While commenters have always had a huge amount of influence on the shape of Kotaku, starting today that's even more true.

In the past we've always insisted that tips and letters to the editor are sent in by email and mediated by our editors; that discussions stay on topics that we determine; and that our writers are the only ones who can initiate stories on the site. No longer.

With the launch of Kotaku Open Forums, we're allowing readers to post tips, screens, game cheats, amateur reviews and walkthroughs directly from a front page form. Readers can also initiate discussions on any topic they choose simply by including a Twitter-style hashtag in their post. And commenters can expand on a story, or rebut a post, just as now.

While our daily Talk Amongst Yourselves will continue to run each morning, now you can create your own discussion groups and forums to talk about just about anything.

And of course you can still respond directly to a post or another comment. Now, though, keeping track of those discussions has become easier with alerts you can receive from the site. And have no worries, we will still keep a close eye on the comment threads connected to stories. So read our FAQ.

We have no idea what uses people will make of these open forums. But we suspect that many of them will be fantastic.

I'll reiterate one of my in-game adventures to get you started. The rest is up to you... in comments:

Take for instance a problem I ran into in the 150th or so puzzle I was working on. Confronted by an area teeming with West Virginia's legendary Flatwoods Monster, my initial thought was to take out one urban legend with another. So I quickly typed in Chupacabre. Only I mistyped it and accidentally summoned not the panther-like, blood-sucking lizard of Mexican lore, but the delicious Mexican snack, a chalupa.

Flummoxed, I dropped the chalupa in the hand of one of the monsters and summoned a vampire instead. The vampire quickly attacked the Flatwoods Monster who, seemingly confused by the treat she was just handed, began to swat at the creature with the chalupa. The vampire made quick work of her while I watched on belly laughing.

These are the moments that make this game sing. And they are plentiful.

Scribblenauts Review

You are Kotaku's lifeblood, the thing that drives us to inform and entertain. Your input is often invaluable. The ever-growing sense of community is really what makes Kotaku what it is today and continues to move it onward and upward.

That's why today we are launching a revised and much more robust commenting system. It is one that takes into account many of the solid requests and suggestions you have made of us. That means that now, yes, you can edit your comments.

More interesting, more importantly, we have also tiered commenting, meaning that if you are one of our star commenters your comments will now get much deserved top billing. These star commenters will also have some interesting new powers. Yes, POWERS!!!

Here's a quick guide to the new commenting system. I'll also be updating our official commenting FAQ.

The Key Changes
* Privileges for star commenters
* Image and video embedding in comments
* Comment threads will appear newest first. Comments in a thread, though, will remain in chronological order.
* Related stories show to the right of each post
* Comments can now be edited for 15 minutes after publishing

The new commenting system now has levels, four of them. Here's a run down of what they are and what they can do.

Stars
* A gold star next to the commenter's name.
* Comments given priority and published immediately after post
* A star commenter can see comments even before a moderator has approved them
* By replying to any comment, a star commenter can give it priority
* Promotion of another's comments to the featured section

Guest Stars
* Commenters whose thread is given priority by star commenter
* Automatically post their replies to the featured section within their thread

Commenters
*Can reply to threads.
* Become Guest Stars if a star promotes their thread

Pending Users
* Can reply in threads, though they won't be visible to others until approved
* Can have threads and replies approved by stars

How do I edit my comments?
You will have 15 minutes after a comment has been published to edit the text, though they will not be able to add an image or video. Once the edit is made, a message will appear below the comment indicating that it's been edited.

Can commenters upload images and/or post a video?
Yes, image upload, inserting an image URL and inserting a YouTube URL will be available in comments. Images and video will be displayed at 340-pixels wide.

Why don't I see all replies?
Comments are filtered such that only those comments made by starred commenters ("Stars") or selected to be featured by our Editors or starred commenters appear by default. You can view the unfiltered comments on any post by clicking the "Show all comments" link at the bottom of the page.

How can I become a starred commenter?
Starred commenters are designated by the Editors and Moderators. In the past, Stars were designated by virtue of their popularity among other commenters. That tended to favor the sociable rather than commenters who contributed information to a discussion. Now that Stars' comments are featured so heavily, we need to handpick them. And because we're also featuring the comments to which Stars respond, they must also show judgment in choosing discussions to engage in. Translation: don't respond to trolls.

I'm a Star but I can't see my comment
Even a Star can be off-topic sometimes. Moderators — rather than applying the rather extreme sanction of banning — can now demote an individual comment. So that's why you can't see it among featured comments. Try clicking on "Show all comments."

Designed with a mind toward more readership participation, this new system will allow us to do some pretty cool things like hosting liveblogs and live chats with developers directly in our comments. You will also, moving forward, have many more chances to participate not just in the conversation, but the substance of Kotaku's articles. Think reader-generated lists and photoshop and video contests.

This is, we at Kotaku hope, the start of a brand new day in commenting. A step toward finally giving some much deserved readers and commenters the spotlight they so richly deserve.

A word of warning: This is a substantial tech change for Kotaku and Gawker and it's bound to have its hiccups and bugs. Please email us when you see them so we can get to smoothing out the rough edges. And please, as we strive to work out the kinks and go over our list of starred users and those who deserve to be starred users, be patient.

Thanks!

This will be going live over multiple servers so it may take a few before you see it on Kotaku.

Whether today is your first day reading the site or you've been reading it since the day I stepped foot in Kotaku tower, you don't have the right to troll, to name call, to get off topic or, the worst offense, to bore.

We take commenting very seriously on Kotaku because we believe strongly that what we write is only half the story, the other half, often the more important half, is how you react and the discussion that ensues.

That is why we ban, without warning, people whose comments are pointless like: "First" or "Not news" or "Slow news day."

It's not because we think you're being petty or insulting (both are true), but because of the larger offense, you're off topic. When you comment on Kotaku we expect you to be commenting about the story at hand. Agree, disagree, we don't really care, just do so intelligently and civilly.

