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Japan: Wii, Second Life Win Good Design Awards
Japan Industrial Design Promotional Organization (JIDPO) has announced this year's Good Design Award or the so-called "G-Mark." Design-wise, this is a pretty big deal. Almost 3,000 products were screened, and this year a total 1,043 products were given the coved G-Mark. Out of those, there is a Good Design Award Best 15. Think of it as the cream of the crop, best of the best. The Nintendo Wii (and Wii-mote and Nunchuk) snagged a spot in that 15. The Wii wasn't the only gaming entry as Second Life also made it into the Best 15. Congrats Nintendo and Linden Lab!G-Mark Best 15 [Official Site via Jean Snow]

Attention Please: Japan Finally Bans WiFi Game Portables on Planes
Portable owners, Japan isn't exactly flying the friendly skies. The country's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has been discussing banning gaming devices with wireless (like the DS and PSP) since last March as it believes the emitted electromagnetic waves interfere with the aircraft's navigational devices. Starting this week, a revised Japanese law went into effect that bans handheld gaming consoles with WiFi on Japanese planes. The ban also encompasses wireless computer mouses and headphones not provided by the airlines. Using portables without integrated wireless (such as the GBA) is fine. Paranoid or cautious? YOU DECIDE.Game Ban [Hollywood Reporter via Joystiq]

Early Days: The GameCube Is So Kicking The PS3's Ass
The PS3's taken its fair share of smacks to the mouth over the past year. Some were well-deserved, others less deserved, but this? This is below the belt. GamePro have dug up some old NPD figures, taken a look at some new NPD figures and drawn up a pretty little graph which shows the PS3 is selling slower than the GameCube. Ouch. Low blow. But is that really fair? The Cube's launch wasn't too bad, as you can see - it was the next 3-4 years that killed it. And it's a bit hard to chart the next 3-4 years of PS3 sales when, you know, they haven't happened yet. Still, it is a pretty graph, and I'm a sucker for pretty graphs, so up it goes.At current rate, PS3 may sell less than GameCube [GamePro]

Big Ass Hedgehog: Sonic at 140 Inches
Mitsubishi showed off Sonic the Hedgehog on this enormous 140 inch LED Resolia TV at CEATEC in Japan. How big is 140? That's like 11 and a half feet — aka HUGE. There's a booth companion there for handy comparison. Shame they choose the human kissing Sonic game to show off, because that's one of many things I wouldn't want to see at 140 inches. Hit the jump for a clip of the TV. Sonic at 140 Inches [Gizmodo Japan]

Gallery: Super Mario Galaxy Screens
So the official Mario Galaxy site opened today. At least, it did in Japanese. Which means two things. One, lots of "hope for the best" mouse-clicking. Two, new screenshots!galleryPost('SMGshots', 4, 'Super Mario Galaxy Screens');

Attention Please: Japan Finally Bans WiFi Game Portables
Portable owners, Japan isn't exactly flying the friendly skies. The country's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has been discussing banning gaming devices with wireless (like the DS and PSP) since last March as it believes the emitted electromagnetic waves interfere with the aircraft's navigational devices. Starting this week, a revised Japanese law went into effect that bans handheld gaming consoles with WiFi. The ban also encompasses wireless computer mouses and headphones not provided by the airlines. Using portables without integrated wireless (such as the GBA) is fine. Paranoid or cautious? YOU DECIDE.Game Ban [Hollywood Reporter via Joystiq]

This Is An Outrage: No S-Video Cables For PSP Slim In North America
Sony have announced that they won't be selling S-Video cables for the PSP Slim in North America. I know, I know, were I American I'd be taking the news as hard as you. Seems they've decided to "streamline their selection", which in plainspeak means we're stuck with those rubbish composite and component cables. Which nobody uses. S-Video fanboys left fuming and indignant at the decision can still import if they'd like, the cables are available in other regions.Sony Won't Bring PSP Slim S-Video Cables To U.S. [Game Informer]

It All Adds Up In The End: KartRider Kicks Off US Beta
The KartRider beta has kicked off today in the US. Never heard of KartRider? It's only the biggest thing to happen to Korea since someone decided the 38th parallel was as good a place as any to call it splits. Imagine if Mario Kart was free. But totally online. And while it was free to play, new characters, new carts and bananas all cost you a tiny amount of money. Sound any good? Well, as mentioned, Korea's gone batshit loco for the thing, so the least Nexon could do is see if it works in the West. You can check it out at the link below, see if its your cup of microtransaction tea.[Kart Rider Official Site]

Clip: 95 Yr. Old Japanese Grandma Playing Halo 3
What's better than a 95 year-old lady playing Halo 3? A Japanese 95 year-old Halo 3! And what's more, she totally seems to be enjoying it. This granny apparently is a gamer and even plays real time strategy title Age of Mythology everyday. So cool. Granny Playing Halo 3 [Japundit]

Unconfirmed: Euro Retailers List PS3 40GB At 449, Promote FIFA Bundle
The cheapest PLAYSTATION 3 yet may be released at a reduced price of 449, according to a promotional flyer from European retailer Carrefour. The shots, seemingly taken at the bottom of a pool or possibly through a jar a Vaseline, show the new 40GB model promoted at a price 150 less than the current 60GB configuration and seem to originate from the Tekno Consolas forums.In addition to the 449 model, a bundle featuring FIFA 08 and the PS3 is advertised for a price of 489, compounding the value to nearly incomprehensible levels. Oops, I'm thinking that Pro Evo Soccer 2008 would add value. Apologies.These shots are unconfirmed as official, but certainly don't fly in the face of anything we've been hearing lately about the forthcoming rumored new hardware configuration. Maybe we'll know more on "Big Bang" Friday.Playstation 3 a 449 el 11 de octubre segun Carrefour [Tekno Consolas Forums - thanks to all our tipsters!]

