Culture Archives - Page 1527 of 1552

The Killer Concept Art of François Baranger

François Baranger is an artist who works not just on video games, but on some of the biggest Hollywood franchises in recent years, like Harry Potter and GI Joe This being a look at gaming art, though, today we’ll be taking a gander at his work on games like the upcoming Black Death and the…

By Luke Plunkett Published November 30, 2011

CultureTotal Recall

The Inspiration Behind Ico’s Iconic Cover Art

Forget the woeful American cover for a minute, and instead let’s focus on the Japanese and European box art for PS2 classic Ico. It’s as memorable for many as the game itself, with its bold art style and rich colours. So I thought for today’s Total Recall we’d look back at the artist, and one…

By Luke Plunkett Published November 30, 2011

Culture

One Last Look at Deus Ex’s Brilliant Concept Art

We’ve looked at it not once, but twice here on Fine Art, but the art of Deus Ex: Human Revolution is so damn good I figured it was worth one more feature. Especially since we’ve got some all-new pieces to share. Good things come in threes, right? Richard Dumont, whose work on the game we…

By Luke Plunkett Published November 29, 2011

CultureTotal Recall

So, Who Exactly Could Be In a Sony Fighting Game?

There’s a rumour going around that Sony is set to take on Nintendo’s Smash Bros. series with a fighting game franchise of its own. Interestingly, a lot of the early sentiment I picked up on over the weekend was people wondering whether the PlayStation brand had a strong enough roster to support such a game.…

By Luke Plunkett Published November 28, 2011

Culture

Megathrusters Are Go!

A re-release of three Sly Cooper classics on the PlayStation Network, and the arrival of Voltron: Defender of the Universe on PSN and Xbox Live Marketplace, highlight what is traditionally the slowest week of the video game calendar. After next week’s Mario Kart 7 on 3DS, retail will go into hibernation until January. Tuesday •…

By Owen Good Published November 27, 2011

Culture

Sunday Comics: By Any Other Name

Awkward Zombie by Katie Tiedrich published Nov. 21.—Read more of Awkward Zombie Welcome to your Sunday read of the week’s best in web comics. Make sure to click on the expand button in the bottom right to enlarge each comic. Nerf NOW!! by Josué Pereira published Nov. 25.—Read more of Nerf NOW!! Penny Arcade by…

By Owen Good Published November 27, 2011

Culture

This Week in the Business: ‘No New Console from Microsoft Until 2014’

What’s happened in the business of video games this past week … QUOTE | “No new console from Microsoft until 2014.”—Michael Pachter, Wedbush Securities analyst believes we could see a revised Xbox 360 in 2012, but no new Xbox console until 2014. QUOTE | “The Kinect interface is a really, really magical progression.”—John Taylor, video…

James Brightman Published November 26, 2011

CultureTotal Recall

Ni No Kuni Isn’t Miyazaki/Ghibli’s First Video Game Appearance

Much has been made, and rightly so, of the involvement of Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli with Level-5’s PS3 RPG Ni No Kuni (out this week in Japan). It’s helped the game look amazing. While it’s a welcome partnership, though, it’s not the first time the animation legend, or his studio, have turned up in a…

By Luke Plunkett Published November 25, 2011

Culture

The Beautiful, If Stabby Art of the Assassin’s Creed Series

With Assassin’s Creed Revelations out recently (and starring in its own Fine Art), I thought it’d be a good time to take a look back on some of the incredible art from the series we’ve yet to feature here on Kotaku. The pieces you’re about to see are the work of three men: Maxime Desmettre,…

By Luke Plunkett Published November 24, 2011

CultureTotal Recall

Good Lord, World of Warcraft Is Old

In an industry where games barely even a month old are slashed in price then swiftly forgotten, World of Warcraft is an exceptional, well, exception. The game, which turned seven yesterday, was first announced back in 2001. For it to be still played today isn’t just mind-exploding, it’s a testament to how addictive and successful…