And when the topic is something sensitive or heated don't use that as an excuse to incite or stop thinking. I would rather ban the entire community than steer away from topics that may make someone angry. Believe me.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, here's a quick break down of how to comment, with thanks from Lifehacker:

Move the discussion forward: It's fine if you want to agree with what is already being said, but you don't really need to. You won't get banned for it, but if you're hoping to become a star commenter, try to contribute new information to the discussion.

You don't have to comment: Again, it's not necessary. Feel free to, but don't feel obligated to.

Keep private private: If you want to say something to someone on a personal level, or what to discuss something off topic try using our private messaging function. You can access it by clicking on a person's name.

Think before you type: Remember that's quite a soap box you're standing on when you prepare to comment. We have millions of readers, many of which will read what you have to say. That's fantastic, but make sure you make it worth their time. Stop and reread what you're going to say before you click on comment. Maybe give yourself a bit of time to cool down before responding.

Be courteous: No one respects a loud mouth or a name caller. No matter how right you are, if you deliver your intelligent discourse punctuated with name calling and four-letter words no one is going to take you seriously.

Don't tease the trolls: They exist, we will try to stay on top of the issue and ban them when we find them, but don't make the problem worse by responding or even acknowledging their existence, that just empowers them.

Heed the Disemvowel: I take banning people very seriously. I know how important comment access is and I hate to remove it, but sometimes it's necessary for the health of the commenting community. When someone has stepped over the line or maybe uncharacteristically broken a commenting rule we disemvowel them. But remember, that's a warning shot, the second time is a ban.

Promote Smart Comments: Every week we post a round-up of the most intelligent comments on the site. We also are always on the look out for people who should be promoted to Star Commenters. That's a worthy goal to reach for.

Believe it or not, we don't like banning people. And we certainly don't ban people because they disagree with us. What fun would that be. I love to hear intelligent discussions about how wrong I am. But break the rules, get off topic, start calling names, and you're going to get banned.

Now have fun.

Some reading on topic:
Geek to Live: Lifehacker's guide to weblog comments
A Call to Ban

Wondering how not to get banned? Be sure to read Lifehacker's commenting guide.

Regurgitation takes time

Spore Penis Monsters Impress Will Wright
Comment by: Mister_Jack
Nominated by: Aex

You hear that people? He's impressed! This is a sign! If we impress him enough, he might decide to hire us to be on his design team! More! Send him more! Flood his inbox with screenshots of Cockzilla and Donkey Dong! DICKS AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE!!

Invaders! Indeed No Longer Playable At GC 08
Comment by: adocious
Nominated by: Cor-Wii

After three days of gleefully enjoying my piece's escalating publicity, I have just given my agreement to the organizers of the Leipzig Games Convention to simply turn off the installation Invaders! While I realize the arrogance of believing only the lowest common denominator might find issue with my "art," unfortunately my current understanding of "art" has totally obfuscated any potential aims of the piece. While I take full responsibility for the uncomfortable idiocy and irrelevance of this work, it was created merely to provoke controversy for publicity's sake. The American response to this work has been, frankly, predictable for obvious reasons, and lacking the "sophistication" and "consideration" that other parts of the world that weren't part of the national tragedy I made light of have shown in the work. I am an American, and it saddens me that we as a people remain so profoundly able to process "art" as a cry for attention and publicity by criteria of purely self-serving "artistic" representation. Due to these profound insights into my pathetic attempts to capitalize "artistically" on tragedy, I simply feel that from a business perspective, the work has lost the ability to advance my career, monetarily or otherwise. I have not been pressured by the Leipziger Messe, nor by the Computerspiele Museum in this decision - to the contrary, they have offered their support in defending the right of "artists" to offend in order to gain personal attention freely, and in whatever context they choose.

Douglas Edric Stanley

New PS2 Models Hitting US Stores
Comment by: Skunky
Nominated by: Essonse

They should market this new model as the "PS3 Backwards Compatibility Upgrade Kit" and show a picture of the PS2 duct-taped onto the top of a PS3.

Comment by: tzaketh
Nominated by: Karl Marx Vladimirs Linens

This is actually the best way this could have ended, I believe. No legal action was taken to remove it. There was no pressure, no censorship. Lots of people were offended by the piece, exercised their free speech in condemning it and letting the "artist" know they did not approve, and he removed it of his own volition. There was no censorship here. This is how freedom of speech is supposed to work. No one can force you to stop saying anything you believe, the government cannot step in and make you stop saying what you believe— but others have the free speech to drown you out, and make sure their contrary viewpoints are heard.

In my own opinion? There was no artistic value to that piece. It was created for controversy's sake, and the artist himself doesn't know what it's even supposed to mean, considering he changes his mind so much. I'm not all that offended as an American, because frankly, 3,000 people killed is tiny when compared with the civilian casualties in almost any other war since the invention of gunpowder. But I still think the work was boring, pointless, a waste of space, and worst of all, designed specifically to piss people off so this wannabe can get his name in the public eye.

Download Eight Hours of Arcade Cacophony
Comment by: Knoxximus (360/PSN)
Nominated by: Witzbold

I remember when Street Fighter 2 mania 1st hit Oahu, Hawaii.

My best friend up the street had the TurboGrafx-16 CD ROM with Fighting Street, and we played that shit all day long, trying to perfect fireballs, dragon puches, and hurricane kicks on that stiff ass d-pad. We would make jokes about how if they made a SF2, how all the combatants would be from different countries...and then we'd start imitating the announcer while saying different countries:

"Spaaaaaain"
"Porrrrtugaaaaal"
"Braaaazil"
"Afffffffrica"

We would crack our selves up trying to imagine what these various challengers would look at, all the while passing the controllers around to take turns with Ken and Ryu, the only playable characters in SF1 (for the uninitiated).

Then one day I went to their house, and his little brother and mother had just gotten back from the mall. I remember standing behind their minivan in the garage as my friends little brother pipped up with:

"They got Street Fighter 2 at Fun's!" (Slang for the Fun Factory, an arcade at the Pearlridge mall)

"Yeah right."

"Serious!"

"Come on, man....quit playin' with me. Shut up."

