-
CultureFortnite‘s Unpopular Mechs Will Stay In Competitive Play [Updated]
Fortnite’s giant mechs, called Brutes, have been an unpopular addition to the game’s season 10. In a blog post today, developer Epic announced that the mechs will be staying in the game’s competitive mode, but with a tweak. Many players still don’t feel that tweak is enough. Some Fortnite players believe the Brutes are overpowered,…
By Riley MacLeod Published August 9, 2019 -
Culture‘Dad Builds’ Are Making Lazy Gaming OK, And I Love That
It has come to my attention that some of you have introduced a new term into the video game lexicon, one that describes a phenomenon of great interest to me and the public at large. I am talking, of course, of Dad Builds. What is a Dad Build? Why, it is any character that uses…
By Joshua Rivera Published August 9, 2019 -
EsportsCompetitive Super Smash Bros. Melee Is Back With A Vengeance This Weekend
If you were pining for some high-level Super Smash Bros. Melee after organizers cut it from last weekend’s Evo, the biggest fighting game tournament in the world, you can get your fix this weekend. Super Smash Con’s Melee tournament, going on now in Virginia, is studded with crowd favorites like Justin “Plup” McGrath, Juan “Hungrybox”…
By Cecilia D'Anastasio Published August 9, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsHamsterdam Is The Perfect Name For This Bite-Sized Brawler
Which came first, the name Hamsterdam or the game Hamsterdam? However Muse Games came up with the name for this charming tap-and-swipe beat-em up, it fits. Once little Pimm starts doling out the beatdowns, it’s like, “Damn, hamster.” Released earlier this month for iOS, Android, Switch, and PC, Hamsterdam is a story of sweet revenge.…
By Mike Fahey Published August 9, 2019 -
CultureWhat Are You Playing This Weekend?
The weekend is for having foolishly signed up for a rock-climbing competition even though I’m a total noob, because climbing people are overly supportive and encouraged me to enter. The weekend is also for soothing what is sure to be my overwhelming embarrassment with video games. Supergiant’s early access game Hades got a big updatethis…
By Riley MacLeod Published August 9, 2019 -
UncategorizedHitman Documentary Explores The Developers’ Struggles, Triumphs, And Design Tricks
YouTube channel NoClip’s multi-part documentary series on Hitman wrapped up this week. Over the course of four videos, series creator Danny O’Dwyer looked into how Hitman returned to its gameplay roots after 2012’s Absolution, how the breakup with Square Enix affected series developer Io Interactive, and the ins and outs of how a Hitman level…
By Riley MacLeod Published August 9, 2019 -
CultureDisney’s Haunted Mansion Is A Terrific Mess
The Haunted Mansion is one of Disney’s greatest creations. It’s also an unfixable, thematic mess, which is part of its appeal. Disney has allowed it to remain imperfect for the past half century, a wise exception to the company’s notorious perfectionism. This piece was first published on April 27, 2016. We’re bumping it today to…
By Kevin Wong Published August 9, 2019 -
UncategorizedI’m Back To Watching Video Game YouTube For Fun: Here’s What I Liked
Life has been a little stressful lately. At first, that pushed me to turn to video games for escapism—something I’d not really done before. This week, I’ve found myself too tired to binge through Fire Emblem. But it still felt weird to be more disconnected to gaming, so I returned to something I haven’t done…
By Heather Alexandra Published August 9, 2019 -
CultureDeep-Pocketed Collectors Are Fueling A Retro Game Gold Rush
Danielle Smith has spent half a million dollars on rare video games, most of it in the last nine months. And she’s just getting started. “I really just want the best of the best,” said Smith, 35. That half a million bucks has only bought her around 200 games. Last week, she spent $2,650 on…
By Chris Kohler Published August 9, 2019 -
CultureESPN Delays Apex Legends Tournament Highlights ‘Out Of Respect’ Following Mass Shootings
This weekend’s planned airing of the EXP Apex Legends Invitational at X Games tournament on ESPN2 has been postponed by the network, “out of respect for the victims and all those impacted in the immediate aftermath of the shootings.” The broadcast is meant to show highlights from the Apex Legends tournament that was held at…
By Joshua Rivera Published August 9, 2019 -
CultureNo Man’s Sky Creator On New Multiplayer Features, Taming Animals, And More
When No Man’s Sky Beyond was announced in March, Hello Games called it “three major updates rolled into one larger free release.” Out August 14, the first will be a new approach to multiplayer, and the second is VR. Since that blog post, No Man’s Sky players have been waiting to hear what the third…
By Gita Jackson Published August 9, 2019 -
CultureTrack: Digital Love | Artist: Daft Punk | Album: Digital Love
By Brian Ashcraft Published August 9, 2019 -
UncategorizedExcellent Cosplay Heats Up Summertime In Japan
It’s August! That means two things: First, the weather is hot; second, it’s time for some great Comic Market cosplay. The bi-annual event is underway, with cosplayers showing off their creative creations. This year’s stuff is particularly great! The photos are terrific, too. Comiket 96 runs from August 9 to August 12 and is being…
By Brian Ashcraft Published August 9, 2019 -
UncategorizedThis Is Some Serious Metal Slug Training
At select arcades in Japan, you can rent a cabinet for a flat fee for a specific period of time. This is a good way to improve your skills. But those hoping to take their play to the next level might need to make things more difficult for themselves. That’s exactly what Twitter user Kaizou_001…
By Brian Ashcraft Published August 9, 2019 -
Kotaku EastK-Pop Pick Of The Day: Fantasy
Pink Fantasy’s latest song, Fantasy, gives me some serious Dreamcatcher-esque, anime-opening vibes. Which is to say: I love it. This eight-member girl group debuted in 2018 with Iriwa, which was composed and written by Super Junior’s Shindong and hews more closely to the traditional girl group K-Pop sound. I’m glad Pink Fantasy decided to experiment…
By Seung Park Published August 9, 2019 -
CultureWalmart Asks Employees To Remove Violent Video Game Signage
For the past couple of days, Walmart employees have been receiving memos instructing them to remove “any signing or displays that contain violent images or aggressive behavior.” Principal among the suggested items are demos and signs promoting violent video games. Vice first reported on the memo’s circulation earlier today. It tells employees to “remove,” “turn…
By Nathan Grayson Published August 8, 2019 -
CultureCosplayGalleryCosplay’s “World Championships” Were Just Incredible
Most of the time cosplay is about having fun and hanging out with friends. Sometimes, though, it gets competitive, and there’s no bigger prize for serious devotees than the World Cosplay Summit, held every year in Japan. It’s basically a World Championships of cosplay, and as you can imagine, the entrants are out of this…
By Luke Plunkett Published August 8, 2019 -
UncategorizedOne Of The Best WW2 Board Games Is Now Even Better
Memoir 44 was already one of the great tactical board games, stripping the rules of war down to their barest bones and emphasising speed and fun over rulers and fine print. Now, with the release of an expansion that adds aircraft miniatures to the game, it’s even more fun. If you’ve never played it (and…
By Luke Plunkett Published August 8, 2019
