It's disheartening to think that it has come to this, that unless we're talking about the relatively safe topics of consoles and their direct by-products there can't be intelligent discourse on Kotaku. And I don't understand how we've arrived here.

Commenting on this site has a short and interesting history. It wasn't allowed for more than a year and when it did come, after much pleading on my part, it came in the form of an invitation. You were invited to come into the site. This wasn't because we didn't want dissenters on the site, it was because we didn't want trolls here, inside with us. Because whether you believe me or not, commenters are as much a part of making Kotaku, what it is, as it's writers are, perhaps even more a part of that process.

Over time we opened the door more, allowing anyone to apply to be a commenter, something that I hoped would bring a wealth of new and interesting opinion into the site. But what it seems to have done is created not a chorus of thought and reason, but a mob mentality, a desire to post first, to speak loudest and to rarely read through the entire article or think about the topic at hand. It's created a cacophony of stupidity that drowns out our many well-reasoned readers and dilutes their intelligent discourse.

Race is a big issue. It's an issue that's right up there with religion and politics. People get angry, I get that, and of course you have the right to get angry. But what you don't have the right to do is to turn off your brain and turn up your mouth.

If you disagree with someone then disagree, but don't resort to calling names, don't use caps, don't generalize. Dissent with smart, thoughtful comments, create a dialog or go somewhere else, because frankly, you're embarrassing me.

Ban Monday Flickr pic.

This week has been awful for those of us who like to pretend that videogaming is not a hobby dominated by 13-year-old boys and the 30-year-old men that think like them. Between this and the two racism threads, it's been like a game discussion struggling to be heard over a Klan rally.

And you know what? I honestly don't think it is that "people posting on the Internet anonymously say things they would never say in real life." After reading all of the comments on all three threads (yes, it's been a slow week at work) I seriously do think that a solid half the posters here are homophobes and/or racists and would be even if I showed up at their houses one by one to give them hugs.

It's depressing and makes me wish I'd latched on to a different pastime that attracts less idiots.

Nintendo Helping Gov't Piracy Raids

And people wonder why Osama Bin Laden hasn't been caught yet.
Yep America, You can go back to bed now. Your Government is working around the clock making sure your kid can't mod his Wii and play all those pirated games.

Totilo Weighs in on RE5 Debate

I think that the idea of shooting people should be uncomfortable if games are to ever evolve into a more meaningful art form. I understand the arcade roots of video games but if you're trying to create more tension and reality then the whole thing should be somewhat alarming. The question is will people buy games that make them uncomfortable?

If a gamer's goal is to only shoot meaningless pixels then why make graphics look real? Many people in the media attack video games by saying that they make killers out of players because they don't attach the violence with reality. In effect games are accused of desensitizing us to real violence. This is video game violence attached to an uncomfortable reality and I applaud it. I hope the future is full of more games that make us look at at the world around us. It's what art is meant to do and if games are ever to be considered art without question then we must embrace it.

If RE5 makes one person look into the reality of poverty and suppression that rules most of the world then it is already a great game... whether it's what the designer's intended or not.

Pachter Blames PS3 for GTAIV Delay

lol, analysts. Just a fancy word for "Guy Who Makes Wild Guesses"

Black Looks on RE 5 Racism

As a zombie I find the entire series racist.

Oh and, Braaaaiiiinnnnsss.

While today is not Ban Monday (bummer), the ban hammer still THIRSTS for blood. Spot grist for the ban mill? Send us your nominations to tips. Help us make your comment reading and our banning experience better.

It's fun to predict and scrutinize and burn these manufacturers for any mistakes they make in the gaming world. But when people's livlihoods and families are put into jeapordy, the note quickly takes a much more somber tone. My company's going through tough times as well, and I've lost some friends to layoffs. Good luck to those job-hunting Thursday (I'd take at least one day off, myself).

Rumor: NOA Exodus

From the perspective of a company that's currently going from 1 central office to many satellite offices:

In order to grow, the company has to spread. Nintendo has sucked the sap out of Washington so now they're spreading their tentacles in order to let native potential SF and NY employees stay where they are living. By sending current employees, the new offices get the Nintendo Seal of Approval while also freeing up space at the HQ for any new hires.

However, the important part of sending off employees is that they volunteer for the move, not be forced and thus possibly quit. So I could be completely wrong with this entire post.

PS3 Meltdown

If this is weird to any of you, welcome to European advertising. Really I have seen commercials that start with people having sex and you know what they were advertising condoms? Some kind of birth control? No a watch. A watch!!! Of course it is going to seem weird to you it wasn't made for you in the first place. But naturally most of you just want to hate on Sony like always.

Media Create Japanese Hardware Numbers: Ratio Edition

In positive news, the 360 is selling 138x's more then the original GBA.

Elder Bleszinski Doesn't Welcome Wii Dominance

The Wii appeals to a new market.

Oh no!

