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Americans Only: Call of Duty 4 Beta Token Going to Everyone (Almost!)
Did you register for the Call of Duty 4 beta? Good news! Those who registered at the game's site Charlie Oscar Delta (and live in the United States) will get a beta token. These tokens are going out in batches, but like I said, everyone who signed up (and lives in America) will get in. Foreigners and expats are shit outta luck. Well, unless you lied. Infinity Ward's blog spokesperson Fourzerotwo has posted this:We're going to send out congrats emails to all of you eventually, but keep in mind (again) the tokens themselves will be in waves. So you might get it today, you might get it tomorrow, you might get it later than that. So be patient, I know everyone would love to be in the first wave, but keep in mind this is a beta TEST, and this is one way were testing our servers performance is by ramping up slowly and tracking how it effects the game, playlist downloads, matchmaking, etc.Infinity Ward will be offering more chances to sign up so stay tuned! Beta Registration [Fourzerotwo,...

AAAIIIEEEEEEE: Games Make Better Horror Than Movies
Movies used to be scary, but not anymore. Games, though...games are scary. That's the argument made by Wired's Clive Thompson, who's currently peeing his pants over BioShock: ...the best scary-game designers have quietly perfected the interplay of tension and release that makes for a truly cardiac horror experience. They have, in a sense, become even more faithful interpreters of the horror tradition movies than Hollywood directors. Can't help but agree with the man. Maybe not on BioShock, for some reason I'm more disturbed than terrified by it, but games like AvP, AvP 2, Doom 3...had to play those with the lights on. And my blankie. Which I don't think I've had to do with a movie in the past, oh, 15-20 years.Gore Is Less: Videogames Make Better Horror Than Hollywood [Wired]

Moar: Blizzard Thinking about "Another MMO Project"
Is there MMORPG life after World of Warcraft? Blizzard's first MMO has not only been a huge cashcow for the developer, but nothing sort of a cultural phenomenon. So bring on that follow-up! WoW lead designer Jeffrey Kaplan says:As far was working on another MMO project or a WoW 2, obviously as a company we'd be very interested in further exploring the MMO space.Gasp. Something that has proven very profitable, and Blizzard wants to further explore it? Kaplan also adds that Blizzard doesn't have "anything official" to add and that the developer is "definitely looking towards the future as well." Yes, the future!Future MMO [CVG]

Nobody Tells Me Anything Anymore: There's A Simon The Sorcerer IV?
Apparently so! Playlogic have told IGN that the fourth Simon the Sorcerer game, which is currently only available in German, will be translated into English and pubished in North America in early 2008. I never played the second or third games, but man, that first Simon the Sorcerer? I know it was a total SCUMM rip-off, but still, we had some good, good times.Simon the Sorcerer IV Headed Stateside [IGN]

With Added Joel Flippers: The HDTV Pinball Machine
Fresh of covering E3 for us, former Gizmodo editor Joel Johnson has settled in over at Boing Boing, where he's covering gadgets like this HDTV pinball machine. It's an art installation on display at Barcelona's Palau de la Virreina that riffs on the conflict between kids and parents over leisure activities — what's more, it proves that more pinball machines should use giant HDTVs. Here's info about the game:The "real world" level represents kids' media usage and their parents' attitudes towards it. Left hand (parents' wishes) sends the ball (the kid) to school, books, church and museum. Right hand (the kid's wishes) sends the kid to TV, peers, videogames and the Internet-connected computer at the top left.Nice to see a tricked out pinball machine. Nice to see Joel back in the gadget saddle. Homebrew HDTV Pinball [BB Gadgets]

Rumor: Jessica Alba Works Out On The Wii?
WARNING: This is probably total BS. Probably. But not definitely. Nintendo fanboys with half-decent imaginations read on. Digital celebrity gossip rag The Skinny Website have posted a rumour that Jessica Alba is hooked on her Wii. So much so that she's using it to workout on. Every day. Maybe she is, maybe she isn't, but Nintendo marketing, if she is, you need to get on this. Jessica Alba Stays in Shape With a Wii Workout [The Skinny Website, via Wii Fanboy]

