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CultureTwitchThe Twitch DMCAs Just Keep Coming
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: The music industry is taking aim at Twitch, this time to the tune of “about 1,000 individual claims,” according to the company. Twitch’s solution? Second verse, same as the first: Delete, delete, delete. In an email sent to streamers earlier today, Twitch explained that “all of the…
By Nathan Grayson Published May 28, 2021 -
OpinionImpressionsOh, Hey, I Just Got Back From An Airport For Aliens Currently Run By Dogs
An Airport For Aliens Currently Run By Dogs (y’all, there’s no way I’m gonna get through these impressions spelling this long-ass name out so henceforth I’ll call it Dog Airport or abbreviate it as AAFACRBD) is a game about exactly what it says on the box: You are a person at an airport that services…
By Ash Parrish Published May 28, 2021 -
OpinionUbisoft Insists Latest Game, [INSERT NAME], Isn’t Political [Update]
Today, Ubisoft showed off some new gameplay from the upcoming [INSERT GENRE] game [INSERT NAME]. The footage shows that the game’s setting and story seem to be politically charged and potentially filled with commentary about [INSERT CURRENT EVENT]. However, as usual, Ubisoft has been quick to explain that, no, this game is not, in fact,…
By Zack Zwiezen Published May 28, 2021 -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryMusings Of A Mass Effect 1 Newcomer
Mass Effect Legendary Edition has given me a chance I missed the first time around. Though I’ve played through the other games of BioWare’s long-running space opera—3, Andromeda, and, years later, 2, in that order—’m tackling the first Mass Effect for the first time ever. Playing Mass Effect in 2021 is, of course, very different…
By Ari Notis Published May 28, 2021 -
CultureBloodstained: Ritual Of The Night Might Be Getting A Sequel, Maybe
In its latest round of fiscal results, 505 Games parent company Digital Bros appeared to reveal that a Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night sequel was in the works. But when reached for comment, the publisher was surprisingly aloof. The original Digital Bros document included a bullet point in its Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night slide…
By Ian Walker Published May 28, 2021 -
OpinionImpressionsGraven Looks Great, But Right Now It’s A Bit Boring
Graven is the latest game from resurrected publisher 3D Realms. Like its recent releases Ion Fury and Wrath, Graven is a throwback to 1990s PC first-person shooters, this time being a spiritual successor to Hexen and Heretic. It’s a visual delight to run around the world of Graven, kicking bad guys and exploring a creepy…
By Zack Zwiezen Published May 28, 2021 -
CultureNew Site Teaches You How To Play EVE Online
EVE Online is a tough game to learn without a lot of effort and assistance. The good news is that there’s now an easier path to getting started: the EVE Academy, a new companion website to the 18 year old MMO, was created specifically to show new players the ropes, and potentially teach a few…
By Lee Yancy Published May 28, 2021 -
CultureSplitscreenMass Effect Is Back, But It Seems Like Morality Meters Are Gone For Good
Will you save the orphans or eat them? Will you blow up the planet or give it renewable energy and free healthcare? Will you hug Leonardo Da Vinci or let his outstretched arms wither? For a minute there, it felt like games were characterized by binary choices like these—even if their prevalence might have been…
By Nathan Grayson Published May 28, 2021 -
CultureMicrosoft Flight Simulator Is Much Smaller Now
Video games are big, and as new technology supports greater visual fidelity, they’re only bound to get bigger. That’s why it’s always nice when the developers behind bulky games like Microsoft Flight Simulator figure out ways to decrease those download sizes. Microsoft Flight Simulator’s base file size was reduced from over 170 GB to just…
By Ian Walker Published May 28, 2021 -
CultureFar Cry 6 Out October 7, First Gameplay Trailer Released
Today, Ubisoft revealed our first good look at the gameplay of Far Cry 6. It included a missile-launching backpack, guerrilla warfare, and a bunch of guns. Ubisoft also shared Far Cry 6‘s release date. The open-world shooter launches on October 7, 2021 for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC, and Stadia. During Ubisoft’s…
By Zack Zwiezen Published May 28, 2021 -
EsportsCounter-Strike: Global Offensive Update Will Track Coaches To Prevent More Cheating Scandals
Valve released a new update for Counter-Strike: Global Offensive that addresses a coaching scandal that rocked the game’s professional scene last year. Mariusz “Loord” Cybulski, a coach for Wisła Kraków’s Counter-Strike: Global Offensive team and a former competitor, publicly revealed an exploit in the game on August 26 that allowed a spectator to watch matches…
By Jonathan Lee Published May 28, 2021 -
CultureOdds and EndsFortnite X Books You Read In High School
Fortnite’s gotten a crossover with Mistborn, a fantasy series by Brandon Sanderson. Following a Twitter teaser, players can now get a skin of character Kelsier along with a themed back bling, pickaxe, and load screen. It’s the game’s first book tie-in. A few Kotaku staffers have read Mistborn and were excited by this news. Another…
By Riley MacLeod Published May 28, 2021 -
CultureWhat Are You Playing This Weekend?
