Culture

How’s It Going?: Try Again Edition

Time keeps on slipping, slipping, etc. Welcome back to our daily open thread. Last night I made what seemed like a super simple dinner of polenta with roasted vegetables. For some reason everything went wrong—I kept dropping vegetables I was chopping, the polenta wouldn’t thicken, and the whole thing ended with me accidentally triggering my…

Track: Surreal | Artist: Ayumi Hamasaki | Album: Surreal 

Target Acquired

Lucia Hsiang is a freelance artist from Hong Kong. You can see more of Hsiang’s stuff at her ArtStation page.

The Xbox Series X Has 60 FPS As ‘Standard’, But It’s Not Guaranteed

After Ubisoft confirmed today that Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will run on the Xbox Series X at a minimum of only 30 frames-per-second, people are wondering what they can expect from Microsoft’s new gaming console. The answer is not constant 60 fps gaming. “Developers always have flexibility in how they use the power, so a standard…

The Internet Reacts To Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 Remaster

Today, everyone in the entire world has “Superman” by Goldfinger stuck in their head—a marked increase from the usual 70 percent on any given day. Why? Because Tony Hawk, famous for being unrecognizable while in airport security lines (and also skating), is back. Publisher Activision, developer Vicarious Visions, and the beloved board lord himself announced…

Arnold Schwarzenegger Will Return As Dutch In Predator: Hunting Grounds

Arnold Schwarzenegger is finally returning to the world of Predator, but not in a sequel to the iconic action film. The former bodybuilder and (ugh) California governor will provide voice lines to asymmetrical multiplayer game Predator: Hunting Grounds in an update on May 26, shedding light on what Alan “Dutch” Schaefer has been getting up…

Disco Elysium Update Drops Minimum Specs To ‘Mariana Trench Levels’

One of the biggest barriers to entry with PC games is being able to afford a computer capable of running them. ZA/UM, the developers of Disco Elysium, aim to democratize this process a bit with the new “Working Class” update, which should make the conversation-heavy roleplaying game playable on a variety of older, less powerful…

Call Of Duty: Warzone’s Rewards Screen Needs To Chill

I’m apparently earning tons of cool shit after every Call of Duty: Warzone match. However, it’s hard to appreciate any of it as an overeager barrage of bonuses and unlocks flashes across the screen after every match. I’ve been playing a lot more Warzone after only trying a match or two back when it first…

First Valorant Ban Wave Takes Out 8,873 (Very Salty) Cheaters

Valorant’s “Vanguard” anti-cheat system has been responsible for controversy and melted PCs, but we now have tangible evidence that it’s also doing its job of booting cheaters. Last night, Riot announced that nearly 9,000 cheaters have been removed from the tactical shooter’s closed beta. Riot anti-cheat engineer Phillip Koskinas made it official on Twitter: “Located…

Sony’s next Nintendo Direct-style State of Play livestream will take place this Thursday but it won’t be about PS5. According to a new post over on the PlayStation Blog the May 14 broadcast will be a special episode dedicated to Ghost of Tsushima. It’ll air at 4:00 p.m. ET and last 18 minutes 

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Is Bringing Back The Instakill Hidden Blade, In A Signal To Hardcore Fans

Upcoming Assassin’s Creed games always sound terrific in the spring, when the marketing machinery jolts into motion to describe the series’ next potentially great adventure. The new one will mix the best of what’s come before, plus new things, all set, this time, in the exotic era of (the Renaissance)(the American Revolution)(ancient Egypt) the Vikings.…

Marvel’s Iron Man VR has a new release date and it’s coming out July 3. Originally set to come out in May, it was delayed last month along due to the ongoing covid-19 pandemic. Kotaku’s Stephen Totilo enjoyed the PSVR exclusive when he demoed it last year

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 Remaster Coming September 4

Tony Hawk fans who’ve signed up for the legendary skater’s text service have received a message today indicating that Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 and 2 are making some sort of comeback. Update: It’s official, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 is coming out on September 4 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. No word…

Sony Copies Microsoft, Creates New PlayStation Studios Brand

Today Sony announced a new name for its first-party games: PlayStation Studios. PlayStation Studios will consist of Sony’s internal studios like Naughty Dog, Insomniac Games, and Santa Monica Studio. The news was announced alongside a video of a new opening cinematic that will play before each PlayStation Studios game starts on your console. It shows…

How’s It Going?: Long Haul Edition

It’s not Monday anymore, so things are looking up. Welcome back to our daily open thread. Last night I was reading about how different parts of my state are faring in terms of re-opening. New York City seems pretty far from being ready for any kind of return to daily life. This didn’t surprise me,…

Play Tetris 99 This Weekend, Get An Awesome Animal Crossing Theme

Tetris 99‘s 13th Maximus Cup runs May 15 through May 18. Those skillful enough to earn 100 points during the event will secure themselves an Animal Crossing: New Horizons theme for the game, full of faces, icons, and music from the popular island life simulator. It’s very cute. I don’t know how motivated I’d be…

Track: Little Wonder | Artist: David Bowie | Album: Earthling

Welcome To Hong Kong

Olga Orlova is a freelance artist from Russia. You can see more of Olga’s stuff at her Instagramand ArtStation pages.

Four Years Later, Civilization VI Gets A Season Pass

Civilization VI is getting a season pass that’ll cover a range of updates coming to the game over the next 12 months. It sounds…fine? Four years after it was announced, Civilization VI is in a weird place. It’s two big expansions were good, but not great, and the game’s district-building meta isn’t for everyone. It…

Samurai Shodown Twitter Account Walks Back Overly Horny Tweets

Brands these days tweet like they’re your pals, replacing yesteryear’s buzzwords and obvious ads with lackadaisical prose meant to mimic millennial affectations. Sometimes they go too far. Case in point, the official Samurai Shodown Twitter account probably should have reeled it in a bit last week to avoid having to make an apology today, not…