The First Liquid-Cooled Steam Machine

Some Steam Machine makers are attempting to create small form factor gaming machines powered and priced competitively to the latest generation consoles. Starting at $1,899, Digital Storm’s liquid-cooled Bolt II is not one of those. Digital Storm has proven itself capable of creating affordable gaming machines, but for the most part the company has been…

Chicago Cops: 13-Year-Old Killed Cousin After Xbox Argument

Cops in Chicago say a 13-year-old boy killed his 16-year-old cousin on Sunday morning, following a day in which the two had argued “about an Xbox” according to a police report. The younger boy shot his cousin as he slept, according to a police report in this account by the Chicago Tribune, and later admitted…

YouTuber Blasts Machinima As The ContentID Controversy Grinds On [Update]

The controversy facing YouTube and video game channels now sees this broadside, by Clash (180,000 subscribers) against his network, Machinima. The video echoes many complaints aired by others, particularly the feeling that, since YouTube changed the rules for how multi-channel networks like Machinima handle or manage their channels, there’s little reason to belong to one.…

Here’s the latest from Kotaku‘s official reader-written blog, Talk Amongst Yourselves: One Man’s 2013 Gaming Highlights • One Man’s 2013 Gaming Lowlights • Why the Latest Legend of Zelda Wasn’t What I Wanted • Gone Home vs. Dear Esther: The Comparison Someone Really Should Have Done By Now TAY Classic — TAY Open Forum —…

Super Motherload Is Impossible On Hardcore Co-Op.

I’m a big fan of Super Motherload, and I was really looking forward to the co-op mode. After messing around in singleplayer, it seemed like it would be too easy, so I was determined to beat it on Hardcore. What a mistake. I played with my friend Rob, and despite how it may seem, we…

A Horror Game That Changes Every Time You Play

Play a horror game enough and you know where all the scares are. The terror becomes routine. But Daylight is promising something different. It’s going to transform each time you try to escape. Like Spelunky, No Man’s Sky and a slew of other games, the upcoming PC/PS4 title from Zombie Studios—built on Unreal Engine 4—uses…

The First Official Wireless iOS Gamepad Is Small. Maybe Too Small.

All the age of controller-enabled iOS gaming has given us so far is a pair of wraparound shell controllers that only work with newer iPhones or iPod Touches. Where’s the iPad love? SteelSeries brings the iPad love with the Stratus — the first official wireless gaming controller for iOS 7. SteelSeries has been in the…

China’s Video Game “Retail” Displays Look Suspect

Last week, photos of last generation video game consoles have appeared online in China. No, these aren’t any regular old photos, the consoles in these photos are in retail display kiosks inside Chinese brick and mortar electronics shop Suning. These photos have spurred up the talk that China’s video game console market will open up…

Was Naruto Ripped Off By a Chinese TV Show?

Since relations with Japan have come to a low of late, China has been churning out anti-Japanese television shows, games, and more. Ironically, while hating on all things Japan, one of China’s newest anti-Japanese productions seems to have stolen music from Japan’s own Naruto. That’s right, an anti-Japanese television show with music from Naruto. Go…

Drakengard 3‘s Director Is Keen for Drakengard 4

In a recently published interview from late last year with 4Gamer (via Siliconera), Drakengard‘s series director Taro Yoko reflected on 2013 and 2014. Last year was probably busy. This year? Less so. “I’d like to say thank you very much for the year 2013 to everyone,” said Yoko, who’s known for his honesty. “Living can…

One Company Is Dominating Chinese Internet Cafes (Apparently!)

While Chinese Internet cafes are supposedly on the decline, but with a 126 million active players at net cafes across the country it’s easy to see that net cafes are still a major player in the gaming scene of China. Such as it is, it’s always interesting to see what kind of games are being…

Hyper-Violent Anime Gets a Hollywood Live-Action Trailer

The classic, cult-hit anime Kite is coming to the big screen in a live-action Hollywood production starring Samuel L. Jackson and India Eisely. Here’s the flick’s debut trailer. It feels reminiscent of Luc Besson’s The Professional (not a bad thing), and I doubt the live-action version will be anywhere as violent (or pornographic) as the…

Pokémon X/Y Might Feature a Transgender Character

The above character appears to make a nuanced hint at her gender change in the latest Pocket Monster game, Pokémon X/Y In the English language version of the game, the text that accompanies the above character reads, “Yes, a mere half year ago I was a Black Belt! Quite the transformation, wouldn’t you say?” The…

Five Video Games I Can’t Believe You Can Pre-Order

Once upon a time I felt as though pre-ordering a video game was a helpful consumer service but nowadays? With a handful of exceptions pre-ordering video games is all about serving your corporate overlords by informing retailers and publishers of demand and the impact of marketing campaigns. Well, there’s that and there’s the whole getting…