Final Fantasy XIV PC Gets Two Release Dates

The first steps players take into the world of Eorzea will be wide ones, as Square Enix reveals two September release dates for Final Fantasy XIV on the PC; one for the normal edition, and an earlier one for the lavish collector’s edition. That’s right, Final Fantasy XIV for the PC is coming out on…

Tak Fujii, You Were Robbed

Two weeks ago, something unusual happened in Los Angeles. Something amazing. And today I will agree with video game producer Tak Fujii that the man deserves an award for it. That something was what I called the WTF Video of E3 2010 This is the video proof, in which Fujii steals the show (he’s the…

Angry Birds HD’s Big, Buggy Update Might Make You an Angry Person

If you’re a fan of Angry Birds on the iPhone, it stands to reason that you’d enjoy angrier, higher-definition birds on your iPad. That app just got a pig-popping, 45 level update, but it’s reportedly crashing just like its birds. The big iPad update finally justifies the $5 price tag (as opposed to the $1…

99%,of people’s reaction to this story: “Man, that’s horrible. Oh shit- the iPhone 4 is out?! I gotta get me one of those!”

Did Buying Your Gaming Console Help Fund War Atrocities in the Congo?

Do you own a video game console? Then you might have more to do with the bloody, brutal war in the Congo than you realize. While the availability of blood diamonds, those rare minerals mined in war zones and sold to build armies, has begun to dwindle under international scrutiny, a new set of conflict…

Student Cockpit Concept Puts Wii Balance Board In The Pilot’s Seat

How can the Wii Balance Board make life better for the pilots of international passenger aircraft? Graduate student Nicoline van der Vaart suggests they sit on it and spin. In her graduation project for Industrial Design Engineering, van der Vaart tackles the issue of airline pilot back pain with an innovative and inventive application of…

Who Cheers For War?

Are games our escapist fantasies, or our outlets for dealing with reality? Either way, why is our most common gameplay choice the pursuit of war? I remember watching a long stretch of television footage of the United States dropping bombs on Iraq. It was late at night, so the broadcast was dark green and bright…

The Best Games, The Best Play of The First Half of 2010

We are almost exactly halfway through the year twenty-ten, and lest we forget, there have been quite a few spectacular games to buy and play already. One could already make a substantial list of the best games of the year. So why don’t we, together, live, on the radio. No guest during this week’s podcasts,…

See Seth Green Talk Up Dragon Quest IX

Comedian, voice actor, and television producer Seth Green isn’t just the star of Nintendo’s Dragon Quest IX commercial, he’s also a client, or at least well-coached on the game’s merits, as demonstrated in this video clip. We posted the commercial yesterday, and I have to agree with McWhertor here – it really works. Green is…

Toronto Police Include LARPing Gear In G-20 Weapons Display

Justifying the harsh handling of protesters at the G-20 summit this weekend, Toronto police invited journalists to a viewing of dangerous confiscated weapons, including foam swords, sock-headed arrows, and a suit of scale mail. Did someone call forth a flame bolt? The 2010 G-20 financial summit in Toronto, Canada attracted more than its fair share…

NASA’s VR Headset Looks Like That Thing You Made In 4th Grade

The ’90s may’ve given us Blink 182 and stonewashed denim, but I very much doubt NASA will be reviving 1993’s virtual reality system alongside those other comebacks, seen here modeled on a (presumably) taken-advantage-of intern. According to the NASA page the VR system was found on, it was a prototype which used a head-mounted display,…

This is What you Look Like Playing Street Fighter

Be prepared, it’s not pretty. And don’t think for a second that you look any better. [Thanks Khoa]

Could World Of Warcraft Go Free-To-Play?

With many major massively multiplayer online role-playing games adapting the free-to-play model, could Blizzard’s immensely profitable World of Warcraft one day make the switch? Lead designer Tom Chilton says that one day the game’s subscription model “may not make sense.” With MMO titles with strong licensed properties behind them like Dungeons and Dragons and Lord…

Aliens Vs. Predator Going On A Bughunt

Aliens Vs. Predator fans who weathered the storm of mediocre review scores are being rewarded with a second helping of downloadable multiplayer maps next month in the Bughunt Map Pack, complete with environmental hazards and weather effects. The Bughunt Map Pack, available on July 7, consists of four new multiplayer maps: Crash Site and Furious…

Farmville, World of Warcraft Are Divorce Lawyers’ Latest Weapons in Court

Social sites and massively multiplayer online games aren’t just a great place to catch up with friends and be entertained, they’re also a great place to dig up dirt on a soon-to-be ex, according to an article in USA Today. The American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers says 81% of its members have used or faced…

Wonder Woman Costume Modified So That It Makes Sense?

Wonder Woman is the most popular super-hero no one seems to like very much. She doesn’t get movies, can barely sell a comic book. Today, she’s been given a new outfit. Tapping into the fact that one of the most loved elements of Wonder Woman lore is the fact that she sometimes flies an invisible…

Talk Amongst Yourselves

It’s the last day of the month, so we need not just your comments about video games but a suggestion for a new TAY image. A painting, a painting name and an artist, please. Confused about commenting on Kotaku? Read our FAQ

Weighing Morality in Gaming

Philosophers and Theologians have been debating the mechanics of moral choice for millennia. Debates have ranged from the popular “nature or nurture” to total freedom of the will, to some modification that sits between these extremes. Video games have only recently begun to consider the nature of moral choice as an integral piece of a…

So, I’m Reading Pippi Longstocking

To: Crecente From: Bashcraft RE: Snakes in a Yard! Yikes. Snakes, I hate snakes. You asked a few days back if we have limits on Mini-Bash’s tv watching/game playing. We only have one TV in chez Ashcraft, and it’s in the living room. My office is right next to the living room — there is…

Are You Good Enough To Write Dragon Quest?

Like Dragon Quest? Want to, perhaps, write Dragon Quest games? Okay, read on. Square Enix is taking job applications for those interested in writing future Dragon Quest games. That could be you! Well, if you live in Japan and are fluent in Japanese. Hopefuls need to submit two writing samples. One is an essay about…