It's called Sense-Roid. It's a hug simulator.

Hugging the mannequin creates corresponding pressure in the Sense-Roid vest. Here's how it works: on the mannequin there are force sensors that release corresponding pressure via air pressure valves in a vest worn in the video by brilliant, but possibly lonely scientists.

"When people frist try out Sense-Roid, they think it's creepy," said researcher Nobuhiro Takahashi. "But gradually, they start feeling safe and secure."

Sense-Roid isn't quite ready for production. Researchers hope to use the Sense-Roid for therapy or even for massage. A Sense-Roid user could massage the mannequin, and then the corresponding area in the vest would be "massaged".

Japanese netizens, however, are humorously saying this would be perfect for adult video games and dating sims. There's already an "hands free", ahem, pump. Hugging seems like a natural, if not overdue, evolution.

If Nobuhiro Takahashi looks familiar, that's because he's also developed a kissing simulator that could simulate kissing between lovers—or even between an idol and fans. What's more, it could also creep you out.

This video, of Wii RPG Xenoblade Chronicles running in English, will be cause for both joy and consternation, depending on where you live.

For those in Europe, particularly the British Isles, joy, as you not only see the game with English text, but can hear the English voice-over work as well. And it is very English (it's a great touch when the accents used go beyond "Imperial Officer" or "Medieval Person").

For those in America, well, as of now you have no release date for the game. Though that may change!

Donned in camo fatigues and bulletproof vests, four masked men were on a villa rooftop near a government building in Abu Dhabi. Special forces arrived and arrested the four men. The men were carrying fake guns as well as plastic and metal clubs. They were videotaping themselves roleplaying.

According to daily newspaper The National, Col. Ibrahim Sultan Al Zaabi, chief of the city's Al Shaabiya police station, called the men's behavior "absurd, childish, and unjustifiable". The top cop is now calling for a ban on importing violent video games, blaming a "culture of violence among children".

The National added that he was also calling for a ban on the sale of fake weapons and firecrackers, too. Making guns out of your fingers and saying "bang" are safe for now.

UAE special forces raid fake gun wielding game, UAE General News [Maktoob News Thanks, Alaa!]

Lucasarts (and Indy) fans, hold onto your fedoras: this arts & craft session is going to blow your mind.

Super-fan Fedora Smith builds replicas and nick-nacks based on Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and Indiana Jones flicks. So his Flickr page is home to loads of amazing tributes to the franchises, like a perfect recreation of Dr. Jones (Senior) journal from Last Crusade.

What we're most interested in, though, are his replica items from classic 1992 adventure game Indiana Jones & the Fate of Atlantis. Yes, Smith has won himself a lifetime of brownie points from this Lucasarts tragic, recreating an Atlantean horned idol, Indy's journal from the game, the World Stone, Mrs. Hapgood's medallion, even some of those powerful little beads.

The best part? You can actually buy some of it, as he's selling the medallion and idol on his website.

If you are a long, long time Kotaku reader, you'll know that Wonderland's Alice Taylor once graced us with her writing talents, turning out witty and charming posts.

Taylor's also known for her work at Channel 4, where she commissioned award-winning games for the broadcaster. Her next venture is Makielab, a toy and game company.

Here's the official description: "Makielab is building a system of social & mobile games that create customisable toys and collectibles from the same dataset."

Along with Taylor, co-founders include Luke Petre who built back-end tools for Little Big Planet 1 and 2, producer Jo Roach, and Sulka Haro of Habbo Hotel fame.

The group's first product is slated to alpha later this year. It's a dolls and action figure property that includes games and customization tools. Until then!

Makielab [Wonderland]

People always talk about the uncanny valley in terms of relating to a human face. Few people stop to wonder what it means for games—like Cabela's Big Game Hunter 2012 here—where you shoot innocent animals in the face instead.

For summer 2011, Sony is offering a trio of PSP value packs, each priced at ¥17,800 (US$220). They come in Piano Black, Vibrant Blue, and Blossom Pink. Colors we've seen before, but they go on sale July 28 in Japan.

"PSP®「プレイステーション・ポータブル」（PSP-3000）バリューパック" 希望小売価格：17,800円（税込）　2011年7月28日（木）発売 [Sony]

Journey looks like one of 2011's most interesting—not to mention most beautiful—games, indie downloadable title or not. It was playable for a very privileged few at E3, but over the next week will be playable by a slightly less privileged few.