Sorry Paul: Castlevania Screenplay Being Totally Re-Written
Paul W.S. Anderson was going to direct the Castlevania movie. Now he's not. Despite this, he was supposedly still going to provide the screenplay. Now he's not. Seems Ian Jeffers, who's also done the screenplay for James Wan's Death Sentence, will be completely re-writing the script. Top to bottom. No idea why, but director Sylvain White seems to have a good handle on the franchise ("I was attracted by the chance to make a dark, epic period movie that almost has an anime feel to it"), so let's just assume/hope this is a move for the better.New Writer Re-Working 'Castlevania' Adaptation! [Bloody-Disgusting, via 1UP]

Welcome Home: Insider Spills Home Beans
Excited about Home? It's the PS3's answer to Xbox Live's Achievements/GamerCard and lets players create a virtual avatar to wander about a virtual world. There is currently a private beta, but no public one. An insider in the private beta has told game site IGN loads of details. The status report after the jump: • There is only one apartment available now, and it is 15ft by 40ft.• There are four areas — all of which were shown at GDC.• The movie theater is showing the SPIDER-MAN 3 trailer. There are ten theater rooms showing game and movie trailers.• The game room is the "most popular room" in the lobby. There are 6 pool tables, 4 bowling lanes and 10 arcade machines.• The friend invite feature has not been implemented yet.• Currently, there is no support for in-home parties. • The face creation system for the avatars is very detailed. The clothing and hair selection is not. Body shape was just added in...

Warricane?: Call Of Duty 4...Warnado?
While conversing with MTV's Stephen Totilo, Infinity Ward's Vince Zampella spilled some Call of Duty 4 news. Real news. Not maps or weapons or the plot, but some of the game's possible subtitles. See, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, as uninspiring as it sounds, didn't write itself. No, they went through loads of names before they got to that one. Thousands. We had someone generate thousands of names. One of them was 'Warnado. Or was it 'Warricane'? See, I like Warricane. Warnado, too. If you're going to have a subtitled military-themed FPS, you may as well have it taking the piss.'Call Of Duty 4' Says No To 'Warnado' (And Feet) [MTV]

Clip: When Tetris Blocks Attack
And here I was thinking Tetris blocks were the bestest of friends. WRONG. They hate each other, so bad that when you let them out of the game they attend Mexican anime expos and beat the shit out of each other.Tetris cosplayers in parking-lot brawl [Boing-Boing]

Less Interest: Monster Hunter Freedom 2 Released, Where Are The Lines?
Monster Hunter Freedom 2 gave the Japanese PSP a reason to live. Over there, it's sold about a million billion copies. Half a million on the first day of sale alone. In the US, though? Nobody. Cares. The game was released today, and instead of long lines and big sales the first you probably realised it was out was when you read this. Anyone else keen on seeing what all the fuss is about? I've always found the idea of Monster Hunter an appealing one. The idea of actually tracking down someone who both still carries their PSP around and owns this, though? Less appealing.SAN MATEO , Calif -- August 28, 2007 Capcom, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today released Monster Hunter Freedom 2 for the PSP system. Monster Hunter has quickly become one of the most successful series for Capcom, with sales in excess of four million units worldwide. Capcom's previously released Monster Hunter Portable was a runaway hit, with an attach rate of nearly one game...

FPS Shocker!: Valve Bans BioShock
In a bizarre turn of events, Half-Life developer Valve has hopped on the violent game banning bandwagon, targeting 2K Games sometimes troubled masterpiece BioShock. In an interview with ComputerAndVideogames.com, the so outspoken we've mentioned him twice today Gabe Newell sheds some light on the situation."We had to ban Bioshock from our offices," Valve boss Gabe Newell told us. "Nobody gets to play it until Orange Box is done - that's our reward to ourselves as a company; everyone gets a copy of Bioshock." Man, Gabe is all about the love these days! Celebrating your game release by buying a ton of copies of someone else's game? That's beautiful man. I just want to hug the whole gaming industry right now. Valve bans Bioshock from the office [CVG]

Pax 07: The Grande Finale
How do you follow up a weekend full of gaming competitions and fun? Why with a completely kick ass game-off with one of the most highly anticipated games of the year of course!The Omegathon is a Penny Arcade tradition dating back millions of years and while normally competitors would go head to head with olde school games, this year Gabe and Tycho had something new up their collective sleeve, Halo 3. As you can imagine when it was announced, the crowd went crazy apeshit bonkers and it was a few minutes before I could actually hear anything again, even now my ears are still ringing. Also on hand for the festivities were nerdcore favorites The Minibosses who entertained the rapturous crowd with their version of the Halo 3 theme before the final showdown. Contestants Accelon and MNC Dover jumped into the action with great aplomb and before long they were fragging each other left and right over two heretofore unseen maps loaded with even more heretofore unseen weapons. The crowd,...

