Luke Plunkett

Yup, There’s An Uncharted Pinball Game

Officially announcing what was unofficially announced earlier this week, Sony today revealed Pinball Heroes, a range of cheap, downloadable pinball games for the PSP. As expected, there are four tables available (each as a separate purchase), based on Hot Shots Golf, High Velocity Bowling, PAIN and Uncharted. Happily, our initial scepticism regarding the game’s prices…

GameStop To Sell DLC…In Their Stores

Next year, GameStops across the US will begin testing a new service whereby gamers can buy DLC not online, but in a store, then take it home with them. It’s called the “Missing The Point” program. Explaining the move, GameStop COO Paul Raines told Reuters “A large market for full game downloads is not imminent,…

Xbox 360 Passes 10 Million Sold In PAL Territories

Microsoft announced earlier today that the Xbox 360 has passed the 10 million-sold mark in the EMEA region, which includes Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In other words, it’s the PAL market, sans Australasia (which would contribute another 700,000 or so). To go with the statement, Microsoft provided some statistics, some old (20 million…

PC Sales Charts: The Age Of Dragons

I was on holiday, so the PC sales charts were on holiday. Now that I’m back, well, you’ve probably read the headline by now. When I left, MMO Aion was king, having dominated both the Steam and Direct2Drive charts for weeks. How things have changed. BioWare’s Dragon Age is now top dog, not only occupying…

So, How Much Did Bobby Kotick Make From Modern Warfare 2?

We know Activision made a ton of money from the launch of Modern Warfare 2, but just how much did the company’s much-loved boss, Robert Kotick, manage to score for himself? Here’s a hint: loads. Flush with the success of the launch, Kotick this week offloaded almost two million Activision stock options he’d held since…

BlizzCon 2010: Vegas, Baby – Update

Blizzard’s annual festival is moving house next year, with the Anaheim Convention Center’s services no longer required. Instead, the richest men in the galaxy will be holding BlizzCon at the Las Vegas Convention Centre. While Blizzard are yet to announce the move themselves, the website of the LVCC has jumped the gun and listed the…

October Sales: DJ Hero Tanks, Brutal Legend, Well…

There were two games noticeable by their absence from the October NPD top 10 list: EA’s heavy metal adventure Brutal Legend, and Activision’s peripheral-shackled DJ Hero. Brutal Legend managed to move 215,000 copies when you combine the figures from PS3 and 360. For a game with a niche appeal, that’s not too bad. But for…

Assassin’s Creed II Outfits For Your 360 Avatar

Some Assassin’s Creed II items have turned up on the Xbox 360‘s Avatar Marketplace, with both game-related clothing and avatar cosplay on offer. The t-shirts and hoodies are predictably bland, but for our more cash-rich readers the in-game outfits may be too tempting to pass up. There’s an Ezio outfit, and Altair outfit (both for…

Back In The Saddle

To: Crecente From: Luke Re: For That Guy I Met In Japan Who Only Reads Kotaku Day/Night Notes… I think Stephen needs a good lie down… So! Yes, I am back. First week back of proper work since my wedding and honeymoon, which incidentally was the first long holiday I’d taken in years. It’s strange…

The Mario Suits That Were, Are And Should Be

With New Super Mario Bros. Wii around the corner – a game that introduces yet more suits to Mario’s burgeoning wardrobe – we figured it was a good time to look back, and forward, at some of his sharper outfits. We’re not going to catalogue every suit he’s ever worn; that would be boooooorrrring. Instead,…

Libraries Declare National Gaming Day

This Saturday, November 14, has been set aside by libraries across the US as “National Gaming Day”. But don’t think it’s got to do with bowing at the altar of consumer entertainment. Oh no. It’s to do with history. The American Library Association, realising what some of us have known for years, have decreed that…

Modern Warfare 2 Sells Nearly Five Million Copies In A Day

According to “internal Activision estimates”, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 didn’t just have a good launch, it had “the biggest launch in history across all forms of entertainment”. This claim is based on sell-through sales, with Activision bean-counters reporting the game managed to pull in $310 million in its first 24 hours on sale.…

Some Old Friends Return In Valkyria Chronicles 2

And you thought there were only new kids to send off to die in Valkyria Chronicles. Not quite! Turns out two of the stars of the first game, poster-girl Alicia and Welkin, are back for more in Valkyria Chronicles 2. They’re not reprising starring roles for the PSP sequel, but still, they’ll be in there…

Seven Indie Hits For The Price Of One

Online PC store Direct2Drive, flush with cash from their first “Best of Indie” bundle deal, have decided to offer another, with seven great games at 75% off. The Best of Indie: Volume 2 includes Crayon Physics Deluxe, Aquaria, Aaaaaa!, I-Fluid, And Yet it Moves, Project Aftermath, and Acceleration of Suguri. All told, these seven games…

Eleven Secret Herbs Of Fighting

As seen on Masao, via Tiny Cartridge.

Turn Your DSi Camera Into A Slightly Better Camera

The DSi’s camera is OK for quick snaps but, like the early days of mobile phone cameras, it’s quite limited in what it can do. Which leaves a gap in the market for clip-on accessories like Thrustmaster’s Studio Kit. It includes a range of add-ons to help bring the camera up to speed, like a…

Aliens vs Predator vs Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle

This story involves Germany and a video game packed with violent content, so yeah, you can already imagine where things are headed from here. Seems Sega know that the upcoming Aliens vs Predator is so violent, and packed with so much gore, that they’re not even going to bother submitting it to the USK, Germany’s…

This Is About As Sexy As Ultima Gets

Origin’s classic Ultima series was many things, but sexy, it was not. It was anti-sexy. Which is what makes this sexy “Ladies of Ultima” calendar all the surprising. And…sexy. It’s not actually called “Ladies of Ultima”, as EA obviously own the rights to the brand. So it’s called “Mystik” instead. But it does depict characters…

Borderlands Sequel A “No-Brainer”

So, Borderlands turned out to be a successful little title for Gearbox. And we all know what that means in this business, don’t we kids? That’s right….ssseeeeeeeqquuueeellssss. Speaking with VG247, Gearbox’s Mike Neumann said “Everyone here loves the franchise, and it seems like the public is really coming back with praise and love. So yeah,…

Modern Warfare 2 Sells 1.2 Million, In One Day, In One Country

This should give you an idea of what to expect during next month’s NPD figures: it’s been announced that in the first 24 hours on sale, Modern Warfare 2 sold 1.2 million units in the United Kingdom. Seeing as almost any other game on the planet would take 1.2 million as a great worldwide figure,…