Every Cent Counts: New Sony Chip Deal Means...Something
Bloomberg are reporting that Sony will now be designing DRAM chips in conjunction with another company, Infineon Technologies AG, in order to cut R&D costs at the company. Why are they trying to cut costs? Because that part of Sony, the semiconductor unit, lost USD$86 million last year. Mostly off the back of costly PS3 development. While the announcement is expected to benefit many areas of the company (phones, cameras, etc), it will also affect PS3 production. So what does this mean to you, consumer? Probably not much. Not like this is going to instantly translate into a $100 saving to you at the cash register. But the more Sony can shave off production costs with moves like this, the closer the PS3 becomes to being...well, remotely affordable.Sony to Develop Chips With Infineon to Cut Costs [Bloomberg]

Hollow Holidays: Midway Explains Unreal Engine 3.0 Powered PS3 Delays
The prez and CEO of Chicago-based publisher Midway explained in a conference call today exactly what was behind the delay behind two of its marquee holiday titles bound for the PLAYSTATION 3. Both Stranglehold and BlackSite: Area 51 will ship later than their Xbox 360 counterparts in North America and Europe respectively, largely due to "bumps" the development teams have experienced along the way. Both are cross-platform games built on Epic Games' Unreal Engine 3.0.Citing technical issues that have "taken more time to finalize than expected", David Zucker says that the delays for each will materially affect Midway's 2007 revenue. On the plus side, Zucker says those technical issues are now "complete at a core level in our engine" and that "now that we have the systems working, looking ahead to 2008 we expect the PS3 versions of our titles to ship day and date with other versions."

Hollow Holidays: Midway Explains Unreal Engine 3.0 Powered Game Delays
The prez and CEO of Chicago-based publisher Midway explained in a conference call today exactly what was behind the delay behind two of its marquee holiday titles bound for the PLAYSTATION 3. Both Stranglehold and BlackSite: Area 51 will ship later than their Xbox 360 counterparts in North America and Europe respectively, largely due to "bumps" the development teams have experienced along the way. Both are cross-platform games built on Epic Games' Unreal Engine 3.0.Citing technical issues that have "taken more time to finalize than expected", David Zucker says that the delays for each will materially affect Midway's 2007 revenue. On the plus side, Zucker says those technical issues are now "complete at a core level in our engine" and that "now that we have the systems working, looking ahead to 2008 we expect the PS3 versions of our titles to ship day and date with other versions."

Day Note: Halo 3 Smack Down
To: AshFrom: CrecenteRe: Ban Hammer Runs Red with BloodI just found out, sorta by accident, that Gizmodo's Jason Chen has been talking all sorts of Halo shit about us. OK, I exaggerate, but there was definitely an undertone of shit-talking when he called us out in a post earlier this week. He must have forgotten that we are the wielders of the Ban Hammer, so we have some mad smack-down skillz. If they want the hurt we will bring it, perhaps in wheel barrows because there will be far too much to carry in just our arms. Indeed...I finally cracked open Halo 3 on my 360 today. Remember, I beat the game over at the Bungie studios and have been either traveling, jet-lagged, sick or all three in the time sense the game's launch. I feel sort of obligated to spend some time screwing around with the multiplayer features, that and I need to hone my smack down skills in case Gizmodo actually shows up for one of their challenges.I've been trying to figure out how we should deal with the...

Potent Portables: Capcom Contest Duo Makes Double Jeopardy Fun!
The publisher of intense legal dramas Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and Harvey Birdman: Attorney At Law is holding a pair of contests that will test your sense of humor while potentially netting you some free goodies. "Goodies?" you respond. Yes, goodies like video games, bobble heads and all sorts of licensed, high-quality crap. The Phoenix Wright competition tests your LOLcats skills at a beginner level, while the Harvey Birdman one issues a bigger challenge, requiring a cut and paste comic strip that knocks the socks of off the Capcom crew.Full details on each contest are at the official Capcom blog. Good luck and make with the hilarity already.We're In UR Contest, Judgin' UR Entryz and "What *Really* Happened to Harvey?" Comic Contest [Capcom Unity]

Rumor: Soldier of Fortune 3 Ad Hits EB Games?
Call me jaded (again) but I just can't believe this poster is really hanging up somewhere at an EB Games. Nothing against the kind tipster who sent us the images, but there is no way that Soldier of Fortune 3: Payback is going to launch in November, landing exactly at ground zero of one of the most game-heavy months in history with little to no fanfare. And, keep in mind that Activision remains totally mum on the subject.I think this is either a fan's wishful thinking as seen through the eyes of Photoshop or a poster that was sent out way too early to retailers and then quickly pulled when news of the game's... delay?, was secretly spread.Or is it? Our tipster points out that numerous EB Games have signage and that he snagged this shot from a story that received their poster today. Is it possible for a company to launch a game with no fanfare in this day and age?