Organized Noise: Video Games Live Kicks Off London Games Festival
The London Games Festival is coming up in October, and what's a major gaming event without a visit from Tommy Tallarico and his traveling band of musical companion elves? Certainly not the LGF, that's for sure. They're kicking off the festival with a visit from the Video Games Live concert interactive celebration of gaming at the Royal Festival Hall on the 22nd. Along with the old standards from Zelda, Halo, Warcraft, Myst, etc., concert goers will enjoy a pre and post show festival featuring demos of Holiday Xbox 360 titles, a cosplay contest, meet-and-greets, and a special arrangement from Halo 3 The Music (not to be confused with Halo 3 The Ride). Hit the jump for full details, ticket purchasing information, and all sorts of musical PR goodness. XBOX 360 BRINGS VIDEO GAMES LIVE CONCERT TO THE ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL ON THE 22nd October 2007A spectacular, interactive evening of music, visuals and games Video Games Live, the premier concert celebrating the most memorable music...

Need To Know Basis: ESRB On Manhunt Re-Rate Reveal: No
In your face, California State Senator Leland Yee! Responding to the Senator's demand that the ESRB detail the changes made to Rockstar's Manhunt 2 to warrant the reclassification of the game from damning AO to the less damning but still frustrating to schoolchildren M rating, ESRB president and gaming hottie Patricia Vance issued a big ol' none of your business. "Publishers submit game content to the ESRB on a confidential basis," said ESRB president Patricia Vance in a statement Tuesday. "It is simply not our place to reveal specific details about the content we have reviewed, particularly when it involves a product yet to be released.Vance explains that even with the changed rating, the game is clearly not for children. Duh. Still, thank goodness for Leland Yee for trying to protect the purity of the nation's 17 year olds. We wouldn't want them seeing this sort of crap a year too early, now would we? ESRB Refuses to Detail Manhunt 2 Re-rate [Next Generation]

The Legend Continues: Heavenly Sword Animated Series Part 4
The tiny epic saga continues as the clan protecting the Heavenly Sword faces an age of battle waiting for the return of the Heavenly Warrior in episode 4 of the animated series entitled "The Divine Birth". Something tells me the Heavenly Warrior is not a guy. Call it a hunch. Also getting the odd feeling that this is one of those times the marketing materials end up being much more enjoyable than the game itself.

Crashtastic: Crash Crashes N-Gage
If you had any doubts that the new Nokia N-Gage mobile gaming platform initiative would be anything short of a total success...hold on to them for awhile longer. Nokia has announced that Vivendi Mobile will be bringing none other than the world's most famous Bandicoot to the mobile platform this fall. No one could be more excited to see Crash than Gregg Sauter, Nokia's director of third party publishing. Seriously, no one. "Vivendi Games Mobile is one of the most respected publishers in mobile gaming," said Gregg Sauter, Nokia's director of third party publishing. "Crash Bandicoot is a gaming icon as well as a global powerhouse, having sold more than 33 million units worldwide. With its fun appeal to people of all ages and incredible graphics, the Crash Bandicoot franchise is the perfect fit for N-Gage."I'd have to agree on the perfect fit part, but not for the same reasons I am sure. Is there some sort of hard date when Crash Bandicoot stops being a selling point I don't know...

Not The News: G4 Launches The MMO Report
Hungry for MMO news several days to a couple weeks old yet sprinkled with some hit or miss humor and delivered by a cheesy pseudo-news anchor? Look no further than The MMO Report, G4's new weekly online only television show that tackles hard-hitting issues like virtual penis lawsuits. Casey Schreiner does an admirable job of updating us on the goings on across the MMO multiverse, with only a few stumbles here and there to keep things real. My favorite segment, of course, was the What the F@&# Second Life?!?!?! segment, which I fully expect to appear on somewhere down the line.

