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Japan Cannot Pretend Kim Jong-il Is Dead
Earlier this month, it was revealed that first-person shooter Homefront was going to be changed for Japan. Today, the game’s Japanese publisher finally explained why. As Kotaku previously reported, the Japanese version’s most recent trailer now features a warning that this game is a work of fiction, yet still depict North Korean flags, as does…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 18, 2011 - Uncategorized
Five Comics We’d Like To See Turned Into Video Games
Comic fans got some good (or at least promising) news yesterday, with word that two of the best series in recent years — The Walking Dead and Fables — will be turned into video games. They’re a…start. I guess. But they’re not enough! While Hollywood seems hell-bent on turning every obscure graphic novel it can…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 18, 2011 - Uncategorized
Gran Turismo 5 Mega-Patch Is Racing To Your PS3
When you release a game of the scope of Gran Turismo 5, there are bound to be hiccups. And GT5 had some hiccups. A massive patch issued overnight will hopefully remedy many of those! Taking the game to version 1.06, it adds a ton of fixes and new features to the game. Most important is…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 18, 2011 - Uncategorized
Picture Me Rolling, Playing Sonic
Tupac Shakur and Suge Knight play the split-screen mode of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 back in the day. As seen on Tiny Cartridge Gameface is a photographic celebration of the people who make, play and love video games.
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 18, 2011 -
UncategorizedDoes Minecraft Really Need A Commercial?
Part of the whole point of indie PC hit Minecraft is that it’s a word-of-mouth kind of deal. So a commercial, even one that may be “fan-made”, seems to be missing the point a little. I say “fan-made” and not fan-made because, while it’s unclear whether this clip is actually a paid production of the…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 18, 2011 - Uncategorized
Will Things Get Harder For China’s Booth Babes?
For years, ChinaJoy, the country’s premiere gaming show, rolled out girls in skimpy outfits and heels to promote games. But year after year, the games continue to move into the background, and the ChinaJoy booth companions move to the forefront. A few years ago, Chinese gamers lit up message boards with photos of booth companions…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 18, 2011 -
UncategorizedNathan Drake Sold…Toyotas?
We don’t normally post advertisements for the sake of it here, but these ones – in which Uncharted star Nathan Drake shills Toyota 4WDs — were just too bizarre to pass up. These were actually first shown over a year ago, to co-incide with the Uncharted motion comics released on the PSN, but since nobody…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 18, 2011 - Uncategorized
One Of The PC’s Toughest Games Just Got A Lot Simpler
Dwarf Fortress is one of the most complex and rewarding games on the PC. Problem is, it’s also ugly as sin and nigh on inaccessible to most gamers. This new game seeks to change this. It’s called Survivors of Ragnarok, and it exists solely to take the core experience of Dwarf Fortress and transplant it…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 18, 2011 - Uncategorized
First Details About This Year’s Tokyo Game Show
This year’s TGS will run from September 15 to 18, with the first two days being closed to the general public. Like last year, there will be a Tougeki Fighting Tournament and a cosplay area. Attendance is expected to be 190,000.
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 18, 2011 -
UncategorizedMake Your Old PC Games Look Brand New
If you’re a PC gamer, and your favourite titles are a few years old, they may be starting to show signs of ageing. What you need to spruce them up, then, is the ENB Series of mods by Boris Vorontsov. Some of you may already be using them in games like Oblivion, Deus Ex and…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 18, 2011 - Uncategorized
Ex-Soldier Brutally Beat Boy Over Game Deletion
In April 2009, a soldier beat an 8-year-old boy so severely that his intestines burst. The child is hooked up to a machine that feeds him nutrients and collects his waste. All this over a deleted Grand Theft Auto IV game file. “We originally got the call from the hospital that a child had fallen…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 18, 2011 - Uncategorized
A Very Awkward Encounter With A Man In A Skirt
On January 23, Akihabara once again opened its pedestrian mall. Otaku (“geeks”) hit the streets to stroll and shop. Yet, men in schoolgirl skirts were not welcomed. This is what Akihabara’s come to, apparently. While pedestrians are welcomed when the main drag is closed to traffic on Sunday, “performances” are now prohibited by the local…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 18, 2011 - Uncategorized
There’s Something Cool In The 3DS’ Box (Aside From The 3DS)
Included with every 3DS sold will be six cards. They may look like plain paper cards, but they’re actually “augmented reality” devices, which when detected by the 3DS’ camera come to life on the handheld’s top screen. We’ve shown you what the question block card looks like, but that’s just one card. There are five…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 18, 2011 - Uncategorized
How Custom Firmware Can Put Your PS3 At Risk
What you’re about to read is far from a wide-ranging concern. But it does highlight one legitimate reason Sony has for going after PS3 users installing their own custom firmware on their PlayStation 3 consoles. A report on Ars Technica, showcasing some digging at the edge’s of the PlayStation Network performed by a team of…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 18, 2011 - Uncategorized
Quiet, All Of You…We’re Approaching Jurassic Park’s Debut Trailer
Telltale’s Jurassic Park game has broken cover, with this debut trailer showing that it at least has rain, electric fences and dinosaurs in it! The game will be a bit of a change for Telltale. Normally developers of straight-up adventure games, this one has more action to it, as you’d expect (and hope) from a…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 18, 2011 - CultureTotal Recall
Microsoft, Why Did You Lie To Velocity Girl?
You may not remember her, but Velocity Girl was one of the stars of E3 2005. Young, funky and a casual gamer, she was promised the Xbox 360 would be the console of her dreams. Sitting cross-legged on the floor during the big reveal of the Xbox 360, controller in hand as if he was…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 18, 2011 -
UncategorizedMLB 11 The Show Is Ready for Its Closeup
Baseball fans will fetishize any detail. This year, MLB 2K11 will make the real-life broadcast camera angles of all 30 major league parks the default view in its game. MLB 11 The Show will, too, and add even more customization. Last year I tried to match the camera view of actual major league games in…
By Owen Good Published February 17, 2011 -
UncategorizedDoes Seeing the Dead Island Trailer In Reverse Make It Any Less Traumatic?
Actually, this recut by IGN probably makes the story even worse. At least in the original, we know the little girl dies, and the focus then becomes the struggle. Here, the payoff of that struggle is a child’s death. Is this too depressing? Check out G4TV’s reverse chronology set to zany saxophone and slapstick sound…
By Owen Good Published February 17, 2011 - Uncategorized
A Time of Junk Yard Dog and Leaping Lanny Poffo
Happy Thursday, Kotaku readers. We’re almost done with this workweek, so let’s celebrate how far we’ve come with some togetherness. I guess I’m saying… let us cling together. I really need to finish playing that game… Anyway, I was thinking about my wrestling days, way back when. Both when I was still interested in professional…
By Michael McWhertor Published February 17, 2011