-
CultureCosplayRussian Footballer Wins League, Gets Medal Dressed As Deadpool
When FC Zenit won the Russian title yesterday, players went up on stage after the game and got their winner’s medals dressed in celebratory shirts. Everyone except for star striker Artem Dzyuba, that is, who decided to get up there in…a full Deadpool costume instead. Dzyuba, who is also captain of the Russian national side,…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 3, 2021 -
CultureTim Sweeney, Video Game Billionaire, Was Asked In Court If He Could Point Out A PlayStation 5
You know how in courtroom dramas an attorney will ask someone if they can point out a vital piece of evidence, and they slowly raise a finger before saying, “This one…it was exhibit B”? In a Very Funny Thing that happened earlier today, Epic boss Tim Sweeney was asked to do just that, only for…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 3, 2021 -
CultureHere’s What Epic Paid To Give Away All Those ‘Free’ Games
So long as capitalism remains the law of the land, nothing in this world is free—not even “free” video games. But, by giving them away, Epic managed to lure new users to its fledgling store for next to nothing, so there’s a lot to be said for the appearance of free stuff. As part of…
By Nathan Grayson Published May 3, 2021 -
CultureKotaku Game DiaryHow Did I End Up In An Elder Scrolls Online Parkour Contest
When I booted up The Elder Scrolls Online last week I didn’t expect to take part in a player-created large-scale parkour contest, but life can be weird that way. So that’s how I ended up running and jumping around like a mad-orc in the shopping market of Vivec City in The Elder Scrolls Online. You…
By Zack Zwiezen Published May 3, 2021 -
CultureFortnite Made Over $9 Billion Between 2018 And 2019
Today, the trial between Epic and Apple finally began after nearly nine months of legal filings and pre-trial hearings. During the court proceedings, new documents surfaced providing more data on how these companies operate. For example, we now know that Fortnite made $9,165,000,000 in two years. That huge number comes from a financial board presentation…
By Zack Zwiezen Published May 3, 2021 -
CultureIt’s Very Important To Nintendo That Publishers Don’t Work For The Yakuza
After being delayed by technical issues that resulted in a conference call full of screaming Fortnite children, the long-awaited Epic vs Apple court trial is finally underway this week. As part of the proceedings, Nintendo provided documents that include a publisher contract—though honestly, “include” might be a stretch. Nintendo submitted 25 pages of nearly-nothing, blacking…
By Nathan Grayson Published May 3, 2021 -
CultureOdds and EndsUnlucky Returnal Player Goes For Loot, Dies Immediately
No matter how badly you get screwed by Returnal’s luck-of-the-draw roguelike gameplay, you’re not nearly as down on your luck as a player who desperately tried to get some loot, only to meet a grisly fate. Player Nalotaib shared their misfortune on Reddit, which started when they opened a malignant chest in Returnal’s second area.…
By Ari Notis Published May 3, 2021 -
OpinionAsk KotakuDid You Like The New Mortal Kombat Movie?
