Canada’s Privacy Watchdog Is also Looking into the PSN Outage

It’s not just Britain’s digital privacy watchdog looking into Sony’s PlayStation Network data theft: Canada’s Privacy Commissioner is now investigating the matter as well. Jennifer Stoddart, the current Privacy Commissioner of Canada, is responsible for officially investigating things like invasions of privacy should Canadians make official complaints. Which, in the wake of the PSN break-in…

The World War Z Game That Could Have Been

Max Brooks’ World War Z is one of the best books about zombies ever written, using the subject of a zombie apocalypse not as a chance to stage a few cheap scares, but to rewrite the history of the world Being such a big fan of the book, then, it’s with both interest and a…

Nintendo Likes Buttons and Won’t Ditch Them

Nintendo is making a new video game console. Rumors state that the console has a touch screen—something Kotaku has confirmed with its own industry sources. During a recent meeting, an analyst asked Iwata for his opinion of tablets. Iwata acknowledged their appeal, drawing comparisons between the Nintendo DS’s touch interactivity. “Whenever we make a new…

Master Chief Is…An Australian boy in Tiny Shorts

Following on from his awesome Metroid piece, called “Lucy”, Aussie artist Ben Guy comes through with “Hank”, the latest in his series of “big helmets on little kids” series of paintings under the banner “Helm”. Hank by Ben Guy

How the Japanese Media Dragged Nintendo into the PSN Breach

The PSN breach is a Sony issue. But when the evening news in Japan wanted to explain how credit cards can possibly leak in a situation like this, it didn’t use the PlayStation. It used the Nintendo DS. PSN users and gamers will immediately spot the discrepancy, but with non-gamers? Japanese parents might think the…

Put the Kids to Bed, It’s Time for Some Zelda & Pokémon Burlesque

The crew from Cosplay Burlesque performed over the weekend during the Anime Boton festivities, meaning a few thousand people got to see characters from Zelda (Sheik), Pokémon (Nurse Joy) and No More Heroes get their kit off. Being burlesque performers and not strippers, this is less about being slutty as it is about being sexy.…

PSN Security Breach Is Stealing Game Developer Money

In some crazy fantasy world, the PlayStation Network breach could carry a US$24 million price tag. In the real world, inhabited by real game developers, the price tag is lower, but that doesn’t mean its impact is diminished. One UK game studio tells website Develop that the PSN shutdown left the dev with “absolutely no…

What Would Happen If Mario Had A Portal Gun?

Well, for starters, he’d become one lazy-ass plumber, that’s for sure. Mario With A Portal Gun [Dorkly]

What the Hell Is This? A Squid Cable?

Holy crap, this is bananas. Thanko, purveyor of odd electronics, is back with a USB cable that branches off into ten different cables. Each is able to connect to a specific device, such as a PSP, a Nintendo DSi, an iPad, Japanese cell phones and more. It’s priced at ¥1,260 (US$15), which is what madness…

Blizzard Turns up the Heat in World of Warcraft Patch 4.2

World of Warcraft‘s Cataclysm expansion brought the forces of Ragnaros the Firelord to Mount Hyjal, threatening to destroy the all-important World Tree. Now, the Horde and Alliance take the battle to the Firelord. Blizzard’s Cory Stockton talked me through the upcoming 4.2 patch, from the Firelands dungeon to the new legendary weapon casters will be…

It’s a Royal Wedding Game (With Zombies in it)

A real game based on the Royal Wedding would be boring as all hell. You’d be managing sliders based on protocol and a receding hairline. A game based on the Royal Wedding when it’s under attack by zombies, now that’s more like it. Class 3 Outbreak is a simple web game that lets people model…

This Guy’s Fingers Are Insane

This is Dolce. He isn’t an arcade gamer, he’s a human sequencer. Dolce is a top beatmania IIDX player. In the past, he’s either placed or won Konami’s Top Ranker music game tournament. It’s easy to see why.

Australia is Getting Adults-Only Games (Sort of) [Update]

Since Australia’s State Attorneys-General can’t ever seem to get their heads together on the issue of a national adults-only rating for video games, one state is breaking off and introducing its own R18+ classification. [Updated] John Rau, the Attorney-General of the state of South Australia, has got backing from cabinet to implement an R18+ classification…

The Most Heroic Restaurant in Japan

Kamen Rider is an ass-kickin’ Japanese hero. Adults and kids alike enjoy the long-running character’s latest incarnation Kamen Rider 000 The TV show is smart and well-written. No wonder Kamen Rider goods drew longer lines than Kinect in Japan. Kamen Rider is so fucking cool&mndash;not only that, delicious too! This week, “Kamen Rider The Diner”…

4.2 Gallery

Celebrate Super Mario’s 25th Anniversary With…Fancy Sneakers

These Converse x Super Mario Bros. sneakers go on sale in Japan in April. They will surely be murderously expensive.

Your First Portal 2 DLC Is Only A Few Months Away

Portal 2 may only be a week old, but if you’ve already finished it – and these days I feel like the only person on the internet who hasn’t – you won’t have too long to wait until there’s fresh content for the game. Valve’s Doug Lombardi has told Fast Company that the first Portal…

Dragon Age II Loads Up With Some New DLC

BioWare today released three pieces of Dragon Age II DLC, one for each of the game’s classes. They come in the form of weapons, armour and follower items. Sadly, none of them are a new coat of paint for the game’s dungeons dungeon. The complete pack is $5 on PS3 or $3 for each class…

The Kids Who Grew Up In Arcades

In their heyday, arcades weren’t just about the games. They were about the experience of leaving the house and going to a public space to play games, hanging out with friends and meeting new people who would then kick your ass. It’s a scene that today is sadly long gone. All we’ve got left, then,…

A Winner is Akuma in NES’ Pro Wrestling

Answering the bell in the NES classic Pro Wrestling is Street Fighter’s Akuma, who deploys the dreaded Shun Goku Satsu instead of a fork to the face like The Amazon. More images at the link, showing Akuma in-ring and his badass victory pose. Akuma: Pro Wrestler [pseudoroom design]