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Pac-Man Gets Pac-Bun
While some of us are still waiting for burgers to be made in the shape of burgers from Burger Time, this meat(?)bun made in the shape of Pac-Man will have to do. Kotaku reader Marcus informs our staff that this Pac-bun is going on sale this month in Japan to celebrate the 30th anniversary of…
By Stephen Totilo Published January 7, 2010 -
Razer, Sixense To Demonstrate Motion-Controlled Left 4 Dead 2
Left 4 Dead 2, not being a Wii game, hasn’t been playable by many people with motion controls. But PC peripheral maker Razer and motion-control company Sixense are teaming up at CES to bring motion control to the PC’s finest. Sixense offers wand-shaped motion controllers that use an electromagnetic system as opposed to the Wii’s…
By Stephen Totilo Published January 7, 2010 -
Natal Recognizes 31 Body Parts, Uses Tenth Of Xbox 360 “Computing Resources”
Project Natal knows when you’re holding your hand behind your back, according to a new report. But it also might require enough horsepower to limit its relevance to system-pushing video games. A reporter for the New Scientist was given a demonstration and some data regarding how Microsoft’s hands-free sensor-based Xbox 360 control system, Project Natal,…
By Stephen Totilo Published January 7, 2010 -
Should Enemies Be Able To Surrender In Video Games?
Game developer Andrew Doull recently asked reader of his blog whether players of his upcoming game should be able to get enemies to surrender. You seldom see this option, because, well, it’d be messy. Doull pondered how surrender would work in his game, Unangband, which is classified in the strategic genre of “roguelike”: I’m going…
By Stephen Totilo Published January 7, 2010 -
The Bravest Game, Mistakenly Neglected
This is the fourth in a series of posts labeled “Hindsight” that discuss games you may have thought we were done writing about. Last time: Wolfenstein. This time: Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. How often do gamers commend the bravery of the people who make games for them to play? A gamer might respond: How…
By Stephen Totilo Published January 7, 2010 -
Talk Amongst Yourselves 3D
As of today, Kotaku is now delivering Talk Amongst Yourselves posts in 3D. Put on your glasses, comment here about games and watch the replies pop right out of your monitor. We think you’ll agree this is a great innovation. Confused about commenting on Kotaku? Read our FAQ.
By Stephen Totilo Published January 7, 2010 -
Microsoft Exec: Project Natal To Be About “Entertainment,” Not Just Games
In a new internally-produced interview, Microsoft division president Robbie Bach described his company’s 2010 ambitions for the Xbox 360, hyping Halo Reach and Project Natal, the latter which he thinks will turn the “gaming” business into the “interactive entertainment” business. “In terms of Natal, there’s a lot of creativity we’re going to unleash,” Bach said…
By Stephen Totilo Published January 6, 2010 -
This Week In Video Game Comics
Hey look, it’s Starcraft Ghost… Academy. The comic. Hitting comics shops this week, along with Mass Effect and Sky Pirates of Neo Terra #4. Click the thumbnails for more information. Mass Effect: Redemption #1 (of 4) Written by Mac Walters and John Jackson Miller. Drawn by Omar Francia. Summary Via Dark Horse Comics: Mass Effect…
By Stephen Totilo Published January 6, 2010 -
Bethesda’s Todd Howard Promised Better Graphics, Withstood Your Calls… And Tim Rogers Showed Up
Our latest podcast is now available for download. Hear Fallout 3 and Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion lead creator not just dodge your Fallout New Vegas Questions, not just allude to future work, but chat with “Kotaku crazy uncle” Tim Rogers. Tim wants to be cast in a Bethesda role-playing game. And you wanted to know…
By Stephen Totilo Published January 6, 2010 -
Miyamoto Also Wanted Motion Control In A Nintendo DS
Earlier today, we reported that Nintendo chief Satoru Iwata told a Japanese newspaper that a motion sensor in the successor to the DS would be “necessary.” That reminded me of something Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto told me in 2004. Just days before the official start of the E3 gaming trade show that year, Nintendo’s chief game…
By Stephen Totilo Published January 6, 2010 -
This Is Not A Video Game Screenshot
Dominant Curve, a 1936 painting by recently Kotaku-discussed Vasily Kandinsky and not a screenshot of a video game, despite what appears to be a mini-map and three lives remaining. [Via the Guggenheim Museum’s online collection]
By Stephen Totilo Published January 6, 2010 -
Kotaku Talk Radio is Live: Let’s Talk With Bethesda’s Todd Howard
Todd Howard, the guy you can praise or blame for Fallout 3 and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is today’s guest on our live podcast. We’re starting now. Call in. You could be live on the air with Todd. Ask good questions, which doesn’t mean “Ask about Fallout 4.” To listen, head over to our…
By Stephen Totilo Published January 6, 2010 -
What Parents Think Their Kids Learn From Video Games
One parent has put Modern Warfare and Halo to educational use for their four-year-old. Another believes Okami teaches values. These are the things the parents among you told us about what games do — or don’t do — for children. Yesterday, Kotaku ran a post about a mom in Orange County, California who doesn’t want…
By Stephen Totilo Published January 6, 2010 -
This Thing With Many Buttons… Explained
What is this? Where’s the joystick? Why so many buttons? Give up? Website GameSetWatch explains: Designed as a 16-button USB MIDI Board and controller, Dj TechTools’s Midi-Fighter is a DIY arcade-style kit that will surely stand out from most DJing equipment Still confused? Go read the full article and watch a video demonstration. And/or you…
By Stephen Totilo Published January 5, 2010 -
Would You Like To Know Some Guinness-Certified Gaming World Records?
Waiting for me in the office upon my return from vacation this week was a copy of the Guinness World Records 2010 Gamer’s Edition. So many records in there. So let’s randomly highlight a few feats. Ah, but let’s have some fun with this. The book’s about 200 pages long. So, write a page number…
By Stephen Totilo Published January 5, 2010 -
Parent: Nintendo DS Would Have Distracted Newton From Discovering Gravity
I just discovered a hullabaloo over at the Orange County Register’s Mom Blog that began when blogger/mom Marla Jo Fisher explained why she keeps her household gaming free. Part of the attraction for this story are the new ways Fisher demonizes games, which she thinks would hold her son back from growing up smart and…
By Stephen Totilo Published January 5, 2010 -
Modern Warfare On Wii Hooks Players, If Not Big Sales… Yet
Modern Warfare usually is discussed as a major franchise for the Xbox 360 and PS3 and is subject for debate on the PC. By at least one measure, it’s significant on the Wii too. Those who follow our monthly tally of Wii playing time (the so-called “measure of pleasure,” as I’ve dubbed it) know that…
By Stephen Totilo Published January 5, 2010 -
Fallout 3 And Oblivion’s Todd Howard Takes Your Calls During This Week’s Podcast
As we prepare for our transition to CBS Radio, we’re still forging ahead with Kotaku’s weekly live podcast. You can call in on Wednesday to talk to me (yawn), Todd Howard (yay!) and a surprise bonus guest (wha?). Howard, oft-quoted by Kotaku writers, will now finally be able to answer questions asked by Kotaku readers.…
By Stephen Totilo Published January 5, 2010
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