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Can B-Movies Make an A-List Game?
Headstrong, developer of House of the Dead: Overkill, thinks they can. In this video, the creative staff discuss the game’s grindhouse style and how this won’t necessarily be a rail shooter. Of course, this isn’t the first M-rated game for the Wii. Seventeen titles have gotten it for “Blood and Gore” even. But it’s definitely…
By Owen Good Published January 31, 2009 - Uncategorized
THQ Axes a Hundred as it Fixates on Smart Phones
THQ fired 100 employees following a decision to shift its mobile game development to the smart phone platform only. Three studios are closing, in San Diego, the U.K. and Germany. VentureBeat’s Dean Takahashi reported the development yesterday. Previously THQ had made games for all kinds of phones. Now they’re focusing only on smart phones —…
By Owen Good Published January 31, 2009 - Uncategorized
Rumor: World of Goo Publisher Files for Bankruptcy Protection
GameDaily BIZ cites an unnamed industry source that Brighter Minds Media, publisher of the acclaimed World of Goo, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The move would allow the company to retain control over its operations while it reorganizes to pay its creditors. We searched the filings for U.S. District Court in the Southern…
By Owen Good Published January 31, 2009 - Uncategorized
Kotaku Originals: Broken Record
Not the good kind either, the roid-infused home run record kind. I mean the old-school “broken record” which repeats the same phrase until you lift the needle. In this case: Workers fired, business sucks. Here’s the roundup of Kotaku’s original reporting the last week: Umlauts: Köööööln!!! Third Prize is You’re Fired: Rumor: Need For Speed…
By Owen Good Published January 31, 2009 - Uncategorized
Penny Arcade Survey Offers A Terrifying Glimpse Into Gamer Demographics
For those who did not take part, last week Penny Arcade ran a survey on their site. Asking for details on the site’s readers. Since 38,000 people responded, we find the answers very interesting. I mean, 38,000 people? That’s a hell of a lot of people/internet gaming nerds. It’s a veritbale gaming census. So let’s…
By Luke Plunkett Published January 31, 2009 - Uncategorized
What’s Your Comfort Game?
Time for…drum roll please…Tell Us Dammit — no, make that TELL US DAMMIT. Here’s who it works: We ask a question, you answer it. Simple and no strings attached! This isn’t some marketing survey or whatever. It’s an emotional investment in you. Yes, we’re interested in knowing you, Kotaku reader person. You probably know fucktons…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 31, 2009 - Uncategorized
Lost TV Show Goes A Little Bit FPS, A Little Bit Rock N’ Roll
We’ve seen it in a sequence in Doom already, but that was a movie about an FPS, so it doesn’t count. This, though – an FPS sequence in the TV show Lost – counts. Counts for…something. What it is, exactly, we’re not sure. But hey, since there’s a very good chance the writers and creators…
By Luke Plunkett Published January 31, 2009 - Uncategorized
A Week In Comments
Ryu Ga Gotoku 3 Has Mandatory Install Comment by: phinehas Well, it was either the mandatory install or they cut off a finger. Midway Finds New Chairman In Booty Comment by: Modus_Operandi Nominated by: Spoony Bard So now Booty is synomous with Midway. People are going to have their hands full with Booty. But dont…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 31, 2009 - Uncategorized
Nintendo Has Some New Graphs To Help You Understand Its Success
Nintendo is doing well. The “$17 billion in sales last year” type of well, with more than $2 billion in profit. To help illustrate just how smashingly the company is doing, it generated some charts. Sure, the Negative Nellys out there are going to point out falling profits, but just look at those brightly colored…
By Michael McWhertor Published January 30, 2009 - Uncategorized
Kyoto Prefecture Still Using DS For English Instruction
Back in 2006, we brought word that middle and high school students in Kyoto Prefecture’s Yawata City were using the DS to study vocab. Now, in 2009, the front page of today’s Yomiuri Shimbun says… Elementary school students in Kyoto Prefecture’s Yawata City are using the Nintendo DS to study English starting this April. The…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 30, 2009 - Uncategorized
There Is A Fourth, Mysterious Need For Speed Game In Development
EA have hit the big, red reset button on the Need For Speed franchise. As we heard, three new games are coming. No, wait. Seems there are four new games coming. Blackbox – despite recent layoffs – still have the manpower and the time to work on not just NFS: World Online, but a “future…
By Luke Plunkett Published January 30, 2009 - Uncategorized
But Can You Spot The X-Blades Boxart Discrepancy?
