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Posted by Kotaku Jul 15 2013 06:00 GMT
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Bernard Beneteau is a senior character artist at WB Games, where he most recently did a lot of work on fighting game Injustice. He's previously worked at Ubisoft and Midway. Prior to Injustice, Benetau also contributed to the Mortal Kombat reboot (MK9) and the MK vs DC game. You can see more Injustice art in our previous feature on Marco Nelor. You can see more of his work at his personal site and CGHub page. To see the larger pics in all their glory (or, if they’re big enough, so you can save them as wallpaper), click on the “expand” button in the bottom-right corner. Fine Art is a celebration of the work of video game artists, showcasing the best of both their professional and personal portfolios. If you're in the business and have some concept, environment, promotional or character art you'd like to share, drop us a line!

Posted by Kotaku Jul 15 2013 05:00 GMT
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Ghidoragh is the name of a New Zealand band who just put out their first EP, called Threat Level Ultra. It's fantastic. Not just because it's inspired by video games, and has a badass Roger Dean-inspired cover art reminiscent of old Psygnosis art, but because they skipped releasing it on vinyl or CD and are selling it on...3.5 inch floppy disk. OK, so they're also selling it digitally, but the tangible box set is the one you'd want, as it goes the extra mile in trying to be an old 80s PC game, even down to including a box and "manual". If you're wondering why I've been blindly scouring Bandcamp looking for video game tribute acts, truth is, I haven't. This is actually a project by some guys from Kiwi special effects house WETA, including Greg "Dr Grordbort" Broadmore and Christian Pearce, who was one of the main designers behind the look of Elysium. You can check out the digital version of the EP here, while the box set will cost you NZD$45.

Posted by Kotaku Jul 15 2013 03:00 GMT
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Dmitry Bronya is the man responsible for this incredible tattoo, which looks less like a heart or Koi fish, and more like something that'd protect you from a maniac swinging a giant blade. I normally look at tattoos and think that while it looks cool now, in 10, or 20, or 30 year's time, it'll look naff. But not this. Medieval armour has remained badass for 1000 years, another few decades won't see that come to an end. Tattoo of the week: Artist:Dmitry Bronya [Flickr, via Fashionably Geek]

Posted by IGN Jul 15 2013 02:05 GMT
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This Kickstarter darling has turned pariah, but look beyond the internet hate and there's plenty to love.

Posted by Kotaku Jul 15 2013 01:00 GMT
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That's how new show Saigo No Senshi is billed by its creators. And...it's pretty much on the money. People play games, games result in stupid challenges, the challenges result in physical pain. Sounds simple, but as with most kinds of shows of this type, it all hinges on the chemistry and humour of those involved. And these guys do a pretty good job! Saigo No Senshi (The Last Warrior) 01: Chilli Challenge [YouTube]

Posted by Kotaku Jul 15 2013 00:52 GMT
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As the business end of Evo 2013 approaches, and spectator numbers swell, there might be those among you who want to watch the action go down but have no idea what people are actually talking about. This handy guide, by the folks at Shoryuken, should help. You'll especially want to check out the "What on Earth are you talking about?" section down the bottom, which is a glossary explaining what "hype", "salty" and "bodied" - terms you'll probably hear a lot of for the rest of the day - actually mean. Don't forget, you can catch all the action live right here. How to Watch Evo 2013 [SRK]

Posted by Kotaku Jul 15 2013 00:00 GMT
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The closer we get to Comic-Con, the better the cosplay gets. That's not opinion, it's science. So this week's cosplay roundup is just a little better than last week's, and I imagine next week's will be even better still. Not that every costume here was made for the show. Obviously, many weren't. They'll have nothing to do with the big show in San Diego over the next weekend. But the middle of the year is a kind of cosplay "season", beginning around May with stuff like Anime Con and continuing through to Comic-Con and right on to Dragon Con in August, so it makes sense we're seeing people's best work now. To see the larger pics in all their glory (or, if they’re big enough, so you can save them as wallpaper), click on the “expand” button in the bottom-right corner. Fancy Pants is Kotaku's weekly round-up of the best in video game cosplay (costume play), where fans dress up as their favourite characters. As seen on chiquitita-cosplay. As seen on KellyJane. As seen on 0hagaren0. As seen on crystalcosfx. As seen on WindoftheStars. As seen on behindinfinity. As seen on la-esmeralda. As seen on ZevyLily. As seen on Aicosu.

