Brian Ashcraft

Chesty Jake Vs. The Ostriches

Prince of Persia actor Jake Gyllenhaal has been working out, getting in shape. He’s buff! But he’s still no match for ostriches. Ostriches will mess you up, yo. If they don’t stick their head in the sand. Gyllenhaal recalls one scene in the flick with real live ostriches — “not CG ostriches.” According to Jake…

Do Sports Games Offer Truly West – Japan Game Industry Competition?

EA Sports exec has stated that the company is working to appeal to Japanese gamers. That works appears to have paid off: FIFA 10 is a hit in Japan. But could that be for a deeper reason? A piece running on Yahoo! News Japan (translated by AltJapan) summed up the difference between Western and Japanese…

Alrighty, Who Has Modern Warfare 2?

To: Crecente From: Bashcraft RE: Modern Warfare 2 Launch Night, Do You Care? Oh yeah, I care. I’d like to play it, but I haven’t gotten it yet… Quite enjoy Infinity Ward previous Call of Duty games. And if you did get it, well, whaddaya think? What you missed last night Modern Warfare 2: 360…

Let’s Look At Russian Bayonetta

Ever Wondered What the Bottom Of Russian Bayonetta’s shoe looks like? BAM! Reader Sergey sent photos he took at Igromir 2009, Russia’s biggest gaming expo. More in the link below, some NSFW. Igromir 2009 [Flickr]

Don’t Expect Tales of Vesperia On The Wii Just Yet…

DOH. Just like we thought — popular Japanese voice actor Rikiya Koyama has confused Tales of Vesperia with Wii title Tales of Graces. Last week we reported that Koyama wrote on his official blog: “Tales of Vesperia is coming out on one thing after another: Xbox 360, then PS3, and now upcoming, goes on sale…

Nintendo Thanks People For Ratting Out R4 Retailers

Kyoto-based game company Nintendo created an anonymous form for collect information about the sale of R4 cartridges in Japan. This information will be used by Nintendo in its legal suit. As we posted previously, announced that it and 54 software game companies were filing a lawsuit with the Tokyo District Court against companies that import…

Jill Valentine In Resident Evil: Afterlife?

Actress Sienna Guillory appeared in flick Resident Evil: Apocalypse as character Jill Valentine, but was M.I.A. in the third film, Resident Evil: Extinction. Rumors have it that there was a contract dispute with the actress. Director Paul W.S. Anderson is currently filming Resident Evil: Afterlife and star Milla Jovovich tweeted this tidbit: “Valentine MAY be…

Catching Up With ToeJam & Earl

ToeJam & Earl creator says XBLA port not so certain; future games in franchise still a possibility Just because characters ToeJam & Earl were SEGA stars in the early 1990s, that doesn’t mean they’ll be appearing courtesy of SEGA. The game company recently polled fans, asking them which title should get the XBLA send-up, and…

Can You Name All These Japanese Game Luminaries?

Pop quiz time! Here’s a Photoshop of a bunch of Japanese game industry bigwigs — who can you name? Pic [はちま起稿 Thanks, 金！]

A Very Important Man Question

As we move closer to winter, I have an important question: To beard or not to beard? What you missed last night Here’s What Final Fantasy XIII Chocobos Look Like First Pictures From Resident Evil: Afterlife Set Uncharted: Drake’s Pinball Adventures Minesweeper Becoming An Adventure Game

Akihabara Killer Says He Deserves Death

In June 2008, tragedy struck Tokyo’s video game/anime/manga district Akihabara. Tomohiro Kato stabbed over 15 individuals, killing 7. He now says he deserves death. According to sources, Kato sent a letter of apology to one of the victims, writing, ”My crime deserves death.” The Japanese legal system does have the death penalty. Defendant in Akihabara…

Interview With Yakuza 4’s Porn Lady

You remember Rio, right? She’s the star of films like Rio is a Squirting Young Wife and Let’s Have Sex at School. She’s also in Yakuza 4 (Ryu Ga Gotoku 4). In this short online promo clip title “Rio’s Film Set! Part I?”, there’s a short street interview with the blue movie actress by Noa…

Does Store Renovation Reflect Current Japanese Game Market?

There are tons of stores selling Xbox 360 games and goods in Japan. Today, let’s talk about a store that has just renovated its game section. Think of it as a reassessment of where the Xbox 360 is in Japan. Or something. The 5th floor of Tokyo retailer LABI Ikebukuro is all DS and Wii…

Here’s What Final Fantasy XIII Chocobos Look Like

Chocobo! Those bird-like creatures from Final Fantasy games. The latest issue of Japan’s Shonen Jump shows just how huge the creatures are in Final Fantasy XIII. So big. The magazine also has Hope’s summon, Alexander, and brings word that Final Fantasy XIII will come with Final Fantasy XIV beta codes when it goes on sale…

First Pictures From Resident Evil: Afterlife Set

While actress Milla Jovovich has been twittering the crap outta upcoming movie Resident Evil: Afterlife, two photos from the set have surfaced online. Above is Jovovich, Ali Larter, Spencer Locke and Wentworth Miller. Below is a wider shot. Wondering who those people in white are? “We call the people in white ‘pod people’ here on…

A Week In Comments

Modern Warfare 2 PC Multiplayer Capped At 9v9 Comment by: Leanid Nominated by: deanbmmv I’m sad to see how apathetic and little sympathy many console gamers have. PC gaming is more important than a lot of console gamers, and people in the industry today, give it credit for. PC gaming was the backbone of Western…

Why Do You Think Some Games Are Hard?

Hello, you. Yes you. Let’s talk. Here’s how it works: We ask a question, you answer it. Simple and no strings attached! This isn’t some marketing survey or whatever. It’s an emotional investment in you. Yes, we’re interested in knowing you, Kotaku reader person. You probably know oodles about us – more than you even…

Tales Of Vesperia Is Wii Bound?!

Popular Japanese voice actor Rikiya Koyama appears to have leaked the news that Namco Bandai role-playing-game Tales of Vesperia is Wii-bound. Ooops! On his official blog, the actor writes, “Tales of Vesperia is coming out on one thing after another: Xbox 360, then PS3, and now upcoming, goes on sale even on the Wii. More…

What It’s Like To Live Where Games Are Criminalized

Twenty-six year-old gamer Guido Núñez-Mujica lives in Venezula, where the government has passed a new law that in effect criminalizes video games. “These games are a cherished part of my life,” Núñez-Mujica writes over at website Boing Boing, “they helped to shape my young mind, they gave me challenges and vastly improved my English, opening…

Could Band Hero/Guitar Hero 5 Brouhaha Cause Future Problems For Activision

In the span of two months, Activision has ticked off Courtney Love and No Doubt by letting unlockable avatars sing songs from other genres. “I think it does hurt them,” said Stephen Smith, a partner specializing in entertainment and video game litigation with Greenberg Glusker, tells Variety. As Smith points out, Activision should strive to…