Home / kotaku.com rss archive / August-30-2007


Contest: Make World, Win "World In Conflict"
Contest time! We've got a copy of World in Conflict to give away, but we don't want to just give it away. The RTS title was voted "Best Strategy Game" at this year's E3 and presents a "what if" the Soviet Union never collapsed. Here's the contest! Make a globe out of anything you like, but it must be an actual tangible World globe. The best globes will be selected by the big mean Kotaku editors, while Kotakuland will vote for the best finalist. The deadline for entries is next Thursday at midnight EST. Finalists will be announced that Friday. Send all entries to kotakucontest@gmail with the subject line "Globe." Remember, you're not only winning a copy of World in Conflict, but also INTERNET FAME. World in Conflict [Official Site]

Manhunt 2 Eye Says: Dutch Could Release Manhunt 2
Whenever things go bad in a legal/social sense, you can always count on the Dutch to pull one out of the fire. They've just announced that, should Take-Two wish to publish manhunt 2 in The Netherlands, they can go right ahead and do it, since their classification laws are based on ...the principle that every adult is considered capable of deciding for himself which games he wants to play, unless it contains illegal material. In case you're wondering, illegal material means either anything a paedophile would enjoy or any kind of racist propaganda. Manhunt's got neither, so it's all good! And that's the completely uncut version, too, not the recently-edited US version. BONUS GOOD NEWS: should Take-Two wish to publish the uncut version in The Netherlands, it would most likely include the original PAL language tracks, in effect giving anyone throughout Europe and Australasia access to a legal, unedited copy of the game via importing. Dutch Won't Ban Video Game Manhunt II [Forbes,...

Giant Manhunt 2 Eye Says: Dutch Could Release Manhunt 2
Whenever things go bad in a legal/social sense, you can always count on the Dutch to pull one out of the fire. They've just announced that, should Take-Two wish to publish manhunt 2 in The Netherlands, they can go right ahead and do it, since their classification laws are based on ...the principle that every adult is considered capable of deciding for himself which games he wants to play, unless it contains illegal material. In case you're wondering, illegal material means either anything a paedophile would enjoy or any kind of racist propaganda. Manhunt's got neither, so it's all good! And that's the completely uncut version, too, not the recently-edited US version. BONUS GOOD NEWS: should Take-Two wish to publish the uncut version in The Netherlands, it would most likely include the original PAL language tracks, in effect giving anyone throughout Europe and Australasia access to a legal, unedited copy of the game via importing. Dutch Won't Ban Video Game Manhunt II [Forbes,...

Not A Piano: My New Elite 360
Hey, so the Elite finally launched in Australia yesterday. Microsoft were kind enough to ship one over to my place to check it out, and I can safely say...it's exactly the same as Crecente's! Oh, except for the fact we've got nothing to put on the 120GB HDDs, since the Video Marketplace still isn't here. I will say this though - it's quieter than my original, makes less clunking and clattering noises when I'm loading BioShock and looks positively fetching on my black entertainment unit, where it blends in so well you can barely see the thing.

Clip: A SEGA Game Guaranteed to Wreck Relationships
Remember that kurazy Kokoro Scan video we posted a while back? How could you forget! The game, created by SEGA's Feel the Magic team, uses voice recognition technology to decipher how people really feel. It launched earlier this month in Japan with some delightful TV ads like this one. The girl is saying a bunch of relationship type words like "living together" or "marriage", and the software analyzes her speech to pick the one that matches her true feelings. Did it select the word marriage? Nope! It choose CHEATING. Just look at the look on her boyfriend's face. He's crushed!

Giant Jeff Bell Face: Yup, Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy Still Not on Xbox 360
Just because Microsoft doesn't have the home field advantage doesn't mean the company is going to sit on the TGS sidelines. Yes, the company will be announcing something. In an interview with Canada.com, lippy Microsoft exec Jeff Bell hints at what Microsoft will be showing at the Tokyo Games Show, namely Alan Wake, Fable 2 and Halo Wars. As well it should be! Those are all first party games, though. What about third part stuff? Bell stirs the hornet's nest:Lets be honest. There's only two major franchises that are talked about not appearing on our platform: Final Fantasy and Metal Gear Solid.So why not buy them? You're Microsoft, you're rich. That's the thing. Hopefully we're at the tipping point right now, where people will work with you and say, "We're going to make money the old fashioned way". Clearly there is a content and development necessity when you're the new kid. We're seeing that change over now when we have the install base and we will continue on our commitment...