Apparently the Xbox 360 and PS3 X-Blades box art are different? NSFW, even, someone somewhere said. We can’t tell, there’s got to be something. Please, please help us get to the bottom of this. We’d like to crack this case. Cheeky of us to ask, I know. X-Blades PS3 and X-Blades Xbox 360 [Ubisoft via…
By Brian Ashcraft Published January 30, 2009 - Uncategorized
Twenty Minutes With Batman: Arkham Asylum
The first twenty minutes of Batman: Arkham Asylum say a lot about the game: we’ve got the voice cast of the 90s cartoon, action-stealth gameplay and the writer that brought us episodes of Animaniacs and Lost. But if Paul Dini isn’t enough to convince you that this Batman game is on the level, there’s plenty…
By AJ Glasser Published January 30, 2009 - Uncategorized
Xbox Live Catches Super Bowl Fever
Super Bowl’s on this weekend. People are excited. Few as excited as Microsoft seem to be, as they’ve just announced that, all day Sunday, Xbox Live will be going bananas for all things football. For the 24 hours that encompass the day, Microsoft will be setting up a dedicated Xbox Live “channel” called “Football Fanfare”,…
By Luke Plunkett Published January 30, 2009 - Uncategorized
Nintendo Shares Fall As Far As They’re Allowed To Fall
Some people are beginning to seriously question whether the Wii bubble has burst. They may be right, they may be wrong, either way, investors are listening. And investors seem to be taking it all on board. Following comments made by analysts such as Hiroshi Kamide yesterday, Nintendo share prices started falling. And falling. And falling…
By Luke Plunkett Published January 30, 2009 - Uncategorized
Six More Batman: Arkham Asylum Screens
Yesterday we got our hands on a few screens and a trailer for Batman: Arkham Asylum. Today, we got a twenty minute preview and a few more screens. Not much going on here besides some bloom effect from the Unreal Engine. But as a preview to the preview that I’m frantically writing right now: Harley…
By AJ Glasser Published January 30, 2009 - Uncategorized
Sony: Yes, We’ll Still Be The Most Expensive Console
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe boss David Reeves isn’t going to cave. He simply will not tell you when the PlayStation 3 will get a price drop. For now, it will remain the most expensive option. That’s Reeves’ “armadillo” strategy, also known as the “value added” tactic that the PlayStation brass have been touting for many…
By Michael McWhertor Published January 30, 2009 - Uncategorized
Japanese Weekly Hardware Sales: How Low Can They Go?
If you thought hardware sales in Japan couldn’t bottom out any harder than they did last week, we ask you to politely reconsider. Frankly, we’re starting to worry. You okay, Japanese gamers? ‘Cause if you’re a little short on cash, we could let you borrow some. Admittedly, post holiday sales aren’t typically spectacular, nor is…
By Michael McWhertor Published January 30, 2009 - Uncategorized
CHARITY!
To: Ash From: Crecente Re: Tonight, I Went On A Date So I just got a picture in my email from Denver Children’s Hospital showing all of the toys they received thanks to the donations Kotaku readers made to last year’s Child’s Play Funde Razor. Check out those dolls! And a wagon. All for children…
By Brian Crecente Published January 30, 2009 - Uncategorized
Next Week’s Rock Band DLC: Still Dangerous
Harmonix and MTV will bring seven new tracks to Rock Band and Rock Band 2 rockers next week, including a triple-shot of classic, leather pants-wearing Irish rock from Thin Lizzy. The Thin Lizzy three pack features a trio of live tracks from the band’s Still Dangerous: Live At The Tower Theater Philadelphia 1977 album. That’s…
By Michael McWhertor Published January 30, 2009