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  Fashion Fantasy Knows What Girls REALLY Want For Christmas

  Social networking/online game, Fashion Fantasy Game, surveyed over 2,500 teen girls to see what they want for Christmas this year. The answer? Cash. I guess they’ve finally grown out of that I-want-a-pony phase. Fashion Fantasy found that after the 65% that wanted cold, hard cash for Christmas, a whopping 59% wanted a laptop. Coming in…

  By AJ Glasser Published December 23, 2009
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  Kotaku Talk Radio is Live: Let’s Talk With The Inventor Of Scribblenauts

  Jeremiah Slaczka, the visionary behind Scribblenauts and other creative Nintendo DS games from studio 5th Cell is today’s guest on our live Kotaku podcast. We’re starting now. Call in. You could be live on the air with me and Jeremiah. Ask good questions! To listen, head over to our BlogTalkRadio page. Unfortunately, you can only…

  By Stephen Totilo Published December 23, 2009
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  This Week In Video Game Comics

  It’s a vaguely BioWare-related week of gaming comics hitting shops in the U.S. We’ve got Sonic and KOTOR. Sonic Universe #11 Written by Ian Flynn. Drawn by Tracy Yardley. Summary Via Publisher Archie Comics: Echoes of the Past Part 3 New mysteries arise, along with new faces – both good and evil! But is everyone…

  By Stephen Totilo Published December 23, 2009
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  The Batman-Maker Who Didn’t Know The Meaning Of GOTY

  Some day this past summer, Sefton Hill was browsing the Internet, reading comments about the demo for Batman: Arkham Asylum. He came across an acronym he didn’t know: GOTY. The lead creator of Arkham Asylum, he would learn it. Feedback about Arkham Asylum has been illuminating and, yes, even educational for Hill in 2009. This…

  By Stephen Totilo Published December 23, 2009
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  Snuggle Up With Kingdom Hearts

  And you won’t even have to worry about being poked with a keyblade. This is an officially licensed “comfy throw blanket with sleeves” — because regular blankets are just not comfy enough. Sleeves make everything better. So does Disney. And keyblades. And punch. Man, we love punch. Thanks ZeroGinc for the tip!

  By Brian Ashcraft Published December 23, 2009
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  Kotaku Contest Reminder: Are You The Americas’ Top Zelda Fan?

  If you are the biggest Zelda fan and desire a $1000 gift card for the Nintendo Store, (!) a signed DS, (!!) a copy of the new Zelda game, (!!!) and/or a Biggest Zelda Fan Trophy, enter our Zelda contest. Ends December 31. Don’t post entries here. See the link above for full contest rules.…

  By Stephen Totilo Published December 23, 2009
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  What The Video Game Industry Wants For Christmas

  Christmas is a time for giving, yes, but it’s also a time for receiving. Which is more important. And while we know what we want for Christmas, we wondered: what do the big names of the video game industry want? Wondering got us to asking, so we asked around. And people like Ken Levine, Sid…

  By Luke Plunkett Published December 23, 2009
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  Xbox 360 Modern Warfare 2 Patched Up, All Better

  A patch for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has hit Xbox LIVE, fixing exploits like the Akimbo glitch. Hooray. The patch is live on U.S. servers, so if you live there, download. If it’s live elsewhere, you can download it as well. So there you go. Thanks to all who sent this in!

  By Brian Ashcraft Published December 23, 2009
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  Talk Amongst Yourselves

  The most effective way to get in the holiday spirit is to comment here about video games. Merry TAY to you! Confused about commenting on Kotaku? Read our FAQ.

  By Stephen Totilo Published December 23, 2009
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  Look What I Caught This Weekend!

  To: Totilo From: Bashcraft RE: A Moral Quandary Worthy Of A BioWare Epic Not a baby, I made the baby. The dead starfish! And by “caught”, I meant walking along the Florida beach and finding a dead starfish on the shore. My mom is from Florida, so it was nice to get away for a…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published December 23, 2009
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  Brittany Murphy Also Did Game Voice Work

  But these days, what actor hasn’t? Still, with the sad news of Brittany Murphy’s passing, it’s not only time to look back at her movies, but her career as a voice artist. She voiced Karen Light in Marc Ecko’s Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure as well as Gloria in the Happy Feet game and movie.…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published December 23, 2009
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  Look At The SEGA Europe Christmas Tree, Do It

  Sonic gives it thumbs up — as seen on flickr via UK:R.

  By Brian Ashcraft Published December 23, 2009
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  Pricey PS3 Fighting Stick Ready To Beat Up Dec. 24

  Looking for a good fighting stick? Japanese peripheral maker Hori is releasing its latest Real Arcade Pro stick, the V3 SA, on December 24. That’s, like, tomorrow. Priced at ¥12,800 (US$140) for the PS2, the V3 SA version has a slightly curved front instead of a sharp edge like some other older fighting sticks. It’s…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published December 23, 2009
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  Pikachu Girl Wants You To Join The Manga & Anime Club

  As seen on Otaku2.

  By Brian Ashcraft Published December 23, 2009
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  Love Plus Cake Draws Long Lines

  It’s a Christmas tradition in Japan to eat cake with your loved ones. So here’s where Konami’s DS love simulator Love Plus comes in. A special “Love Plus Merry Plumas Campaign” (Plusmas, geddit?) ran at three Tokyo-area cake shops — with each cafe selling a different version of the Love Plus girls, Nene, Rinko and…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published December 23, 2009
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  What’s With All The War Video Games?

  In the 1940s, 1950s and right on through the 1960s, Hollywood churned out war epic after war epic. Sure, we still get war movies, but Hollywood isn’t exactly popping them out bam bam bam. Video game developers are. But why? Let’s get the obvious out of the way — these games make serious dough. “Business…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published December 23, 2009
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  The Giant 1/1 Scale Gundam Statue RETURNS!

  Missed the 1/1 scale giant Gundam when it was in Tokyo’s Odaiba this past summer? It may be long gone, but that doesn’t mean the chances of you seeing it are kaput. Far from it! A Bandai Namco spokesperson has revealed that the huge 18-meter statue will be once again erected in the city of…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published December 23, 2009
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  Konami Game Inspires Schoolgirl Massage Parlor

  Love Plus is a popular DS dating sim from Konami — in Japan, it’s the sleeper hit of the year or something! The game allows players to date in-game characters. This Love Plus is something else entirely. Located right up the street from Shibuya 109, Love Plus is also a newly opened massage parlor. Look,…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published December 23, 2009
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  DSi Launches In China

  The Nintendo DSi has finally gone on sale in China. If someone asks you what the launch looked like, point to them right here and confidentially say, “This!” Photos come courtesy of reader Brian (no relation), who snapped them in downtown Puxi, Shanghai. “This was set up outside a subway station and shopping district,” writes…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published December 23, 2009
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  See Nintendo’s Zangeki No Reginleiv In Bloody, Limb Chopping Action

  Nintendo isn’t normally in the business of publishing bloody, violent M-rated—or, in Japan’s case, CERO D rated—games for its hardware. In fact, Zangeki No Reginleiv will likely be the first Wii game to carry such a high rating. But blood shall flow and limbs shall be neatly severed in Zangeki No Reginleiv, a game announced…

  By Michael McWhertor Published December 23, 2009