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UncategorizedSuper Mario and Japan’s National Pride
At an anime convention in Boston, Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu said off-handedly that the Super Mario Bros. theme should have been played at the Olympics, and not Japan’s national anthem. Is there something deeper going on, though? From Kotaku’s earlier post: “Like any good video game composer, Nobuo said that video game music, especially…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 14, 2010 - Uncategorized
The iPhone Game That Will Wreck Marriages
Football Manager, Sega’s famous sports strategy sim that’s renowned across Europe for being so addictive it destroys marriages, is now available on the iPhone. Meaning that budding chairmen can now set strategies, trade players and pull their hair out while on the road, and not just in front of their PC. That’ll make the missus…
By Luke Plunkett Published April 14, 2010 - Uncategorized
Today, The Original Xbox Live Dies
It’s April 14. If you own an old Xbox and play online with it, or still play original Xbox games on Xbox Live via your 360, you should know this is the last day you’ll ever be able to do so. As Microsoft promised earlier in the year, at midnight tonight the plug will be…
By Luke Plunkett Published April 14, 2010 -
UncategorizedNSFW: Dancing Girls Always Get In The Way
Two Japanese gamers. One game. Multiple girls in skimpy clothes. And pole dancing. I’d buy that for a dollar! For shits and giggles, two dudes decided to play through run-and-gun shooter Super Smash TV while running a “virtual girls dancing on your desktop” application. And they pretty much get in the way! But that’s the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 14, 2010 - Uncategorized
Iraqi Video Game, Begun In 1994, Released In 2010
In 1994, some Iraqi students decided to develop a video game for the Amiga. It was never released on that system, thanks to economic sanctions and the demise of Commodore, but now, in 2010, it’s out on the iPhone! An unlikely story, we know, but the original development team – now scattered across the US,…
By Luke Plunkett Published April 14, 2010 - Uncategorized
Movie Mogul Talks Failed Video Game Movies
Whether it’s Doom or Super Mario Bros., video game movies have a bad rep. It’s a mostly deserved rep. But Hollywood super producer Jerry Bruckheimer (The Rock, Pirates of the Carribean) doesn’t think it’s so cut and dried. “It depends on who’s involved with it and the approach they took,” Bruckheimer told website website Gamasutra.…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 14, 2010 - Uncategorized
Why Splinter Cell: Conviction Took So Damn Long
Splinter Cell: Conviction, out this week, is pretty good. It’s also been a long time coming, having been originally due for release in 2007. Why the delay? There was way more to it than hero Sam Fisher getting a new haircut. Like, the entire game needed to be re-tooled, its direction and mechanics changed. “I…
By Luke Plunkett Published April 14, 2010 - Uncategorized
X-Com Is Back!
X-Com, the classic 90’s turn-based strategy game pitting mankind against alien invaders, is set to make a comeback as a first-person shooter, courtesy of the 2K studios behind BioShock 2. The game, which is actually called XCOM, is in development for the Xbox 360 and PC at 2K Australia and 2K Marin, and makes substantial…
By Luke Plunkett Published April 14, 2010 -
UncategorizedPerhaps The Most Comprehensive Game Loading Comparison Ever
Want to know how fast the new Fist of the North Star game loads? On PS3? Xbox 360? How about the Xbox 360 version with the game installed to the hard drive and downloadable content installed? Then watch this video. Some enterprising enthusiast of Tecmo Koei’s recently released Fist of the North Star (aka Hokuo…
By Michael McWhertor Published April 13, 2010 - Uncategorized
Kotaku Off Topic: Joss
It’s been a day (mostly) without a Crecente, a day without a Good. Don’t let it be a day without you joining us for some off topic conversation. Join Kotaku Off Topic. You too, lurkers. I’ve been doing a bit of lurking of my own, lately, keeping an eye on a lot of things, like…