Confrontational: BioShock Was Also About Deprogramming People
BioShock's actual setting is seven-and-a-half shades of awesome. It's earlier proposed setting, with Nazis on an idyllic tropical island, also sounded great. Before that, though, it had another proposed theme: that of the deprogrammer. As in, a guy hired by a Senator who's job is to deprogram people, altering their beliefs, philosphies, etc. Kinda ties in with a theme in the final product, yeah, but definitely would have made for an interesting premise on its own, especially if the player had to start messing with people's views on sex, gender or religion. Maybe next time, Ken?Levine: BioShock Originally About Cult Deprogrammer (Updated) [Shacknews]

Enough Is Enough: Retro Taking A Well-Earned Break From Metroid
Poor Retro. All these years, all these Metroid games, they must be sick of Samus. Sick to death of her pretty blonde hair and big orange suit and arms that are guns and suit that's a ball. The guys have done enough for the Nintendo faithful, and they deserve a break. And a break's what they're going to get. We are taking a break from the Metroid series and from Samus. I think that there will be other titles created. But as far as Retro Studos is concerned, we'll take a break for a little bit. Take five lads. Go to some exotic Mediterranean resort, drink fruity drinks with umbrellas in them, have a discreet rendezvous with a bored Italian housewife. You've earned it.Metroid Prime 3: Developer Interview [Yahoo, via Game|Life]

Tragedy: VA Tech's Gaming Connection? Sonic the Hedgehog
Guess the fear-mongers will need another scapegoat! According to Governor Tim Kaine's Virginia Tech Review Panel final report, video games are not a factor in what cause the horrible VA Tech shooting. Game site GamePolitics has highlighted selected section involving games in Chapter IV: Mental Health History of Seung Hui Cho. Those include:"He was enrolled in a Tae Kwon Do program for awhile, watched TV, and played video games like Sonic the Hedgehog.""None of the video games were war games or had violent themes. He liked basketball and had a collection of figurines and remote controlled cars.""...Cho's roommate never saw him play video games. He would get movies from the library and watch them on his laptop."So it was the Tae Kwon Do, basketball and remote controlled cars that inspired Seung Hui Cho to go on a rampage! Makes as much sense as pointing the finger at video games. Jack Thompson, Dr. Phil and all the other knobheads who blamed gaming for this terrible massacre...

Nsfw: Western Tingle RPG Trailer
Some footage from the European version of the Tingle RPG, branded Freshly Picked: Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland. Whoever it was at Nintendo that sat down, looked at the release schedule and went "yeah, fuck it, let's release this in Europe", I say this: thank you. Whoever threw the music together for this trailer, I say...thank you? Vid's on Nintendo Europe, so hit the link below to watch.Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland European Trailer

Xbox Live: TimeShift Demo On Live Marketplace
My internet connection is hating me right now. Not only am I downloading the Tekken 5 online add-on on my PS3, now I've got my Xbox 360 downloading the 581mb TimeShift demo I just read about over at Larry Hryb's blog. I had TimeShift preordered before the Xbox 360 came out nearly two years ago, so it will be fun to finally get my hands on a playable version of the title so I can see if I need to go back to my old GameStop and get my fiver back or not. If the old GameStop is even still there. It has been awhile. Demo: TimeShift [Xbox Live's Major Nelson]

Playstation Network: Tekken 5 Online Is...Online
Reported by a kotakuite named Christopher and confirmed by a Kotaku editor named me (not my actual name), the add-on pack for Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection is now available for purchase on the PlayStation Network. For $9.99 (there they go using actual dollar amounts again) you get survival mode, the much-needed practice mode, and of course, online mode. Finally Tekken fans across the country can take on each other in head to head matches online. I am pondering downloading it as we speak, though I do have an awful lot of games to catch up on and might not be able to find time to play the online component at all, which is code for I suck at Tekken.

Clips: Liveblogging Lair
Alright, on to Lair. I actually have to review this game for a magazine, so I thought why not let you guys come along for a bit of the ride. Hit the jump to comment along as I play through the beginning of the game. I'd love to hear what you think. I'm still on the line about the game.