Confidence Game: PSN Accounts Compromised By SCEA Imposter
Don't panic! Yes, according to a report from GameDaily BIZ, a pair of PlayStation Network accounts were accosted during a minor "breach of security" at Sony Computer Entertainment America. This wasn't the work of a team of nefarious hackers of the Anonymous cyber-terrorist organization, but a simple duping of a customer service employee that resulted in the release of unauthorized information to a single user.SCEA Senior Corporate Communications Manager Kimberly Otzman told GameDaily BIZ that "In response to the incident, SCEA immediately enhanced its customer service protocol, implementing additional security safeguards, and began an intensive investigation of the incident that remains ongoing." OK. Now you can panic.SCEA IT Imposter Gains Access to PSN User Accounts [GameDaily BIZ]

Retail Tales: Xbox 360 Arcade System Coming Stateside This October
A pair of retailers have provided a landing date for the previously rumored Xbox 360 Arcade System, the one that will supposedly replace the soon to be discontinued Core Pack. Both Amazon and Toys 'R' Us list the new bundle, previously reported to feature a memory card, wireless controller and two Xbox Live Arcade games packed-in, for the end of October. Amazon lists the 23rd with TRU dating it for the 25th.The Amazon product listing still retains the Core Pack information, mentioning nothing of HDMI output, memory cards or Live Arcade games, instead listing a wired controller as standard. If the Arcade System comes with its originally reported pack-ins, it's going to be a hard to deal to pass up for folks looking to jump in on a budget.Amazon Leaks Xbox 360 Core Replacement [Team Xbox]

Oddities: Sexing Up Kane & Lynch
It's been quite awhile since a marketing idea has completely confused me. So I guess it's about time.Eidos today announced a partnership with Playboy and Fox Interactive to promote Kane & Lynch: Dead Men. If the promotional partner selection isn't head-scratching enough, the concept certainly is. The idea is that IGN, Playboy and MySpace will team up to conduct a "cyber search" to find the "perfect girl who can best evoke Kane and Lynch's dangerous vibe." WTF?A lot of things pop into my head when I think about the gritty, unsettling action shooter, but hot women is not one of them. In fact, I kinda find it disturbing that a game about the brutality of a mercenary and a psychopath could in anyway be turned into sexy. It's not sexy, it's not supposed to be. It's disturbing. Let's keep it that way.REDWOOD CITY, CA (OCT. 2, 2007) - Eidos Interactive, one of the world's leading publishers and developers of entertainment software, today announced a partnership with Playboy, the...

Costly Cushion: New Wii Remote Jackets Cost Nintendo $17 Million
The silicon Wii Remote Jacket, the cushiony shield designed to prevent further Wii Sports fatalities and shattered home electronics announced last night, isn't going to come cheap (for Nintendo). According to Asahi Shimbun, by way of Game|Life, Nintendo is footing a $17 million bill (2 billion yen) for the 20 million jackets its releasing.Considering that Nintendo has a pair of platforms that print money, we don't think this is going to affect them financially in any way. Also, taking into account that Nintendo says the program "Isn't going to affect us financially in any way" we think Iwata and crew are gonna be OK.Must be nice. I just spent $230 on a new jacket last week and it nearly broke me.Nintendo To Spend Over $17 Million On Wii Jackets [Game|Life]

Site Get: Super Mario Galaxy JP Site Launch
The official Japanese web site for Super Mario Galaxy has gone live, featuring enough streaming in-game video to clog up the internet tubes. The game's prologue, featuring the umpteenth kidnapping of Princess Peach, stands out as the most cinematic Mario cutscene to date. There are plenty of other videos and details, but those looking to go in fresh should be wary of spoilers.Thanks for the heads up, xenovis!Super Mario Galaxy [Nintendo of Japan]

Sequelality: Midway Confirms Next-Gen Mortal Kombat, Blitz Due In '08
Amid the potentially bad news of Unreal Tournament III's slipped ship date was two bits of good news from Midway. The company has confirmed that both Mortal Kombat and the NFL-license free Blitz will get "next-gen" updates next year. While we don't know much about where the Blitz franchise is headed, we do know that Mortal Kombat mainstay Ed Boon is planning a more serious, Gears of War-inspired revamp of the violent 15 year old fighting series. As long as my Babalities are in ultra-high definition, we're cool.

Mother Earth: Chibi Robo Shows His True Colors (and They're Green)
I bet you thought Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol was just a fun adaptation of a carefree Gamecube franchise: WRONG! In fact the DS game that hit Wal-Mart stores today is the "one of the first games based on the growing environmental movement."In the game players use the mini, fruit-fucker-esque robot to plant flowers, build park equipment and defeat toxic enemies... sadly he doesn't deflower any fruit. To celebrate the green game's release Nintendo is going to give away 500 tree seedlings to a random selection of people who register on the FruitFuckerChibi-Robo site by Nov. 9Nintendo also points out that as a company they currently recycle paper company-wide, limit the use of colored paper and purchase recycled paper towels, report covers, message pads and writing pads. They also recycle more than 70 percent of the "waste" generated at its headquarters... hmm, I wonder if that includes all of those copies of Pokemon Dash.

Slip: Unreal Tournament III PS3 Delayed To 2008 [Updated]
One game PLAYSTATION 3 owners won't be playing this holiday season is Epic Games' Unreal Tournament III. Midway had originally planned to ship the PC and PS3 versions this November, but it looks like PC gamers will be the only ones enjoying a cornucopia of headshots this Thanksgiving. Today's financial update from the company writes of the "expected movement" of UT III to the first quarter of 2008. Yes, Midway's fiscal year matches the calendar year, meaning we'll be enjoying the console first sometime between January 1 and March 31 of next year.In other PS3 delay updates, the European version of Midway's BlackSite: Area 51 will see the Xbox 360 version hitting first, with the PS3 version arriving in early 2008. The official bad news for PS3 owners, right after this.UPDATE: Mark Rein writes on the official Epic Games forums that the delay is not set in stone and that Midway was simply warning investors about the possibility of a delay, adding that "our goal is still to get...