Posted by Kotaku Jul 15 2013 00:15 GMT
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This upcoming remake of Rise of the Triad will get a "Ludicrous Development Kit" stocked with classic assets, letting users make levels that look like they came from 1995. The mod kit will be available after the game's launch on July 31. This video explains what to do with it.

Posted by Joystiq Jul 15 2013 00:30 GMT
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Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments sets a darker vibe than its predecessors, with an emphasis on humanizing the world's greatest detective and placing players inside of his head. The music in the teaser echoes these themes, but if you want a lighter feel, mute it and play this behind it.

Crimes and Punishments comes from series creator Frogwares, and we're already disturbed (in the best way) by its fresh perspective. It's due out in Q1 2014 for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 as a retail title.

Posted by IGN Jul 14 2013 18:53 GMT
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These Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 matches from day 2 of Evo 2013 will have you on the edge of your seat. Get hype!

Posted by Kotaku Jul 14 2013 18:19 GMT
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Valve, makers of 2007's Half Life 2: Episode 2, is reaching out to teenagers interested in games development through "Pipeline," a program being administered by the company's own interns. "[W]e are frequently asked questions by teenagers about the videogame industry," Valve wrote on the project's Web site. "'What is it like to work on videogames? What should I study? What colleges are best for preparing me? How do I get a job in videogames?' Pipeline will be a place where those questions can be discussed." Further, Valve says Pipeline will serve as an experiment. "Traditionally Valve has been a very good place for very experienced videogame developers, and not so good at teaching people straight out of school," the site explains. "Pipeline is an experiment to see if we can take a group of high school students with minimal work experience and train them in the skills and methods necessary to be successful at a company like Valve." All Pipeline is right now is this site and that video above, but who knows what it may become. If nothing else, it's interesting to see Valve cognizant of its own elite reputation, and making efforts to discover up-and-coming talent from less experienced ranks. Valve Pipeline [Valve]

Posted by Kotaku Jul 14 2013 17:41 GMT
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Dealvalanche. Steam Sale Day One | Steam Sale Day Two | Steam Sale Day Three | Current Moneysaver | GTAV PS3 Bundle | Vote for Gunpoint. • Community Sale Deadlight ($4) | Like I said before, been cheaper in bundles and such. • Flash Sale Impire ($5) | Unless I'm mistaken this is the worst reviewed game of the sale so far. • Flash Sale Doom 3 BFG Edition ($5) | I see a lot of retailers try to basically give this away to entice people into bundles. • Flash Sale Ace Combat Assault Horizon Enhanced Edition ($9) | Has there ever been a good Ace Combat? • Flash Sale NBA2K13 ($7.50) | I have actually had a lot of readers complain about getting this as part of 2K bundles. Don't even want it for free. • Lead Deal Kerbal Space Program ($14) | This is a pre-release game. I think it's actually the deal commenters have most requested in this sale. • Hitman Absolution ($6) | Repeat. • Sanctum 2 ($7.50) | I would wait for a bargain basement price if you're curious. • Total War Shogun 2 ($7.50) | Repeat • Fallout: New Vegas ($2.50) | Buy the $5 Ultimate Edition, which has been $4 in the past • Remember Me ($30) | This is another case where I don't think most come to the Steam sale to buy $30 items. This has also been this price before. • Portal 2 ($5) | This has of course been cheaper in bundles, etc., but a case can also be made for it being the best game of the generation, so there's that. • Eador Masters of the Broken World ($12) | Greenlight game. Looks cool, haven't played it, positive reviews. It's a good sale if you were in the market for it. • The Sims 3 ($15) | Barf. • Arma II ($4.41) | I would just wait for Arma III. Connect with Shane Roberts on Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, Tumblr, or Pinterest to get Moneysaver and Dealzmodo in your social networks of choice. Game with Shane on PSN and Steam. This is a Moneysaver One-Shot, a post focusing on a single deal, sale, or category. Join us every weekday at 2:15pm ET for the full Moneysaver roundup, brought to you by the Commerce Team. We're here to bring Kotaku readers the best gaming deals available, and to be clear, we also make money if you buy. We want your feedback.

