The newest trailer for Borderlands 2 emphasizes the first-person, role-playing game's sillier side. But even while sporting a South African-bred song that later moved on to The Lion King licensing, the action-packed trailer manages to showcase just how exciting combat can be in Gearbox's upcoming sequel.

This is partially due to some fancy assassin moves courtesy of Zero, or Maya's awesome Siren abilities. Or maybe it's the many gun manufacturer's crazy weapon concoctions. Either way, it's reflective of the dual personality Borderlands is all about: crazy fun, and crazy silly. And I can't wait for more on September 18.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for some new impressions by yours truly.

Ha, this is pretty funny—if you understand Japanese and even if you do not.

Released earlier this spring, this is the Japanese language version of the "Red vs. Blue: Remember to Not Forget" clip that was supposed help you to remember to...not forget Halo 4's release date.

Rooster Teeth started their popular Halo-based machinima comedy series Red vs. Blue all the way back in 2003. Elijah Wood stars in the next season.

So sing it! Halo 4 is November—er, じゅ〜う いちがつ〜 よ〜ぅか〜　へ〜いろ〜 ふぉ〜

「Red vs. Blue — Remember To Not Forget」 日本語吹き替え版公開 [YouTube Thanks KingofAwesometonia!]

In the Yakuza series, the protagonists do many things: Lead mobs, beat each other up, meet porn stars in clubs… Now, in Yakuza 5, it looks like we'll be offered another perspective on the multiple protagonists where they'll partake in other activities while they don't pursue suspects, solve mysteries, or uncover conspiracies.

Yakuza 5 will feature "Another Drama" chapters outside from the main story showing a different side of each character. So far, four dramas have been revealed out of the five protagonists.

Kazuma Kiryu: The big "Dragon of Doujima," is currently a lowly taxi driver for the Eishu taxi service. Kiryu's chapter will apparently involve safe driving simulators and racing against car gangs in the city and on Japan's highways.

Taiga Saejima: After getting lost in the snowy mountains, Taiga must survive the wilderness with his wits and a hunting rifle. Taiga's chapter will involve hunting and trapping wild animals as well as surviving the changing weather and dangers of the snow and ice.

Haruka Sawamura: Following her dream to become an idol, Haruka seeks to win the "Princess League" competition and become the number one idol in western Japan. Haruka's chapter will be less action-based with idol lessons and interviews.

Tatsuo Shinada: The former professional baseball star, Tatsuo meets up with a former teammate by accident and is given a batting challenge. Tasuo's chapter will be based around his training as a batter.

At present, there is no word on the Another Drama for the fifth protagonist, Shun Akiyama. Considering his job as a money lender, it may focus on business or economics. Personally I just hope there's a scene in Kiryu's chapter where Kiryu says, "You talkin' to me?"

龍が如く５ 夢、叶えし者｜セガ公式サイト [龍が如く５ 夢、叶えし者｜セガ公式サイト]

Samsung will be home to a motion-controlled version of Angry Birds. This July, the Angry Bird app will catapult itself onto Samsung's Smart TV, complete with motion and voice controls.

As depicted in the above photo, players can pull back their hands to get the feeling of launching one of those birds. Put a plush toy in your lap for even more realism.

삼성전자 "스마트TV로 앵그리버드 플레이" [Yahoo! Korea]

The Metal Gear series is 25 years old this year. From its modest beginnings on the MSX2 console (the what?), to its big break on the Playstation with Metal Gear Solid and now with the highly anticipated Metal Gear Rising Revengeance, Metal Gear has come a long way to become a globally popular series. But it wasn't always intended to be that way.

In an interview with Weekly Famitsu, Hideo Kojima stated that he had never expected his game, Metal Gear Solid, to be such a hit overseas and that he hadn't even had the overseas market in his scope at the time. "I made Metal Gear Solid almost as a hobby." Kojima laughed. "I had always been making games on minor platforms and had never stood at the forefront of the stage." In fact, the overseas response to Metal Gear Solid never reached Kojima's ears until long after the US and European release. He became aware of his own fame during a global tour to promote Metal Gear Solid when everywhere he went, people recognized his face. Said Kojima, "Metal Gear Solid was my debut as a producer, but I never really thought about markets then. I suppose that was a good thing."

