Behold, a Human Spambot

Spam sucks! So does junk mail. But this human spambot is totally amazing. Just look how she fills those mailboxes with advertisements. Human Spambot [Arul Prasad M L@YouTube via ITMedia] Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning…

Chinese Audience Unimpressed By Resident Evil: Retribution

Resident Evil: Retribution was released in the US late last year. The movie, shot completely in 3D and in 4K resolution had some pretty awesome special effects. It made a decent amount of money in most of its release markets but despite all the money it made, Chinese moviegoers seem to be unhappy with the…

Shocker: Counter-Strike Map Based on Local School Causes Outrage

Last month, one Counter-Strike fan got in trouble for putting a Montreal metro station in multiplayer map form. Recently, something quite similar has happened. Last week, CBC News reported on locals’ reactions to a Counter-Strike map featuring Port Moody Secondary School of Port Moody, B. C. People first became aware of the map when a…

Welcome To The New Kotaku: Better Graphics, More Interactive, Same Low Price.

In less time than it takes to make a new BioShock, but in more time than it takes to crank out a new PlayStation firmware update—most people can actually hold their breath long enough for that—we’ve got a new Kotaku layout for you. Welcome to our first big makeover since 2011. We call it Kinja.…

Hong Kong Resident Uses Social Media To Catch iPhone Thief

Having been the victim of cellphone theft I’ve dreamed of catching the thief. Unfortunately, when I lost my phone, technology wasn’t as impressive as it is today. Over the weekend a Hong Kong resident had his iPhone 5 stolen, but with the help of social media and the Internet, he was able to get his…

Akira-Meets-The-Simpsons Gets a Full Cast. It Might Surprise You.

When I look at iconic manga and anime Akira, I don’t immediately think of Bart Simpson and Milhouse. Cartoonist James Harvey does. Harvey is spearheading the “Bartkira” project. It’s a group project that consists of over three hundred artists, all working in their own styles. Below you can see the cast of characters: As noted…

Tecmo Koei Just Sliced Up Team Ninja

In Japan, everything changes in the spring. And this April 1, Tecmo Koei, from the sound of it, is making some big changes. At least, on paper. According to a new press release, Tecmo Koei is reorganizing its corporate structure. Meh, right? That sounds rather boring and insidery, but the relevant info is how it…

A Collection of Wonderful, Odd, and Unforgettable Cosplay

Over the weekend in Osaka’s Den-Den Town, the city’s geek district, a street fair called Nipponbashi Festa was held with oodles of cosplayers. As with last year’s Nipponbashi Festa, many of the cosplayers preferred to go with rather peculiar outfits—along with more traditional choices. The results were interesting, creative, and totally wonderful. Below, have a…

Life After Final Fantasy Sure Seems Normal for This Character

You know the story: Rough, wild individual settles down. Gets a job. And turns into a boring member of society. It doesn’t just happen to regular people. It also apparently happens to Japanese role-playing characters. You have to grow up and move on! You can’t be in Japanese role-playing games forever! (Technically you can.) With…

The Console Version Of Diablo III Could Very Well Be The Best One

There are two reasons the console port of Diablo III, announced by Blizzard last month and shown off at PAX East this weekend, could be the definitive version of the game. The first reason is obvious: you can play offline. You don’t have to worry about server errors or Time Warner Cable while playing this…

Here, Have Some Rare Borderlands 2 Loot

There were plenty of delicious Borderlands announcements at PAX East today, but those who weren’t present for the revelry may be feeling left out. Thus, a treat is in order! Gearbox was apparently handing out SHiFT codes, which give players access to special golden keys. Predictably, golden keys open golden loot chests. Also predictably, golden…

Kickstart This Documentary About The LGBT Gaming Community

David Gil wants to make a documentary about the ever-growing community of LGBT gamers, and you’re going to help him. Isn’t that what Kickstarter is for? Gil’s project, Gaming in Color, aims to “take a closer look at the challenges and the growth of these communities in the gaming world.” Gil himself is billed as…

BioShock Infinite‘s script is 20k words longer than a novel, and other fun facts via this Irrational Games infographic

Capcom posted some photos of the just-announced Mega Man 25th anniversary statue. It lights up!

Halo 4 Will Soon Get Its Own ‘Forge Island,’ Plus Other Tweaks

343 Industries announced during a PAX East panel yesterday that Halo 4 will soon get its own version of Halo: Reach‘s Forge World map (pictured above), a feature that has been missed since 4 launched. Called “Forge Island” and releasing for free on April 11, the map will provide a series of open spaces in…

Nintendo’s Efforts To Explain The Wii U Just Took A Turn For The Absurd

It’s no secret that Nintendo has had a major problem marketing the Wii U. Most non-gamers (and even some gamers) I speak with have no idea that it even exists. Even Jimmy Fallon couldn’t quite figure it out—and he was supposed to be showing it off that night. Now Nintendo has apparently ramped up its…

Rock, Paper, Scissors, Hadoken, Baby Sloth Is a Tiny, Tiny Game

Rock, Paper, Scissors is too simple for our modern times. That’s why Margaret Robertson and her fellow game designers at Hide & Seek have created Rock, Paper, Scissors, Hadoken, Baby Sloth You could be playing it right now, if you have a friend nearby. Rock beats scissors, scissors beat paper, paper beats rock, Hadoken beats…

Watch Gearbox Punk People With A Borderlands Midget Hiding In A Vending Machine

Gearbox has been pulling this stunt at PAX East this weekend, and today during their panel they showed this video of a whole bunch of people getting punked. I’ll tell you one thing: if I ever see a Dr. Zed vending machine in a mall in Baltimore, I’m staying the hell away from it, no…

What Is Tiny Tina Teasing For Borderlands 2?

Gearbox showed off a little trailer that looks like Tiny Tina is playing something of a Dungeons and Dragons-esque board game, but Brick, Mordecai and Lilith aren’t quite understanding her rules. Could this teaser trailer—shown off during Gearbox’s PAX East panel today—be hinting at upcoming DLC? An official Borderlands 2 board game? A mobile spin-off?…

The next Borderlands 2 campaign DLC comes out at the end of June this year, Gearbox said at their panel today.