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CultureValve Founder Says Brain-Computer Interfaces Could One Day Replace Our ‘Meat Peripherals’
In an interview with New Zealand’s 1 News, Valve co-founder and president Gabe Newell talks about engineering a future where brain-computer interfaces create better-than-reality visuals and can actively edit who we think we are. You know, terrifying science-fiction stuff, only real. Why use your eyes and ears—which Newell sinisterly refers to as “meat peripherals”—to experience…
By Mike Fahey Published January 25, 2021 -
CultureCyberpunk 2077‘s Latest Patch Added A Game-Breaking Bug [Updated: CDPR Suggests Workaround]
Last Friday, CD Projekt Red dropped the first major update for its troubled open-world shooter, Cyberpunk 2077. “Major” is a relative term. While larger than previous updates, last week’s patch 1.1 focuses more on stability fixes rather than a wide-ranging overhaul. In fact, it may have even made the game worse—by introducing a potentially game-breaking…
By Ari Notis Published January 25, 2021 -
CultureThe Week In Games: I Got Friends On The Other Side
Supernatural horror game The Medium, developed by the folks behind Layers of Fear, releases later this week for Xbox Series X and S. I’ve always been a fan of creepy and scary games. I especially love when you reach that point in a scary game where you’ve learned its systems and limitations and can then…
By Zack Zwiezen Published January 25, 2021 -
CultureMorning MusicNier: Automata’s Soundtrack Is Real Sad-Girl Shit
Welcome to Morning Music, Kotaku’s hangout for folks who love video games and the cool-ass sounds they make. Today we’re back from our winter break, refreshed and ready to dive into Keiichi Okabe and co’s masterful soundtrack for Nier: Automata I was late to the party with Nier: Automata (playlist / longplay / VGMdb). I…
By Ash Parrish Published January 25, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanIn Japan, Pokémon Company Is Cracking Down On Sword And Shield Cheaters
The Pokémon Company issued a statement in Japan regarding cheats being used in Pokémon Sword and Shield, as well as in Pokémon Home In it, the game maker explains that a portion of players have been using “improperly altered data” while playing, and using both the aforementioned titles, which is causing issues for others and making…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 25, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanThe Japanese Government Could Change Cosplay Forever
Currently, anyone in Japan is free to dress as their favorite characters. But it might not stay free for them to do so. The Japanese government is proposing big copyright law changes for those who make money from cosplaying—and possibly, even for those who don’t. As writer and translator Matt Alt points out, the Japanese…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 25, 2021 -
Kotaku EastJapanHigh School Students Build A Back To The Future Monument
Students at Tanabe Technical High School in Wakayama, Japan have spent over four years making a DeLorean replica out of 2-millimeter-thick aluminum. The monument is located in front of the school, and four times a day during the week, it slowly spins around as the Back to the Future theme song plays, with the okay…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 25, 2021 -
Kotaku EastExhibitionist Cosplayer Fined And Sentenced For Exposing Herself In Public
Last year at the Fancy Frontier manga and anime expo in Taipei, a Taiwanese cosplayer got in trouble with the law for exposing herself in the cosplay area near the event hall while photographers snapped photos. She was arrested for violating the country’s Act on Offenses Against Sexual Morality. Note: This article contains content some…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 25, 2021 -
CultureThe Art Of Mike Nash
Australian artist Mike Nash, perhaps best known for his work designing robots for Horizon Zero Dawn and the film Chappie, has died. The news was announced by friends last week on social media. We first featured Nash’s work here back in 2011, and some of his more prominent creations—like the one below—have remained benchmarks for…
By Luke Plunkett Published January 24, 2021 -
CultureMicrosoft Wants To Build Chatbots Out Of Dead People’s Data
Black Mirror is satire. I thought we were all on the same page with this. As The Independent reports, Microsoft has been granted a patent on some tech that would allow the company to use people’s (or even fictional people’s) online footprint, looking for stuff like “images, voice data, social media posts [and] electronic messages,”…
