- Uncategorized
Indoctrinating the Veterans of a Virtual War
In the past year, 70,000 men and women enlisted in the U.S. Army. Sixty-seven times that amount – 4.7 million – played Modern Warfare 2 on a console or PC, released one day before Veteran’s Day. In the latest edition of Foreign Policy, P.W. Singer examines the growing phenomenon of “militainment,” a type of game…
By Owen Good - Uncategorized
Kotaku ‘Shop Contest: Next-Gen Cereal System Edition
Last week a box of 22-year-old cereal sold for more than $200 on eBay. Video game cereals died in the 8-bit era. Since then there have been four console generations – and zero cereal systems. That’s where you come in. This week’s assignment: Create a game-themed cereal box whose crossover is just as cynical, whose…
By Owen Good - Uncategorized
Final Fantasy XI to Get Three Expansions in 2010
At Vanafest 2010 in Tokyo, Hiromichi Tanaka, the lead developer of Final Fantasy XI, announced that game will get three new high level battle area additions this year: Vision of Abyssea, Scars of Abyssea, and Heroes of Abyssea. Vision of Abyssea will be the first release, this summer. The other two are not yet dated.…
By Owen Good -
- Culture
Sunday Comics
Penny Arcade published Feb. 24 PvPonline published Feb. 24 ActionTrip published Feb. 22 Digital Unrest published Feb. 22 EXTRALIFE published Feb. 24 GU Comics published Feb. 26 Dotgif published Feb. 22 Nerf NOW published Feb. 23 Rooster Teeth published Feb. 23 Monday Night Crew published Feb. 26 Virtual Shackles published Feb. 24 2P Start! published…
By Owen Good - Uncategorized
Kotaku Off-Topic: Packin’ Heat
In some parts of our fine country, a person can walk into a supermarket visibly strapped and no one bats an eye. I want to try that with a machete, or that replica of Glamdring that the SkyMall catalog sells. People of Walmart: (pictured, above). A study of the wildlife found in that uniquely American…
By Owen Good -
- Uncategorized
Kotaku ‘Shop Contest: Worst Sonic & Sega Cameos Edition Winners
This past week saw, by far, the most entries we’ve had in the young history of the Kotaku ‘Shop Contest. The gallery of 20 just doesn’t do it justice. I had three times as many worthy candidates, forcing hard choices. Ultimately, here is your 20-pack of fun. Everyone, though, please take a bow and if…
By Owen Good - Uncategorized
Teen Convicted of Crashing PlayStation Web Site Because He Was Banned for Cheating
In late 2008, a Pennsylvania teenager playing SOCOM U.S. Navy Seals got kicked out of a tournament for using a cheat mod. So he took revenge by crashing the PlayStation web site for 11 days. Sony got the last laugh, however, in the form of a federal grand jury investigation, which quickly led to the…
By Owen Good - Uncategorized
Dead or Alive: Paradise is a Game About Beautiful Characters, Y’See
Even though Tecmo Koei America seems happy to market the fact that Dead or Alive: Paradise is called “cheesy” and “creepy,” the game’s director says it isn’t softcore porn, but a game trying to show that women are “beautiful characters.” “From our perspective, we’re trying to make beautiful women, that has been the focus,” says…
By Owen Good - Uncategorized
More Than Money, Licenses Give a League Control
Sometimes I wonder if, in the future, a sports commissioner raised among our generation will fire up NBA 2K37 at the end of a terrible week, and let his cares melt away in a league where nothing bad ever happens. Video games aren’t just an escapist fantasy for working-class fans or talk radio regulars who…
By Owen Good - Uncategorized
Sweepstakes Dates Brink for Sept. 7
A sweepstakes promotion by GameStop and Bethesda Softworks says the upcoming FPS Brink will be available Sept. 7. The promo also shows some box art for the game but it’s unlikely that’s the final version. Yesterday afternoon the Bethesda Blog posted a link to the Brink GameStop sweeps, which is pretty sweet on its own.…
By Owen Good - Uncategorized
Fallout 2’s Rejected ‘Childkiller’ Icon is, Uh, Whoa …
The artist who drew the perk images for Fallout 2 recently revealed his deleted concept for the game’s “Childkiller” status. “Even the designer who requested it realized it was a bad idea,” he writes. Yeah … we can see why that was cut from the game and replaced instead with the “Hated” reputation icon. Just…
By Owen Good - Uncategorized
Weekend Coupons: Months That End in “Y”
We close out the final weekend of the shortest month with a smattering of deals on new games and a helpful way for you to wring more value out of your old ones. Onward, Weekend Coupons! Hardware • Did your out-of-warranty 360 red ring? An Arcade through Dell Small Business is about the cost of…
By Owen Good - Uncategorized
Blur Xbox 360 Beta Begins Monday
Plenty of Fileplanet subscribers tipped us to a solicitation that went out overnight, inviting them to “exclusive access into a highly classified Xbox 360 beta event!” that begins March 8. Those who have signed up tell us it is for Blur. This barely qualifies as a rumor. Earlier this month Activision CEO Mike Griffith announced…
By Owen Good - Uncategorized
Kotaku Originals: The $43,100 Question
Last night a hunk of plastic no one ever played set a sale price record for rare video games. In 1987 it retailed for $30. And people complain about $60 price points and used sales today. The week in Kotaku’s original reporting: Kotaku Talk Radio Top Stories Collector’s Item Obliterates Record for Rare Game Sale…
By Owen Good -
- Uncategorized
Collector’s Item Obliterates Record for Rare Game Sale
There is a new Holy Grail of Rare Video Games, and it is Stadium Events. The auction on a factory-sealed NTSC version closed just minutes ago, and it was sold for $41,300, almost double the old record. Three days into the bidding the high offer had already eclipsed the record price ever paid for a…
By Owen Good