ChefVille ‘Guten Appetit’ Quests: Everything You Need to Know

While we’ve already seen one new German-themed quest released in ChefVille this week with it an upgrade to the Hofbrau Skillet, there’s an additional timed series available to tackle. The thing is, it’s probably buried among the many Chinese New Year event quests that have also been rolled out this week, so its timer has…

Crusader Kings II‘s Newest Expansion Will Make You A Viking

Hyper-complex medieval strategy game and one of our 2012 GOTY nominees Crusader Kings II has a new expansion on the way, and the announcement trailer just hit the web. Old Gods will place you back in good ol’ 867 AD, when Vikings ruled the land and seas. This pagan-themed jaunt will offer “hundreds of new…

Tips for Playing Fire Emblem: Awakening

If you have a 3DS, you should play Fire Emblem: Awakening. If you don’t have a 3DS, you should get one to play this game. It’s that good But once you have the game, how can you make the most of it? I’ve had to impart some Fire Emblem tips to some friends and colleagues…

How To Increase Your Odds of Winning The Ol’ Dating Game

Ahh, first dates. You wash your armpits in the sink, bring extra breath freshener, and study up on the day’s trending Twitter topics, and yet you still feel hopelessly unprepared. Well, if you take the one-question survey below, you could be entered to win a $150 Ticketmaster gift card—the perfect cheapskate way to get 2…

If This is What a Free-to-Play Pokemon Game Would Be Like, Then No Thanks.

Zuko Monsters has several advantages over Pokemon, the long-lived monster collecting role-playing game series that clearly serves as its inspiration. It’s got sharp and colorful graphics filled with personality, with nary a pixel to be seen. Timed finger taps during battles add a simple element of interactivity that Pokemon‘s battles lack. Zuko Monsters is also…

Half-Life 2 Has An Awesome, New Virtual Reality Head- And Gun-Tracking Mod

What you see above is Nathan Andrews’ full head- and weapon tracking mod for Half-Life 2, which he created in preparation for the release of the Oculus Rift virtual reality gaming headset. It looks insane The Oculus Rift, which raised millions of dollars on Kickstarter in 2012, is hopefully coming out later this year Half-Life…

Talk Amongst Yourselves is where games and life get discussed. Where were all the Super Bowl video game commercials?

id co-founder Tom Hall just launched a $400K Kickstarter for Worlds of Wander, which would let anyone make a platformer

I Sure Hope The Dragon Quest VII Remake Comes To America

Via GoNintendo, here are two new commercials for the Nintendo 3DS remake of Dragon Quest VII, out in Japan this week. As expected, it looks great. GoNintendo’s also got a nice summary of the changes brought to this remake of the PlayStation 1 role-playing game—from the sounds of it, DQVII 3DS will be easier, less…

Sky Pirates of Neo Terra Races Gracefully Across Three Platforms

Fresh from a test run in the wilds of Canada and an Image comics mini-series, Sky Pirates of Neo Terra tells the story of a world where disparate tribes maintain peace through glidewing racing, which is as good an excuse for a cross-platform online multiplayer racing game as I’ve ever heard. It’s a little Skies…

IGN is no longer part of Rupert Murdoch’s empire. They’re part of Ziff Davis. We, however, still answer to Nick Denton.

Hundreds of Confused Anti-Gun People Think I’m a Gun Nut—And That This Is My Gun

There are people on both sides of the gun debate who make good points. And then there are people who have absolutely no clue. In that latter camp we might include Senator Lamar Alexander, who thinks that, when it comes to people getting shot to death, “video games are a bigger problem than guns.” We…

Two Dudes Attempt To Steal and Sell a Cab To Fund Their Gaming Habit

Two young Chinese men are in custody for attacking a taxi driver with a knife and stealing his taxi last month. The young men wanted to sell the car for quick cash. Cash to play online games with. Twenty five year-old Liu and 26 year-old Li were both from the same village outside of Guomi…

Get a Good Look at The Terrible Enemies in The Last of Us

Shaping up to look like a truly scary game, The Last of Us is populated with gruesomely infected enemies called Runners and Clickers. (More here.) Here’s a handful of screens of the enemies as well as some images of the lush, frightening setting. Have a look. Naughty Dogの最新作「The Last of US」プレビュー&インタビュー [Game Impress Watch]

Perhaps the Worst English Translations of 2013 (Or the Best?)

Living in Asia, you get used to mangled English. It stops being a source of amusement, and you can feel empathy for those trying to express something in another language. Then, every once in a while, you see something that makes you stop and go what. The. Fuck. Today, literally. The website of the Capital…

China’s “God of DotA” Embroiled in Love Scandal

Professional gamers in China are treated pretty much the same way professional gamers are treated in other parts of Asia; with a certain deference. With the social position comes being a celebrity, and with that celebrity status it makes sense that something as personal as a romantic affair can blow up into something huge, even…

Japan’s Most Dangerous Hacker Served with a Wanted Poster and a Bounty

Mugshots. Artist’s sketches. Physical descriptions. Those are what you see on typical wanted posters in Japan. But this is not your typical wanted poster. It’s not even your typical crime. Instead, this wanted poster features descriptions of programming languages, viruses, and internet use. But like most wanted posters, this one also has a hefty reward.…

Afraid of his Mom, Chinese Kid Hides at Net Cafe

A ten year-old boy hid himself in an internet cafe in Changsha, Hunan province, for four days after receiving bad marks on his end-term exams. The boy, called Rui Rui, didn’t go to the net cafe to ease his pain—Voice of China reports that instead, he was hiding there to avoid punishment from his parents.…

Hello Kitty in Spaaaaaaaaace!

Seventh graders at Cornerstone Christian launched Hello Kitty into space. For science. Yes, science! The coolest bit is that after her space flight Kitty-chan was recovered 47.5 miles from the launch site. The onboard GPS and a loud beeper help locate the cat. One small step for cartoon felines, indeed. Hello Kitty in Space [Melody…

Man Explains Why He Slept with WoW Guild Members

A chat log in which a Chinese gamer discussed his one-night stands has gone viral in China. In the chat log, the gamer dished on sleeping with several female guild members. The gamer was asked, “So you switched servers and came into our guild just to do our girls?” His reply was simply, “For the…