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  High or Low? Fantasy in Dragon Age

  Dragon Age: Origins Lead Writer David Gaider and BioWare heads Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk have different ideas about what high and low fantasy is; which may foretell a genre crisis for the game. Ideally, Origins is supposed to be a “new” kind of fantasy that does away with Zeschuk’s dreaded “elves sashaying through the…

  By AJ Glasser Published April 1, 2009
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  New PS3 Firmware Adds 16-Person In-Game Chat, Video Back Up

  PlayStation 3 firmware version 2.70 is due to be released “soon”—which often translates to “within hours”—bringing with it new text chat functions that can be used in-game. But wait, there’s more! The new text chat supports up to 16 users in up to 3 chat rooms, both in-game and out-of-game, making it that much easier…

  By Michael McWhertor Published April 1, 2009
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  Killzone Becomes, Of All Things, A Love Story

  Bravo, IGN. Bravo. Having set a high standard last April 1st with their Zelda movie trailer, this year, attention shifts to Killzone. And how it’s not a story about killing. It’s a story about love. More Videos at IGN.com

  By Luke Plunkett Published April 1, 2009
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  Dexter iPhone Preview: Dexter Does Interesting Things

  Dexter is a Showtime series about a forensics expert that secretly murders guilty suspects and collects samples of their blood. This is the game of that show made by a clothing designer. Yes, Marc Ecko – that Marc Ecko – has expanded his efforts from rhinoceros-branded jackets and hats into iPhone games. Dexter for the…

  By AJ Glasser Published April 1, 2009
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  Kratos’ Companion Cube Gets Unchained

  Did you know that there’s an extremely well-hidden cameo in God of War: Chains of Olympus? It’s the much deadlier, more ancient Companion Cube, the omega of all cubeforms, capable of kicking serious ass. Ready At Dawn writes today that the developer, known for its PSP expertise, was “surprised no one has found this one…

  By Michael McWhertor Published April 1, 2009
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  PlayStation Store Lets You Import PSP Shooters At Half The Price

  The recent release of Rei Cho Aniki—a remake of the original homoerotic side-scrolling shooter for the PSP—wasn’t cheap. But thanks to the PlayStation Store, cash-strapped importers can have it for a song. As Siliconera points out today, the digital download of Rei Cho Aniki, via the Hong Kong version of the PlayStation Store, is selling…

  By Michael McWhertor Published April 1, 2009
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  OnLive Founder Defends Game Changing Service: It “Will Work”

  Steve Perlman, one of the founders of the OnLive streaming video game service unveiled at last week’s GDC, has defended the innovations powering the PC gaming service, dismissing articles calling the technology “unworkable” as “ignorant.” While Perlman used that term specifically in regard to a Eurogamer editorial—”Why OnLive Can’t Possibly Work”—the outlet isn’t the only…

  By Michael McWhertor Published April 1, 2009
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  Explodemon! Brings Mega(ton) Man Platforming To PSN, WiiWare, PC

  Curve Studios Explodemon! sure looks a hell of a lot like Mega Man—but with a gameplay twist. The 2.5D action platformer stars a robotic hero with a knack for blowing himself up. Intentionally. Curve’s SNES-era throwback title, coming to PlayStation Network, WiiWare and PCs, uses an interesting mechanic—lots of explosions—to fight enemies, reach new areas…

  By Michael McWhertor Published April 1, 2009
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  Snow Lightning

  To: Ash From: Crecente Re: So, Yeah, I Did It, I Bought A Piece Of Japan It’s a total white out right now outside my window. I can’t see a thing but the trees a foot or two away from the glass. I can see occasional flashes of light and hear the ominous roll of…

  By Brian Crecente Published April 1, 2009
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  Sega’s Project RINGO Is… Another Puyo Pop Game

  The weeks-long series of teasers for Sega’s Project RINGO have turned out to be what many had speculated—the game is another entry in the long-running Puyo Puyo puzzle-game series. According to the latest issue of Famitsu Weekly, by way of 1UP, Sega will bring the color-matching puzzle stylings of Puyo Puyo 7 to the Wii,…

