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CultureMorning MusicI’m Finally Playing Phantom Dust To Avoid *Gestures Broadly At Everything*
Welcome to Morning Music, Kotaku’s daily hangout for folks who love video games and the cool-ass sounds they make. Today…well, you know how it’s been going. Ugh. And I’m playing Phantom Dust to try and think about something else for little stretches. Yep, Phantom Dust (playlist / longplay / VGMdb), 2005’s late-release Xbox fan favorite…
By Alexandra Hall Published November 5, 2020 -
UncategorizedWell, Nintendo Is Doing Great
The global pandemic has meant that people are spending more time at home, playing more video games. Consequently, during the past six months, Nintendo has seen its profits jump by over 240 percent. In its six-month earning statement ending on September 30 of this year, Nintendo reported that year-on-year net sales are up 73.3 percent,…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 5, 2020 -
Kotaku EastJapanThe PlayStation 5 Will Only Be Sold Online At Launch
When the PlayStation 5 launches this month, Sony won’t be selling the console in stores. Instead, launch day sales will only be online. “In the interest of keeping our gamers, retailers, and staff safe amidst COVID-19, today we are confirming that all day-of launch sales will be conducted through the online stores of our retail…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 5, 2020 -
UncategorizedSega Is Selling Its Arcade Business
Sega is selling its arcade business to Genda, a Tokyo-based company involved in arcade game rentals and online crane games. According to Jiji, Sega Sammy Holdings is selling Genda an 85.1 percent stake in Sega Entertainment Co., which is the company’s subsidiary that operates the arcades, for an undisclosed amount in late December. Genda will…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 5, 2020 -
CultureTrack: Kaya | Artist: Anewhite | Album: Nachtmusik (EP)
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 5, 2020 -
OpinionImpressionsTeardown Is A Heist Game Where Levels Are Fully Destructible, And It’s Fantastic
Teardown’s central contradiction should be infuriating. True to its name, you can tear down basically any structure in a level, up to and including the ground beneath your feet. But you shouldn’t! I repeat: You, functionally all-powerful to an extent few video games have ever allowed, should not destroy everything the first chance you get.…
By Nathan Grayson Published November 4, 2020 -
CultureOdds and EndsRelax, With A Game About Owning A Fish Tank
If Blinkclick Games wanted to make the most relaxing management game possible, they’ve certainly picked the right subject matter with their upcoming Fishkeeper It’s a management game in the vein of stuff like Planet Zoo, only on a much smaller scale, since you’re being tasked here with simply…filling a fish tank. Now we’ve all enjoyed…
By Luke Plunkett Published November 4, 2020 -
CultureThe Xbox Series X’s Backward Compatibility Effort Is Pretty Interesting
Here’s something I like very much: interviews with console executives about upcoming next-gen machines that get very into hard numbers, internal procedures and an explanation of just how much work went into making sure the Xbox Series X/s backward compatibility was up to scratch. Like this one that Inverse didwith Xbox Director of Program Management Jason…
By Luke Plunkett Published November 4, 2020 -
CultureOdds and EndsI Miss The Crazy Batshittery Of The Original Tomb Raider Trilogy
Since mounting anxiety has robbed me of higher cognitive thought, let’s talk about dinosaurs—specifically, why the hell are there dinosaurs in the first three Tomb Raider games? To be clear, I don’t mind that they’re there—they’re challenging to fight and make for some thrilling jump-scares. I’m also aware of how odd it is to focus…
By Ash Parrish Published November 4, 2020 -
CultureAmong Us Will Soon Let You Report People For Being Assholes
Purple being toxic? Red using hacks? Among Us developer InnerSloth says players will have new tools for punishing these impure souls come December when the game gets a new account system. “[Accounts] will allow players to report accounts that are toxic and/or hacking,” the developer wrote in its latest unofficial roadmap on Monday. “They may…
By Ethan Gach Published November 4, 2020 -
CultureCall Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Is 40GB Bigger On Next-Gen Consoles
Call of Duty games are routinely some of the biggest you can download on console, and this year’s Black Ops: Cold War is continuing that trend, especially on PS5 and Xbox Series X. Today, Activision revealed how much space you’ll need on each console’s hard drive to pre-load the game: PlayStation 4: 95GB PlayStation 5:…
By Ethan Gach Published November 4, 2020 -
CultureGameStop Challenges Employees To TikTok Dance Contest To Earn Extra Hours During Black Friday
There’s something about Black Friday that seems to bring out the worst in GameStop’s corporate leadership, and this year the video game retailer has found a bizarre new way to appear petty and out of touch. The company has invited employees to submit dance videos in the hopes of winning prizes that include extra work…
By Ethan Gach Published November 4, 2020 -
CultureOur Yakuza: Like A Dragon Review Is In Progress [UPDATE]
UPDATE: IT’S DONE Original post: Wondering where our Yakuza: Like a Dragon review is? It’s in progress! This is a huge game, like any Yakuza title, and to rush it to meet an embargo date (which just ticked over), skipping over its bounty of sidequests and secrets, isn’t fair on any of us. So stay…
By Luke Plunkett Published November 4, 2020 -
CultureMorning MusicDemon’s Souls Understands There’s Beauty In Silence
Welcome to Morning Music, Kotaku’s daily hangout for folks who love video games and the cool-ass sounds they make. Today, we return to one of the most influential games of the last decade on the eve of its PlayStation 5 remake. From Software’s Demon’s Souls (playlist /longplay /VGMdb) became the template for many games to…
By Ian Walker Published November 4, 2020 -
Kotaku EastJapanAnime Holograms To Work At Japanese Hotel
Next January, the Henna Hotel (“Strange Hotel”) in Tokyo is doing a collaboration with The Idolmaster, the Bandai Namco sim filled with anime-style idols. As part of the tie-up, there will be more than simply Idolmaster art plastered in rooms and cut-out cardboard versions of the characters. At the check-in counter, holograms of the idols…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 4, 2020 -
Kotaku EastHere’s a League of Legends Statue That Only Costs $1,000
Open your wallets! Irelia from League of Legends is getting a limited edition statue that costs lots and lots of money. Shanghai-based collectible maker Infinity Studio crafted this 1/4-scale statue to mark League of Legends’ tenth anniversary. Measuring 24.8 inches, the detailed figure is limited to 800 pieces and made from polystone, PVC, and fabric.…
By Brian Ashcraft Published November 4, 2020 -
CultureThe Political Donations Of Top Video Game Execs
An elderly man contest is happening today. It is the product not of a functioning democracy, but a system fueled by corporate lobbying, vast fortunes, and the whims of the wealthy. So let’s have a look at what some video game executives have been up to recently. (This information was obtained using OpenSecrets.org, a database…
By Nathan Grayson Published November 3, 2020
