Strict New Download Law Won’t Kill YouTube in Japan

If you think the internet is a place where information can be shared freely, a place where things like copyright law do not apply, and a place where you can do whatever you want, well, bad news. Starting today, a strict new download law ends your notion of the internet. At least in Japan, that…

Hardcore Gamer Lives In Net Cafe For Two Months, Claims It’s Training.

A Chinese man in Wuchang, Hubei Province, China has been living inside an internet cafe for over the past two months. When questioned as to why he was in the cafe, his answer was, “I’m training for gold.” The man, 23-year-old surnamed Wang, has been staying in a net cafe located on the corner of…

Close-Ups of Wax Steve Jobs’ Crotch Are Totally Creepy

Steve Jobs might’ve checked out before his time, but he left a legacy of innovation. Madame Tussauds Hong Kong is honoring Jobs with a wax figure, which website MIC Gadget recently checked out. The video tour of the figure is, to be frank, pretty creepy—complete with crotch pans, whisker zooms, ass shots, and John Lennon’s…

Don’t be surprised if Sony gives the PS Vita a price cut… next year.

How the Heck Does a Gun Work Underwater?

To the internet! The internet always has the answer—and it seems to for this question, too. The question arose after watching this clip, which Japanese site Gigazine posted. In the clip, a Glock 22 fires off a jacketed hollow point underwater, and a high-speed camera captured the whole thing. According to YouTube user VuurwapenBlog, there…

The next Metal Gear Online will be developed in LA, says Hideo Kojima.

Famed Japanese Anime Studio Turns to Kickstarter

Production I.G of Ghost in the Shell fame is launching a Kickstarter for a new production. Dubbed Kick-Heart, the anime short is about ten minutes long and is helmed by Masaaki Yusasa. Here’s the S&M themed plot: Kick-Heart is a love story between Romeo, a successful pro-wrestler, and Juliet, a nun who lives a secret…

The Art of Using Chopsticks Correctly

Chopsticks are a mainstay of dinner tables in Japan and throughout Asia. Japanese people have been using them since they were small children—that doesn’t mean, however, that they’ve been using them correctly. In fact, many have not. According to a Meijiro University study (via Nikkei), something like 30 percent of people aged 40s to 50s…

The Periodic Table of Minecraft

Minecraft is as full of dirt and underground junk as the real world, so it may as well get its own periodic table of elements. Well, terrain blocks. Periodic table of Minecraft [DeviantArt, via it 8-bit]

Claptrap Exits Borderlands, Enters Real World

Mechanical sidekick Claptrap, one of the few constants between the first Borderlands and the second, is the subject of this terrific custom model made by Kotaku reader Psychobob. A man with access to a 3D printer, which he’s put to good use previously, Psychobob’s Claptrap model is ridiculously detailed, and even lights up, in case…

Insomniac’s Latest Originally Looked Like a Game For Kids

The shooter we now know as Fuse, and which was formerly known as Overstrike, looks like a reasonably realistic third-person shooter. The first time we saw it, though, it was a little more cartoony. Which apparently is nowhere near as cartoony as it was originally “The game started out with a much more stylized and…

Your Upset Reactions to the New Splinter Cell Trailer Were “Uninformed” and “Kneejerk”

For many long-time Splinter Cell fans, the latest trailer for upcoming Blacklist was cause for either laughter or deep concern, so distanced did it look from the series dark, quiet and stealthy roots. Fan uproar isn’t the fault of the game, though. It’s the fault of the fans. Apparently. “Everyone can make kneejerk reactions to…

10% of all internet traffic now comes from bots. Once it hits 51%, I’m moving into my bomb shelter.

Black He-Man, Blonde Teela & Other Amazing Custom Masters of the Universe Figures

Toy builder Jon English has come up with these incredible custom He-Man figures, some of the heavily modified interpretations on actual old toys, others entirely new characters. My favourite is probably He-Bro up there, but Sintaur is equally awesome, both for the figure and the name. MOTUC Customs [Jon English, via Super Punch]

Seven Days’ Worth of the World’s Finest Cosplay

It can sometimes be rough trying to find enough quality cosplay to feature in this weekly roundup. Not this week. This week has just about everyhing you could want, from a high-fashion take on Star Wars to a Final Fantasy wedding, via the Pyro’s psychotic dreamland before winding up with some amazing Dragon’s Lair cosplay.…

The Other XCOM Game Might Now Be a Third-Person Shooter [Update]

While everyone gets excited over Firaxis’ very-promising XCOM remake, it’s easy to forget that there was once another XCOM game on the cards from 2K. One we haven’t seen nor heard from for a very long time There may be a good reason for that. First seen by the public as a uniquely retro first-person…

Playboy’s Girls of the Internet is 1996 as it Should be Remembered: Hilariously

Don’t worry, this isn’t (very) NSFW. We’re here for laughs, not leers. The clip above is an edited version of a film (remixed by DeeprUnderstanding) originally directed executive produced by Hugh Hefner himself, back when he was just an old guy who was out of touch, and not the shambling ghost of the 1960s he…

A Salute to a BioWare Legend, Who Worked On The Company’s Best-Loved Games

Mike Sass worked at BioWare for twelve years. That’s an astonishing amount of time for an artist to stay put at the one studio, but it also means that if you’ve ever picked up a BioWare game or even seen an advertisement for one, you’ve likely seen his stuff. Working mostly as a marketing illustrator,…

The Week in Games: Shut Up and Jam

Consoles see two big releases this week, Resident Evil 6 from Capcom and NBA 2K13 from 2K Sports. That leaves little room for other big stars. Tuesday • Resident Evil 6 (PS3, 360) • War of the Roses (PC) • NBA 2K13 (360, PS3, PSP, PC, Wii) • NiGHTS into Dreams (PS3) • Sonic Adventure…