Culture

Both Democrats And Republicans Agree: Loot Boxes Bad

Earlier this week, Republican senator Josh Hawley announced a bill that would regulate the use of loot boxes and microtransactions in “games played by minors.” But aren’t Republicans typically against any type of regulation on the free market? On this week’s Kotaku Splitscreen, we talk about the idea of politicians seeking out the gamer vote,…

The Sims Changed How I Think About Moving Apartments

My brain is so poisoned by video games, that while I was recently moving my furniture into my new apartment all I could think about was The Sims My move, from one New York City apartment to another, was expensive and complicated ordeal. I’m so, so close to finally being finished with it. I’ve got…

Track: My Body (Louie Vega Expansions NYC Remix) | Artist: Luther Vandross | Album: My Body (Louie Vega Remixes) Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Our Favorite Cosplay From PAX East 2019

PAX East was a few weeks back now, but we’ve just got all our footage and pics together to run this gallery of what was an amazing cosplay showcase. All video and photos were shot by Dave Yang, while the clip below was edited by Mineralblu. You’ll find each cosplayer’s credit, site link and the…

The Witcher 3’s Creators Have Imagined Geralt As A Samurai

CD Projekt Red have opened a new online store, and while that’s not usually something we’d pay much notice to, there’s one item launching alongside it that caught my attention: a very fancy statue of Geralt that was designed by some of the artists who worked on The Witcher 3 Because of that direct involvement,…

The GTA V Role-Playing Scene Has Lost Some Of Its Biggest Streamers

Stream long enough, and you become mercurial. Either that, or you watch the passion you once felt for your favorite game slowly fade into a hazy silhouette of duty. Over the past few weeks, big streamers who helped turn Grand Theft Auto V role-playing into a Twitch phenomenon have started to burn out even as…

The Division 2’s Developers Walk Back Planned Loot Change That Inflamed Fanbase

Citing fan feedback, player data and “intense internal discussions,” the makers of The Division 2 will not be introducing 515-level gear in the game’s big update coming next week. That decision that may seem granular to outsiders but is actually a significant acquiescence by the game’s creators in an ongoing drama around the game that…

‘I’d Have These Extremely Graphic Dreams’: What It’s Like To Work On Ultra-Violent Games Like Mortal Kombat 11

Mortal Kombat 11 is a brutal game. That’s what you come for—sensational, over-the-top violence that’s inventive and gratuitous on a level that doesn’t exist anywhere else. It can be shocking in its detail and funny in its execution, but it’s always arresting. It’s also short. Fatalities, gory, physically improbable finishers that usually involve cartoonish dismemberment,…

I Got Caught In A Silent Pokémon Go Battle With A Stranger A Few Feet Away

Like many people, I played Pokémon Go for a few months when it first came out in 2016, then I abandoned it for three years. Since I work from home and the game’s leveling mechanics revolve around a pedometer, I could never seem to level up my Pokémon fast enough. For the past six months,…

Track: A Guy Called Gerald | Artist: Voodoo Ray | Album: A Guy Called Gerald (single) Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Found Something. Tambuli, Cebu, Philippines. 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! 

There Were Plans For A Metroid Cartoon, With Samus As A Man

An estate sale for a former DIC Animation City employee has turned up promo art for four old Nintendo cartoons (like the Mario and Zelda ones) that never actually made it into production, including California Games, Castlevania and a very different take on Metroid There’s nothing else to go on other than the art itself,…

Speedrunner Shows Off What A ‘Perfect’ Ocarina of Time Run Looks Like

Most players take at least a few days to complete The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, especially if they’re collecting everything. Speedrunners do it in a few hours, using tricks and glitches to rush through the game. Every game has its limits, though: a peak of what’s possible for a human to perform. The…

Game of Thrones Is Starting To Make Less And Less Sense

Why is everyone on Game of Thrones making so many bad decisions all the time? Are the showrunners just sick of it? And why will nobody pet Ghost? This week on Kotaku Splitscreen, we discuss. We spoil the episode in its entirety, and also talk about differences between the show and the books. However, we…

I’m Finally Playing A MOBA

When you care for someone, I think one of the most important things you can do is move out of your comfort zone and participate in their hobbies and interests. My girlfriend is an avid Heroes of the Storm player, often squirreling away time with friends to play matches and participate in aod-hoc tournaments. I…

Track: Temptation (Alternative 7″ Mix) | Artist: New Order | Album: Movement: Definitive Edition Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Lake Towada (slide circa 1982). Aomori Prefecture, Japan. By David Fronapfel. 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! 

Monster Hunter Cosplay Continues To Kick Ass

I had to do a triple take on this piece of Monster Hunter cosplay, first to see that it wasn’t some $600 Japanese statue, then to see it wasn’t some ultra hi-res PC screenshot. The Odogaron armor (with Insect glaive) is a joint effort between two cosplayers, Roodaka (who made most of it) and Romstein(who’s…

My Seven-Year-Old Son Is Going To Be A Sonic Mania Speedrunner Someday

My seven-year-old son Archer loves to play Sonic Mania on our PlayStation 4, but only in Time Attack mode. Watching him work his way through Green Hill Zone Act 2 for the umpteenth time in a row, I ask, “Are you going to be a speedrunner?” Archer, eyes locked on the television screen, replies “Yes.”…

The Week In Games: Saint’s Row On The Go

Saint’s Row The Third will soon be playable anywhere. That’s right, with Saint’s Row coming to the Switch this week fans will finally be able to use a dildo bat to beat people up while they wait for their bus to arrive. What a great future we live in. Let’s have THAT debate about Saint’s…