, The Sights We’re Allowed To Show

  On Friday I strolled three of the four floors Borderlands development studio Gearbox occupies atop an office tower in Plano, Texas. Some wondrous sights did I see, including Aliens game concept art I can’t show (sorry!) and all of this… (Click each thumbnail to enlarge) My tour guide was Gearbox co-founder Randy Pitchford, who walked…

  By Stephen Totilo Published August 17, 2009
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  Kotaku Gets To Gamescom, GDC Europe

  We’ve touched down in Cologne, already set foot in the Kolnmesse and had a brief taste of GDC Europe. But tomorrow is when the action starts, as Gamescom kicks off in its new location. We’ll miss you Leipzig! Tomorrow, expect big announcements from Electronic Arts and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. Both companies will be holding…

  By Michael McWhertor Published August 17, 2009
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  Champions Online Open Beta Leaps Into Action

  Time to put Cryptic’s latest massively-multiplayer online superhero game to the test, as the FilePlanet open beta for Champions Online launches with only a few slight snags. Right now FilePlanet subscribers and those with preorder codes for Champions Online can download the game and start playing immediately, as long as they don’t run into any…

  By Mike Fahey Published August 17, 2009
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  PS3’s Satin Silver Dualshock

  The Playstation’s Dualshock 3 is getting three spiffy new colors this fall: Satin Silver, Deep Red and Metallic Blue. The silver controller, shown here resting in my knobby hands, is already available at GameStop through September. Then in October all three colors will be available at most retailers.

  By Brian Crecente Published August 17, 2009
• Reviews

  Shadow Complex Review: Genre Upgrade

  Chair Entertainment’s Shadow Complex is a rare entry in the genre trail-blazed by Nintendo’s Metroid, the side-scrolling action-adventure-explore formula later successfully aped by Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. In Shadow Complex, our hero is Jason Fleming, a hiker who starts ill-equipped on his girlfriend-saving quest with little more than a flashlight and a fancy belt…

  By Michael McWhertor Published August 17, 2009
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  A Sight-Slicing Tour Of Muramasa’s Locales

  We know we’ll be killing tons of strange creatures when Ignition releases Muramasa: The Demon Blade for the Nintendo Wii, but where will we be killing them? This locations trailer has the answers. They will fight in the forests…the will fight on the beaches, and in the fields, and on the rooftops…the two main characters…

  By Mike Fahey Published August 17, 2009
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  Poker Game Kept Gabe Newell From Naming Valve “Gearbox” [UPDATE – Story isn’t true.]

  We know large rodents helped determine the name of game companies. We now also know that Randy Pitchford vanquished Gabe Newell in a poker match on a riverboat to win the name of the house of Borderlands. [UPDATE: Valve denies.] So reports Joystiq, in a new series that looks at the secrets behind the names…

  By Stephen Totilo Published August 17, 2009
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  Earthworm Jim Coming To Wii, PS3, and 360

  Seems like your vote for the 20th anniversary Sega Genesis title to hit Xbox Live might not matter much, as Gameloft and Interplay announce Earthworm Jim for WiiWare, Xbox Live Arcade, and the PlayStation Network. Interplay has granted Gameloft exclusive rights to develop, distribute, and publish Earthworm Jim as a downloadable title across the current…

  By Mike Fahey Published August 17, 2009
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  Bayonetta Still Turning On Game Reporters

  Before beating up a towering boss, Sega’s new hard-bodied heroine told the monstrosity to save the pillow talk for later. The games reporter sitting next to me, watching this cutscene, then said something. “She’s a bitch!” the reporter exclaimed. Then he paused and re-phrased that: “A sexy bitch.” I’ve been to two demos of the…

  By Stephen Totilo Published August 17, 2009
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  Academy Of Champions Got Moves

  Check out Altair performing his Eagle Strike and the Rabbids’ Plunger Shot in this batch of Gamescom clips and screens of Ubisoft’s Academy of Champions. Ubisoft’s magical cartoon soccer academy game basically does what Nintendo did with Mario Strikers and gives it an Ubisoft spin, with characters from your favorite titles appearing amongst generic children…

  By Mike Fahey Published August 17, 2009
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  Celebrate EverQuest’s 10th With A Coffee Table Book

  First announced at CES earlier this year, The 10th Anniversary EverQuest Collector’s Edition coffee table book is now available for purchase at Sony Online Entertainment‘s store, or on my recliner. More than just an art book, this large, hard-bound special edition tome is filled from cover-to-cover with the history of the EverQuest franchise, from the…

  By Mike Fahey Published August 17, 2009
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  Howard: Five Was Enough For Fallout 3 DLC

  “I think we’ve put enough content out there for this game,” Fallout 3’s Todd Howard told Kotaku in Dallas last week, having finished offering gamers an unprecedented amount of content fot a single-player game. The August release of the fifth downloadable mission-pack for Fallout 3 wrapped up a hefty mid-year helping of new content for…

  By Stephen Totilo Published August 17, 2009
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  DiRT 2 Is Rally Rally Good

  Don’t blame us for the horribly punny headline. Responsibility lies squarely on the shoulders of Codemasters’ marketing and PR department. This DiRT 2 vid features the hottest cars on the hottest tracks, with real-life and in-game footage mixed together in an inspirational music video format that rally fans just can’t resist. Can you tell the…

  By Mike Fahey Published August 17, 2009
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  Swine Flu: The Video Game

  While it might not actually be Swine Flu: The Video Game, a flash game created by Dutch researches aims to raise the awareness of similar outbreaks by having the player control the deadly Gamers Flu. The Great Flu casts the player as the head of the fictional World Pandemic Control. Pick a strain of flu…

  By Mike Fahey Published August 17, 2009
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  QuakeCon Faces a Crossroads

  The lights in the cavernous room are off, but an electric glow fills the 70,000-square-foot room. The darkness dances in an erratic sizzle of colors from thousands of computer monitors, the pulsing pixels illuminating an electronic shanty town of home-built computers, neon, pillows and people. This room of humming computers, quietly clicking keyboards, and energized…

  By Brian Crecente Published August 17, 2009
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  Phoenix Wright Gets UDON Art Book Treatment

  How big a following does the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney series have? Large enough to spawn a 240-page art book, due out in October from UDON Entertainment. The Art of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney collects all of the artwork from the three Nintendo DS Phoenix Wright titles as well as Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, into…

  By Mike Fahey Published August 17, 2009
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  A Mini Demo Of Mini Ninjas This Week

  Take Eidos’ adorable little assassins for a spin later this week, as a demo of IO Interactive’s Mini Ninjas hits the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC. Join mini-ninja Hiro, maxi-ninja Futo, and girlie-ninja Suzume as they embark on an epic adventure to bring harmony to a world teetering on the edge of total chaos.…

  By Mike Fahey Published August 17, 2009
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  A Peek At Bungie’s Office and One Really Big Halo ODST Map

  Today’s peek inside a development studio offers a bit more than just a look at the desks behind some of today’s greatest games. This picture of Paul Bertone, Bungie’s design director for Halo 3: ODST, also affords us a chance to steal a look at what appears to be some maps for upcoming shooter and…

  By Brian Crecente Published August 17, 2009