• Kotaku East

  First DLC for New Fire Emblem Is Free

  Upcoming Fire Emblem: Kakusei, a tactical role-playing game for the 3DS, is getting DLC. This was first revealed last December. Today, Nintendo confirmed that the game is getting downloadable content, such as new maps and new episodic content. Between April 19 and May 31, the first round of DLC will be available as a free…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published February 22, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Real Life Bowser Jr. Trolls South Korea

  The foreign policy of the Koopa Kingdom toward its neighbor has always been unpredictable in timing and method. Although the Koopa Kingdom and the Mushroom Kingdom have engaged and cooperated with each other in friendly international competitions, critics have pointed out that relations between the two nations remained tense. While the Mushroom Kingdom and the…

  By Chi Lee Published February 22, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Nobody Comic Parties Like Chengdu Comic Parties

  Chengdu, one of China’s most livable cities, recently held a fan-made comic convention called Chengdu ComicParty01. And where there are comics, there are cosplayers. Japanese website Asagawo Blog has photos of the cosplayers and itasha (cars covered with anime-style stickers). While one of the itasha had incorrect Japanese written on it, it’s great to see…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published February 22, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Legs Spread, Are You Ready for this Sengoku Basara Mousepad? Are You?

  Since around 2005 or 2006, “boob” mousepads have enjoyed a degree of popularity with male gamers. But not all gamers are dudes, and not all dudes like boobs. Hence, this. This Masamune Date mouse pad is a fan-made creation, produced by doujin circle Waradoko and released last month. Date, real-life historical figure, appears in Capcom’s…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published February 22, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Korean Police Flinging Angry Birds at School Violence

  Yesterday, Feb. 21, the Korean National Police Agency and Rovio Entertainment announced the use of the Angry Birds franchise as an ambassador in the campaign to prevent school violence in Korea. The police are hoping to take advantage of the familiarity that young students have of the Angry Birds imagery, which will be used at…

  By Chi Lee Published February 22, 2012
• Kotaku East

  The Elder Scrolls Now Has a Nightclub. In Malaysia.

  It all seems totally unofficial/copyright infringing, of course, but here it is: a recently-opened club in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, called Black Magic, has as its logo the Imperial Seal from the Elder Scrolls series. The logo was first spotted last month, just after the club had opened. It’s not a homage, it’s…

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 22, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Nerd Paradise Is Turning to Nerd Hell. Beware Evil Maids!

  In Japanese geek meccas like Tokyo’s Akihabara and Osaka’s Nipponbashi, otaku (nerds) flock to maid cafes. The establishments are staffed with young women, eager to talk, serve rice omelets, and play paper-rock-scissors with customers. For a price. And depending on the maid cafe, a hefty one. Maid cafes started taking off in Japan between 2003…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published February 22, 2012
• Kotaku East

  Kotaku East Starts Now

  Kotaku East runs from 4am to 8am EST. For more info about Kotaku East click here

  By Brian Ashcraft Published February 22, 2012
• Uncategorized

  The Problem With Gamification

  Greg Costikyan on the subject of gamification. Or, turning things/activities that aren’t games into games. The Problem with Gamification…[Play This Thing, via Super Punch]

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 22, 2012
• Uncategorized

  Marilyn Monroe Eats Pizza, Sleeps Alone in The Sims

  Sims modder Pixel Pixies brings a touch of wholesome sex appeal to EA’s Sims 3 with her Marilyn Monroe skin, turning a modern family drama into a flick from the 50’s. I’ve never been able to get into the Sims games, but I remember spending a lot of time with earlier iterations importing mods and…

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 22, 2012
• Culture

  The BioShock, Dead Space & InFamous Art of Opus Artz

  Opus Artz is a concept studio in London which specialises in production art for the video game industry. Among its artists are guys like Bjorn Hurri and Theo Stylianides, so yeah, we’re about to see some good stuff. The studio has worked with clients such as EA, 2K, Paradox and Square Enix, on games like…

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 22, 2012
• Uncategorized

  Pokémon Company Responds to Fake iPhone Pokémon Game

  In the wake of a rather high-profile App Store scam involving a Pokémon game (or at least its title screen), the Pokémon Company has issued a statement saying it’s on the hunt for the bad guys. “We continue to combat the unauthorised release of games, applications and merchandise that trick our fans into purchasing something…

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 22, 2012
• 

  Uncategorized

  Now This is What a LEGO Game Should Look Like

  Putting aside the recent LEGO licensed platformers, nobody has ever really got a LEGO game right. Even Traveller’s Tales’ games don’t really get it; they’re great because they’re simple and funny, not because they use LEGO in a particularly exciting or satisfying way. This 3D clip, from Francisco Prieto, is what a LEGO game should…

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 22, 2012
• 

  CultureTotal Recall

  How Sam & Max Hit The Road Taught Me To Love Words

  People who know nothing about video games like to sling mud. They’ll say that games rot your brain, waste your time and distract from your studies. I’m here to tell you that that’s a lie, and I have proof. Be sure to click the video above to see how educational this game can really be.…

  By Chris Person Published February 21, 2012
• 

  CultureTotal Recall

  Screw the Vita, Let’s Talk About the Other NGP

  The PlayStation Vita is out today in the US. Before it was known as the Vita, you may remember it was called the NGP. Which was a little awkward, since there had already been a handheld gaming system called the NGP. And it sure wasn’t made by Sony. While Sony’s NGP stood for “Next Generation…

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 21, 2012
• Uncategorized

  Total Recall Starts Now!

  Let’s spend an hour looking backwards. It won’t hurt your neck. Promise.

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 21, 2012
• Uncategorized

  Get Ready for the “Next” Metal Gear Solid

  Now that Bayonetta developers Platinum Games are working on Metal Gear Rising, Kojima Productions is free to work on something else. Like…another Metal Gear Solid game. The studio has begun a recruitment drive for “the latest Metal Gear Solid” which will be appearing on “high-end consoles and PC”. It’ll of course be built on the…

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 21, 2012
• Uncategorized

  Quiet, Worf

  Hello there, and welcome to your Tuesday evening open thread. I hope you’re having a good week so far; 40% of the way to the weekend. Here are some things from around and about the internet for your perusing pleasure: “15 minutes of Worf’s ideas getting shot down by everyone on The Next Generation“ –…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published February 21, 2012
• Uncategorized

  Western Studios are Helping Finish The Last Guardian

  Team Ico’s The Last Guardian, the studio’s first game since Shadow of the Colossus, has hit a bit of a rough patch. It’s been delayed a few times, key people have left the company, it’s a mess To help get it done and out the door, Sony has drafted in outside help from some of…

  By Luke Plunkett Published February 21, 2012
• Uncategorized

  Origin Unleashes the First 3D Gaming Laptop With Dual Graphics Cards in SLI

  3D technology loves dual video cards, but gaming laptop manufacturers tend to shy away from dropping a pair of NVIDIA mobile cards in their machines. Something about keeping down cost. As I’ve demonstrated in the past, Origin PC isn’t a company that shies away from making a really expensive product, especially when it gets them…

  By Mike Fahey Published February 21, 2012