Metal Gear is also one of the founders of the stealth game genre, but for Kojima, the main focus of the game was always elsewhere. "For me, the action mixed with the story had always been more important than the 'stealth' side of the game." Kojima remarked. The focus on these aspects is what led to the decision to have the cut scenes of Metal Gear Solid use the character models from the game rather than the ever popular pre-rendered CG cut scenes. This allowed for a more uninterrupted immersion into the game world and to tie the gameplay and the story closer together.

The story side of the Metal Gear series is well known for being complex (some would say "convoluted") with its many twists, turns, and overlaps. During his 25th anniversary global tour, one of the most common questions Kojima receives is whether or not the plot was planned from the start. "Of course not." Kojima said with a laugh. "We had to struggle to make the plot lines meet. We did manage to clear a lot of things up with Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, but fans still point out small inconsistencies."

To celebrate 25 years in the making, Konami has created a 25th anniversary site and is planning a 25th anniversary party for August 30th. As an additional bonus, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots will be getting a trophy system version and an update patch in August.

ファミ通.com [ファミ通.com]

This news clip is in Japanese, but the guilty look on this man's face is universal.

On the early morning of July 9, a 16 year-old was slashed in the face. When TV Asahi arrived on the scene that same day to cover the incident, reporters happened to find a man out on evening bike ride. The reporter said that the suspected slasher was between 30 to 40 years old and around 180cm tall. The reporter then asked the man—45 year-old Yuuichi Yamamoto—if he had seen anyone who fits that description.

"You just said someone who looks like me," Yamamoto replied.

"Scary, it's it?" the reporter added. Yamamoto agreed. He said he was asleep when the incident happened—right in front of his apartment. During the interview, Yamamoto acted odd, and the reporter even asked, "I wasn't you was it?" To which the man replied, "It wasn't me."

Later that evening, Yamamoto went to the police station, where he was arrested. He stated that he did not recall the attack because he had spent the previous night drinking at home; however, he added that perhaps he carried out the attack. The answer to that question appears written all over his face.

直撃に「私みたいですね」45歳男が逮捕前カメラに [YouTube]

The Nintendo 3DS upgrade, the 3DS XL ("3DS LL" in Japan) will be hitting stores in Japan later this month and in the US in August. Looking at what will hopefully be a bigger launch than the launch for the original 3DS (Granted, they had to deal with a weak launch lineup and a major earthquake then.), Weekly Famitsu polled readers (552 valid responses) on their impressions and intent to purchase the 3DS's younger bigger brother.

Question 1: Do you plan to purchase a 3DS XL?
For intent to purchase, over 50% of responders expressed an interest, with 28.9% planning on purchasing the 3DS XL on release day and 29.4% responding that they plan on purchasing one eventually. Interestingly enough, of those who were in the "yes" camp, 71.7% already owned a 3DS, showing both the strength of the 3DS brand and also the wish of many users for an upgrade model.
24.3% had no plans to purchase one and 17.4% stated that they would decide after seeing an actual sample.

Question 2: What color 3DS XL do you want?
For the most part, choice of color was evenly divided. 38.9% were looking at the red and black, 32.8% a white, and 28.3% a silver and black model.

Question 3: What do you think about the retail price?
54.6% of responders thought that the price tag of ¥18,900 (US$238.34) was just Baby Bear right. Considering that there is no major difference between the 3DS and 3DS XL other than size, and the fact that the AC adaptor is sold separately, 27.4% thought it the price was high, while among the 18% that responded that they thought it was cheap, some noted that the drop in the AC adaptor price was part of their reasoning.

Question 4: What games are you looking to play on the 3DS XL?
Ever the popular brand in Japan, Monster Hunter 3G was at the top of most lists with 146 votes. Mariokart 7 came in second with 60 votes. Third was Resident Evil: Liberation with 38 votes. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry's Wonderland 3D came in fourth and fifth with 34 votes and 33 votes.

