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False Alarm Evacuates Otakon 2010
Otakon 2010, the gigantic anime and Asian pop-culture convention going on in Baltimore, was completely cleared out around 2 p.m. local time by a fire alarm. Authorities report no incidents but the Baltimore Convention Center was evacuated. The attendees had to leave the building for about an hour while the fire marshal certified the premises…
By Owen Good Published July 31, 2010 - Uncategorized
An MVP Hangs In There, With Los Muchachos Del Verano
It seems like a familiar story: a baseball veteran gets to the end of his contract, can’t sign another one, and finds new life, and love, in another country. In this case, it’s EA Sports’ long lost MVP Baseball 2005. Discontinued when 2K Sports won the exclusive third-party license from Major League Baseball, the game…
By Owen Good Published July 31, 2010 -
UncategorizedMeet the Warriors of Arc Rise Fantasia
Explore the world of L’Arc and his kick-ass friends as they defend the Meridian Empire against an invasion by ferocious creatures in Arc Rise Fantasia—out NOW! In this brand-new RPG for the Wii from Ignition Entertainment, you can step into the shoes of L’Arc, a devoted mercenary carrying a Great Sword, choose your team of…
By Gawkercreative Published July 31, 2010 - Uncategorized
Halo: Reach Reveals Its Achievements
Bungie’s latest Weekly Update delivered the achievement art, and conditions, for Halo: Reach, rolling it out in a way that lets you look at the pretty badges without spoilering any campaign details. That poster is all of the game’s 49 achievements. Below, you’ll find the conditions for winning them, according to their number on the…
By Owen Good Published July 31, 2010 - Reviews
StarCraft II Heaven’s Devils Book Review: Humble Beginnings
Before Jim Raynor was the leader of his own paramilitary organization, blazing across the galaxy righting wrongs and fighting the good fight, he was the son of dirt farmers on a Confederate fringe world. This is where William C. Dietz’s StarCraft II: Heaven’s Devils begins. 18-year-old Raynor is plucked from his world by a recruiter…
By Mike Fahey Published July 31, 2010 -
UncategorizedBox Scores: Putcha Name On It
Let’s open our sports thread and Game of the Week with this, DJ Steve Porter’s sequel to Press Hop, which I just can’t stop playing. I don’t know any psychiatrist that come off the bench, but I’m gonna need one. Our Game of the Week this time comes from TeamBuilder in NCAA Football 11. AcidCrownie‘s…
By Owen Good Published July 31, 2010 - Uncategorized
No Refunds For Canceled Game Rile Zynga Users
Casual game players still have hardcore priorities, as social game behemoth Zynga is discovering after its plans to drop Street Racer on Monday without refunding players’ balances incited a user riot. Not helping matters was the fact Zynga, valued at some $5 billion, didn’t do what most large companies do and offer some veneer of…
By Owen Good Published July 31, 2010 - Uncategorized
The Moneysaver: There Will Be Coupons
If there’s as much savings here as I think there is, it’ll be harder to reach but once we find it, we can take it right out. You have to act quickly, because very soon these deals will be dry. Hardware • Newegg has “recertified” Nintendo DS Lite consoles for $83.99. Choose from nine colors.…
By Owen Good Published July 31, 2010 - Uncategorized
The Week in Review: A Real Time For RTS
This was a good week for a games launch. Straight in the middle of summer, when most have gone for vacation or are heading that way, and no other controversies brewing, StarCraft II arrived. Kotaku supplied a heaping helping of coverage for the PC RTS’s release – perhaps demonstrating how few genres there are left…
By Owen Good Published July 31, 2010 - Reviews
StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Review: Upgrade Complete
Real-time tactics evolve with StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, Blizzard’s long in the making sequel to one of the most beloved, bestselling sci-fi strategy games of all time. Oh, so you’ve heard of it, then? Three distinct races, the displaced humans known as Terrans, the ancient, mystical alien Protoss, and the insect-like Zerg horde, are…
By Michael McWhertor Published July 31, 2010 - Uncategorized
Mass Effect Cosplay: A New Challenger Enters
Less than 24 hours after posting the Mass Effect Comic-Con cosplay clip, we already have a serious competitor for the title of “Best Mass Effect Cosplay In The Universe”. Evil FX, a freelance special effects artist, is currently building two Commander Shepard suits, one male, one female. And while they’re unfinished, they’re already displaying a…
By Luke Plunkett Published July 31, 2010 - Uncategorized
What’s Your Longest Gaming Session?
It’s a me, Friday! Time for Tell Us Dammit. Dammit. Here’s how it works: We ask a question, you answer it. Simple and no strings attached! This isn’t some marketing survey or whatever. It’s an emotional investment in you. Yes, we’re interested in knowing you, Kotaku reader person. You probably know oodles about us –…
By Brian Ashcraft Published July 31, 2010 - Uncategorized
The Video Game Dodgeball Team
This is 8-Bit Shit, from LA, who may well be the world’s only video game-themed dodgeball team. While not a mandatory rule for every player every week, as you can see, many of them turn up to games dressed as video game characters. Most of the big names are covered, from Mario to Sonic to…
By Luke Plunkett Published July 31, 2010 - Uncategorized
Now Why Would Somebody At Sega Want To See Your Facebook Profile?
Yesterday, select Facebook data from over 100 million accounts turned up on a 2.8GB torrent file. It may shock you to know that employees at companies like Sega and Lucasfilm were interested in downloading said information. Before you become alarmed, the data wasn’t a “leak”; all the information was pulled from publicly-available sections of profiles,…
By Luke Plunkett Published July 31, 2010 - Uncategorized
Singles Seeking Rock Band Next Week
Next week’s Rock Band additions are certainly an eclectic mix, ranging from Christian pop to German industiral to indie rock. What’s the theme? Singles! New tracks from Blondie, La Roux, The Decemberists and Eagles of Death Metal might inspire you to drag the plastic instruments out and commence to wailing. That is, provided you have…
By Michael McWhertor Published July 30, 2010 - Uncategorized
See You In The Future
Ladies and gentlemen, grab your forks. Please insert into this week. For it is done. Now, let’s celebrate with a little off-topic conversation. Anything, everything, is up for discussion. I’m going to deal with a few thousand pesky ants that are crawling all over my workspace and my person. Then I play more StarCraft II:…
By Michael McWhertor Published July 30, 2010 - Uncategorized
Sega Does What Nintendon’t (Namely, Make Money)
While Nintendo managed to lose a cool $290 million USD this past quarter (for very good reasons), its one-time rival Sega actually managed to have a showing in the black. Or, rather, its parent company Sega Sammy Holdings did. Because without all those yen flowing in from the company’s pachinko business, Sega could have had…
By Michael McWhertor Published July 30, 2010 - Uncategorized
The Superstars of NBA Jam, In Action
NBA 2K11 hasn’t cornered the market on 1990s Showtime nostalgia. Yesterday we learned that household names like Detlef Schrempf and Clyde Drexler will return to the 2-on-2 Wii arcade title. Here’s a video showing them in action. [via MTV Multiplayer]
By Owen Good Published July 30, 2010 - Uncategorized
Infinity Ward Founders West & Zampella Will Speak At QuakeCon 2010
This year’s gathering of first-person shooter diehards at Quakecon will feature more than just id Software’s Quake, Doom and Rage. Bethesda’s showing up too, armed with Brink. More surprising is an appearance by the former heads of Infinity Ward. Jason West and Vince Zampella, who went on to form Respawn Entertainment after getting canned from…
By Michael McWhertor Published July 30, 2010