Then he started trying to describe the new challengers, like a big Russian wrestler whose "name starts with a Z", and "this Chinese chick. The announcer said 'Chiiinaaa" just like us!". So this went on for a little while, and just when I was starting to buy it, he went and said:

"...and there's this guy from Brazil. Name starts with a B...Banka or something...Blanka! Yeah, Blanka. He's green and makes electricity!"

That was when I was convinced that he was really in rare form and that I was being had. But he was so passionate about it I just played along after awhile. Kids will be kids, I thought. Granted, this was WAAAAAAAAAY before any type of internet or consistent news.

So the next weekend I go to the mall and hit the movies. I didn't even stop by the arcade 1st cause I was running late for the movie. So I get out of the movie, and the Friday night crowd afterschool/weekend crowd is in full effect. The escalator coming down (movieplex was on the 2nd level by itself) faced the Fun Factory. As I was riding down the escalator, I observed something I would never forget.

1st of all, the arcade had a LARGE opening, like no doors. They pulled those screen gates at closing to lock it up. The entrance itself was like the average mall stores width, like a gaping maw into heaven. Whenever they got a new, hot game, they would place 1-3 machines of said game near the front to attract attention.

There was a line coming out of it....a line that looked like people were waiting to watch Return on the Jedi on it's opening night. It stretched out of the arcade and passed in front of at LEAST 2 other stores ( a coffee shop and Foot Locker, if I remember correctly). I was like WTF is that about?

I hit the ground floor, stroll my way to where the line began, and lo and behold at the front of the arcade was two SF2 machines in all of their 16-bit, joysitcks-not-busted-yet glory. Brand SPANKING new.

I was in shock. I could NOT believe it. My boy's little brother was NOT FIBBING. There WAS a guy from Brazil named Blanka who could autonomously GENERATE ELECTRICITY. I stood there, transfixed. It was like a dream come true. I didn't dare get in that line that night....I came back and played it another day. But I watched it for a good hour and a half, mesmerized. The arcade tech came to empty the token basin of each machine at least once. Someone would accidentally do a special move (no gamefaqs back then) and everyone would let out a great big "OHHHHHHHH!!!".

It was epic. And I wish things where still like that when Street Fighter 4 hits.

Good times.

Want to nominate comments? Send to tips any insightful or funny comments you read from other commenters. (Read: NOT YOURSELF). Be sure to include the post's URL, the commenter's page, the actual comment and your commenter page.

Also know: Dip into tool territory and we'll ban yer ass. And quick!

Nice to see Microsoft making some strong sales in Japan, but no one had the forethought, with all the work they've put into Japanese-friendly software partnerships this year, to a least divert some consoles from other territories to Japan just in case their moves paid off? They work hard to get Last Remnant, Tales, Star Ocean IV, XIII, and Infinite Undiscovery on the 360 and then don't adequately prepare for the possibility these plans could work? That's a little strange. Usually I don't plan on my strategies failing— I understand the possibility, but I don't take a course of action unless I believe it will work. Apparently I've been doing it wrong.

Electronic Arts, Take-Two Break It Off, But Not For Long
Comment by: Quilt
Nominated by: karl_hungus

I'll say what a friend of mine says to me when I'm persuing a girl and fail:

"Did you ask her out?"
Yup, it didn't work.

"Did you bring her flowers?"
Yup, it didn't work.

"Did you take an interest in her hobbies?"
Yup, it didn't work.

"Did you tell her how you felt?"
Yup, she laughed.

"Did you try holding her down?"
Yu...wait, what?

Forgive Dad, He Knows Not What He Does
Comment by: The_Inquisitor
Nominated by: FP Bleentastic has cake

That's a pretty sturdy tree, not falling over from the weight of that thing.

Lionhead Patches Fable Pub Games Glitch, Community Offers Advice For Earning Big.
Comment by: Moonshadow101
Nominated by: liquid_kore

Step one: Disconnect from the internet.
Step two: ???
Step three: Profit!

Artist Explains WTC Space Invaders Exhibit at Games Convention
Comment by: wild homes loves you but chooses...
Nominated by: ca$h

We've made September 11, 2001 into a campaign platform, movies and miniseries, books, and justification to spend the lives of Americans to hunt down foriegn nationals on foriegn soil, a justification for detaining and torturing foreign nationals. We've allowed the events of that day to be turned into a climate of fearmongering that exists seven years later— we've allowed the telecommunications industry to spy on the people of our country, in the name of September 11, 2001. We as a nation implicitly condoned a culture of racial discrimination as a result of September 11, 2001. We as a population of the most powerful nation on Earth have willingly stood by to survive both the commercial and political exploitation of an attack on our country— stood by and watched as frightened reactionary voices fought to violate human rights and human decency for money and agendas. We endure all that, and yet some of you would talk about wanting to hurt another human being for using September 11, 2001, as a means to make a fairly harmless statement, even if an obvious and tasteless one, about exactly how we've failed to deal with September 11, 2001. That's just repulsive. You stand by while those events are used to justify criminal behavior and corruption and crass exploitation, but you get angry when someone exercises his constitutional rights? I don't know what that is, but it's not patriotism.

Want to nominate comments? Send to tips any insightful or funny comments you read from other commenters. (Read: NOT YOURSELF). Be sure to include the post's URL, the commenter's page, the actual comment and your commenter page.

Also know: Dip into tool territory and we'll ban yer ass. And quick!

Here for your approval and general discussion our the top five Kotaku commenters. I'll be posting a poll on Monday and then, after discussion with the other Kotaku writers, announcing the new Comment Czar on Tuesday.

If you're on the list and don't want to wield the mighty banhammer for some bizarre reason make sure to drop me a line and I'll cut you from the list.

EnigmaNemesis
TheIrishNinja
Spoony Bard
PapaBear434
DaiMacculate

Hit the jump to vote. And remember, we still have the final say.

We were originally going to pull the names from the hat on Monday, but I've decided to push things back to today. So you still have one more chance to throw your hat in for the job.

