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The weird reason why video games are released on Tuesdays

It wasn’t easy being Sega in the 1980s and ’90s. It had to compete with one of the best-known companies on the planet, Nintendo, which was responsible for bringing back the video game market from the dead.

But Sega had some tricks up its sleeve. Namely, releasing a 16-bit console, the Genesis, before Nintendo could release its version, the Super Nintendo.

Sega also had an amazing idea for how to hype up the sequel to its biggest game.

The original “Sonic the Hedgehog” was released in 1991, and was an instant hit. When it was time for the sequel, which introduced Sonic’s sidekick Tails to the world, Sega knew it needed to do more than just release the game. It needed to make an impact.

In the book “Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle That Defined a Generation,” which is based on more than 200 interviews with former Sega and Nintendo employees, Blake Harris describes how Sega’s crack marketing team of Al Nilsen and Madeline Schroeder decided to celebrate the launch.

They needed something “Sonic-worthy.”

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Chinese media tried to censor this moment between Putin and China’s first lady

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Peng Liyuan, the wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, seemed to have a nice time at the official leaders’ dinner at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit meeting in Beijing.

The two seemed to chat politely before something interesting happened.

“Then Mr. Putin, a former Soviet spymaster who rides horses bare-chested, made his move,” as described by The New York Times. “He whipped a tan coat from beneath the table and slipped it over Ms. Peng’s shoulders as she stood up.”

And here’s how Didi Tang of Associated Press described the scene: “It was a warm gesture on a chilly night when Vladimir Putin wrapped a shawl around the wife of Xi Jinping while the Chinese president chatted with Barack Obama. The only problem: Putin came off looking gallant, the Chinese summit host gauche and inattentive.”

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One of the biggest smartphone makers in China just released this blatant iPhone 6 clone

Lenovo, which happens to be the fourth-largest smartphone vendor in China, just released a new phone that looks almost identical to Apple’s iPhone 6.

The Lenovo S90 Sisley features the same metal unibody design and curved edges as the iPhone 6. The speaker placement is even exactly the same, as shown in photos obtained by tech blog Gizmobic (via Android Authority).

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Fantastically bright, green meteor in Japan caught in amazing videos

The evening of Nov. 3 had a big surprise for people in Japan: A big, bright meteor streaked across the sky, giving locals an absolutely stunning light show.

You can see the green and orange light of the meteor as it falls toward Earth. These colors are likely due to the presence of magnesium and sodium in the meteor itself that produce green and orange light, respectively, when subjected to extreme heat.

The celestial event took place over western Japan and was reported within a couple of hours of a series of US meteor sightings across the East coast.

In Japan, cameras at the Fukuoka airport caught this amazing footage:

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Chinese politician says kung fu movies show why umbrella protesters must be stopped

A lawmaker in Hong Kong who supports the Chinese government reportedly cited Kung Fu movies as a justification for the violent crackdown on the protesters who have become known as the “Umbrella Revolution.”

According to the South China Morning Post, the politician, Leung Che-cheung, told his colleagues on the Hong Kong Legislative Council the umbrellas protesters have been using to block tear gas could be used as an “aggressive weapon” and necessitated a violent response by police officers. To prove his point, Leung cited martial arts movies.

“It is basic common sense that an umbrella can be an aggressive weapon, but many lawmakers are just completely ignorant about history,” Leung said.

Hong Kong police have been battling the anti-government protesters since last month with tear gas, pepper spray, and alleged beatings.

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‘LEAGUE OF LEGENDS’ FINALS: Meet the kids facing off in the biggest sporting event of the month

“League of Legends” is one of the most popular e-sports games in the world right now, boasting a staggering 67 million active monthly players, according to a recent article in The New York Times.

The most important moment of the year for “LoL” fans is happening on Saturday: the finals of the “League of Legends” World Championships. It will be held in a stadium in Seoul that was built for the 2002 soccer World Cup.

The top prize is $1 million, a roughly 70-pound trophy called the Summoner’s Cup, and, of course, bragging rights.

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KFC is counting on these new menu items to save business in China

KFC parent company Yum Brands was hit hard by a Chinese food safety scandal.

The company cut the profit outlook in a recent earnings announcement. Sales in China fell 14% in the most recent quarter as consumers doubted the brand’s quality.

Executives told analysts that it was counting on some new rice dishes to revive sales. Because these dishes are seen as more high-end, the KFC team believes they could improve perception of the brand.

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An American steakhouse bid in a private Japanese wagyu beef auction for the first time

On Monday night about two dozen journalists, steak-enthusiasts and all-around hungry people gathered in a private room at Old Homestead Steakhouse in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District to enjoy an experience months in the making.

For the first time ever, Americans were about to dine on the highest quality Japanese Wagyu steak purchased at one of the country’s exclusive beef auctions. Greg Sherry, a co-owner of Old Homestead along with his brother Marc, traveled to Japan’s Gunma prefecture to bid on some beef and bring it back home.

