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Activision Just Killed Guitar Hero And True Crime
Publisher Activision has just added a few more games and maybe one more development studio to its kill count. A now partially confirmed report says that the mega-publisher has axed the Guitar Hero franchise, killed its True Crime reboot and fired much of Freestyle Games. Update: Activision confirms that Guitar Hero and True Crime: Hong…
By Michael McWhertor Published February 9, 2011 - Uncategorized
Being Human In Guild Wars 2
In the original Guild Wars being human was a requirement. In the sequel being human is a choice. This week ArenaNet is taking an in-depth look at what it means to be human in Guild Wars 2. For veteran players of Guild Wars, playing a human in Guild Wars 2 might seem like a natural…
By Mike Fahey Published February 9, 2011 - Uncategorized
And Then There Was Only One Fighting Rabbit Game On Apple’s Mac Store…
One week ago, we brought you the contentious tale of two games called Lugaru that Apple was selling on its Mac store. Today there is only one game called Lugaru in that shop. The game’s original creators at Wolfire Games had been frustrated that Apple had not spotted what they deemed to be a copycat…
By Stephen Totilo Published February 9, 2011 - Uncategorized
Capcom’s iTunes Fire Sale
Capcom has a fire sale going on for nearly a dozen of their iPhone games, dropping the price to a penny shy of a dollar. Here’s a break down of all of the games currently selling for $.99 each: * Street Fighter 4 * CAPCOM Arcade (in-app purchase game machines) * Dead Rising Mobile *…
By Brian Crecente Published February 9, 2011 - Uncategorized
We’ve Been Playing Games For 4,000 Years
Almost one out of every ten artifacts unearthed from the ruins of the ancient city of Mohenjo-daro in present-day Pakistan were play related. Have archaeologists been underestimating the social significance of play and games? Elke Rogersdotter from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden certainly thinks so. She’s been studying the artifacts unearthed at one of…
By Mike Fahey Published February 9, 2011 - Uncategorized
Veteran’s Group Warns Of The Post-Traumatic Stress Dangers Of Call Of Duty
Hundreds of thousands of U.S. war veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder brought on by their experiences on the front lines. According to Stay Strong Nation, games like Call of Duty: Black Ops can bring those experiences rushing back. Stay Strong Nation is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping U.S. war veterans cope with post-traumatic…
By Mike Fahey Published February 9, 2011 -
UncategorizedSolving The Mystery Of LA Noire’s Gameplay
LA Noire’s facial animations have gotten a great deal of attention, but Rockstar’s gritty crime thriller is more than just a pretty face. Check out the first in a series of videos investigating the gameplay of LA Noire. LA Noire mixes action and adventure gaming in a way I never knew I wanted. I was…
By Mike Fahey Published February 9, 2011 - Uncategorized
Duke Nukem Forever Is A Tawdry, Sometimes Gratifying, Spectacle
Viewed as the fulfillment of a nearly 14-year-old promise, Duke Nukem Forever delivers on all fronts. But held up to the polish, the technical marvels and the intricacies of the modern day shooter, this game – so belated it is almost mythical – is spectacularly underwhelming. That doesn’t mean Duke Nukem Forever isn’t fun to…
By Brian Crecente Published February 9, 2011 - Uncategorized
Only One Man Can Bring Angry Birds And Pigs Together
Angry birds and thieving pigs are mortal enemies, but if they would just take the time to compare each other to a kiss from a rose maybe everything would be okay. I’ve played a lot of Angry Birds, and I’ve often wondered what goes through the minds of my troops in the moments between landing…
By Mike Fahey Published February 9, 2011 - Uncategorized
How Do You Break Out Of A Gaming Funk?
