Kotaku: Britain

Report: Newspaper "Completely Fabricates" Anti-Gaming Story

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:00:00 EST

Mistakes happen all the time in the world of reporting news. That's what you get when dealing with humans telling you stories. It's one thing to make a mistake, though, and another to completely make shit up. More »

Idiot TV Program In Serious Trouble For Using Game Footage as "News"

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 01:00:00 EST

Late last year, a British documentary used footage from a video game and amazingly labelled it as a secret IRA recording. It has now, a few months later, been given a severe dressing-down. More »

Anyone Can Sing the Halo Theme Underground. And Sing it Damn Well.

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 05:40:00 EST

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Welshman Jonny Mason was exploring some abandoned oil chambers with pals when one of them thought, yes, these acoustics are just perfect for a rendition of the Halo theme. More »

Netflix is Now Live in the UK, Ireland

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 02:30:00 EST

Good morning, British Isles! To ease you into the working week, as of today your console of choice is now an official Netflix-viewing platform. [Netflix] More »

The Day a Sporting Legend Became an Unwitting Sonic the Hedgehog Icon

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 03:00:00 EST

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In the pouring rain on April 11, 1993, Brazilian Formula 1 driver Ayrton Senna raced into history with one of the greatest performances of his career. In treacherous conditions, he held off a spirited challenge from arch-rival Alain Prost to take a famous victory, one of the last he would savour before his tragic death a year later. More »

Press a Button, a Man Swears At You

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 04:30:00 EST

Clay, a company that specialises in "innovative digital media experiences", built this table covered in buttons for an exhibition that kicked off in London last Friday. More »

Microsoft Responds to XBOX CYBER FRAUD Story

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 05:30:00 EST

Sure, it's natural to raise an eyebrow or two when a publication like The Sun warns of XBOX CYBER FRAUD, but in this case, the tabloid was spot-on, even if the language could have been a little less inflammatory. More »

There's Nothing Like a PSP Game to Help Get Over a Brain Tumor

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 05:30:00 EST

Chris Sands "starred" in a 2010 BBC documentary called The Man Who Can't Stop Hiccupping. Turns out there was a reason Sands couldn't stop hiccupping: he had a rare brain tumour. More »

Prisoner Builds Swords. Final Fantasy Swords.

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 05:30:00 EDT

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A prisoner serving a sentence in Monmouthshire, Wales has been found to be in possession of an extensive arsenal of bladed weapons. The thing is, they're all fake. All made out of matchsticks. And some are based on the weapons of the Final Fantasy universe. More »

How the World’s Most Amazing (and Painful) Video Game Setup was Built

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 01:00:00 EDT

Last week, we showed you an amazing PC gaming setup that involved five HD projectors, an omni-directional treadmill, wireless gun peripheral, ambient lighting and paintball gun. Some people cried "it's a marketing stunt!". Others cried "it's not real!". More »

Man Shitting on Dead Hedgehog is Not Necessarily a Video Game Metaphor

Owen Good — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 23:30:00 EDT

Hi there, smart guy. Yes, this is not germane to video games. That said, a dude pulling down his pants and squatting in the middle of the road over a deceased hedgehog, maybe spreading his butt cheeks a little and squeezing out a fudge dragon on its carcass, is something we can argumentatively link to the lamented state of a certain game franchise for purposes of a humorous poop-joke post to close out the evening. More »

Europe, Australia Getting White PS3

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 06:50:00 EDT

The White version of the PlayStation 3, long available in Japan but not in the West, will in November go on sale in Europe and Australia. It'll include a 320GB HDD, two controllers and will sell for €300/AUD$448/£250. More »

PSP Robbery Suspect Arrested by British Police

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Malaysian student Ashraf Haziq made world headlines last week when he was the victim of not one but two sickening attacks during the London riots, one which broke his jaw and one which saw his PSP stolen by a man supposedly "helping" him. More »

Man has Jaw Broken, PSP Stolen During London Riots

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 01:00:00 EDT

One of the sadder stories to come out of this week's London riots is that of Malaysian student Ashraf Haziq, who bleeding profusely from a broken jaw is helped to his feet by passers-by...before summarily having his PSP stolen right out of his backpack. More »

Nintendo's Ambassador Program Ad Reads Like a Product Recall

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 01:00:00 EDT

Nintendo is slashing the price of the 3DS and giving away a ton of free games to early adopters. While I'm sure that's grim news for those who actually work at Nintendo, the marketing for the move doesn't have to follow suit! More »

Lulzsec's Public Voice Arrested

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 06:30:00 EDT

A "spokesperson" for hacking collective Lulzsec, who among other targets hit the online operations of Nintendo and Sony, has been arrested in the United Kingdom. More »

Remembering the Great, Last Ninja

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Today, we're looking at The Last Ninja. The first "badass" game I ever played, and still one of my all-time favourites. More »

Why Play FarmVille When You Can Help Run an Actual Farm Online?