Go back to your treehouse, Tyler Bleszinski. Take down the sign that reads "No girls allowed!" and make a new sign that says "No casual gamers allowed!"

On second thought, hang the first sign next to it just to be safe.

Interested in commenting on Kotaku? Here's how. Know: We ban. And better yet, other commenters are encouraged to nominate people for potential banning by sending emails to tips — which not only helps weed out the tool, but raises the tipster's own ban profile.

Preemptive strike:

Halo 3 sucks
Halo 3 is overrated
Halo 3 rocks
Xbox 360 sucks
PC games are better
Resistance is better
Bungie makes more promises it can't keep
Halo 3 will sell faster than my antique pen collection on ebay

The Truth Behind The Xbox Boys

This is like an onion article, but it's real. Good stuff.

Ubisoft: Sorry About Those Shitty Wii Games

Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 and My word Coach have gotten a lot of praise. Also from what has been said about Red Steel 2 and considering what the dev team managed to do on such a rush job despite no expierence on fps games much less a whole new control scheme I think Ubisoft will vastly redeem itself.

Quite a lot of people that devoted more then a few hours grew to love Red Steel. Quite a few games people dismissed just after the first hour later on grew to love the game after spending more time with it. Killer 7 had it's haters give up on the game after just an hour or two as well.

EA devoted whole studios to the Wii and DS. They like Ubi smelled that the wii would bring a lot of money to them. Ubi being smaller rushed the games making them suffer.

The Red Steel team did a far more competant game then a lot of supposedly elite game dev teams have done. They put a lot of effort into it and once refined the game ideas, concepts can be made into a far better game.

As for EA I guess people haven't seen Boogie or the other original EA wii games that are coming out. EA is also looking to make the Wii versions of games often the most fun to play.

Heroic Gamer Takes A Bullet

His CS gaming instinct probably took over and told him two things:

(1) Sometimes, rushing superior odds catches them by surprise and turn the odds to your favor

(2) If the above doesn't work, you can just respawn

Fad Or Forever: Does The Wii Have Legs?

Uh-huh, because, y'know, the only things the Wii has are mini-games. P-lease. And if mini-games are the only games that take up the majority of the library, who's fault is that? Developers, especially third-party developers, could've made so many games that would entice the same people who find the Playstations and Xboxes so appetizing. Instead, such people are hard pressed, at least early on, to find any third-party games they'd like on the Wii. As such they looked toward the other system and see so much more titles they'd want, but noticeably, none of those make it on the Wii. It's the same with the Cube for the most part. And now all you get are excuses why Burnout 3 never went to the Cube ("online-centric" my ass), or that Silent Hill isn't something Nintendo fans would play because "the general opinion is that Wii is for family games...and I'm sure the fans don't play Silent Hill with their grandma."

Excuse, excuses, lousy efforts, more excuses, and self-fulfilling prophecies. Spare me. How are Nintendo fans suppose to play games (i.e. FF, MGS, SH, KH, DQ, Ninja Gaiden, etc.) they want when they can't get them in the first place. And then developers are gonna tell us that the fans of those games are on systems like the PS3? Well, no duh. And if you put a life sustaining atmosphere on one planet vs. the other, life happens to thrive... where?

Interested in commenting on Kotaku? Here's how. Know: We ban. And better yet, other commenters are encouraged to nominate people for potential banning by sending emails to tips — Which not only helps weed out the tool, but raises the tipster's own ban profile.

The PS3 technology is 'advanced' now, and Sony thinks they can be 'in this for the long run', but they're going to be in for a rude awakening when in a few years time when they may actually start catching up in the war their technology will be old news, and Microsoft and Nintendo will be poised in the position to develop consoles with technology that out-does the PS3's 'advanced then' technology

You can't be 'in it for the long run' when technology is advancing at the rate it is, the PS3 won't be advanced in 10 years when Microsoft and Nintendo could release new consoles with current technology that makes the PS3 look like a chump

'10 years' will be too little too late for the PS3, Microsoft and Nintendo will force Sony's hand and the PS3 won't have to time to 'catch up'

Rumor: Halo 3, September 25th, 2007

When is the last time a Halo 3 rumor has turned out to be true?

PlayStation Biz Almost Posted $2 Billion Loss

It's not over til it's over. All console wars drag out over the life of the system. Sony is hoping Blu-Ray and a host of games turn the situation around.

Still, it must hurt to have the PS2 doing so well, not to mention their competitors' systems.

Halo 3 Crackdown Beta Delay

Im sure this pisses off a lot of people who called in sick.

Early Look at Hitman Movie

Bald head with barcode tattoo. The ultimate way for a furtive hitman to remain incognito.

With Stupid: PGR Used In PS3 Promotion... Again.

Yeah, I guess Sony is causing global warming, war in the middle east, and is totally responsible for 8-year-old Timothy O'Malley skinning his knee after falling from his bike in a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

C'mon. This was a stupid move by a crappy car company running [in] a Spanish-language country.