Become Kotaku's Next King of Comments

Become Kotaku's Next King of Comments [Kotaku]

So we're on the prowl for a comments moderator of sorts, a gatekeeper to Kotaku Tower, if you will. Someone who will prowl the posts and comments on a daily basis, weeding out the bad, helping out the conversation, anointing new readers.

We can only pay $200 a month for your help, but you do get to wield the mighty banhammer and will be given the keys to the commenting gates. If you remain interested, hit the jump for how to apply. Yes, there is a contest (of sorts) involved.

This is how it's going to work. On June 30, we're going to beg our tech geniuses to track down the five Kotaku commenters with the most followers. The top five who want to do this will all then have to explain, in comments, why they should be made the commenting czar. We'll use our own good judgment, and a pinch of public sentiment, to elect the new czar who will also rule for a six month stint, unless the trolls get him or her first.

There's really no way to get a follower other than by getting other people decide to follow your comments. They do that by logging in and then clicking on the little plus sign symbol next to your comment in a post. Of course your followers will all have to be commenters, so make sure they sign up on the site.

If we catch you cheating we'll kick you out of the contest. So play nice. Don't even attempt to cheat.

Ps. Yes, that's Witz in the video.

What's the point of this game? I don't get it...

totally joking, I can't WAIT for this title. I doubt I'll be able to peel my fiancee away from it once it's out. She squeals whenever she sees footage for this game. Why I can't get her to squeal like that saddens me.

LittleBigPlanet Killzone
Comment by: mrantimatter
Nominated by: liquid_kore

@TitillatedOcelot
have you considered dressing up in a burlap sack and putting stickers all over the bedroom? Might work.

Wait, I'm a Zombie
Comment by: tsathoggua
Nominated by: Slatz_Grobnik

This "zombie mod" is grossly offensive to the zombie community. The
Association of Metabolically-Challenged Persons Against Harmful
Stereotypes, the international lobbying group for zombies, has just
released a press statement earlier this morning making clear that they
intend to sue Rockstar and Take-Two for perpetuating the stereotypes
that have haunted the zombie community for decades. And for not
including any zombie prostitutes.

Hyper Multi-Tap: A Week In Comments
Comment by: Cola82
Nominated by: 17-A

GTAIV doesn't make me feel like a man while playing... that could be because I'm a woman, and I like being a woman, and I'm not intimidated by assuming the identity of protagonists of the opposite sex.

*cough*

Wii Fit To Little Girl: You're Fat
Comment by: battra92
Nominated by: Bashcraft

I think a lot of people are in denial of being fat, chubby, overweight, obese, whatever.

For me, I was told I was fat since I was in kindergarten. I was almost 12 lbs at birth and have had issues my entire life about my weight.

Part of my problem was that my parents and grandmother would tell me, "Oh you're a big guy so it's ok to eat two hamburgers." or in some cases really demand I finish my plate. Of course, once I realized they were fat it became clearer.

What really took me back was at the end of my last year at college I was 250 lbs! After that I decided I had to do something - ANYTHING!

First thing I did was cut out regular soda and switched to diet. I know people will complain that's not much better but when you were downing the equivalent of 5-6 Pepsis a day, the switch to 3 diet Pepsis is worlds better. I also gave up on going to fast food places on a regular basis and when I do, I get a kids meal.

I really never gave anything up, I just made food less important for me. 1 year later my scale tells me I'm below 230 and with my height that makes me now overweight again (instead of obese)

Wii Fit probably will tell me I'm fat but oh well. I don't really care. I know I'm losing slow and steady so it will be nice to track that. Now if I just can convince my work to pay for it if they can be made to believe it's exercise equipment.

Want to nominate comments? Send to tips any insightful or funny comments you read from other commenters. (Read: NOT YOURSELF). Be sure to include the post's URL, the commenter's page, the actual comment and your commenter page.

Also know: Dip into tool territory and we'll ban yer ass. And quick!

Indiana Jones isn't racy, unless your son is really young. I thin I was about 10 when my father watched Raiders with me, and I'm well adjusted. At least, I like treasure and hate Nazis.

Confessions of an ESRB Employee
Comment by: 108
Nominated by: ggodo

While we're at it, what's with the "EC" ("Early Childhood") rating? If "E" is for "Everyone", and "Everyone" means "all human beings", does that mean that the ESRB considers young children to not be human beings?

I must say, anything that looks you right in the eye while it's taking a shit can't quite be any more than a lowly animal, though hey, give them a chance — they get old enough to hold guitars, eventually. They evolve, like Pokemon.

Or:

If "EC" is for games meant to be suitable to young children — as in, games that require no reading skills, et cetera — then shouldn't "E" for "Everyone" be changed to "EwcR" — "Everyone who can Read"?

Or is this a moot point because understanding the name of that rating, itself, requires reading skills?

Or:

You know what would be a hell of a challenge for a game developer? Make a game that's rated "EC" and still a deep, full experience on par with Shadow of the Colossus.

Let's see Jonathon Blow make that.

Yes!

Stuff We Already Know About Female Gamers: Now In A Study!
Comment by: ach77
Nominated by: onomeister

I am a female gamer who has never played the Sims, and never wants to. I know, that makes me an anomaly.
I have a question for all of these people saying "oh, looks like most of those female gamers are 'casual'". Are you defining casual by the amount of time played, or the types of games/platforms played, or some combination of both?
I ask because people seem to be saying that Sims = casual, and DS = casual, across the board. Is this really accurate? Would you call a total Sims addict who plays 20 hours a week "casual"? If so, why? Because that person isn't playing an FPS or other suitably "hardcore" game? And it seems like a majority of Kotaku readers own a DS, so why is it automatically casual? Am I a casual player if I enjoy Professor Layton, Phoenix Wright, Contra, FFTA, etc on my DS?
It seems like a lot of people think that the subject matter of the games you play determines whether or not you're "hardcore". By this logic, you're "hardcore" if you play any FPS (or TPS like Gears of War), games like Devil May Cry, God of War, Ninja Gaiden...you know, the "manly" games. Whereas you're a "casual" player if you play things like Mario, Rock Band, Professor Layton, Cooking Mama and yes, the Sims, no matter how many hours per week you play them. Games like Uncharted, Rachet & Clank, Oblivion, etc seem to inhabit some sort of grey area.
From a marketing perspective, I suppose that the number of gaming platforms you own also factors into the equation. Someone who games only 10 hours per week but owns 2 consoles, a handheld and a PC is probably a more valuable target and has more "hardcore" potential for game companies than someone who only owns a PC but plays WoW or Sims 25 hours per week.
The point of this long diatribe, I guess, is that there is room in this market/community for more than one type of hardcore gamer. And on average, female hardcore players may very well play different things than male hardcore players. The gaming community, especially developers and publishers, would do well to recognize this.

