- Esports
The Weekend In Esports: League Of Legends And Genesis 4 Return
Coming off of last weekend’s excess in China with the WESG 2016, it’s back down to business with the start of some cutthroat action in both Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Smash Bros. Oh, and competitive League of Legends finally returns this weekend! Below you’ll find where and when you can catch all the weekends biggest…
By Ethan Gach Published January 21, 2017 - Culture
This Week In The Business: A Tough Year For Hardware
QUOTE | “I’m tired of shooting people for no reason other than not getting killed.” – Martin Greip, art director of Eat, Create, Sleep, talking about games that lack meaning and how big budget games are “estranged from the real world.” QUOTE | “I’d puke if I had to work on an empire-building game or…
James Brightman Published January 21, 2017 -
CultureI Love Astroneer For Its Optimism
Yesterday I was feeling pretty down because, well, I knew tomorrow would be today. On a lark, I decided to try out Astroneer, because it’s managed to remain among Steam’s top sellers for a month, which is no small feat. Turns out, it’s just the game I needed. Astroneer is the most fundamentally optimistic survival…
By Nathan Grayson Published January 20, 2017 - Uncategorized
Ubisoft Massive has shared yet more information about updates coming to The Division. This time they’re talking about the 1.6 update, which will accompany the next expansion. It’ll increase the size of the Dark Zone, add a new difficulty level, and more.
By Kirk Hamilton Published January 20, 2017 -
UncategorizedHere’s A Good Retro Controller For PC Gaming
Many cheap retro controllers look the part, but fall down when it comes down to build quality. Thankfully the iBuffalo classic USB gamepad doesn’t succumb to these issues. It feels every bit as good as an original Super Nintendo pad does. The nice thing is it’ll run on just about anything: Windows, Macs, Raspberry Pis,…
By Leo Wichtowski Published January 20, 2017 - Culture
What Are You Playing This Weekend?
Pretty much says it all. How about those video games, though? I’m sure you won’t be shocked to hear I’ll be playing more The Witcher 3. I’ll also be taking a break to play some of the games at one of my local Global Game Jam spots. Good luck if you’re making a game this weekend!…
By Riley MacLeod Published January 20, 2017 -
CultureSnacktaku Makes Everything Better With Chocolate Strawberry Oreos
After spending 2016 eating strange and horrible things, Snacktaku is kicking off the year on a high note. Let January 20, 2017 be forever known as the day Snacktaku ate Chocolate Strawberry Oreos, one of the best limited edition flavors in ages. Combining chocolate and strawberry flavors in a cookie may seem like an easy…
By Mike Fahey Published January 20, 2017 - Uncategorized
The Sims 4 Celebrity House Update: Tilda Swinton Saves Drake’s Life
The house has fallen into chaos. Thankfully, a savior has emerged: Tilda Swinton. You wouldn’t really think much of Tilda from the looks of her. The past few times I’ve played this house, she’s mostly napped on the couch and played basketball. But today I decided to see what makes her tick. Mainly, it’s alcohol.…
By Gita Jackson Published January 20, 2017 - Uncategorized
Genesis 4 Has Some Very Beautiful Smash Bros. Melee Cabinets
Any Super Smash Bros. Melee player will tell you that its fans are dedicated and particular. If you play seriously, you will play on a CRT for minimal lag with a brand new GameCube controller. And you will never, ever touch Pichu. At the Genesis 4 Smash tournament, which started today, Red Bull esports installed…
By Cecilia D'Anastasio Published January 20, 2017 - Uncategorized
Study Shows Which Video Game Genres Women Play Most
I’ve often told people that about half of gamers are women, citing an Entertainment Software Association report that puts the number at 41%. The invariable response: “But what games are they playing?” Yesterday, Nick Yee, the co-founder of game analytics company Quantic Foundry, published a report that spells out which game genres are dominated by…
By Cecilia D'Anastasio Published January 20, 2017 - Tips & Guides
Tips For Playing Gravity Rush 2
Gravity Rush 2 is out today on PS4. I had mixed feelingsabout the game in general, but I do like a lot of things about it and it’s definitely more fun once you get the hang of it. To that end: some tips! Let’s do this. Watch the anime first. Sony released a short two-part…
By Kirk Hamilton Published January 20, 2017 - Uncategorized
How Virtual Console Could Make The Switch A Must-Own
Nintendo has yet to say anything about how the Switch will approach classic games, which means there’s still hope that they won’t screw it up. Very slight hope. But we’ll take what we can get. Historically, Nintendo’s Virtual Console—a service for buying and playing games from older platforms—has been disappointing. On Wii, 3DS, and Wii…
By Jason Schreier Published January 20, 2017 -
UncategorizedMeanwhile, At The Second Life Trump Inauguration Party . . .
Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 45th president of the United States was an appropriately staid and stately affair. The inauguration party in virtual world Second Life was much more colorful. The biggest inauguration party in Second Life took place in the London City sim, oddly enough, where avatars of all sizes and shapes from around…
By Mike Fahey Published January 20, 2017 - CultureTotal Recall
That Time Some Players Thought Luigi Was In Super Mario 64
Super Mario 64 was a watershed moment for our favorite video game plumber. Mario made the leap into the third dimension and brought a colorful array of characters with him but a major ally was missing: his brother Luigi. Was he just hiding the whole time? Mario’s brother Luigi has always had his back ever…
By Heather Alexandra Published January 20, 2017 - Uncategorized
Twitch Stream Follows Five GTA V NPCs Wherever They Go, No Matter What They Do
Artist Brent Watanabe debuts the San Andreas Community Cam today, a Twitch stream that follows the lives of five Grand Theft Auto V NPCs. Watch as they traverse GTA V’s Los Santos, accompanied by the sounds of crying. The San Andreas Community Cam follows five NPCs as they go about their day. In the words…
By Gita Jackson Published January 20, 2017 -
UncategorizedWhat Made Toonami So Good
An entire generation’s fondness for anime can be traced back to one programming block on Cartoon Network called Toonami. Toonami is a well of nostalgia for millennials whose introduction to anime included Dragon Ball Z, Gundam Wing, Sailor Moon and other classics. I’d never really thought about what made Toonami so special until yesterday, when…
By Cecilia D'Anastasio Published January 20, 2017 -
UncategorizedThe Pedestrian, A Game About Signs, Looks Great
The Pedestrian’s pitch begins: “What’s it like inside the world of public restroom signs?” It’s a game about signs. Caution signs, street signs, any kind of sign that would feature a little human icon. And the aim of the game is to arrange a bunch of the signs together so you can get that little…
By Luke Plunkett Published January 20, 2017 - Uncategorized
Inside publisher Playdead announced today that they’ve been working on a new game. The image they posted appears to show a kid who had landed in a desert with a parachute. Last year, one of Playdead’s co-founders split from the company with a $7 million payout.
By Cecilia D'Anastasio Published January 20, 2017 - Reviews
Gravity Rush 2: The Kotaku Review
Despite its infuriating control issues, awful stealth missions, interminable boss fights and half-baked sidequests, I cannot discount Gravity Rush 2’s mammoth ambition and abundance of otherworldly charm. If a game must be a mess, at least let it be this exuberant a mess. Gravity Rush 2 is an open-world superhero game that tells the tale…
By Kirk Hamilton Published January 20, 2017