Kotaku: Clips,

Kotaku Video Invades iTunes

Brian Crecente — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 09:00:00 MST

We've decided to dirty the iTunes water with some of our original videos. Adam has been hard at work digging through our stack of vids looking for some of the better stuff to put up on our brand spanking new Kotaku Video Podcast page over on iTunes.

So far we've just got our first Video podcast up, though I've asked Adam to throw GTA DUI in there as well as a few others. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. We will also be using this in the future for what I hope will become regular video podcasts.

Here's the link if you want to subscribe. Be warned, those of you new to iTunes, clicking this will eventually launch iTunes.

Magic Click

Prince Of Persia: Balancing Open World With Story

Mike Fahey — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 03:30:00 MST

Prince of Persia producer Ben Mattes, narrative designer Andrew Walsh, and level designer Michael McIntyre discuss the challenges of balancing a rich, immersive story with the open-world nature of the new game. Past PoP games have been strictly linear affairs, making it much easier to know how long the characters have been together, what they've already accomplished, etc. I think their solution is rather interesting, but of course I'll have to see it in practice.

On a completely separate note, how about that voice acting? The Price is Nolan North, who you might remember from everything, including Nathan in Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, one of the best acted games ever. A bit more polished than I imagined, but I trust the direction North went with. Eilika is voiced by Kari Wahlgren, who was Haruko in the anime FLCL, so she is full of win, plus you gotta feel for a voice actor who has to say "sluice gates".

Company Of Heroes: Tales Of Valor Trailer

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 02:30:00 MST

Not much here in this trailer for the upcoming expansion that'll look any different to Company of Heroes fans, but the emphasis on driving right up to buildings then shooting them must be indicative of something. Maybe the Krauts liked to see the whites in the building's eyes before they blew 'em up, who knows.

Atari 2600 Devs Talk About Pot Smoking, Whips and Flying Frogs

Brian Crecente — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 01:30:00 MST

Howard Scott Warshaw, creator of Yars' Revenge, has been tracking down the former game developers for the original Atari, the 70s company that gave us all of those great (and not so great) 2600 games. The resulting video interviews, Once Upon Atari, give us a glimpse into the chaotic, bizarre and drug-filled world of game development in the decade of sex, drugs and game development.

Hit up the link to check out the other six chapters.

Once Upon an Atari [IGN]

Sony's Christmas Ads Are Hit And Miss

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:30:00 MST

Sony have a bit of an uphill battle in front of them this Christmas. Console sales have been poor compared to the competition, their flagship games for the season haven't been the MEGAHITS they were hoping for and Home is...well, yes, you know all about Home. So what was needed from the company was a rousing holiday season television advertising campaign! One that shows off the very best features of the console, the best games, the benefits of the online network! Well, across their two commercials, they got it half right. The PS3 one above will seem like moonspeak to anyone who doesn't already know what LittleBigPlanet and MotorStorm are, but it's got exploding couches and looks pretty, so it's OK in my books. But the second one?

It's for the PlayStation Network. What it should have said was "kinda like Xbox Live, but free". Instead, it takes...well, it's got Pain in it. And the unreleased Home. And...Hancock. Egads.

Fight Night Round 4 Publicly Unveiled Dec. 14

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:30:12 MST

GameStop managers and the odd journalist have already seen Fight Night Round 4 on the big screen, but come December 14th everyone else will get to see it too. Oh sure, we've seen blurry shaky-cam footage that in no way gives us the proper visuals to over-scrutinize and pick apart and that simply will not do. The world premiere of EA Sports' boxing franchise will hit during the Spike TV Video Game Awards next month. The "ultimate boxing match up" from EA Canada does have at least one thing going for it — the inclusion of video game boxing legend Mike Tyson. His style is impetuous! He wants to eat your children!

South Park Plays Call of Duty

Brian Crecente — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:00:00 MST

This has got to be a new record. Call of Duty: World at War has only been out for a week and it's already in an episode of South Park. I wonder why they chose this particular game over all of the other big titles hitting now? I guess it best plays to Cartman's... unique comedy stylings.

South Park Studios

GTA IV PC Video Editor Can Make Your Innuendo Filled Video Dreams Come True

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:30:00 MST

You might not think much of the video editor that Rockstar Games is including in the PC version of Grand Theft Auto IV, but this video, titled "Gutterballs," might just change your mind. It's just one of many that the developer has released to promote the Windows only feature and its groin-heavy focus may just make it the best. Kudos for keeping it highbrow, Rockstar.

