Jason Schreier

Podcast: Boycotting Games, Destiny, And More

It’s time for some listener questions: Should Kotaku abstain from covering games if they launch broken on day one? Why haven’t we reviewed Destiny’s new Dawning update? And just how do we do our GOTY deliberations? All that and more on today’s Kotaku Splitscreen We’re reaching into the mailbag this week, answering YOUR questions on…

New GameStop Program Leads Employees To Lie To Customers

Have you gone to GameStop over the past few months and tried to buy a new game? Have they told you that it’s not in stock? They may simply be lying to you, fueled by a new program that discourages GameStop salespeople from selling unopened copies of video games. The program, called “Circle of Life,”…

Nintendo Accidentally Reveals Switch Developer Menu

Nintendo Switch won’t be out for another month, but thanks to a trailer screw-up this morning, we can already see what the devkits look like. If you’ve ever wanted to see what developers get to see when they work with pre-release hardware, now’s your chance. As spotted (and screenshotted) by NeoGAF user mocolostrocolos, Nintendo Portugal…

BioWare’s new IP sure sounds like a Destiny competitor, based on EA’s financial call this afternoon. The game, which EA says will be out in FY18 (aka: by March 2018), is set in a brand new world but will fuse “the great RPG character development and story progression that BioWare is known for” with a…

Why A Fake Fallout: New Vegas 2 Rumor Won’t Stop Spreading

You may have seen the news on your Facebook feed, or on the front page of Reddit’s popular r/games subreddit: Obsidian is making Fallout New Vegas 2! This would all be well and good, except for the fact that they’re not. For the past 24 hours, a rumor has buzzed that Obsidian is developing a…

Footage From The First-Ever E3 Is A Real Trip

E3 today is a thunderstorm of neon spectacle. It’s marketing buzzwords and hip executives wearing blazers and t-shirts as they show us their hot new video game trailers. Twenty years ago, though… Twenty years ago it was a little different. This incredible new footage of the first E3 expo, in 1995 (shot by Anthony Parisi),…

If for some reason you’re still playing Grand Theft Auto V on last-gen hardware and haven’t transferred your characters and progress, it’s almost your last chance. Rockstar says they’re disabling the option to move your goods from PS3/360 to PS4/XB1/PC on March 6.

When Have You Gotten Mad At A Video Game For Wasting Your Time?

Have you ever been so pissed off at a video game for wasting your time that you turned off the TV? Threw your controller? Snapped all your disks in half? Here’s a quick anecdote: Last night, after a grueling final week of writing and editing, I finished the first draft of my first book. (More…

Sources: Eidos Working On Guardians of the Galaxy Game, Future of Deus Ex Murky

We may be waiting a long time for the next big Deus Ex game. The developers of the iconic franchise have moved on to other big franchises, according to sources speaking both to Kotaku and other outlets. Sources say Eidos Montreal has cancelled a planned sequel to Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, which came out last year.…

How Virtual Console Could Make The Switch A Must-Own

Nintendo has yet to say anything about how the Switch will approach classic games, which means there’s still hope that they won’t screw it up. Very slight hope. But we’ll take what we can get. Historically, Nintendo’s Virtual Console—a service for buying and playing games from older platforms—has been disappointing. On Wii, 3DS, and Wii…

Final Fantasy XV Gets Its Own Gold Saucer

Next week, Noctis will adorn his finest chocobo outfit for a trip to the Moogle Chocobo Carnival, which starts on January 24 and transforms the city of Altissia into a theme park full of minigames. There’s dancing, fishing, photography, and of course, machine-gun firing. New trailer above. In other news, turns out Final Fantasy XV…

Nintendo Answers (And Avoids) Our Switch Questions

The Switch won’t have Netflix or any other video apps at launch, but it will have a Mii Maker app. No video capture, sad to say. Last week, just after the Switch event, we sent Nintendo a bunch of questions about their new hardware, which launches on March 3. Today, Nintendo sent back responses. Here’s…

Here’s a sneak peek at the Switch’s user interface—and hey, look at those indie games! I will totally replay Cave Story on Switch. UPDATE (1:52pm): Nicalis deleted the tweet that was originally here, so here’s the photo they tweeted

Star Fox 64 Comes To Wii U Today, And You Should Definitely Not Buy It

Star Fox 64! Great game. Comes to Wii U Virtual Console today. Here’s some free advice: Don’t buy it. As you may have heard, on March 3 Nintendo will release their next console, the Switch. As you may have also heard, Nintendo still hasn’t laid out their plans for the Switch’s catalog of classic games.…

Podcast: Let’s Talk Nintendo Switch

It’s time for the Kotaku Splitscreen episode you’ve been waiting for: Our thoughts on the Nintendo Switch. This week, Kirk and I blaze through some belated 2017 predictions (Final Fantasy XVI! Scorpio! Half-Life VR!) and then react to everything we’ve learned about the Switch, which I got a chance to play last Friday. You can…

Quality Assured: What It’s Really Like To Test Games For A Living

There’s an old commercial for Westwood College that’s become something of a running joke in the video game world. Two young men sit at a couch, hammering away at PlayStation controllers. A woman walks in. “Hey guys, finish testing that game yet?” she asks. “I’ve got another one I need designed.” This piece originally appeared…

I Want To Build The Hell Out Of This Destiny Lego

Just about every day, I get a Twitter DM or e-mail from someone asking for news on Destiny 2. To which I now say: Here, look at this Lego. ShadowNight36‘s recreation of The Divide in the Cosmodrome is fine and all, but the real highlight is his Fallen Walker, complete with six working legs, various…

Legendary StarCraft Players Flash And Jaedong Battle In Brood War 

Last night during the Afreeca Starleague semifinals in South Korea, iconic StarCraft: Brood War players Flash and Jaedong matched up once again for what turned out to be an incredibly thrilling series. Yes, it’s 2017 and StarCraft: Brood War is still an active esport. What does that say about StarCraft II? Flash (Terran) and Jaedong…

Gabe Newell Is Worth More Than Donald Trump–Sad!

Donald Trump? Let me tell you about Donald Trump. Did you know that Donald Trump only has ONE type of hat? Sad! No wonder Gabe Newell beat him on this week’s Forbes billionaire list As of this week, the lovable Valve CEO is ranked at #134, with $4.1 billion, beating out the likes of Trump…

Nintendo Switch: The Size Comparison

The Nintendo Switch is slightly smaller but significantly heavier than the Wii U gamepad. The Switch’s JoyCons are tinier than a Game Boy Micro. And the whole system can fit in your back pocket… sort of. Today at the Switch event in Manhattan, Kotaku boss Stephen Totilo took a whole bunch of size comparison shots.…