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Study: Wii Can Alleviate Elderly Depression, Too
The benefits of the Wii and exergaming to patients in hospitals and elder-care facilities has been discussed nearly since the console’s release. Researchers in San Diego now say that Wii games can combat the onset of depression in elderly persons. A pilot study involving 19 subjects with subsyndromal depression – not full blown depression, but…
By Owen Good Published March 4, 2010 - Uncategorized
Badass PSP Game Rumbles To The Top Of Japan’s Bestsellers List
Tough guy simulator Kenka Bancho 4: Ichinen Sensou is Japan’s bestselling video game, the latest entry in the series that has made its way stateside under the name Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble. It dethrones Capcom’s Biohazard 5 re-release this week. While Biohazard 5 Alternative Edition (aka Resident Evil 5 Gold Edition) couldn’t hold onto first…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 4, 2010 -
UncategorizedIntroducing Monday Night Combat‘s ‘AmmoMule’
Uber Entertainment’s gunning for a macho future where class-based FPS death is televised live, with sponsorships. No doubt taking a page from Bud Light’s fake “Grooler” and “Foozie” we have something that keeps your ammo fresh and your bacon crispy. If you can’t get enough of shotgun shells and fried meat and need something to…
By Owen Good Published March 4, 2010 - Uncategorized
PlayStation Store Update: Just Because
This week’s North American PlayStation Store update is a good week to both familiarize yourself with Avalanche Studios’ Just Cause 2, one of three new demos, and to catch up on previous PlayStation Network releases. While the PlayStation 3 offerings might be a little slim, the PSP platform is swimming in new releases, including the…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 4, 2010 - Uncategorized
First Claims Laid to Million-Dollar Perfect Game
Barely two days after release and MLB 2K10 players are boasting they’ve pitched perfect games – worth a $1 million bounty to the first to do so, verifiably. But cool your jets, we won’t know for sure for a while. To recap: 2K Sports has offered a cool million for the first player to go…
By Owen Good Published March 4, 2010 - Uncategorized
We Were Wrong About Nier Before … Or We Are Now
We here at Kotaku have been underwhelmed by forthcoming Cavia-made video game Nier Gestalt. We have played it and been bewildered. We have questioned the game’s reason for being. So, uh, last time I saw it, I liked it. Maybe we got this Nier thing all wrong. That was the Olympic-level leap I tried to…
By Stephen Totilo Published March 4, 2010 - Uncategorized
The Tester: Episode 3: The “There’s No Cry In Team” Liveblog: No Goof Deed Goes Unpunished
Thank god it’s Thursday, when new episodes of the PlayStation Network’s only reality show, The Tester, brings us new trials, fresh tears and one less contestant vying for a QA position at Sony. Oh! It also brings our weekly liveblog. Don’t worry, above the fold Kotaku readers, we won’t spoil the outcome of previous week…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 4, 2010 - Uncategorized
MMO Parents Take Care of Virtual Toddler While Real One Starves
A Korean couple is said to have neglected their infant – to the point of starvation – while they fed their own online gaming addiction in Internet cafes. The Sun‘s reporting this, so, let’s get our sensationalism detectors on. The couple allegedly raised a virtual toddler in a game similar to Second Life, called Prius…
By Owen Good Published March 4, 2010 - Uncategorized
Any Doctors On Board Kotaku?
