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Library Seeks $300K in Funding for Video Game Collection
With the goal of one day offering 150 titles for checkout across its 38 locations, Toronto’s public library has taken steps toward building a video game collection – but figures it needs $300,000 to make it happen. Library administration says such a collection would foster literacy and problem-solving skills and reach younger patrons in ways…
By Owen Good Published March 25, 2010 - Uncategorized
Kotaku Off Topic: We’re Here
Let’s end this Thursday—if it’s still Thursday in your part of the world—with a little off topic conversation, exactly what this post is all about. Me? I plan on leaving the conversation up to you, but if you’re heading to PAX East tomorrow, please let us know. And then let us know what your plans…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 25, 2010 - Uncategorized
GameStop Hit With Class Action Suit Over “Deceptive” Used Game Sales
Attempts to stem used game sales at GameStop have just turned into a legal headache for the retailer who thrives on selling pre-owned video games. The company has just been hit with a lawsuit over “deceptive and misleading” sales practices. According to a class action suit spotted by IGN, GameStop is being sued for “fraudulently,…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 25, 2010 - Uncategorized
Hydro Thunder For Xbox Live Making Surprise Appearance At PAX? Update: Yes!
Midway’s classic speedboat racer Hydro Thunder may be making its way to Xbox Live Arcade soon. And it may be playable at PAX East even sooner—as in tomorrow. According to a report from /gamer, the Xbox 360 booth at PAX East features at least one kiosk with a playable copy of Hydro Thunder, indicating an…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 25, 2010 - Uncategorized
Yes, the Ol’ Zig-Zag Still Works in Tecmo Bowl Throwback
This interview with the producer of the upcoming Tecmo Bowl Throwback delivers tons of gameplay video and tells us what to expect from the game – although it still doesn’t tell us when it will release. Throwback will give you a 2D and a 2.5D/3Dish game mode, and it looks as though both play with…
By Owen Good Published March 25, 2010 - Uncategorized
PlayStation Store Update: Blue Toads, Hamster Balls And Ripped Abs
We’ve got a bit of a traffic jam on our hands in this week’s North American PlayStation Store update, with almost too much to highlight this Thursday, including Section 8, Blue Toad Murder Files and Cho Aniki Zero. Yes, that downloadable PSP shoot ’em up is the source of the “ripped abs” in the headline,…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 25, 2010 - Uncategorized
The Ginormous Flow Chart History of Game Studios
Before Tecmo and Koei, before Square met Enix, before Namco found Bandai – this chart seeks to catalog the history of game studios – spinoffs, mergers, acquisitions, defections. It’s also suitable for posterizing on your laundry room wall. The chart’s creator, Eric Wall for Games Are Evil, advises that “this is by no means the…
By Owen Good Published March 25, 2010 - Uncategorized
Splatterhouse Screens Get Chunks Of Stuff All Over The Place
Is it time to start age-gating screen shots? The newest Splatterhouse screens, full of blood-soaked ghouls, chunky guts and flying severed limbs, might be better limited to mature audiences only. Or are we overreacting? Maybe the very idea of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 update to Splatterhouse will turn your stomach and this much…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 25, 2010 - Uncategorized
The Tester: Episode 6: “Focus, People, Focus!” Liveblog: No Big D Is Bad For Your Health
PlayStation Network reality show The Tester continues today with its sixth glorious episode, with just five potential candidates gunning for a spot in the illustrious PlayStation QA department, ready to fulfill a dream of filing bug reports. This week’s episode will be lighter on the LARPing and smaller on the Big D, the most recent…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 25, 2010 - Uncategorized
NCAA 11’s Lighting Strives for Postcard-Perfect Saturdays
Upgrades to lighting and shadows have become something of a trend in sports gaming – we saw it in both baseball games that just released, and we’ll see it improving the photorealism in July’s NCAA Football 11. Here’s a closer look at the new game’s screen: EA Sports released this screen comparison showing what Ohio…
