Xbox

XCOM: Enemy Unknown‘s Multiplayer Mode is One Giant, Violent Toybox

Call it beginner’s luck: my first round of XCOM: Enemy Unknown‘s multiplayer was my strongest showing. It came down to a tense showdown at the end. I lost, but could feel proud of how close I had come. Alas, that was my best performance. From there, I got my rear end most thoroughly handed to…

Rumor: First “Leaked” Kinect 2 Image Shows Fingers and Head Patting

An image that allegedly shows off Kinect 2 has hit the internet. It not only shows improved depth perception, but a higher level of detail—such as being able to read people’s fingers and discern clothing. There’s head patting, too. As Kotaku first revealed, the next Xbox is codenamed “Durango”. Previously, insiders told Kotaku that the…

Everything You Wanted (or Needed) to Know About Halo 4’s Guns

The history. The purpose. The sound effects. The enormous write-up over on Halo Waypoint (linked below) has everything a series fan – or firearm fetishist – could ever want with regards to humanity’s weapons of choice. And if you don’t feel like reading? Here’s every UNSC gun in the game, shooting things in the face.…

According to this job listing, Microsoft expects to release a “new version” of the Xbox within the next 18 months.

Need For Speed: Most Wanted Lets You Steal The World’s Fastest Cars. Kind Of.

Maybe you’ve had that moment on the highway where you pull up next to a fancy sportscar. You might think that the person driving it is probably some rich jerk, but still wonder how that Porsche or Lambo handles. Need For Speed: Most Wanted lets you take explore that fantasy in a different way. All…

Deadlight: The Kotaku Review

Now is the summer of our zombie apocalypse discontent. We’ve played so many zombie games; we’ve had glorious highs and depressing lows. We’ve grown sick of zombie games only to be surprised by good zombie games only to become sick of zombies games all over again. At this point, what kind of magnificent zombie game…

Now You Can Use Your iPad To Control Your Xbox 360, If You Really Want To

I know what you’re thinking. “Boy, I wish I could use my iPad to control my Xbox 360.” What’s that? You’re not thinking that at all? You just want to play video games? You don’t care about ridiculous control schemes or hardware gimmicks? Well okay then. At least this one’s free: Microsoft released a new…

Moscow Sees Rain For The First Time In This Gameplay Demo of Metro: Last Light

Take a look at the E3 gameplay demonstration that I checked out last month. Moscow is changing, and so is Artyom.

Dust: An Elysian Tail Makes Me Proud of My Right Forearm

Earlier this year a visit to Epic Games in North Carolina inspired me to forever etch a combat-ready green rabbit on my person. The art I used as reference for the vibrant tattoo was created by independent animator turned game developer Don Dodrill, the man behind the unbelievable 2009 XNA Dream Build Play competition winner…

NASA Made A Game That Lets You Land On Mars. Sounds Cool. Now What?

Hop on Xbox Live and search for Mars Rover Landing. You’ll find a Kinect game made by NASA and Microsoft that’s meant to simulate the tense experience of landing Curiosity, NASA’s rover that will land on Mars on August 5 after eight and a half months of travel. It’s “seven minutes of terror,” is how…

Oh Man, I Need This Awesome Game of Thrones Xbox 360 Console

Tragically, this custom Xbox 360 isn’t available in stores. It’s just part of a competition HBO and Microsoft are running, where the wording makes it sound like there’s only one of these babies available. With the tasteful graphics and wraparound design (on both console and controller), those of us who don’t win it can just…

The Next Xbox Should Embrace Microsoft’s PC Roots

For today’s edition of Speak Up on Kotaku, we continue the discussion of future consoles with commenter Leaufai, who advises Microsoft to embrace their PC roots and give us a console that truly takes console gaming to the next level. Things have changed since the last generation of consoles were launched. PC gaming has changed.…

One Console To Rule Them All

In today’s slightly late (sorry!) edition of Speak Up on Kotaku, commenter Gusi A. Rincon puts forth the argument for a unified console. Forget the console wars! If the big console makers would all just declare peace, everyone would benefit. Right now the best that could happen to the Game industry (just hypothetically speaking) would…

Here’s What The Expendables 2‘s Co-Op Action Looks Like

The virtual version of Sylvester Stallone that you’ll see in this trailer for Ubisoft’s movie-based co-op shooter looks… waxy. But in a good way, as if he’s left the petty frailties of human flesh behind long ago. The Expendables 2 will hit PSN on July 31st, and Xbox Live and PC download stores on August…

New Xbox Application Gives You Achievements For Burning Calories

Microsoft has launched an application called Kinect PlayFit as a free download for all Xbox Live members, the publisher said today. Kinect PlayFit is a “new fitness dashboard that aggregates and tracks the calories you burn as you play a variety of Kinect games,” Microsoft says. You’ll be able to compare your stats to other…

Let’s Name the Next Xbox

The next Xbox might be called Xbox 8. Or Microsoft recently grabbed that web address for some other purpose (possibly holding it for the release of the eighth Xbox in the year 2060). But if not “Xbox 8”, what should the makers of the next Xbox call this thing? Let’s help them. Names they’ve considered…

Microsoft Snags Domain Name For ‘Xbox 8’ [UPDATE]

Microsoft has secured the web domain for “xbox8.us” and “xbox8.org,” according to a new report. The Internet sleuths at Fusible uncovered that Microsoft won the domains back from a Chinese citizen in a case filed with the National Arbitration Forum. Other domains won in the dispute include XboxPhone.com, XboxTablet.com, XboxLiveTV.com, XboxCompanion.com. Interestingly enough, the Xbox…

Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor: The Kotaku Review

I used to have one of the hugely impractical, super-expensive controllers for the original Steel Battalion. It went MIA somewhere during the various moves of my adult life, but before it did, I remember that I broke it out in all its glory maybe one or two times. I never got very far in the…

You Can Now Control (Some of) Your Xbox 360 From a Phone

Microsoft released an update to its Xbox Live iPhone app yesterday that adds some basic remote functionality, letting you launch games and navigate menus from your iPhone. For some reason that good stuff is iPhone-only; the iPad version didn’t get it, and the new Android edition doesn’t have it either. [Microsoft]

An Idiot Was Paid $5 Million to Smuggle Cocaine Inside an Xbox

It was only a month ago we heard of a guy who tried, and failed, to hide a few bricks of coke inside an Xbox. Guyanese drug smugglers obviously don’t keep up with the news. Border authorities in Jamaica have arrested a man who, after initially clearing customs with two items of luggage, tried to…