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A Cosplayer Fit For Prime Time
Alodia Gosiengfiao is more than a cosplayer. She’s a super cosplayer, an über cosplayer with added umlaut, if you will. And she’s proving that cosplay is more than putting on costumes. “I see cosplay as a form of art,” she tells Kotaku. “It’s not just dressing-up.” For the 22-year-old, cosplay incorporates craft, sewing, make-up, wig…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 14, 2011 -
PS3 Hacker Tells Sony How He Really Feels
Remember when George Hotz, aka “GeoHot”, appeared on television? He sounded so intelligent and well-composed, and Sony’s lawsuit just seemed unwarranted. Now, Hotz doesn’t nearly sound as well-composed, but rather NSFW and petulant. Well, at least he’s got flow and rhymes. George Hotz, along with the failoverflow team, cracked the PS3 open. He is currently…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 14, 2011 -
The Japanese Mafia Wants You To Learn English
Crime saga Yakuza 3 takes players to the belly of the beast, giving them a chance to view the underworld up close and personal. But more than hostesses and mahjong was cut from the game, including an English speaking class. The English conversational industry is, according to Tokyo Vice writer Jake Adelstein, “one of the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 14, 2011 -
Mario Bros. As A Cheesy Adult Film
A plumber. Laying pipe. A lady in a pink dress, and oh, those mushrooms. Super Mario Bros. is not a dirty movie, but if it were, it’d probably look something like this, complete with obligatory Dr. Mario gag. This is the latest parody from YouTuber DrCoolSex, whose previous parodies include Super Mario Bros: Jersey Shore…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 13, 2011 -
Video Games On The Front Lines
Long hours, hard work, crap weather. Then there’s the boredom, the long hours of boredom, followed by the bursts of heart-pounding adrenaline. This is war. And it’s video games that keep many of those serving in the world they’ve left behind. This is video games as a way to stay connected, a way to stay…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 12, 2011 -
Xbox Hijinks, Games Of The Year And Let It Snow
Ah, cold, wet melting snow. I cannot underscore how much I dislike snow, but making snowmen was fun. In Japan, snowmen only have a head and a body — while in America (and elsewhere?), they have a head, a mid-section and legs. The reason why is because in Japanese, they’re called “yukidaruma” with “yuki” meaning…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 11, 2011 -
How Gran Turismo’s Super Car Was Brought To Life
I.materialise is 3D printing company. For years, the company churned out concept cars. “We make a lot of concept cars using 3D printing but we’re never allowed to talk about them,” says i.materialise’s Joris Peels. This time is different. First unveiled in 2008 at the Paris Motor Show, the Citroën GT is a concept car…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 11, 2011 -
Sony To Comb Through PS3 Hacker’s Computer
Sony can’t get the mysterious PS3 hackers names from Google, but it can look through the computer of the known “celebrity” one, George Hotz. Hotz, who first got national attention when he hacked the iPhone, had to turn over his computer back in late January. His attorney attempted to block Sony from combing through the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 11, 2011 -
Japan, The Devil’s Head Is Not Really This Big
In upcoming action game El Shaddai, a pre-fall Lucifer guides players. He’s got God on speed dial and looks cool. Now, he’s big-headed and “cute”. Oh dear. Game characters Lucifer and Enoch have been remade into Japanese-style hipsters, complete with rad hair and trendy threads. Now they’ve been re-made into large-headed toys by Namco Bandai.…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 11, 2011 -
New Dead Or Alive Wants Players To Focus On More Than Fighting
The fighting game also has picture-takin’. Lots of it. Dead or Alive Dimensions has a “Figure” mode that allows players to not only collect character figures, but snap 3D photos of them. There are over a thousand figures to collect with different outfits and poses. The character figures can be placed against a wide variety…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 11, 2011 -
Hacked Kinect Grooves Out A Beautiful Music Video
Kinect music videos are not new. There have already been a few like this one from Echo Lake. But while impressive, it’s not nearly as impressive as this. You are looking at “Catalina” by Portguese duo Moullinex, which is made up of Luis Clara Gomes and Luis Calçada. Gomes tells Kotaku that the video was…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 11, 2011 -
Scary Lady Art You Can Wear And Frighten Friends With
Yu Kobayashi is beautiful. Her drawings are not. They are totally messed up. But don’t let that scare you from, you know, buying them printed on a tote bag or t-shirt. Yes, show your Kobayashi pride. Or just scare the crap out of everyone else. This t-shirt and bag set featuring a Kobayashi design can…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 11, 2011 -
Nothing Races By Gran Turismo’s Creator, Not Even Sumo Cheating
This week, Japan’s national sport was brought to its knees, hit with allegations of match-fixing. Some sumo fans were surprised, but after lingering questions over previous gambling scandals, some weren’t. Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi sure wasn’t. After a gambling scandal broke out last year in which sumo wrestlers were placing illegal bets on baseball…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 11, 2011 -
Battlestars, Guitars And One Shocking Haircut
Shocking, I guess, because I was going to try to go all the way to this year’s Tokyo Game Show without getting a haircut. I…did not make it. But I got a shave! And honestly, that’s all that counts. The Battlestar Galactica Game Is Still Spooling Its FTL Drives Earlier this week, the new Battlestar…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 10, 2011 -
Hayao Miyazaki Advocates Knives, Fire-Making And Other Stone Age Skills
Japan’s answer to Walt Disney does not like technology. Hayao Miyazaki is concerned that the virtual world of video games, television, and even his own Ghibli Studio animated movies, is snatching away power from kids. Better teach them how to use knives! “The environment that surrounds our children, including our animation, is all virtual,” says…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 10, 2011 -
Sony Is Also Competing Against Booze, You Know
This month, Nintendo is launching a new gaming portable, the 3DS. Sony also has a new, still forthcoming portable the NGP. How is Sony going to compete? When asked that question by Japan’s Nikkei, Sony Computer Entertainment president Kaz Hirai replied, “I think that it’s too narrow-minded to discuss the competition among game platforms such…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 10, 2011 -
This Is Not A PlayStation 3 Ad, But It Should Be
You are looking at the first thing that 29-year-old Ben McCambridge claims to have ever directed. Not bad for a first-timer, because this is awesome. McCambridge is an assistant editor working in Los Angeles, cutting commercials. “I’ve worked on dozens of commercials and thought I’d try my hand at making one myself,” he tells Kotaku.…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 10, 2011 -
Pearls Of Wisdom From Final Fantasy’s Iconic Illustrator
Yoshitaka Amano first cut his teeth at the tender age of 15, working on the popular Speed Racer anime. He went on to create some of the most iconic illustrations gaming’s ever seen. He’s 58. He’s been around. And he’s wise. In an interview with The Japan Times, Amano talks about his upcoming debut anime…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 10, 2011 -
Rhythm Control Is Big In Japan
This is not your typical story: an American and a Swede meet over the Japanese language and decide to make a video game. That game then takes the Japanese iTunes charts by storm. Dubbed Rhythm Control, the game has players touch bubbles that appear on screen. It’s simple and fun, and in Japan, it’s the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 10, 2011 -
What The Hell Is Uncharted’s Movie Director Talking About?
Hollywood is making an Uncharted movie. It could star Mark Wahlberg, Robert DeNiro and even Joe Pesci as a family of treasure hunters. This makes us wonder, has the movie’s unlikely director, David O. Russell, even played Uncharted? “I want the gamers to be happy,” Russell tells IGN, adding that he’s not supposed to talk…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 10, 2011
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