Rumor: Game Informer Adds Fuel To Bungie Departure Fire
The details on what's really going on between Microsoft and Halo series developer Bungie are still foggy, but Game Informer helps to brush away some of the fog of future console wars by detailing more specifics on the matter. According to GI, interested parties have purchased the naming rights of the development studio from its parent company, with Microsoft retaining rights to the Halo franchise. No surprise there. GI's unnamed source, however, had more to say on the rumored split.What's potentially more interesting is that Microsoft may also retain "right of first refusal" on future Bungie developed titles according to the source. That means they get first shot at, say, Mister Chief's Cook Off, should Bungie decide to deviate only slightly for its next title.Again, this is not official word from Microsoft or Bungie, but from anonymous sources cited by Game Informer. Something is up and we're still looking into it. We'll keep you updated.Bungie Actually Leaving Microsoft? [Game...

Hardware: Crimson Onyx DS Now on Sale Solo
Initially only available as part of a Brain Age 2 bundle, Nintendo today announced that their snazzy two-tone Crimson and Onyx DS Lite is now available in stores on its own for $130.I had a chance to check out one of these bad boys at Toys R Us over the weekend when I ran into a Kotaku reader looking to scratch his Pokemon itch. The thing is really quite nice. The red has a nice shine to it and the black, at least the back of the DS, was a sort of matte black that you can't really see in photos. Initially I thought the two-tone was a bit ugly, but having seen it in person, it would probably be my first choice if I didn't have a DS Lite already.Has anyone else noticed that Nintendo has stopped called the DS Lite the DS Lite and now refer to it as just the DS?

Skubar: Retailers Listing 40GB PS3, Backward Compatability Nixed
More evidence of the all-but-confirmed "low cost model" 40GB version of the PLAYSTATION 3 has popped up in a variety of locations, with Best Buy stock listings showing the new hard disk drive equipped model packed with a copy of Spider-man 3, the movie, on Blu-ray. It's unclear how that's an incentive. The retailer lists the in-stock date as October 28th.In addition to Best Buy's internal documentation, European retailer Play is now soliciting interest on its web site for the PS3 40GB model, aka the CECHG01. Play specifies the console as having only 2 USB ports and being incompatible with PlayStation 2 games.No confirmation on price yet, but we're hearing talk of 449 Euro for the newest model and expect to learn more within the week.Sony's $399 PS3 confirmed by Best Buy? [Engadget]Sony Playstation 3 PS3 Console With 40GB HDD [Play via PS3Fanboy]

Hands On: God of War: Battle of Attica Demo
I just played through the short, but rather sweet God of War Chains of Olympus demo being shipped out to fans of the game and the PSP.The Battle of Attica gives you a taste of what to expect from the game when the full version hits the portable next year. And from what I saw, it looks like a game that mostly lives up to the God of War name. The pacing of the game remains frenetic, but not so over the top as to be exhausting.The game still manages to deliver the sort of heft in both movement and actions that make you feel like your watching and controlling something real. While the attacks from the console versions of the game to be mostly intact, I was disappointed to see a bit too much repetition in some of the animations. The straight grab attack, for instance always delivered the same couple of second scene that grew tiresome over the short length of the demo.The boss battles, there are two included in the demo, are again very reminiscent of the console versions of the game....

Slip: Unreal Tournament III PS3 Delayed To 2008
One game PLAYSTATION 3 owners won't be playing this holiday season is Epic Games' Unreal Tournament III. Midway had originally planned to ship the PC and PS3 versions this November, but it looks like PC gamers will be the only ones enjoying a cornucopia of headshots this Thanksgiving. Today's financial update from the company writes of the "expected movement" of UT III to the first quarter of 2008. Yes, Midway's fiscal year matches the calendar year, meaning we'll be enjoying the console first sometime between January 1 and March 31 of next year.In other PS3 delay updates, the European version of Midway's BlackSite: Area 51 will see the Xbox 360 version hitting first, with the PS3 version arriving in early 2008. The official bad news for PS3 owners, right after this.Midway Provides Financial UpdateCHICAGO, Illinois, October 2, 2007 - Midway Games Inc. (NYSE: MWY) today announced revised estimates for the Company's third quarter ended September 30, 2007, and fiscal year ending...

Stats Feed: Today's most popular headlines are Ninja ...
Today's most popular headlines are Ninja Gaiden/Halo 3 Cross Promotion In Pictures (7,527 views today), Proof Provided of Halo DS, Still Not A Real Game (5,565) and Xbox 360 Weekly Sales Top Wii, For Now (4,561).

Hands On: God of Wars: Battle of Attica Demo
I just played through the short, but rather sweet God of War Chains of Olympus demo being shipped out to fans of the game and the PSP.The Battle of Attica gives you a taste of what to expect from the game when the full version hits the portable next year. And from what I saw, it looks like a game that mostly lives up to the God of War name. The pacing of the game remains frenetic, but not so over the top as to be exhausting.The game still manages to deliver the sort of heft in both movement and actions that make you feel like your watching and controlling something real. While the attacks from the console versions of the game to be mostly intact, I was disappointed to see a bit too much repetition in some of the animations. The straight grab attack, for instance always delivered the same couple of second scene that grew tiresome over the short length of the demo.The boss battles, there are two included in the demo, are again very reminiscent of the console versions of the game....