Posted by Kotaku Jul 14 2013 16:30 GMT
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The Life. Love. Game Design Challenge to increase awareness of teen dating violence has named its winners. The contest is run by Jennifer Ann's Group, founded in memory of Jennifer Crecente, the niece of former Kotaku editor-in-chief Brian Crecente. She was murdered by a classmate the day after Valentine's Day in 2006.

Posted by Kotaku Jul 14 2013 16:00 GMT
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We had a thin week for timely exploitables, but this piece of art from Grand Theft Auto V caught my eye. It's like it was made for the 'Shop Contest, and it's your challenge this week. The sister (or girlfriend? What's the relationship here?) is almost totally unobstructed, as is our surly gamer up front, and his head is easily swappable (even with the headset and microphone). While there's not a real news story behind this week's exploitable, it's the best thing available, considering Fahey went and stole the week's best joke already. Source Image: *crag* off, I'm playing games. While most of you are smart enough to figure out how to upload images, here are some simple steps to take for those less familiar with the practice. 1. Create your 'Shop and save it to your desktop. 2. Go to the bottom of this post and click "Discuss." 3. This brings up a comment window. Click the icon that looks like a picture. 4. This brings up another window called "Insert Image." Click "Choose file" if you're uploading your 'shop from your desktop 5. Alternatively, you can upload the 'Shop to a free image hosting service. I suggest imgur. Then paste the image's URL into the field that says "Image URL." Note: this must be the URL of the image itself, not the page where it is displayed. That means the URL ends in .jpg, .gif, .png, whatever. 6. Add editorial commentary and hit submit and your image will load. If it doesn't, upload the image to imgur and paste the image URL as a comment. I promise I will look at it. 7. Large-size images may not upload properly, though we have seen some big-ass animated .gifs upwards of 5 MB. If you're still having trouble uploading the image, try to keep its longest dimension (horizontal or vertical) under 1000 pixels, or the whole thing under 2 MB. Alright! Have at it. Thanks very much for your participation. To contact the author of this post, write to owen@kotaku.com or find him on Twitter @owengood.

Posted by Kotaku Jul 14 2013 15:30 GMT
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Bohemia Interactive, makers of ArmA II, has reset all of its user's passwords in light of a security breach that exposed their login details. Bohemia assures that no credit card information was involved in the breach, and that the passwords themselves were encrypted. Still, users must request a new one here.

Posted by Kotaku Jul 14 2013 14:00 GMT
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Welcome to Kotaku's Sunday Comics, your weekly roundup of the best webcomics, chosen by our readership. The images enlarge if you click on the magnifying glass icon in the lower right corner. Nerf NOW!! by Josué Pereira. Published July 10. Read more of Nerf NOW!! Penny Arcade by Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik. Published July 8. Read more of Penny Arcade Awkward Zombie by Katie Tiedrich. Published July 8. Read more of Awkward Zombie Manly Guys Doing Manly Things by Kelly Turnbull. Published July 8. Read more of Manly Guys Doing Manly Things Brentalfloss the Comic by Brent Black, Andrew Dobson and Dan Roth. Published July 11. Read more of Brentalfloss the Comic Virtual Shackles by Jace Proctor and Colin Adams. Published July 8. Read more of Virtual Shackles Corpse Run by Alex Di Stasi. Published July 8. Read more of Corpse Run Nerd Rage by Andy Kluthe. Published July 12. Read more of Nerd Rage

Posted by Kotaku Jul 14 2013 07:02 GMT
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As promised last month, the relaunched Hostess Brands has brought Twinkies, Cup Cakes and other magical snacks back to America's store shelves after disappearing last November. I have sampled one of each of these, and the only difference is the sweet taste of relief and an incredibly unnatural freshness. Our national nightmare is over.

