This week, we share some of our own thoughts on the reveal of the Switch 2, as well as look at reactions from across the internet. We also talk about a serious problem impacting the Pokémon TCG, consider the suggestion that GTA 6 should cost $80+, and go hands-on with the upcoming Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. Read on for all this and more.
Update: 1/15/2025, 9:55 a.m. ET: We’ve received a statement from The Pokémon Company International regarding this situation, which is reproduced in full below. In it, the company states that it is attempting to print more cards for the sniped sets, as well as promising restocks on the Pokémon Center websites in the U.S., UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The original story follows below, with the statement added at the bottom. - John Walker Read More
Video games have never been more prevalent or elaborate, but the industry that creates them is currently facing unprecedented headwinds amid spiraling costs, intense competition, and a stagnating player-base. A new market analysis suggests that breaking the current $70 price barrier on games could help ameliorate some of the challenges, and that Grand Theft Auto VI could be the one to do it. - Ethan Gach Read More
If you missed it, Nintendo finally unveiled the Switch 2 this morning. It looks pretty much exactly like what the leaks said it would. It’s a bigger, presumably more powerful version of the beloved console/handheld hybrid that has magnetic Joy-Cons and can play your old Switch games, too. That might not sound that exciting to some, but it’s nice to finally have Nintendo talking about the thing instead of having to scrape the bottom of a leaking barrel for crumbs of information. We’ll get a longer presentation on the device through a Nintendo Direct on April 2, as well as some opportunities to play the thing in select cities in the days and weeks that follow. But how is the internet reacting to this first tease? There’s enough excitement, disappointment, and bewilderment to go around. - Kenneth Shepard Read More
Earlier today, Nintendo revealed the Switch 2. In many ways its what everyone wanted and hoped for: A new version of the Switch that’s more powerful, sleeker, and supports all the old games. However, is this new console too...safe? Boring? This is what Kotaku’s staff debated shortly after the reveal, and here’s our lightly edited debate straight from Slack. - Zack Zwiezen Read More
The Punisher is a playable hero in NetEase’s mega-successful Overwatch clone, Marvel Rivals. He might be the most basic character in the game and is one of the first characters you play as in the tutorial. He’s also maybe my favorite hero to play as, and I’m sorry to everyone I’ve killed as Punisher. I’m so sorry. - Zack Zwiezen Read More
We all now know Nintendo has officially revealed the Switch 2, proving a lot of the rumors about its screen size, new Joy-Cons, and features seem to be true, but I want to talk about is that damn sexy trailer Nintendo unleashed on us. It feels unlike most of the company’s past marketing. - Zack Zwiezen Read More
There is a game that you’ve likely never heard of, yet it’s by far one of the most popular VR games ever made. What is ostensibly a simple game of multiplayer tag for pre-adolescent children is also, I have recently discovered, a wild hotbed of ludicrous in-universe conspiracies fuelling a genuine belief among its players that the game is somehow haunted. Gorilla Tag is one of the strangest games I’ve encountered in a very long time. This is a story that involves a microcosm of the meme-based internet, and somehow the very first song ever sung by a computer. - John Walker Read More
As someone who has only casually engaged with the Yakuza / Like a Dragon series, I’m fascinated with its ability to sway in and out of different genres and subgenres while still maintaining the wacky soap-opera core that has made it so beloved. Yakuza has shapeshifted from a crime drama beat-em-up to a turn-based RPG, a spy thriller, and a historical samurai tale, and as the series continues to swap genres like clothes, it’s starting to feel almost like a variety show, with its core cast taking on new personas all while maintaining the same soul. Now it’s delving into piracy with Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. I recently got to spend two hours with the game, due out next month, and, I came away expecting Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio to once again nail new ideas while maintaining the series’ old familiar draws. - Kenneth Shepard Read More
Civilization VII, if it’s anything like past games in the 4X strategy series, will play just fine with a single mouse in one hand. And while it’s coming to console with bindings for controllers, a mouse will still be many people’s preferred way to play. What if the Switch 2 Joy-Con can also double as PC gaming mice? - Ethan Gach Read More
The Pokémon TCG is in a bit of a precarious place right now. Due to unprecedented interest in new cards driven by Pokémon TCG Pocket, spiking resale prices, and over-excitement at a new Eevee-based special set, the latest sets are selling out everywhere before regular customers can find them. It’s into this situation that Prismatic Evolutions launches, which is a double-shame, given it’s the most fun set to open in forever. - John Walker Read More
