This Cat Cosplay Is Either the Cutest Thing I’ve Ever Seen or the Cruelest

This poor, totally adorable animal! Chinese micro-blogger Toshiya86 uploaded a series of “cat cosplay”, featuring her feline Guagua and cardboard. This is the result. These photos depict Guagua as a variety of characters and were originally uploaded earlier this year, but are now appearing on Japanese sites like Karapaia. The characters include Kiki from Kiki’s…

Sega’s Demon Tribe Is an Online Battle RPG for iOS

Remember that Sega striptease countdown clock from September? The one that was leaked early? Well, it was for an iOS game called Demon Tribe. Here’s the debut trailer. デーモントライヴ　プレビュームービー [YouTube] Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning…

The Wild World of China’s Net Cafes

In the West, China’s net cafes get a lot of bad press—often only getting ink when a gamer dies or a fight breaks out. But as Kotaku’s Beijing-based writer Eric Jou reported, they’re not necessarily bad places. Here’s a look at some of the more colorful moments (including a few game expo snaps), collected by…

You Can Play a Zombie Shooter in Real Life. It Looks Insane.

An Australian group called IRL Shooter will at the end of the month be holding an event called “Patient Zero“, which is basically aimed at giving you the experience of playing a zombie shooter, only in real life. Starting October 31 in Melbourne, for AUD$125 you’ll get access to the “game”, which sounds a lot…

There’s Five Spots We Get THIS Close to Seeing Master Chief’s Face in the New Halo 4 Trailer

The Halo 4 launch trailer was predictably big budget, but what I found most interesting was how human they made Master Chief look. We usually just see him as a giant hulking killing machine, all armour and visor, but Tim Miller and David Fincher’s clip goes right ahead and actually takes the mask off the…

If You Own a PC, Go Try Iconoclasts

Has it been over a year since we looked in on the wonderful Iconoclasts? It has? Better fix that, then. The game, while still a while from being finished, is playable. By you, that is. You can go download an alpha build over on the game’s site As with creator Joakim Sandberg’s Noitu Love, it’s…

Here’s Halo 4’s Launch Trailer, Produced by David Fincher

I started in this job nearly six years ago. If you’d told me back then I’d be writing a headline like that in 2012, I’d have either laughed or given you a real strange look. Not to give Fincher all the credit, it was actually directed by Tim Miller, normally a visual effects man (Scott…

Wow, Kentucky Route Zero, You’re Looking Good

Oh, cool. Eighteen months since we saw it last, adventure game Kentucky Route Zero returns with a new art style. Shame about that whole “A 2011 Game To Anticipate” thing, though, since it’s now an episodic title that’ll mostly release throughout 2013, but for a “bluegrass adventure game” that looks this hot I’ll wait until…

Nigeria Withdraws XCOM Funding, President Blames Gas Station “Incident”

In an honest and upfront piece over on serious news outlet Something Awful, the President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, has explained the reasons behind his country’s highly unpopular (with XCOM leaders) withdrawal from the XCOM project. While a “tragic incident at the gas station” seems to have been the straw that broke this camel’s back,…

Online shooter Planetside 2 will launch on November 20

Assassin’s Creed III’s Top-Secret Chicken Dance Assassination Move [Update]

Taken from a hands-on session with the game, here’s an Assassin’s Creed III hiccup that we can only hope makes it into the final game. UPDATE—Seems it’s part of the game’s debug mode, which lets the devs get around the map quickly. It’s an unfair advantage, sure, but this is a sci-fi series at heart.…

Sick of Chernarus? Try a Different DayZ Map

Zombie survival mod DayZ only shipped with one map. It’s a big one, but once you’ve crawled all over it, you may want to crawl all over somewhere new Why not try Namalsk, a fan-made map originally built for ArmA II (the game the DayZ mod is based on) but now made compatible with zombies…

Nothing Says Halloween Like “Sexy” Video Game Costumes

Correct me if I’m wrong, Americans, but I’ve long been under the impression Halloween is mostly a thing for kids. Unless you’ve got, like, some themed college party to go to and….oh. OK, now I see where these come in. Yandy has released this insane series of adult “Gamer Costumes” based on famous characters, each…

Dishonored’s Art Director Talks Inspiration, Cut Levels

I know, we’ve looked at Dishonored once already here on Fine Art, but today is a little different, because we not only have some images from quite literally the game’s drawing board stage, but also some commentary on them from Sebastien Mitton, Arkane’s art director. Did you know, for example, that the game’s “Tallboy” units…

Before You Jump In The Water, Make Sure It’s Still Water

Just a tip from one water-jumper to another, bro. I know it’s cold out. Dip your toe. Just saying. I don’t have much pithy commentary to add to this one—just watch it, and rejoice. How are you all doing? Finished XCOM yet? Playin Dishonored? Are you looking back over your “trivial” quests in Borderlands 2…

Shovelware Maker Going to Jail for Not Paying Workers

The owner of a Utah game studio is going to jail for not paying his employees. Criminal prosecution for nonpayment of wages is rare. Incarceration is even more rare, but it is deserved for a guy like Dave Rushton, considering the lives he upended four years ago at Sensory Sweep Studios in suburban Salt Lake…

This Insane Super Hexagon Run May Just Be a New World Record

Super Hexagon is hard. The kind of hard that keeps you coming back for more of its sweet, brilliantly designed torture. Getting to the top of your friends’ list in Game Center is a feat worth celebrating. And landing on top of everyone else playing Terry Cavanagh’s collision avoidance game? Well, that’s damn special. It…

The Song That Blew Me Away In Borderlands 2‘s Newest DLC

All of Borderlands 2‘s environmental music is pretty great. It’s fitting, subtle enough to set the mood but powerful enough for your ears to perk up and notice. The first campaign add-on to Gearbox’s sequel is Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate’s Booty. There are a lot of things that are great about this new DLC:…

I Love My Monsters, And Hope They Never Stop Singing

I like growing a stable of video game monsters as much as the next red-blooded American. But I didn’t realize how much more I would enjoy it if the monsters sang to me. Thanks to My Singing Monsters, I now know—singing monsters are great! The game is a trip—it’s out on iOS and Android, and…

The Best Song Lyrics About Video Games

At the 2:47 mark of a song called The Gauntlet, the rapper Acrobatic makes a reference to… Gauntlet. That fits, but it’s just one of many, many video game references in rap songs. Which are you favorites? Which are the best ones? Add a clip below. And if rap’s not your thing, other genres are…