A 30-Year-Old Fighting Fantasy Comes To Life In My Hands

I was a little over 13 when I read the first book in UK game designer Steve Jackson’s Sorcery! series of Fighting Fantasy books. Enhancing the page-turning elements of the Choose Your Own Adventure books with pen-and-paper role-playing game mechanics, the series instilled in me a voracious appetite for interactive fiction. Twenty-seven years later the…

Why the Xbox 360 Won’t Get the Metal Gear Solid: Legacy Collection

Remember when Metal Gear Solid 4 was launched? And how it was such a big deal that the game wasn’t coming to the Xbox 360? Remember that? On his online radio show, Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima talked about why there wasn’t an Xbox 360 version of Metal Gear Solid: The Legacy Collection. “I’m sorry…

These Korean Reaction Shots Are Friggin’ Incredible

There’s acting, overacting, and this. Whatever the hell this is, it’s amazing. Here are reaction shots from a South Korean TV drama called Maybe Love (사랑했나봐). The show follows the exploits of a woman whose life is destroyed after her best friend steals her husband. Here’s the show’s official English description via the program’s Korean…

There Are Fewer Console Gamers In Japan, But It’s Not The End of Gaming

People in Japan have argued that the console gaming market is dying. Whether that argument is valid or not, they now have another piece of ammunition to point to as proof. The Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association – or CESA as it will henceforth be referred to as since abbreviations are much easier on the tongue…

This Avengers Black Widow Figure Has Fabulous Hair

So, it’s time to take a look at the newest addition to my Hot Toys Movie Masterpieces collection, Black Widow. So, first off, because the question will inevitably be asked in the comments section: Yes, I ordered and paid for this figure myself. Yes, the clothes are removable. No, the figure is not anatomically correct.…

Bloomberg (via Eurogamer) reports that an “unprecedented” number of Sony execs, including Kaz Hirai, won’t get annual bonuses. This comes as Sony’s electronics arm failed to turn a profit for the second straight year. To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com or find him on Twitter @Brian_Ashcraft Kotaku East is your slice…

Why Many in China Hate Iron Man 3‘s Chinese Version

There are two versions of Iron Man 3: One is the international version, and the other is the Chinese version, with added scenes. This version was made especially for the People’s Republic. But that certainly doesn’t mean everybody there likes it. This article might contain spoilers. Keep in mind that I’m not saying that China…

Japan’s Planned “Cyberspace Defense Force” Is Not As Cool As It Sounds

According to Hiroshi Ito, the top man at the Lac Cyber Security Research Institute in Japan, the JSDF’s scheduled “Cyberspace Defense Force” (tentative name) will consist of 100 people and the expected increase in Japan’s IT defense network is… Unfortunately, not that much. Sadly, the world of Ghost in the Shell is still largely science…

Daniel Radcliffe of Harry Potter fame signed on to play the lead in the Tokyo Vice film version. Tokyo Vice is Jake Adelstein’s memoirs from his crime reporter days and is definitely worth picking up. To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com or find him on Twitter @Brian_Ashcraft Kotaku East is your…

This Woman Makes the Same Face. At Nearly the Same Time. Every Day.

Yoko Shono is up bright and early daily for morning show Mezamashi TV, which is kind of like Today for Japan. And what seems like everyday at the nearly the exact same time, she makes what seems to be the exact same face. You must see it to believe it. Note: If you are prone…

StoryBundle, the DRM-free eBook bundle service from former Gizmodo maven Jason Chen, is offering its first ever video game themed book bundle. Curated by Gamasutra‘s Simon Carless, the bundle includes works by Prince Of Persia‘s Jordan Mechner, “Father of Games” Ralph Baer, Kill Screen Magazine and many more. Have a look at StoryBundle‘s official site.…

Gaming In 1982: Moustaches, Tiny Shorts & Colecovision

These two photos, belonging to Richard Braunstein, are perfect. Just perfect. Perfect because they capture what it was like playing games in the days before giant couches and giant TV sets. Perfect because these are two grown men playing video games in 1982, smashing stereotypes. And perfect because this is a photo of a Colecovision…

Your Original iPhone Will Soon Be Officially Obsolete

If for some reason you still have an original iPhone lying around, know that the revolutionary 2007 device is about to be declared obsolete. Not by your friends. By Apple. While it’s long stopped receiving software updates, and barely any games will run on the thing, it’s technically still been seen as an active device…

Even The Megacities Of The Future Are Crawling With Zombies

Just when you think you’ve seen every kind of zombie story the world can throw at you, it throws you one more. Past Away is a hybrid comic/adventure game being developed by Christopher Middleton, where you play as a futuristic pizza delivery pilot who has to survive the zombie apocalypse. Being essentially an interactive motion…

Wow, Sid Meier Just Made A New Video Game

Legendary game designer and Civilization co-creator Sid Meier is a bit like Tom Clancy these days. His name’s on a whole bunch of stuff, but the level of involvement he actually has with each project, even Civilization games, varies. There appears to be little doubt how much of a hand he’s had in this latest…

If You Wanted More GAME From Minecraft, This Might Be For You

There’s no doubting Minecraft’s phenomenal success, but I’ve often wondered how much of that is down to the actual game. You know, the part that begins that first day you have to scramble to survive, and ends the time you see/build your first giant dick, when it’s become more of a giant LEGO kit than…

This Is The Best/Worst Video Game Tutorial I Have Ever Had To Play

Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon does a lot of things right, but few are righter than the game’s tutorial. Which is terrible. On purpose.

Another Big Third-Party Game Skips The Wii U

For the first time since 1991, a Madden game will not be released on Nintendo’s primary/current home console. A statement sent by EA to Nintendo World Report says: We will not be releasing a Wii U version of Madden NFL in 2013. However, we have a strong partnership with Nintendo and will continue to evaluate…

Kotaku Takes The Oculus Rift For A Spin

Years from now the Oculus Rift I hold in my hand will gather dust in your attic. You’ll stumble across it like your very first mobile phone. I can’t believe how big this thing was, you’ll say. How the hell did I walk around with this thing strapped to my head? You’ll say these things…

Star Command Is A Great Game, But Also A Kickstarter Warning

For the last few days, I’ve been playing Star Command, a mobile game that’s had people excited for a very long time now. Beginning life as a Kickstarter project, it’s gone through several major delays, and arrives this week on the App Store an example not just of excellent portable strategy, but of the realities…