I have NO idea how this can be Sony's fault... and I doubt their marketing division was contacted any more than Microsoft is contacted for the "Swat the Fly and win a 360" banner ads.

As for the GTHD complaints... yeah, it's a free demo. Let's keep comparing it to a full game because THAT makes sense.

Kia sucks, their cars suck, and their commericals suck. Let's move on.

Impressions: Lair Still Not Winning Me Over

@crecente: you're not a professional commenter, are you?

Interested in commenting on Kotaku? Here's how. Know: We ban. And better yet, other commenters are encouraged to nominate people for potential banning by sending emails to tips — Which not only helps weed out the tool, but raises the tipster's own ban profile.

Well, well, well. Let's take a look at your points:

1. Makeup. Have you ever seen a Jessie cosplayer without the makeup? Some of them go over the top, a more theatrical look. The people at Sephora on 34th Street in Manhattan made me up to be a evil diva! And IMHO, they were fantastic, so much so, a few of them told me I looked hot.

2. That was NOT a bare midriff I was going for there. It was actually a flesh-colored shirt I was wearing to give the effect of a bare midriff. Most of us aren't shapely enough to have six-pack abs (I myself, have beer barrel abs :LOL:) .

3 and 4. Ever heard of places like Lane Bryant, Avenue, Torrid? What do they have in common? All cater to the fuller-figured woman. Two years ago, when I began to plan out my Jessie costume, I bought the skirt in question at Lane Bryant, and the scooter skirt barley touched above the knees. As for the, ahem, boobage, I wore three pairs of socks inside the bra.

5. If I was to grow out the hair if I had the gonads to say the least, it would be hell to wash out any dye. Hence the wig. Trust me, I'll replace the wig sometime down the road. I just also replaced the blue wig on my James costume recently to make it up to standard.

6. I bought a turtleneck shirt to shorten the body and sleeves for this costume. So I am sewing to conform to the outfit, but 90% of the stuff I used in the costumes are store bought. As for the boots I wear, I bought them off eBay so that you know.

And @AnnePackrat, yeah, I b****ed and p***ed at my mom in 2005 about and her ways. Last summer, she gave me the okay (and the money) to do the Jessie outfit after some consideration. At first, she objected about me crossdressing (and crossplaying) but because I have to take care of her (she had a stroke last August, and my work has become stressful), she now understands why I have to do what I like to do, and has since supported me in all my endavors. I get $600+/month from SSI and Social Security (along with an annual rebate from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for rent). The only reason I ranted was that it was supposed to be a Halloween costume at first (I never knew about cons in Philadelphia until last year) but I have to pay bills, too, you know.

There's my points. Like 'em or not, learn to live with 'em.

The Zelda Tramp Tattoo

I'm one of those uptight dicks who doesn't like it when people recreationally use "gay", "retard", or "rape" — and working at a game company I hear them constantly.

That being said, any tattooed lass who takes her entire top off for a pic of a lower-back tattoo isn't likely to be offended by "tramp stamp".

The Oreos, I agree, are a problem.

Ken Kutaragi Steps Down At PlayStation

Shine on, you crazy diamond...

HowTo: Transfer Data to Your 360 Elite

You know what really ticks me of about this though is that MS should be able to address this easily. Even if they decide to keep it tagged to your serial number, then you should be able to call Xbox Customer support and have them change your attached serial number. Hell those guys are able to look up everything you've ever bought or downloaded. This should not be something that would be difficult for a software giant to figure out.

360 Loses Kane & Lynch, Crossfire As Exclusives

Exclusives are so last-gen.

Interested in commenting on Kotaku? Here's how. Know: We ban. And better yet, other commenters are encouraged to nominate people for potential banning by sending emails to tips — Which not only helps weed out the tool, but raises the tipster's own ban profile.

Trained on Doom eh?

Soooooo, he practiced his rocket jumps?

WaPost Removes Counterstrike Reference From Story

I'm just saddened that all of this stuff leads to knee jerk reactions on all fronts, from gun control to what's allowed in entertainment. People are already attributing this case to the "macho hollywood gun-culture" when this kid was just a sick individual. If there wasn't a gun, he probably would have made a fertilizer bomb. I'm not saying that there's not things to be done, but let's get real. This was a case of a sick individual, and we can legislate and denounce until the end of the world, but it won't stop sick people from doing this kind of thing.

I mean, I was listening to the radio, and they were screaming about gun control, and when someone said that they needed to stop just "reacting" to incidents, their response was "Well, we reacted to 9/11 and I'm fine with that." OK, that's great, we changed to suit a changing world, I can dig that, but people fail to realize that knee-jerk changes (there's that phrase again) are often misdirected and ineffective at solving the problem at hand. The immediate reaction to 9/11 was the Patriot Act, which is now in the process of being taken apart piecemeal due to unconstituationality. I hate seeing our country go from shock and fear to a pitch-forks-and-torches mob screaming "Let's do something" and allow people to further pre-existing agendas under the faulty logic that shutting the barn door after the horse is out is the only reaction to any tragedy.