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People are getting into fights outside Apple stores because no one in China can buy an iPhone 6

Fights have broken out all over the world in the last couple of days in front of Apple Stores as people queued for the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

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Burger King Japan’s black burgers look unbelievably gross in real life

Burger King recently launched two new hamburgers in Japan that feature black buns and cheese with matching squid ink black sauce. Ads, like the one above, made the burgers look pretty unappetizing. But the burgers, known as the Kuro Diamond and Kuro Pearl, look even worse in reality.

Here are some examples:

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China’s Special Forces in Hong Kong go through a ridiculous training regimen

China’s Special Forces go through intense training to ensure that the top soldiers of a country that views itself as the world’s rising superpower can be as versitile as possible.

China’s People’s Liberation Army Special Operations Force is responsible for commando and counter-terrorism operations, and specializes in rapid-reaction combat. For the past two years, Chinese special forces units have taken first place at the annual Warrior Competition in Jordan against 18 countries, including the US and Russia.

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Insane lines for the iPhone 6 from around the world

On Sept. 19, Apple’s iPhone 6 finally hit stores around the world. People have been lining up since last week in some cities waiting for the big day. This tweet from Walt Piecyk at BTIG tells you a lot: “Streets are a mess in line including bags of feces. Security presence is higher.”

Even better than a tweet? Photos. Here’s a look at the insanely long lines from around the world.

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Samsung is making its own hour-long sitcom starring a fictional employee

Samsung is working on its own sitcom that will center on a fictional employee, which will be released via YouTube and social media, ZDNet Korea reports.

The series, which will be called “Best Future,” will be written to portray a “young Samsung” that people in their 20s and 30s would want to work for, the reports says.

Samsung is taking the name of the series quite literally. The main character, a woman who works at Samsung in the series, will be named Mirae, which ZDNet Korea said means “future” in Korean. The male lead, who shares a boarding house with Mirae, will be named Chaego which means “best” in Korean.

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Over 3 decades, North Korea paid for full-page propaganda ads in western newspapers

From 1969 to 1997, the North Korean leadership purchased expensive full-page ad space in the most prominent western newspapers, Benjamin R. Young reports for NK News. The ads, which cost anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000, were placed in high-profile publications like The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Guardian.

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Japan just held a first-of-its-kind live fire exercise on Mount Fuji【Photos】

In the shadow of rising tensions in the East China Sea, Japan is holding live fire exercise in the foothills of Mount Fuji until Sunday. Japan has held annual military exercises aimed at protecting its northern territories along its maritime frontier with Russia, although present realities have led to Japan shifting its priorities to island defense.

The exercises, called Fire Power, are aimed at defending outlying Japanese islands from a hypothetical invasion. Fire Power is a first-of-its-kind exercise and follows new national defense guidelines.

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Here’s what $5 million buys in housing markets across the globe

If you’re looking for a pricey vacation home for the end of summer, we’ve checked out what $5 million can get you in real estate around the world. Our friends at Point2Homes helped us find everything from a tiny apartment in Monte Carlo to a 16,000-square-foot mansion in Qatar. Needless to say, $5 million should get you pretty far no matter what city you live in.

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Chinese tech startup asks women to send in photos of themselves for a chance to buy a smartphone

Chinese tech company OnePlus is holding a contest requesting that women send in photos of themselves in order to score an invite to purchase its wildly popular phone, the OnePlus One.

As part of the contest, women must either write the OnePlus logo on their body or hold up a piece of paper showing the company’s symbol. Only women are permitted to enter the competition, and the entrant with the most likes on her photo wins an invitation to buy the $300 OnePlus One.

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A losing South Korean baseball team filled 3 rows of seats with robots that cheer for them

Watch the video below and tell us that robots aren’t going to change everything.

The Hanwha Eagles, a South Korean professional baseball team, recently filled three rows of its stadium with robots designed to cheer in the stead of real fans watching the game at home, reports CTV News.

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Nintendo’s Mercedes-Benz for Mario Kart 8 is actually kind of depressing

Nintendo’s business is in dire straights, and has been for three consecutive years. Perhaps that’s why the company let Mercedes-Benz sponsor three new cars into its cartoonish racing game for the Wii U, in the form of a free downloadable content (DLC) package set to release at the end of the month.

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South Korean shipyard workers wear robo-suits for super-strength

If Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering gets its way, employees will be carrying out their duties while decked out in strength-enhancing robotic exoskeletons, according to New Scientist.

As one of the largest shipbuilders in the world, the company is investigating ways to make its workflow more productive. But after researching the use of such robo-suits on the job and finding them to be helpful, the company is now working on improving its prototype model so that the suits might soon see regular use on the job.

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