Gallery: Need for Speed ProStreet In Drag
They say that making a good drag racing game is 90% burning tire smoke effects. Well I say that at least, because I find drag racing to be pretty damn boring except for the smoke and the off chance that someone drives into a wall. Judging from my own personal criteria and these screenshots from the drag racing portion of Need for Speed: ProStreet, EA is going to have a damn fine drag racing game on their hands. galleryPost('nfsstreet828', 4, 'Drag Kings');

Graw Deal: GRAW2 Throwback Pack 2 On Live
I really love the concept of the Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 throwback packs, which take classic maps from old Ghost Recon titles and port them for use in GRAW2. The second of said packs is now available for download via Xbox Live Marketplace for the low, low price of free. The pack not only contains seven classic GR maps for use in multiplayer, but also comes with a whole new game mode. Co-op Exfiltration is a co-op game mode that challenges your squad to protect AI officers as they try to reach a helicopter extraction zone. Did I mention it was free? Hit the jump for details on all seven maps included in this lovely little slice of free DLC. MEDIA ALERT: Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 - *DLC - Throwback Pack 2 Available Now on Xbox LIVE Marketplace!*SAN FRANCISCO - August 28, 2007 - Ubisoft, one of the world's largest video game publishers, today announced release of the Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 Throwback Pack 2, a new downloadable...

Gc07: Public Play Pong Dress
newVideoPlayer("PublicPlay_gawker.flv", 475, 376);Many of you have probably seen the Public Play Pong dress before, but this video has a reaction from the actual person wearing it. The dots are actually quite easy to see in person, though a few extra pixels may have stopped me from getting pwnd by blond German girls.

Gc07: Blowing Stuff Up (Mercenaries 2 Impressions)
Since the end of the 80s, it's been more and more difficult to find one man willing to open up a can of whoop ass on an entire army of foreign stereotypes. But Mercenaries 2 features just that sort of singular mantra we've been craving since Sylvester changed his name to Sly. Mercenaries 2 is an open world game that's not just about blowing up the bad guys, but leveling every building in their entire country—where they may or may not be hiding.As you run around the open world with, say, a rocket launcher, you become a one man wrecking crew, dropping buildings not with massive explosions, but what resembles a perfectly executed controlled demolition. The buildings fall evenly, like a tiered cake, floor by floor into a pile of dust. Plant a few charges of C4 around a block, and you can simultaneously level entire streets of the game. It may get old, but not during the 20 minutes I spent with the demo. Hopping into a helicopter proved to be a more difficult task. Stiff...

Pax 07: The Army Invades PAX
Whilst strolling around PAX I happened into the back of the of the hall and noticed this massive Army booth. I was surprised and a little curious because not only could I not see any games present, but the sign hanging over the booth seemed a bit odd, reading ""No Power-Ups, No Cheat Codes, No Easy Mode." I mean, I understand the point they were trying to make, but it almost seemed a tad insulting. Needless to say the Army booth had tumbleweeds rolling through it, so after spying the Bungie Store around the side of the booth I went over to check that out. As I turned the corner, I saw that the Army actually did have one lone gaming station set up to show off their America's army game, strategically placed directly across from the Bungie Store.Now I'm certainly not saying the Army had no right to be there, they paid their money for a booth just like everyone else, but I do find it a bit disturbing seeing such things at a gaming convention. Especially with all the talk about...

Family Fun: Casual Gaming Bring Generations Together
Nothing brings a family together quite like casual gaming. A new worldwide study has found that 92% of casual gaming parents and grandparents agree that casual games help them bond with their children and grandchildren, with 70% of those saying they see educational benefits for their kids from playing casual games. The study also touches on the perceived benefits of casual gaming, with our old favorite hand-eye coordination topping the list. See? Casual gaming is awesome! Everyone should do it! The study was conducted by PopCap Games, one of the largest casual game publishers in the world, who are in no way biased towards finding new reasons for people to play casual games. I'll be publishing the results of my own non self-serving study later this week, which found that 90% of my former sexual partners polled were extremely satisfied, citing substantial increases in pleasure, sensation, and map-reading skills. Computer Games Help Adults Bond With Their Children and GrandchildrenLar...

