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For NBA Live, an Uncomfortable Silence Speaks for Itself
Let’s be candid. As a licensed sports video game, when your series hasn’t been on shelves in three years—a gap not seen since the days games were played on cartridges—you really face just one expectation and it’s a pretty low bar: Just come out. Launch. Release on time. Somehow, over the past week, NBA Live…
By Owen Good -
Gwen Stefani’s Band is Still Pissed Off About Guitar Hero, Still Hellbent on Suing Activision
Activision may have dusted its hands of Guitar Hero, Band Hero and everything else from that played-out lead mine, but lawsuits from upset pop stars continue. No Doubt, featured in Band Hero, still plans on taking Activision to trial, saying the publisher has illegitimately delayed the lawsuit and made insulting settlement offers. No Doubt, an…
By Owen Good -
EA Sports’ “Season Ticket” Tries to Sweeten the Pot with Free DLC
EA Sports’ “Season Ticket” subscription will offer free downloadable content that otherwise would be paid, modestly sweetening the sales pitch for a service that hasn’t generated much buzz since its debut a year ago. According to EA Sports’ updated Season Ticket page, first noticed by Operation Sports, subscribers will now get free packs of cards…
By Owen Good -
Kotaku ‘Shop Contest: Crowning King Gary
We’ve been doing a lot of cosplay in the ‘Shop Contest lately, but Gary, King of Nintendo 64, is too obvious a royal subject to pass up this week. I really shouldn’t have to make any suggestions when you’re dealing with a guy who has a suit of armor made from at least three Nintendo…
By Owen Good -
Should We Know Our Own Strength—Or Any Rating—In Video Games?
On Friday, Madden NFL 13 revealed the ratings for every quarterback in the league, inviting the usual pointless discussion about who should be ranked ahead of whom and why. It’s easy to laugh at meathead sports fans who take a great interest in Jay Cutler’s virtual throwing power compared to, say, Eli Manning’s virtual deep…
By Owen Good -
Kitchen-Aided Consoles: The Winners.
This might be the first time we have a Kotaku ‘Shop Contest roundup in which none of the finalists used the source image. Last week’s journey to the intersection of kitchen appliances and game consoles produced nine winners, plus overall champion AirCairo. Angryrider (2) gets started with the best use for a 3DO I can…
By Owen Good -
Gimped Madden on Wii U Doesn’t Speak Well of EA’s Relationship with Nintendo
Madden NFL was literally on stage with the Wii U, the day the console was formally revealed to the world. The unspoken message: No more cartoony, casual American football or minigame bullshit, this is a sports title you can actually take seriously on a Nintendo console. This happened more than a year ago, at E3…
By Owen Good -
Once Again, EA is Trying to be the Big Friend on Video Gaming’s Playground
This little exchange yesterday on Twitter says a lot about why Electronic Arts is suing the Facebook gaming giant Zynga, and how the publishing giant really sees itself in doing so. Nimblebit is the outfit behind Tiny Tower, which Zynga blatantly ripped off with Dream Heights earlier this year, and did little more than shrug…
By Owen Good -
Putting a Horse Behind the Wheel in Grand Theft Auto IV Ends Predictably
This horse, from the fount of zany mods on YouTube user Taltigolt’s channel, may have a smoother gait than ones you see in, say, Skyrim. But his hit box and mass still appear to be that of a regular person in the game. So a riderless steed charging through a public park isn’t quite the…
By Owen Good -
Video All But Confirms SSX is Getting Head-to-Head Multiplayer—Six Months After Release
A series of not-so-subtle Tweets and screenshots on Thursday hinted that SSX, which launched in February, will be getting true head-to-head online multiplayer races in the next title update. This video, released yesterday by EA Sports, practically confirms it. You can see the screen advising that the race will start once there are two participants…
By Owen Good -
Nintendo Bristles at Rumors That Seattle’s Baseball Team is For Sale
True or not, a baseball team owned by an aging Japanese magnate, two weeks after trading away a Japanese national hero, is an easy target for rumors that it’s up for sale. Add to that the fact Hiroshi Yamauchi, president of Nintendo in its ascent to video game dominance, is 84 years old, has never…
By Owen Good -
The Moneysaver: Go Pre
Pre-order savings of at least $10 can be found on four big upcoming titles between now and Nov. 20, so if you’ve already made up your mind, you can save yourself some jing today and still get it day one. Steam is holding a QuakeCon weekend sale giving you 50 percent off all the Bethesda…
By Owen Good