Kotaku

Lights Out

To: Crecente
From: Ashcraft
RE: Work From Home, Earn Cash

Surprisingly busy day for a Monday, typically a more "relaxed" day. I'm knackered. Tomorrow will be busy, too.

What you missed last night
Kojima is humble.
Viva Pinata 2 screens
Miyamoto says American better at making unique products
First official Dragonball movie promo

Work from Home, Earn Cash

To: Ash
From: Owen
Re: Poker, The Redemption

So the realboss at the realjob is in Hawaii all week which means, woohoo, work-from-home with impunity! Oh shit, do they have the Internets in Hawaii? Did they stretch ethernet across the Pacific? Oh dammit!. Hi Steve. I hope you are having fun, sir. I will be productive all week, I promise, sir. Seriously, work's a 15-minute bike ride away. And plus I'll be going that way to grab some Okami sushi for lunch.

Anyway, here some highlights from the weekend report.

Kids Won't Listen? Sic BOB on 'Em
Academics vs. 'Gaming' Academics: Let the Snark Begin
If Nintendo Made Halo 3
The Tactile Side of Games
Gametrailers Blows It with PS3/360 Footage
Two More Gears 2 Videos Out

Poker: The Redemption

To: Ash
From: Crecente
Re: Wife Back Home (What Fetuses Wear)

Tonight I'm meeting up with a slew of local developers for round two of our monthly poker night. If you don't recall, I managed to lose $60 at a $20 poker game last time round. This time, I plan on at least not buying in three times. Big talk, I know, but a mans gotta do what a mans gotta do.

What you missed:
Bad Company Demo Coming June 5th
New SOCOM Confrontation Screens
Call of Duty 5 To Feature "New Military Theater"
New Wrath Of The Lich King Details Galore
Will Verbinski Make BioShock The First Great Game Flick?
BioWare Backs Down From Draconian Mass Effect Authentication
Spore To Use Online Authentication
echochrome Review: Poppin', Lockin' and Thinkin'
MGS4 Character Spoiler

Wife Back Home (What Fetuses Wear)

To: Crecente
From: Ashcraft
RE: Vomit Elevator :(

Post ultrasound conversation:

Mini-Bash: Is it a boy or a girl?
Mrs. Bashcraft: We don't know yet. The baby's still too small.
Mini-Bash: Know how you can tell?
Mrs. Bashcraft: How?
Mini-Bash: It's a girl if it's wearing a dress. Was it wearing a dress?
Mrs. Bashcraft: Baby girls are born wearing dresses?
Mini-Bash: Yes.
Mrs. Bashcraft: Oh yeah? What were you born wearing?
Mini-Bash: Pants.

What you missed last night
Niko Bellic Going to San Andreas?
Gran Turismo: 50 Million Served
Aaron Greenberg goes bananas
Apple Wii-mote patenet
Verbinski making BioShock
Kid Icarus might look like this
Motion Xbox controller coming next week?
MK modifying Fatalities

Vomit Elevator :(

To: Bash
From: Crecente
Re: Riding the Vomit Elevator

Good lord that sounds disgusting. I'm surprised it didn't kick off a Monty Python-esque vomit train. Speaking of which, I better go lay down.

What you missed:
Lord of the Rings: Conquest Gallery
FTC: It's Increasingly Difficult for Children to Buy M-Rated Games
Rockstar Explains GTA IV Multiplayer
Street Fighter Film Writer Won't "Blatantly Sexualize" Chun-Li
Battle of the Bands Review: Musical Smackdown
What If Your Character Was Only As Fit As You Are
Activision Announces Record Billion-Dollar Growth In "Breakthrough" Fiscal 08

Riding the Vomit Elevator

To: Crecente
From: Ashcraft
RE: Hello? Helloooooo?

Ah, E3! Can't wait.

