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  Will The Gears of War Movie Actually Happen?

  In 2008, the Hollywood film version of third-person shoot Gears of War had a director and a 2010 release. It’s 2010, and the movie hasn’t even started filming yet. And it might no longer have a director. Live Free or Die Hard director Len Wiseman was attached to the project, but the Los Angeles Times…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published April 6, 2010
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  Playing Retro PC Games Just Got Easier

  If you want to play old PC games on your new PC, the go-to option is a thing called DOSBox. It gets the job done, but it can be a little fiddly. D-Fend Reloaded, on the other hand, is a breeze. It’s the latest release of a popular front-end for DOSBox, taking the trusty old…

  By Luke Plunkett Published April 6, 2010
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  A Short Guide To Japan Bashing

  In the wake of the controversy surrounding CNN’s reporting of Japanese video games, several on the Japanese internet pointed out the same thing: This is just another example of “Japan Bashing”. The last year or so has been particularly rough for The Land of the Rising Sun. Whether it be the Western media’s handling of…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published April 6, 2010
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  Xbox 360 Consoles Now Have USB Memory Support

  The calendar says April 6, and that means, as promised, your Xbox 360 consoles now have a little upgrade waiting for you: the ability to save data to removable USB memory drives. While Microsoft’s own first-party USB sticks, due next month, are pricey, it’s important to remember that you don’t need to use them. You…

  By Luke Plunkett Published April 6, 2010
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  An RPG, Only This Time, Without The Fluff

  Role-playing games, Japanese ones especially, can be such long-winded things. They’re far more digestible when you cut out all the fluff and break them down into five-second minigames. Just think! No more exploring, no more chit-chat about how evil the new evil oppressors are, no flashbacks to your childhood, where you were raised as an…

  By Luke Plunkett Published April 6, 2010
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  Resident Evil Movie Producer Wants To Unite With Games

  There are Resident Evil games. There are Resident Evil movies. What if one day they merged? When asked if the upcoming film Resident Evil: Afterlife will be the final chapter in the film series, producer Jeremy Bolt replied that if there is enough demand, they will make another. “We’re not presumptuous enough to think it…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published April 6, 2010
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  Voltron Movie Goes Back To The Drawing Board

  The Hollywood big screen adaptation of iconic 1980s television cartoon Voltron has been languishing in development hell for years. After several script drafts, the live-action movie version is heading back to square one. The original Voltron cartoon was a mix-mash of two Japanese anime: Armored Fleet Dairugger XV and Beast King Go-Lion. Mark Gordon, producer…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published April 6, 2010
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  Games, And Their Impact On The Environment

  A great report over on GamePro today takes a look at the environmental impact of the video game industry. Those yearning for a brighter future (and can take solace in incremental improvements), you’ll like what you see. From better power management features in consoles and handhelds to a reduction in the carbon footprint of the…

  By Luke Plunkett Published April 6, 2010
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  NSFW: Dead or Alive Paradise Hacked For Nudity

  “Creepy” jiggly beach volleyball game Dead or Alive: Paradise features female characters in skimpy bikinis. Or does it? Hackers have found an exploit in the game’s source code that makes it possible to strip the character models of their swimwear. The hack is being playfully dubbed “The Emperor’s New Clothes”. The hack requires custom PSP…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published April 6, 2010
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  Tiger Woods, Lapsed SOCOM Fan

  Your perceptions of Tiger Woods may have changed of late, considering he’s been accused of banging every cocktail waitress in the continental United States, but there was once a time he was a mere golfer, playing SOCOM on his PS2. In an article for the New York Times, Seth Schiesel recounts the first time he…

  By Luke Plunkett Published April 6, 2010
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  Resident Evil Creator Had Too Much Freedom For God Hand

