Kotaku ‘Shop Contest: Heavy Rain Edition

No doubt about it, Heavy Rain’s box art for North America is a train wreck, if two trains overcame their apathy long enough to crash into each other. Think you can do better? Here’s your chance. Opening Kotaku’s first regular Photoshop contest – which many have clamored for – is our call for submissions of…

Rumor: Leaked ‘Tech Demo” Footage of Final Fantasy: Fortress

This is a two-minute, 30-second video said to be of a tech demonstration of “Fortress,” the Final Fantasy project GRIN was said to have been working on when the Swedish studio closed. Click to view Few details accompany the video, whose visuals and action-oriented gameplay are very Western-oriented, to say the least. The video’s action…

2000: Recently transplanted from the Forth Worth Star-Telegram. I mange to juggle my full-time job as a police reporter with the Palm Beach Post and writing occasional pieces for the feature’s section of the paper about the real value of virtual real estate, and internet addiction. After much though, I decide to put my Playstation…

Sunday Comics

Penny Arcade published Jan. 11 PvPonline published Jan. 15 ActionTrip published Jan. 11 Digital Unrest published Jan. 11 EXTRALIFE published Jan. 15 Dotgif published Jan. 11 GU Comics published Jan. 15 Ctrl-Alt-Del published Jan. 15 Dueling Analogs published Jan. 14 Nerf NOW published Jan. 15 Rooster Teeth published Jan. 16 Monday Night Crew published Jan.…

Kotaku Off-Topic: Funny Money

This is my first crack at Kotaku Off-Topic, and I’m not really sure how to begin it. Non sequiturs, by definition, don’t have a segué or a lead-in. But here goes anyway. Later today I am driving down to California to see some old friends and visit (on Tuesday) 2K Marin to rap about MLB…

MLB 2K10 Appears to Cut Down Stadium Advertising

Last year, MLB 2K9 rubbed plenty the wrong way when park dimensions and outfield signage seemed blatantly reconfigured to accommodate larger in-game ads. New screens for two parks seem to indicate the game scaled back that kind of aggressive design. In MLB 2K9, Wrigley Field sported a large, translucent sign for in-game sponsor State Farm…

Project Runway Consultant: Mario is Dressed “Appropriately”

With Project Runway: The Video Game asking gamers to make virtual appraisals of real fashion, MTV Multiplayer flipped the premise, asking the show’s Tim Gunn to make a real appraisal of virtual clothing. In this case, Mario’s. Give Gunn this, he played ball. Asked to give a critique, he gave one, no silly puns or…

DICE Says It Won’t Profit Off Rented Servers for BFBC2

During the Modern Warfare 2 no-dedicated servers controversy, DICE was quick to say they would be supported in PC versions of Battlefield: Bad Company 2. Well, with one exception: Players would have to rent them, rather than build their own. It seems that the files necessary for the PC community to build dedicated servers for…

Megadeth Hints at Big Plans for Guitar Hero

Answering the fan mailbag on the band’s official site, Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine says he’s had recent “high level meetings” with Activision and Neversoft to discuss an idea that is more attractive to the band than a dedicated box set. Here’s Mustaine’s reply to a fan’s query about a potential Guitar Hero: Megadeth, a very…

Jeff Bridges: Battlezone Fiend

To get into character for 1982’s Tron, Jeff Bridges became quite the video game fiend. But it was fun with a purpose. The actor reminisces about playing Battlezone, a vector-graphics tank shooter loosely similar to the film’s fictitious “Space Paranoids.” The Orlando Sentinel film critic Roger Moore (incidentally, a guy I read every Saturday when…

If It’s In the Name, It’s In the Game

Two weeks ago, startled by hearing my tiny high school’s unique nickname announced in NCAA Football 10, I vowed to track down those who put us in the game. I found them, and found out why “The Buckin’ Elks” of Elkin, N.C. High (pictured) – population 4,000, graduating class of around 70 – joined hundreds…

A First Look at NBA Jam for the Wii

EA Sports gave an exclusive first look at NBA Jam to Nintendo Power, and judging by a scan that’s circled the earth about three times now, a zany visual style should accompany its boom-shakalaka gameplay. That image above was first circulated by Go Nintendo. As you can see, it looks like the players will have…

Gamers-for-Haiti Efforts Gather Momentum [Update]

Today only, 100 percent of the proceeds from purchases in PopCap’s store – they make Bejeweled and Peggle – will go toward Haiti quake relief. This post is our official open thread on ways to contribute to the recovery. To recap: • On Wednesday and Thursday, Bungie is encouraging Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST…

Weekend Coupons: Card Sharks

So yesterday, Walmart slashed prices on Xbox Live subscription cards, and Amazon followed suit. Then everyone started offering $50 gift cards for Elite console purchases. This is madness! This is Weekend Coupons! Hardware • Walmart is selling a 12-month Xbox Live subscription card for $30 – that’s $20 off. Offer is good for the Internet…

Steam Account Sells for $1,000 on eBay

Here’s a story amusing not so much for the games that were sold or their price, but the fact the seller managed to, essentially, resell used Steam games. Like 139 of them, for $1,000. (With free shipping, too!) Seller dave311freak estimated his collection’s value at $2,700 and said he wanted at least $500 for the…

Kotaku Originals: Tonight’s Listings

Previously, on a very special Kotaku: Totilo speaks to Irrational Games about a change of identity. Nintendo is pleased by news of 2009’s hardware, and displeased by rumors of 2010’s. And a Kotaku editor dies! 900 times! (In VVVVVV). Top Stories Ken Levine Explains Irrational Switch, “Underwater Horse” Connection NPD: New Super Mario Bros. Wii…

Weekend Talk Amongst Yourselves

Poor George will have to console himself with the fact that not everyone gets a mattress sale on their birthday. Well, Abe gets one too. Some housekeeping changes, before we get to the whatever-ya-wanna-talk-about. We’ve altered our publishing schedule on Saturday and Sunday, which means we’ve altered the times for our standing features and items.…

Heavy Rain’s Special Edition Short On Wet Tank Tops

Heavy Rain’s Europe-only Special Edition, first announced last month, has now been shown off by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. It comes in a fancy gatefold cover, treated to make the textured raindrops appear “real”, includes a promo code for the game’s DLC, some cute (and bloody) little origami and a big fold-out covered in notes,…

Do You Want To Game In 3D?

Here’s how it works: We ask a question, you answer it. Simple and no strings attached! This isn’t some marketing survey or whatever. It’s an emotional investment in you. Yes, we’re interested in knowing you, Kotaku reader person. You probably know oodles about us – more than you even want to, we’re sure. But, hey,…

By 2011, You Will Be Sick Of Nolan North

Don’t know who Nolan North is? Play Uncharted. Or Prince of Persia. Or Halo Wars, Lost Planet, or Assassin’s Creed. He’s without a doubt the most recognisable voice actor in video games today, and in 2010, he will be busy. In an interview with Gamepro, North says 2010 “is gonna be a busy year”, with…