Let's Watch Every Single MK vs DC Fatality

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:00:00 MST

Midway probably won't be happy at the lost rental revenues (why else would you pick the game up?), but whatever. Here's a clip showing every single fatality that can be performed in Mortal Kombat vs DC. Even the Joker's move that was cut from the US version. Some of them are pretty neat, but for a game involving comic book superheroes, we were hoping for a little showmanship.

[via MTV]

Bike Hero Blends Graffiti and Awesome Timing

Brian Crecente — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:00:00 MST

Take one part bike, one part Guitar Hero, and, I don’t know, like a million parts time-on-your-hands, and what do you have? A real world Bike Hero. It’s not what you think at all. But you better watch it or someone in Brierwood is going to cry himself to sleep tonight.

[Thanks Farnic]

The Kids In The Hall Think Portal Is HILARIOUS

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:40:00 MST

We're not sure how deep into the goof juice the Kids in the Hall were when troupe funnyman Scott Thompson started sulking and playing Portal in the back of the tour bus, but something got into Kids during this sad little gaming session. Yes, the comedic stylings of Valve writer Erik Wolpaw are most amusing, as is the struggle of watching Thompson attempt to do anything more than move a cube — uncrouch already! — but something tells me there's something magical in those cups. Thanks for the tip, Sascha23!

The Chase In Motion

Mike Fahey — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:00:00 MST

The Chase: Felix Meets Felicity is aimed at chicks? Then why do I get all wide-eyed and fluttery while watching the trailer for Atari and developer Razorback's adorable little stylus-assisted platformer? Surely I am not a chick, nor a dame, a broad, or any other nickname for the female of the species that AJ can get away with because she's part of that exclusive club, but I'll still happily have this game in my DS once it hits next February. Sure it borrows a few moves from Kirby's Canvas Curse, but wasn't that fun? I'm ready for more like that one.

Tsk, And The Lips Trailers Were Going So Well...

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 07:00:00 MST

And Microsoft USA were doing such a bang-up job of promoting Lips! Creepy robot heads, chirpy, disembodied lips...great stuff. A real step forward. Really knocking down the barriers preventing men from playing what's viewed as a girly genre. But these British ads? Two steps back.

Killzone 2 Beta Footage

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:00:00 MST

Two clips here, both from the Killzone 2 beta, both showing a great deal of multiplayer footage, both showing that the game (or at least the MP parts) is looking surprisingly great. Like a long-delayed, future-noire Call of Duty 4.

Killzone 2 'Salamun Market' gameplay HD

Mega64 Reveal The Full Extent Of LittleBigPlanet's Offensiveness

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:20:00 MST

Oh dear. We thought that the only offensive thing to be found in LittleBigPlanet was Sony's over-zealous policing of intellectual property laws. Looks like we were wrong. It gets a little more offensive than that. What's the matter, Media Molecule, sandwiches and/or burgers just too vanilla for you?

Microsoft Creeps Us Out With Lips TV Spots

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:40:44 MST

Microsoft is aware that Nintendo is the company that "puts more smiles on more faces," so it doesn't bother trying to compete on the happy front. Instead, the company wants to invade your nightmares, filling them with hollowed out heads and disembodied mouth creatures. The company's newest creative torment is for the iNiS developed Xbox 360 singing game Lips, in which a man is haunted by a stalking pair of sentient, lyric-forgetting lips. The mouth beast travels across harsh terrain and unfavorable weather conditions to force the man to do his bidding — to sing A-Ha's "Take On Me" for the sadistic ambling maw's delight. The horror....

The First Thing You'll See Once NXE Installs

Mike Fahey — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:00:00 MST

Upon completing your download of the New Xbox Experience via your trusty Xbox and finishing the install, you'll restart directly into this lavishly produced video, ushering in a new age of Xbox navigation. Grass will grow, cars will race, whole cities sprout from the ground, and a giant cloud of what I imagine flatus would look like were it visible rises out of the very earth, becoming some sort of fiery poop tree of Microsoft goodness.

Welcome to the age of fiery poop trees. Our long struggle is finally over.

Iron Chef's a Screamer

Brian Crecente — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 11:00:00 MST

I was fairly impressed with this Cooking Mama knock-off. It has the controls down, the ingredient list is substantial. Essentially it's Cooking Mama with lots of yelling, but for ~~$20~~ $30 there's nothing wrong with that. More games need to yell at you I think.

