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  Freek Out!

  CONTROL FREAK | NEW YORK, NEW YORK: Kontrol Freek’s new TeeFreek button toppers. (Photo by Crecente) Digital Dragnet Cast For More Possible Victims of Accused Xbox Pedophile Police are calling for parents to search the Xbox Live friend’s lists of their children for the user name of self-professed furry and accused sexual predator Richard Kretovic.…

  By Brian Crecente Published April 20, 2011
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  X Rebirth May Be The Sexiest Looking Space Sim Of 2011

  Granted, I’d be hard pressed to list many of this year’s hardcore space sim contenders, but the newly revealed X Rebirth—the latest in Egosoft’s 12-year-old X series—is going to have a hard time being visually out-sexed. This is a gorgeous game. Publisher Deep Silver labels X Rebirth “a fresh beginning” for the series, one that…

  By Michael McWhertor Published April 20, 2011
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  ESRB Lauds Retailers’ Performance In M-Rated Game Report

  The Entertainment Software Ratings Board has responded to a Federal Trade Commission report that video game retailers do a good job of observing the M-rating on video games and refusing their sale to minors. “We are extremely pleased to see the Federal Trade Commission confirm not only that the video game industry continues to have…

  By Owen Good Published April 20, 2011
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  The 3DS Is Back On Top In Japan, Despite Heavy Robot Casualties

  After losing the weekly hardware battle against the deeply entrenched PlayStation Portable, the Nintendo 3DS strikes back, becoming the bestselling piece of hardware in Japan. The system likely has two new games to thank for that little surge. Pilotwings Resort was just released overseas, as was a 3D version of Konami’s baseball sim Pro Yakyuu…

  By Michael McWhertor Published April 20, 2011
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  N.O.V.A.: Elite, The Facebook FPS Where Paying Is Winning

  Gameloft takes its iPhone Halo clone to Facebook with N.O.V.A. Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance: Elite, a competitive first-person shooter that eschews balance for the sake of getting paid. It’s a common practice in social games; the more people pay, the better they play. But having a larger farm than the next guy isn’t quite the…

  By Mike Fahey Published April 20, 2011
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  Step One: Move To L.A., Step Two: Re-Think My Entire Video Game Collection

  We’ve seen some great gaming set-ups on Kotaku in the past: Brian Crecente’s High-Def Game Room, galleries of game developer’s game rooms, and even pictures submitted by you guys (to Kotaku Australia), which included some of the most awesomely bad set-ups I’ve ever seen. Almost as bad as when my friend Drew made his own…

  Lisa Foiles Published April 20, 2011
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  The Arrival Of The First Mass Effect 3 Screens

  First screen shots of BioWare’s Mass Effect 3 are here, thanks to Game Informer, and if there’s one thing we can glean from our first look at this year’s big sci-fi RPG, this sure as hell is a Mass Effect game. We’re only going to get two screens for now, both of them showing Commander…

  By Michael McWhertor Published April 20, 2011
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  PlayStation Home Now Home To Real-Time Multiplayer, Better Graphics & More

  The PlayStation 3’s digital hang out space, PlayStation Home, will soon be home to better actual video games, thanks to the platform’s next big update. Version 1.5 of Home brings promised features like real-time multiplayer, improved physics and better visuals. What else? The official announcement goes far enough to say that “PlayStation Home v1.5 was…

  By Michael McWhertor Published April 20, 2011
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  Activision Explains How Call Of Duty Will Escape Guitar Hero‘s Fate

  Guitar Hero was once a shining star of a video game franchise, with each yearly installment generating more excitement than the last. Now the series is on indefinite hold. An internal Activision memo obtained by Giant Bomb poses a compelling question. “Isn’t Call of Duty today just like Guitar Hero was a few years back?”…

  By Mike Fahey Published April 20, 2011
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  The Newest Mass Effect Saga Ends, A Familiar Halo One Begins Anew

  Wednesday is new comics day in North America. As always, I have recommendations. Plus, this week, there is a pile of interesting video-game-themed comics. Comics You Should Consider Buying (from comics shops) Dark Horse Presents Vol 2, No. 1 The official summary should convince you: “The legendary, premiere anthology is back! The 80-page spectacular, Dark…

