Quick Q&A: Things I Didn’t Know About Bank Robbery

The ever-quotable David Goldfarb used to write poetry and now makes shooter games. For a long time, those shooters had the world Battlefield in the title. These days, he’s the game director for this week’s co-op bank-robbery shooter Payday 2. He’s got four answers for us…and one question for you. 1. There are a lot…

So that’s why Grand Theft Auto V has three main characters! Rockstar takes advantage of the Figueroa Hotel’s unique triple ad space to make sure no one in downtown L.A. can escape from Franklin, Trevor and Michael. It sure is nice to see games back on the Figueroa. GTA V will be out in barely…

Kaze Tachinu Called a “Right Wing Japanese Movie” in South Korea

Never mind that Studio Ghibli’s newest anime Kaze Tachinu was dubbed “too liberal” by some in Japan and its creator Hayao Miyazaki was called a “traitor.” In South Korea, the movie is also being criticized, but for the opposite reasons. Hayao Miyazaki really can’t win, can he? Online in Japan, the movie was blasted and…

How One Chinese Publisher Is Going Global

The Chinese game market is a crazy and chaotic one. With consoles banned and rampant piracy, it’s hard to imagine breaking into the China market. Yet, the market is growing at such a rate that it’s impossible to ignore. Enter Chinese gaming publisher Yodo1. The publisher is helping Western studios tap the “gold mine” that…

The Most Terrifying Fast Food Employee in Japan

In Japan, fast food chain Lotteria had a special store manager last Friday for one terrifying day only: Sadako from The Ring At the Lotteria in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro neighborhood, Sadako worked the register by popping out, frightening customers, and serving up a special shake created in her likeness. What better way to send a chill…

The Super-Expensive Special Edition For Grid 2 Hasn’t Sold Yet

We’ve reported about the $190,000 worth Mono Edition for Grid 2, where the added bonus was not just some fancy cosmetic DLC, but a high-performance car. And although the game came out in May, guess what, no one bought this super-special edition yet. Videogamer points out this in the light of the newly announced special…

Chinese Gamers Say Plants Versus Zombies 2 Is Ripping Them Off

Since it was released in China almost two weeks ago, PopCap’s latest Zombie versus vegetation tower defense game, Plants versus Zombies 2: It’s About Time has been well received. Despite that, many of PopCap’s Chinese fans are upset, claiming they feel “gouged” by the games in-app purchasing. PopCap’s original PvZ was a big hit in…

New Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Screenshots Show A Shiny World

Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD, the inevitable remaster of one of the most popular Final Fantasy games and its direct sequel, is shaping up nicely! Square-Enix just released a large number of new screenshots, teasing smooth menus, trophies, summoning and a beautifully colorful Spira. Check them all below. Some of the locations look absolutely stunning. To…

Thailand’s Anime Censorship Sure Is Strict

“Censorship level: Thailand” is no joke! Check out just how tough the country’s censorship is. For years now, anime viewers in Thailand have been dealing with ironclad regulations for broadcast dubs—something that fans outside the country have also noticed. But it’s not just anime. On Thai television broadcasts, stations censor alcohol consumption, weapons pointed at…

When Cosplay Is Too Damn Hot

This weekend, Comic Market (aka “Comiket”) rolled through Tokyo. How scorching was it? Time to bust out the thermal cameras! Japan’s largest networks featured Comiket on their news variety shows, focusing on the boiling temperatures. The country is being hit with a heat wave that has topped 40°C (104ºF). The high temps are serious; sadly,…

These Dota 2 Players Just Won $1.4 Million

The International 2013 Dota 2 Championship has a winner: Swedish eSports team Alliance. The team claimed a top prize of $1.4 million, defeating Ukrainian powerhouse Natus Vincere in a climactic five-game match during the Grand Finals. The International is the largest Dota 2 event of its kind; this year’s total prize money hit $2.8 million.…

Hey Look, There Are More Mega Evolved Pokemon. Including, Yes, Fairies

Oh yes, there’s more. Last week we saw the reveal of mega evolved Pokemon, like Mega Mewtwo and Mega Blaziken. Today, Nintendo released footage of a few more Mega Evolutions: Mega Ampharos, Mega Absol, Mega Mawile….plus, there’s footage of Mega Kangaskhan from this weekend’s Pokemon World Championships. If nothing else, many Mega Pokemon have some…

This New Character Lineup Is What’s Cool About Disney Infinity

Disney Infinity comes out a week from today with a host of characters from your favorite Disney franchises. Today at the D23 Fan Expo, eleven new characters and a new Toy Story in Space playset were announced. Look at all of familiar faces, hanging out together. That’s pretty awesome. We’ve got Buzz Lightyear and Jessie…

The First 151 Pokémon, Drawn by 151 Different Artists

Three weeks ago, freelance animator Justin Chan put out a call over Twitter for 151 different artists to draw the 151 Kanto Pokémon. Yesterday, Chan published a wallpaper (full-size version here) of their labor, all signed by the artist’s Twitter handle. A collaboration for the Johto Pokémon will begin in September.

Live in California? You Can Rent Arcade Cabinets for $75 a Month

If you’ve got $75 a month to burn and live in California, you can get a 250-pound arcade cabinet running a 30-year-old game delivered to your door. This is the service offered by All You Can Arcade, a San Francisco business that opened shop last month. If all goes well, it’ll expand to the east…

The Week in Games: A Dream Effort

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team on the 3DS kicks off the week of new releases, but it has company coming later in the week. Heist-shooter Payday 2 rolls out on three platforms and the Summer of Arcade continues on Xbox Live with Charlie Murder. Today • Mario and Luigi: Dream Team (3DS) Tuesday • Europa…

See StarCraft‘s World Championship Series’ Semifinals and Finals Live

The final day of competition for StarCraft‘s World Championship Series, America region—begins now, and you can view all of it here live. The day will feature two semifinal matches in a best-of-five format: Jaedong (Korea) against Scarlett (Canada) and TaeJa against Polt (both Korea.) The finals will be contested afterward. Three regions are sending players…

Someone’s Making a $90,000 Metroid Movie Without Nintendo’s Permission

Didn’t we just go through this with Final Fantasy VII? Someone wants to make a Metroid fan film. They’re raising $90,000. They don’t have any agreement with Nintendo. Of course they don’t. Metroid: Enemies Within launched on Kickstarter on Friday and seeks to fund a 10-minute film pitting Samus against Sylux, the antagonist from the…

Watch The Biggest Dota 2 Tournament Live, Right Here

Continuing through the weekend in Seattle, we’ll be seeing the top Dota 2 teams from all over the world verse each other in The International—the largest known tournament for the game—for a prize pool of $2.8 million. Grand Finals close the event out this Sunday, but you can watch it all, live and right here.…

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team: The Kotaku Review

Poor Luigi. Mario’s lanky counterpart is most often defined not by his own merits, but by his proximity to his elder brother. Even in 2013, a year that Nintendo has branded “The Year of Luigi,” the green plumber is more punchline than protagonist, complete with Chaplinesque antics and a tendency to cower behind Mario during…