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UncategorizedThe Secret Behind the Success of DayZ, the Most Interesting PC “Game” of 2012
You can keep your Diablos, the most interesting thing to happen to PC gaming this year has easily been DayZ, a zombie survival mod for military shooter ArmA II What’s even more impressive than the experience itself, though, is the fact it was created by a single man, New Zealander Dean Hall. So earlier this…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 24, 2012 -
CultureTotal RecallThe Excitement of Driving a Public Bus Around Tokyo. Very Slowly.
Japan has a long and storied tradition of developing games where you are a train driver. Doing very little but going forwards, backwards and slowing down at stations. If that sounds a little too pedestrian for your tastes, well, there’s always Tokyo Bus Guide. Released around the turn of the milennium on the Dreamcast (and…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 23, 2012 - CultureTotal Recall
Game Box Nipples and Gunsmoke Moustaches
This is Game Over, a title for the Spectrum, first released in 1987. A game released amidst controversy. See, while later editions of the game would feature slightly edited variations of the box art, the original featured one of video gaming’s first wardrobe malfunctions. You could see half a nipple. And it caused an outrage.…
By Luke Plunkett Published May 23, 2012 -
UncategorizedChocolate Cake for Breakfast!
Hello there, Kotaku. We had a crazy day today, and I haven’t been able to accumulate links for you. So instead, here, have one of my favorite stand-up routines ever. When I was a kid, my parents would play us Bill Cosby tapes when we were in the car, and this bit in particular has…
By Kirk Hamilton Published May 23, 2012 - Uncategorized
Too Human is Worth, Oh, a Few Bucks, Says Judge
The great Silicon Knights-Epic Games slapfight is at last underway in a courtroom, but already a judge has suggested that even if the maker of Too Human wins, it could lose. He’s said that the damages up for grabs are $1. That’s because Silicon Knights failed to provide him with a timely, or acceptable, itemization…
By Owen Good Published May 23, 2012 -
UncategorizedWhy Yes, I Will Play a Music/Fighting Vita Game That Lets Me Import My Own Tunes
I know I’m not alone in thinking that the best fighting games have their own rhythm—you get in the zone of a Street Fighter, BlazBlue or even Mortal Kombat and it’s a lot like drumming. So it seemed like it was only a matter of time before we got an actual full-on music/fighting game. (As…
By Kirk Hamilton Published May 23, 2012 - Uncategorized
How Diablo III‘s Always-On Internet Requirement Makes It a Better Game
Last week’s rough launch of Diablo III neatly illustrated the biggest problem with the game’s ‘always-on’ internet requirement. It was a reminder that consumers have lost a portion of their ownership of the game, that we no longer have complete control even over whether or not our game will start. That’s as true this week…
By Kirk Hamilton Published May 23, 2012 -
UncategorizedNeed to Go Nuts Building an Online Shooter? ShootMania Might Be For You.
The first official trailer for Ubisoft first-person shooter Shootmania has arrived. ShootMania: Storm comes from French team Nadeo, who were behind the TrackMania games. They share a premise of heavy player modification, letting players design levels and maps. The heavily customizable, multiplayer online shooter is a PC exclusive scheduled for a release later this year.…
By Kate Cox Published May 23, 2012 -
UncategorizedFull Tony Hawk HD Soundtrack Announced, Listen To The Whole Thing Here
It was the first question I and many others asked when we first heard about Tony Hawk HD: Okay, but what about the soundtrack? Yes, we’re all happy to hear that the game feels both sharp and smooth, and that they’re putting a lot of work into making the game play well. But what about…
By Kirk Hamilton Published May 23, 2012 - Uncategorized
Shadow of the Colossus Film Adaptation Gets a Director
Sony Pictures has signed writer/director Josh Trank (Chronicle) to direct the long-in-development-hell adaptation of 2005 fan-favorite game Shadow of the Colossus movie. No word yet on casting for Wander… or the horse. [Deadline]
By Kate Cox Published May 23, 2012 -
ReviewsThe Origin EON-11s is an Impressive Gaming Machine Masquerading as a Netbook
The bigger the gaming laptop is, the more powerful it is. At least that’s been the experience I’ve had in my gaming laptop-reviewing career. A bigger chassis means more bells and whistles, better heat management, and a larger, more vivid display. I’ve equated smaller size with sacrifice, so when Origin PC first unveiled the EON-11s,…
By Mike Fahey Published May 23, 2012 -
UncategorizedHere’s Tebow Tebowing—and Victor Cruz Salsa Dancing—in Madden NFL 13
On Friday, Mike Young, the creative director for Madden NFL 13 revealed that the game would feature the notorious “Tebowing” posture, whose namesake drops to one knee in a solemn and evidently religious celebration. Operation Sports today published the first screenshot of what that would look like. In fact, they said it came on a…
By Owen Good Published May 23, 2012 - Uncategorized
A Terrible Decision Created MLB 2K—But It Also Brought Us BioShock
The mythology built up around Major League Baseball 2K is that the game could not do anything right. Eight-figure losses and terrible review scores every year are, yes, terminal deficiencies. But its pitching and hitting mechanisms forced the dominant MLB The Show to respond with weak revisions to its controls, and MLB Today—when it worked—was…
By Owen Good Published May 23, 2012 - Uncategorized
Ask a Video Game Developer Anything … Call for Questions
We did it twice (this time and this time). We’re doing it again: Ask a video game developer anything…preferably about the world of game-making! Put your questions in the comments section, please. In a week or so, Jeremiah Slaczka (5TH Cell creative director! Scribblenauts! Hybrid! Kotaku columnist!) will answer the very best ones in the…
By Stephen Totilo Published May 23, 2012 - Uncategorized
Renting? Pfft. GameFly’s Going to Publish Games Now
GameFly’s made some interesting moves in the last few months. They jumped into the digital distribution space last year, offering games for streaming in addition to their physical mail rentals. While that moved GameFly’s overall offering closer to that of Steam, they still relied on publishers to supply their pipelines with games. That’s going to…
By Evan Narcisse Published May 23, 2012 - Uncategorized
Activision-Bungie Contract Has Rules About Everything, Even Easter Eggs
The ongoing legal saga between Activision and former Infinity Ward heads Jason West and Vincent Zampella continues to bring all sorts of once-secret documents to light. We already learned that Bungie’s 2010 contract with Activision guarantees the delivery of four “sci-fantasy” shooter games, called Destiny. But what other details are hiding in that 27-page contract?…
By Kate Cox Published May 23, 2012