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  Team Fortress 2 Gets New Closed Beta For Better Testing

  I’m a casual TF2 player. So the recent “random drop” system of awarding rare items was great for me! For high-end players, though, it wasn’t so great, and they got upset. If only Valve had seen that coming! In the future, hopefully they will, with the creation of a new “closed beta” for the game.…

  By Luke Plunkett Published August 4, 2009
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  80GB PLAYSTATION 3 To Be Discontinued In Japan

  The 20GB, 40GB and 60GB versions of the PS3 have been discontinued. According to this, it looks like the 80GB PLAYSTATION 3 is next. This notice is apparently from retailer 7-Eleven (7-Eleven sells video games in Japan) and states that pre-orders for the Black, White and Silver 80GB PS3 will cease on Sunday, August 9…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published August 4, 2009
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  Final Fantasy XIV Video Interview

  This video is from E3, but is included in the latest issue of DVD-bundled magazine Famitsu Wave. It’s eight minutes long and subtitled. So you can learn about online title Final Fantasy XIV. Yes!

  By Brian Ashcraft Published August 3, 2009
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  Japanese Voice Actress Getting Her First Trading Cards

  When we were kids, we collected baseball cards. Jose Canseco, Mark Grace and Ken Griffey, Jr. In Japan, kids these days (hey, more like adults!) can collect voice actress cards. Vocal thespian Rie Tanaka (Phantasy Star Portable, Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3) is releasing her first set of “trading cards” this September. One pack will…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published August 3, 2009
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  Don’t Go Looking For A Wii Price Cut Just Yet

  The DS received a price drop — ages ago. But it happened. The Wii, however, is still selling for the price it had when it launched in late 2006. Wii sales are slowing down, and at the recent Nintendo investor’s meeting, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata was asked this during the Q&A: “Tell me if you…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published August 3, 2009
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  Sending Your DSi Pics to Facebook (No Pre-Teens Allowed)

  As of this evening DSi owners in North America can now directly upload the pictures they took using the portable to their Facebook account, with one caveat. While the uploading is fairly seamless, Facebook’s own terms of use prevent anyone under the age of 13 from using it because you’re not allowed to set up…

  By Brian Crecente Published August 3, 2009
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  Yeah, Braid Is Coming To The PS3

  Those Germans know a thing or two about upcoming game releases, because no sooner do the USK display a listing for a PSN version of Braid than we get official confirmation of the game’s PS3 debut. The confirmation comes courtesy of a representative from publisher Hothead Games, who told IGN that the game is indeed…

  By Luke Plunkett Published August 3, 2009
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  Sports Illustrated Eschews Sneaker Phone for Madden

  Sports Illustrated marketers are throwing out the sneaker phone and throwing in the kitchen sink, going after the dorm-rat gamer for growth and offering free Madden with a paid sign-up. The proposition is, admittedly, shrewd – if you’re willing to pay $60 for Madden, you can pay $50 for Sports Illustrated and get both. Of…

  By Owen Good Published August 3, 2009
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  Down and Out

  To: Ash From: Crecente Re: Don’t Interview Pretty Actresses When You Have A Runny Nose Wow, this has been a fun day. Something horrific happened to our servers (I imagine it involved wolverines or piranha or piranha wolverines) and we’ve essentially been knocked out all day. You actually could load the site, but it took…

  By Brian Crecente Published August 3, 2009
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  Call Of Duty 4 Gets Hacked Up, Infinity Ward Preps Patch

  Seems the PlayStation 3 version of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare has been rendered nearly unplayable, thanks to exploits that grant cheaters game-wrecking bonuses like infinite ammo, plus the ability to fly and walk through walls. The good news? Infinity Ward appears to already be on top of quelling that nonsense, as the team’s…

  By Michael McWhertor Published August 3, 2009
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  NCAA 10 Generates, Then Sees Filtered, ‘Gay’ Roster Name

  The ongoing controversy over language filtering on Xbox Live has another curious manifestation – rosters that EA Sports’ TeamBuilder auto-names get filtered when they’re imported into the Xbox Live version of NCAA 10. As an example, the above player was auto-named “Jason Gay” at the online TeamBuilder site. But imported into the Xbox 360 version,…

  By Owen Good Published August 3, 2009
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  What Do Gingerbread Men Bleed?