Clips: Digimon From Dusk Til Dawn
newVideoPlayer("digimondusk_high_gawker.flv", 475, 376);Yeah, so I am a pretty big Digimon fan. Not that I am rabid or anything; I just displace a lot of water when submerged. Digimon World: Dawn and Digimon: Dusk is an RPG in the fine tradition of Pokemon, where the two different versions are essentially the same except for certain Digimon being exclusive to each version. I won't spoil the surprise, mainly because I am too lazy to find out, but you'll be able to connect to friends and strangers via Nintendo's wi-fi connection and trade anyway, so it hardly matters. I'd say pick Dusk, because it's more purple.

Release Date: Mass Effect Dated
It's sad when you start secretly praying for game delays to keep yourself from going broke over the holiday season. Today Microsoft Game Studios adds another game to my ever-growing purchase list as BioWare's Mass Effect is penciled in for a November 20th release. "With 'Mass Effect,' BioWare is delivering an incredible next-gen gaming odyssey. Our fans will journey through a vast, futuristic universe as they are challenged to make impactful decisions that will determine the very fate of the galaxy," said Ray Muzyka, chief executive officer, BioWare Corp.Phew, for a minute there I thought they'd be traveling through a tiny, medieval universe on a horse-drawn cart, making decisions on where to stop for dinner. Now that I mention it, that would be kinda nifty. I just hope any game companies taking notes slate it for a summer release to give my wallet time to recover. Critically-Acclaimed RPG "Mass Effect" Begins Epic Journey to Retailers on November 20One of the hottest and most...

Industry Events: MUD Creator Keynotes Indie MMO Conference
Just when I thought I would never, ever have a reason to go to Minnesota, up pops the Indie MMO Game Developers Conference 2.0. Held in March of next year, the conference just announced its keynote speakers, and one of them I just can't miss. Not to dis on Jay Moore of GarageGames fame who will be at the conference to represent indie games, but the real draw of the conference for me is Dr. Richard Bartle. Bartle cowrote the first virtual world in 1978, MUD, from which sprang countless persistent online worlds leading up to graphical MMO's. You could say he started the whole thing. Now working as a Professor of Computer Game Design at the University of Essex in the UK, he has written various books on virtual worlds and has continued to act as an industry consultant for years. If I had heroes in the industry, Bartle would be one of them. Hit the jump for details on the conference, which anyone curious about creating MMO games would be foolish not to attend. Indie MMO Game Developers...

Justin TV: Livecasting Metroid Prime 3
I'm going to play through a chunk of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption and stream it live. Sorry this is so behind, but I was in Germany when the game arrived on my doorstep. Feel free to play along.

Live Arcade: Fatal Fury, Cyberball, And Special Sales
Labor Day weekend is so close I can taste it, and it tastes like half-price Xbox Live Arcade games! From Saturday the 1st at 5PM PST to 4:59PM PST the next day, Small Arms and Zuma Deluxe will cost you only 400 MS points, while arcade classics Gauntlet and Dig Dug will go for a mere 200. The sale was announced alongside next week's Live Arcade Wednesday titles, Cyberball 2072 and Fatal Fury Special. While better Fatal Fury games have come and gone, I cannot begin to count how many quarters I've spent over the years on Cyberball's robotic football goodness, and the promise of multiplayer over Xbox Live just sweetens the deal. Both will be available starting Wednesday for 400 MS points. A fine price for excellent football without any of the dog cruelty guilt.

Psn: Puzzle Fighter Hits PlayStation Network
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, apparently a 2-day timed exclusive on the Xbox 360, is now available on the PlayStation Network. Finally Sony console owners will be able to experience what 360 fans have been raving about for the past 48 hours or so. The game is of course a shinier, happier version of the PS1 original, complete with a new game mode and online multiplayer, all for the low, low prince of $10, because real consoles don't need fake point systems to represent actual monetary values. Math is hard!

Warranty: Repaired Xbox 360 Comes with Freebie
My Red-Ringed Xbox 360 Elite showed back up at my house when I was in Leipzig. The majestic black console was cloaked in bubble wrap, stuffed between two pads and placed in a box along with a letter of apology from Microsoft.The letter apologized for the inconvenience of having to ship my console off to have it repaired and said they were going to give me a free month of Xbox Live Gold membership. Sure enough, there was a plastic card taped to the bag protecting the Elite good for one free month.Of course I'd prefer that Microsoft get to the bottom of their RROD issues, but this certainly is a step in the right direction.

