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CultureSplitscreenEverything Should Be Ported To Switch (And Other Wild Hopes For E3 2019)
Will this E3 be the year we hear about Final Fantasy XVI? Or get that long-awaited Metroid Prime trilogy Switch port? On this week’s episode of Kotaku Splitscreen, we shared our best guesses and most optimistic dreams about what will and won’t be revealed at E3 2019. First, we talk about what we’re playing. Jason’s back…
By Maddy Myers Published June 7, 2019 -
CultureSplitscreenDeath Stranding Is Going To Make No Sense And That’s Just Fine
This week on Kotaku Splitscreen, how could we not dive into the delicious insanity of yesterday’s nine-minute Death Stranding trailer? First we talk about some video games we’re playing, from Dark Souls 3 to Observation, then dive into news of the week (29:00) including Death Stranding’s ridiculous new trailer (and 2019 release date!), Call of…
By Jason Schreier Published May 30, 2019 -
CultureSplitscreenOur Gameplay Data Should Be Harder To Sell
Video game developers can collect our data, and for now, they can sell it to advertisers. But that may not be as easy in the future due to California’s new data privacy law. On this week’s Kotaku Splitscreen, we do a follow-up episode after last week’s analysis of the state of gameplay data and privacy.…
By Maddy Myers Published May 24, 2019 -
CultureSplitscreenGame of Thrones Just Needed More Time
Game of Thrones has come to an end, and with it, so has Kotaku Splitscreen’s very special run of bonus recaps. BUT FIRST: The final episode. Kirk and I discuss the events of “The Iron Throne,” the series finale of Game of Thrones. We talk about what we liked (the first 20 minutes) and what…
By Jason Schreier Published May 20, 2019 -
CultureSplitscreenShould We Care About Video Game Companies Collecting Our Data?
Video games often ask us to share our data with the developers. Sometimes, games and other apps bury this question in a long privacy policy that you have to agree to in order to even load it up. And sometimes, that data gets sold or repurposed for mysterious ends. Kirk and I admitted how anxious…
By Maddy Myers Published May 16, 2019 -
CultureSplitscreenGame of Thrones Is Too Far Gone To Save
When the dust is all settled and the fire has turned into ashes, one thing about Game of Thrones will always be clear: They shouldn’t have tried to end the whole damn show in 13 episodes. We spoil the episode in its entirety, and also talk about differences between the show and the books. However,…
By Jason Schreier Published May 13, 2019 -
CultureSplitscreenBoth Democrats And Republicans Agree: Loot Boxes Bad
Earlier this week, Republican senator Josh Hawley announced a bill that would regulate the use of loot boxes and microtransactions in “games played by minors.” But aren’t Republicans typically against any type of regulation on the free market? On this week’s Kotaku Splitscreen, we talk about the idea of politicians seeking out the gamer vote,…
By Maddy Myers Published May 9, 2019 -
CultureSplitscreenGame of Thrones Is Starting To Make Less And Less Sense
Why is everyone on Game of Thrones making so many bad decisions all the time? Are the showrunners just sick of it? And why will nobody pet Ghost? This week on Kotaku Splitscreen, we discuss. We spoil the episode in its entirety, and also talk about differences between the show and the books. However, we…
By Jason Schreier Published May 7, 2019 -
CultureSplitscreenThe Comic Moments We Loved Most In Avengers: Endgame
Avengers: Endgame was three hours of wonderful fanservice in what was ultimately the first TV series finale we’ve seen in a movie theater. This week on Kotaku Splitscreen, we discuss. First, Kirk, Maddy, and I talk about the games we’ve been playing, like Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy XII, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, and Danganronpa. Then…
By Jason Schreier Published May 2, 2019 -
CultureSplitscreenGame of Thrones Was Really Dark Last Night
The night is dark and full of blurry camera cuts. Last night’s episode of Game of Thrones delivered one long, brutal battle, and Kotaku Splitscreen is here to talk about it. We spoil the episode in its entirety, and also talk about differences between the show and the books. However, we do not discuss any…
By Jason Schreier Published April 29, 2019 -
