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Mixing Music in a Video Game for the Blind
Video, of course, takes its root from the Latin word for “see.” So a “video game” for those who have lost their sight might look like a paradox, but it doesn’t sound like one. Gambit Game Lab, a collaboration of developers at MIT and Singapore, have developed AudiOdyssey as a proof-of-concept that games can be…
By Owen Good Published January 4, 2009 - Uncategorized
Gamer Kid Gets Hedgehog Legalized in Kansas
Judson King 11, looooooves him some Sonic. He asked his mom for a real hedgehog. Unfortunately, Mom said, they were banzored under city code. So he worked for three years to get it changed. It’s a heartwarming tale of a child’s love and determination, and learning about things like government and how to lobby it…
By Owen Good Published January 4, 2009 - Uncategorized
Make a Laser Out of Sort-of-Essential 360 Parts
Want to build a super cool James Bond laser that burns shit, but don’t have a blue diode? Well, they cost about $50 here – nah, screw it, let’s trash this $200 Xbox 360 instead. Click to view Seriously, after watching this, I can’t figure out why exactly the 360’s blue diode, and not any…
By Owen Good Published January 3, 2009 -
UncategorizedSome Things You Can’t Unsee (or Unhear)
The other day I was playing Left 4 Dead and I said to myself, “Self, I really wish this game had more obese zombie asscrack.” Lo and behold, FPSBanana heard my silent plea. One of its users, DarkSider1972, uploaded this thong skin, which puts the boomer in a “Sexy Beast” thong. He attaches this droll…
By Owen Good Published January 3, 2009 - Uncategorized
Illinois Legislates Out of Existence Something That Doesn’t Exist
Alcopops are a huge concern for fear-addled parents, because they’re sweet, alcoholic, and a gateway drug to total douche behavior. So Illinois is taking a courageous stand by banning alcopop ads from video games. That’s right, Illinois, home of Senate seat firesales and previously abortive (and unconstitutional) efforts to regulate game content, made sure that…
By Owen Good Published January 3, 2009 -
UncategorizedA Look at the Cancelled, Never-Announced “Stormbirds”
Before THQ shuttered Juice Games, the studio was working on a H.A.W.X.-esque game called Stormbirds. A Juice artist put out and then pulled back some pics and a video, but cat’s outta the bag now. The team working on this were “made redundant” (i.e., fired) on Dec. 1 because THQ made the decision Stormbirds was…
By Owen Good Published January 3, 2009 - Uncategorized
Steve Wiebe Explains His Stampede Score
If you saw this week’s King of Stampede, you might have wondered “Why the hell was Steve Wiebe getting a certified score on that game?” In this outtake, I asked, and he answered. Steve also explains how he ended up with a cameo in “Four Christmases” (as “Jim”, the husband-who-never-talks, playing Donkey Kong on the…
By Owen Good Published January 3, 2009 - Uncategorized
Kotaku Originals: Holiday Clearance
We rounded up the year in Kotaku Kontent, did some podcast postapalooza, and unveiled our nominees for the Goaties this week. Oh, and managed to get in posts about farting and pee-pee. Here is your week in original coverage, with another reminder that the weekend-mans gets a New Year’s holiday too, so we’re running a…
By Owen Good Published January 3, 2009 - Uncategorized
A Field Guide To Second Life Animal Hybrids
As some of you were confused about the difference between what Second Life denizens call furries and what they call nekos, or hybrids, I thought I would take a moment to clear things up. Since the dawn of time, man has had close bonds with the animal kingdom. Many Native American tribes revered animal spirits…
By Mike Fahey Published January 3, 2009 - Uncategorized
Lord Of The Rings: Conquest: PC System Requirements
Pandemic have released the PC system requirements for upcoming Middle Earth kill-em-all LotR: Conquest. Going by the install size and specs, looks like a straight console port. Which is OK. Means it’ll run! From the game’s official forums: System Requirements =================== Lord of Lord of The Rings: Conquest™ requires at least the following: FOR WINDOWS…
By Luke Plunkett Published January 3, 2009 - Uncategorized
Some People Use The PS3 For Web Browsing, Less People Use The Wii
Business Research firm Market Share have released statistics outlining global internet browser share. Internet Explorer and Firefox are obviously the two largest, but what about the PlayStation consoles and Wii? Surprisingly, enough “PlayStation” owners (guess they’re counting both the PS3 and PSP) use their system’s browsers to make a dent in the global rankings, with…
By Luke Plunkett Published January 2, 2009 - Uncategorized
WET Still Dripping In These New Screens
Been a while since we heard from WET. Probably because it was being published by Sierra, and then left in limbo after the whole Activision-killed-Sierra thing. It’s still due for release this year, though. Apparently. At least, developers A2M are still working on it, and have released a bunch of new screenshots for the game.…
By Luke Plunkett Published January 2, 2009 - Uncategorized
People Magazine Plugs Atari, Snubs Nintendo in “Celebrate the ‘80s!”