It’s Monday and time for Ask Kotaku, the weekly feature in which Kotaku-ites deliberate on a single burning question. Then, we ask your take. This week we Ask Kotaku: Did you like the new Mortal Kombat movie? As you’d expect, spoilers abound below. Ash Bit of a controversial opinion here, but I liked all the…
By Lisa Marie Segarra Published May 3, 2021 -
CultureReturnal’s Lack Of A Save Feature Is Ruining Players’ Runs
I made a mistake. Yesterday, I had to stop playing Returnal, a tough-as-nails action game released last week exclusively for PS5, mid-run to tend to some chores. You know, like shopping for groceries and drinking rosé on my roof. When I returned to my PlayStation 5 this morning, a pop-up notification informed me that Returnal…
By Ari Notis Published May 3, 2021 -
CultureSony Plans To ‘Integrate’ Discord With PlayStation
Sony Interactive Entertainment has invested a minority stake in the popular communication app Discord, SIE president Jim Ryan announced today in a blog post. The companies plan to “bring the Discord and PlayStation experiences closer together on console and mobile starting early next year.” Sony didn’t detail much about what it plans to do with…
By Ari Notis Published May 3, 2021 -
CultureOver 70 More Games Just Got FPS Boost On Xbox Series X/S
Microsoft added its FPS Boost to over 70 additional games today, letting players on Xbox Series X or S enjoy dramatically better performance in older Xbox One titles like Yakuza 6, Assassin’s Creed Unity, Alien Isolation, Far Cry 5, and Mad Max. FPS Boost is a feature found on Xbox Series X and S consoles…
By Zack Zwiezen Published May 3, 2021 -
CultureWatch Dog: Legion’s New Operative Can Mind-Control Enemies
Watch Dogs: Legion is set to receive its first major update tomorrow, introducing a supernatural new character, two additional recruit types, and more online content. The new character, Mina Sidhu, is described as a “test subject” who brings mind-control powers to DedSec. She can possess enemies to safely take out their buddies and incapacitate folks…
By Ian Walker Published May 3, 2021 -
CultureTwitchTwitch Isn’t Overwhelmed With Far-Right Extremists, But It Does Have A Big Misinformation Problem
Twitch’s relationship with misinformation is complicated. In 2020, platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter grappled with their outsized roles in the creation and cultivation of conspiracy movements like QAnon. Misinformation troubled Twitch in a different way, but the platform emerged curiously un-plagued by a comparable extremism epidemic. Now, midway through 2021, Twitch is finally…
By Nathan Grayson Published May 3, 2021 -
CultureHere’s Everything Coming To And Leaving Game Pass Soon
Members of Xbox Game Pass will soon lose the ability to play Remedy’s beloved Alan Wake at no extra cost. On the other hand, the gnarliest extreme snow sports game since SSX Tricky will become available in a matter of days. Fair trade, if you ask me. Here’s everything coming to Xbox Game Pass in…
By Ari Notis Published May 3, 2021 -
CultureOdds and EndsFan Proves EVE Online Would Make A Great Card Game
EVE Online players make a lot of fan art related to their passion: song parodies, propaganda films, online talk shows. Now, one player is combining their passion for EVE with their passion for another kind of game—collectible card games. Player Beebles has made about 30 cards for a fictional card game based on people and…
By Lee Yancy Published May 3, 2021 -
CultureMega Man Composer Manami Matsumae Doesn’t Miss The 9-6 Grind
Few game music composers have as iconic a resume as Manami Matsumae. Starting at Capcom in 1987, her first major project was scoring the original Rockman, the game we know as Mega Man. The Cutman theme? That’s Matsumae. And she was just getting started, soon jumping from the Famicom into Capcom’s CPS-1 arcade hardware to…
By Alexandra Hall Published May 3, 2021 -
CultureThe Week In Games: Resident Evil Village Is Almost Here
This week get ready to creep around scary, dilapidated houses searching for green herb and bullets, because Resident Evil Village is out on May 7 for basically every platform. I skipped the demos for Resident Evil Village. I’m going in mostly blind and I’m excited. I’m ready to sink away for a week into a…
By Zack Zwiezen Published May 3, 2021 -
AnimeGold Gundam Statues Go On Sale In Japan For Only $240,000
Like Gundam? Have lots of money? Well, does a Japanese jewelry company have a product for you. Several, actually. Here’s a trio of pure golden Gundam statues, with the larger ones costing a whole lot of money—and the smaller one still costing a lot of money, too. The RX-78-2 Gundam Beam Rifle version measures 180mm…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 3, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanJapanese Town Got Covid-19 Money So They Built A Giant Squid Statue
The town of Noto in Ishikawa received millions of yen due to the impact of covid-19. The money was part of a rural revitalization project to help the countryside in the wake of the virus. According to Yahoo! News Japan, local governments such as Noto’s would decide how to spend the money, such as infection…
By Brian Ashcraft Published May 3, 2021 -
CultureUh, Epic Games Bought ArtStation
While we’re used to things like studios being bought and paid for as part of Epic’s Fortnite-fuelled crusade against companies like Apple and Valve, the company spent the weekend buying something a little more unexpected: ArtStation, a site that anyone who has ever read our Fine Art feature will be more than familiar with. After…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 2, 2021