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Why Mass Effect 3’s Ending Was So Damn Terrible
There’s an almost universal outrage at the moment over the ending of Mass Effect 3. After playing a series for what’s usually over 100 hours, people are very upset at the manner in which the trilogy wound down. And they have every right to be. But not for the reasons I see so many putting…
By Luke Plunkett Published March 12, 2012 -
The Next Onimusha Is… a Browser Game
Capcom will bring a new Onimusha game to browsers this summer, it said Friday in a press release. Onimusha Soul, to be released “for PCs and smartphones,” will be out on June 28 in Japan. Here’s how the developer describes it, as translated by Capcom’s official website: “Onimusha Soul” is a Sengoku simulation RPG based…
By Jason Schreier Published March 12, 2012 -
Finally, a Music Game That Lets You Look Cool While Playing
It’s hard to look cool when you’re playing most music video games. You may think you look cool with your dinky plastic guitar or humorously scale-sized drum set, but in reality you look like… well, a person playing a plastic instrument. At a recent Penny Arcade Expo, a group of contest finalists assembled on-stage to…
By Kirk Hamilton Published March 12, 2012 -
You Won’t Jump Over the Flagpole in These Awesome Mario Heels
Artist Jamie Ferraioli proves that stunning, feminine accessories are in no way at odds with nerd culture with her gorgeous, hand-painted shoes. These heels and flats display meticulously detailed hand-painted art from Super Mario Brothers and The Legend of Zelda. My personal favorite part is the lava painted onto the platform sole of the black…
By Kate Cox Published March 12, 2012 -
A Song of Ice and Fire Has Become Game of Thrones, and Thank God For That
Somewhere along the line, it happened. The name changed. George R.R. Martin’s celebrated fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire more-or-less officially became known as Game of Thrones We can probably blame HBO; their hugely successful TV series Game of Thrones is what launched Martin’s books into the public consciousness. Since the show’s debut,…
By Kirk Hamilton Published March 12, 2012 -
Unauthorized Presales Land NECA’s Awesome Portal Gun Replica on Indefinite Hold
You know that awesome Portal gun NECA was working on? The one everyone was excited about buying? As it turns out, folks were excited about selling it as well, and that excitement might have just gotten the amazing replica cancelled. Kotaku reader Will passed along an email on Friday that he had received from online…
By Mike Fahey Published March 12, 2012 -
Where are the Black League of Legends Characters?
In November 2011 League of Legends boasted more than 11 million active players all over the world. With almost 100 unique characters for players to choose from and bi-monthly additions to the roster, the studio behind LoL, Riot Games, has quite a diverse crew on its hands. The game’s roster isn’t diverse enough according to…
By Elyas Gorogo-Baker Published March 12, 2012 -
Giggle With Us Now at These—Let’s Be Honest—Pretty Goofy Motion-Capture Demonstrations
Motion-capture technology’s changed the way that today’s movies, TV shows and video games look and move. Usually, sessions where special cameras and suits upload a person’s movement to computers happens in sequestered studios, far from prying eyes. At GDC 2012, mo-cap happened right out in the open and it was a wonder to behold. Acrobatics…
By Evan Narcisse Published March 12, 2012 -
Xbox Live Arcade Games Will Soon Offer Double The Gamerscore
Maybe it’s due to the slumping sales of Xbox Live Arcade games that game developers have been complaining about. Or maybe we can call it Gamerscore inflation. Or is Microsoft just being generous? Whatever the case, XBLA games will be able to offer 400 Gamerscore points instead of 200, starting in April and will be…
By Stephen Totilo Published March 12, 2012 -
Why Mass Effect 3‘s Ending Doesn’t Need Changing (SPOILERS)
If you died tomorrow, if some kind of disaster struck and removed you entirely from the world, would the choices you’d made with your life to date matter? Would it matter what you had accomplished? Who you had loved? If you had saved another’s life? Would your life’s work have meaning? Would there not be…
By Kate Cox Published March 12, 2012 -
Peter Molyneux And His Parody Twitter Account Need To Team Up
What if controllers had feelings? What if every time you yanked a power cord, your console started to scream? What if your games could cry? By now you must have seen Peter Molydeux, the fake Twitter account that parodies legendary game designer and Fable creator Peter Molyneux, who recently left Microsoft to start his own…
By Jason Schreier Published March 12, 2012 -
Your First Look at Dishonored in Motion
It’s been quite a while since we’ve heard anything from Arkane Studios’ steampunk/sci-fi/assassin game Dishonored Actual footage in this video is, unfortunately, pretty sparse but at least the scenery’s pretty. Just imagine all the running, super powers, and shooting. There. Now aren’t you excited? If that didn’t work then perhaps the interview with co-creative directors…
By Elyas Gorogo-Baker Published March 12, 2012 -
Video Game Character or My Little Pony? Yes.
Some would say that the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic phenomenon has nothing at all to do with video games. I’ve got several images that prove otherwise. Grown men in love with a cartoon aimed at little girls? Preposterous! Outrageous! Truly, truly, truly outrageous! The Brony phenomenon is really nothing new. Over the years…
By Mike Fahey Published March 12, 2012 -
Great Moments In Gaming Humor, Liquidious Fleshbag
The companion characters in Mass Effect are living, breathing, loving characters with unique personalities and motivations. They are also pretty boring. They could learn a lot from HK-47, the assassin droid from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. “Correction: Assassination is my primary function. I also possess excellent hearing and can bend spoons.” The…
By Mike Fahey Published March 12, 2012 -
The Dorkly Weekly: When You Put it That Way Yeah, Zelda II Was Kinda Dirty (NSFW)
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link briefly exchanged the series’ fairy-based healing mechanics with an going into a house with a strange woman and coming out healed feature. I’ve always assumed the worst. Dorkly does too, only they make it awkward for everyone. This one’s a little not safe for work, so those with delicate…
By Mike Fahey Published March 12, 2012 -
Unlikely Fan Fiction Crossover Battle: Commander Shepard Versus Sephiroth
As if the Reapers, the Geth and a twisted web of intergalactic political intrigue weren’t enough to deal with, Fan-Fiction.net author Master-of-Mythology has to throw one of Final Fantasy‘s most powerful villains at him. Some days it’s just not worth getting out of bed with Tali. Ah, the heady freedom of being a fan fiction…
By Mike Fahey Published March 12, 2012 -
If Games Can Be Patched, Why Can’t Their Stories?
Who controls the story of a video game—its writers or its players? The obvious answer—that a storyteller is a storyteller, end of discussion—has driven some reporters (including me) to condemn and dismiss the widely-circulated fan petition that asks BioWare to change its ending for Mass Effect 3, the popular sci-fi roleplaying game that came out…
By Jason Schreier Published March 12, 2012 -
Mega Man’s Daddy Says That Japan Needs to Admit That They’ve Lost Video Game Dominance
Keiji Inafune sounded an ominous note at the beginning of his presentation during the Game Developers Conference last week, saying to the audience that “there might be some harsh comments, so please be prepared.” Turns out the trigger warning from one of Japan’s most respected game designers was warranted as he criticized the mindset that’s…
By Evan Narcisse Published March 12, 2012 -
Here is a Video Game You Can Play Against Your Cat
We all love playing games with our cats. Dangling yarn in front of them, throwing balls their way, terrorizing them with a laser pointer—it isn’t fun unless our feline friends are spazzing out and chasing something around the room. But unless you count the time (or times) your cat jumped onto your lap mid-deathmatch, cats…
By Kirk Hamilton Published March 12, 2012