Analyst: Xbox Biz Is A Disastrous Endeavor

So according to this analyst companies should not invest in expanding their business. It's called capital expenditure. Rarely are new business endeavors profitable with in the first five years. Microsoft got into the game market to expand the reach of their software into the living room and focus on the bigger picture.

Anyone claiming victory or defeat for any of the three at this point is incredibly short sighted. This battle will wage on for at least another generation when cable tv, the internet and games are all merged into one box.

Making his point about Japan so early was a mistake as well. Not that it isn't an important teritory but they are complete xenophobes when it comes to technology. Why should they look elsewhere when they already have two excellent game companies already in their country? That'd be like us all of a sudden buying Chinese developed cars when they start selling here in a year or two.

Now, you can point to Honda and Toyota because that is a good argument but they took decades to infiltrate the American market and are only now becoming successful in doing so. (for the record I own a Honda Prelude '99 type SH and I love it more than anything in the world.)

Compounded by the fact that American developers don't get Japanese culture and have very rarely been successful over there. (Metroid by Retro Studios is the only game that comes to mind). It's no wonder why they haven't succeeded, yet.

I'm sorry but just because someone isn't successful at something right away doesn't mean they should quit. Not when there's so much at stake. Besides, It's not like MSFT doesn't have the resources to fund their console.

Jack Thompson Gets Hardballed

Matthews really didn't attack Thompson. If you've ever seen Matthews go after a zealous politician on Hardball, you'd notice that this interview was very light. He basically allowed Thompson to ramble at length. It's probably because Matthews doesn't understand the subject himself.

It's kind of a shame because unlike Adam Sessler who essentially imploded while Thompson smirked on, Matthews could have torn this guy apart.

After all, Thompson needs to be ripped apart. The man has no shame. Barely 48 hours have passed since this tragedy and he is already hawking his vile agenda of censorship on the airwaves. The man makes me sick to my stomach.

Sony "Reconsidering Its Pricing Strategy For PS3

They've dug themselves a bit of a hole at Sony, it seems. It's a huge gamble no matter what they do. If they do drop the price, they'll only be eating more of the cost than they already are. Assuming consumer interest rose considerably at that point, are there enough games even available to make up those losses?
Sony, it seems to me, finds itself in a very "last-gen Nintendo" position. I think they can start to turn this around, but not with their home console. They should focus on the PSP brand as their money maker, the way Nintendo's handhelds have managed to turn a consistent profit. Can they do it? Yeah, but it's going to require a lot more effort in that area, and a lot more understanding of the portable market than they've shown thus far. In many ways, Sony's position is much more difficult than Nintendo's ever was. At the worst of times, Nintendo could always fall back on its utter domination of the portable market (and did). Sony lacks that buffer.
They need to do something to gain consumer confidence, and maybe a price cut would help, but they may have to get used to the idea of being the (very expensive) GameCube of this generation. Keep in mind that Sony doesn't just have to make up for lost manufacturing costs on every console sold; they also have to balance out the massive amount they spent on Blu-Ray and Cell R&D. The general public doesn't seem overly interested in HD movies of any kind just yet, and the Cell isn't being used in anything other than the PS3.
The PS2 is still outselling their new console, and that can act as their buffer for a little whole perhaps, but for how long? It's still very profitable for developers to put games out on the PS2, not so much for the PS3. In this, Sony finds itself in competition with its own console. It keeps the money coming in from one source, certainly, but it hardly justifies the PS3 to developers or the gaming public.
So a price cut? It's something to consider, and on the surface, sounds pretty good. But alone, without restructuring their overall strategy, it's not going to turn their position around.

GameLife Host Freed On 50K Bail

I think another important thing to look at here is the fact that the girl turned him in for the threats he made. I'm sure she was more familiar with his demeanor and if she genuinely felt threatened I think she did the right thing by turning him in.

Think about it. You know all sorts of people. Some people could say something like he said and you would know it was just the way they reach out for attention. Someone else could say the same thing and you would be scared that they would act on it because they are nutty as shit. I think she thought he might act on it. Maybe she thought it was reaching the boiling point with his threats or something.

Interested in commenting on Kotaku? Here's how. Know: We ban. And better yet, other commenters are encouraged to nominate people for potential banning by sending emails to tips — Which not only helps weed out the tool, but raises the tipster's own ban profile.

It's Thursday. Know what that means? Nothing! Well, I hope you had a nice Valentine's din-din. I know I did.

So! Today was actually super calm. Like if I was aboard the U.S.S. Kotaku (and you know, I am), my captain's log would be something like: "Stardate 2007. The end."

About images: Are they still wonky? Should us night people start posting them as before or continue as is? Make that "knight." Bwahahahahaha.

