- Esports
Professional Video Gamer Suspended for Saying He Had Sex With a 14-Year-Old
Well, if there’s a big lesson of the past week, it’s that cretinous online behavior may not be illegal in and of itself, but that doesn’t mean you won’t face consequences for engaging in it. Take the case of Ilyes “Stephano” Satouri, a member of the StarCraft team for Evil Geniuses, the renowned pro gaming…
By Owen Good Published October 13, 2012 - Uncategorized
How to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse, by REI
This infographic from sporting goods megastore REI—visiting the one in Denver was like going to Six Flags—isn’t just amusing, it’s in fact helpful. I never knew how to properly use a signal mirror before now. (Yes, I was a Boy Scout. No, I was not a good one. My only merit badge came for surviving…
By Owen Good Published October 13, 2012 -
UncategorizedMarvel’s ‘Civil War’ Gets the Pinball Table Treatment from Zen
Zen Pinball’s productive relationship with Marvel Entertainment has delivered 14 virtual tables to Pinball FX2 on the Xbox 360 and Marvel Pinball on the PS3, as well as on mobile devices. There’s going to be a 15th table coming up soon: “Civil War,” taken from the 2006 crossover continuity pitting Captain America versus Iron Man.…
By Owen Good Published October 13, 2012 - Uncategorized
Guild Wars 2 is Getting a Huge, Halloween-Themed Update
The world of Guild Wars 2 is getting ready for Halloween with a major content update coming on Oct. 22. “Be prepared for an epic adventure in four acts,” running until Oct. 31, ArenaNET says on this page detailing the update. Halloween decorations, mini-games and dynamic events will accompany “Shadow of the Mad King,” the…
By Owen Good Published October 13, 2012 - Culture
This Week in the Business: ‘The Days of Kevin Butler Are Over.’
What’s happened in the business of video games this past week … QUOTE | “The days of Kevin Butler are over.”—Scott Steinberg, talking along with other PR and marketing experts about Sony’s future PlayStation strategy now that Kevin Butler is most likely dead QUOTE | “Microsoft and its next generation Xbox appears to offer up…
By James Brightman Published October 13, 2012 - Uncategorized
Is Valve’s Next Big Game a Space MMO? [Update]
Back in February some concept art, purportedly from Valve’s next new game, leaked in this video uploaded to YouTube. In April, more video surfaced along with a cryptic code name, “SOB.” Now some more landscapes have found their way into the wild, and rumor says it as a sprawling space MMO. “Stars of Barathrum” is…
By Owen Good Published October 13, 2012 - Uncategorized
The Moneysaver: Deals Known and Unknown
In the thick of the packed autumn release calendar we can still find discounts on PC versions of this week’s two big releases. Coming up, Assassin’s Creed 3 is full price but comes with 1,600 Microsoft Points should you get its Xbox 360 version from Microsoft. There are more than 60 values in hardware, software…
By Owen Good Published October 13, 2012 - Uncategorized
Microsoft Investigating Purported Halo 4 Leaks
That image of Halo 4‘s two discs popped up on NeoGAF earlier today. Some in the forum shrugged it off, saying that reviewers must be getting their copies, to which I chuckle heartily. I can’t remember the last time, if ever, consumer codes being sent out for review three weeks before release. Please. What really…
By Owen Good Published October 12, 2012 - Uncategorized
The Cosplay Of New York Comic-Con, Day One
The Big Apple’s biggest nerd-fest is in full swing and Kotaku‘s on the scene to soak up as much cosplay, gameplay and horseplay as we can handle. In the gallery below, you’ll see the sharpest and silliest costumes we’ve spotted so far. Take a look and wonder at the dedication and bravery on display—click each…
By Evan Narcisse Published October 12, 2012 - Uncategorized
You, Too, Can Own a Piece of 38 Studios
Online auction-goers will be able to bid on the firesale of 38 Studios, makers of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning which collapsed in bankruptcy back in May. They can’t get at game assets—like the development kits that got Microsoft hot and bothered—or bid on any intellectual property, but online bidders can put in for office furniture,…
By Owen Good Published October 12, 2012 - Uncategorized
Despite Three Years Without a Game, the NBA Stands By Its Man at EA
On Sept. 27, EA Sports scrapped NBA Live 13, the second straight cancellation in the series’ troubled history. Quarterly earnings calls are coming soon and many will be listening intently for anything Electronic Arts has to say about an expensive license, coming to the end of a console generation, that hasn’t produced a retail copy…
By Owen Good Published October 12, 2012 - Uncategorized
Backhanded Box Quotes: We Found Someone Who Doesn’t Like Dishonored!