The latest special issue of People celebrates the Atari 2600 as the console that “ruled the interactive gaming world” in the 1980s – no mention of the original Nintendo, Sega Master System or even Coleco Vision. I’m not sure why People Magazine is even celebrating the 80s in the first weeks of 2009, but if…
By AJ Glasser Published January 2, 2009 - Uncategorized
Science Doing Some Science On Wii Fit
Does Wii Fit work? It’s hard for me to tell, personally, as my Little Debbie Zebra Cake intake ratio is tied proportionally to my progress in the non-game. See, I’m not a scientist. Thankfully, researchers at the University of Mississippi — specifically researcher Scott Owens — are evaluating Wii Fit‘s ability to make you more…
By Michael McWhertor Published January 2, 2009 -
UncategorizedMetal Gear Solid 4 Cast Does… Group Therapy Improv?
In quite possibly the most bizarre clip of 2009, the cast from Metal Gear Solid 4 improvises a scene in which they’re “suffering from delusions of being the characters they portray in the game.” Voice actors David “Solid Snake” Hayter, Jennifer “Naomi Hunter” Hale, Paul “Colonel Roy Campbell” Eiding, Christopher “Otacon” Randolph, and Quinton “Raiden”…
By Michael McWhertor Published January 2, 2009 - Uncategorized
Next LEGO Game Is…LEGO Rock Band?
A “source” has told VG247 that Traveller’s Tales’ next LEGO game won’t be Star Wars. Won’t be Indiana Jones, either. Won’t be Robocop, won’t be Predator, won’t be Halo. It’ll be LEGO Rock Band. Seems the rumour stems from an interview on Britain’s Radio One last night, in which TT swore a new LEGO game…
By Luke Plunkett Published January 2, 2009 - Uncategorized
What’s Microsoft Announcing At Its CES Keynote?
Next Wednesday, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer will kick off the Consumer Electronics Show with a keynote that will likely involve chairs being thrown and perspiration-soaked Brooks Brothers shirts. But what about product announcements? Um… It doesn’t sound like Microsoft is bringing much in the way of big guns, at least if Techcrunch’s report on details…
By Michael McWhertor Published January 2, 2009 - Uncategorized
Problems With Puzzle Quest iPhone
Puzzle Quest is no stranger to gameplay bugs in any of its myriad releases, but the iPhone version deleting characters takes the cake for the “kick in the shins” category. According to forum posts on touchArcade and my own awful experience on a six hour car ride, heroes are randomly deleted from the game. You’ll…
By AJ Glasser Published January 2, 2009 - Uncategorized
EA, Take-Two Deal Makes Media Deals Worst Of List
Congratulations, Take-Two. You win second place on the list of 10 worst media deals of 2008. Spurning Electronic Arts’ offer to buy you got the attention of some list-making investors, who hailed your decision. Oh, they hailed it as a massively missed opportunity, considering EA offered to buy your stock at a premium of $25.75…
By Michael McWhertor Published January 2, 2009 - Uncategorized
White Knight Chronicles Has Solid, If Not Spectacular Week In Japan
Role-playing game White Knight Chronicles has been the focus of much attention for its perception as a great white hope for the PlayStation 3 in Japan. It is from Level 5, after all. You know Level 5, developers of the best selling Professor Layton series for the Nintendo DS, entrusted with Square Enix’s most recent…
By Michael McWhertor Published January 2, 2009