PC: New Lego Universe Artwork Hits
I just received my second email from the LEGO Universe team today, this one revealing so more concept sketches from the Net Devil folks working to bring the world of bricks to the world of clicks.The two new concept images show a taste of the game's interesting, perhaps European architecture, as well as some of the minifigs, some destruction and an kinda cool looking airship.Hit the jump for the images and newsletter.Planet earth shudders and quakes ...... quivers and shakes. There's a new universe coming to life! Last month the LEGO Universe team called for help creating a game logo and a cool newsletter name. Thanks for all the dynamite ideas and designs. Keep your eyes peeled next month ... you could see your creation used for the good of the Universe! Exclusives in Every Edition Newsletter names like "LEGO Insiders" by Aragorn3737 make it seem like people are pining for peeks into the Universe. Well, ahem, here's a link to a secret spot where you can see concept sketches...

Rumor Smashed: Proof Provided of Halo DS, Still Not A Real Game
IGN's Matt Casamassina couldn't take it anymore. After seeing that both our own Luke Plunkett and the mighty Wikipedia had questioned the existence of the fabled Halo DS, something snapped inside of him. Storming the halls of IGN, he hacked the company's master computer (password: kotakurulez) and uploaded assets from the game onto the web. And then, in a cocktease sure to break the hearts of fanboys everywhere, he stated:Let's be clear. This game will never see the light of day. At the same time, the below videos prove that Halo DS wasn't a garage project by a two-man team. There were some very big names involved with this title, so it's a shame you won't get to play it. Hit the jump for a full motion taste of what could have been while Matt shouts, "I didn't kill my wife," and dives hundreds of feet into turbulent, HalolessDS waters. Yes, there's video that looks slightly more legit than this version. The gameplay actually looks pretty decent. Here's hoping developers go all...

Clips: Trauma Center: New Blood Teaser
newVideoPlayer("NewBlood_gawker.flv", 475, 376);We must admit, we're a bit disappointed that the trailer we downloaded was not the super cheesy guy-hitting-on-girl spot you can see here, but it works for us nonetheless. This new Trauma Center: New Blood video really gets the adrenaline pumping—almost enough for us to call our father and yell, "See! I didn't waste my life!" Almost. Trauma Center Tuesdays [atlus]

Feature: Second Hand Smoke With Team Ninja's Tomonobu Itagaki
By Michael McWhertorTeam Ninja is known for their flash. Whether it's producer Tomonobu Itagaki's rockstar look, Ryu Hayabusa's penchant for decapitating everything in sight, or the cup sizes of every Dead or Alive female fighter, understated is usually not an adjective that appears in sentences describing Team Ninja. But the developer's offices are so bland, so utilitarian, so... office-y we wondered if we had been led into the wrong building. Soon, however, Itagaki emerged, a hint of tobacco and hard liquor on his breath.We were lucky enough to have a private interview with the head of Team Ninja about their upcoming venture, Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword, so we (as quickly as we could) got down to business.The interview took place in what looked like the team's demo room. Nothing more than a couple couches, a big screen TV, an Xbox 360 and a pair of statues—Master Chief from Halo and Kasumi from Dead of Alive—adorned the room. Outside of a trio of low-key...

Gallery: Mass Effect Gets Even Hotter, Just Ask Nihlus
The Mass Effect promo patrol is in full force, and we're buying what they're selling. The latest update is a character profile of Nihlus Kryik complete with a small handful of beautiful screens. Usually, we can't stand these overly dramatic fanboy updates. But with Mass Effect, we can't see much of anything through all the floating hearts.We'll start off by introducing you to Nihlus Kryik, one of the Citadel Council's most decorated Spectre agents. His skills are unquestioned, but his attitude is not. A confidant of Saren, the main villain in "Mass Effect," Nihlus has learned a trick or two from the master...he will not hesitate to efficiently and thoroughly eradicate anything or anyone that stands in his way, so watch out.Yeah, I'd do him. galleryPost('NihlusKryik', 3, 'NihlusKryik');

Contest: Design Part of Fallout 3, Get Stuff
In honor of Fallout's tenth birthday, Bethesda has announced a contest that any fan should love. You design a perk—one of those quirky character advantages in the series—and you can win your Perk in the game, your name in the credits and either a PC or Xbox 360 prize pack that's fairly sizable. As far as gaming contests go, this is a really classy way for Bethesda to reach out to series die hards with their newly acquired IP. And I can't think of a better reward than to be part of a game I love without doing any of the hard manual labor that's affiliated with design. But don't you dare steal my Crappy X-Ray Vision Perk, in which players can only see through the clothes of obese male NPCs. Because that's a keeper. Hit the jump for the full scoop.Celebrating 10 Years of Fallout!10 years ago the original Fallout was released and forever changed role-playing games. Now is your chance to be a part of Fallout history. We're giving you, the fans, a chance to design...

Sales: Xbox 360 Weekly Sales Top Wii, For Now
The console wars are pointless but just so damn interesting. For instance, according to UK-based Chart Track, while the Wii has been top dog pretty much since its launch, Microsoft's recent Kamehameha of Halo 3 has doubled hardware purchases and put the Xbox 360 back as the number one selling console over the last week. That's the first time the Xbox 360 has outsold the Wii in 26 weeks. The argument still remains as to whether or not Halo has broadened the Xbox 360 user base, but it certainly managed to move some consoles in the short term. You have to wonder if Sony is still frightened of Halo 3, or relieved that it's over, wiping the rubble off their jackets and asking, "Is this all you've got?" While in the meantime, Snake camouflages into the rubble preparing for a counterattack. (Of course, you could add, while in the meantime, Master Chief...and Mario...) Xbox 360 enjoys sales spike in Halo release week [mcv]

