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27 of the Best Video Game Ideas from E3
How bad was this year’s E3? Not that bad, actually! If you knew where to look, played the games that were there and talked to enough game creators, you could find plenty of signs that video gaming is still full of interesting new ideas, big and small. It would have been wonderful if there was…
By Stephen Totilo Published June 11, 2012 - Uncategorized
The Side-Scrolling Shooter I Flipped on Its Side
With DariusBurst: Second Prologue, arcade shooter DariusBurst blasts up iOS with side-scrolling shooting and a hailstorm of pew-pews. I love shooters—and I think the iOS is a viable platform for them. Yet, I’m not the world’s biggest horizontal shooter fan. I prefer vertical shooters, which is a layout that suits the iPhone. So while playing…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 11, 2012 -
UncategorizedSmash Bros. Was The Real Fight Club Before Fight Club
Ok, fine. So the novel by Chuck Palahniuk came out several years before Super Smash Bros. was released in Japan. But the video game came out almost a full year before the movie did, so…Science! Regardless, it’s a comparison that I’m surprised wasn’t drawn up in video form earlier. The little bits of parallel detail…
By Tina Amini Published June 11, 2012 - Uncategorized
Take to the Skies and the Shadows to Rule the World in Dragon Commander
I’ve mentioned before that I have a soft spot for Larian’s Divinity franchise, dating back to 2003. Their games have never been flawless but, with only one glaring exception, they have been fun. So in a way, I had my fingers crossed, hoping for the best, when I went to their demo room at E3…
By Kate Cox Published June 11, 2012 - Uncategorized
Does Team Ninja Still Hate Other Fighting Games?
“Tekken sucks.” Years ago, when abrasive game designer Tomonobu Itagaki was in charge of Tecmo’s Team Ninja development studio, trash-talking other fighting game franchises was the norm. But the rail-thin rebel left Tecmo to work on the long-brewing Devil’s Third for THQ, and now Yosuke Hayashi’s the man in charge at Team Ninja. When I…
By Evan Narcisse Published June 11, 2012 - Uncategorized
Better Friend Codes, Achievements and More: Nintendo Answers Our Burning Wii U Questions
Nintendo will have a much less annoying Friend Code system for the Wii U, four layers of protection in their online service and system-level Achievements, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime tells Kotaku The Nintendo boss and I rapidly ran through a list of questions about the Wii U’s features during a wide-ranging interview a…
By Stephen Totilo Published June 11, 2012 -
UncategorizedThis Gorgeous Action-RPG Was Made By One Man
Here’s a first look at Dust: An Elysian Tail, an upcoming action role-playing game that will be out this summer for the Xbox 360. It’s super pretty. Very reminiscent of Vanillaware games like Muramasa and Odin’s Sphere. Check it out!
By Jason Schreier Published June 11, 2012 - Uncategorized
Talk Amongst Yourselves
Welcome to Kotaku’s official forum, known affectionately as Talk Amongst Yourselves. This is the place where we gather on a daily basis to discuss all things video game and existential. Want to talk about new games, old games, games that aren’t even out yet? Knock yourselves out! I really like Heavenly Sword, the PS3 action…
By Evan Narcisse Published June 11, 2012 -
UncategorizedMarvel Pinball: Avengers Chronicles Dons the Infinity Gauntlet Next Week
After teasing us like an after credits scene at a Marvel movie for ages, Zen Studios prepares to unleash four Avengers-themed pinball tables in Marvel Pinball and Pinball FX 2 next week. Let’s celebrate with Thanos, the most glove-obsessed superpower in the universe. Come June 19 for North American PlayStation 3 and June 20 for…
By Mike Fahey Published June 11, 2012 -
UncategorizedHere’s the Fake Arcade Classic Disney’s New Video Game Movie Comes From
Maybe you’ve seen the trailer for Wreck-It Ralph, the upcoming Disney movie about a video game villain who doesn’t want to be bad anymore. That clip’s got bad guys like Street Fighter‘s Zangief and Bowser from the Super Mario games opening their hearts in a support group. Those villains earned their bad reputations by body-slamming…
By Evan Narcisse Published June 11, 2012 -
UncategorizedThe Amazing Spider-Man Made Me Nauseous. This Pleases Me.
As the Beenox representative controlling The Amazing Spider-Man during the game’s E3 2012 presentation launched Peter Parker off the top of a tall building in virtual New York City, my stomach heaved sympathetically. The piece of pizza I had consumed during a previous meeting (thanks, Sony Online Entertainment!) threatened to make an encore appearance all…
By Mike Fahey Published June 11, 2012 -
Kotaku EastAvatar Facial Recognition Research Involves Lots of Head Bouncing and Suspicious Looks
So you can dress up your avatar in an array of silly costumes. You can customize your avatar’s appearance. And now, gamers are getting better control of their avatar’s facial expressions—thanks to researchers like this dude. Using a PlayStation Eye and some fancy software, a Keio University group is working on software that will allow…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 11, 2012 -
Kotaku EastThis Isn’t Just a Gaming PC. No, It Transforms.
There’s more than meets the eye with Asus’ latest Republic of Gamers gaming computer. Click on the “Turbo Gear” overclocking button and watch as this high end PC physically changes, revealing ten crimson fans that help the PC’s internal liquid cooling. Say hello to the Tytan. Officially dubbed the Tytan CG8890, the computer is outfitted…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 11, 2012 - Kotaku East
Plastic Link, Just Take My Money
My wallet is open. Just, seriously, just take my money—just the ¥3,800 (US$48) necessary to buy this Legend of Zelda Link figure. Going on sale this October in Japan, this Link figure is the latest in the Figma action figure line. This Skyward Sword Link is fully poseable and comes with a Master Sword and…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 11, 2012 - Uncategorized
Half-Life’s Agonising Remake Still On, New Screens Released
In development for around eight years now, the fan-made remake of the original Half-Life, known as Black Mesa, is almost a punchline for the torment followers of the series as a whole are feeling at its lack of updates. The developers of the project are still plugging away, though, and have this morning released a…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 11, 2012 - Kotaku East
One Day Metal Gear Solid Could Evolve into Metal Gear…Social
Listen up, social butterlfies. Stealth series Metal Gear might eventually contain social game elements. According to creator Hideo Kojima, social and core games will evolve together, until they converge. “I think in the future maybe Metal Gear will change in certain ways to integrate social aspects,” Kojima told website CVG. “If you look at other…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 11, 2012 - Kotaku East
Today’s Creepy Strangers Offer the Nintendo 3DS, Not Candy
In the past, parents told children not to accept candy from strangers. They might want to add something else to that list: video game portables. Earlier this month in Hokkaido, Japan, an overweight man in his 40s or 50s called out to a grade schooler on her way home: “I’ll give you a 3DS, so…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 11, 2012 -
Kotaku EastHow To Cover Your Co-Worker’s Computer in Porn
You’ve probably seen the clip of the young lady who played porn in a quiet library. And maybe you thought, hey, I’m an evil trickster, and I’d like to do something similar as a prank. Well evil trickster, here’s how*. Go Yoshiwara, vice-president of a Tokyo web design firm, rigged one of his employee’s computers…
By Brian Ashcraft Published June 11, 2012