Regarding our conversation yesterday, I will include the number of people I banned today. Surprisingly, it was only one person. I tried to ban Plunkett, though. Ya know, for shits and giggles.

While other Gawker sites do public executions, I agree that the silent, but deadly approach is most fair and will help keep the comments section readable. And those banned folks can always come crawling back, tails between their legs (or go off bitching about how much they hate Kotaku at other message boards). Know that 99.999 percent of our night readers are really good people. Actually, it's 99.998, but I was being polite. So, I'm passing along a couple posts with very active comments going in hopes that our day people can offer their two cents.

What you missed while you were snoring:

• An article about Canadian piracy. Sadly, there is no "Crecente Is A Pirate" tag on it. Please fix.
• Rabbids go nutso on that 360 camera. NUTSO, I say.
• Sega guy uses the word "rubbish" in a sentence, misses rumble in SIXAXIS.

Okay, kiddos, it's everybody's favorite part of the show: When Bashcraft collapses on his keyboard. See ya in the morning!

I have to say, I do understand and respect the reasoning of the Slamdance sponsors, and subsequently the response of the Slamdance festival itself. While I don't agree with it at all, it's business (money) that really has the final say most of the time.

The problem as I see it with video games as an art form is in its short and largely one-dimensional history. Only recently have games aspired to be more than simple entertainment—hell, only recently have games been around. And in a world where the most respected things are the ones with long-established reputations, it's a hard fact that it will take a long, long time for games to break through the historical stigmas and change cultural—global—attitudes.

While I've never played it, I commend Donny Ledonne and games like SCMRPG for trying to create something not just different, but significant. I think we should defend things like this—not necessarily the games, but their value and merit. However, I'm wary of Mr. Croal's comparison (even if it is a loose one) to Maus or Guernica because I think it neglects the fact that not only is the game controversial, but so is the medium itself. I can see how it would be extremely difficult for most people to see SCMRPG as anything more than a game, when all it has to distinguish itself from an exploitative triviality (superficially, at least) is the author's defense and explanation. Controversial art and literature at least have the collective historical weight of their respective media to lend validity and significance.

I hope to see more shitstorms like this in the future. I hope controversies like this keep happening. Nothing's going to change overnight, and the discussion needs to keep going.

by MisterSleep

Apple's Steve Jobs "Trash-Talks" PSP

A few things come to mind about the iPhone and why I don't think it will be the uber-cool Nokia/NDS/PSP killer:

1) screen: Yes, that thing looks like it will suffer from "PSP grease stain-itis" as soon as it's in your hands.

2) interface: Now I know I will probably get roasted on this, what with Apple's legendary status as developers of user-friendly UI and all, but my main gripe is not the design of the interface per se, but the lack of tactile feedback. It's a screen - that's it. No discernable features apart from a slick, flat screen. In other words, soft buttons. Anyone who's ever used those universal remote controls with soft buttons only know what I am talking about: It is literally impossible to use the device without looking at the screen. I personally think that the iPhone interface idea is slick (not that Nokia hasn't designed something similar, albeit in a prototype stage) but it could certainly benefit from some hard buttons.

3) game franchises: what game franchises? You can bet that Nintendo won't be developing games for an iPhone. Microsoft, with their game developer buying sprees, would probably put their money on a product that they developed (Zune, anyone?), and not the iPhone. Ditto for Sony. That leaves some indie developers, and some larger developers/publishers that are platform-agnostic - SEGA comes to mind. Oh, and EA. But that still leaves out boatloads of franchises that simply would never make it to the iPhone.

4) price: 600usd? Get the fuck outta here. I need a phone to make PHONE CALLS, thank you! My Motorola W222 doesn't take photos, doesn't handle video, doesn't do shit apart from FM radio, which I never use. Oh, it makes phone calls too. What's best is that with service plan and all, it costs me 0usd for 2400 minutes/month for one year (the mobile phone company rebates me part of the initial payment every month for one year, by which they will have rebated my full payment. I don't see that happening with the iPhone ever, at those prices).

Oh, and L_K_M, aren't you contradicting yourself? You DON'T NEED a 600usd phone that also takes pictures, plays music and video, and runs games. You need a PHONE. All the other features on the iPhone are for entertainment, like that 600usd toy you mention. Doesn't that make the iPhone a... phone with a bunch of toy-like features that just jack its price up?

Gio, some people prefer to buy things separately, mainly because they appreciate quality. No mobile phone is going to compete against my DSLR camera in terms of functionality and quality. No mobile phone is going to compete against my 3CCD HD camcorder in terms of functionality and quality. No mobile phone is going to compete against my NDS in terms of sheer gaming enjoyment (at least not anytime soon). A deal? For paying for shit I won't ever use?

Of course, some people do like the convenience of Swiss Army Knife-type gadgets, but for me the quality just doesn't cut it (I work in professional media, hence my inclination for quality vs useless features I will never use).

