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  How To Write Pokemon Music? Pretending!

  In the West, when one says “Pokémon music”, this song probably leaps to mind. We are not talking about that this song. Besides heading up the Pokémon franchise, Junichi Masuda also composes battle music for the series. “There is no doubt that I am inspired by many great composers. But when I work on the…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 19, 2010
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  FFXIII Director Wants To Remake Final Fantasy VII

  Here we go again! Final Fantasy developer Square Enix continuing mentioning “Final Fantasy VII” and “remake” in the same breath. Previously, Final Fantasy VII character designer mentioned the prospects of a FFVII remake, and then FFVII game director Yoshinori Kitase mentioned how he was never tired of answering questions about FFVII remakes. Now? When asked…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 19, 2010
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  CultureNews

  Which Of These Ladies Looks Like Their In-Game Counterpart?

  SEGA held an open casting call, with Japanese women audtioning for the part of an in-game Yakuza 4 hostess

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 19, 2010
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  Samurai Champloo Music Producer Is Dead

  Music producer Jun Seba, known as Nujabes, passed away in late February. His label made public the sad news today. Late nite February 26, the 36-year-old Nujabes was in a car accident in Tokyo. Efforts to revive him proved futile. Nujabes was known for his cutting edge hip-hop — such as the soundtrack work he…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 19, 2010
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  Why Predators Got Made

  Money. Easy as that. But there’s another reason as to why filmmaker Robert Rodriguez signed off on the film. Before we get to that, watch the movie’s brand new debut trailer. Rodriguez, known for his Spy Kids and action films, wrote a Predator script in the mid-1990s while waiting for Desperado to go into production.…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 19, 2010
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  For $2600, This Mario Had Better be Super

  Currently for sale on eBay: this Mario pendant, lined with gold and covered with diamonds. Perfect for any Nintendo fanboy currently in the rap or drug dealing business. Bids are open if you’d like or, if you’d prefer not to let somebody else secure such a tasteful and reserved piece of jewellery, you can exercise…

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 19, 2010
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  Jamie Foxx Joins Kane & Lynch Flick

  In 2008, actor star Bruce Willis, known for his Die Hard films, signed on to play mercenary Adam “Kane” Marcus, who with batshit insane partner James Lynch is out to retrieve a stolen microchip. He now has a co-star. Veteran stunt coordinator Simon Crane will make his directing debut and helm the picture, and scribe…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published March 19, 2010
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  Kotaku Census 2010: The Games You Love

  The machines you play on are one thing, but what really captures a gamer’s heart is the games they play. So let’s see which are your favourites. Now, unlike our previous polls, this one has the potential to be a little more wide-ranging. A little more open. There are only a handful of gaming machines…

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 19, 2010
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  The Many (Faceless) Faces Of Video Games

  Last year, Briton Ashley Browning gave the world a great set of minimalist video game character faces. Now, Justin Russo gives us minimalist video game…chests. Showing that game characters are as recognisable for their costume design and colour scheme as they are for their faces, Russo’s works are apparently the result of a dream the…

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 19, 2010
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  StarCraft II Beta Invites Now Going Out To Your Closest Friends

  Some of you already in the StarCraft II multiplayer beta are about to become more popular. According to some lucky beta testing tipsters, Blizzard is sending out e-mails with extra StarCraft II beta keys to share with a friend. The one-time use invite may be part of Blizzard’s efforts to further test the new Battle.net…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 18, 2010
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  Kotaku Off Topic: If He Dies, He Dies

  Hey, Kotaku. You want to take a break from talking to each other about video games and move the conversation in another direction? That’s what Kotaku Off Topic is for, you know. While you’re free to talk about anything, I have something of a challenge for you. If you don’t care for competition, consider it…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 18, 2010
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  The Silver Age: Is Valve The New (Old) Marvel?

  Jason McIntosh, producer of television show The Gameshelf and writer of the blog of the same name, explores the similarities between the video game and comic book markets of the past and present. Here, his second entry on the subject. I wish to make an extended footnote on last Monday’s post, regarding further similarities I…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 18, 2010
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  PlayStation Store Update: Gaga Heroes

  This week’s North American PlayStation Store update features the highest concentration of Lady Gaga to date, thanks to the addition of four new Rock Band tracks from the pop star. There are some new video games too! Like what? Like Patchwork Heroes for one thing, the visually creative PSP game that’s just ten U.S. bucks,…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 18, 2010
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  Halo: Reach Matchmaking Needs Your Help To Be Better

  Bungie is making some important and dramatic changes to multiplayer matchmaking in Halo: Reach, with a revamped set of online options that cater to the hardcore (see Arena mode) and new social settings that improve everyone else’s experience. Shacknews has a comprehensive look at Halo: Reach’s multiplayer side, which includes “Arena Playlists” targeted at the…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 18, 2010
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  Free MAG Content Incoming: Flashbangs, Fashion & Firearms

  The first batch of downloadable goodies for owners of the PlayStation 3 massively multiplayer shooter MAG will arrive next week, according to Zipper Interactive, bringing fresh outfits, disorienting grenades and all-new guns guns guns! That new stuff is all free. The “Trooper Gear Pack,” coming to players worldwide gratis on March 25, brings with it…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 18, 2010
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  The Tester: Episode 5: The “Buzz In Or Buzz Off” Liveblog: Dude, Luge!

  Another week, another 1GB worth of PlayStation 3 hard drive space eaten by The Tester, the PlayStation Network’s first reality show in which 11 hopefuls fight for a spot to play buggy PlayStation games until they’re less buggy. If you didn’t catch our admittedly late recap of last week’s show, in which The Tester contestants…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 18, 2010
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  Team Fortress 2 Gets Its First Batch Of Player Made Content

  Remember when Valve opened up the development of new Team Fortress 2 weapons and hats to the Team Fortress 2-loving community? No? Well, that first batch of player-made things is now available as part of the latest TF2 update. Sure, Valve has been releasing community made maps in official releases for ages, but thanks to…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 18, 2010
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  Haiku

  To: Ash From: Crecente Re: Today, My Barn Door Was Open (GAH) Tristan has been studying Japan this last month or so in school. Just yesterday he was telling me the age children started practicing swordplay. Anyway, I was going through his mound of graded school work, checking things over, when I came across this…

  By Brian Crecente Published March 18, 2010
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  Grand Theft Auto IV Episodes Delayed For PS3, PC Over “Minor Content Changes”

  Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City for the PlayStation and PC—and their individual downloadable episodes—won’t be making their previously scheduled release dates. Rockstar says the game will be delayed by two weeks to accommodate “minor content changes.” Rockstar says it is “forced” to delay the retail release and the downloadable episodes (Grand Theft Auto:…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 18, 2010
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  More Giant Robot Love From Front Mission Evolved

  Square Enix passed us the box art and a batch of new screens for Front Mission Evolved today, including at least one shot of a mech that seems to be joyously completing an upbeat dance routine. What won’t those giant robots do? That’s another giant robot-related prayer that Square Enix and Double Helix Games have…

  By Mike Fahey Published March 18, 2010