Midweek Moneysaver: Bundle Up

This Wednesday edition of Kotaku’s The Moneysaver catches all the offers, promotions and bargains that can’t wait until the weekend. The Midweek Moneysaver is brought to you by Dealzon. Software Amazon PC digital bundles • Desert to Sea Bundle – BioShock, BioShock 2 & Spec Ops: The Line is $9.99 (3 downloads, separately $45) •…

Just announced during an EA earnings call: Insomniac’s Fuse has been delayed to EA’s next fiscal quarter (April-June).

Nintendo and the Cult of Personality

Mario. Link. Donkey Kong. These are the faces of Nintendo. But those aren’t the only Nintendo icons. There’s also this guy This guy is Satoru Iwata. He is the President of Nintendo Co., Ltd. Chances are, however, if you like Nintendo games and Nintendo game news, Iwata is more than just a corporate suit. Way…

Can You Spot the Error in This Temple Run 2 Menu?

Osbervant reader Jon has been playing Temple Run 2 on his Android device since it launched last week and didn’t notice the error on this menu screen until last night. I didn’t notice it until he pointed it out, so he wins. I point out the error not to call out Imangi Studios’ tiny team…

Anti-Censorship Group Scolds Massachusetts Over Arcade Game Removals

Gamers have good reason for feeling beat up as the American conversation on gun violence seems to lurch inevitably toward scary scary video games as a scapegoat. The Entertainment Consumers Association—the voice of the gamers—went to Washington last week and came back convinced that lawmakers have made up their minds about games as a culprit.…

The Beautiful Short Film Disney Showed Before Wreck-It-Ralph

Posted online yesterday, this gorgeous Oscar-nominated short, directed by John Kahrs, is well worth your time. If you saw Wreck-It-Ralph in theaters, you might have seen this already. If not… well, what are you waiting for? Paperman – Full Animated Short Film [YouTube]

Lordy, The Last of Us Art Book Is Scary Beautiful

The Last of Us comes out on May 7th and there’s still lots of mystery surrounding the post-apocalyptic world of Naughty Dog’s upcoming PS3 game. A few glimpses of The Last of Us‘ ruined world have surfaced but you’ll get a chance to get a deep look at the making of the game’s ravaged world,…

It Doesn’t Get Much More Social Than a Game That Teaches You How to Flirt

You’re an alien from a distant planet, sent to Earth to harness the most powerful force in the universe, generated by a Living Organism’s Volatile Emotions—LOVE. That’s the strangest backstory for a dating simulator I’ve ever heard. It’s the backstory to Flirt Planet, a social game aimed at helping awkward internet denizens learn social interactions…

The Launch Commercial For Skulls of the Shogun Has A Morbid Twist

Children die. I promise that isn’t as horrible as it sounds. This commercial for Skulls of the Shogun, a turn-based strategy game that came out on Xbox Live today, is actually kinda great. Dead children and all.

I’m going to get this shirt for my cat.

This Is How Lucasfilm Convinced J.J. Abrams To Direct Star Wars

After the J.J. Abrams news broke out, a lot of folks were in shock—wait, he’s going to direct both Star Trek and Star Wars? And, more importantly, didn’t J.J. say he wasn’t going to do Star Wars, anyway? What happened; how was he convinced? In a profile about Kathleen Kennedy, The Hollywood Reporter reveals that…

There Is A Gorgeous Warcraft Mod In The Works For Starcraft II

We probably won’t see Warcraft IV soon, but with Starcraft II‘s map editor and with enough time anyone can create something similar. Members of the New Dawn team are in the middle of it, and this developer video shows a really atmospheric preview. Orcs, murlocks and zeppelins fight each other amidst only a few remaining…

How Gaming Helps Me Get Over My Fear Of Flying

My Apple iPad 2. Crisp display with a density of 132 ppi. Reacts to multi-touch gestures. Contains accelerometer, gyroscope. Reacts to involuntary shakes in hands. Enough battery life to last the majority of a cross country flight. Reacts poorly to excessive, clammy sweating. Does not register uncontrolled clenching of fists/jaw. Eight-megapixel front-facing camera accurately captures…

This Dirty Bomb trailer looks at how the FPS has changed thanks to player input in closed alpha. It’s by the Brink devs.

Video Games Are ‘A Bigger Problem Than Guns,’ Says Actual U.S. Senator

On MSNBC today, U.S. senator Lamar Alexander (a Tennessee Republican) set a new benchmark for insanity by claiming that games are worse than guns. “I think video games is a bigger problem than guns, because video games affect people,” he told host Chuck Todd. Once again, this is an actual U.S. senator. An actual senator…

FarmVille 2 Animal Mastery: Everything You Need to Know

Crop mastery has long been a staple of FarmVille 2. But farmers have never had that same “master them all” incentive to continue tending to animals if they no longer need their resources. That all changes with this week’s addition of animal mastery to the game. Your hard work and dedication will be rewarded with…

Let the launch trailer for psychedelic first-person adventure Antichamber mess with your mind.

This Starcraft II Song Will Teach You A Lesson In Valuing Esports

Temp0, well-known in the Starcraft II community as the guy who remixes hip-hop and pop songs while adding his own lyrics and voice, put up a new video yesterday. This time he reminds us with this catchy remix that Starcraft II as an eSport is still alive, even if other games like League Of Legends…

Splinter Cell: Blacklist: A Pleasing, If Somewhat Hollow, Return To Form

The more venerable and successful a video-game series, the trickier it must be to make sequels. Fans who have been around since the beginning likely start feeling a bit put-out about changes made over the years, changes that welcomed the very newcomers who might balk at an old-school return to form. That conundrum certainly seems…

Arranger Is Like A Musical Zelda Meets Psychonauts

If you’ve been paying attention to our burgeoning mobile coverage, you can’t have missed talk of Arranger, an iOS game by musician Arman Bohn from a few months ago that recently got an updated iPad version. (That’s the one I’ve been playing: it works really well on iPad.) Arranger is a retro-themed musical RPG. I’ve…