Infogrames Want to Buy What's Left of Atari
Comment by: cowboyman

I really hate people who make fun of failing corporations like Atari, THQ, Midway. (Yes, Im looking at some commenters at this thread). Fair enough, they release bad games more than everyone else, but they are the ones that produce some of the most original content, unlike "successful" corporations who rely on formulaic games.

Lest we forget, Rockstar (an unknown publisher then) self-released GTAIII and was supposed to publish Halo (til Bungie moved to MS); Midway published Burnout (when nobody thought arcade racers would be profitable); THQ published Company of Heroes (one of the best strategy games of the recent years) because no one else wanted to; Atari Neverwinter Nights (when Bioware was still seen as a non-mainstream developer); and many more equally deserving.

My point is that these publishers deserve not our ridicule. They might be guilty of releasing bad games (like ALL publishers!), but at least they are the ones ready to publish new and original IPs "successful" publishers ignore.

Man Hack Bejeweled, Wins Wife
Comment by: designateddrival

Nerds can also unlock the Girls achievement. Huzzah!

Gary Gygax's Video Gaming Legacy
Comment by: Islandkiwi

I owe this man a lot. When I was a kid in the late 70's - early 80's, D&D was a new kind of experience. Playing it with my friends allowed us to puzzle-solve, deduce logically, and think creatively. I mean, you could create your own stories. We branched out to Gamma World, Top Secret, then there were the new games like Ultima and...what was that car one, we friggin' loved that game.

The point I'm trying to make is that D&D opened a creative door that got me and my friends thinking, rather than being mindless hooligans we became thoughtful hooligans. The result has been an explosion of sci-fi/fantasy books, games, and movies. From a more personal perspective it allowed so many of us to think...we always think learning takes place in the classroom, but for many of us learning also took place in small groups, with small statues and dice.

I stopped playing sometime in intermediate school, but I went on to college and law school and became the man I am today. Games like D&D encouraged creativity and critical thinking, and I personally believe that the experience of putting my brain to use helped me get to where I am today. And it's funny, even twenty years later I can still recall some of those missions I played with my friends. They were good times, and I thank Mr. Gygax for inviting us all to play.

Game Industry Turns Tables on the Press
Comment by: quen

I want to come out strongly against the 'maturer than thou' crowd who claim to have grown out of review scores.

I'm 31 and I definitely use scores (especially metacritic) as a filter for buying games. It's easy to tell from the text of a good review what type of game something is, whether it sounds like the sort of thing I'd like... but usually hard to tell how good it is, beyond the 'abysmal' or 'fantastic' exceptions. Most games are basically OK, but I don't usually want to play games that are basically okay. It can be hard to tell the difference between basically okay (about a 7 on most of the stupid review scales) and actually good (about an 8) just from the words.

If there's a game I know about and am looking forward to (say, the new Phoenix Wright game - yes I know it came out a little while back, I haven't picked it up yet) then I probably won't bother looking at reviews at all, unless I start hearing bad things about it or something. If I did, though, I might check the score wasn't really bad. A 6 would make me rethink the purchase. More usually if there's a new game which kind of sounds cool but I don't know much about it, I'll definitely be more interested if it gets an 8 or so.

Another advantage of scores is that you don't necessarily want to be given details of the plot or gameplay. Some games are better unspoiled. You can look at a review score and if it's high enough then you don't need to worry about such details.

The other issue with reading reviews is that some reviewers dislike good games (and vice versa). Say I read the 1Up review, the guy from 1Up didn't like the game, does that mean I shouldn't buy it? probably not if everyone else likes it. That's why, in terms of picking games to buy, a metacritic score is so much more valuable than any single review score - and also than the text of any single review.

Want to nominate comments? Send to tips any insightful or funny comments you read from other commenters. (Read: NOT YOURSELF). Be sure to include the post's URL, the commenter's page, the actual comment and your commenter page.

Also know: Dip into tool territory and we'll ban yer ass. And quick!

He doesn't want no stinking plaque or trophy! Send the man to space for God's sake...that's what he really wants! What Richard Garriott can go, but we can't afford to send him? The guy is inspiring millions of kids to want to be astronauts and build things instead of destroy them.

Zero Punctuation Doesn't Hate Crysis
Comment by: dowingba
Nominated by: geekgrrl

RE5 is racist because you kill black people. San Andreas was racist because you play a black person. Basically, if a game has any black people in it, it's automatically racist.

Mass Effect Political Dickery "Corrected"
Comment by: SuperPope
Nominated by: Witzbold

