-
A Look Inside the LEGO Universe
A massive profile of NetDevil by the Denver alternative weekly WestWord turns up some interesting tidbits about the LEGO MMO the studio is building. The piece, by Joel Warner, is a serious deep dive into not just NetDevil, but also the LEGO culture it seeks to tap with LEGO Universe, a project that has been…
By Owen Good -
EA to Release Three More Game Soundtracks for Download
Over the next month EA Recordings will roll out soundtracks for three of the publisher’s big upcoming releases, releasing music for Mass Effect 2, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and Dante’s Inferno via digital download. Mass Effect 2’s soundtrack will release Jan. 18, (the game is out Jan. 26), likely via iTunes, reports Gametunes.Net. It will…
By Owen Good -
Ships Named for Star Trek Online
Cryptic held a contest to develop names for three ship classifications in its upcoming Star Trek Online MMO, and the winners have been announced. The winners get the game and a special in-game title for their characters. Here are the ships, identified as Tier 5 vessels: EMISSARY CLASS (pictured) Emissary Class Star Cruisers are the…
By Owen Good -
Just How Much Punishment Can a NES Cart Take?
Inspired by a three-year-old Kotaku article, Canadian blogger Rinry subjected eight NES carts to varying forms of torture to see just how durable the goods were. Seven of them were still fully playable. This is a long, but very watchable (and well made) video. Plus you get to hear Rinry say “out” and it’s always…
By Owen Good -
Ron Jeremy: Games a “Bigger Negative Influence” than Porn
The AVN Adult Entertainment Expo is the other big show in Vegas this weekend. At a CES 2010 panel debate, porn pioneer Ron Jeremy took on an anti-porn activist and threw games under the bus to make a point. Jeremy, who has the most improbable physique (not to mention amount of backhair) for a guy…
By Owen Good -
Pay a Penny for Crayon Physics
Indie hit Crayon Physics Deluxe turns 1 this month, and developer Petri Purho is offering it at a name-your-price sale similar to what World of Goo ran back in October. So, once again, if you feel like being a heartless bastard and paying just one cent for this PC game, that’s your prerogative. If you…
By Owen Good -
Square Enix to Open Dragon Quest-Themed Bar
Dragon Quest fans will recognize the name Luida’s Bar from the role-playing game; it’ll also be the name of an establishment Square Enix is opening in Tokyo later this month, coinciding with Dragon Quest VI‘s release on the DS. The bar opens to the public Jan. 28 in Roppongi, Tokyo, but before that, it’ll be…
By Owen Good -
Comparing Two Games That Sell Themselves
Paid downloadable content and in-game advertising are two touchy issues in gaming discussions, and two recent releases have in a way brought both together, one more artfully than the other. Writing for Pop Matters, Nick Dinicola examines Assassin’s Creed II and Dragon Age: Origins, both of which make a rather direct pitch to the player…
By Owen Good -
Metroid Prime Trilogy No Longer Published or Shipped
Four months after its release, Nintendo has stopped publishing and shipping the Metroid Prime: Collector’s Edition. A company rep told an interested gamer the only way to find it now is through the second-hand market. “[It] is no longer being shipped,” Nintendo told the blog Coffee With Games. “When first introduced, it was announced that…
By Owen Good -
Can Sports Video Games Win One for the Little Guys?
Of the independent games available on Xbox Live, a sports title is currently the No. 1 downloaded title and another is the No. 2-rated game, across all offerings. But sports is far from the service’s dominant genre. The action and adventure, puzzle and trivia, and shooter categories all have more than 100 listings. Sports, just…
By Owen Good -
Weekend Coupons: Winter Games
Retail’s harvest season is over, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any more discounts and values to be had. There just aren’t as many, that’s all. Hardware: • Want a Wii? Don’t pay full price. Dell Small Business has got it for $184. TechDealDigger notes that you will have to add it to your cart…
By Owen Good -
Kotaku Originals: On Topic
This week saw the debut of Kotaku’s overnight off-topic discussion, aka Our Excuse to Talk About S—t Like the A-Team. Crecente and McWhertor in Vegas still helped keep the rest of the site on-topic for original coverage this past week. Kotaku Talk Radio Reviews, Previews, Hands On and Impressions Super Street Fighter IV FightStick Tournament…
By Owen Good -
2K Boston (formerly Irrational Games) now Irrational Games (formerly 2K Boston)
Game Informer confirms a poorly kept secret – that 2K Boston is returning to its original name, Irrational Games, by which it was known before 2K Games acquired. The name change provoked something of an identity crisis, with the parenthetical “(formerly Irrational Games)” trailing many references to the studio, so people would remember its history…
By Owen Good -
MLB 10 The Show Offers the First Look at Target Field
Gametrailers snagged this hunk of gameplay footage from MLB 10 The Show, featuring New York and Minnesota at the Twins’ brand-new home, Target Field. This is video of video, so the quality isn’t the best for judging graphics, but given Sony San Diego’s reputation here, they should continue to be excellent, with broadcast quality presentation.…
By Owen Good -
Left 4 Dead 2 Gets Free Xbox Live Weekend
I know, I know – how could there be enough people with Left 4 Dead 2 and without multiplayer access to rate a free weekend on Xbox Live? Well, they’re getting one anyway, on Jan. 15. The free multiplayer begins Friday, Jan. 15 at noon U.S. Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific and will continue until Monday…
By Owen Good -
Stolen Video Games Help Catch a Predator
A Delaware man is looking at some time in the slammer for failing to register himself as a sex offender, and he would have gotten away with it if it weren’t for those meddling video games. The games, or his alleged desire to steal and then pawn them. Cops say Patrick Monceaux, 35, stole some…
By Owen Good -
NBA Jam Creator Officially Hired by EA Sports
Word that EA Vancouver signed the creator of the original NBA Jam buttressed rumors that studio was preparing a Wii version of the arcade classic. EA Sports has now announced Turmell’s hiring – but he’s assigned to a different studio. Mark Turmell, whom ESPN.com said had been brought to BC to consult on the Wii…
By Owen Good -
MLB 10 The Show Box Features ESPN Pimpage
What’s the most notable feature about MLB 10 The Show? I wouldn’t say it’s the Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer, because you can’t see his eyes in either of his two pictures. I’d say it’s the front-and-center ESPN endorsement. Not because it’s ESPN, and not because of what it’s saying – MLB 10 The Show…
By Owen Good
Owen Good
Owen Good's posts