By Michael McWhertor Published April 13, 2010 - Uncategorized
The Winner Of The Tester Explains Why He Wanted To Win Work
Will “Cyrus” Powers is the winner of the PlayStation Network’s first reality show, a contest called The Tester. His prize? A job, testing video games for Sony Computer Entertainment, which Powers will start on April 19. Powers and ten other hopefuls were the stars of The Tester, an eight episode series that ended its first…
By Michael McWhertor Published April 13, 2010 -
UncategorizedEven The People Selling 3D TVs Know The Hype Seems Like A Joke
Samsung viral ad for their 3D TVs, full of silly 3D versions of classic paintings. Imagine if 3D TVs could be half as superfluous for video games. Via Gearbox chief Randy Pitchford’s Twitter feed
By Stephen Totilo Published April 13, 2010 - Uncategorized
The 4 Heroes Of Light May Be Your Next Final Fantasy Fix
Square Enix may be bringing its lovely looking Final Fantasy spin-off stateside, with the company trademarking The 4 Heroes Of Light, a still unofficially announced video game from the RPG publisher. More than likely, that’s the Western name (or part of the name) of Hikari no 4 Senshi: Final Fantasy Gaiden—a role-playing game that features…
By Michael McWhertor Published April 13, 2010 - Uncategorized
Prince Of Persia Creator’s Other Big Game On The Express Train To Movie-hood?
RoboCop director Paul Verhoeven is having a go at the video game movie business, working on an “Indiana Jones-ish” but also “Hitchcockian” video game set in the year 1914. Could it be anything other than Jordan Mechner’s The Last Express? The MTV Movies blog first broke the news that the man behind RoboCop, Starship Troopers,…
By Mike Fahey Published April 13, 2010 - Uncategorized
New Dragon Quest X Details Teased By Japanese Man-Egg Show, Suspiciously
Dragon Quest maker Square Enix has been awfully quiet about the series tenth game, announced in late 2008 for the Wii. Will a Japanese variety show featuring a man-egg finally reveal more about the highly anticipated Dragon Quest X? According to a posting on the blog for Japanese TV program Tama Newtown, spotted and translated…
By Michael McWhertor Published April 13, 2010 - Uncategorized
The First NSFW Video Day Note
To: Ash From: Totilo Re: I Don’t Know Her Name, Will Find Out Tomorrow Video format this time. NSFW painting referenced in clip can be seen here Stories You May Have Missed Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker Tutorial Analysis: Stop Yelling At Me Rush’N Attack: Ex-Patriot Preview: The 80s Strikes Back Gears 3 Doubles Up…
By Stephen Totilo Published April 13, 2010 - Uncategorized
Modern Warfare Developer Sees More Key Departures Today
Call of Duty creators and Modern Warfare developer Infinity Ward shrinks again today, as more key talent behind the billion first-person shooter franchise jumps ship. Sources close to the studio tell Kotaku of four new departures from the troubled developer. A pair of Modern Warfare 2’s lead designers, Steve Fukuda and Zied Reike, are said…
By Michael McWhertor Published April 13, 2010 - Uncategorized
New Forza 3 Rides Suitable For Road And Track
Forza Motorsport 3’s car lineup continues to grow by leaps and bounds, with ten new rides for the Xbox 360 racer now available for purchase in the Road & Track Car Pack. Jalopnik readers and AutoWeek have taken their turns selecting cars for Forza Motorsport 3, and now it’s car enthusiast magazine Road & Track’s…
By Mike Fahey Published April 13, 2010 - Uncategorized
Final Fantasy Composer’s Chocobo Cosplay Wishes, Avatar Scoring Dreams
You’ve heard his music countless time in your favorite Final Fantasy games, but there’s more to composer Nobuo Uematsu than “One Winged Angel.” At last weekend’s Anime Boston 2010, Uematsu got candid in an interview where he revealed everything from his thoughts on Avatar to his future cosplay plans. Here’s a list of some of…
By Michael McWhertor Published April 13, 2010