Japanese Net Cafes Are A Wretched Hive Of Scum And Villainy

Internet cafes dot the Japanese urban landscape and offer a moment of pause for regular folks. Ditto for criminals. Sure, internet cafes in Japan have game consoles and DVD players, but they also have showers and private rooms with big reclining chairs for customers to crash on. One chain called “Manboo” even has a nail…

Kinect Just Filed A Minority Report

So many Kinect hacks have teased a “Minority Report” style interface. Picked at its edges, approached it with half steps. This clip shows it’s not only possible with Microsoft’s new camera, it’s possible right now Using Kinect drivers for Linux, some kids from the Robot Locomotion Group and Learning Intelligent Systems teams at MIT have…

New Law Reminds You To Include Virtual Property In Your Will

A law passed in Oklahoma provides for executors to access social media accounts and, presumably, distribute their holdings. So if you don’t write out that will with LegalZoom, a judge will decide who gets your Second Life counterfeit fuck coffin The law took effect Nov. 1. According to its author, its meant to remind people…

Resident Evil Is Still The Best-Looking Thing On The 3DS

There’s a reason Capcom is so keen to show off its Resident Evil games on the 3DS: they’re far and away the most visually impressive titles we’re yet to see for Nintendo’s new handheld. Sure, these are screenshots – which can never be trusted as 100% faithful representations of a final product – but there…

Cypress Hill “Singer” Suing Grand Theft Auto, Claims He’s The “Real” CJ

Michael “Shagg” Washington, a “backup singer” with rap act Cypress Hill, has decided in 2010 to sue Grand Theft Auto developers Rockstar for a game they released in 2004. Why? He reckons he’s the star of GTA: San Andreas. Washington, who says he only just heard about the game from his nephew, is basing his…

Race A Toilet With NASCAR’s Five-Time Champ

The motto of Jimmie Johnson, who clinched his fifth straight NASCAR Sprint Cup championship last month, is “Anything With An Engine.” With dumpsters, coffins and lawnmowers, this upcoming arcade racer bearing his name takes that to an illogical extreme. Jimmie Johnson’s Anything With An Engine, due next year for PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii, puts…

Video Game Creators Invent The Darndest Finishing Moves

Kratos, star of God of War games, is apparently coming to the next Mortal Kombat as a “kombatant.” What does the man behind the first God of War game think Kratos should do to finish his foes? Fuck ’em, naturally! David Jaffe, the adult language dispensing creator behind the upcoming Twisted Metal for the PlayStation…

Halo Wars’ Leaderboards Saved

Responding to outcry from the game’s close-knit community, Microsoft has about-faced on its decision to end leaderboard and stat-tracking support for Halo Wars on Dec. 15. While the Halo Wars forums will still be merged into the Halo Waypoint forums, ending their presence on HaloWars.com, leaderboards and online statistics will remain active. Dedicated Halo Wars…

The Super Mario All-Stars Unboxing Is Sad For Luigi Fans

Nintendo sent a copy of Super Mario All-Stars for the Wii to Kotaku HQ today, a premium package filled with four classic Super Mario Bros. video games and very little mention of the Mario’s frequently overlooked brother Luigi. The star of Luigi’s Mansion does pop up now and then in this celebration of the more…

Ending Leaked For StarCraft II’s Next Chapter?

A clip, purportedly of the ending for “Heart of the Swarm,” the under-development second chapter of StarCraft II, leaked out earlier today. The video’s since been taken down. We’re not sure if it’s legitimate, but spoiler alert, just in case. The clip merges in storyboards and has no lip-synching to the dialogue, indicating it’s something…

The Visually Sumptuous Infinity Blade

Gaming on the iPhone has now perhaps its greatest champion, a sword and magic fighter created by the team behind Gears of War. The $6 game, due out tomorrow, delivers the sort of graphics and gameplay familiar to console gamers, but long thought impossible on an Apple device. In this video I take a look…

Meet Sackbutler, V.P. of LittleBigPlanet-ization

After seeing a baby delivered with the Grabinator, I’d say it’s a virtual inevitability we’re going to end up with Kevin Butler Sackboy costumes sometime soon after LittleBigPlanet 2’s release. As to that, in case you are wondering, Mark Valledor, marketing manager for Sony Computer Entertainment America, has already semi-addressed such a possibility. I’ve tweeted…

FIFA Has Raked In $45 Million From DLC — And Counting

We’ve heard of hardcore customers of EA Sports’ “Ultimate Team” modes – spending more than $1,000 just on virtual sports cards in Madden, FIFA or NHL. We didn’t know what it meant to Electronic Arts’ bottom line, though. According to GameSpot, quoting the company’s chief financial officer, downloadable content accountes for 20 percent of the…

All They Did Was Add More Fun

I will happily argue with anyone that the first LittleBigPlanet was a game more easily appreciated than enjoyed. A marvel of technology and art, maybe not of play. I don’t think the sequel will have that problem. I’ve played Media Molecule’s LittleBigPlanet 2 for only about an hour, away from the Sony developers and promoters…

The Mixer

Dear Ash, Welcome to the future. Apparently it will be all video. If you didn’t have the time to read Kotaku today, here’s your five-minute glimpse. Who Is Hunting Batman In Arkham City? How A Great Cartoon Became Three Great Flash Games Final Fantasy VIII’s Other Main Character Joins Dissidia Duodecim Would You Call This…

DC Universe Online Artist Now Tries Competitive Cake Making

Kotaku has a proud history of showcasing the artistic intersection of video games and cakes, so it’s no surprise who our favorite contestant is “Cake Boss: Next Great Baker.” Meet Brian Stevens, senior artist at Sony Online Entertainment. CB:NGB premiered on Monday and Brian survived the first round, so here’s hoping this post isn’t a…

Fight Night Takes The Hook Out Of Hooks?

This Official Xbox Magazine preview of Fight Night Champion offers a look at the boxing franchise’s gameplay. More importantly, they’re fooling with the analog controls again. Sounds like hooks and uppercuts won’t need the winding motions to execute anymore. On its face that sounds like a good idea. Part of the problem with Fight Night…

Shift Gallery

That’s One Enthusiastic Video Game Mascot

PlayStation Eye martial arts game Kung-Fu Live hit the PlayStation Network today, forever cementing the grinning face of Sensei Oskari in our brains. See more of Oskari in action and learn how to win his bandana at the PlayStation Blog. Gameface is a photographic celebration of the people who make, play and love video games.

The Pac-Man Tree

Excellent Pac-Man inspired shirt design by Amber Goedegebuure & Terry Fan is now up for sale at Threadless! Late Night Snack by Amber Goedegebuure & Terry Fan (Society6) Need your daily fill of geek eye candy? If so, head over to Justin Page’s Rampaged Reality and get your fix. Republished with permission.