Posted by Kotaku Jul 13 2013 23:00 GMT
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Who knew at the time, really? The business was so new, the fame so fleeting, no one could possible anticipate that Don Mattrick (above, right) would go from teenage video game whiz kid to, someday, the subject of the Kotaku 'Shop Contest. At last that honor has arrived, courtesy of overall winner arniejolt, and a dozen more finalists inside! To recap, in March 1983, the teenaged Mattrick—the outgoing Xbox boss and incoming Zynga chief—went on a newsmakers quiz show in Canada with his partner, Jeff Sember, to bask in their success starting the studio that would later become EA Canada. Screencaps from that appearance are what you see in the roundup below. Enjoy! See you back here tomorrow. Anshin arniejolt captainyesterday dermisgermis Docherty farksale Gaucho85 Mexichu Robot-city-games sciteach SteveFish Wisley64 wyverntear To contact the author of this post, write to owen@kotaku.com or find him on Twitter @owengood.

Posted by Kotaku Jul 13 2013 21:30 GMT
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The PlayStation 4 will be hands-on for the public for the first time this coming week at Comic-Con 2013. Good, those lines shouldn't be soul-crushingly long or anything. If you're lucky enough to play the thing, Drive Club, Knack and Octodad: Dadliest Catch will be the demo titles.

Posted by Kotaku Jul 13 2013 19:30 GMT
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Sony has abandoned its appeal of the fine assessed by the U.K.'s Information Commissioner's Office for negligence in the infamous 2011 breach of users' information that brought down all of PlayStation Network for more than a month. In January, the ICO assessed Sony a £250,000 penalty which ... subtract 32 ... multiply by 5 ... divide by 9—*crag* it, I can't convert metric—is something more than $250,000 in the U.S. In either case, I'm sure Sony has that under its couch cushions, and then some. In a statement to CVG, Sony said it was abandoning its appeal not as an admission of guilt, but because to continue the dispute meant it would have to disclose sensitive data. "After careful consideration we are withdrawing our appeal," a Sony representative told CVG. "This decision reflects our commitment to protect the confidentiality of our network security from disclosures in the course of the proceeding. We continue to disagree with the decision on the merits." Firm agrees to pay £250k fine in order to 'safeguard network security' [CVG]

