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AFAS: Arcade Flyer Art Saturday: Top Secret/Bionic Commando
In honor of my trip to Tokyo, I thought it might be interesting to do a little Japan to US comparison Arcade Flyer Art Saturday. This week's choice was a perfect pick since it not only has different flyers for each country, but a rich history of different gameplay as well. So let's dive right into it shall we?In 1987, Capcom released Top Secret into Japanese arcades and simultaneously released the same game in the US under the name Bionic Commando. The game was a side scrolling platformer/fighter starring Super Joe who had formerly appeared in a previous game, Commando. This time around, Joe had a grappling hook-like bionic arm that would allow him to swing over gaps since unlike most games of the time, he could not jump. His robotic super arm could also be employed to take out various enemies, along with his gun which could be used to collect the bonuses and weapons that would arrive from the sky via parachute. Once the game moved from arcades to consoles however, things got...

Ncsoft: NCSoft's UK Expansion
Despite some gloom and doom predictions from Korean media, NCSoft's European arm got a nice boost thanks to a 950,000 grant from the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) to expand their Brighton, UK branch. Looks like a deal everyone will be happy with; I only wonder what impact this will have on the currently rather lackluster reports on NCSoft in South Korea. Full release after the jump.950,000 SEEDA grant ensures NCsoft Europe's growth in BrightonWednesday 26th September/...NCsoft Europe, one of the world's leading online gaming publishers, has announced that it is planning to expand its Brighton base and create over 100 new high skilled jobs following a major investment from the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA).In its first three years NCsoft Europe has grown rapidly employing more skilled staff with every new project, which have included the launch of top games such as Lineage II, City of Heroes, Guild Wars, City of Villains.The NCsoft office in...

Meet-me: More on 'meet-me', the Japanese Answer to Second Life?
If Japanese digital marketing company Transcosmos, Inc. has anything to say about it, Second Life will soon have stiff competition in Japan - meet-me, their answer to Second Life and designed with a Japanese audience in mind, will be opening in December. Saying that the independent and free-spirited nature of Second Life doesn't appeal to Japanese sensibilities, Transcosmos hopes this new metaverse will become a more 'Japanese' alternative to places like Second Life:Kunimasa Hamaoka, who oversees "meet-me" at digital marketing company Transcosmos Inc., is banking on the cultural differences between Japanese and Americans to compete against the world's top virtual community.Japanese are so well-behaved and conformist, he says, they would prefer a more predictable and secure virtual environment over the free-spirited anything-goes of "Second Life," created by San Francisco-based Linden Lab ....Hamaoka said he is determined to make "meet-me" a strictly Japanese hit, although...

Leaving On A Jet Plane: Last Kotakuite Standing
Today I become the last Kotaku staffer to say goodbye to Tokyo. It was a great time and I got to experience some things I would never have been able to do otherwise like seeing Diabatsu at Kamakura, going to TGS, playing the new Rez and seeing Ashcraft's mustache. I leave in about seven hours, but due to that wacky international date thingie I actually get back a half an hour before I left. By the time you read this I will be hurtling towards the US in a giant Tylenol shaped plane ready to touch down once again on my home turf. I will be posting the Arcade Flyer Art Saturday feature when I return tonight and Sunday morning will see me hauling my zombified, jet lagged carcass out of bed to try and bring you some more weekend news. So until then... Sayanora, Shweetheart!

Competition: CGS Announces Pan-Asian Finals
In preparation for the Championship Gaming Series 2007 World Championship being held in Los Angeles (6-14 December), CGS has announced the Asian final. Teams coming from Seoul, Dubai, Sydney, Singapore, Kuala Lampur, and China will meet to determine which four teams will be heading on to LA. So if anyone's going to be running around Kuala Lampur next month, the pan-Asian finals will be held from the 15th to the 18th. Full release after the jump.Los Angeles, CA- September 25, 2007- The Championship Gaming SeriesTM (CGS), the only worldwide professional gaming league, today announced that its Pan-Asian Final will be held from October 15-18 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. At this spectacular televised tournament, six teams will battle to determine the finalists that will proceed to the CGS 2007 World Championship in Los Angeles. At the World Championship, the top twelve CGS teams from around the world will compete for the title of 2007 World Champion. The prize pool for the CGS...

Halo: Master Chief Gets Sex Change For Charity
While I made a personal vow to myself that I wouldn't post anymore Halo stories, I couldn't just let this one go by. Artist David Johnson, has put up for eBay auction this one of a kind Mz Master Chief figure made from polymer clay. The 11.5 inch figure is currently going for $241 with three bids and five days to go. 10% of the profits from the sale will go to support the American Breast Cancer Foundation. I must say, I've never seen MC looking quite so sexy. It suits him/her well.Halo 3 Mz Master Chief Spartan Statue [eBay][Thanks, Sean]

Indie Games: 'Indie is the New Popular' - Musings on Independent Games
Sexy Videogameland has some interesting musings up on independent games, along with yet another challenge: "describe a game so trendy it hurts, so independent, so individual, that it makes sense to no one but you -- because everyone else is an Extreme Mountain Dew-chugging juvenile with Electronic Arts' dick in their mouth." I really like seeing off-the-wall delights that independent developers turn out, but there are plenty that can come off like a bad dream combining post-modern philosophy and a low-rent version of MoMA. Alexander explains her stance, using fl0w as an example:... At risk of showing my unsophistication here, I must admit some of them make me feel like the hayseed who wanders into MoMA and stares, perplexed, at the often odd experiments on exhibit. Like, I know that Jenova Chen's fl0w is great. But, you know, I didn't really get it. It's simple; there's not much to get ....I've played it, I guess it's fun enough, And as beautiful as the above Flower trailer...

