Culture

This Week In The Business: Hooked On Games

QUOTE | “The World Health Organization knows that common sense and objective research prove video games are not addictive. And, putting that official label on them recklessly trivializes real mental health issues like depression and social anxiety disorder, which deserve treatment and the full attention of the medical community.” – The Entertainment Software Association trade…

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

The weekend is for it being my birthday! All the more reason to play video games. Readers, last weekend I finished the storyline of The Witcher 3‘s last DLC. While there are more question marks than I know what to do with, I have technically finished the game. What will I do now? Play other…

Mankind’s Newest Invention: The Anime Bomb

Today on Highlight Reel we have VRChat anime bombs, headless dudes, doorway defenses and much more! Watch the video then talk about your favorite highlight in the comments below. Be sure to check out, like, and share the original videos via the links below. Subscribe to Kotaku on YouTube for more! Catch up on all…

Ten Speedruns That Take Over Nine Hours To Finish

Speedrunners want to complete games or meet special conditions as fast as possible but some games are so massive that it can take days to get through them, even if you’re playing as quickly as possible. After I reported on Undertale’s absurd, 33 hour long “True 100%” speedrun, my coworkers and readers were curious about…

That Time An Island In GoldenEye Disappointed A Generation

Far off in the distance, beyond the murky arctic waters, the vague silhouette of a tower can be seen through the mist. You raise your sniper rifle for a closer look. A solitary island is nestled away from all the chaos. What secrets does it hold? This piece originally appeared 3/21/17. GoldenEye 007 is one…

Artist: Yuki | Track: Hello! | Album: Megaphonic Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

A Collection Of Incredible Character Designs

Sangsoo Jeong is an artist working at Chinese gaming giant NetEase, and the pieces you’re about to see are some of the best character design we’ve ever featured on Fine Art They’re for a concept he was working on from 2015-17, and are just…ungh, just look at them. I wish Final Fantasy XV could have…

New Undertale Speedrun Category Takes 33 Hours To Finish

An Undertale speedrun usually lasts anywhere from one hour to an hour and a half. A speedrunner looking for a greater challenge put together their own exhaustive speedrun that collects every item, ending, and fights ever boss, an undertaking that took over thirty-three hours to complete. Undertale speedruns are categorized depending on which “route” runners…

Here’s Some Concept Art From A Shrek PS2 Game

Somebody once told me this is the kind of material you’d like to see on Fine Art Brandon Luyen is an artist based in the US who is currently with Sanzaru Games. In a previous job, though, he helped out on the classic (?) Shrek Superslam, a 2005 fighting game that was most popular on…

Track: Waterloo Sunset | Artist: The Kinks | Album: Something Else by The Kinks Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Big Tank

Kyle Enochs is an artist at Gunfire Games, the studio currently working on Darksiders III You can see more of Kyle’s work at his personal site and ArtStation page To see the images in their native resolution, click on the “expand” button in the top-left corner. Fine Art is a celebration of the work of…

Some Of 2017’s Best Cosplay

Throughout 2017, the supremely-talented Mineralbluflew over 12,000 miles to cover conventions all across America, taking incredible shots (and video) for your cosplay viewing pleasure. To help look back on a killer 2017, he’s put together this video showcasing some of the best cosplay from 15 of the biggest shows on the continent, from PAX to…

Track: With Or Without You (Live) | Artist: U2 | Album: The Joshua Tree Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Must Catch Them All

Claire Gary is an artist working at EA’s Motive studio in Canada as an animator. You can see more of Claire’s work at her personal site and ArtStation page To see the images in their native resolution, click on the “expand” button in the top-left corner. Fine Art is a celebration of the work of…

What’s Your Favorite Terrible Game?

Sometimes even the worst games can bring us great joy. Over the past two decades audiences have become enamored with the ever growing list of movies so bad they’re good. Standouts like The Room and Miami Connection have led the charge with cult followings and a resurgence of late night showings decades after their initial…

The Week In Games: That Face Says It All

2018 is here! A year set to bring us long awaited AAA titles and beautiful indie gems. Though… not this week. Winter is a notoriously harsh time for the world of gaming, and January is usually the low point of this chilly lull. But fear not! This January is giving us some exciting entries in…

What Was Your Favorite Video Game Moment Of 2017?

Which video game moment of 2017 had your heart aflutter? Did it make you cry? Did you scream furiously into the void? Did it leave you thinking about it hours, days, and weeks after you experienced it? Did you laugh so hard, liquids spewed out of your nose? One or all of the above? Cool.…

Sunday Comics: Still Super Mad

Welcome to Kotaku’s Sunday Comics, your weekly roundup of the best webcomics that usually occurs on Sunday except when it doesn’t. The images enlarge if you click on the magnifying glass icon. Warning: Some of these comics are Christmas related. We are aware it is past Christmas. Nerf NOW!! by Josué Pereira. Published December 25.…

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

The weekend is for having just installed a new graphics card and being pretty pumped to cancel all your plans and see how great all your video games look now. Yay! While looking back, I realized it’s been about a year since I was determined to finish The Witcher 3, and yet, readers, I have…

Ask Dr. NerdLove: Am I Too Close With My Ex?

Hello, intertube horrormonkey swarms, and welcome to Ask Dr. NerdLove, the only dating advice column coming to you live from Thimbleweed Park. As we watch 2017 sail off toward the Viking funeral it deserves, we have a new column full of dating dilemmas and drama. And as we look into the coming future, it only…