  By Stephen Totilo Published April 20, 2011
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  How To Find Three Of Portal 2‘s Best Secrets

  Have you already finished Portal 2? If not, maybe you shouldn’t watch this video, which shows you how to dig up three of the game’s Easter Eggs, because at least one of them is seriously spoileriffic. In fact, you better stop reading right now, because we’re going to explain what buried treasures are featured in…

  By Michael McWhertor Published April 20, 2011
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  Department of Homeland Security Spends $286K on a Bad Video Game

  Backed by a Department of Homeland Security grant, The Day The Earth Shook is meant to be a video game that teaches children about surviving an earthquake, but it’s more likely to educate them about the dangers of bad game design. In the free PC and Mac game, players are meant to help Allen and…

  By Brian Crecente Published April 20, 2011
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  Finally, Somebody Started Building StarCraft Units Out of LEGO

  Not only did someone take the time to painstakingly replicate StarCraft’s Siege Tank, they actually made it able to change into and out of siege mode. The only thing missing here is… a guide on how to build one.

  By Mike Epstein Published April 20, 2011
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  Ocarina of Time 3DS Will Include A Boss Rush Mode, Guaranteeing King Dodongo Many Deaths

  The June remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocraina of Time will include a “Boss Challenge” mode that will let players battle any bosses they’ve beaten, “continuously” according to a product listing for the game from Nintendo’s European division. [via Giant Bomb]

  By Stephen Totilo Published April 20, 2011
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  Undercover Operation Catches Video Game Retailers Enforcing Ratings

  As the Supreme Court considers whether or not selling violent video games to children should be a crime in California, the Federal Trade Commission releases a report showing that game retailers are doing just fine enforcing game ratings without fines and jail time hanging over their heads. Once a year the FTC recruits a group…

  By Mike Fahey Published April 20, 2011
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  Microsoft And Sony Targeting 2014 For New Consoles, Leaving Nintendo In The Clear

  The next Xbox and the next PlayStation won’t be released until 2014, if Microsoft and Sony have their way, industry sources tell Kotaku. Both companies are hoping to wait out the current generation, and extending an already elongated console life-cycle despite clear signs that Nintendo will launch its next machine by the end of 2012.…

  By Stephen Totilo Published April 20, 2011
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  And Here Come The Flood of Fake Wii 2 Mock-Ups

  It’s always fun to see what the smarties of The Internet come up with when rumors hit of a new console. This “leaked” set of images comes straight from the folken at 4Chan’s /v/. Fake? Most likely? Fun to look at and speculate, hecks yeah. Whats this? [4Chan via TechnoBuffalo thanks Joey]

  By Brian Crecente Published April 20, 2011
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  American McGee’s Alice Returns In Time For Alice: Madness Returns

  Confirming reports earlier this week from the man himself, American McGee’s Alice brings its insanity to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, with code for a free download packed inside every copy of its sequel, Alice: Madness Returns. Released in 2000 for the PC and MAC, American McGee’s Alice never made it to a video…

  By Mike Fahey Published April 20, 2011
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  How Virtual Cog-Driven Machines Made Game Of Thrones Awesome

  Inspired by ancient self-operating machines and driven by clever computer animation, the opening credits for HBO’s Game of Thrones is packed with Easter eggs and miniature marvels. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Angus Wall, founder of Elastic, says that his company used computer graphics to create an opener packed with hidden details for the fantasy…

  By Brian Crecente Published April 20, 2011
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  Imagining The Perfect Sonic The Hedgehog Game

  Is there a perfect Sonic the Hedgehog video game? Perhaps the answer lies in our imaginations. In today’s Speak-Up on Kotaku, commenter Lance423 wonders what your ideal speeding hedgehog game would play like. With the upcoming Sonic Generations from Sega, I wonder what fellow Kotakuites REALLY want out of a Sonic game. I was brought…

  By Mike Fahey Published April 20, 2011