Learning: Read Books On Your DS! (...hooray?)
Genius Sonority has teamed up with a Japanese publishing company Chukei to release Bunagku Zenshuu, a collection of 100 e-books you can read on your DS. Once you are done reading said 100 books, you can download more literature via WiFi. The catch that absolutely destroys the concept? The content is abridged. The (game?) will be released October 18th with new content coming as soon as November. We're not certain that the DS screen is easy enough on the eyes for extended reading sessions, but we do fully realize that the DS can be held like a book—like a freakin' smartypants book! So we're sure it's a great idea. The DS turned into an e-Book reader [siliconera]

Gallery: Doodle Hex Characters and Secrets Galore
Tragnarion studios has updated the website for their upcoming DS spellcasting battle game, Doodle Hex, the art style of which I have absolutely fallen in love with. The update adds three new characters to the mix: Brooklyn djinn Djin, Nigel Gizmo the technomancer, and Spanish tarot dancer Nadia, all pictured in the gallery below. Along with buddy icons and wallpapers, there are secrets to be discovered on the website as well. On the media page I drew a random rune in the sphere on the lower right and unlocked the game theme song, which is every bit as awesome as the art style. Check out DoodleHex.com to see what you can discover! galleryPost('doodle102', 4, 'Masters Of The Magical Arts');

Xbox 360: Pink and Blue 360 Controllers Hit Today
Microsoft today announced they will start selling pink and blue Xbox 360 controllers today for $50 a pop. My favorite part of the announcement, seen after the jump, is that Microsoft bucked the trend for renaming colors we all already know and love. So blue is just blue and not Arctic Frost and pink is just pink and not Blushing Mother... actually, I kinda like the sound of Blushing Mother. TM. No stealing my color name, I just TMed that shit.Xbox 360 is adding a splash of color to the holiday season with the release of new Xbox 360 Wireless Controllers in pink and blue on Oct. 2, each offered for an estimated retail price of $49.99 (US). The whole family can enjoy Xbox 360 with these bright additions to the "chill" and black Xbox 360 Wireless Controllers. The pink and blue Xbox 360 Wireless Controllers will make a great gift this holiday season for newer gamers. Delivering high-performance wireless gaming, the Xbox 360 Wireless Controllers feature all of the convenience and...

Pachterwatch: LittleBigPlanet = PS3 Sales in Japan
Hot on the heels of TGS, Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter strikes again! This time he has found the Holy Grail that will sell the necessary PS3s to back his investments/vacation homes/illegitimate children. ...we think that LittleBigPlanet will be a console seller in Japan.LittleBigPlanet is fairly amazing in person, with fun multiplayer and beautiful graphics. But will it move PS3s? Maybe Pachter isn't completely crazy this time. In our drunken TGS boozecast, the Kotaku crew talked about this very topic: Sony is doing incredible recruiting for original PSN titles...especially when you compare Everyday Shooter and LittleBigPlanet to mostly ported offerings on Microsoft's Live Arcade. Japan May Orbit Around LittleBigPlanet [nextgeneration]

Games And Kids: Study Finds Fault In Parental Controls, Parents
Global Consulting firm User Centric recently conducted a study on effectiveness of parental controls in electronic devices. 20 parents and 20 children were gathered, with the parents asked to set up parental controls and children asked to bypass them. The results will shock you. Well not really, I just wanted to feel like the nighttime news hook story commercial voice over guy. The results are pretty much what you'd expect. Confusion about ratings and how indeed to setup the controls themselves led to a 47% failure rate on video game consoles, with lesser degrees of failure for V-chips, mobile phones, and DVRs. I take two things from these results. First, parents need to better understand the ratings systems before they start trying to restrict access to them, and User Centric needs to perform another study on parents who aren't stupid. Hit the jump for User Centric's press release, discovered via GamePolitics. Study Finds Usability Problems with Parental ControlsOAKBROOK TERRACE,...

Clips: How Ninja Clash On The Wii
Love or hate the anime, Naruto's Clash of the Ninja series of games are some of the best 3D fighting games I've ever played. Now the series is being refitted for a Wii release, and this video shows you exactly how you'll be kicking faux ninja ass using the Wiimote and nunchuck. It's good to see the disembodied hand method to demonstrate Wii controls return. I have missed them so. Hopefully the game will let you use the GC controller as well, because so far fighters and Wii controls have been kinda spotty.

Indie: Slamdance Games Fest Moves to LA
Apparently Park City, Utah may be progressive enough to hold an indie film festival, but they're not quite forward-thinking enough to hold an indie game festival. I personally think that's crap, an excuse made up by the organizers to some how mitigate their responsibility for last year's fiasco, but if it means they're going to start showing a little backbone than I suppose letting them save face is fine.The Guerrilla Gamemaker folks announced that this year's festival will instead be held in Los Angeles during the "spring/summer".With the growth of independent games, and the issues facing the medium, Slamdance has decided to separate the Games Festival from the Film Festival, while still focusing on bringing independent artists together.No mention is made in the press release of the competitions decision last year to first nominate and then kick Super Columbine Massacre RPG from the show. I think the venue isn't the only thing that needs to be changed before indie game makers...

Demo: Thursday's Forecast Calls For Bladestorm
The Hundred Years' War is getting an early head start as Koei announces the playable demo for Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War hitting Xbox Live Marketplace and the PlayStation Network this Thursday. Players will be able to experience war on a scale previously unattainable, thanks to a brand-new game engine made possible by the power of the current consoles. Kingdom Under Fire whet my appetite for the action RTS, so I have really high hopes for Bladestorm. Check back on Thursday to see if Koei breaks my heart or keeps hope alive.

