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What Colorblind Hackers See In BioShock 2
As Kotaku’s resident Pissed-Off Colorblind Gamer, I have yet to play BioShock 2, but I already knew the hacking mini-game would be bad news for mutants like me. Here’s a comparison of what colorblind gamers are up against. Negative Gamer took a screengrab of the hack terminal and ran it through a color contrast analyzer…
By Owen Good Published February 11, 2010 - Uncategorized
Halo 2 Maps, Original Xbox DLC Returns To Xbox Live
Microsoft’s plans to end Xbox Live support for original Xbox games had an unfortunate early affect — the removal of all downloadable content from Live for those older Xbox titles. The good news? That DLC is back. That means that your old Splinter Cell or Halo 2 downloadable content is once again accessible, the data…
By Michael McWhertor Published February 11, 2010 - Uncategorized
The Day The Gamers Took Over Reselling
When it quietly went online for pre-launch testing early last year, Glyde was a reseller marketplace built with a midwestern, middle-aged book or music lover in mind. Then the gamers found it, and practically took over. “Even though we weren’t really aiming at gamers, one found it somehow, told someone else, and they told even…
By Owen Good Published February 11, 2010 - Uncategorized
This Post Was Written While It Was Dark Outside
To: Our Man In Japan From: Our Man In New York Re: This Is It Should there be more sunshine? What you may have missed during this very newsy day: Mile Marker 28: Trauma Dev Eyes Call of Duty: World at War for iPhone Married By Master Chief, One Year Later Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate…
By Stephen Totilo Published February 11, 2010 - Uncategorized
NPD Instant Analysis: Things You Should Note
Danger. You are at risk of discussing January’s U.S. video game sales data without the proper analysis at the ready. Grab a marker and consider scribbling the following cheat-sheet notes on your hand. For the raw data, check out the NPD’s U.S January video game hardware sales and video game software sales. Fact: The PlayStation…
By Stephen Totilo Published February 11, 2010 - Uncategorized
Fable III’s Three Big Innovations: Touch, Weapons And Kingly Responsibility
Three major shifts in gameplay mechanics will make Fable III the most innovative entry in the popular role-playing game franchise, developer Peter Molyneux told a gathering of journalists today at Microsoft’s X10 event. Fable III will present three key changes in play: In-game touching, highly-customized weapon morphing and the challenge of ruling a kingdom. Molyneux…
By Brian Crecente Published February 11, 2010 - Uncategorized
Nintendo Is January’s Hardware Winner Once Again
Wii fever swept the United States in January, another 465,000 units of Nintendo’s white wonder snatched up by consumers. Hey, when you’re selling that many copies of New Super Mario Bros. you’re gonna need a Wii to play it on. Nintendo once again took the top two spots in the hardware race in the U.S.,…
By Michael McWhertor Published February 11, 2010 - Uncategorized
New Super Mario Bros. Wii Was January’s Biggest Game In The U.S.
