- Uncategorized
Sleuths Dig Up Microtransaction Language in Old Republic TOS
The terms of service agreement for Star Wars: The Old Republic, included in its recently announced Game Testing program, mention both “points” and a “game store,” possibly tipping off plans for microtransactions. According to DarthHater, the terms (above) state :• You acknowledge and agree that all points acquired during the Game Program are non-refundable and…
By Owen Good Published October 1, 2009 - Uncategorized
Approval Ratings: No Motivation for Motion Control
This past weekend’s Approval Ratings sought to measure your attitude toward the PSPgo, which launched this week, and also motion control systems, which have been much in the news lately. You’re not going for either in strong numbers. 1. Sony’s PSPgo has been the subject of much criticism prior to its release. Which criticism do…
By Owen Good Published October 1, 2009 - Uncategorized
Japan Console War Sees PS3 Sales Slim, Wii Sales Bottom Out
This week’s Media Create hardware sales numbers are in, with the Nintendo DSi retaining its top spot on the charts, thanks to continued software sales of Tomodachi Collection and the latest Pokemon re-releases. Less stellar were this week’s Wii sales, which sunk to below 12,000 units for the week ending September 27. The dip in…
By Michael McWhertor Published October 1, 2009 - Uncategorized
Touch Pets: Dogs Impressions: Sounds A Lot Dirtier Than It Feels
I’m no stranger to pet sims, but I’m not sure if I get the point of them. It’s a virtual pet that has the ability to guilt you if you neglect it. Touch Pets: Dogs for the iPhone is no exception, though it does add a few more features. Players adopt a virtual dog and…
By AJ Glasser Published October 1, 2009 - Uncategorized
Banhammered PSNer Gets Bangaveled by Judge
Remember that clown who sued Sony because they banned him from PlayStation Network? Some B.S. about it abridging his First Amendment rights? Yeah, a federal judged tossed that suit in a hot minute. Earlier this year, Erik Estavillo got thumbed for being a turd while playing Resistance: Fall of Man. So he sued Sony, alleging…
By Owen Good Published October 1, 2009 - Uncategorized
Eliminate Preview: Transitive Verbs Are Cooler Than Nouns
I’ve got to stop checking out iPhone games – they’ll fill me so full of envy, I might explode. Ngmoco’s Eliminate is the latest shade of green to go on my iPhone envy mask. A multiplayer-centric first-person shooter on any other console might fly right under my radar. But this is on the iPhone, which…
By AJ Glasser Published October 1, 2009 - Uncategorized
Does New Super Mario Bros. Wii Really Play The Game For You?
Nintendo’s hand-holding feature for New Super Mario Bros. Wii, dubbed “demo play,” may not be as forgiving as we’d originally thought. One official description of the helpful option throttles back the level-clearing capabilities of demo play. The Nintendo of Europe product page for New Super Mario Bros. Wii, spotted by Siliconera, says the “dynamic help…
By Michael McWhertor Published October 1, 2009 -
UncategorizedBayonetta’s Live Action Model Looks About Right
If you’d like to recreate my Bayonetta hands-on experience from Tokyo Game Show, watch this Japanese commercial for the PlatinumGames-developed title about 50 times in a row at high volume. Then play the demo. Fortunately, whoever Sega hired to play Bayonetta does a very good Bayonetta. Maybe even better than the fake thing and certainly…
By Michael McWhertor Published October 1, 2009 - Uncategorized
Orthopedic Surgery… For My Dog to Poop On
To: Ash From: Crecente Re: Look What Luke Is Wearing To His Wedding Today Littlefoot went into the vet to have orthopedic surgery on one of his back legs. Apparently, one of the bones in his leg keeps popping out of its joint. They’re going to go in and attach something to the front of…
By Brian Crecente Published October 1, 2009 - Uncategorized
Offending PlayStation 3 Ads Aren’t PlayStation 3 Ads