I sent him this letter:
I am a 32 year old conservative Christian. I've been happily married to my high school sweetheart for 10 years now and have a smart, well-behaved six year old son. I have a degree in fine art and am a successful Flash animator and web graphics designer. I have also been an avid fan of videogames since the age of three, so despite all of these stated facts and what they may imply about my intelligence and character, I suppose you would simply lump me in with your invented "Gamer-Nerd" stereotype.
My wife gave me Mass Effect for Christmas. It is a fantastic game from start to finish. I had been slightly concerned about the "sexual content" which I had heard about on the Internet as people discussed this developing game. As it turns out, all the controversy amounts to nothing more than an optional 30 second footnote to a 60 hour epic story.
The developers of Mass Effect have gone to great lengths to create a believable world full of moral decisions and their resulting consequences. It is unfair of you to paint it as an intergalactic orgy simulation. In fact, without a correct retraction of your almost wholesale misrepresentation of the game's content I can think of no reason why Bioware would not win a lawsuit against you. So in an effort to help you correct yourself once more — this time armed with objective truth — I will attempt to explain plainly why your statements have no basis in fact.
First of all, you spend your entire article "Life Lessons: GAMER Nerds' 'Rights' to Lesbo-Alien Sex!" making ad hominem attacks on the people who responded to your initial article. Let me make something plain: You know nothing about this game and are guilty of libel. This statement is true no matter how ineloquent and childish the person who points it out is.
You said, "I still concur, to me these acts are the most realistic put in video games - that I have seen."
While this is clearly a true statement (since you have limited your videogame experience to what you've seen on YouTube), it is misleading. If this is the most graphic sex that videogames have to offer, then the videogame world must not be sliding down that slippery slope of unbridled debauchery just yet, as any moviegoer since the early 1960s has seen more graphic depictions of nudity and sexuality in the first five minutes of a James Bond film. Those movies were rated PG, by the way.
You wrote this: "2. 'One can custom design the shape, form, bodies, race, hair style, breast size of the images...' Evidently the only thing I got wrong on this was the breast size, though I would like someone to explain to me how the female characters end up having different sizes again on the YouTube footage I witnessed with my own eyes... But the rest of it was true. race, hair style, color - etc."
Wrong. The only thing you got RIGHT was that you could choose a hair style, and that ONLY OF YOUR OWN CHARACTER at the very beginning of the game.
Next, you wrote this: 3. "...the video game "persons" hump in every form, format, multiple, gender-oriented possibility they can think of."
Wrong again. The imaginary game you describe would be rated Adult Only and would not be sold at any Wal-Mart, Target, GameStop, or Best Buy on the planet.
If you begin the game as a male you can, through conversation choices, foster a friendship with either a human female or a blue-skinned alien. If you begin the game as a female you can form a relationship with a human male crew member or the same blue-skinned alien. Then, if you so choose (once again through careful conversation choices throughout the 60 hours or more of playing through adventure after adventure and working to unravel the problems facing the galaxy) you may share the brief moment that you witnessed on YouTube. That's it. There is no "humping" as you so rashly put it. There is merely a stylized, out-of-focus scene which implies that some form of sexual intercourse has taken place. You make it sound like it is an important game dynamic, or even the ONLY aspect of the game, and that you have actual "creative" control of the event.
I am not so naive as to assume that this letter has persuaded you to start caring for the truth or to admit your grievous error. There's clearly not much money in that for a "journalist" such as yourself. But I supposed there is a small part of me that hopes that any reasonable person who claims to be defending our society's very moral fiber would realize that lies and a blind allegiance to our own beliefs born of ignorance are what will eventually destroy America.
Here's hoping that you'll decide to stop being part of the problem.

Can Game Companies Learn from Apple?
Comment by: IronsUK
Nominated by: swirldude

The Xbox 360 blades are not difficult for anyone. My cat was sniffing around my controller the other day and before I know it she had started downloading "Small Arms" and had messaged all my friends with "Meow".

More Mass Effect Political Dickery
Comment by: Jmontilla2786
Nominated by: LuisRM

I sometimes wish the banhammer existed for these kind of people....

Hyper Multi-Tap: A Week In Comments
Comment by: Kirbytheslayer: (insert post-commenting name phrase here)
Nominated by: indiemike

My aim is to get onto Multi-Tap by one of my Multi-Tap Comments.

So here is my classic Article:
"Handle Prejudice"

Hello, this is Kotaku Regular KirbytheSlayer
I was recently on Kotaku, and came upon an article regarding a young
man named "xxxGayboyxxx" who went on Xbox Live in Pink Halo 3 armor to
record the bias and hatred directed against homosexuals on gaming
networks.
Inspired by his dark struggles, I decided to attempt a similar
experiment to expose any prejudices that gamers might be holding
inside of them. To do so, on a popular gaming blog, I changed my
username for comments to
"Kirbytheslayer: Is 16 years old, male, enjoys video games, is
heterosexual, enjoys doing absurd things to prove a point, and has a
ridiculously long user name's profile", and posted as usual on the
site for 24 hours.
The results were shocking. I was insulted, demeaned, my ideas were
ignored,many people refused to respect me based off of my merits, but
instead chose to hate me simply because of my username, and some went
as far as demanding that I get my username off of "their" website.
Keep in mind, this was in a small, 24 hour period, on a site reputed
for being tolerable, and I received such horrible bigotry against me.

Here are the comments about me in question(Included in their entirety
for authenticity):

1. BY DAVEKAP AT 10:29 PM

Oh man... and here I am, never wondering if my clothes go together
because I just don't care.

This explains a lot... :(

@Kirbytheslayer: Is 16 years old, male, enjoys video games, ...:
Why-the-hell-are-you-making-your-name-so-damn-long-in-order-to-prove-a-point-when-you-could-have-easily-sent-an-e-mail-to-the-webmaster-of-the-site-instead?

2. BY JESSE7150 AT 08:03 PM

@Kirbytheslayer: Is 16 years old, male, enjoys video games, ...: I
just wanter to @ your name.

3. BY CHAINLINK13 AT 08:14 PM

@Kirbytheslayer: Is 16 years old, male, enjoys video games, ...:
Wasn't that the point of changing your username to a ridiculously long
username? Attention-whore!

4. BY THERETURNOFTHEUFO AT 09:59 PM

@Kirbytheslayer: Is 16 years old, male, enjoys video games, ...: I
wanted to reply to your username simply to see if it would explode the
comment box :]

5. BY VIZION AT 07:15 PM

@Kirbytheslayer: Is 16 years old, male, enjoys video games, ...:

Pretty sure you're going to have to change your name

6. BY EMERALDDRAGON AT 12:39 AM

Okay, odd...

@Kirbytheslayer: Is 16 years old, male, enjoys video games, ...:

I feel as if I am missing something on this one, but I'm not sure I
want to know what it is.

