Joystiq

Lost Planet 3 multiplayer trailer mechs its way online

Richard Mitchell — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 15:15:00 EST

Grappling hooks, glowing bugs, turrets, mechs and snow? Must be a Lost Planet 3 multiplayer trailer. The game launches this August.

Lost Planet 3 multiplayer trailer mechs its way online originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Apr 2013 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lost Planet 3 orbits over NA June 25, EU June 28

Sinan Kubba — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 11:05:00 EST

Capcom tells us the release dates for Lost Planet 3 are June 25 in North America, and June 28 in Europe. The game was previously earmarked for early 2013, but early 2013 has all but come and gone, so a delay isn't too surprising. Spark Unlimited's third-person shooter is a prequel to the events of the first game, despite it being called Lost Planet 3.

Check out all of the North American retailer-specific pre-order bonuses on the Capcom blog.

Gallery: Lost Planet 3 (3/6/13)

Lost Planet 3 orbits over NA June 25, EU June 28 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 06 Mar 2013 11:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z will slice its way to Xbox and PS3

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 12:00:00 EST

Previously announced only for "consoles," it appears that Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z will be heading specifically to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The news comes via a batch of job listings for developer Spark Unlimited (which is also handling Lost Planet 3), which identify Yaiba as "a bold new take on 3rd Person slasher with Horror elements for the PS3 and Xbox 360."

So there you have it, any fears (hopes?) that Yaiba would debut only on the next generation of consoles have been cut down like a cybernetic zombie ninja.

Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z will slice its way to Xbox and PS3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 24 Dec 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lost Planet 3 TGS demo transforms into video walkthrough

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 23:00:00 EST

If reading the Lost Planet 3 preview from our Tokyo Game Show coverage isn't your thing, here's the demo in video form. Or, you could read along while watching the video. Right eye on the text, left eye on the video.

Continue reading Lost Planet 3 TGS demo transforms into video walkthrough

Lost Planet 3 TGS demo transforms into video walkthrough originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 12 Oct 2012 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lost Planet 3 and the dichotomy of man and machine

David Hinkle — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 16:00:00 EST

There's an interesting clash of play styles I discovered during my preview session of Lost Planet 3. When within his rig - a giant biped mech armed with a huge drill and claw - protagonist Jim is nearly invincible, try as you might to get to the soft, fleshy core of this hulking mechanical giant.

Yet Lost Planet 3 won't let you get away with cruising through the campaign from within the safety of Jim's rig - often he'll be forced to get out, navigating the cold tundras of E.D.N. III alone. It's at these times when I felt weak and without a safety net during my E3 demo. It's an interesting dichotomy not seen in many other games out there right now.

The dangers of a blisteringly cold ice planet are obvious, and the segments where Jim is on foot are incredibly hazardous. Exploring a web of caves, I stumbled upon an akrid nest. Think: the next scene in Aliens. There were eggs everywhere, hatching and releasing akrid spawn. My assault rifle quickly became ineffective at crowd control. Good thing I found that shotgun, which had the just the right amount of oomph.

It wasn't long before I found momma akrid, a large crab-like thing with pincers. It was a boss with an identity crisis, continually charging me like some bull who spotted a man in a puffy red parka. Shoot, roll to the side, and shoot some more.

I felt vulnerable and completely outmatched - the perfect combination of terror and panic only well-crafted scenarios can produce. I didn't have massive wells of ammo to draw from. I had to be nimble and crafty. I had to be smart about when I shot and where. And because of this, the reward of finally bringing this thing down was ever so sweet. Taking on such a thing in my mech would've been a decidedly different gameplay experience, one I feel would've lost all of the characteristics I enjoyed in the tense encounter.

These contrasts of feeling incredibly powerful and invincible within the rig, and feeling alone and desperate and vulnerable on foot, instilled a variety in Lost Planet 3 I haven't seen in many other games. If Spark Unlimited sustains that trend throughout the entirety of Lost Planet 3, I think they'll produce a fine game - and, dare I say, perhaps the best entry in the series yet.