Every day when I go pick up my kid at school, I go to a bus stop near my house. There's only one other kid who gets off at that stop — a younger kid who lives in the same apartment. His mother is always waiting there, and we usually shoot the shit. She's quite nice and likes to chit-chat. Since Mini-Bash didn't go to school on Wednesday, she was wondering if he was sick. So, yeah, over Golden Week here in Japan, my kid kept barfing. It was pretty bad! We had to go to the hospital and everything, I told her. One day, he upchucked maybe 12 times? On Tuesday evening, he started to feel better, I continued. And at about 7 or 8pm, we decided to go to the supermarket so I could buy some soba noodles to make for him for dinner. After a technicolor afternoon of him not being able to keep anything down, he seemed much better and was very much ready to eat something.

So, we went to the elevator, pressed the button, the elevator pinged! and the doors open, revealing an elevator covered in puke. Someone else had thrown up all over the elevator! It was the worst thing I have ever seen, I told this to the mother. There was an inch of vomit on the floor and it was on the walls and everywhere. It was like an alien was slaughtered there, I said. Truly, truly, truly disgusting. Like why didn't the person who puked everywhere clean it up, you know? Since my kid was still feeling ill, we couldn't take the stairs, and just decided to make do with whatever we had in the house (instant ramen). Worse of all, the elevator is still stinky, days later. Her reply? "So sorry, it was my son who threw up in the elevator." My reply? "Oh."

Can't wait for tomorrow at the bus stop!

What you missed last night
Yahtzee vs. insane fanboys
Sony thinking about external HDDs?
Yamauchi has lots of money
Looking forward to that Dan movie
Gates talks Japan

Hello? Hellooooo?

To: Bash
From: Crecente
Re: So, Yeah, I Finally Watched A Blu-ray Movie And...

So yesterday I was up to my eyeballs in dealing with pre-E3 planning, the Sony Gamers Day in London, and the regular insanity of running Kotaku. At one point I was on my cell phone and home phone at the same time talking to two people at once while trying to discretely finish my lunch. When the calls all ended I placed the cell phone on my desk, then put the paper towel that once hold my sandwich next to it and almost threw the phone in the trash. Yesh.

What you missed:
Take-Two Confirms GTA's Half a Billion Week
Ubisoft Brings Protöthea Shump to WiiWare
A 70-year-old's Take on GTA IV
Rockstar Patches GTA IV's PS3 Online Play
Analyst: Record GTA Sales Change Nothing For EA's "80/20" Take-Two Bid
Wii Nintendo Channel Video Walkthrough
id Software Begins Production on Doom 4
LittleBigPlanet Killzone
Mike Tyson Returns In Fight Night Round 4

So, Yeah, I Finally Watched A Blu-ray Movie And...

To: Crecente
From: Ashcraft
RE: A Rare Look At Mundanity

Sounds like Tristan had a nice b-day!

Back from Golden Week here in Japan. Dealt with a throw-uppy four year-old for a good chunk of it. Little dude is okay. Today, I watched my first Blu-ray movie: Happy Feet. Damn, that flick is annoying. Blu-ray? Very pretty. Never saw an HD-DVD movie with my own eyes. Was there any difference?

What you missed last night
GTA IV sold 6 million copies
Take Two boss claims GTA IV is glitch free
Why 360 HDDs are pricey
New Killzone 2 screens
Hands free Super Mario World Level
Wii Fit calls girl fat
Peeved SNK

Day Note: A Rare Look At Mundanity

To: Ash
From: McWhertor
Re: You Enjoying Golden Week

The most exciting thing to happen to me today, Ash? After photographing my "Greaser" linen field jacket, the one with a busted cuff button, I awaited response from a customer service rep on the resolution of my defective article of clothing. Would I have to take it to a tailor? Would they be able to exchange it?! Would I get store credit?!? :O It's the kind of drama that one can only express via emoticon.

I really need a kid, one who will barf on various things in my house in case I need to write a spicier Day Note again...

Actually, Crecente and I went back and forth on his Boom Blox review, arguing the finer, more limiting points of our review system and realized how swamped June is with big game releases. We also kvetched about pre-E3 plans, with a relationship-straining cluster of events from Microsoft, EA, SCEA, Konami, Capcom and others just around the corner. Sony, of course, just had a big one.

