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From Productive Writer To Cocaine Addict, Just Add Grand Theft Auto
Tom Bissell was a productive, healthy, and somewhat disciplined young award-winning author, before his passion for Grand Theft Auto helped transform him into a cocaine-addled gaming addict. As a travel writer with an eye for politics and history, Tom Bissell has visited Uzbekistan, Iraq, and Afghanistan, but it wasn’t until his first forays into Vice…
By Mike Fahey Published March 23, 2010 - Uncategorized
Nine People Want Me To Make Dark Cloud 3
Today I added two more people to the list of individuals imploring me via e-mail to develop Dark Cloud 3. I’m sorry, folks ,but I’m not going to do it. Since the fall, I’ve received nine e-mails from people imploring me to make a sequel to Sony’s Dark Cloud role-playing game series. Here’s a typical…
By Stephen Totilo Published March 23, 2010 - Uncategorized
Vote for the Ugliest American from St. Patrick’s Day
The candidates aren’t ugly, per se—they’re more like lovably enthusiastic. But damn are they green. Send the number of your favorite Ugly American to [email protected] (subject: “Ugly Vote”) by noon EST tomorrow. Winner gets a $300 AMEX gift card. [Rules] Gallery below!
By Gawkercreative Published March 23, 2010 - Uncategorized
Left 4 Dead 2’s “The Passing” Adds New Game Modes. Plural.
The first add-on for zombie apocalypse shooter Left 4 Dead 2 may be more expansive than Valve originally lead us to believe. A new update on the downloadable campaign “The Passing” promises new “game modes.” Buried at the bottom of an announcement about a midweek deal on the full version of Left 4 Dead 2—it’s…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 23, 2010 - Uncategorized
World Of Warcraft Battlegrounds Get Randomized
World of Warcraft patch 3.3.3 is now live, giving players an all-new, all-random way to queue up for the game’s popular player-versus-player battlegrounds. Much like the previously implemented Random Dungeon system, the Random Battleground system, live today in World of Warcraft, allows solo players and parties of up to five characters join a queue to…
By Mike Fahey Published March 23, 2010 - Uncategorized
PlayStation Move’s Minority Report Controls In Action
Two new demos of PlayStation Move, shot by us today, show some of the coolest things that Sony’s Move motion controllers can do. Two weeks ago, we saw Move control games. Today, Move moved windows and made the Eiffel Tower. Kotaku shot these demos in New York City, just hours before Sony was allowing the…
By Stephen Totilo Published March 23, 2010 - Uncategorized
Electronic Arts May Have Just Killed The New Syndicate (Or Its Bourne Game)
Starbreeze Studios, developers of The Darkness and Chronicles of Riddick, were working on two projects for EA. Now it’s working on one, a potentially bad sign for Syndicate—or Jason Bourne—fans hoping that “Project RedLime” would reinvent the franchise. EA and Starbreeze had partnered to work on two games, one based on Robert Ludlum’s Jason Bourne…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 23, 2010 - Uncategorized
Kotaku Talk Radio Is Live Tomorrow With The Man Behind Red Steel 2
Just in time for the release of Red Steel 2 comes this week’s episode of Kotaku Talk Radio with special guest Ubisoft’s Jason VandenBerghe, the creative director of the Motionplus Wii title. VandenBerghe will be on Kotaku Talk Radio this Wednesday at 11 a.m. Kotaku Time (that’s 1 p.m. ET, 10 a.m. PT), giving you…
By Brian Crecente Published March 23, 2010 - Uncategorized
To Do In NYC: Kotaku Talking Games Journalism At NYU
If you’re in New York City on Thursday and would like to see me and other games journalists talk about our profession, come on over to New York University. 721 Broadway, Room 006. 6pm. Details on NYU’s site
By Stephen Totilo Published March 23, 2010 - Uncategorized
Hide Your Valuables, It’s A RPG Hero
Why do epic quests to save the world always have to begin with someone breaking into your house and rifling through your valuables? For the record, I would like to state that my apartment doesn’t contain any magical items, potions, rare treasures, weapons, armor, or mystical herbs. Well, to be honest, I do have a…
By Mike Fahey Published March 23, 2010 - Uncategorized
Report: Nintendo 3DS Also Has “3D Joystick,” Force Feedback & More
Nintendo’s fifth generation version of its wildly popular Nintendo DS hardware, the Nintendo 3DS, comes with more than just the power to display 3D images. It also comes with a new joystick and force feedback, according to one report. Fortunately, that report is from the typically reliable Nikkei, who writes that Nintendo “plans to give…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 23, 2010 - Uncategorized
What Is BioWare Counting Down To?