Gallery: Lost Planet 3 (E3 2012)

Lost Planet 3 and the dichotomy of man and machine originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 13 Jun 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Why it's called Lost Planet 3 despite being a prequel

David Hinkle — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 21:40:00 EST

It must be hard to maximize your reach to gamers when there's a "3" in the title of your game. What if I've never played the first two games? How am I expected to understand all of the references and deep, established lore? It's quite the pickle for those looking to come into any established franchise without prior experience.

In the case of Lost Planet 3, it's a pretty interesting prospect. It's the third installment in a fairly polarizing series - either you love Lost Planet or you don't - from a relatively unknown developer who hasn't shipped that many games.

Gallery: Lost Planet 3 (E3 2012)

Continue reading Why it's called Lost Planet 3 despite being a prequel

Why it's called Lost Planet 3 despite being a prequel originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 05 Jun 2012 21:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Capcom projections: Resident Evil 6 sells 7 million, DmC does 2 million

David Hinkle — Fri, 11 May 2012 22:00:00 EST

Capcom has laid out commercial projections for its biggest upcoming games, and expects Resident Evil 6 to sell seven million copies. Resident Evil 5 sold almost two million in its first six months or so in the US alone.

Resident Evil 6 is just one of four big titles in the pipeline from Capcom. The Ninja Theory reboot of Devil May Cry is expected to sell two million, and this month's launch of Dragon's Dogma is expected to yield a total of 1.5 million units sold. Finally, the recently announced Lost Planet 3 - which is in development at Spark Unlimited - is expected to sell the least of the bunch, with 1.4 million copies.

Capcom projections: Resident Evil 6 sells 7 million, DmC does 2 million originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 11 May 2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lost Planet 3 coming in 2013 from Spark Unlimited

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 09:15:00 EST

The proverbial lid on Capcom's annual Captivate news has lifted over the past 12 hours, with trailers for Devil May Cry, Resident Evil 6, and now, Lost Planet 3 surfacing. Wait, that last one's not an announced game! Hot dog!

Spark Unlimited (Legendary, Call of Duty: Finest Hour) is putting together a third Lost Planet for Capcom, heading to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC in "early 2013." It seems Spark is ditching the sultry locales of Lost Planet 2 for the frozen wastelands of the first game, at least as far as this trailer is concerned. It also seems there'll be some sort of a giant storm to deal with during your return trip to Capcom's misplaced orb. Expect a full, "official" announcement from sooner rather than later.

Gallery: Lost Planet 3

Lost Planet 3 coming in 2013 from Spark Unlimited originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 10 Apr 2012 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: Spark Unlimited producing sci-fi sequel, speculation says Battlefront 3

Jessica Conditt — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:45:00 EST

Remember Star Wars: Battlefront 3? It was never really made, but was never officially canceled either, and the idea faded into the background some time in 2010. Not everyone is ready to let the dream go, as PlayStation Lifestyle is reporting a slew of data that it says suggests developer Spark Unlimited is working on Battlefront 3.

Lifestyle's evidence includes a job opening at Spark listing "a 3rd Person Action/Adventure sequel in a high-profile science fiction franchise currently greenlit for full production development for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC markets;" a Spark employee's LinkedIn profile that describes a sword-fighting game for a well-known IP; and another that lists a triple-A third-person shooter that's been in development for three years.

Spark Unlimited's previous projects include 2008's Legendary and Turning Point: Fall of Liberty, and 2004's Call of Duty: Finest Hour. Battlefront 1 and 2 were developed by Pandemic Studios, which was bought by EA and eventually shuttered in 2009. Before closing, Pandemic said it was not working on Battlefront 3, and no developer has officially claimed it since.

Spark's coming title could be one of many unannounced sci-fi sequels, such as Star Wars: Jedi Knight 3, yet another XCOM revamp (why not?) or Asteroids 3D: When Spinning and Shooting Doesn't Work. Spark says it plans on publicly announcing its sci-fi secret this year.

