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A Conversation with a Game? Devs Seek to Break the Ice
Language recognition is not a new concept to video games – the first text adventures had to understand commands somehow. But researchers are trying to integrate it in more open-ended ways – allowing for dynamic conversations between players and characters. BBC Radio profiled the efforts, lately highlighted in the game 221B, a movie adaptation of…
By Owen Good Published December 26, 2009 - Uncategorized
For the Goomba, What’s Their Motivation, Again?
Boss battles are critically important to most video game genres, providing climactic story points as well as the kind of challenge for which the game was bought in the first place. But what about the minor foes of a game? The personal blog 2-Bit Wasteland takes a sometimes irreverent, sometimes idealized look at the grunts…
By Owen Good Published December 26, 2009 - Uncategorized
The Sports Video Games of the Year
In naming the best video games of the year, the sports genre is often left to fight over a single award. And as I’ve discussed before, one probably isn’t winning an overall game-of-the-year anytime soon. Realizing that sports games don’t usually contend outside of their classification, Stick Jockey’s named an honor roll of nine awards…
By Owen Good Published December 26, 2009 - Uncategorized
Kotaku Originals: Boxing Day
That’s what they call the day after Christmas in more civilized parts of the world. In my household, we call it “Distended Saturday.” And while you’re still digesting yesterday’s feast, here’s a recap of our buffet of original reporting. Small housekeeping note, in observance of the holiday, the weekend report will be shortened to posts…
By Owen Good Published December 26, 2009 - Uncategorized
Prince of Persia: The Movie: The LEGO Playsets
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is getting more than just a big budget film adaptation next year. It’s also getting a LEGO brick adaptation of that very same movie. You know what that means? Chesty Jake LEGO! According to the LEGO obsessed crew at Brickset, there will be at least five set pieces…
By Michael McWhertor Published December 25, 2009 -
UncategorizedA Modest Proposal For Holiday YouTube Videos
Every year, I always end up seeing this home video on YouTube as everybody gets into the holiday spirit. I’m sick of it. I want to nominate another video clip in its stead. Now obviously, you’re not going to get the exact same reaction from another pair of fresh-faced youngsters opening up their first major…
By AJ Glasser Published December 25, 2009 - Uncategorized
What a Day, What a Year
Christmas is a big production, but they don’t roll credits at the end of it. Still, with the home a wasteland of gift wrap and packaging, and the light slowly receding outside, it’s a good moment to reflect on 2009. This past week Kotaku recapped the year that was in video games, on subjects both…
By Owen Good Published December 25, 2009 - Uncategorized
Kotaku Contest Reminder: Zelda Fans Can Win Big, Save Christmas
Are you a Zelda fan living in North or South America who hasn’t entered our Biggest Zelda Fan contest yet? We made it tough, because the prizes are grand: $1000, a signed DS, Zelda games. Deadline Dec. 31. Details here.
By Stephen Totilo Published December 25, 2009 - Uncategorized
2009 In Review: The Trailers
They’re at the forefront of marketing, rarely show gameplay and have been hopelessly corrupted by “developer diaries”, but that’s not to say we hate trailers. We like trailers. There are even some that we love. Whether indicative of a game or just the “feel” or “tone” of one still in development, the humble game trailer…
By Luke Plunkett Published December 25, 2009 - Uncategorized
Southpeak Games Wishes You A Charmingly Awkward Christmas
The gang from Southpeak Games wishes you and yours a happy holidays and a something 2010, showcasing one of the most adorably goofy groups of game industry professionals ever assembled, except for that one guy. Man, that one guy. He’s just not in the holiday spirit at all. I’m not going to single out which…
By Mike Fahey Published December 25, 2009 - Uncategorized
The Christmas (And Holiday) Cards We Got
Out of the goodness of their hearts and the possible desire to remind us of their biggest and best brands, gaming companies of the world (and, I think, one regular reader) sent Kotaku the following batch of holiday cards. Click thumbnails to enlarge. These are the fronts of the cards, most of which were physically…
By Stephen Totilo Published December 25, 2009 - Uncategorized
What Games Did You Get For Christmas Today, For Better Or Worse?
You asked for Uncharted 2 but grandma got you .hack? Did you receive that prestige edition of Modern Warfare 2 you asked for? Is your Christmas console broken already? Celebrate or vent about your gaming Christmas gifts right here. We know the hurt you’re feeling now… or the joy. Let it out in the comments…
By Stephen Totilo Published December 25, 2009 -
UncategorizedLeft 4 Dead 2’s Midnight Riders Wish You Warm Christmas Beatings
They may not be getting a starring role in Left 4 Dead 2 downloadable content as we’d hoped, but the self-proclaimed Greatest Southern Rock Supergroup of All Time is providing more musical back up than we were expecting. The Midnight Riders—or their management, we presume, since the band has been missing in action since October—have…
By Michael McWhertor Published December 24, 2009 - Uncategorized
Big Final Fantasy XIII Sales Mean Big PS3 Sales In Japan
When you’re selling over 1.5 million copies of Final Fantasy XIII to the Japanese game buying public, you’re gonna sell some PlayStation 3s to go along with it. How many? More than triple what Sony sold the week before. That big red slice in the Japanese hardware pie represents the 237,000-plus PS3s snapped up by…
By Michael McWhertor Published December 24, 2009 - Uncategorized
What Are You Playing This Holiday Weekend?
As I mentioned last weekend, my gaming options are limited to one platform—the Nintendo DS—and two games—The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks and Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes. And so it goes this weekend… I may get my hands on a few Wii games during Christmas break, but nothing I’m planning on playing for…
By Michael McWhertor Published December 24, 2009 - Uncategorized
Here’s Nintendo’s Enviro-Friendly Game Case [Update]
The TIE Fighter-Wing looking “green” game cases have been out for Xbox 360 since most November releases. Go Nintendo has an image of what they’ll look like for Wii games, beginning with Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers. As you can see, it keeps the octagonal hexagonal circular hub-and-spoke design on the right side,…
By Owen Good Published December 24, 2009 - Uncategorized
Stolen 360 Helps Cops Bag Prolific Bronx Burglar
Jeremiah Gilliam’s streak of 200-plus larcenies and burglaries came to an end when the criminal mastermind plugged in a jacked Xbox Live, leading the cops directly to his door. Police got a search warrant for Gilliam’s home in the Bronx based off tracing info gathered by Microsoft and Gilliam’s ISP. Seems he snatched an Xbox…
By Owen Good Published December 24, 2009 - Uncategorized
Two Big Outlets List FIFA World Cup Edition for April
EA Sports has not yet announced a date for its 2010 FIFA World Cup version, but both Amazon and Gamefly have it listed for April 27. World Cup 2010 begins June 11 in South Africa. EA has produced a dedicated version in every World Cup year going back to 1998; Pasta Padre notes the most…
By Owen Good Published December 24, 2009