Posted by Kotaku Jul 13 2013 17:25 GMT
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Steaming pile of deals. Steam Sale Day One | Steam Sale Day Two | Current Moneysaver | GTAV PS3 Bundle I'm throwing in for Incredipede in the current voting. Antichamber deal is a repeat. • Community Sale Hitman Absolution ($6.24) | Not the cheapest it's been, but probably an easy buy if you're a fan of the series and have been putting this off. • Flash Sale L.A. Noire ($10) | Pass, been bundled with other games and/or its DLC for better prices, will be again. • Flash Sale Kinetic Void ($7) | Price seems good, got nothing on the quality. • Flash Sale Blood Bowl Chaos Edition ($7.50) | Pretty rough game, I'd wait for a bargain basement sale if you really want it • Flash Sale Battlefield Bad Company 2 ($6) | I would wait for one of the million new shooters coming out, and this is not the best price ever anyway • Tomb Raider ($12.50) | Lowest ever, do it • Mars War Logs ($10) | They pulled this down from the front page immediately on day one, doesn't look any better today • RPG Maker VX Ace ($24) | Most expensive game on the page, if you want this you already know • Stardrive ($10) | Also not a great game • Sniper Elite Nazi Zombie Army ($5) | Bad game with zombies is still bad • The Witcher 2 Enhanced Edition ($5) | One of the best games of the generation, close to the lowest price, easy recommendation • Resident Evil 6 ($20) | If this was like 4 bucks I'd tell you to get it as a curiosity, but not for $20 • Might and Magic Heroes VI ($10) | This could stand to be cheaper, but if you're a fan go for it • Borderlands 2 ($10) | Again? We already had this as a community deal, and it wasn't good then either. • Age of Empires II HD ($10) | Buy it on Amazon for $8.50 using one-time use code GOONCAVE • Gunpoint [Steam/DRM-free] ($9) | Humble Store • FTL [Steam] ($2.12) | Amazon | Lowest price ever | Use one-time use code GOONCAVE • The Walking Dead [Steam] ($5.31) | Amazon | Lowest non-Humble price ever | Use one-time use code GOONCAVE • Crysis 3 [Origin] ($17) | Amazon | Use one-time use code GOONCAVE • Battlefield 3 Premium Edition [Origin] ($17) | Amazon | Use one-time use code GOONCAVE • Mass Effect Trilogy [Origin] ($16) | Gamefly | Use code GFDJUL20 | US and Canada Only • Crysis 1 + 2 Maximum + Warhead + Wars ($12) | Gamefly | Use code GFDJUL20 | US and Canada Only • Dragon Age Ultimate + 2 [Origin] ($10) | Gamefly | Use code GFDJUL20 | US and Canada Only • Kingdoms of Amalur Complete [Origin] ($8) | Gamefly | Use code GFDJUL20 | US and Canada Only • Dead Space 1 +2 ($8) | Gamefly | Use code GFDJUL20 | US and Canada Only • Amnesia ($2.50) | Amazon | Use one-time use code GOONCAVE • Hotline: Miami [Steam] ($2) | Amazon | Use one-time use code GOONCAVE • The Cave [Mac version, DRM-free] ($4) | Mac App Store via 9to5Toys Connect with Shane Roberts on Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, Tumblr, or Pinterest to get Moneysaver and Dealzmodo in your social networks of choice. Game with Shane on PSN and Steam. This is a Moneysaver One-Shot, a post focusing on a single deal, sale, or category. Join us every weekday at 2:15pm ET for the full Moneysaver roundup, brought to you by the Commerce Team. We're here to bring Kotaku readers the best gaming deals available, and to be clear, we also make money if you buy. We want your feedback.

Posted by Kotaku Jul 13 2013 16:00 GMT
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You can't write headlines much weirder than that, but it is not in dispute that Keith Wiens, a retired Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer, shot and killed his common-law wife after she demanded that he pay up—in foreplay, evidently—for losing to her in a Wii game. Wiens told a jury in British Columbia that he acted in self defense on that night in August 2011, and that his wife, Lynn Kalmring, attacked him with a knife. The two had had a rapidly escalating argument since getting drunk and playing Wii and making wagers "of a sexual nature," on the games. When Wiens went upstairs to go to bed after playing the console, he found sex toys on his pillow. He brushed them aside, saying he needed to rest up for a round of golf the next day. "He said Kalmring became upset when she saw that he was not in the mood to settle the bet," reports the Penticton Western News. Kalmring then broke out that no-win accusation: "You're not attracted to me, are you," and though Wiens said he assured her he was, he was just tired, the argument dissolved into an expletive-filled tirade. He said his wife left the bedroom, returned with a knife and rushed him; Wiens had already armed himself with a pistol he kept in his bedside table, saying he feared for his life. He shot her once in the head. A forensic pathologist earlier testified that he believed a knife police found in Kalmring's hand had been placed there after her death, reasoning she would have dropped it when she was shot. Accused murderer tells court argument began with bet on video game. [Penticton Western News via GamePolitics]