  By Michael McWhertor Published April 1, 2009
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  Valve Takes The Piss With Team Fortress 2 Sniper Class Update

  Valve’s Team Fortress 2 team pranksters have joined in on the April Fool’s Day fun, issuing what is (thankfully) not the Sniper class’ first unlockable, the jar of urine known as the Jarate. No shit. First seen in the “Meet the Sniper” promo video, the Jarate, if it were real, would let enemies “taste your…

  By Michael McWhertor Published April 1, 2009
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  Take-Two Trademarks Irrational Boston

  Could Take-Two be giving 2K Boston back their unique identity? A trademark application for Irrational Boston seems to point in that direction. Irrational Games was purchased by Take-Two back in early 2006, and then were “rewarded” with a name change to 2K Boston and 2K Australia in November of 2007, following the success of the…

  By Mike Fahey Published April 1, 2009
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  Blizzard, Your iPhone Keep Your WoW Account Safe

  For World of Warcraft players deadly serious about account security, Blizzard has released the Battle.net Mobile Authenticator for the iPhone. No need to carry a keychain ever again! The free iPhone app is now available for download through the iTunes App Store, giving World of Warcraft players peace of mind with the power of a…

  By Michael McWhertor Published April 1, 2009
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  LittleBigPlanet Community Nearly 2 Million Strong

  Sony dropped some impressive numbers regarding LittleBigPlanet today, the game that has “marked the coming of age of gaming as it moves into a new realm defined by creativity and community”. Words are nice, but numbers speak volumes. Nearly 2 million users have joined the LittleBigPlanet community since the game was launched back in November…

  By Mike Fahey Published April 1, 2009
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  Silent Hill Wii Remake Confirmed By Nintendo Power

  The newest issue of Nintendo Power features details and first screens of Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, the Wii-bound “re-imagining” of the original Silent Hill for the PlayStation. Konami says it’s far more than a remake. According to details culled from the new issue, via GoNintendo, producer Tomm Hulett says that the Wii game won’t necessarily…

  By Michael McWhertor Published April 1, 2009
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  PlayStation Home Xi ARG Mingles With Reality

  The alternate reality game Xi, which has made PlayStation Home a much more interesting place over the past week and a half is now leaking into the real world. So far clues to the Xi puzzle have either appeared in PlayStation Home or on select websites, but now clues are starting to appear on billboards…

  By Mike Fahey Published April 1, 2009
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  Tales Of Vesperia PS3-Bound, More Tales Spun

  The latest weekly issue of Japan’s Jump Magazine contains a veritable flood of Tales of news from Namco Bandai, announcing Tales of VS, Tales of Graces, and Tales of Vesperia for the PlayStation 3. The big news here for PlayStation 3 fans is the announcement of the previously Xbox 360 exclusive Tales of Vesperia for…

  By Mike Fahey Published April 1, 2009
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  Sega Bringing More Actual Arcade Games To Xbox Live Arcade

  The current XBLA offerings from Sega include, for the most part, games from the Sega Genesis era. Things like Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Ecco the Dolphin and Golden Axe. Thankfully, that’s changing. While the publisher is also bringing games like Virtual On Oratorio Tangram from arcades to home, it’s also digging in a little deeper,…

  By Michael McWhertor Published April 1, 2009
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  Syberia 3 Links PC And PS3

  Benoît Sokal’s award-winning adventure game series Syberia continues next year with Syberia 3, with PlayStation 3 and PC versions encouraging players to pool resources between them. The Syberia series kicked off in 2002 and then continued with a sequel in 2004, both following the adventures of American lawyer Kate Walker on her surreal adventures across…

  By Mike Fahey Published April 1, 2009
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  U.S. DSi Unboxing and Hands On

  Sure the cake was neat, but what about the DSi? That’s right I didn’t just get an edible DSi today, Nintendo also sent along the real thing. Take a gander at these fancy unboxing skills. Warning, because I went from outside box to the start-up and main menu, the video is nine minutes long. Ps.…

  By Brian Crecente Published April 1, 2009