A community blog by Kerrik52 [Destructoid readerKerrik52writes about the ways in which games have used lore to varying degrees of success. A fascinating topic that spans some of my — and many of your — favorite games. Dig in. -Jordan] A little while back,I wrote a bit about how different games use crafting systems. So with the 10-year anniversary ofDark Soulsinching ever closer, I thought it prudent to do the same for lore....

Batteries not included With Halloween fast approaching, ThinkGeek’s newMiniature Replica Portal Gun($59.99) is going to be hard to resist. It’s got appropriately colored LEDs, a working trigger, and movable claws. Parents, think about how much candy your children can get for you while reppingPortal 2; just send them to bed before they eat it all. At 12″ long and approximately 5″ tall, this gun is also the kind of collectible you could reasonably keep on your desk when you aren’t chasing around cats or otherwise making a fool out of yourself....

Hear that? It’s my heart breaking I’m sorry to have to crush all our hopes and dreams, but it looks like Danny DeVito most likely won’t be voicingDetective Pikachuif the game is ever localized in English. Atan event in LA yesterday, DeVito was asked if he was aware offans wanting him to voiceDetective Pikachuto which he responded, “No. I don’t know what you’re talking about” before asking his fellowIt’s Always Sunny in Philadelphiacast members, “What the fuck isPokémon?...

Big Brother is watching you while you buy games elsewhere Tech blogger and programmer Casey Muratori has been talking aboutthe level of God-like controlMicrosoft intends to wield over Windows 8, including the fact that it intends to block the sale of adult-rated games on the Windows Store. “Your app must not contain adult content, and metadata must be appropriate for everyone,” states Microsoft’s official terms. “Apps with a rating over PEGI 16, ESRB MATURE, or that contain content that would warrant such a rating, are not allowed....

Xbox Originals is a bit of everything, it sounds like Though we haven’t seen Microsoft’s television shows on Xbox One come to fruition just yet, the company has big plans to make the console compelling beyond games. Interactive TV, anyone? President of entertainment and digital media Nancy Tellem spoke withBloombergabout the division behind this original programming, Xbox Entertainment Studios, saying “We’re dealing with series, we’re dealing with limited series or what I used to call miniseries, feature length projects, half hour projects, short form projects, animation, live events, sports, news, we cross all genres and the bottom line is exactly ‘Where you can find it?...

Rune Factory? In case you’re up for catching yet another planned stream from a publisher that may or may not actually deliver, XSEED is hosting a “mystery stream” on Thursday with an “announcement incoming.” The stream will be held at XSEED’s Twitch channel at 3:30 PM PT, and will presumably either announce a brand new game, a localization, or a port — many are anticipating a pledge to support the Switch....

Finally, some good news out of the Xbox One camp, I guess? Ecosystems can be a pain whenever a new platform arrives. For instance, when the Wii U launched, gamers weren’t able to recover their Points from the old Wii marketplace and move it over directly to the Wii U (barring a workaround of buying something on WiiWare and performing a mass system transfer). But withthe Xbox One, your Microsoft Pointswill instantly convertinto an “equal or greater” value when the new straight-cash system is rolled out....

Yay! Infection,Halo’sown zombie-flavoured multiplayer mode, is coming toHalo 5. The news was unveiled in a livestream last night during whichHalodeveloper 343 industries revealed more about upcoming content update, Ghosts of Meridian. Infection was missing fromHalo 4but was a fan-favourite inHalo 3andHalo Reach. Here’s a teaser. 343i has yet to reveal the release date, so expect it sometime later this year, which is just as well, as I’ve officially given up trying to play bloody Warzone....

Earlier, we heard about theAssassin’s Creed IIISeason Pass, which provides access to five downloadable content packs for $29.99, a 25 percent discount versus buying the add-ons individually. If you had written this off already, you’ll want to hear what some of this content will be about before committing. As far as single-player content goes, there will be three episodic packs that delve into alternate history with George Washington. The basic premise here is that, post-American Revolution, Washington “succumbs to the temptation of infinite power....

‘Linear experience with spokes and discoveries’ Sega made waves yesterday with their announcement ofSonic Boom— which isa television series, a toy line, and a set of two games for the Wii U and 3DS. While Sanzaru Games at large wasn’t on hand to discuss the 3DS iteration (nor was it shown), Bob Rafei of Big Red Button spoke to Destructoid and shined some light on what to expect gameplay wise....

Why do we care what our mom thinks about videogames? It’s ironic that I once wanted games to be validated by my mom so badly, since now I give her worrisome glances as she cycles through her reality TV programming. I think we all have that one game that we think will be the game which shows our moms how glorious, beautiful, and life-altering our hobby is. There will be curbstomps that speak to the soul like Camus and rocket launchers that set fire to the heart like Stendhal....

He also gets to wear sunglasses while walking away from an explosion Jackie Chan has greyed. He’s gotten older, and because of that, he’s dipped from the limelight. Holder of theGuinness World Record for most stunts performed by a living actor, he’s more than earned his rest. But, in this time where geriatric has become the new handsome for action heroes, Jackie’s been moving back into movies, and the latest he’ll tackle is a sci-fi flick calledBleeding Steel....

From tea bagging to tap dancing WithHalo, Bungie introduced a lot of what defines console shooters. Two weapon slots, stable online play, as well as whole host of other less than desirable online behavior. Speaking with Edge, Bungie’s Chris Butcher admits that, “If you look back at online multiplayer gaming for the last ten years I think the dominant thread has been adolescent males shooting each other in the face and squatting on each others corpses....