But this is all moot. It's an Apple product, so the Mac faithful that follow Steve Jobs around like so many lemmings will absolutely gobble it up. Given the company's size, all they need is to sell a few to their loyal fanatics and Apple will enjoy smooth sailing from here on.

by laputaquelepario

Here It Is, The Official Korean DS

Bold is the new cool.

by Zenith

Sharp's AQUOS TVs Just For Gaming

For the sake of clarity, the 'Dynamic Contrast' thing needs explaining:

The TV's have fancy circuitry which controls the brightness of the backlight on the LCD, in effect turning down the brightness for darker scenes, so as to give better blacks/dark colours.

However, this is across the whole screen, so, for each individual frame, the TV behaves and looks like one with its "native contrast ratio"... in this case 1300:1.

The "dynamic contrast ratio" of 8500:1 is a comparison between the blackest black it can produce, and the whitest white... but these can never co-exist on the same frame. Infact, as no response time is quoted specifically for the backlight, it may take some time to go from its dimmest state to its brightest state, so it is possible that they may not even be able to co-exist across frames too close together either.

The most important thing to know, of course, is that picture quality can't be proven by statistics like this, and there's no substitute for actually seeing the monitor before you buy it.

Also, in response to Justcrim: The 360 can output 1080p over component and these TV's can recieve it, so technically both consoles can give a "Full HD" picture on this TV... not that either console actually renders it's games at 1080p (with the exception of a few Playstation Network titles) which is what really matters.

In reality, both consoles render the majority of their games at 1280x720, and then scale them (Scaling is BAD ok? You lose picture clarity, which, if I remember right, was the whole reason for HDTV in the first place!) to whichever output you choose... so while 1080p might sound better on paper, it will actually look worse than a 720p native display. Therefore, a 1080p TV isn't what you want for gaming. (For now anyway... there are one or two 1080p titles planned for the PS3, and Microsoft have said 1080p games are possible for the 360, but it's unlikely to become standard.)

For the optimum picture, you want a 720p TV. (Not that they're easy to find... as most of them are actually 1366x768, aka WXGA... which, as far as I know, is only output by the 360, via the VGA cable - not a single HDDVD/Bluray player or HDTV network actually uses this resolution!) Outputting 720p to a 720p native display (or a CRT that supports 720p) is the only way to avoid scaling and the picture quality loss it entails.

Sorry about the rant, but the confusion surrounding HD really gets on my tits.

by hinges

Microsoft Got An Emmy, Nintendo Got An Emmy, Sony Got Another...

Who collects these things?

Seriously, you can give an award for anyone to anything it seems.

We'll use the pro sports measure of a record to determine the value an award. The shorted the name (Most Homeruns)the greater the renown (verse something like, Most homeruns at home, on grass, while it is raining at night with more then 35,000 fans in attendance)

this 'Outstanding Innovation and Achievement in Advanced Media Peripheral Development and Technological Impact of Video Game Controllers for the Best Use of Personal Media Display and Presentation Technology Pioneering Work in a Near and Real-Time Fully Graphics Processors scored on he Best Use of Personal Media Display and Presentation Technology Pioneering Work in Near and Real-Time Fully Programmable Shading Via Modern Graphics Processors'

Shit simply fucking doesn't fly assholes.

by huginn

Apple iPhone Not Developer Friendly

I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict that Apple has screwed up akin to Sony with the PS3...

This device is only barely 'next-gen' (name any truly new feature), it's too big for a phone, too small for a UMPC, has been hyped for far too long to deliver on the dreams and too expensive for the majority to consider seriously as a replacement or alternative for all the other cool stuff we have to choose from.

I think Apple will be successful getting into some new markets, but I think that hindsight will show that the first edition iPhone was a loss-leader. Fortunately for Apple they can afford this kind of 'mistake', and they will certainly claim a victory regardless of the reality.

by huygir

Rabid Japanese Xbox 360 Fan Art

PS3-tan will be 300 pounds of large and in charge.

by NinjaBall

Don't know how to comment on Kotaku? Here's how. Beware: We ban. Loads. This week, we axed off tons of dead weight. And next week? Wash, rinse, repeat!

If there's an underlying message about race in that trailer, it's that non-whites have the ability to fully regenerate when cut in half.

by dan

Phil Harrison Is Stuffing Blu-Ray Disc Full of Pre-Renders

It is very hard to tell the difference between resolutions when stuff is in motion.

You can really notice it when things are stationary. Looking at text on a computer monitor, you'll be able to tell the difference between a 1280 by 1024 monitor, and a 1920 by 1080 monitor in about 2 seconds.

With games, I don't really see much need for over 720P right now. It's progressive, so you don't get scanlines. It's also low enough that the processor can put a good amount of anti aliasing in, which is what you really notice.