Talking Points: Turok Voice Cast Revealed
Touchstone is banking on some big names to draw some attention to next year's reboot of the Turok franchise, hiring some A and B-list Hollywood talent to voice the characters of John Turok and the rest of Whiskey Company. The man himself is being played by Gregory Norman Cruz, who appears in Saving Grace as Bobby Stillwater, as well as various small Native and Latin American roles over the past three decades including Hill Street Blues (Chico) and Cop Rock (Tito). Rounding out Whiskey Company are Timothy Olyphant of Deadwood and the Hitman movie, Ron Perlman from Hellboy, Donnie Wahlberg of New Kids on the Block, Prison Break's William Fichter,Stargate's Chris Judge, Mark Rolston, Lombardo Boyar, Gideon Emery, Josh Gomez, Jon Curry, Jason Harris and Steve Van Wormer. The villainous Roland Kane will be played by the legendary Powers Boothe. Wow. That's a lot of voice talent in one small package. Here's hoping the game is half as good as the cast! Premier Hollywood Actors to...

World Of Warcraft: Blizzard Dishes On The Death Knight
Blizzard drops some Death Knight details in a Q&A with the design team for World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King. The Q&A explores the role the new class plays in game lore as well as your adventuring party. The player character Death Knights have rebelled against Arthas, joining the Horde (yay!) or Alliance (boo!) to help take down the vile Lich King. Rather than being powered by rage or mana, the Knights will use a completely new Rune System to power their offensive magic and abilities. Unable to use shields, they'll rely on magic to help them mitigate damage and generate threat, culminating in what Blizzard hopes will be another fun tanking class that will make Warriors feel even more useless than they already do. Death Knight Interview [World of Warcraft]

Clips: Indy Pops Up in LEGO Star Wars
I'm just as excited about LEGO Indiana Jones as the next guy (the next guy being my son), so it's nice to know we can play with the good doctor in the upcoming LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga. Now, when can we play with Jones in his own game?

First In Best Dressed: Crysis Beta Open To All, Sundry
Yeah. You read it right. No more pissing about with invites or the like, the Crysis beta is now open to the teeming, unwashed masses. Provided you get there quick-ish. If you do, expect to "shape the future of Crysis", all the while bragging to your message board "friends" about how you got in and bitching to anyone else that'll listen about how it keeps crashing. Even though it's a beta and you're actually meant to be reporting that kind of thing.Crysis Beta [FilePlanet]

Night Note: Ban Hammer Runs Red with Blood
To: CrecenteFrom: AshcraftRE: Sick HouseSince we've been focusing on TGS and recovering from TGS and getting sick, the comment section has been unmonitored for a bit. Today, I literally went in and banned, shit thee not, over forty people. Maybe more. Banned people for hate speech, not adding to the conversation and trolling. Lots and lots of trolling. The bigger the site gets, the more readers and commenters it attracts. A good thing! But not all of them are interested in contributing and some are keen on detracting. Contrary to popular belief, I don't like going into the comment section and banning people. It eats up time I could be spending doing other things, but if we don't do that, our comment section will turn to... well... Not so good! Actually, after today's blood letting, I'm somewhat exhausted, drained. Elsewhere, I got an email from a Japanese company I've written a magazine article about, asking when they could "check" the article. By "check," they meant look at...

Former SEGA Spokesgirl Update: Now Selling Schoolgal Uniforms For Dudes
New SEGA "image character" Satomi Ishihara is kinda dull. Her predecessor, space alien Yuko Ogura? Fascinating. To bring everyone up to speed, Yuko Ogura was a two-time SEGA "image character" and even appeared in a SEGA produced kids' show. Ogura claimed to be from an apple-shaped star called Korin, but has since shyed away from that nutty claim realizing that people don't take seriously girls who say they're aliens. SEGA has since replaced Ogura with the more normal Ishihara. Still, Ogura makes perfect non-news fodder. Because remember: Once a SEGA spokesperson, always a SEGA spokesperson! Last time we checked in on Ogura, her image was being used as a "LIVE MASK." This time? Her likeness is being used on schoolgirl uniform costumes... For men. Ogura Article [Tokyo Times]

Clip: PS3 Breeding Game Has PS2 Level Graphics?
You call this a PS3 game? Sure, we're watching a bad quality internet upload and should really see it first hand, but still. This doesn't even try to push what the hardware is capable of! "Breeding" strategy RPG Record of Agarest War looks more at home on the PlayStation 2 than the PLAYSTATION 3. And even for a PS2 game, it looks cheap. And crappy.You Call This Next Gen? [Ijoukishou]

Clip: Making Your Own LittleBigPlanet Denizens
Not an ounce of realism to be found here. No Game Face, no double chins, no cornrows. And it's all the better for it, because what it lacks in fleshy tones it makes up for by looking downright exhaustive.

Contest: TGS Schwag Winner
Yup, we've got a winner for our TGS schwag contest. Loot includes: A fistful of TGS fans — including a Flynn used Metal Gear Solid 4 fan. What's more, we're throwing in a Japanese Halo 3 t-shirt, an Adventure Island shirt signed by Takahashi Meijin and a program on which he scribbled a pyramid describing the current market. There's a bunch of VERY RANDOM things as well. The winner is Finalist 2, who was responsible for this:http://kotaku.com/gaming/sony/sonys-booth-babe-human-wave-302207.phpEveryone seems to have missed the real point of this exercise, which is a shame since it's such a video game cliche. So here's the strategy guide: One of these women is the REAL booth babe. She's the only one that's vulnerable to your attacks. Defeat her, and you will have beaten TGS and become the Champion of Otaku Gaming. All of the best that TGS has to offer will be yours - you get to skip to the front of the long Level 5 booth line, have first crack at the drums in Rock Band,...

