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Rumor: Big Layoffs At Heavy Iron Studios [Update]
We’ve learned over the weekend that most of the employees at Heavy Iron – a former THQ subsidiary that’s best-known for its movie tie-in games – may be spending the holiday season looking for a new job. Sources have told Kotaku that around 60-70% of the studio’s staff are to be laid off this week,…
By Luke Plunkett Published December 21, 2009 - Uncategorized
BioWare On The Decline Of The JRPG
Final Fantasy aside, Japanese role-playing games simply don’t command the respect (or sales) they once did in the West. You may have an opinion on this! That’s great. So do BioWare. With Mass Effect and Dragon Age both leading the way as far as Western RPGs are concerned, they’re a company well-placed to know what’s…
By Luke Plunkett Published December 21, 2009 - Uncategorized
Castlevania Soundtrack Whips In At 19 Discs
It’s too late for Christmas 2009, but that special Castlevania fan in your life may appreciate it for Christmas 2010. “It” being a Castlevania series soundtrack collection coming in at a crazy 19 discs. Going on sale next March, the box set will retail for ¥21,000. Which in US dollars is $232. That’s a lot,…
By Luke Plunkett Published December 21, 2009 - Uncategorized
Heavy Rain “Not A Video Game Anymore” In Creator’s Mind
While there are some who believe Heavy Rain creator David Cage is a gifted man, others think he (and his games) are a little too full of themselves. Both types will probably find these comments of interest, then. “Heavy Rain is not a video game anymore in my mind because it breaks with most of…
By Luke Plunkett Published December 21, 2009 - Uncategorized
Blizzard Will “Definitely” Make Another Console Game
It’s been nine years since a Blizzard game appeared on a console. But don’t worry! That doesn’t mean the world’s richest developers have given up taking way too long to develop games for those under-TV family game box machine things. “…we’re a company of gamers”, Blizzard’s J. Allen Brack told Gamasutra last week. “I have…
By Luke Plunkett Published December 21, 2009 - Uncategorized
2010: The Year Of Better PSP Games?
How can it not be? A new Metal Gear Solid, a new Kingdom Hearts, a new Valkyria Chronicles, maybe even that new Resident Evil with be released, all tailor made for the PlayStation Portable are due next year. Granted, many of the highlights of 2010 are either remakes, spin-offs or tinier versions of their higher-definition…
By Michael McWhertor Published December 20, 2009 - Uncategorized
Christmas Cards
To: Luke From: Owen Re: Day Note Puzzle Fun Counting Challenge This is the time of year for holiday cards and, in our business, for showcasing the ones sent out by major publishers and studios, and bragging about which ones you’ve received. They’re very flattering, but few could be as flattering as that virtual card…
By Owen Good Published December 20, 2009 - Uncategorized
2010: Looking Back on Kotaku’s Look Ahead
We’re 10 days from New Year’s but tomorrow is the winter solstice, starting us on another trip around the sun. And a new year that will be full of its own controversies, challenges, triumphs, disappointments and delights in video gaming. This past week Kotaku put a comprehensive look into its crystal ball, breaking down what’s…
By Owen Good Published December 20, 2009 - Uncategorized
Free-to-Play Football “RPG” Gets Update
Quick Hit Football, the free-to-play online American football strategy game, counts a million games played since its public release two months ago and says it will put out an update early this week that enhances gameplay and playcalling. An alternative, albeit one not fully licensed, to console football games like Madden, Quick Hit focuses on…
By Owen Good Published December 20, 2009 - Uncategorized
New Year’s Theme is Free on Xbox Live
Xbox Live Marketplace has been running Deal of the Day promotions since Friday; today’s is completely free. Pick up a New Year’s Theme for the rock bottom price of zero Microsoft points. There it is, pictured above. The free offer is good through the end of today, but I believe that clocks in at Pacific…
By Owen Good Published December 20, 2009 - Uncategorized
The Non-Adventure Adventure Game
Dutch game designer Kenney Vleugels realizes how prosaic life can be sometimes. Not that a flash game about watching a DVD turns that into an epic happening. But it is more interactive than reading someone tweet about it. Vleugels, designer of 16 flash games, has put together “Kenney’s Bite-Sized Non-Adventures” (above). Part 1 is “Watch…
By Owen Good Published December 20, 2009 - Uncategorized
Out Outs the ‘Gayest’ Video Games
Out.com, the online presence of the gay lifestyle magazine Out, has selected its “Gayest Video Games.” This is like pouring jet fuel on a thermite-and-napalm salad, but these are games that trip their gaydar, not ones straight people call “gay.” “Super Mario Bros.: Cleaning pipes and taking names,” goes the first entry. We can see…
By Owen Good Published December 20, 2009 - Uncategorized
Week in Games: Everybody Wants Some
The Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles saga continues with the Crystal Bearers, which makes its North American release the day after Christmas. Other highlights include Guitar Hero: Van Halen, for those who didn’t buy Guitar Hero 5 back in September. Another interesting release is 0-Day Attack on Earth, a downloadable title Square Enix is releasing to…
By Owen Good Published December 20, 2009 - Uncategorized
Kotaku’s Top 5 List of Top 10 Lists
Each week throws off several new video game lists ranging from the humorous to the trivial. What’s better? A list of those. Here’s a roundup of the rundowns out there. •Fifteen Games that Defined the PlayStation Brand [Joystick Division] On the 15th birthday of the original PlayStation, Joystick Division looks at 15 games that helped…
By Owen Good Published December 20, 2009 - Uncategorized
Rumor: Four More Characters Coming to SSFIV [Updated]
Street Fighter enthusiasts began immediately picking through Famitsu’s live streaming demo of Super Street Fighter IV last week, and one site believes it’s found a bombshell: Four additional, unnanounced characters will be coming to the game. Update: But it is and it isn’t. Way back in September, a longtime Shoryuken forums contributor posted the names…
By Owen Good Published December 20, 2009 - Uncategorized
Uncharted 2 Art, Straight from the Artists Themselves
With Uncharted 2 out and scarfing up a bathtub of major awards, especially for visuals, the games’ creators are showing us how it was built. Several Naughty Dog artists have posted a ton of art in this thread. Richard Diamant, ND’s lead character artist, was joined by Darcy Korch, Bryan Wynia, Nichol Norman, Behrooz Roozbeh…
By Owen Good Published December 20, 2009 - Uncategorized
The Advent Calendar of Indie Games
Little doors and fun-sized prizes aren’t just for the kitchen wall. The Indie Games Advent Calendar reveals a new game each day counting down to Christmas. It’s a neat way to see what’s out there and support indie devs. We’ve featured Advent calendars as a gaming theme before, but this one appears new. Started by…
By Owen Good Published December 20, 2009 - Uncategorized
Sony Piques ‘Qriocity’ by Registering that Trademark
This always happens in threes. Yesterday we saw the magic words tipping off Nintendo and Microsoft’s next projects. Today brings word that Sony’s having fun with high-scoring Scrabble consonants again, registering “Qriocity” not for a game – but a network. From the company that brought you “Qore” and “Xross Media Bar,” that one is pronounced…
By Owen Good Published December 20, 2009 - Culture
Sunday Comics
Penny Arcade published Dec. 16 PvPonline published Dec. 18 ActionTrip published Dec. 14 Digital Unrest published Dec. 12 EXTRALIFE published Dec. 17 2P Start! published Dec. 16 GU Comics published Dec. 11 Dotgif published Dec. 14 Dueling Analogs published Dec. 14 Nerf NOW published Dec. 16 Rooster Teeth published Dec. 15 Monday Night Crew published…
By Owen Good Published December 20, 2009