CultureSplitscreenGame Of Thrones Recap Podcast: And We’re Back
Game of Thrones has returned, and with it, so has Kotaku Splitscreen’s weekly recap of all things Westeros. This week we’re hitting episodes one and two of season eight, Winterfell and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms We spoil the episode in its entirety, and also talk about differences between the show and the books.…
By Jason Schreier Published April 26, 2019 -
CultureSplitscreenDays Gone Is Certainly A Video Game
What’s the deal with Days Gone, a video game about killing zombies and being sad on a motorcycle? On today’s Kotaku Splitscreen, we discuss. I’m back from vacation, joining Kirk and Maddy once again to talk about all sorts of video games including Mortal Kombat 11, Baba Is You, Hitman 2, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, and…
By Jason Schreier Published April 25, 2019 -
CultureSplitscreenThe Magic Of Muscle Memory For Games
I’ve been practicing my Street Fighter V combos lately, and I’ve found that the less I think about them, the easier it is to do them. On this week’s episode of Kotaku Splitscreen, my co-host Kirk Hamilton and I talked about muscle memory in games, and also music. Our third host Jason Schreier is on…
By Maddy Myers Published April 18, 2019 -
CultureSplitscreen
We’re Very Skeptical Of Google Stadia
It’s been a week since the Google Stadia announcement at GDC, and its big promises still don’t add up. Who is Stadia for? Could it ever work from a technical standpoint? Why should game developers or streamers be excited about it when it’s not clear how the heck they could ever expect to make any…
By Maddy Myers Published March 28, 2019 -
CultureSplitscreen
What It’s Like To Start A Game Studio With No Bosses
After co-writing and designing Night In The Woods, Scott Benson and Bethany Hockenberry co-founded a new game studio with artist and musician Wren Farren, except this time, no one is the boss. The Glory Society is a worker co-operative, which means that its co-founders have a different workflow and creative process from other indie studios. During…
By Maddy Myers Published March 25, 2019 -
CultureSplitscreen
The Creators Of Into The Breach Came Very Close To Giving Up On It
The strategy game Into The Breach is elegant in its simplicity, but that’s because its designers had to scrap several huge sections of the game that just didn’t work. Matthew Davis and Justin Ma, the minds behind FTL and Into The Breach, came on Kotaku Splitscreen during GDC 2019 to tell Jason and me how…
By Maddy Myers Published March 22, 2019 -
CultureSplitscreen
Tim Schafer Talks Unionization, Streaming, And The Future Of Double Fine
After cracking jokes on stage during the Game Developers Choice and IGF awards at GDC last night, Double Fine boss Tim Schafer had almost completely lost his voice, but he still croaked his way through his annual appearance on Kotaku Splitscreen. Jason and I talked to him about the unionization joke he told at the…
By Maddy Myers Published March 21, 2019 -
CultureSplitscreen
The Human Story Behind Call Of Duty’s Zombie Mode
Jesse Snyder, the creator of Call of Duty’s Zombies mode, sacrificed sleep and faced internal pushback when making the now-iconic undead mode for the game. In the process, he also realized he’d rather make less realistic games, not the gritty simulation fare of Call of Duty. Now, he’s the creative director at NantG, and this…
By Maddy Myers Published March 20, 2019 -
CultureSplitscreen
Google Stadia Boss Answers (And Dodges) Our Questions
This afternoon at GDC 2019, Google Stadia boss Phil Harrison announced the tech company’s plans to launch a game streaming service that will stream high-end games in a Chrome browser. But how good, exactly, does your internet have to be in order for Stadia to work? And do you need one of Google’s new Stadia…
By Maddy Myers Published March 19, 2019 -
CultureSplitscreen
Playing Devil May Cry 5 Is Like Playing A Musical Instrument
Learning combos in Devil May Cry 5 is not so different from learning a musical instrument; you start out by practicing the simple building blocks and, eventually, you can chain together a stylish set of button-presses that will blow everybody away. On Kotaku Splitscreen this week, we discuss the ’90s leather-clad aesthetic of Devil May…
By Maddy Myers Published March 14, 2019