Sweet Surrender: Valve's Gonna Keep On Loving EA
Ah yes, Electronic Arts loves the sweet, sweet developer loving. First Crysis developer Crytek chooses EA over Ubisoft in a blind publisher taste test, and now Valve's Gabe Newell likes them so much he plans to keep working with them. In an interview with Eurogamer, Newell doesn't understand the EA hate. "Everybody always tells us what a horrible monster EA is supposed to be and we keep waiting for the hair to sprout out and the fangs to grow," Valve MD Gabe Newell jokesHe also reveals that EA will be publishing Valve's upcoming multiplayer survival horror game Left 4 Dead. It all just feels unnatural. Gabe Newell hates everything. Kittens, sunshine...he even hates you, which is ridiculous. We think you are a rather lovely person, despite the hair. Don't know what you were thinking there. Valve to continue with EA [Eurogamer]

Gc07: Splash Damage Talks Quake Wars and Karma
Paul Wedgewood, founder of Splash Damage, loves his game. Enemy Territory: Quake Wars is distractingly fun to play for him. It's so fun, in fact that there were times during our talk with him that he seemed to forget for a second or two that we were sitting there with him, interviewing. He seemed to get lost in the game... the best sign, I think for a game still under development.And it makes sense, after all Splash Damage started out as a mod group, one that landed the multiplayer aspect of Return to Castle Wolfenstein. After completing the game, which was released for free, they landed the full triple-A retail build of Enemy Territory: Quake Wars."When Wolfenstein Enemy Territory was released it proved there was a market for a pure multiplayer combat game," Wedgewood said. " Enemy Territory: Quake Wars tried to break down boundaries."Wedgewood said the current office remains to their modding roots despite their triple-A aspirations."The office is still essentially a mode team...

Samus Triumphant: Metroid Prime 3: Corruption Impressions
Let's face it - if you loved Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, odds are you're going to be buying Metroid Prime 3: Corruption for the Wii no matter what I say here. I could spend several paragraphs detailing how badly the game controls, how shoddy the graphics are, or how boring the gameplay is and you'd still be on your way to the store with a pocketful of cash and a gleam in your eye. Luckily for you, all of those statements would be lies. Personally I didn't find the first two Metroid Prime games to be all that much fun, which is why I am utterly surprised to admit that Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is one of the best games I have played on a Nintendo console in ages. Mind you my time with the title has been brief, and my four hours of playing is only 20% of the overall game, but the important thing here is that I really want to experience the other 80%. While the first two titles were technically proficient and well-crafted examples of Metroid goodness, after a while...

Second Chances: Call of Duty Beta Signups Return
Ahh, much better. Call of Duty 4 Beta signups are available again until 7PM Pacific tonight. Rather than the boneheaded first-come, first-serve plan they tried before that resulted in nothing but hate (which leads to suffering), this time they are trying something a bit more sensible. Due to overwhelming interest in the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Multiplayer Beta, we will no longer be accepting entry into the program on a first come, first serve basis. To ensure everyone has a fair shot at getting in, the Beta Registration System has been reopened, and will remain open for the next 24 hours. Click "BETA" to enter Beta HQ and select "ENTER NOW." We will collect names until 7pm PST tomorrow, Tuesday August 28th, after which we will randomly select names for entry into the Beta. There are some things better left to chance after all. Now hit up Charlie Oscar Delta and make with the clicky.

Rumor: Xbox 360 Repairs Slow to Crawl
Rumor has it that a spike in Xbox 360 returns, both valid and not so much, have lead to an increase in the return time for repaired Xbox 360s. I've heard that the turnaround time for Xbox 360 repairs has skyrocketed to as long as six weeks and if you do the math, that could mean that some loyal 360 fans may be console-less when the Halo 3 launches. Talk about bad juju.

Warhawk Down: Warhawk Is Go
One of the most highly anticipated games for the PlayStation 3 is finally here, with Warhawk available on the PlayStation Network for digital download and rushing to store shelves as we speak. $39.99 online nets you the game and what promises to be a very lengthy download indeed, while for $59.99 at the store you get a convenient installation platter along with a Jabra Bluetooth headset in exclusive shiny piano black. Fancy! Hit the jump for the official press release! Ground-Breaking Multiplayer Combat Soars onto PlayStation(R)3 (PS3(TM)) With the Arrival of Warhawk(TM)Fast-paced, 32-player action ushers in industry first - critically acclaimed Warhawk available at retail on Blu-ray Disc(TM) and as download from PLAYSTATION(R)Network FOSTER CITY, Calif., Aug. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. (SCEA) announced today the North American release of the highly anticipated title Warhawk(TM), available exclusively for PLAYSTATION(R)3 (PS3(TM)). In...

