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Report: The Most Pirated Games Of 2009
Sales figures can be an impressive thing, but so too can the figures showing how many times a game has been pirated. OK, maybe not “impressive”. “Disappointing” might be a more suitable term. Actually, looking at the sheer scale of numbers on display here, change that to “very disappointing”. TorrentFreak have hit up all the…
By Luke Plunkett Published December 28, 2009 - Uncategorized
What Exactly is Konami’s “Piece Walker” Site Getting At?
This site is not the Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker portal. This site is. So what exactly is Konami touting with this picture of sneaky Snake equipping a box. What’s going on? Beats me, What, you thought I was gonna tell you on the jump? Siliconera noticed the “Piece Walker” portal, but has no clue,…
By Owen Good Published December 28, 2009 - Uncategorized
In-Flight Electronics Rules Eased After Two-Day Crackdown
The Associated Press is reporting that increased security measures on international flights inbound to the United States have been eased. The government has not publicly announced any changes, but the AP’s report cites unnamed airline officials “familiar with the matter.” The tightened restrictions had meant passengers had to remain in their seats for the final…
By Owen Good Published December 28, 2009 - Uncategorized
Two New Mass Effect 2 Trailers: Assassin and Savage
Mass Effect 2 trailers! (*fires shotgun*) Mass Effect 2 trailers here! (*fires shotgun*) Get your Mass Effect 2 trailers! Who’s ready? (*fires shotgun*) Mass Effect 2 trailers! Meet your new teammates: Thane, the assassin, and Grunt, the Krogan, uh, savage, in these two videos released today. Mass Effect 2 is out in less than 30…
By Owen Good Published December 28, 2009 - Uncategorized
Rumor: EA Sports’ New Title is a Wii Football Trainer
Earlier this month, EA Canada’s community manager tweeted that the company would announce a new sports title in January. Rumor now has it the game is an (American) football-based trainer with NFL branding. Destructoid, citing unnamed sources, says the game is “NFL Trainer” and will put players through football-inspired workouts and drills. There’s talk it…
By Owen Good Published December 28, 2009 - Uncategorized
Which NES Classic is Truest to Fighting Style: Kung Fu, or Karate Champ?
A third-degree black belt in American Karate, with experience in five other martial arts, assessed the NES’ Kung Fu and Karate Champ to determine which 2D 8-bit game most accurately presents its eponymous fighting style. Multiplayergames got the real-life karate master, John, to look at the titles – both ports of Data East classics that…
By Owen Good Published December 28, 2009 - Uncategorized
Get Fallout 3 Game Add-Ons For 400 Microsoft Points [UPDATE]
All five Fallout 3 game add-ons (Mothership Zeta, Point Lookout, Broken Steel, The Pitt and Operation Anchorage) are only 400 Microsoft Points on Xbox Live today. So, if you’ve been holding out on even one of the add-ons because 800 Points is too high a price, today you officially don’t have any excuses. Tomorrow, you…
By AJ Glasser Published December 28, 2009 - Uncategorized
Tabloid’s Most Outrageous Claim Ever: Wii Boxing is “Dangerously Lifelike”
Hey, you know what makes a domestic violence arrest funny and lighthearted? Wii Boxing. At least according to one supermarket tabloid’s interpretation of what went down between Charlie Sheen and Brooke Mueller. This just in from the Weekly World News – a Tooth Fairy gazette that straight-faced writes about stuff like Bat Boy and alien…
By Owen Good Published December 28, 2009 - Uncategorized
Batman Comic Book Writer Advocates More Video Game Violence?
Landry Walker, writer on comic book Batman: The Brave and The Bold, recently played Batman: Arkham Asylum and did not like what he saw. In his own words, “Batman doesn’t get shot. He doesn’t get shot, because he’s Batman.” As a comic book writer with the name Batman in his bibliography, Walker says he has…
By AJ Glasser Published December 28, 2009 - Uncategorized
Not Exactly a Quote That Inspires Hope for Retail Season
The New York Times took a first look at holiday sales and, while finding that it didn’t suck as bad as last year for retailers, found someone to remind us that stores aren’t the only ones deserving of concern. “This is not the year for silly stuff,” said Keith Browning, 50 of Columbus, Ohio. He…
By Owen Good Published December 28, 2009 - Uncategorized
Study: Female Everquest II Players Still Logging More Hours, Still Not Honest About It
Men may be the more stereotyped hardcore gaming gender, but a study of Everquest II players published in the Journal of Communication says that women regularly out-MMO men—but that women aren’t as honest about the hours logged gaming. Those findings back up a study from the University of Southern California published last year, which said…
By Michael McWhertor Published December 28, 2009 -
UncategorizedAssassin’s Creed Fan Film Shows You How Altair Lost His Finger
High quality fan films can enrich video game lore as much as yaoi fanfiction damages it by filling plot holes and visualizing pieces of the game’s back story we only hear about in passing. Take for example the loss of Altair’s ring finger on his hidden-knife-hand. From playing Assassin’s Creed, we know he lost it…
By AJ Glasser Published December 28, 2009 - Uncategorized
Xbox Live’s Major Nelson Takes Your Calls During This Week’s Podcast
Microsoft’s Xbox Live director of programming, Major Nelson, will be our guest host on the Kotaku call-in podcast this week, filling in for … me. The good Major joins Crecente live, Wednesday, ready to field your live calls. Major Nelson will talk about anything Live-related that you can dream of. Such as: Why is there…
By Stephen Totilo Published December 28, 2009 - Uncategorized
Pac-Man Bracelet Goes Waka Waka On Your Wrist
This hand drawn, handmade bracelet features Pac-Man and Ghosts in a never ending circle. It was drawn as a vector image and then screened onto acetate and layered into durable clear resin. Neato! pac-man bracelet chomps its way around your wrist on [Technabob]
By Brian Ashcraft Published December 28, 2009 - Uncategorized
Oh Yeah, That Other Final Fantasy Release
It may not look, sound, or play quite as good as its numbered big brother, but the recently released Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers does have one advantage over Final Fantasy XIII – I can understand it. I’ve played around 10 hours of Final Fantasy XIII now with zero-Japanese comprehension skills, and it’s…
By Mike Fahey Published December 28, 2009 - Uncategorized
Report: Sony Working On Multi-Core Design For PS4
Just because Sony said that the PS3 would have a ten year life span, that doesn’t mean the company isn’t apparently moving forward with the PlayStation 4. According to insider info (along with some speculation!), Japanese website PC Watch is reporting that Sony is looking to alternatives to the PS3’s Cell architecture, which some developers…
By Brian Ashcraft Published December 28, 2009 - Uncategorized
Talk Amongst Yourselves
Little known fact: Crecente was once a fencer – and not of stolen goods. At least I think he was; he spoke of it often back in our Denver days. He could have been bluffing against my rapier-like wit. Confused about commenting on Kotaku? Read our FAQ.
By Owen Good Published December 28, 2009 - Uncategorized
Can The West Cosplay With The Best Of Them?
There is a stereotype — an unfair stereotype — that Westerners cannot cosplay. “A Japanese friend of mine told me very casually, in a totally matter-of-fact kind of way, that the difference between Japanese and American cosplay is as clear as moeru and naeru,” says Patrick Galbraith, author of The Otaku Encyclopedia, University of Tokyo…
By Brian Ashcraft Published December 28, 2009