When Two Best Friends Make Video Games (And Only One Sells)

Game Developers Matt Trobbiani and Chris Johnson are best friends. They do everything together. They grew up together. They did a Computer Science degree together. They made video games together, released video games together. But when Matt released Hacknet and Chris Johnson released Expand, everything changed. One game made its creator rich, the other sent…

Destiny Players: How Much Have You Spent On Microtransactions?

Today, Bungie added some expensive, unexpected microtransactions to Destiny that will let players level their characters (slightly) faster in exchange for (a lot of) real-world money. In light of that news, I’m curious how much y’all have spent on the game so far. Back when Destiny’s in-game microtransaction system launched, we polled readers on which…

2015’s Biggest Video Games, In Under Two Minutes

A lot of video games came out in 2015. Can they all fit into a two-minute video? (Most of) the best ones certainly can. Reader Malcolm Klock has been making these clips for the last few years (so they’re his picks for the best, not ours!), and 2015’s edition tries to cover as many bases…

In Memory of Ralph McQuarrie, the Artist who Designed Darth Vader & R2-D2

I run theFine Art feature on Kotaku because it’s an aspect of the creative process that I have a big interest in, and the utmost respect for. Indeed, there was a point in my life where I hit a fairly substantial crossroads, and if I hadn’t gone down the path that led me here, I’d…

Sakurai Thanks Smash Bros. Fans For Their Support

Today, we saw the last Smash Bros. focused Nintendo Direct broadcast. At the end, Smash Bros. designer Masahiro Sakurai gave a great shout-out to all the folks who love and play his game. You can watch him in the video above, but here’s a transcript: It’s been over a year since we finished development of…

Full Suit Of Titan Armor Looks Like It Fell Out Of Destiny

Frank Ippolito and his team were asked by Sony to build a contest winner a full set of Titan armour from Destiny. After five weeks of work, they delivered, and then some. Here’s a kinda-gross ad/video that you can skip through to get to the parts where they’re showing the build progress and the suit…

Here’s How Cloud Works In Super Smash Bros.

Cloud, the angsty star of Final Fantasy VII, will be available later today for Smash Bros., limit breaks and all. You can see his various moves and abilities in the above video. When Cloud goes live, he’ll be $6 on either Wii U or 3DS, and $7 for both.

Bayonetta Is Coming To Super Smash Bros.

Surprise! The final Super Smash Bros. character is the witch Bayonetta, who has become remarkably popular thanks to last year’s excellent Wii U game, Bayonetta 2 The superstar witch—who will be the final DLC character for Smash 3DS and Wii U—can use all sorts of gun attacks as well as Witch Time, an ability from…

& Knuckles

Smash Bros. Is Getting A New Fire Emblem Character, Corrin

Meet Corrin. The protagonist of Fire Emblem Fates will be joining the cast of Smash Bros. Before y’all freak about yet another Fire Emblem character in Smash Bros., Corrin actually looks cool! Corrin can turn into a freakin’ dragon, for one. Not to mention, that’s a pretty fire costume that Corrin wears! And here’s how…

The Emotional Games Awards Is Now Accepting . . . Sorry, Give Me A Moment

Okay. I’m okay. The 2016 Emotional Games Awards has opened up submissions for games that evoke strong emotional rea . . . oh god. No, no—I can do this. Happy place. Happy place. Imagine myself in a frozen forest. And go. The Emotional Games Awards is now accepting submissions for consideration as nominees for its…

DC Comics Is Making Big Changes (Again) to Superman and Batman

The current storylines—which have ushered in radically different versions of the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight—will be wrapping up early next year. Come next spring, no more Robo-Bat-cop or T-Shirt Superman. The latest versions of the Man of Steel and the Dark Knight will be returning to more familiar forms early next year.…

Smash Bros. Modders Are Already Playing The Unreleased Final Fantasy VII Stage

Wow. This is pretty incredible. Back when Cloud was revealed as an upcoming Smash Bros. character, we caught a glimpse of his associated stage: Midgar. More recently, Nintendo disseminated an update for Smash Bros., in anticipation of the Direct that’s broadcasting later today. For data miners, these updates are catnip: they can look into the…

It’s Not Clear What A ‘Spoiler’ Is Anymore

The hype for tonight’s Smash Bros. presentation, possibly the game’s final Nintendo Direct, is real. So real, people are trying to avoid spoilers for what’s basically a marketing video. It initially struck me as odd, but as someone who’s avoiding spoilers for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, maybe it shouldn’t. “just a friendly reminder: tomorrow’s…