If you pay to download a video game, does it then become a product you own? And should you then be allowed to sell or give it away like you can with physical products? The European Union’s Court of Justice has its own opinions on this longrunning debate, noting as part of a filing today…
Microsoft has secured the web domain for “xbox8.us” and “xbox8.org,” according to a new report. The Internet sleuths at Fusible uncovered that Microsoft won the domains back from a Chinese citizen in a case filed with the National Arbitration Forum. Other domains won in the dispute include XboxPhone.com, XboxTablet.com, XboxLiveTV.com, XboxCompanion.com. Interestingly enough, the Xbox…
During a recent interview, Ichiro Hazama, producer and main mind behind Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, was asked by Nintendo president Satoru Iwata to sum up his game in a few words “Hmm, that’s a difficult one,” Hazama said. “I suppose I’d say it’s basically a Final Fantasy music game.” Can’t put it much better than that.…
The publisher behind games like Mass Effect and Madden says it won’t be selling its games at brick-and-mortar stores for much longer. Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, EA Labels president Frank Gibeau said it won’t be too much longer before the company goes completely digital: It’s in the near future. It’s coming. We have a clear line…
This is what the people behind Smash Bros. draw for fun. This illustration, tweeted by Smash Bros. director Masahiro Sakurai earlier today, features a whole bunch of characters from the regular cast of Nintendo’s brawl series. Sakurai says (via Google Translate) the staff drew it on their office white board. The hearts in Donkey Kong’s…
There’s a new Final Fantasy game coming out tomorrow. Don’t get too excited: this isn’t Final Fantasy XV. There are no next-gen graphics or melodramatic stories here. Instead, Square Enix will release Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, a 3DS game that is best described as “Elite Beat Agents with Final Fantasy music,” or “the game that makes…
Welcome to the Water Cooler, your daily dose of all things miscellaneous. Using the shiny new discussion system, we’ll be taking to the Water Cooler to show you some of the random press releases, funny images, and other off-kilter things we discuss in our private Kotaku chat room every day. Today’s my turn at the…
Just listen to those grand inflections. This is the new trailer for The Last Story, an upcoming Wii RPG that will be out in the U.S. this summer. (Still no official release date yet.) As you can see, the characters are very English. It’s almost as if this game was localized in Europe last year…
Wondering what THQ will run you on the market nowadays? Me too. Fortunately, a friend of mine put together an amazing website that tells you just how much value the struggling publisher has today, using comparisons we can all easily understand. Here are some of my favorites. For more, head to What Is THQ Worth?
The upcoming rerelease of Baldur’s Gate will get its own paid DLC. Director Trent Oster tweeted the news last night, specifying that the team will sell new quests and NPCs as part of future content for the Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition, which will be released on PC, Mac, and iPad later this summer. “DLC=Downloadable Content,…
Sony president Kaz Hirai got his own specialized PlayStation 3 today, according to a tweet by fellow Sony exec (and SCE head) Shuhei Yoshida. It’s custom made. And not for sale. I have absolutely no idea what the red thing is. People have asked Yoshida on Twitter, but he hasn’t responded yet. Anyone want to…
Why do people like Japanese role-playing games? What is a Japanese role-playing game? Why the hell do I write a column about them every week? Welcome to the Random Encounters Explainer. Consider this a primer on JRPGs, your introduction to the genre and a piece designed to answer many of your burning questions. Whether you’re…
The people behind the upcoming Tomb Raider reboot say they misspoke while using the word “rape” to refer to a scene in the game during an interview with Kotaku three weeks ago. According to Crystal Dynamics global brand director Karl Stewart, there is no sexual assault or rape in the upcoming video game, despite executive…
I had very high expectations for Skyrim: Dawnguard How could I not? Creator Bethesda touted it as the type of DLC that would feel like an expansion pack, a nice chunk of crazy new content for RPG fans to dig their dragon-weary paws into. And of course, Skyrim was one of last year’s best video…
Here’s an interesting read for anyone who loves, hates, or feels rather indifferent about Japanese games. JP Kellams, a writer for Platinum Games (the studio behind Vanquish, Bayonetta, and the upcoming Wii U game currently titled Project P100), took to Twitter today to voice some eloquent thoughts about the current state of the Japanese gaming…
Radical Entertainment, the twenty-year-old game studio behind games like Prototype and Scarface, has shut its doors. Audio designer Rob Bridgett, formerly of the Vancouver-based studio, confirmed the news on Twitter today Update: When reached for comment, Radical parent company Activision sent Kotaku the following statement: Although we made a substantial investment in the Prototype IP,…
New Diablo III purchasers are no longer limited to the first act of the game, as of a patch released this week that fixes some issues in the popular action-role-playing game. Last week, Blizzard announced that people who bought the game online would have to wait up to 72 hours before progressing through the entire…
A lot of role-playing games let you visit villages. Not a lot let you run them. Dungeon Village, a new simulation game for mobile devices, does just that. It turns you into the mayor, zoning planner, and landlord of your very own medieval fantasy town. Your job: to make money and keep your people satisfied.…
In March 2011, Nintendo threw a launch party for its then-brand-new 3DS. As midnight approached, a couple hundred loyal fans and less loyal reporters gathered outside the Best Buy in Manhattan’s Union Square to watch Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime extol the virtues of his company’s new system. “The era of 3D glasses ends…
The next two Pokémon games will launch for DS on October 7, Nintendo said today. Nintendo will also release Pokémon Dream Radar, a new 3DS app you can buy and use to catch and transfer Pokémon with your 3DS’s camera.
Mode
Follow us