By Owen Good Published March 25, 2010 - Uncategorized
The Day Before
To: Bash From: Crecente Re: Cornell And Suicides Tomorrow morning Mike Fahey and Stephen Totilo head out to Boston for the inaugural Penny Arcade Expo East that kicks off tomorrow night. The two will be filing stories all day and through the weekend. They’ll also be partying at our official party… a party with some…
By Brian Crecente Published March 25, 2010 - Uncategorized
The Next Club Nintendo Exclusive Is Ultra Handy
North American Club Nintendo members are in for a treat, as long as they have the 80 coins needed to purchase themselves a copy of Grill-Off with Ultra Hand!—emphasis Nintendo’s—the latest Nintendo fan reward for WiiWare. The game, released via Japan’s version of Club Nintendo as Wii de Ultrahand at the end of 2009, is…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 25, 2010 - Uncategorized
Resource File Might Hint at Future Plans for Xbox Game Room
Someone picked apart the resource file for the Microsoft Game Room – the PC version of the Xbox Game Room that launched this week – and found a curious Star Wars image that doesn’t seem to fit anything. Blogger TechKnight looked in the Game Room’s director and noticed a sizable file. Figuring it held clues,…
By Owen Good Published March 25, 2010 -
UncategorizedThis 3D Dot Game Heroes Trailer Is Zelda-Riffic
It might not be a real word, but Zelda-riffic is the only one I can come up with for this first full trailer for Atlus’ PlayStation 3 exclusive 3D Dot Game Heroes. The word applies to the gameplay as well. I’ve spent a little time with 3D Dot Game Heroes since I last posted on…
By Mike Fahey Published March 25, 2010 - Uncategorized
Jimi Hendrix Is Coming To Rock Band In A Bold Way Next Week
Rock Band is getting a powerful hit of Jimi Hendrix starting next week. No, we mean it this time. The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s second album, Axis: Bold As Love, will be downloadable and playable starting on March 30. Harmonix and MTV Games will be releasing “a wave of downloadable content” from Hendrix’s catalog, Rolling Stone…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 25, 2010 - Uncategorized
Modern Warfare 2’s Stimulus Package In Five Pictures
We’re still five days away from the release of the first Modern Warfare 2 map pack for the Xbox 360, so you might want to check out these latest screens one at a time, one per day. The Modern Warfare 2 Stimulus Package, featuring five maps for the interesting price of $15.00, or 1200 Microsoft…
By Mike Fahey Published March 25, 2010 - Uncategorized
Reminders: Kotaku In NYC Tonight, Boston This Weekend
Tonight, in New York City, Kotaku is on a games journalism panel. Friday night, in Boston, Kotaku hosts a party. Saturday, at PAX East in Boston, Kotaku has a panel. You’re invited to all three! NYC details / Boston details
By Stephen Totilo Published March 25, 2010 - Uncategorized
Want a Free Trip to Switzerland?
Just find every empty Red Bull can you can, create a piece of art (can you sculpt a giant head bearing an uncanny resemblance to Candace Bushnell or Jose Canseco—see where we’re going here?) out of cans. Click here if think you can In other words, enter the Red Bull Art of Can contest. Submissions…
By Gawkercreative Published March 25, 2010 - Uncategorized
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker Co-op In Hot Three-way Action
We’ve already seen double the Snake-sneaking action in Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, perhaps the Biggest Deal to hit the PSP this summer. What about three Snakes buddying up for “super co-op weapon Railgun” thrills? Yes, we’ve seen two, now we see three, and we’re sure to see four Snakes/Big Bosses teaming up for cooperative…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 25, 2010 - Uncategorized
The Old, New, Finally Official Super Mario Galaxy 2 Cover
We’ve seen all of the elements of the upcoming Wii blockbuster before, but never combined and with the official “this is the box art” seal from Nintendo. Note the extra little stars. The lack of secret homo-erotic star writing, the glee with which Yoshi is carrying Mario through the sky.
By Brian Crecente Published March 25, 2010