Posted by Kotaku Jul 13 2013 14:00 GMT
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What's happened in the business of video games this past week ... QUOTE | "The Wii U feels like an offline experience right now."—Peter Moore, COO of Electronic Arts, talking about why the publisher isn't working on Wii U titles. QUOTE | "We're always so tongue-in-cheek and irreverent about it, that I think people get that...it's all in good fun ."—Volition's Jim Boone, talking about why he thinks the Saints Row series doesn't get cited as a bad influence like Grand Theft Auto. QUOTE | "We believe that within the next five years, what we are calling 'eyephones' will replace iPhones."—Mind Pirates CEO Shawn Hardin, talking about why his company is focusing on games for wearable devices. QUOTE | "I'm pretty surprised. I thought there were some good candidates on the senior leadership team."—Analyst P.J. McNealy of Digital World Research, commenting on the selection of Julie Larson-Green to head up Microsoft's Xbox unit. QUOTE | "I think we've really explored the limits of how we can innovate in the [FPS] genre."—Minh Le, co-creator of Counter Strike, talking about the future of the FPS and free-to-play. QUOTE | "Thanks to independent developers ... you have the Steven Spielbergs of our industry coming out of one- and two-man teams."—SCEA head Jack Tretton, talking about why he thinks the most talented developers come from indies. QUOTE | "A lot of gamers are going to stick by their Xbox 360s, Wii/Wii Us, and PS3s at least until the 2014 holiday season."—Analyst Lewis Ward of IDC, talking about why he thinks GTA V is so good it may hurt sales of next-gen consoles. STAT | $10 million—Amount per day that the top free-to-play mobile games will earn in a few years, according to Boss Alien founder Jason Avent; GungHo's Puzzle & Dragons is already making $4 million per day. QUOTE | "We need everyday, mainstream media to devote space to different kinds of games coverage."—Legendary designer Warren Spector, talking about how the game industry would benefit from popular game critics. STAT | 3.4 million—Number of copies of The Last of Us sold so far this year; this makes it the fastest-selling PS3 title of 2013. This Week in the Business courtesy of GamesIndustry International Image by Shutterstock

Posted by Kotaku Jul 13 2013 10:00 GMT
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Oh, hello weekend. How I've longed for you. If you're just catching up on some gaming news and Kotaku articles, you can see my round-up of the highlights over at Kotaku Selects. This week included GTA V new trailer day, as well as Ash's amazing photoshop post, so there's definitely some fun stuff in there for you. Remember Twitter the Comic? Aka one of my favorite Tumblrs ever? We got another video game-centric panel recently and I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to share it here. Enjoy! To contact the author of this post, write to tina@kotaku.com or find her on Twitter at @tinaamini.

Posted by Kotaku Jul 13 2013 02:00 GMT
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This is it, people: the final season of Dexter, the show about a serial killer that kills serial killers (and sometimes other people, too). How are you liking the latest season? It's been nerve-wracking for me—there's so much in the air for Dexter. Deb hates him—that one scene where she says that he's the one that's lost? Oof. The girl is tumbling, but that's to be expected. Dexter on the other hand is losing it in a way that he can't afford—recall all the scenes where he gets angry? It makes for good drama, but at the same time, I'm hoping it's not just a set-up for Dexter's redemption. I say that because there's a scene where Vogel says that psychopaths don't get angry like Dexter does, and she often seems surprised about the emotions that Dexter feels. And the entire point of the show, really, is about how Dexter isn't completely heartless and psychopathic. He feels things. He cares about people. He almost gives murder up at one point. It makes for an interesting show with lots of room for nuance, but to just have some happily ever after ending where Dexter turns around and becomes "normal" would be boring. Vogel is a curious character; I wasn't expecting the show to introduce a mother figure. At times the relationship can feel rather awkward, though—but maybe that's just because the characters don't know or trust each other yet. So far everyone that's encouraged Dexter has turned out to be insane, so I won't put too much hope in Vogel. Something will end up being wrong with her. There's gotta be a reason that one serial killer is targeting her, right? And what about her experiments with psychopaths? Something is wrong there, I just know it. We can't forget about Hannah, too. I'm sad that she really did end up trying to poison Deb, because I would have liked to see a relationship work with Dexter. But at the same time, it gives me hope that they're not just going to give us that happily ever after—characters might evolve and change, but they can't outrun their nature. Watch them not go for a happily ever after ending, or a "everything goes to shit" ending for Dexter (having Dexter die, go to jail, that sort of thing). Watch it just be some cliffhanger that suggests that the cycle continues, and Harrison is likely to become a murderer too. We'll see. What's obvious now is that the show is amping up.

