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The StarCraft Tournament Where Facebook, Microsoft and Google are Competitors
Well now this is interesting. Sean “Day[9]” Plott, who we’ve featured here before on Kotaku, has helped put together a StarCraft II tournament. Only, instead of it being man versus man, it’s company versus company. And the companies are big ones Inspired by an internal Facebook competition, the “After Hours Gaming League” is billed as…
By Luke Plunkett Published July 13, 2011 -
Middle-Aged Man Arrested over Plastic Schoolgirl (Stupidity Ensues)
Ruiko Saten is not real. She’s a flower-in-her-hair schoolgirl character in anime To aru Kagaku no Railgun. Earlier this spring, in Shizuoka, Japan, one of her plastic figures was stolen! According to a Sankei News report on MSN, 47-year-old Yasuyoshi Nakatsukasa apparently located a Ruiko Saten figure at second hand shop A-Too. The 20 centimeter…
By Brian Ashcraft Published July 13, 2011 -
Correction: Xbox Music Brings 11 Million Songs to Your 360 This Fall
According to a report on Business Insider, Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer revealed plans yesterday for a new service called Xbox Music. Business Insider has since issues a correction for their original story. I’ve pasted it in its entirely below. With the Zune brand on death’s doorstep, this is shaping up to be a replacement for…
By Luke Plunkett Published July 12, 2011 -
Microsoft, This Isn’t Helping Win PC Gamers Over
Perhaps realising it wasn’t exactly popular with gamers as a standalone marketplace, Microsoft recently decided to shift Games for Windows over to Xbox.com. That move has now taken place, and…it’s gone about as well as you’d expect from Microsoft and PC gaming. The image above is where you’ll find now find PC gaming on Xbox.com.…
By Luke Plunkett Published July 12, 2011 -
Bungie Says ‘Halo is Now Yours’ as It Prepares the Handoff to Microsoft
As it did a year before, on Bungie Day (July 7), the Halo creators made available to the public the Bungie Armor and Nameplate in multiplayer, and prepared to wind down its stewardship of the Halo franchise it created with a sentimental note that hinted at future projects. “As we prepare to become fans of…
By Owen Good Published July 9, 2011 -
Is This Where Gears of War 3 Was Leaked From?
Months ahead of its release, Epic’s Gears of War 3 has been leaked onto the internet, a security breach so severe law enforcement has gotten involved. Maybe, though, the cops won’t be needed. A French developer has told the world about this site, which is currently hosting a range of Xbox promotional material for the…
By Luke Plunkett Published July 8, 2011 -
Confederate Army Uniforms Pulled from Xbox Live Avatar Marketplace
Microsoft removed a Confederate soldier’s uniform and cap from an Xbox Live avatar items collection, following complaints from users about what the symbols represent. The gray uniform and cap, recognizably symbols of the American Confederacy, went on sale in an “American History” collection that featured Revolutionary War-era garb, fireworks, and an Abe Lincoln stovepipe hat…
By Owen Good Published July 6, 2011 -
Microsoft Doubles Down in Japan
Okay, in Japan, people don’t really buy the Xbox 360. That isn’t to say Japanese people don’t like foreign things. They love foreign things. They just don’t love the Xbox 360. Microsoft isn’t giving up! Today, the company revealed an internal reshuffling, putting Takashi Sensui, who heads up the Home & Entertainment division, in charge of…
By Brian Ashcraft Published July 6, 2011 -
Are China’s Days of Cockblocking Console Makers Numbered?
Game consoles are made in China. But they cannot be legally sold in China. Game consoles are banned. This year, Lenovo is launching a game console in China. Funny, that. The iSec, previously called eBox, is slated for a September or October release. The console, which features Kinect-style controls, was supposed to be out earlier…
By Brian Ashcraft Published July 6, 2011 -
Report: Xbox Live Cloud Saves Now Live
According to blog Eurogamer, Xbox Live’s cloud saving is now live, making it possible to recover Gamertags across different consoles and access save data. It apparently doesn’t yet work for all games, however. [Eurogamer]
By Brian Ashcraft Published July 5, 2011 -
Microsoft Thought About Buying the Guys Who Make Crysis
Crytek are the developers behind the original Far Cry, Crysis, Crysis 2 and the Cryengine. They could also, but for the grace of God, have been bought out by Microsoft. IN an interview with Official Xbox Magazine, Microsoft’s corporate vice-president Phil Spencer says “The first time we met with [Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli] and the…
By Luke Plunkett Published July 5, 2011 -
Report: The PlayStation 4 Will Have Kinect-Style Motion Controls
Next year, Nintendo is releasing a new home console, the Wii U. Taiwanese component makers tell tech site DigiTimes that Sony is readying a new home console for 2012. But that’s not the interesting part. These component manufacturer sources tell DigiTimes that the PlayStation 4 will feature body-movement controls like Microsoft’s Kinect. That’s the interesting,…
By Brian Ashcraft Published July 4, 2011 -
Early Gears of War 3 Code Hits Internet, Cops Investigating
Games leak onto the internet all the time. Usually a week or two before they hit retail, though, and usually the finished product. Leaking months before release, though, that’s a little rarer. Yet a playable build of Gears of War 3 hit torrent sites late last week, representing an early look at the game’s singleplayer…
By Luke Plunkett Published July 4, 2011 -
Dress Up Your Xbox Live Avatar Like a Confederate on July 4
While I don’t read any statements or endorsements of historical viewpoints behind this, Microsoft had to figure someone would notice that it’s now selling a Confederate Army uniform for your Xbox Live avatar’s virtual dress-up and call it out as a borderline offensive gesture. One of our readers saw it, and did. Listed generically as…
By Owen Good Published July 3, 2011 -
Bye Bye Games for Windows Marketplace, Hello Xbox.com
In what does not seem like a positive sign for Microsoft’s Games For Windows efforts, the Games For Windows Marketplace is merging with Xbox.com, a move that the Xbox 360 maker says is for convenience and ease.
By Michael McWhertor Published July 1, 2011 -
How Zynga’s Billions Stack Up Against EA, Nintendo and Other Gaming Giants
The people who make FarmVille, CityVille and Empires & Allies think their company’s stock will be worth at least $1 billion when they go public. The New York Times thinks the company’s value could go up to $20 billion However it adds up, Zynga is clearly a huge player in modern video games. How do…
By Stephen Totilo Published July 1, 2011 -
Don’t Believe the Lines. Don’t Believe the Hype.
Whenever a new console launches in Japan, people line up. And whenever there are lines, there’s often press there taking photos. During the last several hardware launches, I was there, doing just that. For Kotaku coverage, I always try to take as many pictures as I can at several different stores to get a better…
By Brian Ashcraft Published July 1, 2011 -
An Obscure Board Game Stands Between European Gamers and Double Fine’s Trenched
We’ve been enjoying Double Fine’s lovable, downloadable mech game Trenched for more than a week now, but our European Xbox 360 owning compatriots have been denied its delicious blend of tower defense and shoot ’em up fun. What gives? Well, according to a report from Eurogamer, Double Fine and Microsoft have hit a legal snag…
By Michael McWhertor Published June 30, 2011 -
Kinect is Better Than it Was a Year ago
At E3 in 2009 (and 2010), Microsoft’s Kinect camera was promising, but also glitchy. At E3 2011, it looked more responsive. And there’s a reason for that. Xbox senior product manager David Dennis has said in an interview with Eurogamer “I think like we showed at E3, like Kudo showed with Kinect Fun Labs –…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 30, 2011