Culture

Let The Dog Do His Job, You Jerk

Today we talk about the origin of our online usernames, hang out with Snoop Dog, figure out what is going on with Dragon Age 4, watch a jerk ruin a dog’s day and find out bees are evil creatures. It’s Morning Checkpoint! Great Kotaku Content From The Past Week Like most weeks, Kotaku was filled…

The Internet Reacts To Nintendo’s Weirdly Suggestive Toad Promotional Video

Hey, it’s Toad, loyal pal of Princess Peach and Mario. Who doesn’t love Toad? What are you up to, buddy? How’s it hangin— Oh. Oh no. This clip of someone seemingly stomping on Toad’s whole dick—which, as long as we’re opening this Pandora’s Box, probably has its own little face—comes to us courtesy of Nintendo’s…

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Banned In Nepal Because Of Addiction Concerns

While the World Health Organization does include “gaming disorder” in its International Classification of Diseases, some recent research suggests that only a very small percent of game players are at risk of getting addicted. That, however, hasn’t stopped Nepal from banning the game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds under the auspices of protecting kids from addiction. According to…

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

The weekend is for doing my taxes, because I said here that I’d do them last weekend and then played Titanfall 2 all weekend instead. It was great! (The game, I mean. Not doing my taxes was also great, but now I regret it.) I’ve spent a lot of time playing Fortnite to write my…

Oh No, I Think I Might Be Getting Good At Smash Bros.

Lately I’ve been playing more Smash Bros. than I have in my entire life. That sounds like a lot, but it’s really not. I missed out on all the Nintendo consoles after the SNES, so I never owned a version of the game before Smash Ultimate, which came out for the Switch last year. I…

Track: Yashii Seikatsu | Artist: Ayano Kaneko | Album: Muretachi Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Nan Lian Garden. Hong Kong. By Martin Tan. JPGs is a photo peek into wherever gamers might find interesting. If you’re a photographer and have images you want to share, drop us a line! 

Location, Location, Location

Joanna Kizinska is a freelance concept artist and illustrator working in the games business. You can see more of Joanna’s stuff at her ArtStation page

Thousands Watch As GTA V Streamer Puts On Elaborate In-Game Concert

On Twitch, Grand Theft Auto V role-playing is a full-on phenomenon. Every day, streamers pretend to be criminals, cops, doctors, and other types of criminals. Together on a heavily modified custom server, they craft a 24/7 streamer cinematic universe of unfiltered, gleeful trash. With so many people now aboard the GTA V RP bandwagon, standing…

Overwhelm Is A Tough Game That Still Feels Like It’s Rooting For Me

I am not a glutton for punishment in games. I don’t usually enjoy dying over and over again until some mercurial mix of skill, experience, and luck finally combines to see me through to the next level. But I revel in the moments just before failure occurs, when I’m fighting for my life and the…

How Kirby Games Are Made

Shinya Kumazaki seems to have a fun job. He is the chief creator at HAL Laboratory and gets to dream up major Kirby games. I interviewed him over e-mail recently, trying to satisfy my growing fascination with a series that, at the clip of about two releases a year, somehow manages to be rich in…

Track: Dreams Tonite | Artist: Alvvays | Album: Antisocialites Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Seize The Day. Poços de Caldas, Minas Gerais, Brasil. By Aline Cherubim. JPGs is a photo peek into wherever gamers might find interesting. If you’re a photographer and have images you want to share, drop us a line! 

Track: Trust | Artist: Moon Tooth | Album: Crux Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Road To Guandong is a new road trip game in the style of Jalopy. Set in ‘90s China, it tells the story of recent art school graduate Sunny, who suddenly has to take over the family restaurant after her parents’ death. In the game, Sunny and her aunt will road trip through Guangdong, China, make…

Dawn Patrol

Alexis Morand is an artist who has worked for companies like Google, Sony and Toyota. You can see more of Alexis’ work at his ArtStation page

Baseball’s Excellent Video Game Isn’t Enough To Get Me Past The Sport’s Problems

I always keep a copy of MLB The Show on my hard drive, even though I rarely play it. It connects me to baseball, a sport I have increasingly complicated feelings about. The Show is one of the few places in video games full of Puerto Ricans like me, because baseball is a sport where…

Starting Today, You Can Finally Change Your PSN Name

As first reported last fall, Sony is letting folks change their PSN names through their PS4 or web browser. The rollout out will happen later today. Below is a simple walk-through to explain the process. So, the first change is free, but additional changes will cost $10 each time (or $5 for PlayStation Plus members).…

Track: You’re No Rock N Roll Fun | Artist: Sleater Kinney | Album: All Hands on the Bad One Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Lemonade. Tokyo, Japan. By Benoit Perreault | Official Site JPGs is a photo peek into wherever gamers might find interesting. If you’re a photographer and have images you want to share, drop us a line!