Overall, impressions of the 3DS XL were positive. One user expressed excitement of a larger screen 3DS while another remarked that this would be their introduction to the 3DS market. One user even expressed hope that the 3DS XL would become the standard model. On the opposite side, some retailers noted the necessity to inform customers that the AC adaptor was not included every time could lead to confusion and complications, while others wondered if the increase in weight may not be suitable for the hands of children and might decrease the portability of the portable console.

The Nintendo 3DS XL will be sold in Japan starting July 28th for ¥18,900 (US$238.34), and in the US starting August 19th for US$199.

ファミ通.com [ファミ通.com]

Free-to-play online game Phantasy Star Online 2 was hacked, and non-playable characters were moved about as, it seems, some sort of prank.

In the game's Ship02 location, non-playable characters were moved out of players reach, making it impossible to interact with important NPCs. As you can see in the screenshots, the non-playable characters were placed on high structures and behind glass.

Today, Sega announced that it was aware of the hack and that it was investigating the matter. Sega also stated that player data was not leaked in this hack.

If you happen to see non-playable characters moved into funny locations, Sega asks that you move to another play area. If you see cheaters, you can report them via the wicked user form.

Japanese sites are blaming foreigners for the attack and are pasting chat transcripts that seem to indicate that the alleged hackers were English speakers who are apparently upset that the game doesn't have global servers. The chat log seems to indicate that these individuals have been doing this since the game's closed beta and that they think they should do this NPC shuffle again.

Sega has aggressively being going after cheaters and individuals engaged in real-money trade transactions. So far, 75 accounts have been banned. This alleged griefing could impact how Phantasy Star Online 2, currently in beta in Japan, is rolled out in the West next year.

Ship02での不正行為について [PSO2]
『ファンタシースターオンライン2』 のサーバーがクラックされて大変なことになっている！？NPCがありえない位置にいるぞｗｗｗ [オレ的]

Sega's Yakuza gangster games and porn stars are no strangers. A few years back, adult film star Rio made it to the final selection process to see which hopefuls would appear in the game. Then, there was the Yakuza hostess who starred in an adult movie after appearing in Yakuza 4...

This go round another adult actress made it to the final selection process to see which applicants would win the "Miss Yakuza" contest and appear in the upcoming Yakuza 5.

With a name like Sakura Kiryu, this latest hopeful seemed like a shoe in. See, Kiryu is also the name of the Yakuza protagonist, Kazuma Kiryu.

Sakura Kiryu has been acting in Japanese porn movies since 2008 and has starred in flicks like Water Pole 54 and Let's Screw a Bunch Until Morning. She apparently took her stage name from the game character.

Sega recently revealed the five winners of the Miss Yakuza contest, and Sakura Kiryu wasn't one of them. While the winners will appear in the game and at promotional events, Sega stated that the finalists, such as Sakura Kiryu, would also appear in the game in one way or another. So, there's still hope for the inevitable in-game Kiryu-Kiryu jokes!

"ミス龍が如く5"の栄冠は誰の手に？　ファイナリスト15人のゲーム出演も決定した「ミス龍が如く5を探せ！」最終オーディションをレポート [4Gamer]

Back in 2009, Lady Gaga's eyes got huge in her "Bad Romance" video. That, along with a Hello Kitty photo shoot, helped spawn a series of YouTube videos on anime eyes make-up tips.

Not sure where Japan was during all this, but it clearly was not paying attention. This week, a Japanese site posted some of the anime eyes make-up videos, stating that this seems to be some sort of fashion trend. (It's less a fashion trend, and more a Gaga gag.)

But what's interesting is reading through people's comments on Twitter and in forums. Even though the look was clearly inspired by anime, folks in Japan are saying things like "This is scary", "Creepy!", and "Lulz"—lots and lots of "lulz". There are also people debating whether or not this trend is, in fact, sweeping the U.S.! Um...

That doesn't mean bigger eyes haven't caught on in the West to a certain extent. Lady Gaga has fueled that fire, and, more recently, Nicki Minaj has fanned those flames. In the meantime, knock off the anime eyes, internet people! You are totally freaking out Japan.

全米で目を大きくアニメのようにするアニメイクが大流行中 [A!@attrip]

続報・目を大きくアニメのようにするアニメイクまじで海外で流行ってるぽいｗｗｗ [A!@attrip]