Posted by Kotaku Jul 13 2013 01:30 GMT
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Remember the other week, when I promised a brand new Week in Gaming Apps that would change everything forever. Forget that. I was contact drunk. Let's get back to the tried-and-true format of yesterweeks, just in time for some of the greatest games ever. Seriously. Hidden within this week's apps are some of the finest games to ever grace a tablet, Android, iOS or otherwise. I'd name them specifically, but I wouldn't want Baseball Slame, Groove Racer, Super Paper Pool, Wheel of Fortune Cubed, Black Gate: Inferno, Smooth Operators, Blastron or Turd Birds to feel inferior. They are like my children, and I will not pick favorites (Archer). Hey look, there are the games I've played over the past two weeks! Sprinkle Islands - Android, iOS - $1.99 Once there was an amazing fluid dynamics-heavy puzzle game called Sprinkle. Then it got even better, with floating objects and impressive boss battles. So good. Black Gate: Inferno - iOS - Free It's an MMO! A Diablo-style MMO, to be exact. Not exactly PC quality, but it gets the job done. Smooth Operators - iOS - $2.99 Having worked in a tech support call center for seven years, this call center management sim makes me realize what a pain-in-the-ass I was back then. Turd Birds - Android, iOS - Free I just wanted to say "Turd Birds" again. Cannon Crasha - iOS - $.99 Oh holy god, this is so good. It's one part defense, one part trajectory strategy, and several parts old school video game reference. So much win here. Wheel of Fortune Cubed - iOS - $.99 A clever, social way to play the game show. Players take turns selecting consonants and then attempting to solve a 5x5 crossword-like grid. There is wheel-spinning! And a single-player mode for the anti-social types. Blastron - iOS - Free You ever wish Worms had customizeable robots instead? Well here you go, Roger. It's free-to-play, which in this case means folks can spend money on better weapons, but the single-player campaign is unsullied by big budgets. Super Paper Pool - Android, iOS — Free, $1.99 A gorgeous little pool-meets mini-golf sort of game. The challenge is high, but so is the sense of accomplishment. Groove Racer - iOS - Free It's slot car racing, but incredibly pretty slot car racing. It's free as well, which is a plus. Not a lot of substance, but tons of style. Tiny Thief - Android, iOS - $2.99 This is a delightful puzzle/adventure/stealth game — an odd combinnation you really have to play. Seriously. Go play it. Now. Ignore Baseball Slam. Baseball Slam - iOS - Free I told you to ignore this one. What the hell? Okay, fine. This is actually a pretty nifty...baseball...puzzle...action something. Really rather cool.

Posted by Kotaku Jul 13 2013 01:00 GMT
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Following on the heels of the not-so-great iPhone game, Pacific Rim: The Video Game is out today on Xbox Live Arcade. I have to be honest with you, I hope the movie is more exciting. Watch the video above to see the Jaegers and the Kaiju go at it. Slowly. You can pick up Pacific Rim on the Xbox Live Arcade for 800 MS points today, if you aren't on line for the actual movie.

