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  Kotaku East

  In China, Kids Are Turning into Anime Characters with Pointy Chins and Huge Eyes

  It’s the new thing. Apparently! Young Chinese are uploading pic after pic of themselves looking googly-eyed into the camera, sporting sharp threads, and even sharper chins. The “pointy-style” isn’t just for girls as some guys are getting in on the act, too. The look really started to take off last summer when a girl named…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 29, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Kotaku East Starts Now

  Kotaku East runs from 4am to 8am Eastern. For more info about Kotaku East click here

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 29, 2012
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  GAME Stores Stop Refunds, One Asks Customers Not to be Violent

  GAME, one of the biggest retailers of video game products in the world, is in serious financial trouble. So much so it’s had to enter administration, and part of that deal means the store can’t offer refunds or exchanges on its products. Which looks like it’s making some people walk into the stores and be…

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 29, 2012
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  Portal, as a Very Short Cartoon (Well, gif)

  British artist Pinali sets our hearts aflutter with this animated take on Portal’s Chell (in her Portal 2 outfit). I keep thinking, if I watch it long enough, the “camera” will pan across and just follow her as she starts shooting the place up. Portall [Pinalinet]

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 29, 2012
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  Uncategorized

  Man, AirMech Looks so Freaking Good Right Now

  So last year, a few of us got our hands on AirMech, and thought it was pretty special. It’s like classic action/strategy game Herzog Zwei got into Macross cosplay in a big way. The version we played, though, was a very early alpha, which while immensely promising was also a little thin. Months later and…

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 29, 2012
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  The Littlest Team Fortress 2

  Pixel artist Gas 13 gives the world a game it can only dream of: an isometric, pixellated Team Fortress 2 You can see it at the original resolution below, pixel integrity maintained. ISOMETRIC TF2: BADLANDS [PixelJoint]

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 29, 2012
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  There’s (Hopefully) Still a Future for Used, Rented and Borrowed Games

  Oh boy. Once people had got past the news we’d heard about the next PlayStation Orbis’ specs and release date, they got real angry about the fact it’s likely to include some measure of “anti-used games” technology. Just like the next Xbox console. That subsequently led to people thinking that they’ll never be able to…

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 29, 2012
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  Uncategorized

  New Game of Thrones Trailer as Heavy on Story as it is on Giant Necks

  The upcoming Game of Thrones RPG would like to remind you there’s more to it than music and combat. There’s also a story, and dialogue, and sadly dialogue that isn’t being spoken by the amazing James Cosmo. Cosmo, who plays Jeor Mormont in HBO’s Game of Thrones TV series, is one the best of a…

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 29, 2012
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  Uncategorized

  The Dark Knight Rises Trailer Looks Great in LEGO

  You know, I haven’t actually seen the live-action version of this trailer. For most movies these days, I go into blackout mode, try and save myself for when I see the actual flick. So I’m in a weird spot now. I’m going to go see this movie later this year, and I’m going to see…

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 29, 2012
• CultureTotal Recall

  The History of Early Computer Games. In Iraq.

  There’s a really interesting piece up on HG101 in which Iraqi gamer Salwan Asaad, now living in Egypt, recounts his experiences growing up in the 1980s with the region’s fledgling scene. Unlike the hell-in-a-handbasket Iraq has become in the last twenty years, Asaad remembers during the 1980s it was a (relatively) more prosperous state, and…

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 28, 2012
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  Total Recall Starts Now!

  Time for your daily look back at the history of video games!

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 28, 2012
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  CultureTotal Recall

  Look How Awesome Old Video Games Were in Old Movies

  Seeing video games in a movie these days, or even a movie based on a video game, is nothing out of the ordinary. It’s expected. But during the 1970s, it was something to be marvelled at. This clip collects cameo appearances on the silver screen by the arcade games and home consoles of the 70’s,…

  Luke Plunkett & Chris Person Published March 28, 2012
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  Determining The World’s Metal-Band Distribution

  Can you guess where the most metal bands might be? I bet you can. Or you could just check that image, I guess. Greetings, Kotaku, and welcome to the evening Open Thread. Some fun and provocative things from around the internet for you: An amazing wind map of the entire nation – Holy shit! Battle…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published March 28, 2012
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  Nobody Knows When the Hell Super Mario Bros. Was Released

  It’s commonly held that Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo Entertainment System is one, if not the greatest game of all time. People constantly talk about its historical importance, and how it was largely responsible for the unprecedented success of the NES console. But when did it come out? Most people say 1986, but no…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published March 28, 2012
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  Let’s Bring These Sherlock Holmes Games Back, Adventure Gamers

  Now this is a blast from the past. I remember playing through the first volume of Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective ages ago. It was a full motion video adventure game, and my memories are very fond. The games were more stodgy, goofy Sherlock than cool, sexy Sherlock, but that didn’t make the mystery-solving any less…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published March 28, 2012
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  Report: SimCity Needs Your Internet the Whole Time You’re Playing

  Maxis and EA’s upcoming SimCity game looks pretty cool, but Joystiq is reporting that the game will require an internet connection to play. Lead designer Stone Librande told the publication that regardless of where the game was bought, people playing the game will need to be connected to EA’s Origin service to play the game.…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published March 28, 2012
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  Lordy, Lordy, Fez Finally Gets a Release Date

  Fez, the perspective-shifting platformer and poster-child for independent games development hell, is ready to go and will arrive April 13, says its studio, Polytron. That’s Friday the 13th, a fitting irony for something that’s been in production for more than four years. The game will be offered over Xbox Live Arcade for 800 Microsoft points,…

  By Owen Good Published March 28, 2012
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  Pedophile Caught Thanks to Girl’s Nintendo Camera

  A girl in the United Kingdom put away a man who molested her thanks to the camera on her Nintendo DSi, using it to surreptiously capture his assault and force a confession. John Fisher, 46, did admit to the abuse after his accuser (unnamed) snapped a picture of his hand groping her. Fisher’s going to…

  By Owen Good Published March 28, 2012
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  Midweek Moneysaver: Three-for-Two at Amazon

  This Wednesday edition of Kotaku’s The Moneysaver catches all the offers, promotions and bargains that can’t wait until the weekend. The Midweek Moneysaver is brought to you by Dealzon. Software • Amazon has a huge “Buy 2, Get a 3rd FREE” sale with 1,063 titles available over all platforms, including most new releases. A solid…

  dealzon Published March 28, 2012
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  One Leaves, One Enters Kotaku‘s Power 40

  If you scan the column to the right of the Kotaku.com/Power 40 list, you’ll find our reorganized list updated for March complete with individual updates where relevant, and a new addition: BioWare fans That’s right, BioWare fans. Your displeasure with this month’s release of Mass Effect 3 did not go unnoticed, and most notably resulted…

  By Tina Amini Published March 28, 2012