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An Arcade Game with Teeth
Jaws | JAPAN: Sega shows off its latest 3D shooting game. (Photo: Sega) Middle-Aged Man Arrested over Plastic Schoolgirl (Stupidity Ensues) Ruiko Saten is not real. She’s a flower-in-her-hair schoolgirl character in anime To aru Kagaku no Railgun. Earlier this spring, in Shizuoka, Japan, one of her plastic figures was stolen! Let’s Pour One Out…
By Brian Ashcraft Published July 13, 2011 -
UncategorizedThis Isn’t Bullet Hell. It’s an Adventure Game.
Cave is famous for its bullet hell shooters. Not every game Cave makes is a shmup, but those games are what made Cave, well, Cave. And the Tokyo-based game maker’s latest title certainly isn’t a shooter. Dubbed Instant Brain, it’s an adventure game for the Xbox 360—Cave’s first. As the Japanese internet is quick to…
By Brian Ashcraft Published July 13, 2011 -
UncategorizedVery Important Advice for Stinky People
PAX. E3. Comic-Con. Gamescom. The Tokyo Game Show. What do all of those shows have in common? The smell Large numbers of humans packed together in a convention hall produces odors. That’s just how it is. But, as this song points out, there is a way to mute that somewhat. The song is by Savage…
By Brian Ashcraft Published July 13, 2011 - Culture
The Stunning Video Game Art of Thierry Doizon
Thierry “BARONTiERi” Doizon is something of a legend in the world of video game concept art, having been in the business since 1995. In that time, he’s worked for companies like Ubisoft, Eidos and Acclaim, while contributing to series and games such as Assassin’s Creed, Prince of Persia and Deus Ex: Human Revolution In addition…
By Luke Plunkett Published July 13, 2011 -
UncategorizedNintendo Fans, This is Way Sexier Than a Petition or Letter
Hey, Nintendo. If you won’t take heed of polite letters and emails from fans asking for Japanese games to be localised, maybe listen to this guy instead. I’m a big supporter of Operation Rainfall. But even if I weren’t, I’d still listen to this. Hell, I’d pay to listen to this guy read the phone…
By Luke Plunkett Published July 13, 2011 - Uncategorized
The StarCraft Tournament Where Facebook, Microsoft and Google are Competitors
Well now this is interesting. Sean “Day[9]” Plott, who we’ve featured here before on Kotaku, has helped put together a StarCraft II tournament. Only, instead of it being man versus man, it’s company versus company. And the companies are big ones Inspired by an internal Facebook competition, the “After Hours Gaming League” is billed as…
By Luke Plunkett Published July 13, 2011 - Uncategorized
Square Enix Wants to Bring Old MMO to the PS Vita (Wait, What?)
Never one to shy away from porting a game, Square Enix talked about doing just that in the latest issue of Japanese game mag Famitsu. The choice, this time is rather odd. According to Square Enix’s Hiromichi Tanaka, the Tokyo-based game maker is considering whether or not to bring a straight Final Fantasy XI port…
By Brian Ashcraft Published July 13, 2011 - Uncategorized
Put Mass Effect’s Normandy On Your Shelf (Again)
That little toy replica of Mass Effect’s Normandy we showed you a few months back will soon have a twin. But not an identical twin. While the first ship is in Systems Alliance livery and will be out in November, there’ll be a second version of the Normandy available a month later. This time in…
By Luke Plunkett Published July 13, 2011 -
UncategorizedDead Rising‘s Creator All Big with Glowing Eyes
Turn off your computer sound. Right now. This clip’s audio quality (and picture quality) is horrid. However, it does show off a special attack, the likes of which gaming has never seen. Keiji Inafune is the creator of Dead Rising and former producer of Mega Man. Inafune has never been shy about voicing his opinion…
By Brian Ashcraft Published July 13, 2011 - Uncategorized
These Tank Battles Look Awfully Gratuitous
Gratuitous Space Battles is one the unsung heroes of PC strategy gaming. Especially given its wonderful name. But if Gratuitous Space Battles don’t tickle your fancy, then perhaps Gratuitous Tank Battles will. While Positech’s new game retains the top-down view of its predecessor, things sound a little more involved this time; GSB’s “send them all…
By Luke Plunkett Published July 13, 2011 - Uncategorized
Modern Warfare Actor Won’t Go to Court for Assault Charge
Earlier, British TV star Billy Murray, who voices Captain Price in Modern Warfare, was charged with assaulting his wife and 27-year-old daughter. Charges were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service, reports the Mirror, ceasing any further actions. [Mirror Thanks, Tom!]
By Brian Ashcraft Published July 13, 2011 - Uncategorized
StarCraft II Brings its Players Closer Together
Blizzard’s strategy smash StarCraft II will soon be “linking” many of its regions together, in a move that will give its players a whole new world of people to kick ass with/against. Beginning July 25, Battle.net will link the following servers together: • Europe -> Russia • Korea -> Taiwan • North America -> Latin…
By Luke Plunkett Published July 13, 2011 - Uncategorized
Middle-Aged Man Arrested over Plastic Schoolgirl (Stupidity Ensues)
Ruiko Saten is not real. She’s a flower-in-her-hair schoolgirl character in anime To aru Kagaku no Railgun. Earlier this spring, in Shizuoka, Japan, one of her plastic figures was stolen! According to a Sankei News report on MSN, 47-year-old Yasuyoshi Nakatsukasa apparently located a Ruiko Saten figure at second hand shop A-Too. The 20 centimeter…
By Brian Ashcraft Published July 13, 2011 - Uncategorized
There Are Unexpected Problems Bringing Old Games to the 3DS
Nintendo has a “3D Classics” range on its 3DS, where it takes old games and gives them a 3D makeover. Sounds great in theory, but in execution, the company is having some problems. “In the original version, the game unfolds on a flat surface” says Nintendo’s Takao Nakano, speaking about the attempts to bring Xevious…
By Luke Plunkett Published July 13, 2011 -
CultureTotal RecallLet’s Pour One Out for Westwood Studios, Creators of the Real-Time Strategy Genre
Of all the studios Electronic Arts has bought over the decades, few were as talented or important to the history of video games as Westwood Studios. Yet despite essentially pioneering the real-time strategy genre as we know it, creating one of the most popular franchises of all time and doing not one, not two, but…
By Luke Plunkett Published July 13, 2011 - Uncategorized
The Netflix Conundrum
Hello, Kotaku readers. Time for another open thread, where you can chat about video games, vent about Netflix’s new rate hike, espouse your distaste for budget deficit talks or any other thing that crosses your mind. I’m still on the fence about this new Netflix rate and plan change, as I’m one of those dinosaurs…
By Michael McWhertor Published July 12, 2011