By Luke Plunkett Published November 24, 2011

Culture

Art From the Command & Conquer Game That Never Was

Totilo’s story yesterday on what might be a Command & Conquer action game got me thinking about Tiberium, the promising yet ultimately ill-fated shooter EA once had planned for the strategy universe. While the game was cancelled because it was shaping up to be a bit rubbish, that certainly had little to do with Tiberium’s…

By Luke Plunkett Published November 23, 2011

Culture

The Colourful, Robotic Art of Killzone 3

It’s funny, considering Killzone 2 was so bleak, Killzone 3 remains one of, if not the best-looking game on the PS3, an explosion of vibrant colours and, amazingly given the franchise, style. Part of that is thanks to the guys at art studio Karakter, who we’ve featured here before, but it’s also down to the…

By Luke Plunkett Published November 22, 2011

CultureTotal Recall

The End of a Game Should Be a Reward, Not a Chore

WARNING: This post contains mild Modern Warfare 3 spoilers. Video games are all about the carrot and the stick. You endure repetitive tasks in order to receive just enough of a reward to compel you to complete more repetitive tasks. Why, then, do so few games ever let you get your hands on the carrot…

By Luke Plunkett Published November 22, 2011

CultureTotal Recall

Sonic’s Creator, the Nintendo Console and the Kid With the Awesome Theme Song

Last week wasn’t just the tenth anniversary of the Xbox. It was the tenth anniversary of the North American release of the Nintendo GameCube as well. While the system was home to my favourite game of all time (Wind Waker), and because of the time in my life in which it dominated it ranks as…

By Luke Plunkett Published November 21, 2011

Culture

Live by the Sword

The final Tuesday before Thanksgiving in the U.S. effectively closes out the major release calendar for North America. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is available on the Wii today. WWE 12 arrives for PS3, Wii and 360 on Tuesday. Downloadable content for Batman: Arkham City and Gears of War 3 arrives Tuesday and Wednesday,…

By Owen Good Published November 20, 2011

Culture

Sunday Comics: Easy Does It

Welcome to your Sunday read of the week’s best in web comics. Make sure to click on the expand button in the bottom right to enlarge each comic. Awkward Zombie by Katie Tiedrich published Nov. 14.—Read more of Awkward Zombie Nerf NOW!! by Josué Pereira published Nov. 17.—Read more of Nerf NOW!! Penny Arcade by…

By Owen Good Published November 20, 2011

Culture

This Week in the Business: ‘Xbox 720 Will be a True Hybrid Console.’

What’s happened in the business of video games this past week … QUOTE | “Xbox 720 will be a true hybrid console.”—Jesse Divnich, analyst with EEDAR describes how he thinks the next Xbox will function, supporting abundant cloud features but not abandoning physical software. QUOTE | “Zelda should inspire all developers to innovate and evolve…

Steve Peterson Published November 18, 2011

Culture

The Concept Art of Assassin’s Creed: Revelations

So, the final tale in Ezio’s saga, Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, was out this week. Now’s as good a time as any, then, to look at some of the wonderful concept art from the game. These dramatic pieces are the work of Martin Deschambault, an artist at Ubisoft who’s also worked on games like Assassin’s Creed…

By Luke Plunkett Published November 18, 2011

Culture

The Game May Be Dead, But the Awesome Helicopter-Fighting Art Lives On

Tae Young Choi used to work at Midway Games. Before Midway went belly-up, they were working on an open-world superhero game called Hero Choi did some amazing pieces for that game, and as you’ll see in this gallery, also worked on Midway games like Stranglehold and Area 51 While both Stranglehold and Area 51 were…OK,…

By Luke Plunkett Published November 17, 2011

Culture

Sadly, This LEGO Game Looked Better On Paper

There was a lot of hype for the ill-fated LEGO Universe. Mostly because it was an MMO using LEGO, but also because the early stuff people saw of the game looked amazing. The final product rarely met those expectations, and will be shuttered on January 31, 2012. While the game will soon be gone, though,…

By Luke Plunkett Published November 16, 2011