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The Highlights of PAX 2011: Mass Effect 3, League of Legends, BioShock Infinite and More
One week after Gamescom, Kotaku was back on the road, this time in Seattle for PAX 2011, which wraps up today. The coverage does not end here. Stephen Totilo and Kirk Hamilton will have more to share in the coming week. For now, here is a round-up of the latest from Penny Arcade Expo 2011.…
By Owen Good Published August 28, 2011 - Uncategorized
A Historical Brothers in Arms Game is in the Works, But Furious 4 is Next
The next Brothers in Arms will be the E3-announced over-the-top, gleeful Nazi-killing Furious 4, but fans of the series’ earlier historically authentic games need not fret. “We’re going to do more of that,” Gearbox chief Randy PItchford said at PAX today. More of Sgt. Baker’s exploits are in the works, but he had nothing to…
By Stephen Totilo Published August 28, 2011 - Uncategorized
Bet On Virtual Matchups of Starcade‘s Roster of Champions
The company behind the original video game competition, 1982’s Starcade, has launched a site that packages clips from the old game show into a format that lets you “play” Starcade online. I use airquotes because, on Starcade.tv you’re not playing the games themselves in a competition, you’re betting on the outcome, with a virtual prize…
By Owen Good Published August 28, 2011 - Culture
Midsummer Madness
A holiday for many sports gamers, Madden NFL 12‘s release moved to the final Tuesday of August to position it closer to the league’s opening day, which is Sept. 8. The 23rd edition of EA Sports’ venerable football franchise is still the week’s headline release. Monday • Achron (PC) Tuesday • Madden NFL 12 (360,…
By Owen Good Published August 28, 2011 - Uncategorized
Dominion Will Be League of Legends Made Faster, More Accessible
Lately, Defense of the Ancients-style games have exploded in popularity. Valve is working on DotA 2, and has already held their first international tournament. Meanwhile, Riot Games is releasing an update to their widely played League of Legends called Dominion. Yesterday at PAX I grabbed Riot Games’ senior producer Travis George to chat about Dominion…
By Kirk Hamilton Published August 28, 2011 - Uncategorized
Achievement List Hints at New Features, Including “Online Association,” in NBA 2K12
In my preview on Wednesday all I got to look at was “NBA’s Greatest” and the play-now mode of NBA 2K12. So I can’t tell you anything about an “Online Association” mode, other than the fact the game’s achievement list hints it will have one. Xbox360Achievements.org, hawkeyed for this sort of thing, found and posted…
By Owen Good Published August 28, 2011 -
UncategorizedHalo 4‘s Artistic Direction is Massive, Mysterious
This morning’s Halo 4 panel at PAX Prime was dispiritingly light on details. (Sample exchange: “How will the game play?” “It will play like Halo.”) But the folks at 343 Industries did close out with a neat concept-art video, which I’ve posted above. While specific details on the game were scarse, the panelists were clear…
By Kirk Hamilton Published August 28, 2011 - Uncategorized
Forest Dump
Each week throws off several new video game lists ranging from the humorous to the trivial. What’s better? A list of those. Here’s a roundup of the rundowns out there. •Ten of the Most Amazing Looking Forests in Video Games [Gaming Bolt] Regular readers know the Top 5 of Top 10 usually brings you compelling…
By Owen Good Published August 28, 2011 -
UncategorizedQ.U.B.E. is Portaly, and that’s All Right By Me
When I finish playing one first-person shooter, there’s always another one for me to choose from. The same is true when I finish racing games or when the alternate-universe version of me finishes playing games that include the words Shin, Megami and Tensei in the title. But what’s a man to play when he’s finished…
By Stephen Totilo Published August 28, 2011 - Uncategorized
The Cosplay of PAX 2011: Day Two
Round Two of our PAX 2011 Cosplay roundup turns up this Mortal Kombat kollection, one of the best groupings I’ve ever seen. And they beat out some very strong contenders from Minecraft, Pokemon, Fallout and much, much more. See them inside! Remember, click on the magnifying glass in the lower right corner to expand the…
By Owen Good Published August 28, 2011 -
UncategorizedCobalt isn’t a Minecraft Charity Case. It’s Super Meat Halo.
