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First StarCraft II Single Player Campaign Hands-On (Now Spoiler-Free!)
Blizzard offered a day-long hands-on demo of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, the first chapter in the StarCraft II trilogy. We played about a third of the game and we’d like to tell you about it—minus the spoilers. While there wasn’t much in the way of massive story revelations in what we played—we were just…
By Michael McWhertor Published August 17, 2009 - Uncategorized
StarCraft II: The Unit Upgrades That Make Single-player Shine
While StarCraft II multiplayer may be the long-term draw of Blizzard’s highly anticipated real-time strategy sequel, the game’s single-player campaign is also packed with depth and replayability. That’s due, in part, to the game’s technology upgrade system. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty’s campaign mode features units and buildings that players won’t be able to use…
By Michael McWhertor Published August 17, 2009 - Uncategorized
One-Inch Xbox Is, Yes, Slim
While the world waits impatiently for a PS3 Slim, this modder has gone ahead (well…backwards) and created an Xbox that’s even slimmer. The guy’s name is Bandit5317, and his Xbox is one-inch wide, losing the clunky disc drive and replacing it with a 320GB HDD. It’s like the Xbox of the past and the Xbox…
By Luke Plunkett Published August 17, 2009 - Uncategorized
I Need a Couch
To: Luke From: Owen Re: I Should Probably Start Packing When I moved in to my new apartment, I knew there was no way my old couch was fitting through the door. And I was right. The frame must have been three inches narrower than its shortest axis. I kept the damned thing in the…
By Owen Good Published August 16, 2009 - Uncategorized
Afternoon Tea Now Includes Space Invaders
In an inverse Coors-Blue-Mountains way, this tea vessel shows blue pixelated Space Invaders when the contents are, of course, the hottest-tasting beer tea in the world. Yeah, yeah, taste isn’t a temperature. That’s been discussed before. Still, this tea service design won some damned tea-off for 2009, and should class up your joint if you…
By Owen Good Published August 16, 2009 - Uncategorized
Play Spot-the-Difference in Current-Gen Madden
A lot of the year-to-year “advances” in Madden are about as subtle as noticing the change in typefaces in the white pages. “Real-time natural grass growth physics.” “Crowd boos its own mascot.” “Authentic third-quarter beer cutoff.” You get the drill. Here’s a 10-question quiz testing your knowledge of all the changes in the Madden NFL…
By Owen Good Published August 16, 2009 - Uncategorized
Kiosk Chain Offering $2 Game Rentals
RedBox, the DVD rental kiosk company largely doing business in western U.S. supermarkets and McDonald’s locations, has begun offering $2-a-night game rentals at its locations, with Reno, Nevada as a test market. The kiosks will cover the major consoles (PS3, PS2, Wii and 360) and the $2 per night doesn’t blow the doors off Blockbuster’s…
By Owen Good Published August 16, 2009 - Uncategorized
EA Sports MMA Grabs Randy Couture
Randy Couture, one of the most popular mixed martial arts fighters ever, helping bring it into the sporting mainstream, will be the second fighter headlining EA Sports MMA, the series announced Friday. Couture (pictured with EA Sports boss Peter Moore above) joins Fedor Emelianenko, announced earlier as a headline athlete. Other named fighters include Gegard…
By Owen Good Published August 16, 2009 - Uncategorized
StarCraft II LAN Petition Hits 100K
The petition to get offline network play added back in to Starcraft II has hit 100,000 signatures. Doesn’t mean Blizzard will shift away from funneling everyone into Battle.Net. But six figures is a credible number. In late June, Blizzard defended the removal of LAN support – and thus the end of the LAN party for…
By Owen Good Published August 16, 2009 - Uncategorized
PS3 Slimpocalypse Advances into Sweden
