Kotaku: San Francisco

Welcome Kirk Hamilton as Kotaku's San Francisco Features Editor

Joel Johnson — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 13:20:00 EDT

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It's always a pleasure welcoming a new voice to Kotaku, but considering how much I've been enjoying Kirk Hamilton's work over the last year as he blossoms into one of gaming most exciting writers, today's a special treat: Oh, I already spoiled it. Anyway, let's welcome Kirk Hamilton to Kotaku as our new San Francisco Features Editor. More »

Detroit Muscles in on Driver: San Francisco's Fleet

Owen Good — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 23:00:00 EDT

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More than 120 licensed vehicles, modern makes and classic models, populate the world of Driver: San Francisco. The City by the Bay was the scene of the greatest car chase in cinema history, Dodge vs. Ford, so the fleet reveal for Ubisoft's action racer naturally genuflects to American automotive pride. Driver: San Francisco releases Aug. 30. More »

Homefront Balloons Don't Fly in San Francisco [Update]

Owen Good — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 20:00:00 EST

A Homefront promotion for the Game Developers Conference involved releasing hundreds of red balloons in the downtown of one of the most environmentally conscious cities in America. Many floated into its neighboring bay. Bad idea? Yeah, you could say that. [Update] GameStop has released a statement, saying publisher THQ initiated the promotion and used environmentally-friendly balloons. More »

How You Can Help Build A World-Class Video Game Museum

Mike Fahey — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 15:20:00 EST

The staff at the Museum of Digital Art and Entertainment have the knowledge, passion, and the gaming artifacts to create a world-class video game museum in the San Francisco Bay area. Now they just need a place to put it. More »

Bus Shelters Turn Wait Times Into Neighbourhood Deathmatches

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 06:00:00 EST

Web giant Yahoo has installed twenty large touch-screen displays in bus shelters across San Francisco. These displays are not for trailers. Instead, they're to let people engage in some free multiplayer gaming. More »

Mafia Wars Agency Takes The Rap For Vandal-Marketing Stunt

Owen Good — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 18:00:00 EST

An ad agency has taken the fall for a guerrilla marketing stunt that had the city of San Francisco threatening Facebook-games maker Zynga with vandalism and other charges. The agency will pay the city $45,000 in fines. More »

Saving Professor Layton's London In San Francisco

Mike Fahey — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 16:20:00 EDT

People puzzling in the streets of San Francisco during Nintendo's Professor Layton and the Unwound Future special event. Be sure to read Kotaku's full review! More »

Farmville Makers Attacked Over Real-World "Vandalism"

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 00:30:00 EDT

Zynga, the company behind Facebook titles like Farmville and Mafia Wars, is in trouble with the San Francisco City Attorney's Office over reports of vandalism linked to the developer's advertisements. More »

Hey, Gimme That, You Big ... Ape

Owen Good — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 17:00:00 EDT

At the San Francisco Zoo yesterday, photographer Christina Spicuzza captured five pictures of gorillas playing around with a DSi XL. They later touched a monolith and used the handheld to slay an eohippus. More »

Seventy-Three Sega Employees Restructured Out Of Their Jobs

Mike Fahey — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 17:40:00 EDT

Staff cuts have struck Sega London and San Francisco today, as an email from Corporate Operations Officer Masanao Maeda informs employees of the termination of a combined 73 positions between the two locations. More »

Pop Goes The Joystick

Brian Crecente — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 14:00:29 EST

As seen on a third-floor wall of San Francisco's intriguing Hotel des Arts. More »

Capcom's Secret Dark Void Event Is Secret

Mike Fahey — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:20:00 EDT

If you are 21 and older and going to be in the San Francisco area on Monday October 12th, then Capcom might want you to do something regarding Dark Void - they just won't say what. More »

This Is What You Missed At The Distant Worlds Concert

AJ Glasser — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 21:30:00 EDT

Renowned Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu rocked San Francisco last Saturday along with Grammy award-winning conductor Arnie Roth at the Distant Worlds concert. More »

