Sleepmaker Micro-Review: The App That Saved E3

It’s almost axiomatic that the worst snorers I know are also the nicest people. It adds an element of dread to vacations, road trips and working hotel stays one would otherwise look forward to, and it needlessly strains good relationships. I’m reminded of something my comedy friend Kenny said about another buddy of ours, Bruce,…

Get Blitzed with Monday Night Combat

Monday Night Combat, the class-based shooter coming soon from Uber Entertainment, is one of the “Summer of Arcade” titles releasing over five weeks beginning in July. Here is the game’s E3 trailer and some new screens detailing its Blitz mode. According to Uber, Blitz mode will face players with various challenges to protect their Money…

Games Not Announced at E3, but We Wish Were

What would be bigger news, a GTA-Spider Man crossover, or an E-rated GTA? Knockoff spied in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, on the Singapore border, as seen originally at Qisahn

Monday Night Combat Screenshots, June 19, 2010

Microsoft Confirms Kinect Bundles, New $199 Xbox 360

Ask the right questions, get the right answers. An internal marketing Q&A for Microsoft about confirm that Kinect will be bundled with consoles, and a $199 configuration of its new Xbox 360 will be available this fall. In its document, Microsoft said Kinect would be available as a standalone device and as “part of a…

A Quiet E3 Foreshadows Sports Gaming’s Biggest Rivalry

Looking back, I can’t shake the feeling that it’s what I didn’t see at E3 that will provide, again, the juiciest story for the year in sports gaming: The showdown between NBA 2K11 and NBA Elite 11 Last year, both games were the closest they’ve been, in critical reception, since 2004, although NBA 2K thoroughly…

Enter to See Mark Ronson and More at The Creators Project Launch Event

You know Mark Ronson as the co-producer of Amy Winehouse’s Back In Black and/or SamRo’s brother. But did you know he idolized Donny Hathaway and rocked a power bang as a teenager? The Creators Project chatted him up at his Williamsburg studio. Mark Ronson, mix-master and professional gadabout, is a featured Creator of The Creators…

Win Some Sweet Shank Swag from E3

Who says you can’t get your hands on the best goodies given out during E3? Klei Entertainment, makers of the heavily anticipated Shank, gave us this badass maquette based on the game, and we both want you to have it. Klei founder Jamie Cheng and creative director Jeffrey Agala both autographed the box, which is…

Madden NFL 11 Cooperative Multiplayer Impressions: Ready on Three, Teamwork!

Last year, Madden introduced cooperative two-man multiplayer. This year, the gang at EA Sports Tiburon beefed that up to a three-on-three and blended in some features to draw out teamwork and communication among teammates. On offense, the available positions are quarterback, running backs and receivers (including tight ends). Selecting the latter two groups allows you…

Box Scores: This Space for Rent

We were either short on games or short on a week, or both, so in the aftermath of E3 we’ll dispense with the usual highlights and get straight to Kotaku’s sports gaming open thread. That’s not to say I played nothing this week. I saw lots, and I’m still writing it up. The big highlight…

Halo: Reach Campaign Eyes-On: Skyrockets in Flight

One of the more intriguing reveals of Microsoft’s E3 press conference was a brief glimpse of a spacefighter combat level in the upcoming Halo: Reach. The Bungie team gave a longer look at it during a closed-doors demonstration later. There will be only one spaceflight mission in the game, said Bungie’s Eric Osborne. What we…

The Moneysaver: Full Price Does Not Exist in This Dojo, Does It?

This is The Moneysaver, not a knitting class. You don’t come into my dojo, drop a challenge and leave, old man. Now you get your coupons on the mat, or you and I will have a major problem. Hardware • The new Xbox 360 slim console means price drops on old Elite bundles. The Xbox…

The Week in Review: Who ‘Won’ E3?

The word “game” implies something with a winner. And the planet’s biggest gathering of video games, and those who make them, fairly begs for one, too. Just like every year, it didn’t take long for a consensus to form on E3 2010’s champion. Sony took high marks for presentation – Kevin Butler’s call to arms,…

Wait, There’s A 120GB Xbox 360 Slim? [Update]

At E3 earlier this week, Microsoft unveiled a new 250GB Xbox 360. According to a report on Giant Bomb, there’s also a secret 120GB version available. Popping down to a local Best Buy to pick up one of the new consoles, Tested.com’s Will Smith was charged $279 for his 360, not the $299 it should…

The President May Get The Authority To Kick Us All Offline

As weird and scary as it sounds, there may be a time when you’ll be able to blame your server going down on the current U.S. President instead of your internet provider. A new U.S. Senate bill known as the “Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset” Act, would enable the president to access a “kill-switch”…

Shogun 2 Total War: The Difference A Decade Makes

Artists from The Creative Assembly have spent more than a year learning ancient Japanese ink brush and wood block techniques, just to create transition art for Shogun 2: Total War. Imagine the work going into the actual game. The original Shogun: Total War intrigued me so much that I actually purchased it. I harbored a…

Castlevania: Harmony of Despair Hands-on From E3 2010

A multiplayer Castlevania? Series designer Koji Igarashi’s latest off-the-wall idea for the 23-year-old vampire slaying franchise might just be crazy enough to work. After playing Castlevania: Harmony of Despair, I’m on board. Way more on board with Iga’s new Xbox Live Arcade game—a multiplayer action-adventure and exploration game for up to six players, starring Castlevania…

Shogun Concept art

How Does The New Xbox 360 Perform Compared To The Old One?

In broad terms, the new Xbox 360 “S” model is the same as the previous console; it plays the same games, does the same stuff. But under the hood, there have been changes, and mostly for the better. AnandTech have put the new Xbox to the test, comparing it to three previous iterations of the…

The Real Metal Gear