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Microsoft Seeks to Patent the DLC Upsell
A recent patent application describes a process in which an Xbox Live gamer, invited to a multiplayer session, but missing a critical piece to play (a map, a track, whatever), is offered and may buy it without dropping the invitation. There probably is something patentable in the technology that manages such an online state, which…
By Owen Good -
Culture
Sunday Comics
Penny Arcade published March 10 PvPonline published March 9 ActionTrip published March 8 GU Comics published March 12 Ctrl+Alt+Del published March 11 Dueling Analogs published March 11 Nerf NOW published March 10 Rooster Teeth published March 9 Monday Night Crew published March 8 Virtual Shackles published March 8 Little Gamers published March 11 Dotgif published…
By Owen Good -
Kotaku Off-Topic: Butt Drugs and Dudu Chili
Yeah, a headline like that, you wanna know what’s inside, not what pointless thing happened to me at a stoplight yesterday. Although I did see a green-and-gold Oakland A’s Lincoln Town Car yesterday and it was so awesome I wept. As our friends at Deadspin pointed out earlier this week, the 2010 Name of the…
By Owen Good -
Kotaku ‘Shop Contest: Hard Times Edition Winners
This past week we took stock of the terrible economy and pondered all the horrible side gigs, endorsements and moonlighting jobs video game characters have been forced to accept just to put bread on the table. 2c-b had the best of the quick-and-dirty sign swaps, because putting methadone with Mario is on-its-face funny. Patient, lots…
By Owen Good -
2K Sports Finishes Multiplayer Fix Patch
The patch that presumably will solve MLB 2K10’s connectivity problems in online multiplayer has been finished and submitted for certification on the Xbox 360, meaning the fix should be arriving shortly. There are no details on what the patch will entail but a multiplayer fix has got to be among them. I can suggest a…
By Owen Good -
Modern Warfare 2’s “Stimulus Package” Brings Back Two Classic Maps
An early listing of the Modern Warfare 2 “Stimulus Package” on the Xbox Live Marketplace web site reveals it is comprised of five maps, two of them old favorites from the first Modern Warfare The Stimulus Package isn’t due out until March 30 on the Xbox 360 (dates for the PC and PS3 versions are…
By Owen Good -
What Comes After Dirt 2? Dirt 3, Of Course
After following up Dirt with Dirt 2 last year, the studio behind the rally racer confirms that it’s working on a Dirt 3 Gavin Cheshire, the vice president of Codemasters Studios, told Edge magazine that the U.K. publisher is indeed working on a sequel. Characterizing Dirt as a reboot (of the Colin McRae Rally series)…
By Owen Good -
Medal of Honor Trailer: A Breakfast of Rehashed Grit
Something tells me that most every Medal of Honor trailer between now and its release is going to feature the kicking-the-booby-trapped-torture-victim-out-the-window sequence. It’s compelling, sure, but not after seeing it the second time. That is just a small component of this two-minute video, which Totilo mentioned would go live this week in an earlier writeup…
By Owen Good -
Overcoming a New Fear of Old Failures … and Vice Versa
This is heresy to the cults of both sports and video gaming, but I’d really rather gnaw off my fingers at the first knuckle than play a human in either. This goes back a long ways, longer in real sports than in the computer, of course. On an organized level, my sole team sport has…
By Owen Good -
Wait a Minute, $200 — for a Faceplate?
Two years ago, Xbox Live gave away 72 limited edition Xbox 360 faceplates with a Need For Speed: ProStreet design. Some guy decided to get rid of his on eBay and has found it commands a price above $200. The seller, out of Queens, N.Y., billed it as an “extremely rare” collectible but listed it…
By Owen Good -
Electronic Arts Cuts Ties With In-Game Ad Brokers
Apparently tired of giving space to “Knobby Tires” and “Synthetic” on its virtual stadium walls, Electronic Arts is dropping its two in-game advertising partners and moving that sales operation in-house, beginning with Madden NFL 11 EA, according to the digital marketing site ClickZ, will end its partnerships with IGA Worldwide and Massive Inc., after their…
By Owen Good -
Weekend Coupons: High-Value Targets
Lots of hardware deals highlight the roundup, but don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten the games that make them go. Weekend Coupons happens … NOW. Hardware • Quick reminder, that Xbox 360 Elite bundle, which delivers Forza Motorsport 3 and Halo 3: ODST for $299.99, went live at Amazon this week and is still selling. [Amazon]…
By Owen Good -
The Return of NBA Jam, in All Its Catchphrase Glory
Here’s the launch trailer for the Wii re-boot of the arcade and early console classic NBA Jam. All your favorites return, and by that I don’t mean Raiden or Bill Clinton, but “Boom Shaka-Laka,” “He’s On Fire,” and “Kaboom!” Remember last week when I said, “If any sports game is capable of selling a console…
By Owen Good -
Kotaku Originals: Gee, Didya See?
Game Developers Conference 2010 in San Francisco was a power plant of news this week, introducing us to the PlayStation Move. We still found time to review God of War III and report on Steam’s arrival on the Mac. By no means does this week exhaust our GDC reportage. We’ll have much more on the…
By Owen Good -
Duo Behind Modern Warfare 2 Sign With Hollywood Talent Agency
When you’ve built a zillion-dollar video game brand, you’re not going to be hurting for future opportunities no matter how hard your former employer fires you. That said, Call of Duty‘s creators have signed with Hollywood’s biggest talent agency. Vince Zampella, the former Infinity Ward CEO, and Jason West, the studio’s former president, have agreed…
By Owen Good -
Look Who Says the Rhode Island Games Legislation is Unconstitutional
An effort to impose fines and even jail time for selling mature games to underage kids has reached Rhode Island’s legislature. “The bill won’t survive a court challenge, nor should it,” says a certain disbarred Florida lawyer. Yes, when Jack Thompson, the bête noire of the video game culture wars, calls this one a dumper,…
By Owen Good -
BioShock 2’s DLC is on the Disc to Keep Us All Together
Technically, BioShock 2‘s downloadable content released before today. That’s because it’s on the disc. So, again, we’re downloading an unlock. 2K says this was necessary to allow the entire player base to play multiplayer together. The BioShock 2 community noted the downloads were 108K for the Xbox 360, 24K for the PC, so either 2K’s…
By Owen Good -
Backbreaker Delayed; Now Going Head-to-Head With UFC
Major retailers and multiple sites have all listed Backbreaker with a release date of May 25, one week later than originally planned. If so, the real news here is the football newcomer is going straight up against UFC Undisputed 2010. That is, to say the least, not an ideal time for a new sports title…
By Owen Good -
Gene Simmons Claims ‘I’m the Voice of Guitar Hero 6‘
KISS frontman Gene Simmons confirming Guitar Hero 6 is about as newsworthy as Simmons confirming tomorrow will be called “Saturday.” But he has, technically, and also vows to a British TV program (sigh … programme) that he’s the game’s voice. And that’s really all there is to it, emphasized by the fact they replay his…
By Owen Good
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