7. BY SPAINLAND AT 01:01 AM

@Kirbytheslayer: Is 16 years old, male, enjoys video games, ...: I
just finished reading the comments, and then i see this, and couldnt
stop laughing

8. BY KUZUBOSHII AT 01:24 AM

@Kirbytheslayer: Is 16 years old, male, enjoys video games, ...: Dude
you have a really long username. Like a silly long, no wait, what is
the word I am looking for? Amazingly long? No, ludicrously long? No,
splendorously long? No, man I can't find the right word to describe
how long your username is. Wait, I know! r-, r-, yes that's it!
Retarded! That's the word I was looking for!

9. BY NIGHTSSTUDIO AT 02:10 AM

@Kirbytheslayer: Is 16 years old, male, enjoys video games, ...:

What the heck is up with your name?

10. BY FURIOUS_LIVER AT 12:34 AM

@Kirbytheslayer: Is 16 years old, male, enjoys video games, ...: HAY
KIRBYTHESLAYER: IS 16 YEARS OLD, MALE, ENJOYS VIDEO GAMES, IS
HETEROSEXUAL, ENJOYS DOING ABSURD THINGS TO PROVE A POINT, AND HAS A
RIDICULOUSLY LONG USER NAME, I HERD UR ONE OF THOSE DUMBFACES WITH
LONG LOSER NAMES LOLL! R U GONA STUPIDFACE US TO DEATH WIF UR LONG
NAME AND HETEROSEXUALITY LMAO!

11.Y JULIUSMODE AT 02:12 AM

@Kirbytheslayer: Is 16 years old, male, enjoys video games, ...: For
all I know you could still be a 16-year-old heterosexual homicidal
Irish pink blob. And I can't believe I just typed that sentence.

12. BY CEILINGFANBOY AT 10:59 PM

I have a feeling that this may be the beginning of a length limit to
our Kotaku usernames.

13. BY SQWERELL AT 11:19 PM

@Kirbytheslayer: Is 16 years old, male, enjoys video games, ...:
Long username is looooooooong.

Also, Pachter is the Nostradamus of gaming. Only accurate.

14. BY CLARKE AT 11:31 PM

@Kirbytheslayer: Is 16 years old, male, enjoys video games, ...: I've
seen longer names.

Want to nominate comments? Send to tips any insightful or funny comments you read from other commenters. (Read: NOT YOURSELF). Be sure to include the post's URL, the commenter's page, the actual comment and your commenter page. Failure to include them means we won't either!

Also know: Dip into tool territory and we'll ban yer ass. And quick!

It's been a gang-buster year here in the Kotaku Tower. Sure our traffic's grown, we've played lots of games, been to tons of fun conventions, but the thing that makes me most proud is that Kotaku has the most comments of any of the Gawker sites. That's right, we're even beating the monstrously large Gizmodo in comments. And of course that's all because of you, the reader.

Our techies just dumped a bunch of year-end data in my lap for me to pick through and included in that was a list of Kotaku's most commented on stories. I've listed the top 15 after the jump, not including the contests and Komment King posts.

The Five Most Commented Stories
Black Looks On RE 5 Racism: When Kym Platt posted about the possibility of racism in Resident Evil 5 on her blog Black Looks, it most certainly touched a nerve... actually lots of nerves. It also launched one of the most heated conversations on our site. One that hit some might heights and embarrassing lows while chugging its way to nearly 900 comments.

The E3 2007 Kotaku Fantasy Betting Pool: We don't like to follow the pack here at Kotaku, it just goes against our grain. This year we wanted to do some E3 predictions, but didn't want to be boring.. so set odds to all of our guesses and let readers bet on them. The result? More than 730 votes and lots of fun... including Phil Harrison telling me he was up for a group hug with Peter More and Reggie Fils-Aime.

Jack Sues Kotaku: What can I say, when Jack sues you it's like a badge of honor and the full complaint brought nearly 630 comments.

Sony Blackballs Kotaku (UPDATED): The now famous/infamous Sony Blackballs Kotaku story is pretty well known by now, but despite the happy ending, it was one that involved that stressed us at the most. Both Mike and I spent a very sickening, sweaty-handed afternoon dealing with the immediate repercussions. Thankfully all of the internet seemed to rise up in support, uniting blogs, magazines and even newspapers in something that quickly became about more than just Kotaku and Sony. You, the readers, were first to pat us on the back and say everything would be OK in more than 600 comments, and for that we will always be thankful.

Gamespot Editor Fired Over Kane & Lynch Review?: Really it was Penny-Arcade that broke this story.. with a comic no less. That's right they had the time to illustrate and write the story in the time it took us to write it, but we were a close second. While this final story, which rounds out our top five, turned out to be much more complicated than initial reports, the whole affair raised some important issues about journalism, reviews and video game coverage and kick-started a 550-comment thread.

The Rest
An Apology
Child Beaten to Death by Drunk Teen, Sister Acting Out Game
Bashcraft's 360 Finally Dies (How's Yours?)
Breaking: There Is No Shortage Of Homophobes On Xbox Live
Peter Dille Goes Beserk, Bites Microsoft In Face
Kotaku's Game Club
Who's Going to Lose: HD-DVD, Blu-Ray, or You?
2chan Explains Why Japan Hates Xbox 360
Spike TV Video Game Awards: Winners, Losers and Boozers
Sony Confirms PS3 Price-Cut, 80GB Bundle

Don't forget that you still have two more weeks to try and amass a commenting army to wrest control of the ban hammer from Ash and I.

The top five commenters with the most followers will be in the running to be named the new commenting czar which, along with being able to wield the ban hammer, will pay $200 a month.

Getting the break down is pretty work intensive, but last time we checked Witzbold wasn't just the leader at Kotaku, he actually has the most followers Gawker wide with 188 minions, followed by TheIrishNinja with 77, EnigmaNemesis with 75, PapaBear4 with 66 and dv8godd with 43. Remember it doesn't matter where in the top five you fall, just so you land there, and you still have plenty of time to recruit.