Political POsturing: Tory Leader Wants To Ban Violent Games
British Conservative leader David Cameron wants to fight crime in Britain, and of course on of the key ways to combat the criminal element is baning violent video games. Yes, violent video games are one of the many societal dangers that Cameron feels need to be done away with as part of a long-term plan to fight crime by changing behavior of schoolchildren both at home and in the classroom. "We are never going to deal with crime unless we look at the broader context and say, 'Yes, tough laws, strong action on the police, but also action to strengthen our society'."And that includes, I think, video games and things like that where we do need to think of the context in which people are growing up."So not only is he claiming that violent games are a cause of criminal activity, he wants to fix things by changing what children are exposed to at a young age in order to institute a societal change that will come to fruition once those children become adult members of society. Sounds...

How Many Thumbsticks?: More PlayStation Phone Hints, Nudges, Winks
Back in April, Pocket Gamer did some rumour-scrounging on the possibility of a PlayStation-branded phone. They didn't get much. So come Leipzig, they tried to get more, cornering Sony Ericsson's games division's Peter Ahnegard and asking him about it again. This time, they got a little more. Still nothing concrete, mind, but it's something: It's obviously something that we're looking at but right now I can't really comment. Before Christmas, certainly... but exactly which Christmas I can't confirm! Can't comment on a comment? Jeez. Still, if the comment's got a deadline, must be something behind it, so lets wait for Christmas, see if they bothered learning from the N-Gage's multitude of mistakes.Sony Ericsson says definitely maybe to PlayStation phone [Pocket Gamer]

Gc07: Call of Duty 4: DS Hands-On
I'm not a huge fan of shooters on the DS. I've found from way too many personal experiences that the handheld just doesn't have the muscle to support the sort of graphics and experience I like from my shooters. Just last week I was playing Brothers in Arms on the DS and, while there were things I liked about the game, for the most part I felt like I was playing through the game out of more of a sense of obligation than because it was fun and I wanted to. So I was a bit reluctant when the Activision folks offered to show me their DS build for over-the-top shooter Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. While what I saw didn't leave me thirsting to play the game, it certainly did enough things right to perk my interest. The first thing I noticed was the the game had a nice selection of skins for good guys and bad guys, it also made use of voice both in missions briefings and during firefights to call out enemy locations and important actions.The game has been designed to play through...

Steaming Mad: GC Asia Announced Just to Piss Us Off
ENOUGH WITH THE SHOWS. E3 ends, and shortly after that, there's Leipzig. Just after that, there is PAX. Then? Then we've got the Tokyo Games Show. But between PAX and TGS, there's GC Asia, which runs from September 6-9 in Singapore. Sony will be in appearance at GCA, showing off PS3 and PSP games, while Nintendo will be using the event to launch the Wii in the region (cue Wii Sports kiosks). Also, Electronic Arts will be showing off 15 titles, including Crysis, FIFA 08 and Rock Band. Expect appearances by Blizzard and Nokia NGage as well! Seriously. Event organizers, spread this stuff out so we can actually cover it all without dying. This is getting RIDICULOUS. GC Asia Info [Games Industry]

Night Note: Pure, Uncut Night/Day Note HATE
To: CrecenteFrom: BashcraftLate last week, I was reading through a forum, a forum I really like and respect — especially for the way they ban and lock down threads. Anyhoo, there was a thread where people we drinking Kotaku hatorade. Nothing new there! When you ban hammer as many people as us, you are bound to make bitter mortal enemies. And that's a-ok! The interesting part was where one individual listed off the reasons why he/she/it disliked Kotaku: Stuff like he/she/it didn't like the way we wrote or that we did no original news. (We do tons of original news and write decent enough! He/she/it should've hated on our spelling. Our spelling sucks.) The kicker? This individual totally hated our daily Notes. Like that was a point of contention. Guess he/she/it was confused reading something that wasn't game news or even game related necessarily. Not sure if the commenters will agree with me, but I personally find the Notes super helpful. When I wake up, it's the first...