Rumor: Spark Unlimited producing sci-fi sequel, speculation says Battlefront 3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One legendary Legendary demo now on the XBLM

Dustin Burg — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: News, Xbox Live Marketplace

Today, Spark Unlimited figured they'd gift us with a surprising, out of nowhere gift that has left us in the awkward position of not having anything to give back.

The gift, a 748MB Legendary demo that can be downloaded via the Xbox Live Marketplace. And seeing that this demo was sprung on us so suddenly, the only holiday gift we can give in return would be our actual downloading of the demo. So, that'll have to do. You've been gifted a Legendary demo, now gift back by actually playing it. It's only right.

[Via Major Nelson]

One legendary Legendary demo now on the XBLM originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Legendary achievements and Legendary screens

Dustin Burg — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:45:00 EST

Filed under: News

Today, Spark Unlimited released a new set of screenshots for Legendary The Box as well as a complete list of game achievements. You can take a gander through the new and improved Legendary screens including a gelatinous looking werewolf, a dude's face and some on screen text that looks eerily similar to X3F's witty image commentary text. Just saying.

Legendary achievements and Legendary screens originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A few Legendary griffon and werewolf screens

Dustin Burg — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:45:00 EST

Filed under: News

Gamecock and Spark Unlimited just sent a set of new screenshots from their upcoming Pandora's box shooter Legendary, and there's plenty to love if you're obsessed with griffons or werewolves. There's werewolves attacking helicopters, werewolves jumping out of windows and even werewolves attacking a griffon. Attacking a griffon! Ahem, view Legendary screenshot love below. That is all.

A few Legendary griffon and werewolf screens originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PS3 Fanboy hands-on: Legendary

Majed Athab — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 17:25:00 EST

Filed under: Hands-on

Click for high resolution image

Legendary is a modern day first person shooter with a slight twist. The twist being that you're not just firing at the usual soldier clad in army gear, but you'll also be spitting bullets at mythical creatures of yore. That's right, go toe-to-toe with griffins, werewolves, and minotaurs (oh my!). Now how did those beasts arrive in the modern world? That's the fault of our protagonist, Deckard, who reluctantly opened up Pandora's Box and, well, doomed us all.

Luckily for us, we were prepared for the apocalypse and braved the first several hours of Legendary. The game kicks off in New York City with Deckard trying to steal "the box" from a museum, but he ends up activating it. The box imbues a seal onto his hand, granting him magical powers which are not only for story purposes but is also a very useful weapon and healing tool. Gameplay-wise, Deckard's magic ability adds a layer of strategy on top of the standard shooter experience. When you take down any of the creatures of legend, they'll leave traces of energy which Deckard can absorb and use to replenish his magic power or his health. To replenish one's health, you'll need to hold down the triangle button which actively drains from his magic pool. What's good about this is that you can control how much health you want to restore and not waste a drop. It's a small thing, but noteworthy in the long run and in the more difficult settings. You can carry four weapons on you at any one time. Two of the four are reserved for molotovs and grenades while the other two allow you to switch around with various firearms. Select your currently equipped weapon with the d-pad.

One of the things that sticks out about Legendary the most is the design and strategy you'll need to utilize in defeating different types of enemies. For example, some of the first creatures you'll meet are the firedrakes. You can take these things down with bullets but they will continuously respawn. To take them out completely you'll need to douse them with water; to do this you'll need to use environmental objects, like say, finding a valve and turning on the sprinklers or shooting a fire hydrant wide open.

Continue reading PS3 Fanboy hands-on: Legendary

PS3 Fanboy hands-on: Legendary originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 07 Aug 2008 17:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pre-order Legendary, get art book and DVD

Majed Athab — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: News

Legendary is set for release next month in September and if you're planning on picking it up, perhaps you'd like to avail of the free pre-order bonus. For putting down a few greenbacks early on Legendary, you'll get a nice little folder with a 30+ page art book and a DVD with five videos. You can get the items at participating retailers. With that said, we haven't seen any retailers listing the pre-order items yet, but we'd assume major chains and gaming stores like GameStop would be carrying them soon.