Man. Remember those PlayStation 3 print ads created by Chilean design agency BBDO Chile? Remember how questionable they were, somewhere between tasteless and bewildering? Well, turns out they weren’t actually PlayStation 3 ads, according to Sony. Sony Computer Entertainment America says the pair of Chilean promos were “totally fake.” And so does the president of…
By Michael McWhertor Published October 1, 2009 - Uncategorized
Old News ’03: UMD Is The Way To Go
There’s no room for you in the PSPgo, UMD. But, yes, Sony used to say you were awesome. That started six years ago. You are reading Kotaku’s once-weekly (sort of) journey back to yesteryear. This week, I wanted to commemorate the launch of the PSPgo with a look at the piece of technology not being…
By Stephen Totilo Published October 1, 2009 - Uncategorized
Matt Hazard Rearms With Blood Bath and Beyond
Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard wasn’t so great. But at least it was conceptually interesting. And, at the very least, the Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network bound Matt Hazard: Blood Bath and Beyond has a great title. D3Publisher’s side-scrolling follow up to the Matt Hazard franchise, fictionally some two decades old, will…
By Michael McWhertor Published October 1, 2009 - Uncategorized
Classy Furniture For Gamers, For $1000 And Up
Way back in early September during the Penny Arcade Expo, Kotaku alumnus Adam Barenblat and I met Robert Gifford, a man who thinks gamers of all kinds deserve to have nice gaming furniture. Stuff not to be embarrassed of. For more on Gifford’s products, check out the Geek Chic website. As you can hear in…
By Stephen Totilo Published October 1, 2009 - Uncategorized
Valve Ponies Up Cash For Oz Visit, Child’s Play Gets Paid
Valve big cheese Gabe Newell is taking a trip down under to visit a lucky Left 4 Dead modder named Joe W-A, the enterprising fan who raised over $3,000 to get some face time with the man. That you may already know. But Newell’s not taking the ticket. Instead, Valve will be footing the bill…
By Michael McWhertor Published October 1, 2009 - Uncategorized
How To Rock In Brutal Legend Multiplayer
We’ve seen so much about Brutal Legend’s single player mode, but what about the multiplayer? This Xbox 360 tutorial walks you through the basics of rock combat. Honestly I’ve been so excited about getting my hands on the single-player game in Brutal Legend that I’ve not given multiplayer more than a passing though. Luckily for…
By Mike Fahey Published October 1, 2009 - Uncategorized
No Graphical Complaints From This Wii Developer [UPDATE]
Ryozo Tsujimoto told me he had no complaints about the horsepower of the Wii, when I interviewed him last week. He’s the producer on the game Capcom is marketing as “the most beautiful game on the Wii.” NOTE: The screenshot that originally appeared atop this post — which I’ve now moved to the bottom —…
By Stephen Totilo Published October 1, 2009 - Uncategorized
The Incredible Machine Incredibly Returns
The grandfather of the physics-based puzzle genre has come home to roost, as co-creator Jeff Tunnell regains the rights to The Incredible Machine, repackaging and re-releasing the classic series on GoG.com. Designed and coded by Kevin Ryan and produced by Jeff Tunnell, The Incredible Machine took PC gaming by storm in the early 90’s, winning…
By Mike Fahey Published October 1, 2009 - Uncategorized
40 Hours? 100 Hours? How A Game Developer Determines RPG Duration
One of the creators of White Knight Chronicles, the upcoming PlayStation 3 role-playing game, just wanted to know how long their game was. “So, that was the point of the question,” Yoshiaki Kusuda said through a translator, laughing. Not really. Level 5, the studio behind White Knight Chronicles, is an RPG juggernaut in Japan. They…
By Stephen Totilo Published October 1, 2009 - Uncategorized
The PSPgo Launch Guide: It’s a Go
Svelte, purely-digital and a wee-bit pricey, the PSPgo officially hit stores today. Whether you’re on the fence about whether to buy a PSPgo or are trying to decide how best to load your newly acquired system with games and peripherals, we’ve got you covered. Here for your quick perusal is a run down of everything…
By Brian Crecente Published October 1, 2009