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What Were Dick Cheney And Donald Rumsfeld Trying To Tell You?
If you’ve played Modern Warfare 2 — and if you’ve died at any point in the game’s campaign — you may have received an inspirational quote from John F. Kennedy. Of course. But what were Cheney and Rumsfeld talking about? I’m singling these two men out because their inclusion caught me most by surprise. Gandhi…
By Stephen Totilo Published November 18, 2009 -
Spike Video Game Awards Nominees Announced
We here at Kotaku get to vote in the Spike VGAs. Nominations were made public today. Predict winners and complain about omissions below. The awards air live on Spike on December 12. GAME OF THE YEAR Assassin’s Creed 2 (Ubisoft / Ubisoft Montreal) Batman: Arkham Asylum (Eidos Interactive – Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment / Rocksteady…
By Stephen Totilo Published November 18, 2009 -
Tim Schafer Reveals Third-Grade Nickname, Ponders Sequels
A guy named Tim Schafer joined us on the podcast today, and a ton of you called in to ask questions. To hear answers and discover some failed nicknames for the creator of Brutal Legend, download the podcast. Info below. Hosts: Brian Crecente and Stephen Totilo Guest: Tim Schafer Music: Japanese Chiptune artist Saitone Chatting…
By Stephen Totilo Published November 18, 2009 -
Kotaku Game Club: Modern Warfare 2 Discussion Resumes.. NOW (Levels 10-12)
We’re back for more discussion of the only (?) video game that includes inspirational quotes from both Gandhi and Dick Cheney. Let’s discuss three more levels. Today’s Game Club meeting covers: -The Gulag -Of Their Own Accord -Contingency These levels have situated the game, in my mind, as something I think I’m going to like…
By Stephen Totilo Published November 18, 2009 -
Final Fantasy XIII Impressions: Looking For XII
Despite the enthusiasm among gamers for Final Fantasy XIII, I have, from afar, assumed and feared that the game represented a creative backslide. On Friday, during a demonstration of the game, I was able to test my opinion. A pair of Square-Enix representatives was in New York to show the company’s holiday lineup and tease…
By Stephen Totilo Published November 18, 2009 -
Reviewer: Opportunity To Review New Tony Hawk Early Limited To Three Hours On A Saturday
Game publishers are under no obligation to provide access to games early so that reviews can be online by launch. For big titles, usually they find a way. Sometimes, one reviewer found with the new Tony Hawk, it’s complicated. Here’s Giant Bomb‘s Jeff Gerstmann, one of the most respected and tenured reviewers in the gaming…
By Stephen Totilo Published November 17, 2009 -
Testing Ubisoft’s “Frequent Flyer” Rewards Program With Assassin’s Creed II
Over the weekend, a dead option offered through my PlayStation 3 copy of Assassin’s Creed II went live. “Uplay” now works, the latest attempt by a publisher to tie its games together. If nothing else, it improved my Assassin’s experience. Yves Guillemot, the head of the Ubisoft, described Uplay at an event in New York…
By Stephen Totilo Published November 17, 2009 -
Nintendo Dissatisfied With Sales Of Some Games, Dates Vitality Sensor Showcase
During my recent conversation with Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime, I asked for updates on Nintendo’s MotionPlus and Vitality Sensor technologies, but before that we wound up talking about a common Nintendo fan complaint. Fils-Aime and I had been discussing the shorter hype cycles Nintendo has been using for games such as The Legend…
By Stephen Totilo Published November 17, 2009 -
Reviews
Assassin’s Creed II Review: A Season For Masterpieces
Assassin’s Creed 2 is set in an era of history famous for the creation of beautiful art and master inventions, a fitting backdrop for a game that leaps beyond the achievements of both its predecessor and some other vaunted works. Two years ago, the first Assassin’s Creed sold millions while evoking grumbles that its free-running,…
By Stephen Totilo Published November 17, 2009 -
Critic: Rock Band, Guitar Hero Glorify Parents’ Overrated Rock
A music critic at a classy publication recently subjected himself to several dozen hours playing Guitar Hero and Rock Band and now recognizes the insidious influence they might have on the youth of America. After opening his article for The New Republic with a reference to how he and his fellow “smug old children of…
By Stephen Totilo Published November 16, 2009 -
Reggie: Wii 2 Theories Miss Key Point
As it seems to do these days, discussion with Nintendo of America’s president turned to the possibility of a new Wii capable of rendering high-definition graphics. It’s a common question, but one that Kotaku was told, misses something. During my recent interview with Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America’s president, we got to talking about a…
By Stephen Totilo Published November 16, 2009 -
Kotaku Game Club: Modern Warfare 2 Discussion Resumes.. NOW (Levels 7-9)
Now is when being a part of the Game Club gets tough. We’ve had the exciting first meeting. We’ve had the second one that covered the most hotly-disputed level in the game. But what can we say about middle levels? Today we’re talking about Modern Warfare 2’s middle levels: -The Hornet’s Next -Exodus -The Only…
By Stephen Totilo Published November 16, 2009 -
Nintendo Talks Mario Multiplayer And Keeping Zelda’s Secrets
The president of Nintendo of America is sanguine about the lack of online play in what he calls the new Mario game for “even your most jaded” gamer. But it is the curiously under-hyped Zelda about which he’s most excited. Last Friday, Reggie Fils-Aime sat with Kotaku and got to discuss the unusual: Releases, within…
By Stephen Totilo Published November 16, 2009 -
Odd And Odder Mario Sightings In New York
Yesterday, we gave you video of the makeshift Mario Museum Nintendo set up outside of its New York City store, commemorating the launch of New Super Mario Bros. Wii. But that video didn’t quite capture the wild sights nearby. Click each image to enlarge, captions on the right I shot this picture inside the Nintendo…
By Stephen Totilo Published November 15, 2009 -
Nintendo’s Temporary Mario Museum, The Video Tour
Couldn’t make it to to Nintendo World Store in New York City today? Kotaku went for you and shot this nearly gaffe-free video of Nintendo’s Bill Trinen and Kit Ellis showing off a Mario Museum. The museum was erected just outside Nintendo’s store in Rockfeller Center, a few feet from the Today Show Studios and…
By Stephen Totilo Published November 14, 2009
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