- Culture
This Week in the Business: ‘Nintendo would cease to be Nintendo.’
What’s happened in the business of video games this past week… QUOTE | “Nintendo would cease to be Nintendo.” – Satoru Iwata once again says, despite mounting pressure, that his company will “absolutely not consider” smartphone development, which goes against Nintendo’s philosophy. QUOTE | “Gears 3 is better on every level.” – Epic’s Cliff Bleszinski…
James Brightman | IndustryGamers.com Published September 16, 2011 - Uncategorized
Study on Effects of Violent Games: Blame the Player, Not the Game
A study by Villanova University psychologist Patrick Markey suggests that the personality of the person playing a video game is more likely the cause of violent behavior than the actual content of the game. “If you’re worried about a video game turning your son or daughter into a killer, don’t worry about that. But is…
By Matthew Buzzi Published September 16, 2011 -
UncategorizedWatch Ten Minutes of Uncharted: Golden Abyss for PS Vita
You know, that PlayStation Vita is capable of some lovely looking video games. Uncharted: Golden Abyss, for example, is one of the lovelier ones and not just because that Nathan Drake is so damn dashing. Golden Abyss is more than just a pretty face, however, as Bend Studios’ John Garvin kindly explains in this narrated…
By Michael McWhertor Published September 16, 2011 -
UncategorizedAh, So That’s What’s Happening in Anarchy Reigns
The Tokyo Game Show trailer for Platinum Games’ Anarchy Reigns neatly summarizes the game’s story before jumping back into footage of people beating each other up. I’m guessing that’s exactly how players will approach the game as well, skimming over the story and getting right on with the kicking and the punching. It’s like it’s…
By Mike Fahey Published September 16, 2011 - Uncategorized
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition is Fun For One but Built For Four
At the end of my visit with Nintendo this week, we were given some DSiXLs and set loose on The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Anniversary Edition. (Good god, that title is a mouthful.) For those who haven’t heard, it’s an upgraded take on the classic GBA game, which was itself a portable version of…
By Kirk Hamilton Published September 16, 2011 - Uncategorized
What Are You Playing This Weekend?
The PlayStation 3 at Kotaku HQ Los Angeles will be working overtime this weekend, thanks to a little bit more time spent with Resistance 3 multiplayer and another title that, well, I can’t talk about just yet. Anyone want to take a guess what that title might be? If you’re at all familiar with my…
By Michael McWhertor Published September 16, 2011 -
Uncategorized6 Minutes of Kirby’s Surprisingly Insane Nintendo DS Swan Song
Silly me. I thought the main draw of Kirby Mass Attack would be Kirby Mass Attack. Nope. The main mode of what I assume is Kirby’s final game on the sunsetting Nintendo DS—the mode that gave this game its name—is a decent experiment in controlling 10 pink puffballs at once in a side-scrolling adventure. The…
By Stephen Totilo Published September 16, 2011 - Uncategorized
Surely Someone Wants To See Virtual Felicia Day Splattered With Lizard Blood
Ripped from the trailer for Dragon Age II’s Mark of the Assassin downloadable content, two screenshots of a blood-splattered Felicia Day in action and a picture of a courtyard. Man, courtyards are so hot. Of course I’d rather show you some screenshots that aren’t pulled directly from a trailer, but BioWare is a busy company…
By Mike Fahey Published September 16, 2011 - Uncategorized
The Most Amazing Double Dragon You’ll Ever See
A laser-cut Double Dragon II as seen at the Old School Video Games Show at Gallery 1988 Venice. The image was laser-cut into plywood and then framed in bambo. Photos by Aled Lewis. Aled is a London based designer and illustrator whose work appears on t-shirts, on posters and in books and other assorted miscellaneous…
By Brian Crecente Published September 16, 2011 - Uncategorized
One Small Gripe about Rayman: Origins on the PS Vita
With Rayman: Origins, Rayman is coming to a whole host of platforms this November—including home consoles. Next March, however, it will be released on the PS Vita. The PS Vita isn’t the same as a PS3 or an Xbox 360. So what’s the difference? The game looks to be comparable to what players will experience…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 16, 2011 -
