- CultureTotal Recall
The History of Early Computer Games. In Iraq.
There’s a really interesting piece up on HG101 in which Iraqi gamer Salwan Asaad, now living in Egypt, recounts his experiences growing up in the 1980s with the region’s fledgling scene. Unlike the hell-in-a-handbasket Iraq has become in the last twenty years, Asaad remembers during the 1980s it was a (relatively) more prosperous state, and…
By Luke Plunkett Published March 28, 2012 - Uncategorized
Total Recall Starts Now!
Time for your daily look back at the history of video games!
By Luke Plunkett Published March 28, 2012 -
CultureTotal RecallLook How Awesome Old Video Games Were in Old Movies
Seeing video games in a movie these days, or even a movie based on a video game, is nothing out of the ordinary. It’s expected. But during the 1970s, it was something to be marvelled at. This clip collects cameo appearances on the silver screen by the arcade games and home consoles of the 70’s,…
Luke Plunkett & Chris Person Published March 28, 2012 - Uncategorized
Determining The World’s Metal-Band Distribution
Can you guess where the most metal bands might be? I bet you can. Or you could just check that image, I guess. Greetings, Kotaku, and welcome to the evening Open Thread. Some fun and provocative things from around the internet for you: An amazing wind map of the entire nation – Holy shit! Battle…
By Kirk Hamilton Published March 28, 2012 - Uncategorized
Nobody Knows When the Hell Super Mario Bros. Was Released
It’s commonly held that Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo Entertainment System is one, if not the greatest game of all time. People constantly talk about its historical importance, and how it was largely responsible for the unprecedented success of the NES console. But when did it come out? Most people say 1986, but no…
By Kirk Hamilton Published March 28, 2012 - Uncategorized
Let’s Bring These Sherlock Holmes Games Back, Adventure Gamers
Now this is a blast from the past. I remember playing through the first volume of Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective ages ago. It was a full motion video adventure game, and my memories are very fond. The games were more stodgy, goofy Sherlock than cool, sexy Sherlock, but that didn’t make the mystery-solving any less…
By Kirk Hamilton Published March 28, 2012 - Uncategorized
Report: SimCity Needs Your Internet the Whole Time You’re Playing
Maxis and EA’s upcoming SimCity game looks pretty cool, but Joystiq is reporting that the game will require an internet connection to play. Lead designer Stone Librande told the publication that regardless of where the game was bought, people playing the game will need to be connected to EA’s Origin service to play the game.…
By Kirk Hamilton Published March 28, 2012 - Uncategorized
Lordy, Lordy, Fez Finally Gets a Release Date
Fez, the perspective-shifting platformer and poster-child for independent games development hell, is ready to go and will arrive April 13, says its studio, Polytron. That’s Friday the 13th, a fitting irony for something that’s been in production for more than four years. The game will be offered over Xbox Live Arcade for 800 Microsoft points,…
By Owen Good Published March 28, 2012 - Uncategorized
Pedophile Caught Thanks to Girl’s Nintendo Camera
A girl in the United Kingdom put away a man who molested her thanks to the camera on her Nintendo DSi, using it to surreptiously capture his assault and force a confession. John Fisher, 46, did admit to the abuse after his accuser (unnamed) snapped a picture of his hand groping her. Fisher’s going to…
By Owen Good Published March 28, 2012 - Uncategorized
One Leaves, One Enters Kotaku‘s Power 40
If you scan the column to the right of the Kotaku.com/Power 40 list, you’ll find our reorganized list updated for March complete with individual updates where relevant, and a new addition: BioWare fans That’s right, BioWare fans. Your displeasure with this month’s release of Mass Effect 3 did not go unnoticed, and most notably resulted…
By Tina Amini Published March 28, 2012 - Uncategorized
The FBI Is Making Virtual Crime Scenes With The Tech Behind Gears of War
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation is using the Unreal Engine to create simulations and other training programs, BBC News reports today. Unreal is the technology behind games like Gears of War 3 and Mass Effect 3. According to the BBC, the FBI will use it to create “virtual multiplayer crime scene[s] in which its…
By Jason Schreier Published March 28, 2012 -
UncategorizedNo Surprises After One Round in Madden‘s Cover Contest
News and notes from around the world of sports video gaming: • Madden NFL 13‘s cover athlete contest has moved to the second round, with few surprises. Aaron Rodgers advanced, despite Packer fans’ superstitions. Megatron absolutely dominated his first round matchup, with the largest margin of victory. Sebastian Janikowski was eliminated, despite everyone’s desire to…
By Owen Good Published March 28, 2012 -
UncategorizedA Very Moving Day for a Woman at The Masters
After two rounds at The Masters, the 44 best scores and ties, plus anyone within 10 strokes of the leader, make the cut. Since 2006, when the course was lengthened, no American amateur has survived to “Moving Day,” the nickname for Saturday’s round. Yesterday, I did so. As a woman. This past Sunday, I wrote…
By Owen Good Published March 28, 2012 - Uncategorized
Best Game Ever: Thief: The Dark Project is the Only Way to Stealth
Thought we forgot about Speak Up on Kotaku’s Best Game Ever? We were only biding our time until commenter DocSeuss and admitted his love for the one stealth action game that got nearly everything right. I’m done playing third-person stealth games. I can’t do it anymore. I want to, believe me, but… yeah. No. I…
By Mike Fahey Published March 28, 2012 - Uncategorized
Stop Hoarding Things In Skyrim Or Your Housecarl Will Leave You
College Humor has a great video out today that examines what happens when one resident of Skyrim hoards too much. And no, it’s not okay to stockpile all of those books that you’ll “read eventually” and all that random meat that you “might need one day.” It’s gross. In other words, clean out your house…
By Jason Schreier Published March 28, 2012 - Uncategorized
Five Reasons A World Without Used Games Might Not Be So Bad
The next generation of gaming consoles might not play used games. Sounds terrible, right? Maybe not. Over the past few months, rumors have suggested that both the next Xbox (codenamed Durango) and the next PlayStation (codenamed Orbis) will use technology that prevents customers from sharing and selling the games they play. Games might be tied…
By Jason Schreier Published March 28, 2012 - Uncategorized
Denis Dyack Claims Used Games Will Destroy Gaming
Secondhand games have been the bread and butter of retail chain GameStop for years, and the target of publishers’ ire for just as long. Many consumers prefer not to pay the new retail price (a hefty $60, for most titles) for every game they play, and the system of selling and purchasing pre-owned discs works…
By Kate Cox Published March 28, 2012 - Uncategorized
The Joy Of Falling Through The Floor
Republished from Rock, Paper Shotgun However hard games try to create worlds, they remain artifice. They are stage sets. Painted boxes. And when you step outside them, you get to see how unreal that game world actually is. This, from time to time, can be a wonderful thing. Let’s raise a glass to the strange…
Jim Rossignol | Rock Paper Shotgun Published March 28, 2012