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Do You Speak Up in Online Multiplayer, or Forever Hold Your Peace?
Good ol’ commenter Uncle Jesse returns to the Speak Up on Kotaku spotlight today, wondering if any of you actually use those convenient microphones they attach to today’s newfangled headsets. I was playing some Gears last night and not one person was using a mic, so I left mine on mute as well. Then one…
By Mike Fahey -
Battlefield 3‘s Oddly Browser-Based PC Beta
Perhaps I hadn’t been keeping close enough watch on the chatter surrounding the PC beta test for Battlefield 3, but the last thing I expected upon launching the game through EA’s Origin was to wind up on a web page. But that’s where I wound up. EA’s Battlelog web page is what pops up once…
By Mike Fahey -
With Great Power Comes Great Value, City of Heroes Now Free-to-Play
After more than seven years as the most popular subscription-based massively multiplayer online superhero role-playing game, Paragon Studios flips the switch on City of Heroes Freedom, potentially the most popular free-to-play superhero MMO. Superhero and super villain hopefuls need only sign up for a free account to begin their 50 level journey to fame or…
By Mike Fahey -
Even House of the Dead: Overkill Extended Cut‘s 3D is Adorably Retro
Dig those red-and-blue 3D glasses out of your junk drawer and feast your eyes on these sexy anaglyphic 3D screenshots of House of the Dead: Overkill Extended Cut for the PlayStation 3. The PlayStation 3 HD remake of House of the Dead: Overkill builds on the game’s 70’s exploitation film vibe with the addition of…
By Mike Fahey -
This Week’s Witcher 2 Update Changes Everything
PC gamers that didn’t enjoy The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings as much as I did should check back in on Thursday, when the massive 2.0 update adds a full tutorial, arena combat, the insanely difficult dark mode, and much, much more. Wanna see a full list? While some game developers release a game and…
By Mike Fahey -
Can a Pair of Swimsuit Models Get You Excited About Need For Speed: The Run?
With so many highly anticipated titles coming out in November, the next entry in the Need for Speed franchise isn’t getting nearly as much attention as it should, so EA plays its T&A card. Ah, the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, the last barrier between the good people of America and a looming wave of internet…
By Mike Fahey -
Lionsgate is Making a Movie Based On the Dead Island Trailer
It doesn’t get any more official than an announcement from Lionsgate motion picture group president Joe Drake; there will be a Dead Island movie, and it sounds like it will be the first major motion picture based on a video game trailer We’ve been hearing rumblings about a Dead Island movie since that damned trailer…
By Mike Fahey -
These Are the Distinguished Voices of Skyrim
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is the sort of game that requires top-tier voice talent to work, so Bethesda Softworks has pulled out all the stops, recruiting a cast comprised of three Academy Award nominees, several highly recognizable science fiction actors, and the wife of ZeniMax Media CEO Robert A. Altman. Bethesda sure knows how…
By Mike Fahey -
The Elder Scrolls VS. Mojang Scrolls Battle Goes to Court
In spite of lighthearted suggestions by Minecraft creator Markus “Notch” Persson that their differences be settled as gamers, the battle between developer Mojang and The Elder Scrolls publisher Bethesda is headed to the courtroom. Last month lawyers for Bethesda Softworks sent a lengthy letter to developer Mojang, claiming that the Minecraft studio’s upcoming card-based strategy…
By Mike Fahey -
What is Sonic the Hedgehog Without a Sega Console?
In today’s blue and blurry edition of Speak Up on Kotaku, commenter Monsieur.Froid suggests that Sonic the Hedgehog worked much better as a console mascot than a multiplatform star. I think one of the biggest problems with Sonic and the current Sonic games is that he doesn’t represent anything anymore. In the 90s, Sonic was…
By Mike Fahey -
This Trailer Is Black, Bloody, and Hopeless, and That’s Just the Way The Darkness Likes It
The Darkness comic book has been around since 1996, but you don’t need to worry about fifteen years of continuity in order to understand 2K Games’ The Darkness II. You just need three minutes with Johnny Powell. Powell here gives us the low-down on The Darkness, from the beginning of time up to the death…
By Mike Fahey -
No One Told El Universal Gears 3 Was an Xbox 360 Exclusive
One of Mexico’s largest newspapers apparently turns to Google image search for its graphics as much as the next guy, as evidenced by this lovely picture of Gears of War 3 for the PlayStation 3 found inside today’s issue. I suppose some editor somewhere wanted to keep things PlayStation 3 centric at the top of…
By Mike Fahey -
How Many Clicks Does It Take To Get To the End of the Diablo III Beta?
“All you do is click!” “It’s a total click-fest!” “Don’t make me click your ass!” Yes, we’ve heard the criticism over the Diablo franchise for its simple mouse-driven mechanics, but is it really a million mouse-clicks to victory? Why don’t we ask wise old Mr. Owl? Oh yeah, because wise old Mr. Owl has proven…
By Mike Fahey -
The Latest Assassin’s Creed: Revelations Story Trailer Doesn’t Leave Ezio Hanging
In this extended version of the stunning, music-backed story trailer from E3 earlier this year that left Ezio facing the wrong end of a hangman’s noose, the hangman now finds himself on the wrong end of an Ezio. Gone is the trendy music of the original video, replaced with a voiceover from Ezio himself, which…
By Mike Fahey -
When Plants Vs. Zombies Meets the NHL, Horrible Tattoos Happen
42-year-old hockey fan Mike Schaaf was in the market for some more permanent body art to demonstrate his passion for the pastime, but wasn’t sure which artistic direction to go in. Then he saw someone playing Plants Vs. Zombies Some art is carefully planned over a period of years, painted over and over against in…
By Mike Fahey -
A Deeper, Darker Look at the Next Unreal iPhone Showpiece
The creepy cousin to Epic’s own Infinity Blade, The Dark Meadow channels all of the iOS power of the Unreal Engine 3 into one twisted tale of creatures and crossbows. Phosphor Games is gearing up for the grand release of The Dark Meadow on October 6, sending out the release trailer more than a week…
By Mike Fahey -
Amazing Arcade Machine Inverts the Relationship Between Gaming and Laundry
Playing video games and doing laundry are two activities that don’t go well together at all, unless you’re Kingston University design student Lee Wei Chen, who has used his magical powers to combine to join the two tasks in unholy matrimony. In my household, laundry day generally works like this: Put in a load of…
By Mike Fahey -
Battlefield 3‘s Latest TV Spot Goes “Above and Beyond the Call”
As promised last week, EA delivers the full version of its “99 Problems” Battlefield 3 TV spot today, unveiling never-before-seen gameplay footage and a new tagline aimed right between Modern Warfare 3‘s eyes. At this point we’ve accepted that Battlefield 3 looks gorgeous, so we’ll not harp on the visuals. Instead, let’s turn our attention…
By Mike Fahey -
Classic Movie Video Game Adaptations Would Save a Ton on Color Costs
In today’s retro-tastic edition of Speak Up on Kotaku, commenter Jesse_Astle wonders what classic pictures from Hollywood’s golden age would make for exciting interactive video game experiences. Remember when the world was black and white? What classic movie would you like to see turned into a game? Invasion of the Body Snatchers would be a…
By Mike Fahey -
Culture
Doritos Creator Arch West Takes His Cheesy Legacy to the Grave
Orange-stained fingers around the world were clenched in grief last week, when the legendary marketing man credited with the creation of Doritos passed away. But take heart, snack fans; Arch West is taking his cheese powder-infused tortilla chips with him on his eternal journey. That’s right, West is being buried with Doritos. A marketing executive…
By Mike Fahey
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