- Uncategorized
Former QB: “Majority” of NCAA Players “Happy” to be in Video Game for Free
Last month a former Arizona State quarterback sued the NCAA and Electronic Arts for the uncompensated use of his likeness in EA’s NCAA football franchise. Another ex-QB says most have no problem with it. When at Michigan State, Drew Stanton researched how universities profit from the marketing of jerseys with active college players’ numerals on…
By Owen Good Published June 7, 2009 - Uncategorized
Hong Kong PSN Battles Swine Flu with DLC
Linking the PlayStation Store to current events or causes isn’t new; SCEA donated $10,000 to Earth Day in a video store promotion. But Sony Hong Kong’s leveraging of swine flu is a bit dubious. TAWKN found this PlayStation Store promo, only in Hong Kong, that definitely plays on the fact some people there are tripping…
By Owen Good Published June 7, 2009 - Uncategorized
iPhone Devs Create Games Seal of Quality
Five independent developers of games for the iPhone and iPod Touch have formed a collective brand, called App Treasures, which they hope will steer more business to indies as larger publishers move into the space. The seal, called App Treasures, will direct users who bought a game carrying the seal to other games listed under…
By Owen Good Published June 7, 2009 - Uncategorized
Big Surf Island Price, Achievements Leaked Early
A couple pages for Burnout Paradise: Big Surf Island went live early, giving up the game’s price and list of achievements and trophies. Tipsters who spotted the price page before it was removed said the game will cost $12.99 (€12.99 in Europe, £9.99 UK) on PlayStation Network and list for 1000 Microsoft Points on Xbox…
By Owen Good Published June 7, 2009 - Uncategorized
Watch Harmonix Jam on The Beatles Rock Band
On Monday night Microsoft packed the top floors of The Standard in downtown LA with their best games and a bunch of gamers. The entire thing was topped off with The Beatles Rock Band set up on a rooftop stage. I didn’t get a chance to play it, but here’s an excerpt of a bunch…
By Brian Crecente Published June 7, 2009 - Uncategorized
Halo Wars, 7th Guest Dev Lands Job at Apple
Ensemble Studios’ lead designer Graeme Devine has landed a mystery job at Apple’s iPhone group, the developer told Kotaku. Devine was the lead designer and lead writer on Halo Wars before Microsoft decided to shut Ensemble Studios down. Earlier this week Devine confirmed that he is working at Apple in the iPhone group. While he…
By Brian Crecente Published June 7, 2009 - Uncategorized
Weekend Talk Amongst Yourselves
Good mornin’, yawl. I know the L4D2 boycott got everyone’s piss hot, one way or the other, but there’s other subjects we can discuss, too. So, it’s your open thread, I just live in it. Confused about commenting on Kotaku? Read our FAQ.
By Owen Good Published June 7, 2009 - Uncategorized
‘Nine Games That Went Too Far’ Doesn’t Go Very Far Itself
Surprise, surprise. Of nine “games that went too far” named on a network news website, which is the only one gamers have actually, you know, played? Hint: It rhymes with “Schmand Schmeft Schmauto IV.” Here’s the list, truly representative of the worst of the worst that everyone is playing, compiled by ABC News in a…
By Owen Good Published June 6, 2009 - Uncategorized
NFL Retirees, Union Finally Settle Madden Licensing Lawsuit
Saying it wanted to patch things up with its increasingly embittered and estranged retirees, the NFL Players’ Association dropped its appeal of a multimillion-dollar judgment related to former players’ uncompensated appearance in EA’s Madden series. The NFLPA will agree to pay $24 million to the plaintiffs and drop its appeal of the $26 million judgment…
By Owen Good Published June 6, 2009 -
UncategorizedScribble Off the Keyboard Cat
This can-you-stump Scribblenauts game is getting even more absurd. Einstein? Got him. The Kraken? Of course. We were even told they put Crecente in but cut him at the last minute. Still, Keyboard Cat remains. Because this entire game is a nonsequitur, it needs an establishing sentence. In Scribblenauts (for the DS), you’re given a…
By Owen Good Published June 6, 2009 - Uncategorized
German Pols Push to Ban Development of Violent Games
Germany’s latest demagogue tantrum against “killerspiele” – violent video games – could be shrugged off as hot air, except for the fact it would ban even their development. So Germany-based Crytek would have to move. The interior ministers of Germany’s 16 states have unanimously asked the German legislature to ban outright the distribution, sale, and…
By Owen Good Published June 6, 2009 - Uncategorized
Hacked Ms. Pac-Man ROM Wins Hand in Marriage
There seems to be no end to the ways gamers propose to their brides. A North Carolina man successfully popped the Q with using a hacked Ms. Pac-Man ROM and a modded cocktail table cabinet. This came from Kotaku reader Daniel, who is friends with Chad H., a librarian at the U. of North Carolina.…
By Owen Good Published June 6, 2009 - Uncategorized
K5
TABLE OF CONTENTS May 2009 Aye, Robot The Three (Or More Or Less) Laws of Gaming AI by Luke Plunkett Mommy Dearest The Best and Worst Mothers in Video Games by A.J. Glasser A Fist Full Of Quarters The Last Of The Great Arcade Fighters by Brian Ashcraft War! Good God, Y’All! Making a Game…
By Brian Crecente Published June 6, 2009 - Uncategorized
Billy Mitchell Denies and Denounces Taunting Tweets
Some unsportsmanlike tweets attributed to Billy Mitchell are 100 percent fake, says the Donkey Kong world record holder. G4TV has reported that Mitchell, via Twitter, taunted rival Steve Wiebe after his unsuccessful attempts this past week to claim the Donkey Kong world mark that Mitchell holds. “The day after #Wiebe could not pull it off…
By Owen Good Published June 6, 2009 - Uncategorized
Tetris, 25 Years Later
Today marks the 25th Anniversary of Tetris, the classic puzzle game made by Alexey Pajitnov in Russia. This documentary explores the Tetris Effect and the history of the popular game, explaining how Henk Rogers discovered the game at a Las Vegas trade show and went on to license it from the Soviet government. The video…
By Brian Crecente Published June 6, 2009 - Uncategorized
L4D Sequel Met with Much More than Indifference
Whatever your view is of internet boycotts, Left 4 Dead might be the first critically acclaimed franchise whose announcement of a sequel was answered by nearly 10,000 fans pledging not to buy it. Since the game was unveiled June 1 at E3, a Steam group called L4D Boycott (NO-L4D2) has assembled 9,742 members as of…
By Owen Good Published June 6, 2009 - Uncategorized
Monday Means iPhone News, Confirmation of Apple’s Gaming Push
Don’t forget that Apple’s World Wide Developers Conference kicks off Monday. The press conference is sure to have at least some iPhone gaming news from the company. Earlier this week we reported on a rumor that Apple was gearing up for a much stronger gaming presence, hiring game in-house game developers, preparing their microtransactions-friendly firmware…
By Brian Crecente Published June 6, 2009 - Uncategorized
Miyamoto Laughs (Kinda) at Other Motion Control Projects
Considering both of Nintendo’s rivals announced motion-control projects, one wonders what Shigeru Miyamoto’s reaction would be. The BBC asked if Ninty was “in danger of getting left behind by the competition.” Laughter has no translation, but if Shiggy’s did, it might be “The f—k you talking about …?” Click to view Go up to 3:50…
By Owen Good Published June 6, 2009