Today in Speak-Up on Kotaku, commenter Wocalax needs your help breaking out of a two month long gaming funk. How do you rekindle the love in your relationship with video games? I haven’t been hooked on game for about two months and it really bums me out. I tried to res-park my love for FIFA…
By Mike Fahey Published February 9, 2011 - Uncategorized
New Batman Arkham City Comic Has Downloadable Content, Oddly Enough
Fans of Detective Comics, Batman, Batman & Robin, Gotham City Sirens, Streets of Gotham, Batman Inc., Batman: Dark Knight, and Superman/Batman can soon celebrate the launch of another Batman comic: Batman: Arkham City. This one’s based on the video game. The new comic also has downloadable content. How weird is that? Batman: Arkham City (the…
By Stephen Totilo Published February 9, 2011 - Uncategorized
Follicle Follies, From The Atari Age Until Now
There are approximately 100,000 hair follicles on the human head. Over the past three decades, video game developers have valiantly attempted to render them all. We’ve charted those attempts in one massively hairy infographic. Hair is one of the most difficult features of the human body to render accurately. Not only are there 100,000 pieces…
By Mike Fahey Published February 9, 2011 - Uncategorized
Talk Amongst Yourselves
This is the official Kotaku forum, a place for you to discuss video games. Today’s image comes from OrbitofGlass who bravely defied our 640×360 image size requirements. OrbitofGlass also bravely submitted an image even though we currently don’t support image uploads (only link-sharing) over at #TAYpics. Tech tells me image uploading will be back at…
By Stephen Totilo Published February 9, 2011 -
UncategorizedPick Up The Original, Pick Up The Pace
Headed over to Costco in Hyogo Prefecture to get Pace Picante sauce. Mmmmmmm. Costco is really popular in Japan, and folks seem to dig buying large jars of mayonaise. As they should! Really love Pace Picante sauce. It’s so great. Sony Doesn’t Know Who It’s Taking To Court As part of its crusade to crush…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 9, 2011 -
UncategorizedSing Like Low-Life Thugs
Never one to shy away from real world cross promotions, Japanese crime game Yakuza: Of The End lets gamers belt out tunes that feature two of the game’s characters in the cheesy sing-a-long music video. Main character Kiryu Kazuma will appear and sing along to MachineGun Kiss, a tune he sang in Yakuza 4 as…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 9, 2011 - Uncategorized
Make Quick Cash On The Nintendo 3DS By Unloading It
On February 26, the Nintendo 3DS is going on sale in Japan. Demand for the product is reaching close to the fever pitch that the DS Lite experienced when it released in Japan in 2006. So those looking to turn a quick buck, er yen, can. A photo snapped apparently outside Japanese retail chain Mandai…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 9, 2011 - Uncategorized
So Many Japanese People Desire The NGP
Sony’s upcoming portable, codenamed Next Generation Portable or NGP, looks great and seems to play great, too. Japanese gamers were asked if they want it, and, oh yes, they do. In a reader poll in the latest issue of game mag Famitsu, 76.2 percent of Japanese gamers stated that they wanted the NGP. Only 7.9…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 9, 2011 - Uncategorized
This Man Wants Violent Games (And Halloween!) Banned In Panama
Panamanian politician Alcibiades Vasquez Velasquez is a man on a mission. A mission to save the children of Panama from the horrors of the modern world. Velasquez has put his name on a bill – Proposal 111 – in Panama’s National Assembly that wants to ban the sale and distribution of all violent video games.…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 9, 2011 - Uncategorized
Is The End Of Gaming Handhelds Near?
Video game handhelds are getting a run for their money, and they’re getting it from smartphones. But are they good enough as dedicated handheld game machines? Most serious games would offer a curt “no”. As Doom programmer John Carmack points, it is possible to create game for platforms like the iPhone that look as good…
By Brian Ashcraft Published February 9, 2011 - Uncategorized
Germany Cuts Bulletstorm’s Legs Off
Upcoming shooter Bulletstorm, which is revelling in its violent trimmings, has had to face a reckoning of sorts in Germany, with much of the game’s trademark content cut just so it could be released. In order to get even a USK18+ rating — one which prohibits sale of the game to those under the age…
By Luke Plunkett Published February 9, 2011