The PS3 Slimpocalypse continues to play out like an establishing sequence from V: The Final Battle or something. “The world trembles at rumors retailers are told to clear off stock. Sightings are reported in the U.K., Germany, and now Sweden.” That Video Game Blog notes that the PS3 Slim has shown up on Swedish online…
By Owen Good Published August 16, 2009 - Uncategorized
Week in Games: It’s Wolf-en-STEEN
No it’s not, I just like quoting Gene Wilder. Wolfenstein goes to bat this week on PC, PS3 and 360, with the challenge that if it outsells Madden this month, any who buy it in August get their money back. Otherwise, Shadow Complex is the only title that grabs my attention. Much of the rest…
By Owen Good Published August 16, 2009 - Uncategorized
Free Madden if You’re a Chargers Fan, or Can Fake It
EA sent me two copies of Madden NFL 10 by mistake. So I’m giving the second away, but I want to be sure it goes to a San Diego Chargers fan. Or at least someone who knows NFL history. Update: The contest is now closed, and a winner has been chosen from the more than…
By Owen Good Published August 16, 2009 - Uncategorized
Artist Double-Times It for Modern Warfare 2 Cover
Modern Warfare 2 fans should dig this rather cool speed-painting of the game’s cover art that, coincidentally, finishes up right at the end of the music. (Because I’m a soundtrack whore, it’s "Now We Are Free" from Gladiator.) OK, no one said this was real time. Someone painting that fast should be a busker on…
By Owen Good Published August 16, 2009 - Uncategorized
Eidos Prez: Rocksteady is Not Doing Hitman 5
A British actor listing voice and mo-cap work for Hitman 5 through U.K. dev Rocksteady sent around the buzz that series developer IO Interactive might be off the case. Not so, says Eidos chief Ian Livingstone. Prey’s World Gaming Magazine spoke to Livingstone at the Edinburgh Interactive Festival, and he shot down the rumor. This…
By Owen Good Published August 16, 2009 - Uncategorized
The Best Buzz a Gamer Can Get, And How To Get More Of It
Paul Wedgwood, fervent gamer turned bold game designer, believes he has identified the greatest experience a player can have in a video game. And he’s determined to make it possible for us all to experience it. Wedgwood’s means to this end is Brink, the squad-based shooter he showed to attendees during a stage demo at…
By Stephen Totilo Published August 16, 2009 - Uncategorized
Sony Files Patent for PS3 Laughter Detection
Sony Computer Entertainment America filed a patent a couple months back, for a system using coffee mugs to play a video game. Now they’ve filed one to make your laughter into a controller. I direct you to figure 17: “Ha Ha Ha.” This is part of the metadata set going into the PS3, through a…
By Owen Good Published August 16, 2009 - Uncategorized
That’s One Way to Honor Grandma
As seen at F*ck Yeah, Tattoos!, which has an explanation.
By Owen Good Published August 16, 2009 - Uncategorized
Vick’s Madden Ratings: Worse, but Still Dangerous
As we reported Friday, EA Sports will add Michael Vick to its Madden NFL 10 roster on Aug. 19, pending league approval. ESPN got a hold of Vick’s game attributes, and as expected, he’s off his Madden 08 form. ESPN, without citing its source, reports that Vick has dropped to a 73 rated quarterback overall,…
By Owen Good Published August 16, 2009 - Culture
Sunday Comics
Penny Arcade published Aug. 14 PvPonline published Aug. 14 ActionTrip published Aug. 10 Digital Unrest published Aug. 10 DotGif published Aug. 10 Little Gamers published Aug. 12 EXTRALIFE published Aug. 14 GU Comics published Aug. 13 Awkward Zombie published Aug. 10 VG Cats published week of Aug. 10 2P Start published Aug. 12 Nerf NOW…
By Owen Good Published August 16, 2009 - Uncategorized
Weekend Talk Amongst Yourselves
Right now, you’ve got two options: Face the Nation, or Talk Amongst Yourselves. If you’re bad in front of large crowds, the former doesn’t sound too good. Join us in Kotaku’s official open thread. Confused about commenting on Kotaku? Read our FAQ.
By Owen Good Published August 16, 2009