The weekend is for transforming from a high school kid into a demonic demi-fiend after an evil cult forces the world into an apocalyptic rebirth known as Conception. Ooo, and maybe we’ll get some Wendy’s. Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne Remaster came out this week, and so far the game is holding up quite nicely.…
By Mike Fahey Published May 28, 2021 -
OpinionImpressionsBackbone Is A Noir Adventure About Racism In Anthropomorphic Vancouver
Backbone, a noir adventure game set in an anthropomorphic version of Vancouver, is coming out on June 8. I have already played the free Steam demo, Backbone: Prologue, six times. Now, the Steam algorithm knows I’m a sucker for noir detective stories and that is, indeed, what Backbone is. It’s got all the usual clichés,…
By Jonathan Lee Published May 28, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanCovid-19 Barrier Given JRPG Twist
Perhaps you’ve seen plastic guards at stores and offices to prevent the spread of covid-19. Bet you haven’t seen one quite like this. Propmaker Takumi Armory has created this “RPG Version” of a splash-prevention partition. Amusingly, it’s designed to look like a fantasy role-playing game selection menu, asking what you’d like to do. There are…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 28, 2021 -
AnimeWoman Arrested For Alleged Arson Threat To Attack On Titan Anime Studio
A 25-year-old woman from Miyagi prefecture has been arrested for allegedly emailing an arson threat to Wit Studio, which is best known for animating the first three seasons of the Attack on Titan anime. According to Yomiuri News, the suspect was arrested earlier this week on suspicion of forcibly obstructing a business. Kyodo News reports…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 28, 2021 -
CultureOdds and EndsNew Witcher Board Game Hits $3 Million On Kickstarter
Well would you look at this, a licensed board game shipping with 10,000 plastic miniatures is making millions on Kickstarter. This is my most surprised face. The Witcher: Old World is a new game by Go On Board that’s set a few years before Geralt’s time, and has up to five players (one for each…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 27, 2021 -
CultureCosplayLady Dimitrescu’s Actor & Model Cosplaying As Lady Dimitrescu
Look I know we’ve already seen some incredible Lady Dimitrescu cosplay, but I figured it was worth seeing some more today given the fact the ladies in the dress here are the actors Capcom used to bring the character to life. Is this even cosplay? I don’t know, maybe not! Maybe this is just work.…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 27, 2021 -
CultureVirtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown Won’t Have State-Of-The-Art Online
Sega’s flagship fighting game franchise returns next week with the release of Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown, yet another update to the original Virtua Fighter 5 from 2006. Ultimate Showdown sports updated graphics courtesy of the PlayStation 4, but its netcode will remain tethered to the past. Speaking with Kotaku via email, a Sega rep…
By Ian Walker Published May 27, 2021