Women In Gaming: Centipede Creator Speaks at Austin WIGI Conference
Next weekend the Austin Game Developers Conference will be playing host to "She Got Game", a conference presented by Women in Games International on Saturday the 8th that looks at the experiences of women in the gaming industry. The keynote speaker for the event will be Dona C. Bailey, a Professor at the University of Arkansas who is known in gaming circles as the first woman to create an arcade game. In 1980 Bailey designed and programmed the arcade classic Centipede along with Ed Logg, and her keynote will focus on women in the industry cultivating and communicating powerful ideas. "I'm hoping to be helpful to someone now who may be in a situation similar to the one I was in at Atari, said Bailey, " I often wish there had been a group of WIGI colleagues back then from whom I could have gotten advice!"Other topics to be discussed at the conference included the importance of diversity in development teams and how to expand MMO content and game play for women. More details after...

Clips: Street Fighter: The Later Years Returns
It's been 8 months since the last episode of College Humor's Street Fighter: The Later Years, and we have missed it terribly. Now the series returns on September 7th for the first of 7 monthly episodes that will finish off the 10 episode series. Here is a trailer of things to come. "What's a kick?" Comedy gold. If you missed episodes 1-3 be sure to check them out. So very worth it.

Wii: Space Worms On Your Wii
Everyone's favorite soft-bodied invertebrates are getting launched into space from a Wii near you next Spring. Worms: A Space Oddity brings the classic franchise to the Wii with a whole new setting and a whole new look that abandons the time-tested drawn look for "a distinctive style inspired by classic Sci-Fi looks". Unfortunately THQ didn't provide screenshots for this distinctive new look, so I have no earthly clue what that means. I'm hoping for a dime novel sci-fi painted cover look myself. The worms battle their way across six distinctive planets with a goal I can only imagine is total domination of the universe. With the move to the Wii comes gesture-based attacks, because you have to justify that Wiimote somehow. The game will feature enhanced single-player missions, party games, and four player online multiplayer. I'll be keeping an eye out for screenies for what sounds like an interesting reinvention of the classic Worms formula. Battle Through Space in THQ's Worms:...

Beta Watch: Frag For Cash With Kwari
Now here is one terrifying concept. Take the addictive and highly competitive nature of an online FPS and then add in a system where you get money for kills. That's the concept behind Kwari, a shooter being developed by a company of the same name. Basically, to play you open an account and add some funds. Then during a match, every time you hit another player money is taken from their account and put into yours, and vice versa. The matches are based off of skill levels and stakes can range from a penny to a dollar a hit. For even more fun, self-inflicted damage (falling, blowing yourself up) is also subtracted from your account and added to a global jackpot pool that doles out prizes daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly, with projected dollar amounts for the quarterly pot in the millions. "This is an inevitable evolution for online gaming," commented Al King, Global Marketing Director for Kwari. "Like most skill-based or competitive games, once played at a professional level...

Clips: Mushroom Men Designer Speaks
So what the hell is Mushroom Men? I've been wondering the same thing ever since the game was first announced, and now Red Fly Studio designer Ryan Mattson takes us beyond the loud, 2D teaser we posted back in June to show us the actual gameplay. The weapons creation system certainly looks intriguing, and I'm a sucker for games that put me in the role of a tiny thing in a big world. Should be interesting to see how the fungus grows leading up to its release next fall.

Night Note: Yes, Some Japanese People Are Too Polite
To: CrecenteFrom: AshcraftIt's a vicious cycle of sorts. I'm working on a magazine article, and I've been dealing with one particular person at a particular company for over a month or so while I write this article. There's a fairly standard format for business email writing in Japanese. Here's what it looks like in English:Mr. PERSON'S LAST NAMEI am indebted. This is YOUR LAST name from COMPANY NAME.And then you launch into whatever you are talking about. Pretty basic stuff. There are various ways of addressing people in Japanese and some are more polite than others. Often in writing, you'd use "sama" instead of "san." So, if I was sending you and email, I'd write "Crecente-sama." It's more polite than "san." Of course, one should never refer to oneself as "sama" or "san," but rather by your last name only. Doing so is very arrogant. That is, unless you are an arrogant crazed anime character out to take over the world, then by all means refer to yourself as "sama" or "san."...

