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Next Week’s Rock Band Wonders: Do You Like Huey Lewis and the News?
Do you like Huey Lewis and The News? Their early work was a little too new wave for my tastes, but when Sports came out in ’83, I think they really came into their own, commercially and artistically. The whole album has a clear, crisp sound, and a new sheen of consummate professionalism that really…
By Mike Fahey Published February 24, 2012 - Uncategorized
Why Do Text-Heavy Games Make Reading So Painful?
In today’s short-but-sweet installment of Read Up on Kotaku, commenter RevRain wonders why developers spend days filling their games with tomes of ancient lore without putting nearly as much effort into delivering a pleasant reading experience. A lot of games require you to read lots of text be it in a form of a mystic…
By Mike Fahey Published February 24, 2012 - Uncategorized
Talk Amongst Yourselves
And, lo, there came a day when Kotaku‘s official forum descended upon the world of Man. Its name came to be known as Talk Amongst Yourselves and it was found to be as lively a place for talk and sharing of video game insight as any throughout the land. Speak to us of your video…
By Evan Narcisse Published February 24, 2012 - Uncategorized
Star Wars: The Old Republic Players Average At Least Four Hours Per Session, Love Sundays
The average player of the massively multiplayer game Star Wars: The Old Republic plays the game between four and six hours per session, according to one of the chief architects of the game. “When they play, their sessions are absurd,” Greg Zeschuk, head of BioWare Austin, the studio leading continued development of the game told…
By Stephen Totilo Published February 24, 2012 -
UncategorizedThis Is the Last Vita Game I Expected to Enjoy
When the shipment of Ubisoft’s Vita launch day games arrived, Michael Jackson: The Experience was set aside, along with Asphalt: Injection and Dungeon Hunter Alliance, three unfortunate side-effects of getting my hands on Rayman and Lumines Indeed I might not have ever gotten around to playing it if not for a random bout of OCD…
By Mike Fahey Published February 24, 2012 -
UncategorizedPeter Parker Fights Marvel Comics’ Horniest Super-Villain in This Amazing Spider-Man Trailer
Superhero movies flirt with distaster when they try to throw more than one antagonist at the main character. But, superhero video games? They thrive on that formula. So, in the first of what we have to assume will be many unveilings, Activision’s rolling out a look at how old-school bad guy the Rhino will look…
By Evan Narcisse Published February 24, 2012 - Uncategorized
There Are 100 Keys to This Weekend’s Tera Beta Test Hidden in This Post
Who wants to see if Tera‘s promise of action-driven massively multiplayer online role-playing combat rings true this weekend? I’ve got the beta keys, but you’re going to have to work for them. Might want to stretch first. Tera‘s closed beta test two runs from Friday, February 24 at 3PM Eastern to Monday, February 27 2:59AM…
By Mike Fahey Published February 24, 2012 - Uncategorized
When Gal Gun Is Maid to Order
Gal | TOKYO, JAPAN: Gal Gun gets an Akihabara maid cafe promotion (Photo: Mantan Web) A Beautiful Collection of Awesome Nintendo Logos I like the games and the hardware, of course, but one of my favourite things about Japanese video games from the 1980s were the logos. And some of the best ones came out…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 24, 2012 - Kotaku East
Crazy Dude Tearing Off Women’s Underpants
There is a stream of reports of women having their underwear forcibly torn off of them. No, this isn’t Akiba’s Trip. This is real—and frightening. According to Nippon TV, a man called out to his victims as they minded their own business, walking down the street. Then suddenly, he forcibly lifted their skirts, peeled off…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 24, 2012 - Kotaku East
This Metal Gear Cosplay Is Direct-Action, Bananas
Omi Gibson isn’t called the queen of Metal Gear cosplay for nothing. It’s because, you know, she is. Check out her latest effort from Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, complete with Direct-Action Suit and banana. The costume work on display is, per usual, amazing. Check out more pics the gallery above. MSF女子兵士 （ZERO ver ）/…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 24, 2012 -
Kotaku EastThe Final Fantasy Social Game in which You Do NOTHING
Last week, as part of Theatrhythm Final Fantasy‘s Japanese launch, Square Enix released the tie-in promotional game, Social Theatrhythm. In this flash game, you create a character and then join up with three Twitter or Facebook friends to play a co-op version of Theatrhythm Of course by “play,” I mean “do nothing.” After choosing your…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published February 24, 2012 - Kotaku East
Otaku Meccas Are More Than Video Games
In Japan, the two most famous geek districts are Akihabara (in Tokyo) and Nipponbashi (in Osaka). Just their names alone conjure up notions of cute anime characters and old Famicom consoles. Yet, these areas aren’t only for gamers or folks into anime/manga. Take my father-in-law. He has zero interest in video games, comics, or cartoons.…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 24, 2012 - Kotaku East
Gossip! Rumors! What Is Nintendo’s Track Record?
Earlier this week in an uncharacteristic move, the president of one of Japan’s biggest companies, Nintendo’s Satoru Iwata, hopped on Twitter to address “gossip”. “By the way,” Iwata tweeted, “on Monday there was an inaccurate report online. This sort of thing has continued repeatedly, with no context, self-serving language, and the blurring of truth and…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 24, 2012 -
Kotaku EastAn Indepth Look at The Last Story‘s Versus and Co-op Multiplayer
Despite being 1) a Japanese game, 2) an RPG, and 3) a Wii game, The Last Story has not one but two online multiplayer modes included in its package. The first is a versus mode, which includes a three-on-three team deathmatch. Unlike in the normal game where you are often forced to play as Zael,…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published February 24, 2012 - Kotaku East
Chinese iPad Dispute Is Coming to America
While Apple is duking it out in Chinese courts over the iPad name, Proview, the company that is claiming legal rights to the iPad moniker, is now filing a lawsuit in California. The Shenzhen-based company is accusing Apple of using deception to get the trademark, Reuters reported. In the lawsuit, Proview is alleging that Apple…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 24, 2012 - Kotaku East
This Metal Gear Figure Costs Nearly $500!
The master craftsmen at Hong Kong’s ThreeA are working on a Metal Gear Rex figure. It’s 1/48 scale, which sounds small. That is, until you see someone hold it. Then, it looks friggin’ enormous. The Rex goes on sale this March for US$490. That’s a big price for a big figure. ThreeA’s Metal Gear Rex…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 24, 2012 -
Kotaku EastMai Shiranui, Brought to Life
Mai Shiranui from The King of Fighters isn’t real. But a few days ago in Taiwan, you could’ve swore she was. Taiwanese model Yoyo appeared dressed as SNK’s jiggly ninja at a promotion for her new photobook, which features photos of her in various states of dress against cheesy Photoshopped backgrounds. Yoyo isn’t a stranger…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 24, 2012 -
Kotaku EastPainting Your Way to Victory. Seven Minutes of Sumioni Gameplay
Sumioni: Demon Arts combines the most basic gameplay of old school Ninja Gaiden with the traditional Japanese art style, “sumie”, in this side-scrolling, platforming adventure. You’ll have to wait until next week for our in-depth preview, but feel free to see how it plays in the video above. Sumioni: Demon Arts was released for the…
By Richard Eisenbeis Published February 24, 2012 - Kotaku East
Girl Group Wants Japan To Stop Killing Itself
Suicide is serious. It’s horrible. It’s touched me personally as well as many people in Japan, which has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. The ruling political part decided to take action to help prevent it: with a slogan and cute idols. Earlier this month, the Democratic Party of Japan unveiled a…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 24, 2012