To: Anyone! From: Totilo Re: But Do I Hate Japan? We’ve got a guy here with an upset stomach. It’s not pretty. The man is in his 30s, I think. Black hair. About shoulder length. He says he’s been feeling ill since last night. Hasn’t been able to do his job most of the day.…
By Stephen Totilo Published March 4, 2010 - Uncategorized
When Does God of War Go Too Far? When Someone Laughs
What is considered out of bounds for the God of War series? It’s not violence, as players will decapitate and eviscerate enemies with gory, glorious detail. It’s not sex, either, as God of War III continues the series’ naughty mini-game tradition. It’s the laughs. “If we start laughing,” God of War III director Stig Asmussen…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 4, 2010 - Uncategorized
Multiplayer Problems Persist in MLB 2K10
We’re in day three of MLB 2K10’s release, and also day three of MLB 2K10‘s multiplayer problems. While player-to-player game invitations are said not to be involved, many are having problems connecting to ranked matches. The solution requires a patch. That’s according to a 2K admin as of today. What happens in ranked match connections…
By Owen Good Published March 4, 2010 - Uncategorized
SOE Dates Fan Faire 2010
It’s time to learn the date of the annual gathering of Sony Online Entertainment players, who will be flocking to Las Vegas this August to awkwardly realize that no one is really a Wood Elf, and the world is sad. Tickets will go on sale this spring for Sony Online Entertainment’s annual fan gathering, held…
By Mike Fahey Published March 4, 2010 - Uncategorized
Microsoft Offers Halo: Reach Beta, Free MS Points To “Loyal” Halo Players
Original Xbox games will no longer be playable over Xbox Live as of April 15, but Microsoft is easing the pain of Halo 2 players by offering “avid” players free stuff and a shot at the Halo: Reach beta. Several Kotaku readers have received word from the Xbox Live Team, breaking the bad news about…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 4, 2010 - Uncategorized
The Sims 3 Gets Ambitious New Expansion
Sure, your Sim has a lovely home, nice friends, and all the material wealth he or she could ever have, but what about ambitions? Take control of your career this June with The Sims 3 Ambitions expansion pack. The second step in EA’s plan to flood the market with Sims expansions, as it did with…
By Mike Fahey Published March 4, 2010 - Reviews
Match Defense Toy Soldiers Micro-Review: Finally, Mom Can Help
Attention readers, read this review of Match Defense: Toy Soldiers in conjunction with our review of Toy Soldiers for Xbox Live Arcade, because the two games connect. And that’s the main selling point for this here free Facebook game. Loved Playing Xbox 360 Without Playing Xbox 360: As I reported earlier this week, people who…
By Stephen Totilo Published March 4, 2010 - Reviews
Toy Soldiers Micro-review: A Farewell To Arms?
Being a kid is great. Your toys aren’t just toys, they’re real. And your bedroom or table top can serve as the terrain for your imagination. Does Xbox Live Arcade game Toy Soldiers capture the feeling of playing with toy soldiers? Developed by Signal Studios, Toy Soldiers is a tower defense game in which players…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 4, 2010 - Uncategorized
Show Us Your 10-Year-Old PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is 10-years-old today, and just saying happy birthday and talking about our PS2 experiences isn’t enough! Take a picture of your PS2 and share it with the class. You show us yours, and I’ll show you mine. Unfortunately my last bulky PlayStation 2 console, complete with clear plastic case mod, was retired…
By Mike Fahey Published March 4, 2010 - Uncategorized
SOCOM 4 Revealed, Franchise Returns To Zipper Interactive
Sony’s premier tactical shooter series is back in the hands of Zipper Interactive and ready to redeploy this fall with SOCOM 4. Featuring 32-player multiplayer, what does SOCOM 4 mean for the future of Zipper Interactive’s MAG? A militant revolutionary has seized control of an important South Asian country, and it’s up to you, the…
By Mike Fahey Published March 4, 2010 - Uncategorized
Report: Sony To Launch New PlayStation Smart Phone In 2010
The Wall Street Journal reports that Sony will release a new smart phone “capable of downloading and playing PlayStation games” later this year, as well as a competitor to Apple’s iPad that may also play PSone titles. The Journal notes that the original PlayStation game-playing smart phone is being developed by Sony and mobile handset…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 4, 2010 - Uncategorized
Activision “Disappointed” By Infinity Ward Founders’ “Meritless” Lawsuit
The world’s biggest video game publisher doesn’t take allegations of “Orwellian” investigations and unfair dismissals in silence. Activision has responded to the lawsuit filed by Jason West and Vince Zampella, the ousted former heads of Modern Warfare 2-maker Infinity Ward. “Activision is disappointed that Mr. Zampella and Mr. West have chosen to file a lawsuit,…
By Stephen Totilo Published March 4, 2010