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 06 May 2011 06:30:00 EDT

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Aimed at capitalising on the popularity of Facebook smash hit FarmVille, Britain's National Trust has established MyFarm, which is in many ways a game of FarmVille, only for real. More »

Professor Layton and the Curious Royal Marriage

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 02 May 2011 01:00:00 EDT

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From the blanket media coverage it received, you'd have thought the entire planet sat down to watch the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton last week. Some people, though, had better things to do. By Margaret Albaugh, via Tiny Cartridge. More »

It's a Royal Wedding Game (With Zombies in it)

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 03:30:00 EDT

A real game based on the Royal Wedding would be boring as all hell. You'd be managing sliders based on protocol and a receding hairline. A game based on the Royal Wedding when it's under attack by zombies, now that's more like it. More »

Sony in Sights of British Watchdog over PSN Hacking

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 07:30:00 EDT

Less than a day after a US Senator began asking questions of Sony's PSN downtime, Britain's Information Commissioner's Office is investigating whether the company had adequate protection in place to safeguard customer's credit card information. More »

Sonic, You're Not As Fast As You Used To Be

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 02:30:00 EDT

Faster Than A Sleeping Hedgehog | Adam Betts, 30, "runs" the London Marathon dressed as Sonic. That artificial motion blur is fooling nobody. (Photo: Chris Steele-Perkins / The Guardian)

Modern Warfare Actor Arrested, Charged With Hitting His Wife

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 01:00:00 EDT

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British TV star Billy Murray - who many of you will recognise as the voice of Captain Price in the Modern Warfare series - has been arrested in the UK and charged with assault after allegedly attacking both his wife and daughter. More »

The Video Game Console That Never Was

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Some game machines are killed long before they enter production. Others at least make it to market before dying, whether of old age or lack of demand. And then there's the Konix Multisystem. More »

Retailer Buys 3DS Units From Competitor, Then Marks Up The Price

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 04:40:00 EDT

Console launches are normally times for absurdity, but this report coming in from the UK - of GAME staff popping down to their local supermarket to buy 3DS units - is something else. More »

First PlayStation Phone Is "Buggy", Has Partial UK Launch Delay

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 03:30:00 EDT

The Xperia Play, Sony Ericsson's first mobile platform making use of the PlayStation Suite, has seen part of its UK release delayed after a telcom provider found several bugs in the phone's software. More »

Report: Amazon Screws Up British 3DS Deliveries

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 07:30:00 EDT

There are some very unhappy Nintendo fans in the United Kingdom today, with mega-retailer Amazon reportedly failing to deliver 3DS consoles to many customers who paid extra for "expedited delivery". More »

Mass Effect 2 Wins Big At The BAFTAs

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 07:30:00 EDT

The British Academy Of Film And Television Arts held its big video games awards night last night, and Mass Effect 2 walked away with "Best Game'. Here are all the other winners. More »

Sony Pulls PS3 Game Out Of Respect For Japan's Earthquake Victims

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EDT

MotorStorm Apocalypse was delayed in New Zealand because of the country's earthquake. Then it was delayed in Japan for the same reason. Now it's being delayed in the UK, too. More »

Sony Cancels "Small Number" Of PlayStation Games

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 01:00:00 EST

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has cancelled "a small number of projects" formerly in development across its British studios. The same studios that make games like WipeOut. More »

Suspect Compares British Shooting Spree To Grand Theft Auto

Mike Fahey — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 12:30:00 EST

Qhuram Awan was either an unwilling hostage or a willing accomplice during Raoul Moat's 2010 crime spree that left one dead and two seriously wounded. Speaking to Newcastle Crown Court, Awan recalls the event was "like a video game." More »

The Grim, Scottish Future Of Role-Playing Games

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 05:00:00 EST

Earlier this month, a second series of "Limmy's Show" kicked off on BBC Scotland (and Sky 990 if elsewhere in the UK). How is this relevant to you? Because the first season contained the future of role-playing games. More »

From The Ashes Of Bizarre Creations Comes A New Studio

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 03:45:00 EST

Project Gotham developers Bizarre Creations may be no more, but several key employees of the studio have formed a new company: Lucid Games. More »

The PlayStation Phone Looks Better In White

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 04:00:00 EST

Sony Ericsson's Xperia Play, the device we used to call the PlayStation Phone, isn't the prettiest thing on the planet. Swap the drab silver out for a creamy white, though, and things are looking up. More »

Ship "Wreck" Maroons Video Game Launch

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 00:30:00 EST

Upcoming PC title Two Worlds II was supposed to launch in the UK tomorrow. That launch has been pushed back to the end of February, however, after the freighter carrying all the games had a little trouble. More »

Man Steals $12 Million In Online Cash From Farmville Creators

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 00:30:00 EST

British hacker Ashley Mitchell thought it would be a hoot to steal $12 million in online cash from Zynga, the creators of Facebook games like FarmVille and CityVille. And it would have been! If he hadn't been caught. More »

Whoah, Why Are There Boobs In This Tiger Woods Game?

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 07:00:00 EST

Having spent "ages" working on a custom avatar for her Tiger Woods 11 character, Briton Jo Eley says she booted the game up to find that...well, her avatar was apparently playing topless. More »

PS3 Breathes Life Into Prison Contraband

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 02:30:00 EST

Crims locked up in a Scottish prison have found a novel use for their PS3s: employing them as charging stations for the mobile phones they're not supposed to have. More »

Cave Maps Turn Into Dungeon Crawls

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 05:00:00 EST

The sandstone caves of Nottingham are a network of caverns and tunnels deep beneath the English city. There's currently a project underway to "map" these caves, and the results look more than a little familiar. More »

Activision Threatens 600 UK Jobs Over Loss of Tax Breaks

Owen Good — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 19:00:00 EST

Activision's so incensed over the United Kingdom's rollback of promised tax breaks for video games development that the publisher is considering the withdrawal of its 600-employee office from the country, according to The Telegraph. More »