Anyway, here's some stuff you missed.
Boom Blox Reviewed, Mostly Good
Mirror's Edge Pretty, Lacking In Green, Brown
Resistance 2 To Features Lots Of People
Killzone 2, LittleBigPlanet Pushed Back
Stephen Colbert Takes On... Rain!!!!!
Dave Reeves Declares PS3 Outsells 360 (In Europe)

Tristan's BDay

To: Bash and Luke
From: Crecente
Re: What's Old Is New Again

Tristan's birthday went off without a hitch on Sunday (his real birthday was Saturday, but we had the party on Sunday). We held it at a local fun center that had a ton of different things including a laser tag area, arcade and even a one of those Battlemech, sit down games. I hadn't played the Battlemech game since it first hit in the, 90s I think. Really hasn't improved much and still leaves me feeling sorta bored. Laser tag hasn't changed much either, though the rigs we played with had laser sites, which is really damn cool. I had forgotten it was to run around shooting people in a neon-lit maze. Tristan and his friends managed to keep me out of the game for most of the ten minute round by using the Spartan tactic of forming a pack and just peppering me with lasers constantly. It must have been fun for those not involved to watch a pack of six kids less than half my size chasing me through the maze coating me with little red lights. Man, they were vicious.

What you missed:
The Only Mother's Day GTA Ad You'll Ever See (I Hope)
LEGO Universe's Story and Economy Unveiled
Iron Man Movie Does Fine Despite GTA Release
Target: Terror Review: 90s Arcade Action
EA Fires Back At Activision's "Soul-Stealing" Comments

What's Old Is New Again

To: Crecente
From: Luke

I did two things on the weekend: saw Helmet play, and saw Iron Man. Both are looking awful spritely for their age. For a 45 year-old superhero, Iron Man's never looked better. That movie is awesome, and these days, I don't walk out of theatres saying that too often. As for Helmet, same story. Page Hamilton's 48 years old, and rocked his ass off harder than most men half his age can manage. Good, good times.

You missed all this while I was working and you weren't:
Portal After Dark
Ken Levine And Co. At Work On New X-Com Game?
GTA Soundtrack A Little Obscure For Amazon
Microsoft Release Free Game Creator
The Sims & IKEA Are An Exercise In Tasteful Product Placement
Metroid Prime, Now In The Third Dimension

At Least the Console's Hooked Up

To: Bash
From Owen
Re: Happy Seventh

This is gonna be short and sweet because the new apartment is still a Superfund site. I'm gonna have to live at IKEA for the next month. At least. I once thought about writing a screenplay about that, but then they came out with The Terminal.

At least the 360's hooked up and providing a welcome diversion from the clutter and crap scattered about. Priorities, right? But I'm gaming in a lawn chair perched in front of the TV because the couch is too far away and my old bridge commander chair is too damn big for the apartment.

Have an enjoyable and productive week. Here's some of what you missed.

GTA Multiplayer: Wait, I'm a Zombie?
Chocolate Rain on Mario Paint
Sexy New LEGO Indiana Jones Gameplay
A Pixel Cookie How-To
Designing the Single Player Economy
Capcom's Sushi Muse?

Happy Seventh

To: Bash
From: Crecente
Re: Using Two Computers At Once, So Awesome!

Tristan's birthday is Saturday. He turns a whopping seven years old. Kinda creepy, that a child of mine can be that old. He's getting a new bicycle from us, shhhh, don't tell anyone. The grandparents have flown in for the occasion and there will be much eating of cake over the weekend. I doubt I'll have a single second to spare for GTA IV, but we're definitely going to fiddle with some Wii games.

Oh, I use two computers, one with two screens, while I'm working. It's great. Elvis had four televisions in his home. It looks like he took a chainsaw to a wall and just stuck those big old cabinet TVs in the wall. So weird.

Have a good weekend.

What you missed:
ESA Confirms Activision/Vivendi Departure
ESRB Rates EarthBound For Wii VC
Five Publishers Drop Out of E3 This Year, Some Blame ESA President
Wild Earth: African Safari Review: A-Wiimoweh

Industry Insiders Discuss ESA, E3's Future

Using Two Computers At Once, So Awesome!

