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You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat
Greetings, Kotaku cadets, and welcome to your Friday evening open thread. I hope you’ve had a pleasant week, and are prepared for an even pleasant-er weekend. Here are some random things from the internet, conversation starters and other things you might enjoy. Do you miss “Community” already? Watch this. – Aw, man. I even think…
By Kirk Hamilton Published December 16, 2011 -
UncategorizedThe Best Game Music of 2011: LittleBigPlanet 2
As a game, LittleBigPlanet 2 was all about motion and physics. It was a Rube Goldbergian dream diorama, a series of flipping levers, bouncing springs, swinging doorways and tumbling blocks. The game had a heavy thunkiness to it that unfortunately was its undoing in the gameplay department—it was so dependent on its physics engine that…
By Kirk Hamilton Published December 16, 2011 -
UncategorizedPS Vita Launches in Japan. Did People Wait for It?
After being revealed earlier this year, the PS Vita, Sony’s PlayStation Portable successor, finally launched in Japan. This past October, pre-orders kicked off, with folks lining up early to reserve their Vita. In some parts of Tokyo, namely Akihabara and Shinjuku, the lines started late last night. In the above gallery, you can see a…
By Brian Ashcraft Published December 16, 2011 - Uncategorized
What Are You Playing This Weekend?
Is anyone reading this still on campus? This was my favorite time of the year when I was an undergraduate student. I stayed at school until they threw us all out, usually going four days to a week after my last exam. There’s no better lifestyle than a college town at the end of the…
By Owen Good Published December 16, 2011 - Uncategorized
New Pokémon Game Revealed! It’s Not What You Expect.
For years now, a steady stream of new Pokémon games have been coming out. If you’ve played one, you basically know what you are getting yourself into. Not this time. Nintendo is teaming up with Tecmo Koei for a totally different Pocket Monster experience, one that features samurai warriors, and is called Pokémon Plus Nobunaga’s…
By Brian Ashcraft Published December 16, 2011 - Uncategorized
The Week in Unbelievably Gorgeous Screenshots
Last week, I was so happy to publish a feature about the incredible screenshots of DeadEndThrills, a.k.a. Duncan Harris. Duncan is regularly cranking out so many terrific shots over on his site that I thought it would be fun to share some highlights from each week, as well as a few classics from his many…
By Kirk Hamilton Published December 16, 2011 - Uncategorized
Angry Birds Maker Ready for Stock Sale, has Six Sequels Planned in 2012
On the heels of Facebook gaming titan Zynga going public today, the maker of mobile gaming’s mammoth hit Angry Birds suggests it will pursue a public offering of stock in 2013, and that it has five or six games from that franchise planned for 2012. Tekniikka & Talous, a weekly newspaper in Rovio’s native Finland,…
By Owen Good Published December 16, 2011 - Uncategorized
Prototype 2, A Pack of Gum and a Facemask
How Am I Supposed To Blow Bubbles In This Thing? | I got a box of Prototype 2 swag. It included a pack of gum, a t-shirt, some stickers and this face mask. Huh… Nerds and Male Privilege I want to tell you a story. A few years ago, I was dating a girl who…
By Brian Crecente Published December 16, 2011 - Uncategorized
An Ever-Changing Game, Designed and Written By its Players? Sounds Good.
The idea of user-generated content is nothing new, and success at implementing the concept has ranged from the niche (inFamous 2) to the wildly successful (Minecraft). Just this week, game designer/Carnegie Mellon professor/all around interesting and smart guy Jesse Schell launched a kickstarter campaign to support the latest project from his studio Schell Games (geddit?)…
By Kirk Hamilton Published December 16, 2011 - Uncategorized
Skyrim Hits Its Lowest Price Since Release
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (360, PS3, PC) is $49.99 with free shipping from Amazon, matching Target’s earlier price drop. This is the lowest price since the game’s Nov.11 release, and $5 less than Black Friday and Cyber Monday. No word on how long the price cut will last. [Thanks, Dealzon]
By Owen Good Published December 16, 2011 - Uncategorized
The Problem With Women’s Armor, According to a Man Who Makes Armor [UPDATE]
Ryan, aka “Jabberwock” makes armor. He therefore knows more about armor than I do and maybe more than you do. He has noticed, as you might have, that the armor that some female characters wear in video games, comics and movies is ridiculous. Some of it is not. Well, what can he tell us about…
By Stephen Totilo Published December 16, 2011 -
UncategorizedTwisted Metal’s Chopper-Riding Reaper Takes the Spotlight in This New Trailer
There’s no getting around the fact that the playable characters of Twisted Metal are pretty much a veritable parade of broken souls. With an apparent deal with the devil lurking in his past, biker-turned-grim-reaper Mr. Grimm may be the most shattered of all the game’s automotive combatants. This clip puts his weapons and attacks on…
By Evan Narcisse Published December 16, 2011 - Uncategorized
These Game Developers Are *Gasp* Proud of their Instruction Manual.
The people at Matrix Games think video game instruction manuals are cool. Forgive them for not knowing any better. They didn’t get the memo that instruction manuals are over. I think Sony sent that memo. Or maybe Nintendo did. Or was it Ubisoft? Well, no one gave the Matrix people a memo, so here we…
By Stephen Totilo Published December 16, 2011 -
UncategorizedWatch This Trailer to Learns the Rule of Surviving I Am Alive
I Am Alive‘s promising a more intimate type of post-apocalypse and this tenderly narrated teaser gives a fresh look at the game’s world and hazards. The clip also offers glimpses of how ravaged the world’s become after the ill that’s befallen it and how you can help other get through the future’s tough times. Be…
By Evan Narcisse Published December 16, 2011 -
UncategorizedThis is How You Customize Characters in Gotham City Impostors
The character customization in the Gotham City Impostors beta is pretty robust. You can change the way your gang member will look or tool around in the very extensive loadout section. I was surprised by how many different gadgets they let you play with in the beta, it gets me excited to see what they…
By Chris Carolan Published December 16, 2011 - Uncategorized
This Week’s Best Gaming Apps Weren’t All about Moonshine-Running
In the land of cell phone games and gaming apps, no idea is too good, too bad or too stupid to base a game off of. You can make a game about throwing birds around. You can make a game about jumping up (that’s the whole game). You can make a game about making games.…
By Stephen Totilo Published December 16, 2011 - Uncategorized
Play the Next Big Thing From the Makers of Minecraft Right Now
Cobalt, the action game of “running, jumping, rolling, shooting, throwing, dancing, hacking, rolling, flying, sliding, climbing, looting, deflecting, racing, piñata-ing, passing, scoring… and even more rolling!” is now playable as a discounted Alpha version, developers Mojang and Oxeye tell Kotaku The game is still under heavy development, but as with Minecraft, willing gamers can pick…
By Brian Crecente Published December 16, 2011 -
UncategorizedEmbrace The Thrill of the Hunt in This Prototype 2 Trailer
The developers at Radical talk about how you’ll be stalking James Heller’s prey in the upcoming open-world sequel. Eating enemies also gets in this behind-the-scenes look, which also offers new looks at combat and quests, too. You’ll get your chance to hunt through Prototype 2’s ruined New York City when the game hits on April…
By Evan Narcisse Published December 16, 2011