Next gen, when the processors are able to really do a lot with 1080P signals, then it might be worth it. Right now, a 720 game will just look a lot better.

Also, I hate prerendered scenes, they really take you out of the experience, because nothing looks the same. Maybe they were needed back in the day, but now the in game graphics look great. Why bother prerendering.

by Adam

Xbox 3 Already Being Planned

Yeah, I echo the sentiments of many other posters here when they say that this isn't exactly earthshaking. Other console makers have done the same practice of planning for the next console immediately after launching the new one, such as when the PlayStation 3 was supposedly in development since the launch of the PlayStation 2. One magazine article I read on the subject (I forget which one, I think it was EGM) mentioned that an early PlayStation 3 prototype was constructed as six PlayStation 2s connected together to pool their graphical processing power. Also, Shigeru Miyamoto, during E3, also dropped a tidbit of information that after the Wii's launch, Nintendo would be working on the next version of that, designed with high definition televisions in mind. So yeah, Msoft working on the next Xbox after the 360 isn't exactly a huge bombshell.

by Webimpulse

Miz Defends Crap Lumines Micro-Transactions

I think companies are going down the wrong track with this microtransaction thing - how many times have you gotten to a point in a game that was boring, buggy or too hard to bother to go on, only to push through just to get to better parts or for the sole purpose of finishing the game? For me, that happens pretty often. If I had to pay just to get to that next level, I probably wouldn't do it. Or if I did I'd probably expect 10/10 gaming experience. Every level, every addition has to be perfect to pay for it.

Theoretically, that means that microtransactions will actually improve gameplay. I think that's true to a limited extent, but it's pretty clear that most companies don't really put the energy in to actually improve the gameplay enough to justify the micropayments. And even if they tried, there's just no way to make a perfect game - every game is going to have some imperfections.

If game companies charge a lump payment, we'll suffer through some rough patches because it's already paid for. But if they charge for every new song, gameplay mode or level, my guess is that they'll get a lot less than full price out of us.

by weatherman

"I'm Spartacus!" "No... I'M Spartacus!"

Personally, I've never read Kotaku, and I never plan to. Now let me get back to my needlecraft.

by Ni Tsu Alien

SIXAXIS Is Human And Must Be Buried

The REAL issue is that rechargeable batteries start to lose their longevity as they get older, meaning that in about two years, you will be charging the battery for like an hour just to get about 1/2 hour worth of play in (that's exaggerated, of course). When this happens, you will either have to just buy a new controller, or will probably have to get it serviced just to get a new battery in.

This is the same way Apple deals with their Nano battery problem; the Nano requires a specially made screwdriver to open it. It's an unnecessary hassle to the consumer, and many of Apple's competitors (SanDisk's Sansa e200 series) eliminate this by allowing their owners to replace batteries themselves; this is a big enough issue that Nano competitors have used this as actual selling point.

by macdeth

Liveblogging the Gamers Day 06 Presentation

Would I be correct to assume that anyone who has the money to purchase a 1080p display would be the same fellow to have the money to purchase gaming equipment that displays at 1080p? And that anyone who doesn't have the money to purchase the 1080p display is also the same fellow who doesn't have the money to purchase the gaming equipment that displays at 1080p?

Because I get this strange... sickening feeling that a lot of people are complaining about things that, in the end, don't actually apply to their own personal experience anyway. If you've got the cash for the TV and PS3, you've got the cash for the cables. It's a game of relativity here and Sony is simply exploiting it to its full potential.

If the Wii displayed at 1080p but was the same budget system it is now and didn't come with enough free bells and whistles, I could understand the complaints. But when you're spending $2.5k to $5k for the TV and $700 for the PS3 (with taxes and 1 game), what's an HDMI cable... hell, from Monster no less... going to do to your already inflated budget? Not much.

by DaveKap

Wanna make a comment? Go ahead. Log-in and type away. But beware, we love to ban the dopey folks. Helps pass the time when we're bored.

While punching a while generally isn't a very smart thing to do, I'll defend you, Crecente, for your ill advised bout of rage. I've punched walls a few times due to my computer being a shithead. (Yes, my computer can and has been a shithead on multiple occasions) Like when Windows decided to format my harddrive because I hadn't activated. All my partitions gone. Yay.

Punching hard objects just feels good sometimes and afterwards you're thinking about how stupid you were just then, instead of the fact you just lost a years worth of installed games and downloaded music and pr0n.

I'm on kind of a ramble yes but I'd like to point out that punching a pillow doesn't do shit. It just pisses me off even more.

That said, I'm actually a pretty laid back kind of guy.

by amazinglarry

Ten Things That Annoy Us Gamers About Next Gen

I think fanboys are the most annyoing thing for the next gen. And the current gen. And just in general.

by Toneman

Sony Exec: "Microsoft Is Not a Technology Company"

Actually, wheelbarrows are technology.

by ablemancain

First Wii Japanese TV Spot

Maybe it's because I live in Japan, but I think this advertisement is absolutely spot on.