Posted by Kotaku Jul 12 2013 21:30 GMT
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Consoles might often just be black boxes, but that doesn't stop anyone from fetishizing the hardware. The PS4 is no exception—just look at this video by T3, which some might compare to porn. Hardware porn, that is—which requires you to look at a console in a different way than you might normally. I'd seen the PS4 and its controller before, but not quite like this. PS4 revealed: Every inch and angle of the PlayStation 4 covered [T3]

Posted by Kotaku Jul 12 2013 21:00 GMT
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This week's Ask Kotaku is special because it features guest host Evan Narcisse, who also happens to be celebrating his birthday today! Wooo! Happy birthday, Evan! In this week's advice column, Evan and I answer some of your questions on family life, heartbreak and Kotaku. It's a long one—since we both offer our perspectives on each question—but I've broken the video down for you by each segment as per usual. 00:26 The process of reviewing a video game 03:29 How we feel about the reviewing process, and what would make it easier 08:35 How Evan and I are feeling. Like, emotionally. 09:10 How to deal with heartbreak 12:08 Finding a way to bond with family members you have nothing in common with 16:57 Is Kotaku our respective dream jobs and do we miss the old Kotaku? Evan and I hope that our answers shed some light on life and Kotaku life, and don't forget to email me questions for next week's column. Music credit. To contact the author of this post, write to tina@kotaku.com or find her on Twitter at @tinaamini.

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Posted by Kotaku Jul 12 2013 20:30 GMT
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You didn't realize tomorrow is National French Fry Day, did you? How come you always forget the yearly nationwide celebration of fried potato sticks, but a major corporation like Frito-Lay preps ahead of time, rolling out a brand-new Ruffles product to coincide with the holiday? Oh don't give me that commercial holiday bullshit. Tomorrow is an earnest celebration of the fried potato, and all Frito-Lay wants to do is praise them like it should, with the release of Ruffles Crispy Fries, the *reads press release* "first-ever fry-shaped snacks sliced from real potatoes." I researched it, and that claim is actually true. Most traditional fry-shaped snacks that aren't actually French fries are actually shaped from potato-heavy dough. They are to the French fry what the Chicken McNugget is to common decency — an abomination. What Ruffles has done is slice potatoes into fries and — I don't know, really. Perhaps they are dehydrated somehow? They're the sort of French fries the astronauts would eat? Whatever the end result is crispy potato strips that, without touching them, can easily be mistaken for real French fries. A quick glance at the ingredients on the back of the plain variety bag indicates that they contain potatoes, vegetable oil and salt — that's all. The cheese variety has about 30 more ingredients and 20 more calories a bag, so if you're looking for a healthy snack YOU SHOULD NOT BE BUYING CRISPS. The back of a bag of Ruffles Crispy Fries suggests the product is the answer to an age-old conundrum — potato chips or fries? Long have snackologists po...fries. Every damn time, fries. Chips are wonderful if you're in the mood for them, but the only way they'd win that fight is if they slipped between your teeth and sliced open your gums. But the marketing angle is sound. These taste and feel like the halfway point between chips and fries. Pop a handful in your mouth and suck on the for a few moments, and it's pretty much as if you'd just stuffed your gob with pre-chewed French fries. Or French fries you yourself chewed, if that makes you feel better. I have prepared a short video featuring the product. You're welcome. Oh, and the bag suggests microwaving them for 30 seconds if you prefer your fries hot.Another excellent suggestion from bag. Bag never steers you wrong. While I appreciate Frito-Lay's earnest attempt to honor the French fry, I have to say that these Crispy Fries are no substitute for the real thing. If anything they just make me crave the real thing, smothered in gravy and melted cheese. At least Frito-Lay took the extra effort to work up a visual tribute to this product's inspiration — an obvious work of love, and not marketing. Take that, you skeptics. Snacktaku is Kotaku's take on the wild and wonderful world of eating things, but not eating meals. Eating meals is for those with too much time on their hands. Past critiques can be found at the Snacktaku review archive.