Nobuo Uematsu Sells Out San Francisco

AJ Glasser — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 21:20:00 EDT

If you missed Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu in Seattle last weekend and you don't have tickets to this weekend's show in San Francisco, you'll just have to move to Japan and stalk him. More »

Street Fighter Club Punches San Francisco Right In The Face

Mike Fahey — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 17:00:00 EST

With the game so close week can taste it, Capcom has decided to ditch the secrecy concerning their national Street Fighter Club events, with the latest event hitting San Francisco this Friday. More »

Capcom Focus Testing In San Mateo Friday

Mike Fahey — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:20:00 EST

If you'll be in the San Francisco Bay area this Friday and seek to experience the exciting world of video game focus testing, Capcom could have just the opportunity you're looking for. More »

Runes Of Magic Publisher Sets Up Shop In San Francisco

Mike Fahey — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:40:00 EST

Next time we want a hands-on with a Frogster product we might not have to travel to Germany, as the Berlin-based online game publisher announces the founding of Frogster America in San Francisco. More »

Game Over – Art of the Gamer Generation

AJ Glasser — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 17:00:00 EDT

Giant Robot specializes in "Asian American Pop Culture & Beyond," which means that this is the store to go to to score obscure figurines, bizarre stationary and the ultimate Hello Kitty accessories. This month, Giant Robot is also the place to go for video game art. Starting on October 11 and running all the way through October 29, the Game Over art show will be on display at Giant Robot in San Francisco – featuring such artists as Brian Ralph, Ben King, Ako Castuera and Aiyana Udesen. If you don't know who any of those people are, don't feel bad. Just trust me when I say they're artists and that they love video games. Don't believe me? Check out some of the pieces after the jump. (Scans courtesy of Luke Martinez, Giant Robot Manager and champion of Game Over's success.) More »

Metal Gear Solid 4: The San Francisco Launch

Flynn De Marco — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 05:00:10 EDT

Just a scant hour ago I made the trek down to the Powell Street GameStop to take in the midnight launch of Metal Gear Solid 4. Upon arrival, I was greeted with a line that went halfway down the block and around the corner. Roughly seventy five to a hundred and people waited patiently for the doors to open so they could once again get their hands on their beloved Solid Snake. First in line was lucky Kiattikhun Ratanatharathorn, known as "Bank" to his friends (pictured after the jump) who had been waiting for his prize since 6pm. He was accompanied by his friend James Demonico who wasn't actually there for the game but he owed "Bank" money so he came along for the ride (now I guess we know why they call him "Bank"). More »

Indiana Jones and the Giant Lego Boulder

Owen Good — Sun, 18 May 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Reader cashius22 spotted this and I can't resist. It's Lego, and it's Indiana Jones and therefore, it is on-topic. More »

My Shin-Ra Electric Power Company ID Card

fdemarco — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 22:40:00 EDT

As you might have read earlier, I attended last night's launch of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII at Sony's Metreon Center in SF. While the lucky first hundred people got t-shirts, and some even won some great raffle prizes, anyone was allowed to go up and get their complimentary Shin-Ra Electric Power Company ID card. Being firmly in the "anyone" crowd, I stepped up to claim what will sure to be a valuable money maker on eBay some day. They snapped a quick photo and then we got to wait about twenty minutes while the thing processed and Voila... we were presented with our nifty prize in a little labeled envelope. As you can tell from my photo, I am an employee not to be trifled with. More »

Launch Parties From Coast to Coast

fdemarco — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Tomorrow (Wed.) will see the Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword launch party at the Nintendo World Store in New York City from 2pm - 6pm. The game's producer and director Yosuke Hayashi will be on hand to sign autographs and met and greet the crowd. If you purchase the game there you will be granted one of those nifty Dragon Sword Ninja styli. There will also be demo stations set up around the store so you can try before you buy. More »

Kuju Comes To America

Mike Fahey — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 10:20:40 EST

One of Europe's leading independent game development companies is making the move to the U.S., as Kuju Entertainment announces the opening of Kuju America, they're first studio outside of the UK. The website for the new studio features a British flag emblazoned United States, coupled with the exclamation (warning?), "The Brits Are Coming!" The studio is located in beautiful San Francisco, convenient to a large pool of development talent as well as Kotaku weekend editor Flynn DeMarco.