Nintendo’s New Super Mario Bros. Wii had a big January, following its 2.8 million copies sold in December ’09 with another 650,000-plus copies to Mario-hungry Wii owners in the United States. The one game that came closest to Nintendo’s super popular platformer was BioWare’s Mass Effect 2, moving more than 570,000 copies on the Xbox…
By Michael McWhertor Published February 11, 2010 - Uncategorized
Halo: Reach Multiplayer Beta Starts May 3
Halo fans, make sure you have your copy of Halo 3: ODST handy in May, as Bungie and Microsoft have announced the official date you can start playing the Halo: Reach multiplayer beta. You probably already had May—or the entire spring season—booked, but put May 3 in your calendar as the day you’ll start playing.…
By Michael McWhertor Published February 11, 2010 - Uncategorized
Activision Takes Axe To Guitar Hero’s Neversoft, Shuts Down Luxoflux
Prototype developer Radical Entertainment isn’t the only studio that got the axe from parent company Activision today. Sources close to and within developers Neversoft (Guitar Hero) and Luxoflux (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen) are also being gutted. Luxoflux, also responsible for True Crime and Kung Fu Panda games for Activision, is said to have been…
By Michael McWhertor Published February 11, 2010 - Uncategorized
New Crackdown 2 Screens Show Off Shiny Preorder Armor
As far as purchase incentives go it’s no Halo 3 multiplayer beta, but Crackdown 2’s preorder bonus armor is definitely…okay, I’ve got nothing. While the inclusion of access to the Halo 3 multiplayer beta definitely pushed sales of the original Crackdown, I think the game proved itself to be a worthwhile purchase on its own.…
By Mike Fahey Published February 11, 2010 - Uncategorized
First Screens Of Left 4 Dead 2’s “The Passing,” New Infected, New Weapons
Valve released new details on the first downloadable add-on for Left 4 Dead 2 today at Microsoft’s X10 event, explaining how “The Passing” will handle the meet up with the original Left 4 Dead survivors. Now, let’s have some media. These ten new screens of the new episode, coming to the PC and Xbox 360…
By Michael McWhertor Published February 11, 2010 - Uncategorized
Left 4 Dead 2’s “The Passing” Coming March, Followed By Comic, More L4D DLC
Valve is showing the first downloadable content pack for Left 4 Dead 2, “The Passing,” at today’s X10 event. The new campaign is now aiming for a March release, the start of new content for the zombie apocalypse shooter. In “The Passing,” players will meet up with the original Left 4 Dead’s survivors, Francis, Bill,…
By Michael McWhertor Published February 11, 2010 - Uncategorized
360 Scores The Only Final Fantasy XIII Bundle Outside Of Japan
Microsoft confirms the March 9th release of a Final Fantasy XIII 250GB Xbox 360 bundle, noting that it’s the only console outside of Japan to come bundled with the game. At the X10 event in San Francisco today, the company revealed that the rumored Xbox 360 North American Final Fantasy bundle is indeed a reality,…
By Mike Fahey Published February 11, 2010 - Uncategorized
Exclusive Dead Rising 2 Prologue Coming To Xbox Live
Xbox 360 owners’ wait for Dead Rising 2 just got a bit more tolerable, with the announcement of an exclusive playable prologue, Dead Rising: Case Zero, launching on Xbox Live prior to the game’s release on August 31st. Crecente is embedded at Microsoft’s X10 event in San Francisco, where he sends word of a special…
By Mike Fahey Published February 11, 2010 - Uncategorized
Alan Wake Slated For May 18, Looks Good
The long-in-development Alan Wake, one of the most enigmatic titles in development for the Xbox 360, will finally be released on May 18, Microsoft announced today. Earlier this week, the game’s developers gave Kotaku a live demonstration. It was impressive. Alan Wake has been in development by Max Payne makers Remedy Entertainment for more than…
By Stephen Totilo Published February 11, 2010 - Uncategorized
Nothing Says I Love You Like A Stuffed Scrotum?
Who needs an actual game to generate buzz? Certainly not Postal developers Running With Scissors, celebrating Valentine’s Day with an adorable plush scrotum named Krotchy. Every once in a while we half-heartedly wonder when Postal III is going to come out. We haven’t seen much of the game, and Running With Scissors is supposed to…
By Mike Fahey Published February 11, 2010 - Uncategorized
Star Trek Online Couldn’t Resist The Borg
Cryptic just couldn’t resist using the Borg as its first big content update for Star Trek Online. After all, nothing can move the Borg! Wait, that’s not right. The Borg are the best at what they do, and what they do isn’t pretty. Having recovered after the Voyager crew somehow dealt them a severe blow,…
By Mike Fahey Published February 11, 2010 - Uncategorized
Prototype Developer Radical Cut In Half
Radical Entertainment, developer of Prototype and The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, has been hit with substantial layoffs today, according to development sources close to the Vancouver-based studio. Approximately 90-plus employees have been let go, sources say. That’s about half the studio’s headcount, apparently, affecting two of the three development teams at the Activision Blizzard owned…
By Michael McWhertor Published February 11, 2010