  Beating up gingerbread men and other cutesy fairytale creatures sounds pretty awesome. But it’s a little… upsetting to discover that gingerbread men bleed actual blood. I was kind of expecting butter. Fairytale Fights is a hack’n’slash adventure where players take the role of famous fairytale characters to stab, maim and otherwise beat the beejesus out…

  By AJ Glasser Published August 3, 2009
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  Mega-Sized Mega Man Chart Charts Mega Man History

  It was not a dream, people. Here is inarguable proof that there have been many Mega Man games. What we’ve got here is a chart by Capcom community blogger Snow, displaying the grand amount of Mega Man games released by Capcom during the last 23 years. The horizontal lines represent years. The bunched columns represent…

  By Stephen Totilo Published August 3, 2009
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  ESRB Rates Shadow of Destiny PSP, Contra ReBirth

  Two Konami releases have been semi-confirmed for upcoming releases via new ratings for the WiiWare retro throwback Contra ReBirth and PSP remake Shadow of Destiny. Make a note of it, Konami fans. While Contra ReBirth‘s release to Wii owners was nigh inevitable, a proper ESRB rating—these don’t come cheap!—for the Gradius ReBirth follow-up is good…

  By Michael McWhertor Published August 3, 2009
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  Optimus Prime In A More Familiar, Downloadable Outfit

  This summer, you will be able to add to the Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen roster through the magic of downloadable content. We don’t know when, we don’t know for how much. We do know this robot, though. Activision has released more images of Transformers that will be part of the bundle. We’ve got…

  By Stephen Totilo Published August 3, 2009
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  The Inside Story Of The Death Of Midway Newcastle

  Following the sale of most of Midway to new owner Warner Bros., Midway Newcastle was shuttered, its staff given their walking papers. The Wheelman developer never found a buyer for the now defunct studio, nor its original IP, Necessary Force. Steven Pick, senior GUI artist for Midway Newcastle‘s Wheelman, gives a painful blow-by-blow of the…

  By Michael McWhertor Published August 3, 2009
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  BioShock 2 Marketing Crew Wants You On A Beach Saturday

  They sent creepy drawings. Then a record. And now, apparently not getting the memo that the game’s been delayed until 2010, the BioShock 2 marketing team has sent directions about where and when fans need to be on Saturday. The preceding map and following note arrived in the Kotaku NYC offices today, pre-wrinkled and purportedly…

  By Stephen Totilo Published August 3, 2009
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  Everyone Has a Punched-in-the-Face Story

  So tell us yours, in honor of the epic beat-downs to be had in The King of Fighters 12. If you’ve never been punched (aren’t you a special angel?), tell us about a punch you witnessed. The best story wins a copy of KOFXII. Send entries to [email protected] (specify platform). Standard Contest Rules apply. Trailer…

  By Chrissie Lamond Published August 3, 2009
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  WipEout HD Gets Loading Screen Ads, Adds User Fury

  In-game advertiser Double Fusion announced today that it was bringing “dynamic video advertisements” to WipEout HD, ads that owners of the PlayStation Network racer have been experiencing (and grumbling about) over the past week. Those video ads began appearing during WipEout HD‘s loading screens, presenting players with a video spot that, in some cases, appears…

  By Michael McWhertor Published August 3, 2009
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  You Cannot Unsee The Mario And Peach Sex Tape

  Not only is College Humor’s Mario and Peach sex tape extremely not safe for work, it will change the way you play Super Mario Bros. forever. I’m going to say it again, in case you miss the tag, and never read the first sentence of any Kotaku story. This is not safe for work. So…

  By Mike Fahey Published August 3, 2009