Jonathan Newth, Corporate Development Officer of Kuju Entertainment, commented "The US, and San Francisco in particular, is a natural choice for our first non-UK studio. It's a hotbed of development talent, home to many leading publishers and some of the leading US games press.

Ah, so they've heard of Flynn! Excellent! Kuju America is already hard at work on their first title, which I'm sure they'll tell Flynn all about when they're ready. More »

Video Game Inspired Mural: Now With Unicorns!

fdemarco — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 20:00:00 EST

Whilst trudging through the rainy streets of San Francisco looking for an apartment, I decided to stroll down Clarion Alley in the Mission. I always like Clarion. It was a bit skeevy but people had decorated the whole thing with murals and it was always fun to head down there and have a little solitary street art time. Imagine my surprise when I turned the corner and the alley, still completely janky, was filled with people checking out the art. Seven years really changes things apparently. But, as I continued down I happened to see these two great video game inspired murals painted on two side by side garage doors. Personally, I prefer the first to the second (which you can see after the jump). It really makes me want to know when someone is going to make the shooting rainbow unicorns game. More »

Back in the Saddle

fdemarco — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 11:30:00 EST

Well, I am finally back after my two weekend hiatus.That makes three full weeks since I have roamed the hallowed halls of Kotaku Tower. Thankfully, Ash swept my room in my absence and fluffed the straw on my cot so I would be comfortable upon my return. More »

Final Fantasy Celebrates 20 Years

fdemarco — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 18:00:00 EDT

If you're a Final Fantasy fan and reside in the San Francisco Bay Area, your dreams of going to a party celebrating the 20th anniversary of the long running franchise have just come true. More »

Halo 3 Impressions

Brian Crecente — Sat, 12 May 2007 12:45:50 EDT

The Golden Compass Shown Off

Brian Crecente — Fri, 11 May 2007 11:00:29 EDT

EA Here I Come

Brian Crecente — Wed, 09 May 2007 17:00:58 EDT

I'm heading off to Electronic Arts' Summer Preview in a bit here in San Francisco. More »

Virtual Earth Not Exactly Global

Kim Phu — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 11:40:00 EDT

ETech (short for "Emerging Technology") was going on for the last couple of days in San Diego (my brother just came back and commented on how "expensive" everyone looked). Microsoft sent their man, Dr. John Curlander, to present the technologies that made Virtual Earth, an application used to show 3D models of real cities. More »

Night Note: Still Haven't Found What We're Looking For

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 09:40:51 EST

To: Crecente More »

Gamer's Day 06 Here I Come

Brian Crecente — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 20:09:52 EDT

Sometime between taking off from Little Rock National Airport and landing at Denver International Airport I've managed to catch a vicious head cold, as in can barely hear vicious. Thank God for Dayquil. More »

The Common Themes of the Dreamcast

brownlee — Thu, 17 Aug 2006 12:40:44 EDT

Courtesy of Game Set Watch comes this amazing gamer's thesis: A List of Common Themes in Dream-Cast Land. It's wonderful: what are these themes, these elusive metaphors? What Freudian aspects cast surreally upon them? According to Dreamcast Junkyard, they are the following: More »

San Francisco Katamari March Photos

brownlee — Mon, 22 May 2006 10:40:40 EDT

If you couldn't make your rotund way to last weekend's Katamari Damacy march in San Francisco, affixing to your sticky girth a potpourri of Americana as you rolled across the nation's highways, Kodak is hosting a beautiful gallery of photographs. Not that there was any doubt, but it looks like gaming geek paradise. Did anyone end up going? I envy you. How was it? Give me a report in the comments. - Florian Eckhardt More »

Brain Age Invades San Fran Streets

Brian Crecente — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 03:47:36 EDT