Full rules here.

Having long held the crown for the Gawker site with the most comments, we think it's about time we put someone in charge of keeping things moving along. Fact is, Ash and I are just plain overwhelmed with the effort required to read the comments on all of the posts, activate the deadly banhammer and welcome new commenters into the Kotaku fold. Yes, we still do that manually... one at a time.

So we're on the prowl for a comments moderator of sorts, a gatekeeper to Kotaku Tower, if you will. Someone who will prowl the posts and comments on a daily basis, weeding out the bad, helping out the conversation, anointing new readers and even, occasionally, writing a post or two.

We can only pay $200 a month for your help, but you do get to wield the mighty banhammer and will be given the keys to the commenting gates. If you remain interested, hit the jump for how to apply. Yes, there is a contest (of sorts) involved.

Sorry, I just can't help it. I need to make everything a contest these days. This is how it's going to work. On December 27, we're going to beg our tech geniuses to track down the five Kotaku commenters with the most followers. The top five who want to do this will all then have to explain, in comments, why they should be made the commenting czar. We'll use our own good judgment, and a pinch of public sentiment, to elect the new czar.

There's really no way to get a follower other than by getting other people decide to follow your comments. They do that by logging in and then clicking on the little plus sign symbol next to your comment in a post. Of course your followers will all have to be commenters, so make sure they sign up on the site.

If we catch you cheating we'll kick you out of the contest. So play nice. Don't even attempt to cheat.

You know every time I read something like this, no matter the console my heart dies a little bit. I am a gamer, I have been for most of my natural life. Seeing any one of these companies fail at something I love, sucks...SEGA anyone (among others).
I love games, and the people and companies who make it possible for me to enjoy them. This is not to say I like any of their respective corporate politics or general BS. But at the end of the day no matter how old I get, I will always be that kid who stared in amazement the first time I realized a story and art was no longer confined to film and books. That art could reach out and be experienced in, and on a whole new level.
You may think I'm a sap or am waxing poetic lamenting a loss that has not happened. And in a way I am...somehow we the "hardcore" gamers became so jaded that we have missed the forest for the trees.
/Sorry for the rant

New Wii Gift Feature, But No Price Cut
Comment by hotblack

Not cutting the price on the Wii itself is understandable. Adding the gift feature for the Shop Channel, while cool, is frankly a joke when there are still outstanding problems with the VC:
- Sort out the various PAL release issues
- Lower the cost of Wii Points outside of the US and Japan
- Allow the exact amount of points needed for a purchase to be paid for
- Add a solution for playing downloaded content from SD cards or another storage medium
- Introduce the long awaited Star Points/Wii Points conversion
- Add a mechanism for moving games between consoles
First rule of software development, fix outstanding issues before trying to add features.

Manhunt 2 Could Get Legal Release in UK as Download
Comment by kennyd1

Having some familiarity with this area of law, I really don't think the English Courts would allow them away with that. Just cause an Act doesn't account for the latest distribution methods doesn't mean they're not covered. Words are given updated meanings. For example, a 'telegraph' was interpreted to include a telephone for the purpose of the 1863 Telegraphs Act, despite the fact that the telephone wasn't invented or even dreamed of in 1863! Same is true of video tape being included in the word 'film'. I'm guessing the same thing will happen here. They'll never get away with it!

Bushnell Defines "Pure, Unadulterated Trash" Gaming
Comment by Tulkamir

Unfortunatly for Mr. Bushnell and everyone else out there born with an underdeveloped logic center in their brain, not every game released can be this super innovative new experience. Be great if that were possible, however there are limits on this kind of thing (both on the technological and human sides of it).

Adding to this, games like halo 3 do something argueably equally as important as the vaunted "innovation". They "evolve". Mankind didn't just suddenly one day go "Time to innovate!" and become what we are today. We took time and evolved. This is similar to what most games do. Take pre-exisiting ideas that are well liked and enjoyed, and build on them.

And if he (or anybody) were to actually play halo 3 and doom 1 right after one another he may notice that this evolution has been doing a great job.

Eye of Judgement Cards Copyable
Comment by Witzbold

Since this game is by far more simple than MTG and other card games, its going to cause quite a bit of trouble online when people start popping out the rather perfect combinations.

Not to mention with only a 100 cards its going to be rather easy to figure out what would make a pretty damned good deck. Although since its played on a 3 x 3 grid. I do hope that this new mechanic will fuck over those who do try to cheat and use uber cards.

But it will be quite a battle for other new players to beat these people, therefore possibly driving them away.

While us more hardcore folk "might" have fun trying to fuck over those uber decks by using tactics and such, but still yet. Seeing the same goddamed deck over and over again will make the game boring as shit, as folks have said.

All we can hope for is that the niche community of "honest / non-asshole" players will be strong enough to help drive the "gears" of this game long enough so that it will continue to be supported by sony and WotC.

Personally though, Im still worried. Also the fact that theres no SP story mode makes me rather sad too. Since its either play with the AI or go online. Its unfortunate they didnt have a story mode to go along and teach you, instead of the long video tutorials.

Capcom Exec Defends Okami on Wii
Comment by Ninja-Z

People are complaining about ports on the Wii, but let's face it: the Wii is completely new hardware that may have low development costs, but a hell of a lot of work to ensure that motion control is perfected. Developers aren't going to risk making a completely original game and throwing it out onto the Wii only to have motion controls suck and ruin the title. They're going to experiment with ports, so that if they fail, they can at least avoid losing money and going out of business, learn from their mistakes, and release future titles that show the system for what it is. Granted, what I'm saying may not make it better for the consumer, but ports are a logical business move for developers jumping on the Wii train.

It's nice to see Capcom giving a little more attention to this port, however, because I've never gotten a chance to play Okami. Having it on the Wii would be a perfect chance to play what sounds like an example of gaming at its finest.

This week isn't Hyper Mulit-Tap. It's regular Multi-Tap. For Hyper Multi-Tap, we need more submissions! So send comments you want to nominate to our tips address. Include the comment, the commenter's commneter page and your commenter page.