With both the new UFC game and now NBA Live saying to expect news today, and FIFA already confirmed, signs point to EA Sports having some kind of ensemble appearance at the next Xbox event this afternoon.

Here’s what’s going on Talk Among Yourselves, our reader-written blog: Zarynx has a post discussing favorite in-game purchases, where she fondly cites the action figures of enemies in Brave Fencer Musashi. And GiantBoyDetective reveals the nerd-media-sourced names he’d give to his children. And you can always go join the voices talking about video games and…

Good Morning. We’re Ready To Xbox. [UPDATE]

Greetings from Washington State, Kotaku. I’ve parachuted in to check out the new Xbox, which will be revealed today. (Probably because Microsoft got tired of all the leaks, right?) We’ll have lots of coverage, including a livestream of the day’s big 1pm ET/10am PT Xbox Reveal conference. You know the drill. A trickle of coverage…

Sony Is Already Taking Shots At Microsoft On Twitter

While I happen to think the “console war” is one of the dumbest things ever conceived by humankind, there are few things as entertaining as watching corporations snipe at one another. So this got me giddy. Perhaps a bit jealous of today’s big Xbox Reveal, Sony’s PlayStation Europe account took a nice little jab at…

Starcraft II‘s Marine And Hellbat Units Clash In An Epic Rap Battle

The Hellbat would win in a one-on-one battle against a single Marine in Starcraft II, but in an epic rap battle it’s anybody’s game. Video creator Temp0 is well-known for his hip-hop songs about Starcraft. Hopefully he’ll do more rap battles in the future. Something featuring the widow mine (those can’t talk though) would make…

A Mutant Crop Of Plants Vs. Zombies Blooms On Facebook

While fans of the war between plant life and human undeath wait anxiously for July’s Plants Vs. Zombies 2, the eternal battle has spilled over into Plants Vs. Zombies Adventures, a Facebook game where planting virtual crops could save your life. Rather than the corridor-based battles of its big brother, Plants Vs. Zombies Adventures reverts…

Popular Cat Meme Creator in Trouble with the Law

During the 1980s, a cat photo fad swept Japan. Dubbed “Nameneko” (なめ猫), the pictures featured feline friends dressed as high school thugs. The trend went global, spreading to the U.S. for a brief time. But this month, the trend’s creator is in hot water for tax evasion. In 1979, the story goes that then young…

Song of Saya Has its Own American Comic Book (And It’s Not Very Good)

Back in 2003, Saya no Uta — The Song of Saya was released in Japan. It became known as one of the most messed-up games ever released. Earlier this month—nearly a decade after the Japanese release—it got its first official Western release. But that’s not the first time that the franchise has reached Western shores.…

Nintendo Made a New Dungeon Crawler. This Is It.

Early last month, Nintendo released a download game on the Japanese 3DS eShop. However, as it was only given out free to Gold and Platinum Nintendo Club members, the chances are high you’ll never get to even see it—much less play it. The game is called Nintendoji—and is based on a pun on the company’s…

One Piece Creator Hospitalized, Manga on Hiatus for Two Issues

This March, One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda took a week off due to a “sudden illness”. Today, it was announced that Oda has been admitted to the hospital. Moreover, the One Piece manga will be on hiatus for two issues. According to an official Shonen Jump release, Oda has a peritonsillar abscess, which is an…

Saya no Uta — The Song of Saya: The Kotaku Review

Saya no Uta — The Song of Saya is often called the single most fucked-up game ever released—and with good reason. Written by the acclaimed author of Madoka Magica, Psycho Pass, Fate/Zero, and this season’s Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet, The Song of Saya is a visual novel about medical student Fuminori. After a car…

Monster Hunting in Dystopian London: Freedom Wars Hits Vita in 2014

As promised: more about Sony’s recently teased Panopticon, or, as it likes to call itself now, Freedom Wars. And although the trailer up top doesn’t tell us much more of the dystopian monster-infested London we’ve seen before, we now know that Freedom Wars is a multiplayer action game coming to the PS Vita in 2014.

3D Coffee Art Reaches New, Dizzying Heights

Late last year, Kotaku first brought word of coffee artist Kazuki Yamamoto. He makes stunning cappuccino art. In the last few months, Yamamoto has been perfecting his three dimensional creations. He’s gotten even better. From Hello Kitty to Vault Boy from the Fallout games (friggin’ Vault Boy!), Yamamoto whips up pop culture in steamed milk.…

Silas Greaves of Gunslinger Really Loves Shooting Guys in the Face

Case in point: a four-minute (!) launch trailer, consisting of Mr. Greaves shooting people in the face with a wide variety of weapons. While Techland’s latest entry into the Call of Juarez brand of shooters is looking better by the minute, I can’t help but be wary after The Cartel. We’ll see. Call of Juarez:…

For One Dollar, This Man Would Grovel at Your Feet

In Japan, there are different types of bows. Some of them are fairly casual. Others are more formal. But one type of bowing still brings a feeling of shame. And it’s sometimes used when people totally screw up. This style of bowing is called “dogeza” (土下座) and it’s often translated as “kneeling down on the…

Another Huge Metal Gear Toy

Hong Kong based collectible maker ThreeA previously released a jumbo-sized Metal Gear REX figure. And now? Now, it looks like they’re working on a jumbo-sized RAY mecha. In these photos from Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima, you can see a prototype of the upcoming RAY figure. That’s resident artist Yoji Shinkawa in the pics. As…

Before He Killed Zombies, Leon Kennedy Was A Badass Cop

This short claymation clip by Lee Hardcastle is a Resident Evil prequel/alternate history. Of sorts. Leon Kennedy, a rookie cop, gets a little too eager on a drug bust, and it costs him. Well. At first. For a one-man job, this is mighty impressive. DRUG BUST DOODY [YouTube]

A Video Game That Doesn’t Actually Have Any Video

Video Game Sans Video is a project that satisfies just about all the criteria you need to call something a video game. Except, well, for the actual video. Michael Newman’s game instead plays like a live-action version of LittleBigPlanet, using a giant scrolling sheet of paper as the background while players control a motorised spaceship…

Why Be The Ruler In Civilization, When You Can Be One Of The Peasants

Yes, this is Minecraft. But it’s not a recreation of a pop culture icon/giant penis. It’s using the game for something really interesting. This modification to the game is called CivCraft, and to be crudely simplistic, casts you in the role of one of the poor little peons from a game of Civilization, as you…

Happy Birthday, Love, Oh, The Guys Who Made Journey

This isn’t a big deal. Let’s be clear on that. But it is a nice touch, the kind of nice touch that reminds you there are sometimes real, actual humans involved in the video game supply chain. Reader Kelsey bought a copy of the Journey artbook for his girlfriend’s birthday, and figured he’d try his…