By Luke Plunkett Published January 24, 2021 -
CultureCounter-Strike Pros Just Keep Getting Banned For Gambling
Only a few months after a number of professional Counter-Strike players received bans for betting on their own matches, the Esports Integrity Commission has issued sanctions “against 35 players for betting related offences.” These offences took place in Australia, North America and Europe, and the ESIC are working with police in each territory, particularly in…
By Luke Plunkett Published January 24, 2021 -
CultureSpeedrunners Are Beating Hitman 3‘s Dubai Level In Under 10 Seconds
Hitman 3’s opening level, set in a large tower in Dubai, is made up of various floors, rooms, and security measures. It’s a tricky stage for many players. But if you are quick, have a steady hand, and some luck, you can beat the whole thing in about nine seconds. As spotted by PCGamesN, some…
By Zack Zwiezen Published January 24, 2021 -
CultureShop Contest‘Shop Contest: Say Hello To Muncher
The internet was obsessed this past week with Bernie Sanders. But that’s old news and it’s been done to death already. So we are zigging instead of zagging. Say hello to Muncher, a new ghost from the new upcoming Ghostbusters film. Your challenge this week: Get Muncher in more things. Spread the word. I won’t…
By Zack Zwiezen Published January 24, 2021 -
CulturePlayers Unlock A New Secret Weapon In Assassin’s Creed Valhalla After Hitting A Pile Of Rocks
Players have discovered a new hidden and powerful bow in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. All you have to do is find a specific pile of rocks and hit it a few times and reload your save. Though, this isn’t the intended way to get the weapon. Players have discovered that a small, unremarkable pile of rocks…
By Zack Zwiezen Published January 24, 2021 -
CultureSunday Comics: Four Weeks Ago
Hello! It’s time for Kotaku’s Sunday Comics, your weekly roundup of the best webcomics. The images enlarge if you click on the magnifying glass icon. Corpse Run by Alex Di Stasi. Published Jan. 18. Read more of Corpse Run Awkward Zombie by Katie Tiedrich. Published Jan. 18. Read more of Awkward Zombie Clueless Hero by…
By Zack Zwiezen Published January 24, 2021 -
CultureShop Contest‘Shop Contest: Potato CEO, Winners!
Earlier this month, Taco Bell revealed that the company is run by a sentient potato. Because the world is always on fire these days, most folks didn’t notice. But I noticed and asked you all to spread the potato CEO. Our winning image this week comes from MightyM who creates an image that looks like…
By Zack Zwiezen Published January 23, 2021 -
CultureOdds and EndsCapcom Is Still Hiding Ethan’s Face In Resident Evil Village
While Ethan Winters may be the new face of the Resident Evil series, we still haven’t seen his actual face. And it doesn’t look like that’s going to change when Resident Evil Village launches on May 7. 2017’s Resident Evil 7 Biohazard marked a dramatic change for Capcom’s long-running survival horror franchise. Rather than controlling…
By Ian Walker Published January 23, 2021 -
CultureMorning CheckpointChess Looks Wild In 2021
This week we figure out how tall the very big lady from Resident Evil Village is, flip out a Bernie chair, learn what games will be free for Xbox Live Gold subscribers this month, buy 900lbs of PlayStation consoles and check in on chess YouTube in 2021. Great Kotaku Content From The Past Week I…
By Zack Zwiezen Published January 23, 2021 -
CultureMicrosoft Reverses Course On Xbox Live Price Increase
Following widespread customer backlash, Microsoft released a statement walking back its Friday morning announcement of sweeping price increases for the Xbox Live Gold subscription service. According to the details outlined in this morning’s announcement, the minimum yearly cost of Xbox Live Gold would have soared from $60 to $120. But at 11:52 p.m. ET, Microsoft…
By Alexandra Hall Published January 23, 2021 -
CultureReport: Vicarious Visions Is Working On A Diablo II Remake
Earlier today, Activision announced Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 developer Vicarious Visions had been absorbed by Blizzard to provide support on future projects. A few hours later, we now know that one of those projects is a Diablo II remake. According to Bloomberg, Vicarious Visions has been supporting Blizzard’s Team 3—which is also responsible for the upcoming…
By Ian Walker Published January 22, 2021