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A Couple Of Wavy Lines
Let’s get this workweek rolling with some stimulating conversation between you, me and your fellow Kotaku readers. Yeah. You! It doesn’t even have to be about video games. Watch! How was your weekend? Mine was spent feeling unusually busy, but with little tangible to show for it, other than some much needed beauty rest. The…
By Michael McWhertor Published May 9, 2011 - Uncategorized
Don’t Expect To See Bungie’s Next Project At E3 2011
Halo and Marathon fans looking forward to Bungie’s all-new universe can set aside their hype and hope until sometime after E3 2011. Bungie and publisher Activision have both said the developer will not have an official presence at this year’s E3 show which is just weeks away. [Bungie.net]
By Michael McWhertor Published May 9, 2011 - Uncategorized
‘Brawl’ Art Contest Spawns Expertly Redesigned Cammy, Chun-li and Haggar Piledriving a Shark
When the CG artists who inhabit the Polycount forums direct their creative juices at redesigning the famous fighters of video games like Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Killer Instinct, Tekken and more, we’re the real winners. That’s because we get to see the polygonal fruit of their labors, which range from radical takes on Mario from…
By Michael McWhertor Published May 9, 2011 - Uncategorized
GameStop Knocks $100 Off The PlayStation 3, Just Not For Everybody
Retailer GameStop has a surprisingly sweet deal on PlayStation 3 hardware right now, offering customers a $100 USD discount when they purchase a new console in either 160GB or 320GB flavors. The catch? Not everyone is getting that deal. GameStop has e-mailed select members of its subscription-based PowerUp Rewards program with details on how to…
By Michael McWhertor Published May 9, 2011 - Uncategorized
World of Warcraft Suffers Post-Cataclysmic Drop in Subscriptions
Six months after buzz for the Cataclysm expansion drove World of Warcraft numbers to an all-time high, Blizzard reports the lowest subscription figures for the massively multiplayer game since December of 2008. During the Activision Blizzard first quarter 2011 financial results conference call today, Blizzard president and co-founder Mike Morhaime told us that as of…
By Mike Fahey Published May 9, 2011 - Uncategorized
Xbox Live Update Will Add Paypal on May 19th
Microsoft plans to release an Xbox Live update beginning in less than two weeks, according to Joystiq. The update will add support for Microsoft’s new disc format and add Paypal as a payment option for Xbox Live. Meanwhile, Microsoft will also be launching Avatar Kinect on May 27th as a separate download. [Joystiq]
By Mike Epstein Published May 9, 2011 - Uncategorized
Leaked Splinter Cell 6 Details Point to Night Vision Goggles and Nukes on the Loose
The existence of a brand new entry in Ubisoft and Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell series is no surprise—Ubisoft Toronto managing director Jade Raymond has already confirmed she’s leading the development team. What’s new are apparently leaked details on the forthcoming sixth Splinter Cell According to a report from Gamerzines, audio equipment maker Blue Sky posted…
By Michael McWhertor Published May 9, 2011 - Uncategorized
Boom Brink Graffiti Headshot
AD ART | A modified Brink ad spotted by reader Israel in a New York subway. Photo: Israel) Is the bin Laden Kill Game Cathartic, Educational, or Just Ghoulish? Osama bin Laden hunches quietly in the darkness of an Abbottabad basement, rifle clutched in his hands. He swivels smoothly left. Stops. Then swivels smoothly right.…
By Brian Crecente Published May 9, 2011 - Uncategorized
L.A. Noire‘s Homicide Captain Wants Results, No Matter What
Here are some new screenshots of L.A. Noire‘s hard-nosed homicide captain, James Donnelly. Though you may have seen him in previews and screens before, Rockstar wants you to really get to know the man. [Rockstar]
By Mike Epstein Published May 9, 2011 - Uncategorized
Beachhead Project is an Important Part of This Year’s Call of Duty Game
Today’s Activision Blizzard first quarter 2011 financial results call came and went without specific mention of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, but talk surrounding Beachheads buzzword-powered online digital platform indicates it will play a strong role in the next Call of Duty game. Earlier this year Activision revealed that a new internal studio called…
By Mike Fahey Published May 9, 2011 - Uncategorized
Sony Working To Get PS3 Back Online “As Soon As Possible” But No New Deadline Set
The deadline Sony set for itself to start restoring service to their online gaming and music networks passed over the weekend with no update and no success. Today Sony officials told Kotaku that there is no new estimate for when they plan to start putting the service back online. “We’re working hard, doing everything we…
By Brian Crecente Published May 9, 2011 -
UncategorizedGameloft Finally Gets Around to Cloning Farmville for iPhone
Gameloft, pioneers of exploiting hit games for thinly veiled clones for Apple’s iPhone and iPad, have reached an important milestone. The company has finally released its take on Farmville for iOS. Gameloft’s Green Farm is the Farmville clone you’ve been asking for—that is, if you were unaware that Farmville creators Zynga have already released a…
By Michael McWhertor Published May 9, 2011 - Uncategorized
Diablo III Welcomes Players to Beta Hell This Summer
Fans around the world have been waiting for their chance to play Diablo III since the game was announced back in June of 2008. During today’s Activision financial results conference call, Blizzard boss Michael Morhaime pinpointed a three-month window for the Diablo III beta. “The game is looking great,” Morhaime said during the conference call,…
By Mike Fahey Published May 9, 2011 - Uncategorized
Call of Duty: Black Ops Gets More Play Than Facebook
Just imagine how connected we’d be if everyone spent as much time on Facebook as they did shooting each other. Impressive Call of Duty numbers courtesy of Activision Blizzard’s first quarter 2011 financial results.
By Mike Fahey Published May 9, 2011 - Uncategorized
Programming Note: National Geographic Tackles Video Game Addict Boot Camps Tonight
National Geographic’s Taboo series looks at gaming and internet addiction in South Korea in tonight’s episode, focusing on a “15-year-old South Korean boy in rehab because he’s hooked on video games.” The National Geographic Channel touches on the struggle of teenager Hung Gu, who attends the Internet Rescue School’s rehab program. NatGeo’s story on South…
By Michael McWhertor Published May 9, 2011 - Uncategorized
Low Resolution Pixels are the Height of Fashion
If I were a fashion critic present when designer Kunihiko Morinaga debuted his fall/winter 2011/2012 fashion line, I might have described the pieces as something my Nintendo Entertainment System had thrown up, and I would have meant it with love. Pixels were on parade when Morinaga showed off his 8-bit designs during Japan’s fashion week.…
By Mike Fahey Published May 9, 2011 - Uncategorized
Valve’s Secret to Making Better Video Games
Congratulations, good people of Valve Software. You make terrific video games. Tell us how it’s done! “I’m stammering because I’ve tried to explain to my wife how it works, and I haven’t been able to,” Erik Wolpaw, co-writer of Valve’s Portal 2 said last week, answering a question from a moderator about Valve’s game-making process.…
By Stephen Totilo Published May 9, 2011 -
UncategorizedProof That Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides will be a Blockbuster Hit
Wondering if the latest Pirates of the Caribbean film has what it takes to be a blockbuster? Look no further than this On Stranger Tides trailer for LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean. There are blocks busting everywhere.
By Mike Fahey Published May 9, 2011 - Uncategorized
This Guy Wants to Write a Minecraft Novel
Kyle Lambert knows how ridiculous it sounds when he says he wants to write a Minecraft novel. He knows it seems odd. He knows that people will wonder how such a novel could be about anything other than lots of block-stacking and digging. But he wants to write one. At first, he’d imagined something sort…
By Stephen Totilo Published May 9, 2011