If you haven't yet heard of Legendary, it's a modern day FPS about a man who opens up Pandora's Box. He unknowingly unleashes mythical beasts upon the world such as Golems, Griffins, Werewolves, and Minotaurs. We've also got a clip after the break with the developers discussing what the game is all about, so be sure to watch that.

[Via press release]

Continue reading Pre-order Legendary, get art book and DVD

Pre-order Legendary, get art book and DVD originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 01 Aug 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joystiq hands-on: Legendary

Randy Nelson — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:55:00 EST

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, First Person Shooters

New York City's being overrun by mythical creatures, there's a building-sized Golem wandering the streets, and ... the Ghostbusters are nowhere to be found. Spark Unlimited, the team behind Turning Point: Fall of Liberty, is in the final stretch with its latest FPS outing, once known as Legendary: The Box (a title that earned it a very special Joystiq award last E3) and now simply Legendary.

Firing it up and starting a new game, we were only moments into it when the non-titular box (belonging to Pandora and filled with nastiness) was opened and the world went to hell. Our preconceptions of a "humans versus monsters" FPS also went out a nearby window once we started noticing that the enemies weren't always gunning exclusively for us.

Gallery: Legendary (06-23-08)

Continue reading Joystiq hands-on: Legendary

Joystiq hands-on: Legendary originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EIEIO 08: Hands-on with Legendary

JC Fletcher — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 21:08:00 EST

Filed under: PC, Microsoft Xbox 360, First Person Shooters

click to embiggen

What stands out more than anything about my experience with Legendary at EIEIO was that it was the game during whose demo I got to be warm. I had waited outside in brutal cold and rain for the demo session to start, and the Legendary demo took place inside a Games4U "Mobile Game Theater" -- essentially a trailer full of seating, TVs, and, most importantly, heat. It was great. That's not even a snide way of saying that the game wasn't any good -- it was just really, really cold outside.

Legendary puts the player in the middle not only of a war between the White Council and the Black Order, but also an invasion of fantasy creatures triggered by the player character's own inadvertent opening of Pandora's Box. The only weapon against these monsters: the signet that once locked the box, now merged into protagonist Charles Deckard's hand. Oh, and also a bunch of guns and stuff.

Gallery: Legendary

Continue reading EIEIO 08: Hands-on with Legendary

EIEIO 08: Hands-on with Legendary originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 12 Mar 2008 21:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Legendary teaser without the box

Dustin Burg — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: News, Videos

Pandora's Box has been opened, werewolves roam the streets, giants crush buildings and griffins soar through the air. Welcome to Legendary.

This latest teaser trailer for Legendary, a title formerly known as Legendary: The Box, features alpha gameplay footage of death, destruction and disease (well, maybe not disease) that is making us start to believe that opening Pandora's Box probably wasn't the best idea. And, if you can get past the video's jerkiness, you'll see that Legendary is promising, but has a long way to go to to distinguish itself among the 360's highly contested FPS catalog. Though, we have to give Legendary some props. The design team did an A+ job on Legendary's logo, it's so sleek, magical and ... box'less

Video: Legendary teaser without the box originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 07 Mar 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Turning Point is too 'high concept' for reviewers, says CEO

Scott Jon Siegel — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: PC, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, First Person Shooters

Filmmaker Kevin Smith once responded to the negative reviews of his heartfelt drama Jersey Girl by stating that the film "wasn't for critics." It was a comment that attracted the attention of Penny Arcade, and even spawned some of their most memorable characters. So imagine how our favorite webcomic entrepreneurs will react to the recent comments made by Spark Unlimited CEO Craig Allen, who believes that Turning Point: Fall of Liberty is being reviewed the wrong way.

Responding to recent unfavorable reviews of Turning Point, Allen stated that the game was never meant for "core gamers," and that those looking at the title with a critical eye are not the intended audience. According to him, the alternate-universe World War II FPS is a "high concept idea," enjoyable by those who just want to have fun, and aren't looking for innovation or technical breakthroughs.