UncategorizedInsane Unreal Tournament 3 Modders Weaponize Nyan Cat
Modder Scott Coxhead lives up to his Cr4zyB4st4rd handle by merging Unreal Tournament 3‘s player-guided Redeemer with that scourge of the internet, Nyan Cat. This isn’t some half-assed overlay. Coxhead (along with Bi()ha2ard and Azurescorch) went all out for this mod, adding Nyan Cat’s signature trail, custom suicide and death messages, and even a special…
By Mike Fahey Published September 16, 2011 - Uncategorized
NIS America Readies Disgaea for the Vita and Android
Along with the second installment of the Hyperdimension Neptunia for the PlayStation 3 and the Western release of Acquire’s multiplayer action game Clan of Champions, NIS America today announced two new-ish entries in the Disgaea series for the PlayStation Vita and Android devices. What’s getting ported this time? The PlayStation Vita game, due out in…
By Mike Fahey Published September 16, 2011 - Uncategorized
Halo Anniversary is Exactly how I Like my HD Remakes
It’s the flavour of the show at this year’s TGS. It seems everywhere you turn there are HD remakes of old games, just waiting for the chance to get you to pay for the same game twice. As I’ve said with one such remake, MGS2, each is taking a slightly different approach to renovating an…
By Luke Plunkett Published September 16, 2011 - Reviews
Dead Island: The Kotaku Review
This is the part where I’d try to artfully describe how I meticulously took apart a zombie with an electrified fire axe on a pristine beach, sky-blue waters lapping at my knees. I even took notes. I’d probably explain that on my second play-through of Dead Island I switched from the Xbox 360 button-pushing attacks…
By Brian Crecente Published September 16, 2011 - Uncategorized
An Eloquent Apology for Geek Misogyny to a Woman That Doesn’t Exist (Yet)
Geek men like to believe that we’re the sensitive, thoughtful, and caring men that attractive women often pass over for asshole alpha male types. Recently male geek culture as a whole proved that not to be the case. Late last month a Gizmodo story about an OkCupid encounter with a champion Magic: The Gathering player…
By Mike Fahey Published September 16, 2011 -
UncategorizedPersona Punches Out Arcade Gameplay Footage
Persona 4 The Ultimate in Mayonaka Arena brings the stylish pizazz of Persona to the face-kicking 2D chaos of BlazBlue creators Arc System Works. The game is arcade bound and then headed to consoles. Have a gander at some gameplay footage, running on an arcade cabinet. Don’t fret, I do move my finger from blocking…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 16, 2011 - Uncategorized
Is the Awesome Power of the Weather Lost on Game Developers?
Waking up to find his town enshrouded with thick fog, commenter Nimzy wonders if game developers have fully harnessed the power of the weather in today’s Speak Up on Kotaku. I left my house this morning to find my entire town engulfed in fog. It’s the first time I’ve ever had to walk through fog,…
By Mike Fahey Published September 16, 2011 - Uncategorized
Two More PSN PLAY Games Will Bring You Closer to a Free One
The final two installments in the PSN PLAY program that will earn you a voucher code for PAYDAY: The Heist are here. BloodRayne: Betrayal is already out and Renegade Ops is now available as well. But since they’re part of the PLAY plan to get PAYDAY: The Heist free, each one comes with its own…
Sponsored post Published September 16, 2011 - Uncategorized
Zynga Adding Indiana Jones to Facebook’s Adventure World
Indiana Jones’ next video game will be on Facebook. He’s going to appear in Adventure World, the actually pretty good quest game from Zynga, makers of FarmVille. It’ll happen some time this October, according to a Zynga blog post
By Stephen Totilo Published September 16, 2011 - Uncategorized
When Video Games Are Grasshoppers
Woody Allen once said that the reason why he makes a new game every year is so that his movies don’t become events. A steady stream ensures that the hits don’t become that big of a deal. Ditto for the failures. Grasshopper Manufacture’s Goichi Suda loves movies, he loves wrestling, he loves t-shirts, and he…
By Brian Ashcraft Published September 16, 2011