The Xbox One Vs. PS4 Headset War Begins

Last week, after Microsoft’s DRM reversal put it on more equal footing with the PlayStation 4, we took a fresh look at the differences between the two, but we missed one incredibly important feature — headsets. The PlayStation 4 comes with a mono headset. The Xbox One comes with none. If I could, there would…

What Made Titanfall So Impressive at E3

In the middle of E3 earlier this month, the creators of the new game Titanfall posed for a photo in front of a massive statue of one of the giant exo-skeletons—don’t call them mechs—featured in their game. “For me, that was the moment,” the team’s boss, Respawn Entertainment’s Vince Zampella, recently told Kotaku. He sounded…

Moneysaver Day One: Company of Heroes 2 For $45

The first rule of war is to save more than the other guy. Kotaku’s Luke Plunkett says you should play Company of Heroes 2, and I agree. On this, the day of its launch, you can pick up the strategy title for $48 at Gamefly using code GFDJUN20. Yes, it activates on Steam, and if…

Ridiculous Fishing Defeats The Cloners, ‘Huge’ Free Update Coming

Ah, Ridiculous Fishing. I believed in you, we all believed in you, but it’s nice to see the good guys win. Speaking with Digital Spy, Rami Ismail of Vlambeer, the game’s developer, says that the game has proven that artful, good games can win out despite cloners. The clone in this case being Gamenauts’ Ninja…

Well, This Is The Worst Pac-Man Facial Hair I’ve Ever Seen

It’s not like I’ve seen all that much Pac-Man facial hair. Or really, any Pac-Man facial hair. But this is still the worst. This dude, posted to Uberhumor and spotted by Tosh.0, manages to combine some truly nightmarish facial hair with a generally dopey/high facial expression, sending a clear message: “I don’t give a flying…

Artist Says The Last of Us Ripped Off His Boston Subway Map Redesign [Update]

A transit-map enthusiast who painstakingly redesigned Boston’s MBTA rail map says The Last of Us took his work, without his permission and without compensating him, for use in the game. He’s not happy about it. In his own words, Cameron Booth said he was “fucking furious,” before cooling off later today. Still, via his Twitter…

Havok Unleashes Project Anarchy, A Free 3D Mobile Game Engine

Ever wanted to be a mobile game developer and weren’t sure where to start? This. This right here. Project Anarchy is completely free end-to-end game development engine, just waiting to bring your ideas to life. You know that Havok logo you’re used to seeing at the beginning of PC and console games? Project Anarchy provides…

This Yakuza Ad Is Awesome Even if You Don’t Speak Japanese

Everybody from Kotaku East is asleep right now. So I don’t have the benefit of their multilingual skills when it comes to translating this advert for the HD re-master of Sega’s first two Yakuza games. The language barrier is no real obstacle here, however. I can tell that things start off sweet and then get…

The Moneysaver: Free Games, Free Avengers, Borderlands, PS3 Bundle

Oh goody! My illudium Q-36 explosive space Moneysaver! Get comfortable, we’ve got a big post today. Newegg must be trying to downsize warehouses because there are free or deeply discounted games across multiple platforms. If you’re an Amazon Prime member (free trial here) you can now stream The Avengers for free. There’s something for everyone…

Who’s Your Favorite G.I. Joe Character? Say Shipwreck.

Not that any other choices aren’t valid, but typing in Kotaku into the referral code box on the pre-registration website for G.I. Joe Battleground won’t get you anyone else. DeNA is gearing up to launch the free game on iOS and Android, and folks who pre-register using that super-secret code will score not only Hector…

These Pokemon Travel Posters Will Make You Want To Vacation In Kanto

If Kanto was a real place, many of us wouldn’t need persuasion to visit—we’d just go. That fact doesn’t make these travel posters by Little Pixel Posters any less awesome, though—they make Kanto look like a swell place to take a vacation in. Maybe that’s just nostalgia for the original Pokemon games talking. Either way,…

Tiny Tina’s Racism Reference In The New Borderlands 2 DLC [Update]

“BOOYAH. Not racist,” exclaims Tiny Tina in the newest Borderlands 2 DLC, out today. It’s not every day you hear video game characters discussing racism. Especially those who have had history with the concept, warranted or not. For the record, I do not think Tiny Tina’s personality conveys any sort of racism. If you are…

Video Games’ Obsession With Winning Is Killing Them

Two years ago I left a job at Rock, Paper, Shotgun to start a board game site. But that’s not the strange part. What’s odd is that I’ve never looked back. I’m getting more out of table games these days than video games, and the biggest reason is that somewhere along the line, video games…

Unofficial Superman Game Skewers Man of Steel’s Overblown Destruction

Kyle Baker’s no idiot. The iconic comics and animation artist knows that he can’t call the characters in Mass Murderer of Steel Superman and General Zod. But the fighting super-powered dudes in his quickie browser game are totally based on the brawling Kryptonians in Warner Bros.’ new Man of Steel movie. How can you tell?…

Ouya Provokes Piracy Argument with Retweet Touting Emulation

Ouya, which launched today even if many donors don’t yet have their machines, is an Android-based, open source console. It’ll run emulators. So there’s some sensitivity to the issue of piracy, which Ouya didn’t help by retweeting out a picture of Super Mario Bros. and adding the hashtag #freethegames. Yesterday an enthusiast—in a tweet removed…

Why Is This Comic-Con Exclusive Brock Samson Figure Naked?

“To prey on their fear, move like an animal, to feel the kill.” If you knew the answer to that question then congratulations, you’re enough of a Venture Bros. fan to really, really want this Entertainment Earth San Diego Comic-Con exclusive. I am gearing up for San Diego Comic-Con next month, and that gearing up…

Deadpool: The Kotaku Review

My initial foray into the world of High Moon Studios’ Deadpool video game culminated in an intimate moment in the eponymous character’s filthy bathroom. Pants around his hideously-scarred ankles, our hero strains. “It’s burns!” he cries, and it does — but it also feels kind of good. Following a phone call from the game’s developer…

Borderlands 2 Summed Up In One Clip

Borderlands 2 just got brand new downloadable content. It’s called Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep, and it’s fantastic. It’s seriously the best Borderlands 2 DLC yet. Partially because it’s huge and partially because it’s basically fan service to a hell of a lot of games (including Borderlands itself, of course) that we adore. But…

Here’s what’s going on Talk Among Yourselves, our reader-written blog: GranArcanum talks about why, for him, story and plot matter more than anything else in a game. PyramidHeadCrab wants to know what your favorite boss battle music is. And, sticking to sound-centric musings, GiantBoyDetective offers up his best video game music memory and asks for…

Late Deliveries to Ouya’s Backers Cast a Shadow Over Console’s Launch

Ouya, the Android-powered, crowdfunded indie console, arrives in stores today but shipping snafus mean many backers have yet to receive their consoles, threatening to cast a cloud over a big day for the machine. It could be another two weeks before all backers have their consoles. Backers, particularly those overseas, had already sensed trouble getting…