Despite his defense of the title, Allen states the team's next game, Legendary, will address many of the problems gamers and critics had with Turning Point, but it won't necessarily be a "better" game. Because Turning Point wasn't actually "bad." Apparently.

Turning Point is too 'high concept' for reviewers, says CEO originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 07 Mar 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Take a bite out of Turning Point's giant apple

Dustin Burg — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fan stuff, Videos

We all know that Turning Point: Fall of Liberty is a game set in an alternate WWII reality where the German Nazi army invades and occupies the U.S. and the "Big Apple" New York City. And if you're like us, while killing Nazi scum we couldn't shake our curiosity as we wondered where exactly this "Big Apple" was located. We just didn't know if this apple reference was simply a nickname for the city or if there was a giant piece of fruity goodness hidden somewhere. And thanks to the video above, we now know that NYC does in fact house an abnormally large apple. Check it out for yourself and we think you'll agree that it's refreshing to see that Fall of Liberty developer Spark Unlimited has a sense of humor and respect for giant pieces of produce.

[Thanks, Justin]

Video: Take a bite out of Turning Point's giant apple originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 04 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Legendary coming to PS3 this summer

Jem Alexander — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 15:15:00 EST

Filed under: News

Gamecock has today announced that the upcoming mythical FPS Legendary will be coming to the PS3 this summer. Originally titled Legendary: The Box, the game received scoffs and jabs of ridicule for its ridiculous name. As a result it seems that Spark Unlimited, the developers, have dropped the silly subtitle from its press release. Legendary is set in modern day New York, when Pandora's Box is opened and creatures of myth are unleashed upon the world.

The premise should go down well if the success of Cloverfield is anything to go by. Spark Unlimited is on track for a simultaneous multi-platform release this summer. We'll keep you updated with any future Legendary news as it becomes available.

Legendary coming to PS3 this summer originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 07 Feb 2008 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Legendary: The Box opens up this Summer

Dustin Burg — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 12:15:00 EST

Filed under: News

Pandora's Box obsessors and FPS lovers will be excited to know that Spark Unlimited's Legendary: The Box is guaranteed to be releasing onto the Xbox 360 sometime this Summer. Exact release date still unknown.

If you recall, Legendary was first introduced to us last July when we learned about the game's whole griffin, werewolf, Pandora's Box twist. Are we still interested by the game? Yes, yes we are. We're interested because the whole "killing mythical monsters that come from a box" theme still intrigues us a bit and because the newly released screenshots (gallery below) feature some crazy fun griffin killing. And here at X3F we enjoy a good griffin murder every once and a while. Press release viewable after the break.

Continue reading Legendary: The Box opens up this Summer

Legendary: The Box opens up this Summer originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 07 Feb 2008 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Legendary to open this summer for Xbox 360, PS3, PC

Jason Dobson — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: PC, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, Adventure

Atari and those wily rascals at Gamecock have announced a release date window for the upcoming first-person shooter Legendary, currently being banged out by Turning Point devs Spark Unlimited. The publishing duo note that Legendary (thankfully having dropped that silly 'The Box' subtitle) will be available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC this summer. So far this has only been confirmed for the game's UK release, though given that the title is being co-published by both Atari and Austin-based Gamecock, we expect a similar window to be confirmed for North America in short order.

First unveiled as part of Gamecock's lineup during E3 2007, Legendary left us impressed with its focus on frenetic action and a compelling story about a thief who is tricked into stealing and inadvertently opening the mythical Pandora's Box, letting loose all of the freakish goodies inside. Details continue to be scarce, though Spark's top banana Craig Allen notes that the developers are taking extra effort to "ensure optimum performance, regardless of platform." This is one we can't help but keep on the ol' radar, and now that we have an idea of when to expect Legendary to drop we can stop climbing the walls and get back to doing something more constructive. Like continuing our letter campaign to Spark to change the name of the game.

Update: As suspected, Gamecock reps have confirmed that Legendary is set to be released in North America this summer as well. And we've also added some new images of the game to the gallery!

Gallery: Legendary

Legendary to open this summer for Xbox 360, PS3, PC originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 07 Feb 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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