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No One is More Prepared to Play Diablo III Than This Guy
It’s less than two weeks before the release of the most eagerly anticipated PC (and Mac!) game of the year. Some of us are pretty excited about it. This guy is way beyond that. Diablo III forum-goer Scrambles shared his preparations with the game community yesterday, linking a few pictures of his new computer setup…
By Mike Fahey Published May 3, 2012 -
UncategorizedNo Instrumental Cover Has Ever Done Justice to Metroid’s “Brinstar”
We’ve heard all of the Super Mario Bros. themes performed by an orchestra. Simon Viklund’s blood-pumping update of the Bionic Commando soundtrack is still on my workout playlist. And this version of Tecmo Super Bowl‘s opening cinematic makes me eat lightning and crap thunder. The great NES chiptunes of the past have all had great…
By Owen Good Published May 3, 2012 -
UncategorizedFrom Uematsu to Lucasarts: A Kotaku Melodic Mix-Tape Roundup
Ever since we started Kotaku Melodic, our own video master Chris Person has been creating lovely Mixtapes featuring various themes, composers, genres and games. I’ve loved every one of them, and I thought this week would be a good time to share his first seven mixtapes in one place. Here now, the first seven volumes…
By Kirk Hamilton Published May 3, 2012 -
UncategorizedThe Elder Scrolls Online‘s Massive Soundtrack Could Unite All of Tamriel
Today, Bethesda officially announced The Elder Scrolls Online, which will allow players to enter the vast land of Tamriel. I agree with the five things that Mike said he’d like to see in the game. But the moment I heard the announcement, I coudn’t help but imagine that the game might include the music of…
By Kirk Hamilton Published May 3, 2012 -
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How A Video Game Rock Band Made Me Long for Winter in Toronto
I’ve only been to Toronto once, and it was in high school for a band trip. I think we went to “Medieval Times”? But the New York-based chiptune/rock band Anamanaguchi makes me want to go back. Not for any big event or anything, just to sort of slack off and wander around. Maybe get into…
By Kirk Hamilton Published May 3, 2012 -
UncategorizedLet The Books Take You To “Tokyo”
The first time I heard DVA’s lovely soundtrack to Botanicula, I thought it sounded like The Books. Here’s “Tokyo,” one of the most famous tracks from their 2003 album The Lemon of Pink. Which, obviously, you should totally own.
By Kirk Hamilton Published May 3, 2012 - Uncategorized
Chiptunes, Schmiptunes: Embracing The Human Side of Video Game Audio
We’re living in something of a golden age of chiptune music. The last five or so years have seen a popularity explosion for the classic electronic sounds that most gamers associate with the games of their youths. The bleeps, bloops, and grinds of chiptune music have evolved from a technical necessity to an aesthetic choice.…
By Kirk Hamilton Published May 3, 2012 - Uncategorized
These Are All of the Umpiring Crews—and the Parks They Work—in MLB 12 The Show
As is well known, the officiating in MLB 12 The Show can be set to a variable quality of accuracy. You can either have it perfect, or home plate umpires can have personal strike zones and tendencies, blow close plays and refuse to ring up hitters on a checked swing. Those who frequently play MLB…
By Owen Good Published May 3, 2012 - Uncategorized
Better Know an Umpire: Wally Hughes of MLB 12 The Show
Welcome to Better Know An Umpire, an effort to educate ourselves on the human elements—deliberately programmed into a computer simulation—who have ultimate decision-making power over millions of games played in MLB 12 The Show on the PlayStation 3. Name: Wally Hughes Uniform number: 67 (crew chief) Age: 57 Height/weight: 6-foot-0, 210 pounds First year as…
By Owen Good Published May 3, 2012 - Uncategorized
Prepare To Weigh Your Diablo III Expectations With Kotaku Game Club
Welcome back to the Kotaku Game Club, everyone. This month we’ll be playing Diablo III, because this is one game that a lot of gamers have been waiting a very long time for. “Expectations” is the name of the game for this month’s Game Club. They often play a huge role in defining whether or…
By Mike Epstein Published May 3, 2012 - Uncategorized
Mac Gaming Became A Little Less Dead Today
People often ask if PC gaming is dead. This is not a very sensible question. But I, a Mac owner, wonder daily if Mac gaming is alive. Look, I can play Adventure World on my Mac. And Solitaire. But, my goodness, Mac gaming sucks. And so it was with shock and glee that I, owner…
By Stephen Totilo Published May 3, 2012 - Uncategorized
The Gamers We Can’t Spot A Mile Away
Boston is my birthplace and always my home, but I haven’t lived there since late 2005. So for three years and counting, when the time for PAX East comes I find myself sitting in an airport, abuzz with energy. While sitting at the gate at Dulles or Reagan, it can be alarmingly easy to spot…
By Kate Cox Published May 3, 2012 - Uncategorized
Crysis 3 Screens a New York City in Dire Need of a Landscaper
All kinds of vegetative devastation happens to the Big Apple in EA’s upcoming threeequel. We’ve already gotten a preview of the new mechanics and weapons of the Cryek-developed FPS but these new screens show even more detail than before. Flooded streets, crumbling buildings and a scarcity of any other human beings hint that this Crysis…
By Evan Narcisse Published May 3, 2012 - Uncategorized
Five Things I Want to See in The Elder Scrolls Online
The announcement I’ve been waiting for ever since ZeniMax Online Studios was founded has finally arrived: there’s a massively multiplayer online Elder Scrolls game on the way. Now I can deliver my list of demands suggestions for making The Elder Scrolls Online the best MMO it can possibly be. Sight unseen The Elder Scrolls Online…
By Mike Fahey Published May 3, 2012 - Uncategorized
Hopefully The Army’s Scheme To Fly Helicopters With Kinect Doesn’t Involve A Lot of Spinning
The army wants to install Microsoft’s controller-free Kinect sensor in military helicopters so pilots can use them both for body recognition and flying assistance, Innovation News Daily reports “New technology from the gaming world has the potential to substantially reduce the cost of adding head tracking to conventional helicopters, as well as the ability to…
By Jason Schreier Published May 3, 2012