Welcome back to “Backhanded Box Quotes,” a collection of measured, thoughtful criticism from the user reviews of Metacritic and elsewhere. The Metacritic 90. Rare upland territory. Dishonored hit it (on PC) and XCOM: Enemy Unknown fell tantalizingly short, 89 (same platform). You’d think that no one has anything substantially bad to say about either. You’d…
By Owen Good Published October 12, 2012 -
UncategorizedA Cable Drama Conundrum: What’s Worse, A Serial Killer Or A Gamer?
No, seriously. This is a question I’ve had to wonder of late thanks to Dexter, the hit TV show that follows a serial killer who kills other serial killers. This would make him a “good” serial killer—at least, as good as someone who murders people can be. That may sound ridiculous, but being privy to…
By Patricia Hernandez Published October 12, 2012 - Uncategorized
Get All the Fallout 3 Terminal Hacking Action You Want, When You Want It
If your Science skill was too low, or if you just enjoyed the LSAT problem of trying to figure out how to brute force hack your way into a terminal in Fallout 3 then this flash game is for you. And look, no need to back out of the terminal before making your final attempt!…
By Owen Good Published October 12, 2012 -
UncategorizedIf You’re Dressing As Mario for Halloween, You Should Make Sure You Sound Like Him Too
This is fun. ThinkGeek is selling something they call an “audio reality costume.” The gist is that, with Halloween a-coming, it’s one thing to dress like a favorite character or nerd icon… but how much better to sound like one, too? The Mega Stomp Panic clips onto one’s belt or waistband and produces sound when…
By Kate Cox Published October 12, 2012 - Uncategorized
A Silent Service Delivers the Sound of Saturday to NCAA Football
“Never pass up the opportunity to sit,” Ben Haumiller (above) told me, as we slumped back on Virginia’s vacated sideline bench at Wallace Wade Stadium, the Cavaliers in the locker room leading Duke 17-14 at the half this past Saturday. Pondering the long walk to the free concessions in the press box, I half considered…
By Owen Good Published October 12, 2012 -
UncategorizedBlonde Twins Playing Final Fantasy Music On Harps While Standing Next To A Lighthouse
Brought to you by Camille and Kennerly, the folks who gave us Blonde Twins Playing The Elder Scrolls Theme On Harps While Standing In A Forest and Blonde Twins Playing A Metallica Cover On Harps While Standing In The Desert
By Jason Schreier Published October 12, 2012 - Uncategorized
What Are Zaxxon and Breakout Doing in The Week in Gaming Apps?
Each week dozens of new gaming apps are released across the various mobile platforms, imaginative original works trying to build a name for themselves in a crowded market. I’m not saying Zaxxon Escape and Super Bunny Breakout aren’t fresh and entertaining—they’ve just got a bit of an unfair advantage. It’s hard to not have a…
By Mike Fahey Published October 12, 2012 -
UncategorizedHere’s Some New Footage From Notch’s Next Game
Minecraft creator Markus “Notch” Persson tweeted this out today: it’s a minute-and-a-half of footage from 0x10c, his new space game. PC Gamer’s got a great interview with Notch on 0x10c: The goal is to have it feel a bit like Firefly,” says Notch. “You can try to land on a planet but you mess up…
By Jason Schreier Published October 12, 2012 -
UncategorizedTake A Blood-Soaked Stroll Through ZombiU‘s Tower Of London
I haven’t been to London in a long time, but from the looks of this latest gameplay video, it seems like Ubisoft’s upcoming ZombiU will let me refresh my memory of the city’s famous locations. Virtual tourism never looked so bloody and zombie-laden.
By Kirk Hamilton Published October 12, 2012