Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Removed from Steam Over Music Licensing

When Grand Theft Auto: Vice City disappeared from Steam’s marketplace a few days ago, some suspected it was because of the game’s upcoming release for iOS devices. Instead, what appears to be a lapsed license for one of the songs appearing in the game has forced the takedown, until the matter is resolved. Gaming Blend…

This Week in the Business: ‘There is a Dark Underbelly to Xbox Live.’

What’s happened in the business of video games this past week … QUOTE | “There is a dark underbelly to Xbox Live.”—Rob Fahey, former editor of GamesIndustry.biz, talking about what can be done to rescue Xbox Live and online gaming from abusive bullies QUOTE | “The idea that Microsoft would make a game console was…

Jimmy Fallon is No Match for Reggie in Metroid Blast

Before working the line at Nintendo World’s Wii U campout, Nintendo of America Reggie Fils-Aime went back on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to show off the new console and play a couple of games, Metroid Blast in NintendoLand, and New Super Mario Bros. U. Reggie’s good at both games, which is refreshing to see;…

The Moneysaver: No Soup for Wii U

This is the Wii U’s big release weekend in North America and no, you will not find it discounted anywhere. In fact you, probably will not find it anywhere unless you pre-ordered the console back when its release date was announced. Dealzon reports that the only online availability for Nintendo’s new console is through third…

The Best of Kotaku, This Week

Welcome to the Best of Kotaku, where I round up all of this week’s best content. This week’s best image is what I imagine baby Gordon Freeman looks like. Look at him. All adorable and rosy-cheeked. Go on. Look at him. knitetgantt’s adorable creation was found with the help of Blue Dog’s Eyes Moving on…

Animal Crossing‘s Creepiest Room Is Amazing and Somewhat Criminal

Manga artist Pyocotan might be best known for signature illustrations in Japanese game magazine Gamelabo or CoroCoro Comic. His work is anything but cute. It’s actually both wonderful and creepy—kind of like Robert Crumb Pyocotan, a hardcore Nintendo fan, recently picked up a copy of Animal Crossing: New Leaf and is passing the time by…

This New Resident Evil Pistol Looks Real Enough to Kill Zombies

While Resident Evil 6 might not have been the best survival horror game, it sure did have nice hairdos and cool looking firearms. That’s probably why Airsoft gun maker Tokyo Marui is releasing a customized version of the SIG P226 that Leon Kennedy wields in the game. This isn’t a first: Tokyo Marui has collaborated…

Utada Hikaru Loves Evangelion So Much, She Sings the New Theme Song

Popstar Utada Hikaru was taking time off. She hadn’t put out a new song since 2010. Until now. Utada is lending her talents to the new Evangelion feature film, Neon Genesis Evangelion: Q 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo. She’s such a big fan of the series, that she couldn’t turn down the offer to do…

A Hug Pillow Designed Especially for Dudes to, Um, Yeah

In Japanese, they’re called “dakimakura” (抱き枕). In English, they’re “hug pillows”. In short, hugging them while you sleep can either given a greater sense of security or even help with back problems. The insinuation, however, is that hug pillows are otaku girlfriends. This is even a joke in Japan, tinged with irony—and most certainly not…

Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z takes place in the world of Ninja Gaiden, but it’s not canon, says Team Ninja’s leader.

This Isn’t Cosplay. It’s Theater!

Those battling Ikki Tousen girls are bringing their torn clothes and short skirts to the Tokyo stage. The manga turned video game and anime series is getting a theatrical adaptation. Known as Battle Vixens in the West, Ikki Tousen is the latest anime/game property to be turned in a stage production, following in the footsteps…

Square Enix, COD‘s Japanese publisher, announced that Call of Duty Elite won’t support Japanese—no plans, either.

24 Hours Before Wii U Launch, Reggie Surprises The Nintendo Faithful in NYC

Nintendo of America boss Reggie Fils-Aime did the Jimmy Fallon show on Friday, got some dinner and then… he took a stroll to the Nintendo World Store. He found more than 50 people camped out to pick up the Wii U at midnight Saturday night. I tagged along to see what happened. I walked the…

The Biggest Anime of the Year Steamrolls Japan

Late last night, two things happened in Japan: the first six minutes of Neon Genesis Evangelion: Q 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo, and that movie’s midnight premiere. This wasn’t just the first screening of a big time anime. It was a party. An event. Japanese website Gigazine was on hand at the midnight screening in…

Snackopalypse 2012: Hostess Products Disappear from Store Shelves, Internet Price Gouging Begins

This morning I reported on the closing on Hostess Brands Inc., the company that’s been keeping America in Twinkies, Ho-Hos and Ding Dongs for 82 years. I suggested readers rush to the store and buy all of the Hostess snacks they could before they disappeared. If you didn’t heed that advice, it may already be…

This FPS Controller Will Shoot You in the Face

Two big shooters fired out this fall: Halo 4 and Call of Duty: Black Ops II. If you are into shooters (I mean, really into shooters), maybe you are looking for an edge. That’s exactly what Japanese peripheral maker Hori hopes it can offer with its controller designed especially for FPS games on consoles. But…

Zynga’s Boss Near Tears, Says Wall Street Journal, as He Grapples With Turning the Company Around

Well, now you’ve done it. Yes you, Facebook user, you’ve made Mark Pincus cry. Taken public and valued at $9 billion in so doing, Zynga’s stock price has slid to a quarter of its value at the initial public offering, and taught a harsh lesson to the CEO about what happens when you run a…

Oh Look, A Crazy 70’s Movie About A Baby Who Is A Grown-Ass Man

Where do I even start with this trailer for The Baby, a 1973 cult classic about a gigantic baby that looks like a regular man? The crazy hammy acting? The insane premise (which is really, if I’m not mistaken, the same as a particularly late nightish Will Ferrell skit from SNL)? The constant, shrieking violins?…

Tell President Obama to Honor the Veterans of Halo 4

The White House’s bullshit feel-good “We the People” initiative is, like all Internet petitions, worth the paper it is printed on.* Most of the petitions lodged there demand things the executive branch cannot effect on its own. The remainder are protest tantrums, like the secessionist fantasies a bored and distended mainstream media are indulging in…

Backhanded Box Quotes: When ‘Best Call of Duty Ever!’ Isn’t a Compliment

Welcome back to “Backhanded Box Quotes,” a collection of measured, thoughtful criticism from the user reviews of Metacritic. This week we examine games from two series that frequently are accused of impersonating each other: Call of Duty: Black Ops II, and Halo 4 Call of Duty: Black Ops II Released: Nov. 13. Critic: MasterOfMetroid (Metacritic)…