First, gamers all know what the Wii is. They don't need an advertisement. Sure, there will be advertisements aimed at them, but this isn't it.

Second, regular people do not know what the Wii is. My wife had never heard of it until I told her about it last week. My non-gamer coworkers haven't heard of it.

So then there's this commercial. It says "This is the new Nintendo remote". What do you think the average response of people who don't know about the Wii will be? "Huh. Boring commercial"? No.

Try: "What the fuck? Why is Nintendo making a remote control? And why would a remote control have a wrist strap? What is going on?"

So now you have people, not being told like a regular commercial "Here's our product, please be interested in it and buy it", but instead wanting of their own accord to know what the heck this product is. Sure, it won't keep them awake at night, but it'll be this little "WTF" corner of their brain.

Then when a commercial comes out showing what this remote is for, people will be more surprised and interested than if you'd just started out with a standard commercial.

So, no, for a gamer, this commercial isn't interesting. No game play, no jumping around, no excitement. But for the target of this commercial, non-gamers, it's a weird commercial for a product that makes no sense coming from the manufacturer it comes from, which makes them want to know more about it.

by bugbread

Breaking: Clover Studios Is Dead

I think publishers are starting to accept a business model close to that of EA. Streamlining production for quicker profit while sacrificing creativity. I guess Capcom wanted to divert most of their resources to their established franchises.

by Mandoo

Aussie Sony Exec Further Clarifies Crazy Statement

It is well documented that thinking prior to speaking is a common trait of the human species. It seems likely that whatever gene drives that particular human function is missing from Sony execs.

by SXGlory

Life on a Train

Two days later a package arrives with a pair of designer teacups and a thank you note...

by PaulSoth

Got something to say? Type it in and let our comment hamsters decide if you are worthy. Sure, we're less snobby than before, but we love to ban. It's like our hobby.

They didn't copy Nintendo again. They didn't copy Nintendo to begin with. This is for MOVIE PLAYBACK. This is not a WiiStick, it is not meant to be a WiiStick, nor is it meant to knock off a WiiStick. Come on, guys.

So, it isn't the sleekest thing this side of Kansas. But how many people actually bought a DVD remote for the PS2? And why does it matter how badly it looks? None of you are buying a Playstation 3 anyway, from the sound of your grumblings. If the look of the DVD remote keeps you from buying a next-gen system, then we really are headed for a downfall of the video game industry.

This is why nobody can spend time developing new games - they have to make a sexy remote for it, or you guys won't watch DVDs on the system and therefore won't buy the system. Grow up, guys.

So this remote is 'ugly' or 'big' or 'large.' Doesn't matter. I'm not spending an extra 10-50 bucks on a new remote when I can USE A CONTROLLER or ANOTHER DEVICE I ALREADY HAVE to do the same trick. (See that, Microsoft? I'm not gonna buy a new controller plug-in to watch a damn DVD. Duh.)

by Vyenpakakapaka

God Hand Equals No Sleep

You can punch people into space!!!! Hello? Do you need any more incentive to get it?

by Toneman

PS3 Controller's Name Revealed

It's always kind of confused me that the controller require a name. The 360's controller is called...the 360 controller. The Wii's remote is called...the Wii Remote.

It's a controller, it doesn't need a name. I ran a Gamestop for 3 years, not once did anyone come in and ask for a Dual Shock 2. I heard a lot of "paddles", "remotes", "pads", "joysticks" etc.

The name originated with PS1 because it had to have a name to differentiate it from the standard controller, it's irrelevant now as the SIXAXIS (I love how it's all caps just like PLAYSTATION 3) is the only official controller.

by skullivan

Uwe Boll Doing BloodRayne Sequel

I wonder if someday, Uwe Boll will publish his memoirs and reflect on his life of making shitty movies and beating up internet nerds as a career.

by kneejash

Sony Says What PS3 Overheating Problem?

Personally the fact the PS3s overheated at TGS doesn't bother me as I've yet to hear an account of how it handles in a real world environment. One that isn't already hot to begin with and the ps3 not crammed into a tight space with barely any ventilation.

What I'm more concerned with the outright denial from Sony. The PS3s did not all run "flawlessly" as many TGS accounts attest. The utter contempt exhibited by Sony for it's consumers is horrifying.

Note to Sony: If there's evidence of a fault all over the web, DON'T DENY IT!!! It only makes you look either stupid or callous. What you should do is explain the fault as rationally as possible. You could have used pre-production models or trade show conditions. The result would have been one of more tolerance by industy followers and a lot less egg on the face. Oh and for God's sake, swallow you pride over the rumble thing would ya?

by Repsode

Want to comment? Go ahead. We're less snobby, but still elitist. Type what you wanna say, but do know we *heart* banning. Commenters that add to the dialogue stay. Those that don't are mocked, banned, mocked again and shown the door. And then mocked.