Knifey Spoony: Fantastic Halo 3 Weapons Based On Boring Real Ones
So I FINISHED THE FIGHT last night. Had a blast, but one of the things that struck me towards the end of the game was how many weapons I'd been through. Felt like dozens of the things. Some were trusted and familiar, some were new, some were great, some were a bit crap. One thing they all had in common, though, was that they looked both nice and functional. How'd Bungie achieve that? Pseudoscience. In other words, if you're making a piece of sci-fi kit, base it on something real, it'll go down better: The [Spartan Laser] may be fantastical, but like many Halo 3 weapons, the designers at Bungie Studios -- the company that makes Halo -- actually based it on a real-world object: The Galilean telescope beam expander. Glad they went with Spartan Laser. It's catchier.Sci-Fi, Serendipity Spawn Halo 3's New Weapons [Wired]

Blue Movie: Lucky Star, Haruhi Get Dirty Together
From the same people who brought you both the Lucky Star vacuum bed *and* the Haruhi Suzumiya vacuum bed, come this Lucky Star-meets-Haruhi-meets-blue-man-in-skirt porn. That's putting those costumes to good use. So both Japanese animations have not only the distinction of getting handheld and console games, but also appearing in the same dirty movie. With a dude in blue! Hit the jump for the blue dude in a Haruhi skirt. Did we mention it's NSFW? Well, it's NSFW. Full Box Art [NSFW]

Bold Initiative: Pro Evo Wii Screens, Details
Konami's Wii version of Pro Evo hasn't seen as much daylight as its kin. In fact all we knew previously about the game was that it would be on the Wii, and would be out next year. Time to add to that list. First, we've got two screenshots from Konami's pre-TGS presser, which show that it's not only avoided looking completely awful, it's also going to feature something a little different. The Wii's "unique controls" are being put to use to allow you to control a second player, which is what the big circles and arrows in the screens are. That's a risky move! I remember FIFA tried that a few years ago. I also remember it was a complete disaster.

Contest: Only a few days left! Don't forget that our ...
Only a few days left! Don't forget that our great Halo 3 contest closes its doors October 5th at midnight EST. In case you missed them, click here for the rules and the questions. Good luck!

Shouting Is Good: Import Your Own Copy Of Exclamation Warriors
I'm intrigued by Exclamation Warriors. Partly because it looks so damn fun, but partly because I know that, not being a Japanese Club Nintendo member, I cannot have it. Except...now I can! YesAsia have copies of the game for sale, and while it's all in Japanese, for a game based on shouting that'll be half the fun. Or, if you can speak Japanese, all of the fun.Zekkyou Senshi Sakebu Ren (Japan Version) [YesAsia, via Go Nintendo]

Super Clip: All Snake, All Smash, All Brawl
For all the gazillion characters in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, I am excited to have Snake beat the crap outta Mario. Or even, have Mario beat the crap outta Snake. I mean, who isn't?

You Look Like A Monkey And You Smell Like One Too: Atari 2600 Turns 30
Happy birthday, Atari 2600! This month (ie October) the dusty old console turns 30, and is busy doing what everyone else does when they hit that age. Namely drinking itself into a stupor before sobbing gently into its pillow, asking questions of the cold, dark night - like why it can't find that special someone - before its friends all tell it to shut up, stop being so melodramatic and be thankful it was part of the real Atari, and not the shambling, rotting "Atari" of 2007. Happy 30th birthday, Atari 2600! [Engadget]

Giant Gooch Face: Two New Mistwalker RPGs Bound for DS
A man's got to eat. And that man is Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi. His studio Mistwalker is releasing two RPGs for the DS next year. First up is AWAY ~Tsuresarareta Hitobito~ out January 21, 2008. Sakaguchi is responsible for the scenario, while famed composer Nobuo Uematsu will be supplying the music. The game is developed by Artoon. Characters are created by Naoto Oshima, who recently did Vampire Rain. March 2008 will see Blue Dragon DS (temporary title), which we previously covered. It's developed by FeelPlus+ and is akin to the Xbox 360 version. Both games are being published by AQ Interactive and price at ¥5,980 (US $51) each. Gooch DS gaming doesn't come cheap, kiddos!New Mistwalker Games [NeoGAF]

Jesus 4 Game Boys: Games, Religion Clash On Lovely Shirt
The Game Boy isn't a handheld. It's a lifestyle choice. Some may even go so far as to say it's a religion. Sticker fiend Gamebombing does, hence his collaboration with Venezuelan label R-evolucion on this shirt, called Cruz. Best part? No, not the simple, charming religious symbolism: the graphic's done in glow-in-the-dark ink.R-evolucion: 'Cruz' t-shirt [Digital Gravel]

Do It: Second Life, Don't Believe The Hype
Last year was all about Second Life. The MMO was portrayed as teh future. Has it panned out? A new study from Boston-based research group Yankee Group states that the user growth rate hit its peak in October 2006. From the study:Despite near-continuous coverage in the popular and business press, metaverses like Second Life are experiencing slowing growth and limited impact because of the tethered nature of their virtual world experience.Meaning that users would like a more mobile experience instead of being tied to their PCs, apparently. The study also says that the average SL user spends 12 minutes in world. Each month. Funny, I thought they'd need a little longer — 15 minutes or 20 at most. SL Hype [Next-Gen]"