Chinese Company Is Giving a “Doomsday Vacation” to Employees

On December 21, the world will end. So said the Mayans, apparently, and how can the Mayans be wrong? And while NASA and other rational heads believe that the world will chug on post December 21, one Chinese company, Chengdu Higgses Internet Technology Company, isn’t taking any chances. In fact, it’s doing one better: giving…

Fist of The North Star Gets Its Own Condoms

Ready those “F*cks of the North Star” jokes, because the iconic manga is now helping people practice safe sex. For those who aren’t familiar with the series, Fist of the North Star debuted as a manga in the early 1980s and was turned into an anime in 1987. Recently, Koei has been developing new Fist…

As previously discussed, Square Enix counted down to Star Galaxy, a browser game.

These G.I. Joe Cosplayers Are Real Internet Heroes

Like most children of the 1980s, I grew up with G.I. Joe. And while I thought the Real American Hero troops were cool and all, Cobra was so much cooler. Yes, yes, the outfits were originally fascist inspired, sure, but as the 1980s series progressed, Cobra got increasingly ridiculous. And by ridiculous, I mean wonderful.…

You Can Buy Luke Skywalker’s Actual Lightsaber (Or Indiana Jones’ Gun)

Theres a big auction going down in Hollywood this weekend for a range of official props, photos and film from classic films like Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Alien, Indiana Jones and Star Trek. Called Drama: Action: Romance, the lot spans over half a century of blockbuster films, but it’s more recent (and nerdy)…

That’s One Heck Of An M. Bison You’ve Got There

The sadly-departed Raul Julia played M. Bison in the terrible big-screen adaptation of Street Fighter. Let’s imagine, though, that instead of Julia, it was another Latin film star in the role. Like, say, Danny Trejo. Bison by Limjaegil [Jaegil Lim @ CGHub, via Blue Dog’s Eyes]

Giant Team Fortress Statue Sadly Does Not Include Tiny Jar Of Piss

Gaming Heads has been working away on a line of enormous Team Fortress 2 statues for literally years now, and are only now moving onto their fourth one. But that’s OK. When they turn out as nice as they have, it’s worth the wait. The latest is my second-favourite Australian in the TF2 universe, a…

StarCraft’s Unofficial Animated Series Is A Little Lighter In Tone

You know the internet’s a big place when there’s a terrific StarCraft animated series being made and you had no idea about it. So, sorry Carbot. I should have been watching these ages ago. They’re short, cute and to the point. Everything you want from a YouTube video. If you dig StarCraft and haven’t already…

It’s Surprising How Much Art Goes Into Making Halo’s Multiplayer Maps

You normally associate great concept art with the act of building a world and its characters. You know, singleplayer stuff. But a shooter’s multiplayer maps still need to be designed and dreamt up, and in cases like this the art can be just as stunning. The pieces you’re about to see are by Michael Pedro,…

A Sad Farewell To The Game Studios We Lost In 2012

We may have played a lot of great games in 2012, but let’s not forget about one of the saddest facets of the video game industry: that even big, successful developers can be shut down at a moment’s notice. This video from IGN pays tribute to those studios and companies that, for whatever reason, had…

Valve’s Next Game Is So Popular Nearly 200,000 People Are Playing It And It’s Not Even Out Yet

Valve is pretty popular. So too are MOBA games like League of Legends. So I guess that explains why there’s now over 150,000 people playing Valve’s DOTA 2 at any given time before the game’s even technically out. As those without access are aware of, you can only get the game if you’re invited, as…

Wow, There Were Female Pilots Cut From Return of the Jedi

This is probably the most interesting piece of Star Wars trivia I have ever come across. Turns out that there were four female pilots cast and filmed for Return of the Jedi’s climatic Battle of Endor. Two of them were A-Wing pilots, the other two piloting an X-Wing, with one, played by Vivienne Chandler, having…

Assassin’s Creed III’s Credits Were The Worst Thing I Didn’t Play All Year

My heart goes out to Kirk for his struggles with the end of Assassin’s Creed III, because I must have failed that mission around 30 times before finally nailing it. As frustrating as it was, though, I have to disagree that it’s the worst thing about Assassin’s Creed III. The worst thing comes shortly afterwards.…

It’s Santa Vs. Snoop-Moses In A Rhyme-Slinging Throwdown

I guess the headline really sums it up. Santa and Moses have, apparently, had a longstanding beef that can only be settled one way: Rap-off. Also, Moses is actually Snoop Lion, whose name I will let slide into this article with absolutely no sidelong glance, K-9 reference, or anything. Good times. How’s everyone doing? Getting…

The Best PC Mods of 2012

They are, beyond control schemes and visuals, the single best reason to play games on a PC. Mods can, at their laziest, tweak a game so its settings or features behave more to your liking. At their most ambitious, they can transform your entire experience, leaving you with something that feels like an all-new game.…

The Smiths’ Greatest Hits, Re-Imagined As Classic Video Game Covers

Morrissey and his not-so-merry band of misfits could get a bit glum, and one wouldn’t think they’d fit with the candy-colored world of classic video games. One wouldn’t think Good thing there’s artist Butcher Billy to prove us wrong, posting this amazing gallery of classic Smiths tunes re-imagined as video game covers. I would hang…

Gorgeous Games of 2012: Assassin’s Creed III

Assassin’s Creed III was one of 2012’s most divisive games, but can we agree to enjoy a forest vista for a second? Look at that bird. Look at all those trees to climb. And, best of all… there’s no one to chase See more of Kotaku video editor Chris Person’s cinemagraphs of 2012’s most gorgeous…

Can’t Download Halo 4‘s Crimson Map Pack? Here’s What You Do. [Update]

Do you have the Limited Edition of Halo 4 or perhaps you’ve purchased the game’s map pass? If you have either of these you may also have had trouble downloading the new Crimson map pack that released just yesterday. Today I popped in my copy of Halo 4 to download the pack but was greeted…

Grammy-Nominated Journey Composer To Make Music For… Leisure Suit Larry?

Austin Wintory’s soaring orchestral score for Thatgamecompany’s Journey will not be forgotten anytime soon. Not only was it a fine collection of music in its own right, it is the first video game soundtrack to be nominated for a Grammy But of course, Wintory’s career hasn’t culminated with Journey. Like any professional, he’s moved on…

There’s A Hilarious Reason They Called The Game Warface

Warface? WARFACE. The people behind one of gaming’s most preposterous titles—a free-to-play shooter that somehow manages to combine the words “War” and “Face” without cracking a smile—have explained the rationale behind their decision. Speaking to Rock Paper Shotgun in a recent Q&A (which is worth a read!), Crytek boss Cevat Yerli answers the most important…