Culture

Classic Star Wars spaceship shooters X-Wing and TIE Fighter are now available on Steam. Revered as two of the best Star Wars games of all time, they’re joined by X-Wing Alliance and X-Wing vs TIE Fighter in Valve’s voluminous game hangar. Grab a joystick and blast some imperial/rebel/womp rat scum.

The First Big Killing Floor 2 Mod Is… Pepsi Man

This is certainly one way to break in a game’s modding tools. Once upon a time, there was a superhero named Pepsiman. He appeared in a Japanese video game and a number of commercials. It was all very… odd. So of course, everybody fell in love with him. Now, thanks to the soaring creative spirit…

Beating A Boss With Your Back Turned, And Other Video Game Exploits

I just bought this self-help book. It’s called “So your readers are all cheaters.” But, hey, I’ve been a video game exploiter before, too. So here are some shining examples of the exploit stories you all sent in, with minor edits for readability. Trapping Your Enemies (via Mike Fahey) Back when I was first playing…

Some Sweet (Official) Elder Scrolls Sketchwork

The Elder Scrolls Online: Tales of Tamriel is an artbook about a video game’s story, not the video game itself. Yes, it’s technically an accompaniment to the Online game, and yes, it carries its name, but by being full of fictional text and general Elder Scrolls-y artwork, I guess it can appeal to people who…

Cosplayer Reacts Quickly To Terrible New Joker Design

The shitty new Joker was revealed on Friday night. Hours later, on Saturday, this cosplayer was spotted by Casey Ramone at Wizard World Las Vegas. That is some fast cosplay work. If anyone knows who the speedy gentleman is in the make-up, let me know! UPDATE: Joker is Mad Tony, a member of the Guardians…

Rude Whale Invades GTA V On PC

On today’s Highlight Reel we have bad synchronizations, whales that would make Douglas Adams proud, very helpful Bloodborne invaders 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. EA Sports UFC…

Steam’s Most Popular Skyrim Mod Is A Protest Against Paid Mods

The best way to critique Steam’s new paid mod section? Turns out, it’s making mods. The most popular Skyrim mod on Steam right now is a sign. It’s a crude, almost sad little thing, with two whole sides of sizzling outrage dedicated to paid mods. “FREE THE MODS,” shouts one side. “No paid mods,” whispers…

Kerbal Space Program, one of the best-loved Early Access games ever, is officially “complete.” The wacky spacecraft construction sim just hit version 1.0, bringing with it a complete flight model overhaul, a heating simulation, and resource mining, among other things. It’s the game’s biggest update to date, apparently.

Remember when Codemasters pissed off fans with a “new” Colin McRae Rally racing game? Well, it seems like they’re making up for it in a big way with DiRT Rally, a rally racer that looks excellent and, according to early reports, plays nicely too. It’s still in Early Access, but it’s come roaring out the…

The Week In Games: Everything I Ever Wanted

A turn-based role-playing game for the PlayStation 4 featuring a group of female warriors that can be dressed up and choreographed in custom dance numbers? What is it, my birthday? While others are playing the rest of Broken Age or drilling the PC version of WWE 2K15 for horrific glitches, I’ll be spending the week…

Sunday Comics: Not Even Worth Killing

Welcome to Kotaku’s Sunday Comics, your weekly roundup of the best webcomics. The images enlarge if you click on the magnifying glass icon. Nerf NOW!! by Josué Pereira. Published April 25. Read more of Nerf NOW!! Awkward Zombie by Katie Tiedrich. Published April 20. Read more of Awkward Zombie Penny Arcade by Jerry Holkins and…

This Week In The Business: Getting Harder

QUOTE | “Holy fuck, it’s got harder.” – Developer Cliff Harris, who just launched Gratutitous Space Battles 2 on Steam, talking about the big difference between releasing a game in 2013 and releasing a game today Elsewhere in the business of video games this past week … QUOTE | “The opportunity to create a $1…

Skyrim Modder Considers Quitting After Steam Controversy

Skyrim modder Chesko didn’t have express permission to use an animation system from another modder in his paid Steam Workshop mod, but he did it anyway. Then he removed it because the other modder got upset. End of story? Hardly. That was just the beginning. Chesko took to Reddit to explain everything that’s happened to…

GTA Cat Goes On Molotov Cocktail Rampage

On today’s Highlight Reel we have cat moped rampages, disappointing brutalities, respectful Bloodborne players 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. Mortal Kombat X- Brutality Glitch – Ryan Rosado…

Track: King Kunta | Artist: Kendrick Lamar | Album: To Pimp A Butterfly Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

When Video Game Trolling Is A Good Thing

The timer ticks down toward zero. We tear across the Boneyard, one of Halo: Reach’s best multiplayer maps, my good friend Rus driving with me sitting shotgun. I’m clutching the blue flag in hands that would be sweating if they were real. We shed our red teammates like skin; they race past us going the…

RIP Francis Tsai

Acclaimed concept artist Francis Tsai, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2010, passed away earlier today. Our thoughts are with his wife, family and friends. Francis was a supremely talented artist who did work for companies like EA, Rockstar, DC Comics, Eidos and Marvel, as well as releasing his own art book. Even after being…

Steam Users See Big Problems With Charging For Mods

Today, Valve changed the mod-making game bigtime: creators can now charge for modifications to pre-existing games on Steam Workshop. Some people are hopeful, others are worried—and even infuriated. Obviously, paying for mods—even just as an option—is a pretty big change from what people are used to. It’s not uncommon for people to ask for donations,…

PC Game Wants To Ban Jerks And Bullies, But Some Think It’s Gone Too Far

No-nonsense bans for players who are repeatedly racist, sexist, or bullies? Sounds like a pretty fair deal, but a number of Killing Floor 2 fans see the game’s strict policy as a step too far. Some are refusing to play the game altogether. While plenty of games come with EULAs (End User License Agreements) that…

People Can Now Charge Money For Game Mods On Steam

Generally speaking, PC game mods are free. Steam, however, just added an option to let creators charge for them. This is pretty huge. Valve made the announcement with a new Steam page, adding that Skyrim is the first game that will support the ability to charge for player-made modifications via Steam Workshop. Unlike in games…