Christian Guitar Hero: The Trailer

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 07:20:00 MST

Guitar Praise 'Rocking Jesus' trailer

I've heard the Christian rock industry in the US is worth millions. (Pause for irony to sink in). You'd think, then, they could have spared more than a couple of bucks on the production values for this Guitar Praise trailer. Or spared more than a couple of bucks on the production values for Guitar Praise.

The Real DS Light, So Amazing, So Blinky

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 04:00:00 MST

A modder turned a DS Lite into a DS Light by outfitting the portable with LED lights. We were doing multiple fist pumps IN THE AIR while watching this. Fist pumps. Make sure you stick around for the blinking at around the 4:40. It's NUTS and so DESERVING of CAPS.

Here's A Trailer For That Bahamut Game

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 01:30:00 MST

The teaser artwork for Square Enix's Bahamut game? Looked gorgeous! Could have been a chance to do something special! The reality? It's another Japanese RPG for the DS. Yay.

Wii Speak, In Action

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 22:30:00 MST

Have you seen the Wii Speak microphone in action? I haven't. So let's watch, as this sweet, innocent Japanese teenager "meets up" with a friend in Animal Crossing and "does stuff". Can't understand much, but it's clear they both recognise a lobster when they see one, one of them is very insistent they eat chicken for dinner, and they both find the whole experience overwhelmingly cute. If there were a hell for Xbox Live users, surely this would be it.

First Flirtation With Prince Of Persia: The Movie

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 20:40:00 MST

The folks at Entertainment Tonight got the "first look" at the Hollywood adaptation of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. There's much to see here, including the comedic flirtatious stylings of Jake Gyllenhaal, the giggling of ET's TV personalities, some shots of Jake's upper torso and so much more! Okay, not that much more. This is frustratingly light on actual Prince of Persia movie content. But if you want to spend your Friday night basking in the *insert eye color here* pools of Jake Gyllenhaal's eyes, this is the fluff piece for you.

Thanks for the heads up, Jason!

50 Cent Game Just Looks Better And Better

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 05:30:00 MST

"Wheh Ma Skull!". Funny the first time you hear it, funny the next 17 times you hear it. Honestly, not only does this game look hilarious (bravo Swordfish for taking the low, tongue-in-cheek road on the concept), but it looks decent. Like Gears of War, with baseball caps. But with less Locust. And more punching in the stomach.

The Other East Coast Lich King Launch

Adam Barenblat — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 12:00:00 MST

While perhaps not as glamorous as the posh New York City Best Buy launch Jim attended last night, the other end of the East Coast was representing last night at the Mansell GameStop in Roswell, Georgia for the World of Warcraft Wrath of the Lich King midnight launch. There were chicken wings, and pizza, and...more chicken wings. And the costumes! You should have seen the costumes! Okay, I was probably the most costumed person there, but I don't think documentary director ~~Roger~~ Michael Moore is a race in WoW...yet.

It bears noting that A - I did not pick the still picture that accompanies this video...that was pure Adam, and B - I've got a recently emptied Hooters chicken wing box sitting next to me, a testament to the value of attending midnight launches.

EA Sports Active Trailer Channels The Infomercial

Mike Fahey — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 09:40:00 MST

This is not the trailer for a video game. No, this debut video for EA's Wii fitness program EA Sports Active has much more in common with early morning extended commercials for Bose Wave Radios than it does anything we've ever seen for a game product.

It brings me back to the days when late night television would play host to half-hour long commercial spots for the Phillips CDi, a game system they didn't want to market as a game system. Along with the video and official press release comes a lovely set of photographs of people pretending to play with the title. Not all that compelling to the gamers themselves, but as a gamer trying to figure out what to get his mother for Christmas, a Wii suddenly seems like a very good idea. Hit the jump for the official press release and some absolutely lovely shots of people posing with Wii remotes.

BREAK A SWEAT WITH EA SPORTS ACTIVE – THE ALL-NEW HEART PUMPING, CALORIE BURNING WORKOUT

EA SPORTS Active Coming in Spring 2009; First in New Line of Fitness Products

GUILDFORD, UK. – November 13, 2008 – Do you find there are too few hours in the day to run a household, hold down a job and fit in a workout? Or, are you just getting bored of the same old fitness routine? EA SPORTS™, a label of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced the development of EA SPORTS™ Active, an innovative new customizable and personalized fitness product that will get you motivated to move in the comfort of your home. EA SPORTS Active will launch exclusively for the Wii™ worldwide next spring.

