Culture

This Week in The Business: Spilling Trade Secrets is a Party Foul

QUOTE | “They were sparring, with a little braggadocio, a little machismo, in a very immature way. Our employee said something he shouldn’t have said. It’s embarrassing.” – Kabam SVP Steve Swasey, explaining why competitor Machine Zone is suing Kabam over trade secrets Elsewhere in the business of gaming this week… QUOTE | “Maybe it’s…

Arkham Knight Glitch Clones Nightwing, Makes Batman See Double

Today on Highlight Reel we have Rocket League trick shots, Battlefield 4 plays, illegal wrestling moves, and much more! Watch the video above, then link any of your favorite highlights in the comments, and be sure to check out, like and subscribe the original videos via the links below. Arkham Knight – cheekyboy1021 Halo MMC…

Track: The Ecstasy of Gold | Album: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly Soundtrack | Artist: Ennio Morricone Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

That’s One Way To Avoid Rising Sea Levels

Oleg Zherebin is an artist who works across a number of fields, from concept art and illustration to UI and icon design. You can see more of Oleg’s work athis ArtStation page To see the larger pics in all their glory (or, if they’re big enough, so you can save them as wallpaper), click on…

Peach vs Zelda Fight Is Not For Children’s Eyes

This is not how Nintendo handles fight scenes. I mean, for one, Nintendo would have written a better set-up than “golfing mishap”. But they also would have eased up on the “brutal action movie kicks to the face”. Zelda is Olivia Wells, Peach is Raven Duda

The People Trying To Uncover A Game’s Real Life Secret Society

Spider: Rite of the Shrouded Moon contains a massive secret. The Steam/mobile game, in which you play as a spider bobbing and weaving through a mysteriously abandoned mansion, has a story that you, as a spider, are under no obligation to give a shit about. You as a person, however, can dig into all sorts…

Happy National Burger Day!

Ask Dr. Nerdlove: Help, I’ve Fallen In Love With A Cam Girl

Hello, Internet! Welcome to Ask Dr. NerdLove, the only dating column that was born 500 years ago in the highlands of Scotland. This week, one NerdLove reader is dealing with a crush that is more complicated than your usual run of the mill interest in the cute girl you see at the comic store. What’s…

Rocket League is coming to SteamOS, and it’s free if you buy a Steam Machine, Steam Link, or Steam Controller. The car soccer sensation is great fun in split screen, so the pairing makes perfect sense. Also, it’s sold one million copies on Steam alone. I get the impression that maybe people like it a…

Leela Cosplay From The World Of Tomorrow

Cosplaying as Leela from Futurama isn’t as easy as it, ahem, looks. Getting the single eye to sit/look right on a normal human’s face is a tough ask! Holly Brooke has a novel solution here, though, with help Keroga Forge, who made the gun. Photo by Lucky Monkey

A (Sky) Pirate’s Life For me

John Thacker is a concept artist who has worked on games like Team Fortress 2, Left 4 Dead 2, Counter Strike: Global Offensive and Defense Grid. You can see more of John’s art at his Facebook and ArtStation pages. To see the larger pics in all their glory (or, if they’re big enough, so you…

Track: Nightingale Force Winds | Album: Ghost Notes | Artist: Hiatus Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

DualShock, Paint On Canvas, 2015

Randy Gallegos is an artist who has done work for companies like Blizzard, Wizards of the Coast, Fantasy Flight and DeNA. There are examples of that art below, but you’ll also see stuff from his new exhibition called Hearts for Hardware, a series of actual paintings depicting some of the more iconic controllers and hardware…

Universe Sandbox 2 Lets You Build, Destroy The Universe

Ever wanted to create your own universe? Or destroy it by ramming planets into each other, destruction derby-style? Well, here you go. Universe Sandbox 2, which just hit Steam today, doesn’t have clearly defined goals. It is as its name suggests: a sandbox, a near-limitless playground for your demented imagination. Within a minute of booting…

Remember Starbound, the huge 2D exploration/building game that landed on Early Access a couple years ago? Well, it just got a massive update. It adds the ability to construct NPC-populated colonies. There are also 400 new micro-dungeons and improvements to pretty much every part of the game.

Clear Skies, Smooth Sailing

Nathan Dearsley is an artist from the UK who has worked on games like Crysis 2, Crysis 3, Star Citizen and Alien: Isolation. We actually featured some of Nathan’s art a few months back with his awesome McLaren F1, but I figured today was as good a day as any to look at some of…

Dreamcast Saves Work With The New PC Version Of Grandia II

Still have all your old Dreamcast saves lying around somewhere? Wait, really? Well then, you’re in luck. Turns out, the new anniversary edition of JRPG classic Grandia II—which launched today, August 24th 2015, Anno Domini—is compatible with saves from Sega’s dearly departed living room box. Yes, the one that got discontinued in 2001, the year…

New Horror Game Looks Like A Messed Up Ghibli Movie

If you like your nightmares with an extra helping of anime-inspired ultraweird, you’ve come to the right place. Stray Cat Crossing is a 2D horror game that’s coming to Steam soon (via Greenlight), but you can play a free demo right now. It’s… unsettling. Think Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away, but with whimsy replaced by simmering…

Trine 3 Developers Dispute Complaints That They Released An Unfinished Game

The Trine series of fantasy platformers is beloved, especially on Steam. Trine 3, however, has longtime fans upset. In addition to basic mechanical quibbles, many Trine fans think the latest game—which recently emerged from Early Access—feels unfinished, with a gaping hole of non-ending that only magic (or DLC) could patch up. In a recent Steam…

Smash Player Disrespects Opponent Perfectly

Today on Highlight Reel we have sick taunts, Rocket League shots, bad Call of Duty timing, early jet celebrations, and much more! Watch the video above, then link any of your favorite highlights in the comments, and be sure to check out, like and subscribe the original videos via the links below. Rocket League –…