Sony will be running a closed beta for the exploration game, beginning today, June 28, and running until July 12. You can't sign up or ask nicely for a code; instead, they're being sent out to any PlayStation Plus subscribers who were also the "earliest adopters of Flower" (the developer's last PSN game) and via code giveaways on places like the game's official Facebook page.

Those who bought Flower early, if you're invited it'll turn up in your XMB notifications. So get checking!

Every story's gotta start somewhere. This one starts in Hiroshima, with three girls who had the same kanji character in their names, 香. The character means "fragrance", and the group was Perfume.

Formed in 2000, Perfume was Ayaka Nishiwaki, Yuka Kashino, and Yuka Kawashima, who soon left the group and was replaced by Ayano Omoto. The trio would go on to tap Tokyo's gaming and otaku culture as they became one of the country's biggest groups.

The group's early singles, like "Sweet Donuts" and "Vitamin Drop" were influenced by Shibuya-kei. Shibuya-kei was a style of music and fashion popular during the 1990s. Wearing French pop on its sleeve, groups like Pizzicato Five epitomized Shibuya-kei. The group's Shibuya-kei influences were no accident. Perfume was being produced by Yasutaka Nakata, who also wrote their lyrics. Nakata was behind late 90s neo Shibuya-kei group Capsule.

An early, 2004 single, "Monochrome Effect"—famously featured on American Dad—wasn't a hit in Japan and didn't even break the top 100 on the sales chart, but it would provide a blueprint of sorts for Perfume's geeky, techno-infused pop. The song came out just as chiptune music was being commercialised.

Later that year, the group retrenched and relocated to Akihabara. Perfume began performing on the Akiba sidewalks as street idols and hanging out with voice actress and singer Haruko Momoi. It was during this time that Perfume began accumulating the nerd cred it needed.

Singles like "Computer City" and "Electro World" showed Akihabara's influence. Perfume was no longer a post-Shibuya-kei group, but a technopop group.

Nerd cred builds a loyal base, but the group still need something to push it over the edge to nationwide success. Their breakthrough came in 2007 when they began appearing in TV commercials and at the Summer Sonic music festival. Their single "Polyrhythm", which is being featured in Cars 2, broke the top ten in 2007 and Japanese music games like DDR and Taiko no Tatsujin. Their next single, a double A-side called "Baby Cruising Love/Macaroni", broke the top five. Their music was catchy and poppy. The trio wasn't gooey idols, they weren't overly sexualized. They were cool girls singing about computers and electronics.

Perfume had arrived. They were the Candies of their generation. Their debut album, 2008's Game, hit number one on the Japanese music charts. Since then, Perfume has followed up with a second album, Triangle, which also debuted at number one. They now appear in commercial ad campaigns for ice cream and cola—one of the true measures for success in the Japanese entertainment business. They've reached the top. That's not only a long way from growing up in Hiroshima, it's a long way from Akihabara, too.

Click through the gallery to have a listen to Perfume through the years.

Yes, while there are some obvious influences on BioWare's Mass Effect series - like Syd Mead and Star Trek - there's one that may have slipped under most people's noses. And it's not hard to see why.

In an interview with Xbox World 360 magazine, Mass Effect 3 art director Derek Watts says that Final Fantasy has been a big inspiration for the series. Not the moppy-haired, giant sword kind of Final Fantasy, though. He means the computer-animated 2001 film Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. The one so many people have tried hard to forget.

And by God, now that he says it, it's so obvious.

"Yeah, you know we actually reference a lot from Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. We used a lot of their GUIs and the way they did their ship - that was kind of like in some of the early designs for the Normandy", Watts said.

"Our attack helicopters are loosely based off that movie. There's some great stuff, especially their glowing GUI screens; we used those a lot. I keep a folder of that stuff and I still actually tell the guys 'just go back and look at that. Change it like that!'"

Another simlarity: the "goggle-eyed" design of the mercenary enemies from Mass Effect 2? Looks a lot like the soldier's armour in Spirits Within.

Say what you will about the quality of Spirits Within as a film, I always liked it because it looked gorgeous and had some great design. Now that I've read this, I won't be so afraid to say so at parties. And by parties, I'm lying. I mean on the internet.

BioWare: Mass Effect inspired 'a lot' by Final Fantasy film [CVG]