I booked an appointment with the game studio Mojang at the Penny Arcade Expo so that I could chat with the company’s star, Notch, about the next evolution of Minecraft I asked to see Mojang’s other PAX game, Cobalt out of professional curiosity and, honestly, to be polite. I wasn’t expecting much. Low expectations have…
By Stephen Totilo Published August 28, 2011 - Uncategorized
We Totally Dominated That Last GameTrailers Episode and You Should Watch It
Speaking of roofs (rooves?), GameTrailers TV went on ours in New York this week with Totilo, Crecente and Joel. Fahey is still en route, delayed by the hurricane. Boy is he gonna be pissed. Anyhow, the show kicks off GTTV’s fall preview and gives you a look inside our offices at Gawker headquarters in New…
By Owen Good Published August 28, 2011 - Uncategorized
XCOM Has the Freakiest Display At PAX Prime 2011
This XCOM display, which features no real human beings, is a head-turner here at the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle. Does this make you want to play the game? The retro sci-fi first-person shooter has been sounding much better than it used to, but this thing is just a freak show. It did get me…
By Stephen Totilo Published August 28, 2011 - CultureShop Contest
Up on the Roof
This week’s challenge comes again from Kotaku’s travels, but fear not, we’re not doing cosplay exploitables again. We’ll shelve that idea for a while. This time, we’re gonna throw a roof party for Nintendo of America’s super-duper green headquarters That is one of the few images we were authorized to show of Nintendo’s home turf—get…
By Owen Good Published August 28, 2011 -
UncategorizedThe Evolution of a BioShock Infinite Scene, in Two Minutes
Let’s watch how one of the in-game scenes from BioShock Infinite was made, from storyboards to final version, shall we? Your narrator is BioShock creative director Ken Levine. I shot this on Saturday at the BioShock Infinite panel at PAX Prime. At the same panel, they also showed other cool behind-the-scenes videos, focused on the…
By Stephen Totilo Published August 28, 2011 - Uncategorized
Your Ultimate Doppler Weather Action Force Talk Amongst Yourselves Hurricane Edition
Well, did that hurricane destroy earth last night? Has it made landfall in Nova Scotia? If so, have the Trailer Park Boys attempted to profit from it yet? These and other important questions will be answered today in a special Hurricane edition of Weekend Talk Amongst Yourselves. Big thanks to Ultimate_Kardas for today’s TAYpic. I’m…
By Owen Good Published August 28, 2011 - Culture
Sunday Comics: Hello, Hello Kitty
Welcome to your Sunday read of the week’s best in web comics. Make sure to click on the expand button in the bottom right to enlarge each comic. Awkward Zombie by Katie Tiedrich published Aug. 22. – Read more of Awkward Zombie Nerf NOW!! by Josué Pereira published Aug. 26. – Read more of Nerf…
By Owen Good Published August 28, 2011 - Uncategorized
Where Are You Taking This … Thing Winners
As prisoner transfer from cell block 113 at Gamescom last week was the canvas upon which Kotaku’s savvy ‘Shoppers were called to paint for last week’s Kotaku ‘Shop Contest. We have 20 winners, headlined by Schnide’s entry, in the gallery inside. Check it out! Leading off, Heff228 (11) imagines quite the shotgun marriage. Bouzi (3)…
By Owen Good Published August 27, 2011 -
UncategorizedThere Really is a Lando Calrissian Society, and I Just Filmed Their Rally
First, I noticed that the people pushing past me near the Star Wars: The Old Republic booth at Penny Arcade Expo today were wearing teal capes. Then I noticed they had moustaches. This was the Lando Society, and they had a simple, ridiculous message to shout at the top of their lungs: “Never forget.” They…
By Stephen Totilo Published August 27, 2011 -
UncategorizedBioShock Infinite‘s Actors Berated Each Other to the Point of Tears to Get the Scene
At PAX 2011 today, Irrational Games and the two lead actors in BioShock: Infinite gave us another good look at what goes into the voice acting of parts in a virtual medium that has such a complicated story. It’t not enough to understand that your character has amazing powers that defy the laws of space…
By Owen Good Published August 27, 2011