Culture

The Week In Games: Wait A Minit

After a week of cult fighting, we’ve got a slower, more contemplative week of new games coming down the pipe. Minit, a game where you’ve only got a minute to live, is arriving on a plenitude of platforms this week. The MMORPG TERA is coming to consoles, and King of Fighters ‘97 Global Match is…

Track: Seija no Maachi | Artist: Asian Kung-Fu Generation | Album: BEST HIT AKG 2 (2012-2018) Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Track: Wondering | Artist: Xiu Xiu | Album: Forget Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Kotaku ‘Shop Contest: Give Me All The Dogs

We’ve talked a lot about dogs a lot this week. We appreciated them in Divinity: Original Sin 2, praised them in Far Cry 5, and got sad when they were hurt. This week, I want you to put dogs in every game. There are plenty of dogs in video games. The problem is that they…

What If A Video Game Knew People Were Streaming It?

Would you play a video game that reacted to being streamed? One that could be influenced by audience reactions? On Kotaku Splitscreen, we explore the possibility. Last week in San Francisco, we spoke to SOS designer Ian Milham about what it’s like to develop a game that’s heavily integrated with Twitch, and what he wants…

Sunday Comics: Working Holodeck

Hello! It’s time for Kotaku’s Sunday Comics, your weekly roundup of the best webcomics. The images enlarge if you click on the magnifying glass icon. Awkward Zombie by Katie Tiedrich. Published March 26. Read more of Awkward Zombie Corpse Run by Alex Di Stasi. Published March 29. Read more of Corpse Run Double XP by…

Kotaku ‘Shop Contest: Everyone Loves Boats, Winners!

Well, you did it. You created some of the best ‘shops about putting characters on boats that I have ever seen. This is the kind of boating scenario where everyone wins. Last week I asked you to imagine a seafaring scenario with your favorite game characters. Just like you do every week, you delivered, and…

This Week in the Business: No cursing like sailors on the Sea of Thieves 

STAT | 2 million – Number of Sea of Thieves players in the game’s first week of release. It is Microsoft’s fastest-selling first-party original IP since the Xbox One launched in 2013 QUOTE | “We’ve clarified that use of offensive language and fraudulent activity is prohibited. We’ve also clarified that violation… may result in suspensions…

Vandals is a turn-based graffiti game. You sneak around cities like Tokyo and Paris while avoiding cops, dogs, and other authorities who hate it when walls look cool. The game will include works from over 40 real-life street artists and teach players how they’ve influenced culture. It’ll be out next month.

CSGO Skin Traders Dumping Their Inventories After Valve Announces New Rules

Despite Valve’s crackdown on CSGO gambling sites that use Steam in 2016, there’s still an active cosmetic skin trading (and yes, sometimes gambling) scene around the game. A recent set of trade limits from Valve, though, has skin lovers selling off their collections for fear that the scene is on its deathbed. “CSGO is over!”…

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

The weekend is for having ordered an immersion blender at long last and spending the whole weekend, I don’t know, blending stuff. Also, video games. Here’s an unpopular opinion: winter is the best season and I’m sad it’s over (barring another massive snowstorm). Every so often I’ve been popping into Steep just to take in…

What We Liked (And Didn’t Like) About Ready Player One

A giant pile of nerd references masquerading as a movie, Ready Player One, premiered last night. Seung Park, Tim Rogers and I all watched it, and now they’re going to talk about it. Gita Jackson: Hey Seung, Tim. Last night we all watched the new Spielberg movie Ready Player One, based on the best selling…

Track: Elastic Girl | Artist: Kahimi Karie | Album: My First Karie Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Track: (Fuck A) Silver Lining | Artist: Panic At The Disco | Album: Pray For The Wicked  Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Far Cry Truck Has Achieved Liftoff

Today on Highlight Reel we have hectic Far Cry chaos, Sea of Thieves swashbuckling, Zelda trick shots 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!…

On today’s episode of Kotaku Splitscreen, we unwind from GDC and talk about games we’ve been playing recently: Far Cry 5, A Way Out, Red Dead Redemption, and the SNES Classic. Listen hereor via your favorite podcast provider.

What It’s Like Being A Face Of Call of Duty

When Tina Sanchez applied for a job at Call of Duty maker Infinity Ward, the first thing they asked was: “How do you feel about death threats?” That and more stories from the world of Call of Duty on a new Kotaku Splitscreen Last week at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, we talked…

Track: La Hora Del Crepúsculo | Artist: Los Cinco Latinos | Album: Barcelona OST Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Today, Katy Perry Ate Too Many Nuggets On Japanese TV

Have you ever had the chicken nuggets from the Japanese convenience store chain Lawson? They are so effing good. I know it, you might know it, and Katy Perry definitely knows it. Earlier today when Perry was on Japanese morning show Sukkiri, she ate lots and lots of Lawson’s “Karaage-kun” nuggets. The above GIF is…

Korean TV’s Food-Slapping Trope 

In 2014, South Korean TV drama Everbody Kimchi featured one epic kimchi slap. It was not an isolated incident. Korean dramas are no stranger to painful slaps—with food or without. Keep in mind, these programs are soap operas. Just like in the West, they are overblown and overwrought, hence the hyperbolic and humiliating food slapping.…