Developed in collaboration with fitness experts, including Bob Greene – renowned exercise physiologist, author and Oprah’s personal trainer – EA SPORTS Active is perfect for the whole family, though designed specifically for women seeking a simple, fun and cost-effective way to achieve a healthy lifestyle. The product will be the first in a new line of EA SPORTS fitness and sports performance products in development to improve the well-being of people of all ages.

“EA SPORTS Active and our entrance into the fitness space is an exciting and groundbreaking milestone for EA SPORTS,” said Peter Moore, president, EA SPORTS. “As we continue to expand our brand, we have a real opportunity to redefine the home fitness experience with a more Western cardiovascular approach and exercises that will appeal to a diverse audience, getting people off the couch and into shape while interacting with our products in a way never before possible. EA SPORTS Active costs less than a gym membership, it provides a variety of exercises unlike a one dimensional in-home fitness contraption, and it delivers an interactive experience that you don’t get from a DVD – this is a true fitness revolution and a space in which we intend to be leaders.”

EA SPORTS Active features a wide variety of interactive activities combined into a circuit that target both the upper and lower body as well as cardio, and supports two players to allow family or friends to get fit together. EA SPORTS Active provides a new level of motivation with on-screen, real-time feedback on your workout such as calories burned, while also allowing you to adjust intensity levels. EA SPORTS Active will include two specially-designed leg straps that hold the Wii’s Nunchuk controller to track lower body movements, as well as a resistance band to support a number of upper body strength training exercises.

“One of the most frequent questions I am asked is how to get fit at home – especially from busy mums. EA SPORTS Active provides a fun and effective workout that targets your upper body, lower body, and gets your heart pumping in just 20 minutes a day,” said Greene. “It’s a great way to get moving when you can’t get outside or you only have a short amount of time at home. In addition, I like the variety of exercises that it provides – one of the many reasons it has earned the Best Life seal of approval.”

EA SPORTS Active features a “30 Day Challenge,” a fitness road map for players to reach their fitness goals with the guidance of a virtual trainer. The Challenge provides a new, 20-minute workout every time a player exercises, including clear instruction, feedback on technique and positive encouragement throughout the workout. Each circuit will feel different and increase in intensity as fitness levels improve to help you work up a sweat and work toward your fitness goals. Users can also create their own custom workouts that vary in activity, duration and intensity, and the Wii Balance Board will add functionality to many exercises.

EA SPORTS Active is in development at EA Canada in Vancouver. It has not yet been rated by the ESRB or PEGI; visit www.esrb.org for updated rating information. Media can find photos and a trailer of the game at www.electronicarts.co.uk/press. For more information, please visit www.easportsactive.com.

NXE Trailer Is A Bad Idea

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 06:30:00 MST

I've been playing around with the New Xbox Experience. It's pretty neat! The avatars, I can live with or without, but the rest of it is very clean, very classy, and the improved monitor support is very welcome. See what I just did there? I sold at least some of you on the thing. And all it took was a few words. This proper trailer runs for aaaaages, and cost Microsoft money, and does nothing but make you cringe and reach for the stop button.

PlayStation 3 Holiday TV Spots Teased

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:00:18 MST

How will Sony combat the forces of Microsoft and Nintendo this holiday season? It's up against the cheapest current gen console and one of the fastest selling of all time, both of which undercut the PlayStation 3's $399 price tag by a considerable margin. Marketing to the rescue! Sony's begun to tease its holiday marketing campaign, dubbed "Reflections" — yes, we're teasing television commercials now — and it's... err... we'll wait until the full ads hit on Nov. 21 before making up our minds.

7-Eleven Doesn't Get Street Dates - Lich King Version

Mike Fahey — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 09:40:00 MST

Convenience store chain 7-Eleven just cannot seem to get the hang of the whole street date thing. Last week it was Gears of War, and now this week they've been spotted selling the World of Warcraft expansion Wrath of the Lich King Days before release. Witness the guys from 1UP as they venture into a local store and purchase their copies.

7-Eleven Breaks Wrath of the Lich King Street Date [1UP]

The First 11 Minutes Of Resident Evil: Degeneration

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 22:30:00 MST

Above, the first eight minutes of the upcoming Resident Evil CGI feature film, Degeneration. You'll get eight minutes of backstory and build-up, along with a certain...understanding. See, at TGS, they had this running right next to Resident Evil 5, on a big screen. And Resident Evil 5 looked better. A lot better. The stiff, bulky characters and animation on show here look more like a pre-rendered cutscene for a PS2 game than a 21st-century animation film. Ah well. It has zombies, it's Resident Evil, people will love it. After the jump, the 3-minute conclusion to the above scene, age-gated because there are eat-the-flesh-of-the-living bits.