Price Drop: Wal-Mart Canada's 80GB PS3 Sale
In celebration of their anniversary, Canadian Wal-Marts are having a sale on 80GB PS3s. The accompanying ad shows that the units will be sold for $549.83 (Canadian of course) and will come with a copy of Motorstorm. Also included in the deal is the PS3 Blu-Ray remote control so all in all not a bad bargain considering. This sale pricing pute the 80GB unit at around the current price of the 60GB unit which is apparently disappearing fast. Many are speculating that this might be a preview of a real price drop yet to come. Will US Wal-Marts see this sale pricing happening for them as well? Only time will tell...Wal-Mart Canada Sale Hints at New 80GB PS3 Price [DailyTech][Thanks, xIvSlowDeath420]

What Would Freud Say: Have Problems? Here's Your Game: Reach Out
Via Wonderland comes this Australian news clip of a game aimed at helping kids work through problems via role playing real-life situations. Called Reach Out!, the game got off to a good start with a $500K Australian from the Sony Foundation, and describes itself thusly:Reach Out Central (ROC) is an interactive program that's designed to help you explore how your thinking, behaviour and feelings all interact with each other. Choose your own character and try out different ways of reacting to real-life situations. On the way, you might change the way you feel by changing the way you think - it's easier than you'd expect.Some of these newer games-that-aren't-really are going in some pretty interesting directions - I wonder how effective this kind of training (therapy? something?) is, but I suppose anything that opens discussions about touchy issues and problems is not usually a bad thing.Reach Out Central: a game for tough times [Wonderland]

Clip: Final Fantasy XI: War of the Godess Trailer
After sitting through the forty five minute Square trailer extravaganza at TGS, I'm a bit surprised I didn't see this one included in that mix although this is being touted as the "TGS Trailer". Square's booth was packed and bigger than most houses so I guess it's not too much of a shock that I missed it. Final Fantasy XI Online has struggled a bit to keep up with it's FF brothers. Will this be the one that brings it back into the public consciousness? I don't know, but this trailer sure looks nice, but then again, don't they all?

The9: The9 Buys Stake in MSN China, Makes More Microsoft Deals
The9 - the Chinese company that runs World of Warcraft on the Mainland - has purchased an over 50% stake in MSN China (which was originally launched as a 50-50 joint venture between Microsoft and Shanghai Alliance Investment, an attempt to get around government regulations). Despite having WoW in their stable, The9 lags behind Shanda and two other companies for market share; the acquisition of MSN China, plus the deal made earlier this year in regards to an active role for development on the 360 and XBLA could change that."The purchase of MSN China's stake is part of The9's strategic layout. It is aimed at to build up a cross-business platform just like the one of Tecent Group, which is covering instant messaging, cyber game, online communities, and online auction," says spokesperson of The9.Besides new deal, in March this year, The9 also joined hands with Microsoft on XBOX 360. However, the two parties did disclose the detail about the cooperation.Insiders close to the company...

Original: Kotaku Originals: From TGS to Halo 3
It's been an exciting week here at Kotaku Originals. Poor Fahey toiled away endlessly in Kotaku Tower while the rest of the crew took on the teeming masses at TGS, Crecente managed to find time to review Halo 3 and team McWhertor/Wilson found out first hand what a Japanese Halo launch is like.Silent Hill: The Arcade Hands-On Impressions(Early) Rogue Galaxy ImpressionsJapanese Halo 3 Works In US Xbox 360Master Chief Becomes Embroiled In Australian PoliticsJericho Sucks Less Than I ExpectedThe Legend of Zelda Phantom HourglassThe Great Halo 3 GiveawayHalo 3 Japanese Store Sell Out ShockerXbox 360? Would You Like A Wii With That?So...Why Exactly Is The DualShock 3 Coming Next Year?Tempered Halo 3 Japanese Mid-Morning Launch MadnessSumimasen, Is *This* The Halo 3 Line?The Line For Halo 3 Starts HereCan You Find The Halo 3 Billboard In Akihabara?Eternal Sonata - Charmingly AverageNintendo's Llewelyn Hangs Up Her HatThe Hidden Gems of TGSWelcome to Kotaku. AUThe Ride Of The MongeeseFinish...

Waaahhh: Bungie Address "640p" Whiners
Over the past few days, we received a ton of emails about Halo 3's "resolution". Seems people had somehow deduced that, for whatever reason, Halo wasn't actually running at 720p, it was running at "640p". Sounded pretty...well, pathetic. Bungie agree. They've thus issued a statement as part of their weekly update, addressed to any and all "interweb detectives" indignant at their short-changed 80p.One item making the interwebs rounds this week was the scandalous revelation that Halo 3 runs at "640p" which isn't even technically a resolution. However, the interweb detectives did notice that Halo 3's vertical resolution, when captured from a frame buffer, is indeed 640 pixels. So what gives? Did we short change you 80 pixels? Naturally it's more complicated than that. In fact, you could argue we gave you 1280 pixels of vertical resolution, since Halo 3 uses not one, but two frame buffers - both of which render at 1152x640 pixels. The reason we chose this slightly unorthodox resolution...