To: Crecente
From: Ashcraft

Last night was pretty rough. Kid woke up suddenly and starting barfing all over the futon — which I had the pleasure of cleaning. Beef stew. Yay! He didn't go to school today, but stayed home and watched Kiki's Delivery Service over and over again. Seems okay, now. I probably won't be eating beef stew until sometime during the next World Cup.

OH. So, today I started using two separate laptops while working. It actually seemed to increase my productivity. I can totally understand why Elvis would watch four (was it four?) TVs at once. Felt like I was getting more down switching between them. Now whether I actually was... Don't you switch between two computers while working?

What you missed last night
Stupid man talks GTA IV
Yet another MGS4 bundle
MGS4 changes
Miis are serious business
Another manufacturer says Blu-ray Xbox 360 is coming
Rockstars suggestions for GTA IV lock-ups
Iwata answers
Activision sitting out E3

A Noodle Question

To: Crecente
From: Bashcraft
RE: Ugh

Soba or udon? I made two damn tasty bowls of udon for dinner today. Getting so good at heating stuff up! Boiling water is really your friend. Really.

What you missed last night
GTA IV breaks UK sales record
Capcom screws over Okami creators
Jon Stewart on GTA IV
Not all GTA IV branding is fake
More Bay vs. Boll
Soul Calibur IV new stuff

Ugh

To: Ash
From: Crecente
Re: Aw Fuckles, Wife Back in Hospital
Sorry to hear about your wife Ash, I can't imagine. It's gotta be super rough on mini-bash too. I don't know how Tristan would handle something like that, and I don't want to know.

You should take your son out for the day during the upcoming holidays, use the time to bond with him. As much time as I spend with Tristan (working at home and all) I still know the bond he has with Trish is much stronger, so it's always nice to get a little one-on-one time with him.

One word of advice, two actually: Order out.

What you missed:
PixelJunk Monster Encore - Wife Powered
Weakening U.S. Dollar Spurs PSN Prices Drop for Canada
How To Visit The Beating Heart Of Liberty City
GTA IV Info Dump: Reviews, Problems and Comparisons
How To Bring The West to Japan
Advocacy Groups Want Games Locked Up
MADD Demands AO Rating for GTA IV
echochrome? Thursday!

Aw Fuckles, Wife Back in Hospital

To: Crecente
From: Bash

Been a shitty few days. Wife took a sudden turn for the worst, lost something like 3 kilograms in two days, throwing up non-stop, back in the hospital. Brutal, brutal times. She threw up so many times today in the hospital that her throat is raw and she can't eat solids.

Good news: Doctor says baby is fine, healthy. And as of tonight, Mrs. Bashcraft is doing much better. When she was pregnant with Mini-Bash, it was like this until her 14th week. So we've got a few more weeks of morning sickness from hell before she'll return to normal.

Played soccer with Mini Bash today for about an hour. Seemed to cheer him up.

We knew it was going to be like this (was like this last time), but still, words cannot describe how stressful these past few days have been. Leaving the hospital today, Mrs. Bashcraft said this: "I'm sorry."

What you missed last night
Revenge of Capcom didn't dev SFIV
Man paid 15 grand for cart
Microsoft said no to Steam
Pikachu NSF...brains
God of War III to feature online?

Grand Theft Fatigue-o

To: Crecente
From: Luke
Re: Interviews, Interviews, Interviews

Say, did you know GTA IV is now on sale? You may have noticed. And I don't know about you, but I'm suffering from a nasty case of GTA fatigue. Both literally and figuratively. Seems all I've done over the past two days is either write about GTA IV or play GTA IV. Don't get me wrong. The game is amazing. It's the ice cream of this season's gaming menu. But a man cannot survive on ice cream alone...

Here's what you missed:
Wait, GTA IV Is Locking Up?
360 GTA IV Is Region-Locked
GTA IV Launch - A Tale Of Two GameStops
Halo, So Pretty
Immigrant Welfare Group Criticizes GTA IV
Konami Adds Stuff To Metal Gear Online