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Nintendo Patent Implies a New DS Cartridge Design
Siliconera found a patent application from Nintendo that is one of either two things – a new cartridge for existing DS configurations, or a new cartridge for a new DS. Or it could be both, come to think of it. Although the DS is not named in the application, and the outline of one shown…
By Owen Good Published March 6, 2010 - Uncategorized
Xbox 360 Hard Drive Transfer Kit Now Sold Separately
Time was, if you bought a used 360 hard drive, you could call a toll-free number and dupe Microsoft into sending a free transfer cable. Then they got wise and charged $12. It’s now a fully listed accessory, for $15. The cable went up on the Microsoft Store, sold separately, for $14.99 this past week.…
By Owen Good Published March 6, 2010 - Uncategorized
Nintendo Power Reveals Scribblenauts 2, Due Out This Fall
A sequel for last year’s breakout DS hit Scribblenauts graces the cover of the latest Nintendo power, promising a look at what 5th Cell has in mind. Scribblenauts 2 will add 10,000 more words, with adjectives playing a big role in what you summon (“Super Einstein?” “Electric Werewolf?” Not saying that’s confirmed for the game,…
By Owen Good Published March 6, 2010 - Uncategorized
Tinker to Chance: Game Makers Rethinking an Orthodoxy?
2K Sports caught plenty by surprise when it said it was taking a break from its NHL series, not killing it outright as many suspected. I hold out hope that it’s a sign the orthodoxy of sports publishing is changing. For roughly 15 years, games of NHL 2K‘s classification – a league-licensed team sports sim…
By Owen Good Published March 6, 2010 -
UncategorizedThe Case of the Indie Devs and the Medical Marijuana Mixup
IllFonic, the Denver-based developer of Ghetto Golf, happens to have a medical marijuana dispensary for a next-door neighbor. Last night its alarm went off, the fuzz showed up at the wrong address, and three devs were cuffed at gunpoint. Now, this all has a happy ending; no police brutality was committed or alleged, and IllFonic…
By Owen Good Published March 6, 2010 - Uncategorized
Be Kind, Rewind With This Low-Def Mega Man 10 Ad
This trailer’s commitment to quality is evident in its shoddy quality. Anyone can don 1980s threads and lampoon the unintentional physical comedy of those old ads. But VCR-esque discoloration and poor tracking is a cut above.
By Owen Good Published March 6, 2010 - Uncategorized
Weekend Coupons: Bundles of Joy
Big-ticket items lead the latest roundup of values and savings, but if you’re just here for the games, we’ve got plenty of deals there, too. Onward Weekend Coupons! Hardware • As McWhertor pointed out yesterday, Amazon’s cranking out a value-added Xbox 360 Elite bundle on Tuesday; it gives you the console plus Halo 3: ODST…
By Owen Good Published March 6, 2010 - Uncategorized
Microsoft CEO Hints at New Forms, Options for Xbox 360
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer was supposed to be talking about cloud computing on Thursday, but an offhand remark during a Q&A session hinted that additional “form factors” for the Xbox 360, with price points to suit them, are being considered. By “form factor” Ballmer evidently means something vastly different from a hard drive or HDMI…
By Owen Good Published March 6, 2010 - Uncategorized
Kotaku Originals: Insanity Ward
The onslaught of news this week was enough to send anyone to the nuthouse. Activision sacking Infinity Ward’s founders takes the gold, the PS3 clock error the silver, and Portal 2 a hard-fought bronze. The week in Kotaku’s original reporting: Activision vs. Infinity Ward Founders Ex-Infinity Ward Heads Claim “Orwellian” Moves By Activision Infinity Ward…
By Owen Good Published March 6, 2010 - Uncategorized
Weekend Talk Amongst Yourselves
If this image looks familiar, we had some technical difficulties delivering today’s version of the Talk Amongst Yourselves art. Which sucks, because I had a hell of a joke worked out. Anyway, the starter image is like the frame of a painting. You guys are that painting. Enjoy your canvas for talking about anything in…
By Owen Good Published March 6, 2010 - Uncategorized
What About Mexico? China? Brazil?
For several years now, Japanese developers have realized that there are bigger markets outside Japan — namely, the U.S. and Europe. Isn’t that limiting? In his new “Itagaki’s Thought” column, former Ninja Gaiden designer and currently Valhalla Game Studios developer Tomonobu Itagaki is looking at the bigger picture. “I’m doubtful about the Japanese game industry’s…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 6, 2010 - Uncategorized
Rumor: Lucasarts Releasing Monkey Island 2: Special Edition
Lucasarts made a special edition of Monkey Island, and it went down real well. Know what that means? Yeah, that Lucasarts will be releasing a special edition of Monkey Island 2. We’ve heard from sources that the game is due to be announced very soon, perhaps even next week at the Game Developer’s Conference, and…
By Luke Plunkett Published March 6, 2010 - Uncategorized
QuakeCon 2010: It’s A Date!
id software today announced a date, time and place for QuakeCon, its annual celebration of all things Quake. And Doom. And anything else id has ever done, or is doing in the future. It’ll run August 12 to August 15, at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Texas. Entry will be free, and you can…
By Luke Plunkett Published March 6, 2010 - Uncategorized
Battlefield Bad Company 2 Players Prefer PC To Console
These days, multiplatform games tend to be dominated by console gamers. Modern Warfare 2, for example, has a relatively tiny PC-playing community. Not so for Battlefield Bad Company 2! DICE associate producer Barrie Tingle has revealed that at the moment, during the week of the game’s retail release, more people are playing the PC version…
By Luke Plunkett Published March 6, 2010 - Uncategorized
Kotaku Off Topic: Going Underground
Ladies and gentlemen of Kotaku Off Topic, it’s Friday night and it’s time to forget about the troubles—and there were some troubles—of the week, hopefully with a few cocktails and some well-mixed conversation. Like the White Rabbit, I am late for a very important date. That’s a platonic date, mind you, but an obligation at…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 5, 2010 - Reviews
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Review: Judging A Book By Its Cover Works
The quartet of military misfits introduced in the original Battlefield: Bad Company are back and taking a backseat to a revamped (and far more exciting) multiplayer mode in Battlefield: Bad Company 2. On the single-player side of things, Marlowe, Sweetwater, Haggard and Sarge find themselves embroiled in a military endeavor that feels way above their…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 5, 2010 -
UncategorizedThis Gaming Rig Has Four Tires, Multiport Fuel Injection
At least dad here doesn’t look like a doofus flailing the Wiimote. He’s still got the swervy hands and overbite that indicate the the guy was told to look like he’s playing a video game, not actually play one. We’ve seen N64’s played in a minivan, but it’s control scheme was pretty straightforward. I have…
By Owen Good Published March 5, 2010 - Uncategorized
Xbox 360 Elite Bundle Packs In Forza III, Halo 3: ODST
If you planned on doing any Xbox 360 purchasing this weekend, it might behoove you to cool your jets for at least a few more days. Amazon is listing a new Xbox 360 Elite bundle that’s a solid deal. The 120GB Xbox 360 bundle packs in two 2009 console exclusives, Halo 3: ODST and Forza…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 5, 2010 - Uncategorized
Games Provide Comfort to Chilean Woman Pulling Through Quake
A Chilean woman coping with the devastation wrought by last week’s earthquake has looked to games to provide some comfort and normalcy, and a fragile World of Warcraft collectible that somehow managed to survive is her symbol of hope. Karen, the gamer, was not near the worst of the shaking – she’s in Santiago, some…
By Owen Good Published March 5, 2010