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  Become the True Enemy in Dead Island‘s Ryder White DLC

  Now that we’ve experienced the horrors of Banoi island through the eyes of Dead Island‘s four protagonists, it’s time to get a little antagonistic. Villain Ryder White steals the spotlight in the next installment of Dead Island downloadable content. Featuring an all-new story packed with hours of gameplay, the Ryder White downloadable content for Dead…

  By Mike Fahey Published January 16, 2012
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  Amazon’s Got All the Dragon Age You Can Eat for $11.99

  As part of its week-long sale-e-bration of EA PC games, Amazon is offering a digital download bundle of Dragon Age Origins: Ultimate and Dragon Age II for download at the low price of $11.99. [Amazon.com]

  By Mike Fahey Published January 16, 2012
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  The Unquestioned Homophobia In Battlefield 3

  The first time I heard “I’m getting my shit pushed in!” during a multiplayer match of Battlefield 3 was from the mouth of an acquaintance in Party chat. I assumed he and his friends were laughing at how ridiculous it sounded, because robbed of context it did sound pretty funny. I’ve since come to realize…

  Dennis Scimeca Published January 16, 2012
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  The Nine Circles of Xbox Live Hell

  Commenter Firescorpio takes us on a (somewhat misspelled) journey through the nine circles of Xbox Live hell, a path that transforms an innocent online gamer into a foaming, frothing, enjoyment-destroying fuckwit in today’s infographic-tastic edition of Speak-Up on Kotaku. Here’s something i have been working on today, guess i’ll share it with you guys. hope…

  By Mike Fahey Published January 16, 2012
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  Heroes of Ruin’s Going to Make You Fight Off Lots of Angry Shark Men in Lots of places

  I’m not going to lie to you: that golden-haired, human-faced, griffin-looking creature early in this video for Square Enix’s action/RPG gives me the creeps. Put an animal head on a human body—as with the numerous shark men seen in this Heroes of Ruin trailer—and I’m fine but something about the opposite screams crime against nature…

  By Evan Narcisse Published January 16, 2012
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  Talk Amongst Yourselves

  It’s Martin Luther King Jr. Monday in America, the perfect time to sit around discussing video games in Kotaku‘s official forum! It’s Dr. Fetus versus Bearded Dude in today’s Street Fighter-inspired TAYpic from DanimalCart. Thanks! Join in the fun and submit your own TAYpic. Please do your best—or your worst—and share your own riffs on…

  By Mike Fahey Published January 16, 2012
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  Attractive Young Men Smiling at the PlayStation Vita

  In case you were still on the fence about purchasing the new PlayStation Vita next month, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has released some photographs demonstrating how hip, happy, and attractive you will be when you own one. Look at these fine young fellows, enjoying on-the-go gaming wherever they please, with nary a care in the…

  By Mike Fahey Published January 16, 2012
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  It’s Like Mario Bros., But Smaller and Harder

  When I was seven years old, I got the Nintendo Entertainment System for Christmas. My parents already had a Pong machine and a Magnavox Odyssey, and I enjoyed both machines very much. Bu this was different. This was my console. My first console. And the game I fell in love with instantly was Super Mario…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published January 16, 2012
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  8-Bit Weapon’s Latest Music Video Sports Iconic Game Characters as Guest Stars

  The video above is supposed to be an homage to the 1980s graphic adventure games published by Sierra On-Line. But, if you watch the whole thing, you’ll spot some characters who weren’t part of that defunct publisher’s stable. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing 8BW perform live and they put on a great show. They’ll…

  By Evan Narcisse Published January 16, 2012
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  Princess Diana Goes Fishing for Monsters in This Wonder Woman #5 Preview

  There’s been a weird quirk about Brian Azzarello’s writing assignments for DC Comics: the less the super the hero, the more powerful his writing’s been. Best known for his decade-long crime masterpiece 100 Bullets at the publisher’s Vertigo imprint, Azzarello’s also tried his hand at in its caped crimefighter universe, too. While his grittier sensibility…

  By Evan Narcisse Published January 16, 2012
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  PS Vita Firmware Update

  The Sony handheld went from 1.51 to 1.52. The update apparently stabilizes the system software and fixes some small bugs. [Sony]

  By Brian Ashcraft Published January 16, 2012
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  Soul Edge?

  Joystick | TOKYO, JAPAN: A joystick for Namco’s upcoming fighter. (Photo: GameWatchImpress) The Nintendo PlayStation You Never Got To Play The first PlayStation 1 controllers looked silly. No wonder the world never got to use them. The world also never got to use this first PlayStation from 1991. More » THQ Says it has “Not Cancelled”…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published January 16, 2012
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  Live in China or South Korea? Write about Games?

  Not only is Kotaku going through applications for Tokyo correspondents (we are currently no longer accepting applications), it is also looking to expand its coverage beyond Japan to China and South Korea. That’s right, Kotaku is looking for a few good men/women/whatever in China and South Korea. Do you go to ChinaJoy every year? Hang…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published January 16, 2012
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  The Greatest Music Game Never Made?

  The music game boom is done and dusted (r.i.p.), but don’t tell Grant Woolard. In his head bangin’ head, it still lives on. And it’s totally awesome. Grant, who lives in Japan, is studying the shamisen, a traditional instrument similar to a banjo. To showcase his first composition, he created this truly wonderful video for…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published January 16, 2012
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  This T-Shirt Will Give You Nightmares

  Eek! Schoolgirl anime K-On!‘s latest t-shirt looks more like some horrible moé monster, appearing in a dark dungeon in some Japanese role-playing game. In related K-On! news, the anime’s feature film was just nominated for a Japanese Academy Award. Do any of the producers dare wear this shirt to the ceremony? Does anyone at all…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published January 16, 2012
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  Why’s the Konami Code So Damn Easy To Remember?

  If you grew up in the 1980s and played video games, you know the Konami Code. It’s very easy to remember. Kazuhisa Hashimoto, inventor of the Konami Code, said there’s a reason for that. The reason was that Hashimoto needed an easy code for extra power-ups he could remember and then input while testing Gradius,…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published January 16, 2012
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  Let’s Look at Robot Butts. Together.

  Robots are badass! You know that. I know that. Everybody knows that. But in basking in their awesomeness, we’ve forgotten something important: their backsides. Via Japanese webforum 2chan, a thread appeared devoted entirely to admiring robots and mecha from behind. Or admiring their behinds. Whichever. Most commenters seemed to agree that badass robots look pretty…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published January 16, 2012
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  The Nintendo PlayStation You Never Got To Play

  The first PlayStation 1 controllers looked silly. No wonder the world never got to use them. The world also never got to use this first PlayStation from 1991. A Sony produced SNES, it was the fruit of what was an unsuccessful failed Nintendo partnership. The other prototypes were Sony’s own original PlayStation designs for hardware…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published January 16, 2012
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  Is this PS Vita Game Art Good? Or Just Horrid?

  I’m not trying to be mean here. There is good art. And there is bad art. The art for Samurai & Dragons is, well, yeah. Maybe this isn’t my thing! The in-game graphics look much better. You can check them out in this trailer from last Dec. The game is a dungeon crawler that uses…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published January 16, 2012
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  Snakes on a Plane? No, Japanese Maids on a Train!

  In Japan, there are all types of otaku (“geeks”). There are anime otaku, video game otaku, and even train otaku. Otaku from all walks of life seem to like the same thing: maids So what happens when you combine a love of the country’s public transportation with its fascination with girls in frilly outfits? You…

  By Brian Ashcraft Published January 16, 2012