She Beats You: Woman-Slapping Coming To DS Via Homebrew
It was said a million billion times when Rose & Camellia was first seen: slapping women was great on the PC, but it'd be PERFECT on the DS. More interactive, more portable. While an official, boxed copy is just never ever going to happen, French homebrewer Mia has started work on a DS version of the game. Good news! Bad news? Dude says he won't have time to finish it, and wants help. If you speak French, know anything about DS homebrew and realise this is probably the most important human endeavour of our age, hit up Mia's site. The rest of you: sit, wait, pray.Rose Camellia DS [insert credit]

Clip: Korea Makes The Bestest Halo 3 Trailer
And the silly Korean Halo 3 promotional clips keep coming! Here's number deux. This time Master Chief punches a dinosaur in the face, accidentally knocking off his armor and dances with some lady on the subway. After watching this, I have never wanted to play Halo 3 SO BAD in my entire life. Korea, you've sold me!

Clip: New Phantom Hourglass Trailer
It's been a while since we had a Phantom Hourglass vid up! In fact, it's been too long. So here's the first of the clips leading up the western releases in October. Yes, sorry, it's incredibly small (argh, the SQUINTING), but it's also bursting with new footage.

Lion Sex: Logitech Mating Wii-mote and SIXAXIS?
The people sure love that Wii-mote. It's maybe about perfect, right? Nope! "If you couldn't improve on it, we wouldn't be in business," says Logitech's Chris Spearing. The peripheral maker thinks it can one-up Nintendo and made a serious contender. The company is planning to announce a new Wii periph that *may* challenge Nintendo's remote. And how the hell could they do that? By mating the Wii-mote with the SIXAXIS. Or something. Spearing explains:Having the motion-sensing in the SIXAXIS, that really works for some games. And for the Wii — you've seen people rush out and buy the Wii for that realism, if you're swinging a tennis racket, you know how to do it. Hopefully we'll be at the forefront of pushing that further, combining some of the two.Oh. Alright. You do that. Wiimote Rival? [GamesIndustry]

Eye Full: Key Word for New DMC4 Screens? JUBBLIES.
Hmm. Well. Okay. Just so you know, I did not crop this pic! At all. This is an actual Devil May Cry 4 screenshot from the recent Leipzig trailer that Capcom set to actual websites. Hoping? Hoping that when Japanese gamers see this, they don't think PS3 or Xbox 360 (or PC, even!), but instead think damn, those buttons look really nice. That embroidery ain't half-bad, either. And the piping? WOW. galleryPost('newdmc4screens', 4, 'More than Clothes');DMC4 Screens [Game Watch Impress]

Waggle Or Die: Wii Skateboard Asks For Purchase (Not Lawsuit)
Black Market skateboards are, next month, releasing a deck based on a certain popular Nintendo console. It doesn't appear to be officially licensed by Nintendo, even though it bears a striking resemblance to a certain popular Nintendo console's controller. Knowing Nintendo, this means they might run into legal problems. Hope not! If I didn't look like six feet of vanilla jelly when perched atop a skateboard I'd totally buy one.[thanks Curt!]

Spray: Dreamcast Shmup Coming to Japanese XBL Arcade
In that wasteland that is Xbox Live Japan, 360 owners have at least one thing to be excited about. Bullet hell Trigger Heart Exelica is coming to Xbox Live Arcade! The shmup is from developer Warashi, the team behind scrolling side SEGA Saturn shooter Shienryu (too many S's). The vertical shooter got an arcade release last year and was even ported to the Dreamcast this past February! Not much info on the game in the Arcadia mag blurb (above) about whether it'll be available outside Japan or when it will hit XBL. It will, and that's all we know! And hey, if Warashi hasn't given up on the DC, like hell it'll call it a day for the Xbox 360 in Japan. Trigger Heart Hitting XBL [Warashi]

Improvement: Second, Better Mario Galaxy Box Art
Back when the European release date for Mario Galaxy fell out of Leipzig, a cover was shown that did not meet expectations. The font and background were OK, but Mario was on his back, possibly breakdancing, possibly...propositioning. It was awkward. Thankfully it wasn't the final box art. This is. At least it is for the US, but it's a Mario game, I can't the covers being different. Much nicer!New (and awesome) Super Mario Galaxy Boxart [Provider@NeoGAF]

