Jason Schreier

The Worst Strategy Guide Ever Made

Pop quiz: does the name “PlayOnline” make your blood boil, or at least cause one of your eyes to start twitching? No? Lucky you. If it does, you might be familiar with the worst strategy guide in video game history. This article was originally published in May 2015. We’ve bumped it and edited it for…

Nintendo Files Copyright Strikes Against Super Mario 64 Online

Nintendo has issued copyright strikes against multiple accounts belonging to a well-known Super Mario 64 ROM hacker, days after the release of his newest project, a multiplayer hack called Super Mario 64 Online. As of this morning, you can no longer download Super Mario 64 Online or even watch its creator’s videos of gameplay footage.…

Danganronpa V3 Can’t Resist A Good Splatoon Joke

The newest Danganronpa is full of pop culture references, including quite a few that may surprise you. My favorite so far is this inventory item. Screw you, squids. I’ve spent the past week digging into Danganronpa V3, the third proper game in the goofy visual novel series. Equal parts surreal, gross, mind-boggling, and hilarious, Danganronpa…

Octopath Traveler‘s Switch Demo Is A Blast Of JRPG Goodness 

Last week, Square Enix surprise-released a demo of the upcoming role-playing game Octopath Traveler, and you will be pleased to hear that it’s excellent. The best part? Nobody can complain that it’s not coming to Switch. The full version of Octopath Traveler won’t be out on Nintendo Switch until 2018, but for now, you can…

Why Video Games Cost So Much To Make

Video game publishers are notoriously secretive about the budgets behind their games, but when a number does slip out, it can be shocking. Games like Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto cost hundreds of millions of dollars to make, which is tough to fathom—until you do the math. While reporting for my recently released…

Why Some Video Game Fonts Are Better Than Others

What makes video game fonts look good? And why does Final Fantasy VI’s Steam and iOS text feel so amateurish? Today on Kotaku Splitscreen, we’ve got an expert typographer to give us the answers. First, Kirk and I talk Mario + Rabbids before jumping into news like L.A. Noire Switch(19:54), Apple announcements (25:38), and Pewdiepie’s…

The Reward For Going Flawless In Destiny 2‘s Trials Is Pretty Strange

It only took a few minutes for Destiny 2 players to go flawless in the new competitive mode, Trials of the Nine, which went live this afternoon. And the reward is… well, let me put a spoiler warning here just in case you want to discover for yourself. Ready? It’s A GIANT FUCKING HEAD. Go…

Destiny 2‘s New Raid Is A Massive Contraption Full Of Secrets

Destiny 2, a video game in which players travel through space, accidentally dismantling legendary mods and wasting hours of progress, just got a brand new raid called the Leviathan. And it’s one of the coolest things Bungie has done so far. For three years, the most exciting thing about Destiny 1 has been its mystery.…

The upcoming Switch version of Doom won’t come with multiplayer on the cartridge, Bethesda told Engadget. You’ll have to download a free update to play with other people. SnapMap, the game’s level editor, won’t be available at all on Switch. These are the sacrifices we make to play games on the go, huh?

How To Level Your Power Quickly In Destiny 2

So you just picked up Destiny 2 and want to know how to power up for the raid as quickly as possible. Or maybe you’re stuck in the mid-200s and just don’t know what to do next. Don’t worry. We’re here to help. First, a quick explanation. There are two different forms of progression in…

Final Fantasy XV‘s Director Clears Up A Major Ending Plot Point

There’s one big plot point left ambiguous at the end of Final Fantasy XV, so I thought I’d ask director Hajime Tabata about it. In an interview earlier this month, he offered some helpful clarification, also acknowledging that the game’s story was a bit… messy. Spoilers follow, obviously. I mean, did you really see a…

Yes, Please Inject Nintendo Switch RPG Octopath Traveler Directly Into My Veins

The team behind Bravely Default is making a Nintendo Switch exclusive called Octopath Traveler. It looks beautiful, and there’s a demo out tonight. Octopath Traveler is just the working title, although this is Square Enix, so anything goes. It was originally announced at the Switch reveal event in January, and Nintendo showed off more details…

The next big Nintendo Direct starts at 6pm ET tonight. It’ll run around 45 minutes and be full of Switch and 3DS news. Watch here!

Uncharted 4 Co-Director Bruce Straley Leaves Naughty Dog

Bruce Straley, co-director of The Last of Us and Uncharted 4, is officially leaving Naughty Dog following an extensive sabbatical. “After heading up three extremely demanding projects, and taking some extended time away from the office, I found my energy focusing in other directions, and I slowly realized this was the signal that it’s time…

Bungie Removes Destiny 2 Glove With ‘Hate Symbol’ On It

Bungie is changing a gauntlet in Destiny 2 that was based on an alt-right symbol, the developer said today. “It’s come to our attention that a gauntlet in Destiny 2 shares elements with a hate symbol. It is not intentional. We are removing it,” the company said on Twitter this afternoon. “Our deepest apologies. This…

The next game from Journey developer Thatgamecompany is Sky, an Apple TV, iPhone, and iPad social adventure. Looks pretty! [UPDATE (3:59pm): Thatgamecompany says it’s “first coming” to Apple, meaning other platforms will follow.]

Battlegrounds won’t be out on PS4 for a while, but while you wait, you can check out Fortnite’s 100-person Battle Royale mode, which launches September 26 (for PS4 as well as Xbox One, PC, and Mac). Last player standing wins. Of course.

The Future Of Final Fantasy Is All About Player Feedback

When Yoshinori Kitase talks about the future of Final Fantasy, you probably want to listen. The veteran producer, widely considered the successor to former Square Enix honcho Hironobu Sakaguchi, is one of the shepherds of the iconic role-playing game series. And he’s looking to take some lessons from the world of mobile gaming—namely, player feedback.…

There’s a Nintendo Direct coming this Wednesday at 6pm ET. Keep an eye out for 3DS games, Switch games, and maybe even some third-party ports. (Looking at you, Bethesda.)

Final Fantasy XV‘s Director Wants You To Know He Can’t Find A Switch

Last month, Final Fantasy XV director Hajime Tabata teased a version of his game for the Nintendo Switch. But when I asked him about that port to Nintendo’s hot new console, he wanted me to share a different message: He can’t actually find one. “I want you to make the headline, ‘Tabata has not been…