  Cult hit God Hand was one of the last title released by Capcom’s now-shuttered-subsidiary Clover Studio. Shinji Mikami, creator of Resident Evil, designed the game. He now has regrets. When it was released on the PlayStation 2 in 2006, God Hand was met with positive-to-mixed reviews. Fans, however, appreciated the zany and quirky humor. “I’ve…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published April 6, 2010
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  The 90-Minute Review Of Star Wars: Attack Of The Clones [Update]

  Forget watching a movie; the best 90 minutes of video you’ll see tonight is this epic recap of Attack of the Clones, the latest in RedLetterMedia’s enjoyable series of serial killer movie reviews. These are so great not just because they’re funny, but because when you look past the “women trapped in a basement” shtick…

  By Luke Plunkett Published April 6, 2010
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  A Magazine For Boys Who Dress Like Girls Invites Cross Dressing

  New Japanese comic publication “WAaI! boys in skirts” is hoping to capitalize on the video game, anime and cosplay trend of young men dressing up like young women. Even one professional fighter is into it! The first issue will introduce anime that feature characters in drag as well as video games like Atchi Muite Koi…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published April 6, 2010
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  PlayStation Network Adds Freekscape, Four Ball & Flower Tunes This Week

  What’s on tap for the North American PlayStation Store shopper this week? At least three things, including the soundtrack to the award-winning Flower and one very interesting looking game of pool for the PSP. First up, Flower’s soundtrack. Vincent Diamante’s hour-long score for the thatgamecompany-developed breeze sim hits Thursday for a mere $2.99 USD. You…

  By Michael McWhertor Published April 6, 2010
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  The PS3 Slim Goes Portable

  The PS3 Slim isn’t just slim, it’s also lighter than the previous model of the console. Which means it’s slightly easier to take the thing on the road. Hence this portable gaming rig. Built by Japanese peripheral specialists Hori, it’s an LCD screen that attaches to the top of the console, and is able to…

  By Luke Plunkett Published April 6, 2010
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  Kotaku Off Topic: 4 Is The Magic Number

  April Fools Day gags, drinking problems, Star Wars, iPhone operating system updates—we’ll talk about anything in Kotaku Off Topic, because that’s where off topic conversation goes. So, Apple’s having a “sneak peek” at the iPhone’s new OS on April 8 and I’m reasonably excited, despite owning a plain old 3G model of the device, a…

  By Michael McWhertor Published April 5, 2010
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  Modern Warfare Developer Loses Two More Key Players

  Despite rumours of Call of Duty developers being “held hostage” over withheld bonus payments, it nevertheless looks like more of those involved with the series have begun to leave Infinity Ward following the sacking of the studio’s founders As revealed by the pair’s Linkedin profiles (pictured below), Todd Alderman, a Lead Designer and one of…

  By Luke Plunkett Published April 5, 2010
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  LEGO Normandy, If Not Spaceworthy, Is Still Worthy

  A 1.26-meter (a little more than four feet) LEGO model of the Normandy SR2 from Mass Effect 2, by MOCpages member Ben Fellowes. Loads more pictures of his creation through the link.

  By Owen Good Published April 5, 2010
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  Sony’s Mascot Exec Kevin Butler Moves PS3 Beyond The ‘Arrogance’ Age

  Early in the PlayStation 3’s life on store shelves, Sony decided the best way to market the $499-and-up machine was through crying baby dolls and sterile white rooms, ads that shockingly came off as “arrogant.” Thank goodness we’re past that. PlayStation Senior VP Peter Dille says that “whole positioning was a bit intimidating to people,”…

  By Michael McWhertor Published April 5, 2010
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  Bad News, Everyone: Duke Wins NCAA Final 84-61

  The entire country may be captivated by underdog Butler’s Hoosiers-esque tournament run, tipping off now on CBS, but not NCAA Basketball 10. The video game spit back a simulation saying Duke will romp to its fourth national championship. In the 84-61 win, which just played out in a CPU vs. CPU game on my Xbox…

  By Owen Good Published April 5, 2010