Culture

This Week In The Business: A Tough Year For Hardware

QUOTE | “I’m tired of shooting people for no reason other than not getting killed.” – Martin Greip, art director of Eat, Create, Sleep, talking about games that lack meaning and how big budget games are “estranged from the real world.” QUOTE | “I’d puke if I had to work on an empire-building game or…

I Love Astroneer For Its Optimism

Yesterday I was feeling pretty down because, well, I knew tomorrow would be today. On a lark, I decided to try out Astroneer, because it’s managed to remain among Steam’s top sellers for a month, which is no small feat. Turns out, it’s just the game I needed. Astroneer is the most fundamentally optimistic survival…

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

Pretty much says it all. How about those video games, though? I’m sure you won’t be shocked to hear I’ll be playing more The Witcher 3. I’ll also be taking a break to play some of the games at one of my local Global Game Jam spots. Good luck if you’re making a game this weekend!…

Snacktaku Makes Everything Better With Chocolate Strawberry Oreos

After spending 2016 eating strange and horrible things, Snacktaku is kicking off the year on a high note. Let January 20, 2017 be forever known as the day Snacktaku ate Chocolate Strawberry Oreos, one of the best limited edition flavors in ages. Combining chocolate and strawberry flavors in a cookie may seem like an easy…

That Time Some Players Thought Luigi Was In Super Mario 64

Super Mario 64 was a watershed moment for our favorite video game plumber. Mario made the leap into the third dimension and brought a colorful array of characters with him but a major ally was missing: his brother Luigi. Was he just hiding the whole time? Mario’s brother Luigi has always had his back ever…

Track: Harajuku Iyahoi | Artist: Kyary Pamyu Pamyu | Album: Harajuku Iyahoi single  Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

The Story of Sega’s First Console, Which Was Not The Master System

On July 15, 1983, the Famicom was released in Japan. The console, later rebranded in the West as the Nintendo Entertainment System, would go on to change video games forever. Did you know, though, that the Famicom wasn’t the only gaming system released on that day? It was joined on shelves by the SG-1000, the…

Dead Cells is Castlevania meets permadeath. You explore an interconnected castle that sprawls and shifts like those stairs in Harry Potter, except evil. Death, however, replaces backtracking, and each death will unlock more of the world. Combat is Souls-inspired. It’s on Steam Greenlight right now.

Long War 2 Completely Changes XCOM 2

Long War was one of the first XCOM reboot’s most popular and beloved mods, so much so that XCOM 2 ended up liberally cribbing notes from its playbook. Now there’s a Long War for XCOM 2, and it’s a doozy. The goal of the mod is to make players feel like they’re waging a real…

Ice Cold Battlefield Medic Doesn’t Even Care

Today on Highlight Reel we have enthusiastic FIFA celebrations, Roadhog hooks, Widowmaker shutdowns 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! Rainbow 6 Siege –…

As ‘Games Done Quick’ Gets Bigger, So Do Its Controversies [Updated]

Six years ago, Awesome Games Done Quick started as a small outfit of speedrunners who played games to raise money for cancer prevention. Since then, AGDQ has ballooned into a big event: this year alone, viewers donated $2.2 million dollars for a good cause. The added visibility has brought new challenges, as runners and organizers…

Podcast: Let’s Talk Nintendo Switch

It’s time for the Kotaku Splitscreen episode you’ve been waiting for: Our thoughts on the Nintendo Switch. This week, Kirk and I blaze through some belated 2017 predictions (Final Fantasy XVI! Scorpio! Half-Life VR!) and then react to everything we’ve learned about the Switch, which I got a chance to play last Friday. You can…

Batter Up

William Bao is an artist based in LA who works for Ironklad, a studio that has helped out on stuff like The Division, League of Legends and…Taylor Swift videos You can see more of Bao’s art at hisArtStation page To see the images in their native resolution, click on the “expand” button in the top-left…

Track: Ohayou Culture | Artist: Go! Go! Vanillas | Album: Ohayou Culture Single  Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Final Fantasy XV Cosplay Sprinkles A Lil’ Meme

This is Miguel as Ignis, who knows exactly how to season a kill. Jinis Noctis, photo by Reskiy And here, for accompaniment, the original.

Ready For Battle

Arthur Gurin is a freelance concept artist from Ukraine who is working in the video game business. You can see more of Arthur’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…

Track: Filed Under X | Artist: Bugs | Album: Audio Alchemy Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

The Most Interesting Answers From Gabe Newell’s AMA

Today was one of those occasions that comes once, maybe twice (but definitely not thrice) in a lifetime. Gabe Newell arose from his Scrooge McDuck-esque lake of knives and cash to conduct an AMA. Spoiler: he likes Portal 2 more than Half-Life, and despite appearances to the contrary, Valve still makes games. Newell didn’t stick…

Battlefield Pilot Gives Enemy Soldier A Biplane Haircut

Today on Highlight Reel we have unusual urination, Titanfall streaks, boat tethers, stolen kills, amped walls, 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! Just…

What A Broke-Ass Batman Would Look Like

This is some Batman cosplay with a difference. Rather than try to copy the Dark Knight’s appearance from any number of comics, movies or games, frigginboomtoys has decided to try something more original, and imagine “Poor Batman”. It’s from a universe where, instead of being born rich, Bruce Wayne is actually dirt poor, and has…