LittleBigMirrorsEdge Gives Us Faith In Side-scrolling

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:00:00 MST

Regardless of how Mirror's Edge will be received by critics — though it seems to be doing pretty well so far — it has certainly struck a chord with gamers. The first level from Mirror's Edge recreated in Portal likely took a hell of a lot more work, but its counterpart creation in LittleBigPlanet is still charmingly impressive. As soon as EA releases a Faith Sackboy costume — which we're sure will be "premium" — the whole experience will be more complete.

See Somebody Create An NXE Avatar

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 07:20:00 MST

We've read about how to create an Xbox 360 avatar. Thanks Mike! Now it's time to see how you create an Xbox 360 avatar. Still think they look, as a whole, kinda goofy, but the gamerpic photo booth thing looks surprisingly neat.

This Is What A White Knight Chronciles Ad Looks Like

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 05:00:00 MST

The White Knight Chronicles publicity machine has kicked into gear here in Japan. The above ad not only shows off the game's RPG heroics, but character customization. Nothing new for gaming, but still neat to see as a selling people for a TV ad. The Level-5 developed PS3 exclusive is out Christmas Day in Japan. The question remains: Will it move consoles?

Watch 15 Minutes of Left 4 Dead

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 03:00:00 MST

Here ya go, 15 minutes of direct feed Left 4 Dead footage. If this doesn't spark your interest, then we really don't know what will. Perhaps Left 4 Dead paper hats and party streamers? Perhaps.

Left 4 Dead Direct Feed [G4TV via VG247]

Watch Harmonix Suck At Rock Band

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 01:30:00 MST

Harmonix are great at making Rock Band. But playing it? Notsomuch.

OK, that's a little unfair. This video - shot at the conclusion of the Nottingham GameCity3 event last month - looks like it was taken at a party. So maybe there were beers involved. And the drumming was mostly amazing. And a crowd can't help with the vocal recognition. And the fact that the lady there doesn't work for Harmonix at all (it's ex-Edge editor Margaret Robertson) also helps shift some of the blame. But those other two dudes? That's Ike Adams and Alex Navarro, employees of Harmonix, totally failing at Dani California. The world expects better from you, gentlemen!

[Thanks The Sheriff!]

Street Fighter II HD Trailer Is The Best...Around!

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 22:30:00 MST

This is another trailer for Street Fighter II HD. We like this one better. The Udon-drawn comic pics contribute to that, but mostly, it's because of the music. Kinda hoping Capcom go the full hog and actually include this in the game. As in-game, in-fight music.

One Last Look At Shameful DSi Camera Usage

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 03:00:00 MST

Yup. More shameful use of the DSi camera. We know, this could go on for weeks, but this is the last one (promise!), and it goes up with parity in our hearts. Two squeezy boobs, two squeezy packages of manjunk, we're all square.

[via Go Nintendo]

Link vs Resident Evil IV

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 23:30:00 MST

Saving Hyrule is easy. No guns in Hyrule. No flesh-eating, half-alien Spanish zombies, either, or mechanical statues fashioned in the form of a fiery Mediterranean midget.

[via Go Nintendo]

Left 4 Dead Demo "Hacked" To Allow Extra Fun Times

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 20:20:00 MST

I've been playing the Left 4 Dead demo most of this week. Been having a blast with it, too. But the demo's fairly limited in scope; only two maps, then you're done. Fortunately, PC gamers are nothing if not industrious, and already have come up with a few ways to squeeze a little more variety from the demo. And they're not even "hacks", really, just workarounds. One lets you play splitscreen co-op on the same PC. Another lets you play as the zombies. And perhaps the best one is from the clip above, showing that the demo has bare-bones support for custom maps.

[via Shacknews]

Apparently, I'm Buying A Snoopy Game

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 19:30:17 MST

And it's called Snoopy: World War I Flying Ace. Smart Bomb Interactive, responsible for the Snoopy vs. the Red Baron and The Bee Game, is keeping Snoopy in the air in what — I can't believe I'm about to type this — looks like a solid competitor to Warhawk. Details are scarce, but once we recover from the shock of being interested in something Snoopy related, we'll look into it further.