Animal Instinct: Coin-Collecting Akiba Idols in Furry MMO
Nope, that isn't a homeless cheerleader squad accepting donations. Well, they are accepting denotations, but they're not homeless. That's idol group Chu!Lips (a Japanese pun on "kiss" and "tulip") collecting pocket change for the World Wildlife Fund. Why would Akihabara pop idols be doing that? Well! The troop is appearing in MMO Holy Beast Online, a Taiwanese developed game that lets players switch back and forth between human and animal form. The game has even teamed up with WWF Japan. Hardcore! So yes, these girls aren't only lending their likeness to furry MMO, but doing their part to help wildlife. They must really, really like animals. Just as long as they don't like animals. Watch Chu!Lips in Concert [YouTube]Holy Beat Pics [IT Media]

Epic Has Few Resources: No Unreal Tournament III Demo
Epic doesn't do demos. They do games. 'Cause when you have a small staff, you don't have time to focus on other things. You can only focus on the game. Epic bossman Mark Rein (above, touching something) lays it all out:What we told Microsoft last year — they wanted a demo for Gears of War and we said 'you've got a choice — you can have the demo this year or the game this year'... We're not a big huge company with the resources to do that, and all the time we're testing that demo we're not testing our full game, which we need to be doing constantly... We'll have a PC demo for UT, [but] I don't think we'll have a PS3 demo before the game ships.So if Epic doesn't have the man power to make one UT3 demo for the PS3, how can they handle Unreal Engine developer support?No Demo [Eurogamer]

Haw Haw Haw: Make Your Own Monopoly Jokes With EA Board Game
EA and Hasbro have made nice, and will be soon be making sweet, sweet games together. Know what happens when deals like this go down? Novelty schwag gets sent out, that's what. To remind us all that their union is a sign that good times are near, they sent out an EA-themed edition of Monopoly. Like, real Monopoly. It's all very strange. Like how it's not Battlefield 2142, it's 2142 Battlefield. Or how you can buy Spore for $200. Presumably so you can tell them to get a move on.Want To Play EA/Spore Monopoly? [GameSetWatch]

Its A...Circle: Games, Electric Shocks Show How Brain Handles Fear
A paper published in Science says videogames were used in a study determining the means with which the brain deals with imminent danger. The study used a "Pac-Man-like" game, where players moved a triangle through a maze, all the while avoiding a "predator". If the predator caught the player, they'd receive an electric shock. What did this teach scientists? It helped show them which areas of the brain react , and how much they react, when someone's confronted with fear. And this helped...how? No idea. Think it was just so the scientists could contribute to the greater body of knowledge by blowing their grant on a Pac-Man clone and frying a few hapless college students.Video game sheds light on fear [BBC, thanks A Hewlett!]

Meow: Not Nintencats, But Damn Close
Years later after Nintendogs first hit, we don't get Nintencats, but a Nintencats clone. Dubbed Love Cat Life, the game lets players raise one of forty cats, dress them up and have them sing karaoke or toss free throws. Yes, karaoke and free throws — stuff that was sorely missed in Nintendogs. That Love Cat Life box art is really trying to capitalize on Nintendogs. Though, as much as I did enjoy Nintendogs, I can't ever see myself playing it again. Like ever. So a cat sim? Eh... I hate cats. Cat Game [Official Site via Siliconera]

Rumor: NiGHTS Journey of Dreams Delay?
Word has it that NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams isn't quite ready to wake up. According to NiGHTS fan site, the game is apparently delayed until Q1 2008. This holiday is jammed packed enough, so this delay could work out best for SEGA. The official NiGHTS US page shows the game is still on for this fall, but we're contacting SEGA to verify this rumor. Delay [NiGHTS into Dreams via NiGHTS Delay]

Meow: Not Nintencats, But Close
Years later after Nintendogs first hit, we don't get Nintencats, but a Nintencats clone. Dubbed Love Cat Life, the game lets players raise one of forty cats, dress them up and have them sing karaoke or toss free throws. Yes, karaoke and free throws — stuff that was sorely missed in Nintendogs. That Love Cat Life box art is really trying to capitalize on Nintendogs. Though, as much as I did enjoy Nintendogs, I can't ever see myself playing it again. Like ever. So a cat sim? Eh... I hate cats. Cat Game [Official Site via Siliconera]

Gallery: No More Heroes Features Otaku Lovenest
No More Heroes looks good enough. Suda, lightsabers, motorbikes, all good. Now, though, the game's yummy cake's got some yummy, yummy icing. Similar to later GTA games, Travis will have access to a safehouse. Unlike GTA, however, there's no drugs or designer coffee tables. Instead, you can kit this one out until it's the ultimate in super-nerd hideouts, with figurines, posters, giant robots and what looks like games and manga as well. Also on show is his wardrobe, where you can change into any of the Okama-designed tees you come across in your bloodthirsty, slightly off-centre adventures.galleryPost('nmhotaku', 5, 'Travis Touchdowns Otaku Wonderland'); NO MORE HEROES[Famitsu]

