You Should Relax About BioShock 2, No Freak Outs!

BioShock was designed by Ken Levine and developed by 2K Boston. BioShock 2 is not. Levine is not working on the game. But should you be worried? The second entry in the BioShock franchise is being developed by 2K Marin and 2K Australia. The BioShock 2 trailer was recently released, and while it doesn’t show…

Playing PSP Tennis On An Actual Tennis Court

And with a former tennis pro! Shuzo Matsuoka appears in this Japanese ad for title Hot Shots Tennis in which players really get into a round of PSP tennis.

Team Fortress 2 Gets A New Game Mode

Valve’s Team Fortress 2 got a little more interesting today, with the addition of a new game mode called “Highlander”. Yeah, you can see where this is going. With the classic 1986 film still on the developer’s minds following the recent Demoman update, Highlander mode sees two teams of nine square off, with only one…

Splinter Cell: Conviction Finally Has A Release Date

For a game that’s been delayed more times than we dare to recount, it’s nice to see Ubisoft has a sense of humour about Splinter Cell: Conviction, announcing today that a new release date has been set in stone. Literally. There’s your new, final release date for the game, as sent to IGN’s offices: April…

So, How Did Mass Effect 2 End For You?

I just finished Mass Effect 2. Quite the ending! Well, it was for me, anyway. Judging by the number of times my 360 spun the disc, and the number of choices involved, I’d say yours may have been quite different. So please, share. It’ll be fun to see the number of different outcomes people wound…

Poll: 80 Percent of Teens Have Game Console

A new poll by the Pew Research Center – you should know them, they’re like the NPR of polls and stuff – finds that 80 percent of American kids between ages 12 and 17 have a game console, and more than half have a handheld. The findings were reported Wednesday by the center’s Internet &…

Kotaku Off Topic: Let’s Hatch

Who wants to talk about video games? Well, save it for another post, pal! This one’s reserved for the Kotaku commenting crowd’s Off Topic interests. So let’s talk. Actually, you talk. I’m off to watch last night’s episode of Lost, having successfully avoided spoilers over the previous 24 hours, no thanks to my tweeting friends…

KrissX Micro-Review: Fun With a Purpose

I keep wanting to pronounce this game “Chris-Ex” but I’m reminded it’s “Kriss-Kross.” Whatever the case, it’s a set of brain-teasing acrostics with goals and rewards that shrewdly incentivize their completion. It’s just a little young for most tastes. Loved Smart Words: KrissX draws on a strong vocabulary any mother would be glad to hear…

Yakuza 3 Features The Best Face Stomping Of The Generation

We know that some PlayStation 3 owners have been enjoying the import version of Yakuza 3 for close to a year now, but not everyone has been shattering gangster cheekbones with white leather shoes, as prominently featured in this trailer. Thankfully, the North American and European releases of Sega’s Yakuza 3 are just weeks away.…

The Star Trek Influence In Your Games

Star Trek is as much a staple of geek culture as gaming, so it’s no surprise that it’s influence has shown up in countless video games over the years. What’s your favorite Star Trek video game reference? Video games have been around a little bit longer than Star Trek, so the 1966 television series isn’t…

Attention, Lost Fans

It’s been a day since the Lost season premiere. It must be discussed. Jump over to the Lost Season Six discussion page, #LostTalk. Remember, starred commenters can start pages on any topic via the submission box atop our front page.

Talk about Lost right here. And feel free to spoil up through the most recent episode that aired on ABC.

There Shall Be New New Vegas News Tomorrow, Apparently

Three different tweets from three different Bethesda Softworks sources hint at some sort of big Fallout: New Vegas info dropping tomorrow. From Bethesda’s Pete Hines: “if you’re into Fallout or want to find out something, anything, on Fallout: New Vegas…well, tomorrow, it begins.” From community manager Nick Breckon: Tomorrow will be a big day for…

Metroid Creator Talks Metroid: Other M, WarioWare & More At GDC

Looking forward to Metroid: Other M? Then take note. This year’s Game Developers Conference adds one more must-attend session with the addition of Metroid creator Yoshio Sakamoto‘s rare lecture about his work on WarioWare and the adventures of Samus Aran. Sakamoto will likely talk about the progress and development of Metroid: Other M for the…

Kotaku Talk Radio Celebrates A Decade of The Sims, Download It Now

Want to simulate listening to today’s episode of Kotaku Talk Radio with special guests from The Sims team in real time? Simply download the podcast in your format of choice, roll the clocks back and enjoy. At no point in today’s episode does the podcast switch to Simlish, making it easy for English speakers to…

Latest Dante Stunt Buries ASCII Art In Our Source Code

Checked the source code of our front page lately? We didn’t think to until we got a tip. Dante’s Inferno ASCII art is buried with in it – along with one of six clues to unlock some kind of download. Loyal reader Kyle K. pointed us out to the ASCII art in the front page…

Cold Turkey

To: Ash From: Crecente Re: Three Days. No Coffee. I do that sometimes, just for fun. I watched almost zero television for a month while I was in Australia. Also fun. The only downside of kicking coffee for me are the vicious headaches I get. By the way, I’m too lazy to look it up,…

ESRB Explains “Creepy” Dead Or Alive Paradise Re-Rating; Tecmo Responds

Earlier today the Entertainment Software Ratings Board issued a “Mature” rating and description for Tecmo’s Dead or Alive Paradise, citing its “creepy voyeurism” and “bizarre, misguided notions of what women really want.” That description was quickly removed and reworked. The ESRB says that the previous description, which also called the PSP game “cheesy” and opined…

This Week In Comics

Today marks the final “This Week In Video Game Comics” here at Kotaku and the birth of “This Week In Comics.” Video game comics first, then some others I think are worth highlighting, all in U.S. shops this week. The Legend of Zelda, Vol 9: A Link To The Past Written and drawn by Akira…

THQ Returns To Saints Row, Darksiders, And De Blob Next Year

THQ is rolling out the sequels in fiscal year 2012, with releases planned for Saints Row 3, a Darksiders sequel, and a follow-up to the Wii-exclusive hit de Blob. During the THQ investor call today, CEO Brian Farrell continued listing off upcoming games after outing a new Red Faction title and Homefront for release during…