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  Street Fighter IV Patch Is Still Missing

  The promised Street Fighter IV patch to add a free Championship mode expansion was due after launch. Well, it’s after launch, and the patch is still M.I.A. The patch is supposed to beef up the game’s multiplayer aspects with an enhanced Tournament matchmaking system, a new point-based ranking system and the ability to record fights…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 4, 2009
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  The Great EA Games Fire Sale

  Electronic Arts didn’t have the best 2008. Gambled on some new IP, which didn’t catch on as hoped. So it’s understandable that the company wants to put it all behind them with a big sale. You’ll notice if you visit the website of both Amazon and GameStop/EB Games (showing that these are official cuts, and…

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 4, 2009
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  John Connor In Terminator Salvation Game, Christian Bale Not

  Actress Rose McGowan is not in the upcoming Hollywood sci-fi flick Terminator Salvation, but is in the game. The always professional Christian Bale is in the movie, but not in the game. Not fair! In an interview with GamePro Magazine, developer Cos Lazouras reveals that players will be playing as Terminator hero John Connor, but…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 4, 2009
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  Game Studio Survives Economic Downturn By Being, Well, Tight

  You wake up, you make a cup of joe, you read about a game studio laying people off. It’s an almost daily occurrence. But not at Certain Affinity, who are getting by pinching pennies. In the most literal sense. The studio – which has helped on the Halo series & Left 4 Dead, and is…

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 3, 2009
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  Japanese RPG Ad With Added Golden Girl Bottom

  Before Jaleco was purchased for one yen, the game company was working on Wii role-playing game Ougon no Kizuna ("Golden Bonds"). There are two ads — one pedestrian, the other anything but. The game’s tagline is: “Your way of life will change. Maybe.” Ougon no Kizuna goes on sale in Japan on May 28.

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 3, 2009
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  Have Microsoft Stopped Sending Out Boxes For 360 Repairs?

  It’s been standard practice for a while now that, if your 360 broke, Microsoft would send you a box, so you could send your console back in. But a Consumerist report today claims otherwise. They cite the story of reader Zach, who says: My Xbox red-ringed for the second time this weekend. Which is almost…

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 3, 2009
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  Wii Fit? More Like Weight Fat

  Found in an arcade crane game machine by CheapyD from website CheapAssGamer. This is “Weight Fat.” This is not a video game, but a body mass checking device in a familiar package. The box totally rips off the Japanese Wii Fit box down to the green and white color scheme and Wii Fit-esque font. Also,…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 3, 2009
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  Namco Bandai Cooking Up The Munchables For Wii

  Publisher Namco Bandai isn’t shying away from the risk of original IP on the Wii, announcing The Munchables for Nintendo’s bestselling console today. Does fighting a Space Pirate onion interest you? If so, read on. According to the official announcement, the Wii game will put players in the shoes of the titular, happy-go-lucky Munchables, a…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 3, 2009
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  Utah Falls for Thompson Bill

  Remember that bill Jack Thompson’s banking his post-lawyer career on? It passed by a landslide in Utah’s House of Representatives. The bill, HB 353, imposes even stiffer fines on video game retailers and movie theaters should they provide M- or R-rated products to minors in direct violation of their own store policies. Amendments to the…

  By AJ Glasser Published March 3, 2009
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  Lonely Student Needs Helps With The Important Things In Life

  WARNING: NN (Not News). Poor kid. All that snow, all that study, the mind’s sure to wander. At least he got his priorities right. Fresh [Burbia]

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 3, 2009
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  Ready At Dawn Would Love A UMD-Less PSP, Hates Used Games

  Who truly knows whether Sony is planning on dropping UMDs for the next version of the PSP? Only Sony (and David Perry). Certainly not God of War: Chains of Olympus developer Ready At Dawn. “I really have no clue what Sony’s plans are,” Ready At Dawn CEO Didier Malenfant told Edge Online, despite being a…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 3, 2009
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  Most Amazing PS3 Case Mod Ever?

  If you’re an Alien fan, that is. If not, this little homemade horror may seem like the biggest waste of a PlayStation 3 ever. The tattoo artist/case modder responsible for this creation used (and burned himself with) super heated epoxy putty and Games Workshop’s Chaos Black paint for the finish. He had to settle for…

  By AJ Glasser Published March 3, 2009
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  Nintendo Power Lets A Boy And His Blob Details Out Early

  Nintendo Power teased us earlier today with a surprise announcement—A Boy And His Blob was coming to the Wii, promising details later. Well, they’re out now and, boy, does this game look spectacular. The re-imagined A Boy And His Blob will be handled by Wayforward, developers of fine products like Contra 4 for the Nintendo…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 3, 2009
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  “Half Life: Hero Beggining” Tells Tales Of More Freeman Bros

  The continuing adventures of the Freeman family continue in Half Life: Hero Beggining, the third episode in fanfic writer squirrelking’s tales of Gordon Freeman’s bros. It’s heartbreaking what happens to Henry Freeman’s mom. You may remember the events of Half-Life Full Life Consequences 2: What Has Tobe Done in which John Freeman gets an e-mail…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 3, 2009
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  The Bigs 2 Announced By MLB 2K9

  Hey, baseball-loving Kotaku reader, did you like The Bigs? Yeah? Well, we’ve got some good news. There’s going to be a The Bigs 2. Strangely, you don’t seem that surprised by the stealth announcement, made via the soon-to-be-released MLB 2K9 from 2K Sports and rooted out by IGN. But if you’re pleased to read that…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 3, 2009
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  Hello Boston

  To: Bash From: Crecente Re: Today I Saw Snow So, our first syndicated column hit the wires this afternoon. The first paper to pick it up and run it online? The Boston Herald. In theory, tomorrow should see the column in print in some of the wire service’s 200 or so newspapers, somewhere. I’m hoping…

  By Brian Crecente Published March 3, 2009
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  Finally, A Resource For Video Game Lies

  If you’ve ever spent any substantial time on a playground, you’re likely to have heard some tall tales, particularly if the topic is video games. Logically, someone’s created a Wiki full of those lies. The Video Game Lies Wiki is archiving some of the most creative bullshit ever piled upon the video game medium, touching…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 3, 2009
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  Wii Punch-Out!! Has Classic NES Controls Too

  Nintendo hit us with an update on a handful of Wii and Nintendo DS games today, including fresh details on the Wii version of Punch-Out!!. Perhaps most exciting is unwavering confirmation of “classic” NES-style controls. Sure, the company has to eat its own dog food and legions of Wii owners are clearly comfortable boxing with…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 3, 2009
• Reviews

  50 Cent: Blood On The Sand Review: In Da Club Of Da Crystal Skull

  Rapper 50 Cent and his G-Unit sidekicks have returned, ready to shoot scores of generic Middle Easterners in 50 Cent: Blood On The Sand. The ultimate goal? Get Fiddy’s paycheck, a diamond-encrusted skull. Obviously, the real motivation behind the game is to give 50 Cent an opportunity to make amends for the generally miserable last-generation…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 3, 2009
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  Layoffs Hit THQ’s Volition

  Nearly all of Volition’s quality assurance department were laid off today in Champaign, Illinois, THQ confirmed to Kotaku. “Today we notified 86 of the 102 employees in the Volition quality assurance department that they will be let go,” a THQ spokesman told Kotaku. “Our quality assurance will now be primarily conducted through THQ’s centralized QA…

  By Brian Crecente Published March 3, 2009