Numbers Are Fun: Leipzig By The Numbers
Sure, you sat at your PCs, bleary-eyed, lapping up every goddamned inch of Leipzig coverage we crammed down your yaps. And for that, we thank you! But one thing you probably missed by not being there was a sense of the scale of the event. I should know, I missed it too, and am only coming around to its size by looking at the official numbers provided to us by the organisers. Over the four days 185,000 people wandered in to check out 503 exhibitors. 12,300 registered trade visitors were present, of which 43% were from outside Germany. Other super-fun stats include: 20% of visitors were women, 45% of visitors indicated they were "casual gamers", 52% of attendees were over the age of 20 and the event was covered by over 3300 journalists from 46 countries. Who said numbers weren't fun? They're fun and then some.

Mmm Beer: A Wii Bar to Drink and Play
Bars used to places where people could get ripped and throw darts at each other. Not these days! Reader meltyman spotted this bar in Hoboken, New Jersey. The sign board says:COME IN & PLAY Wii w/ Mii on our 82" BIG SCREENAKA, get shitfaced and accidently throw the Wii-mote. Sounds like an evening right there!

Giant Ken Levine Face Says: "A Screw up on Our Part" (With New Photos!!)
Ack! We went from squinty Ken Levine to this. And thank you, Vonthora for this. Some PR person sent us actual respectable Ken Levine pics. We probably won't use them, but have posted them after the jump. You know, in case you want to make a Ken Levine coffee mug or something. Onto the post:BioShock was traumatizing for many. Folks are just getting over the emotional scarring! No, strike that. People will never get over server downtime, piracy-protecting SecuROM and widescreen issues. Pain like this runs deep. Game site 1Up cornered BioShock dude Ken Levine to get his thoughts.It was a screw up on our part. I don't think we were ready. We didn't know the game was going to do as well as it did [and the] servers got overwhelmed.... So it went down 6 hours one night and that was really stupid. People had just bought the game, spent $50 and they go home and find out they can't run it. That ain't good. And what about that widescreen issue?It [widescreen] was the way we want it to...

Backs To The Wall: Cali Senator Wants FTC To Investigate ESRB
California State Senator Leland Yee hates ultra-violent videogames. He doesn't hate you, necessarily, just some of the games you play. Games like Manhunt 2, which became the pin-up boy for his sponsorship of the abortive California Video Game Law. With the game now back on the menu, he's going after the ESRB, calling for greater transperancy in how they determine their ratings: Parents can't trust a rating system that doesn't even disclose how they come to a particular rating. The ESRB and Rockstar should end this game of secrecy by immediately unveiling what content has been changed to grant the new rating and what correspondence occurred between the ESRB and Rockstar to come to this conclusion. Unfortunately, history shows that we must be quite skeptical of these two entities. Publicly announce the content? OMG, spoilers alert. Yee is calling on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the rating change. I am calling on Californians to pick 101 things taxpayer funds could...

Unconfirmed: Tom Morello Rages Against Guitar Hero III Machine?
Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello's name has popped up in a German Activision brochure as a boss for the upcoming Guitar Hero III. No word if Morello will be penning an original tune or playing something from his back catalogue. The game already features Slash and Poison's Bret Michaels. (Fear not, Michaels won't be playing the guitar, but singing along with your shredding.) And as we previously mentioned, the game also features the Stone Roses' "She Bangs the Drums." With all the Rock Band hype, Guitar Hero III might feel all second fiddle-like. But know, I'm excited — even if it features Tom Morello. Rumor Mill or Fact [kwaselow's Blog via Dtoid]

Conflicting Schedule: Crysis Demo Unaware Of Halo 3 Release Date
Just got word that the Crysis demo will be launching on September 25. I've got a feeling a lot of people may be busy on September 25. Playing some other first-person shooter. Sure, it's on another platform, but you can't help but think less people will be downloading this demo than they would have if they weren't busy playing...something else.The Countdown to Crysis Continues: Single Player Demo - 9.25.07 [Crysis Official Site]