Content: Get Family Guy on Your Xbox Live
Fox's Family Guy is headed to Xbox Live. The first two seasons will be available for purchase for 160 Microsoft points (about US $2) per episode. The series has yet to hit rival VOD Apple's iTunes. According to 20th Century Fox exec Jamie McCabe:This is our first one (VOD for XBL)... We hope to have other content on there, but right now with the launch of 'Halo 3' and the launch of the new season of Family Guy coming out, the timing really worked well for this one.The show's target (males 18-24) dovetails nicely with Xbox 360 owners. As McCabe points out, "It's about as prefect demographic fit as we can get." I've actually never really seen Family Guy. The show really took off after I got to Japan and starting watch kooky variety shows. Is it any good? Isn't it just a Simpsons clone? Family Guy on XBL [Reuters]

Wordy: LocoRoco PS3 Dated, Name Is Still Too Long
The PS3 version of LocoRoco, or Oiedeyo LocoRoco!! Boo Boo Cocoreccho! as nobody outside Japan will call it, has been given a release date: 21 September. That's for Japan, but a western release can't be more than a month or two behind. Also announced are some details on how the game will play. Instead of just tilting the levels like the PSP version, you take control of a butterfly, which can awaken the sleeping LocoRoco that litter a level and then lead them to the exit. Like Lemmings, then, but with incessant childish chirping.LocoRoco PS3 Dated [IGN]

True Dat: Warhawk Producer Sick of Developer B.S.
Gamers aren't idiot. Bullshit? Miles away, we smell it. No wonder it's a delight to read how upfront and honest Warhawk's Lead Producer Dylan Jobe is in a meaty GamePro interview. He gets down to brass tacks and speaks his mind about making the tough decision to cut single player, turn it multi-player and if the game is actually revolutionary. Shouldn't come as a surprise as he did give Crecente balls. Highlights:We weren't happy with single player for quite some time, and we spent quiet a bit of time trying to get it on track. We were confronted with making a decision of spreading our efforts so thin that players got a mediocre single player and a mediocre multi-player, or focusing our efforts in one direction. Not that we wanted mediocrity, but we felt like if we continued down the path we were on that's what was going to happen......I'd love to say that Warhawk is breaking new ground in multiplayer gaming, but it's not really, and it sounds weird to say. There are conventions...

It Prints Pounds Sterling: The Wii Is Only The Fastest-Selling Console In British History
Yeah. Only. While it took the PS2 49 weeks to sell a million, and it took the 360 60 weeks, the Wii has accomplished the feat in just 38 weeks, making it the fastest-selling console in all of recorded British history (this carefully hand-picked statistic was brought to you by ChartTrack). I may (note: MAY) need to reconsider my gross generalization that Britain is the heartland of Sony's global gaming fanbase. May. We'll see where things are at after Christmas before I go trotting out on that precarious limb. Nintendo's Wii beats PlayStation and Xbox [The Telegraph, via Game|Life. Cheers to Andy for the pic!]

So Deep: New Silent Hill 5 Details on Touchable Paper
There's been a dry spell. After bam-bam-bam four Silent Hill games in five years, fans have had to wait for the fifth entry in the series. The next issue (out September 4th) of game mag EGM has details about the still-in-development Silent Hill 5. The game is populated with new characters, but takes place in the same world. The game follows a young war vet who believes his brother is in danger and returns home. According to EGM, the game's combat system is getting reworked, but it will not be an action game. While originally developed in Japan, American studio The Collective is bringing the new title to life. Series composer Akira Yamaoka finds the switcheroo ironic as SH was Konami's stab "at making classic American horror through a Japanese filter," but with Silent Hill 5 "it's an American take on a Japanese-filter American horror." Woah. Heavy. I think I need to lie down, take a break. Back in five!SH5 Details [1Up]

Motherly Love: The Mother Of All Quilts
Amaterasu is mother to us all. Which would make this quilt mother to...all quilts. All gaming quilts, at least. This is Ian's new spread, which his mother made for him after he sulked and sobbed and stamped his feet upon seeing the badass Wind Waker quilt she made for his brother. Hopefully this particular family fued is now settled. She loves you both, OK?

Clip: Halo 3 Promotion Funny Freaks out Koreans
What better way to introducing consumers to your game by freighting the shit outta them! Since most South Koreans don't know Halo, Microsoft Korea thought it would be HILARIOUS have a guy in a Master Chief costume spook innocent bystanders and film them Candid Camera-style and use cheesy circus music. Goofy!