A mysterious countdown timer has appeared on BioWare’s home page, as well as the pages for Dragon Age: Origins and Mass Effect 2. What is BioWare revealing on Monday? Kotakuite Alexander pointed us to the countdown clock that’s now ticking down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds until Monday morning at noon Eastern time, 9AM…
By Mike Fahey Published March 23, 2010 - Uncategorized
Why Economists Love Video Games
The billion dollar business of selling virtual goods in free-to-play games is more than just a financial windfall for companies like Playfish. A controlled economy with millions of active participants gives economists an entirely new way to model consumer behavior. In Newsweek article titled “Money for Nothing,” Playfish founder Kristian Segerstrale explains how a virtual…
By Mike Fahey Published March 23, 2010 - Uncategorized
Apple Adds Ability to Gift Apps, Games in iTunes
In the past 24 hours or so Apple added the ability to give iPod Touch and iPhone applications and games to other people via an email or a printed certificate. The Give a Gift feature now pops up when you click on the arrow icon next to the App’s price and select “Gift this App.”…
By Brian Crecente Published March 23, 2010 - Reviews
Red Steel 2 Review: If Only 2006 Was This Good
A skeptical world might not see video games as essential. But we can point to many games that feel worthy of this planet. Games about eating mushrooms, arranging falling blocks, saving the world. However: A first-person shooter with motion-based swordplay? You’d be right to be skeptical. More than three years after the release of the…
By Stephen Totilo Published March 23, 2010 -
UncategorizedThis Nintendo Game Supports Decapitation, Crucifixion, Immolation
I think we should be prepared for all sorts of evil, player-created games when WarioWare D.I.Y. hits North America this weekend. The DS game allows you to create the sort of mini-games found in classic WarioWare titles using your own graphics, sounds and imagination. Unfortunately, that means at least some wannabe game designers are going…
By Brian Crecente Published March 23, 2010 -
UncategorizedProbably Not Why You’re Going To Buy Super Street Fighter IV
Crecente detailed several fine reasons to purchase Super Street Fighter IV. Capcom’s GameStop-exclusive preorder bonus is not one of those, unless you have really cold thumbs. Yes, it’s Super Thumb Fighters, eight thumb socks emblazoned with the faces of your favorite Super Street Fighter IV characters. I suppose these underachieving sock puppets will give players…
By Mike Fahey Published March 23, 2010 - Uncategorized
The 250GB Xbox 360 Hard Drive Stands Alone
While Microsoft’s 250GB Xbox 360 hard disk is currently only available in North America as part of a console bundle, according to a new ad popping up on the 360 dashboard, that’s about to change. This “Make More Room for Entertainment” advertisement popped up on the Xbox 360 dashboard today, urging console owners to head…
By Mike Fahey Published March 23, 2010 - Uncategorized
Why You’re Going To Buy Super Street Fighter IV
I’ve been playing an early build of Super Street Fighter IV for a week or so now, and it’s convinced me of one thing: Picking up this latest Capcom fighter is a must for any fan of the genre. Why? There are the two new fighters: Korea’s first fighter Juri and Turkish oil wrestler Hakan.…
By Brian Crecente Published March 23, 2010