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Watch Kinect Power the Future of Touch-Based Interface
The whole deal with Kinect is that it’s supposed to free you from touching things. But a new implementation might have you being more in touch with the physical world than before. What you’re looking at is an experimental prototype created by Microsoft Research labs designed to make any surface a touch surface. It uses…
By Evan Narcisse Published October 18, 2011 -
Surely the First Console Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Game Wasn’t This Bad
Dorkly’s rewritten the theme song to Konami’s 1989 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game for the NES to reflect the overall quality of the title. Oh come on, it wasn’t that bad, was it? This was the first game I bought (or had my parents buy) based solely on the licensed property represented, and if I…
By Mike Fahey Published October 18, 2011 -
This Secret of Mana Rap Will Make You Wistful
There’s nothing like old-school JRPGs to make you nostalgic, and this rap about the plucky lads from Potos tuugsa at the old heartstrings. But, what this really needs is a video. Can’t be too hard to mock up SNES-era graphics along with this track, right? [Thanks, tipster Larry] You can contact Evan Narcisse, the author…
By Evan Narcisse Published October 18, 2011 -
The Uncharted 3 Fortune Hunters’ Club Is Your Ticket to Discounted DLC
Eschewing the generic Season Pass label many games are using to package together downloadable content, Sony and Naughty Dog opt for the much classier Fortune Hunters’ Club to give Uncharted 3 fans a discounted price on upcoming DLC. Available now for preorder on the PlayStation Store and at select video game retailers, the Uncharted 3…
By Mike Fahey Published October 18, 2011 -
Assassin’s Creed Line Dancing Adds a Little Shake to New York’s Comic-Con
New York Comic-Con’s Just Dance 3 stage was always filled with an interesting mix of cosplayers, but these are my favorite: A dozen assassins from Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed line dancing to Sugarhill Gang’s Jump On It with the help of Ubisoft’s other major hit… Just Dance It’s a tad long, but you should probably skip…
By Brian Crecente Published October 18, 2011 -
Playing with Fire Wants to Crowdsource the (First?) Good Video Game Movie
Even though many directors clearly play video games-Zack Snyder, Guillermo Del Toro and Christopher Nolan come to mind—and acknowledge them as a creative enrterprise, there still hasn’t been a film that compellingly channels the appeal of the medium. Author/critic Harold Goldberg, animator Bill Plympton and artist Dave Lowery thinks it’s because gamers themselves are missing…
By Evan Narcisse Published October 18, 2011 -
A Prime Example of an Exciting New Massively Multiplayer Sci-Fi Epic
Three races vie for control over the one planet in the universe that contains an abundant supply of the element necessary to further technological advancement in Prime: Battle for Dominusm an upcoming science fiction MMO I really should have told you about sooner. What we’re looking at here is actual beta footage of Prime, a…
By Mike Fahey Published October 18, 2011 -
Which Game Is the Best Match for This Steampunk Xbox 360 Controller?
As a trend, steampunk may be yesterday’s fad. And, while this custom controller—created by the folks at MorbidStix— apparently been around for a while, it just popped up into view again. I love the combination of a real-life mechanical act—unlocking the controller with the key-to open up digital worlds. It’s a nice metaphor, almost like…
By Evan Narcisse Published October 18, 2011 -
You Know What Video Games Need? More Wise, Witty, and Lecherous Old Men
Commenter Paradox Me believes there’s plenty of room in video games for more wise, experienced, and humorously nostalgic old men, leading the charge or just kicking back and telling us all about how Speak Up on Kotaku was better when they were kids. Video games need more old-timers, like the three gentlemen you see to…
By Mike Fahey Published October 18, 2011 -
I Wonder What the Skyrim Lawyers Think of This
The movie Immortal will arrive in movie theaters on 11/11/11, according to a poster I saw at my local subway stop in Brooklyn. I associate that date with another upcoming release: the video game Skyrim I may have made the connection because effective marketing has ingrained the 11/11/11 release date in my brain as the…
By Stephen Totilo Published October 18, 2011 -
Talk Amongst Yourselves: Off the Record
Today’s Talk Amongst Yourselves is the same as last year’s TAY, except for one thing. This is still our daily forum where you can talk about games. But last year, Chuck Greene was welcome. Not this time. No, this time, we welcome Frank West. Thanks to reader Pan1da7 for today’s image (and who also did…
By Stephen Totilo Published October 18, 2011 -
Should You Buy Rocksmith? No.
Today marks the release of Ubisoft’s Rocksmith, a music game that may seem a bit on the late end of the Great Music Game Craze of 2009. All the same, it comes with a tantalizing promise: it allows players to plug a real guitar into their game console via a 1/4 inch-to-USB cable and play…
By Kirk Hamilton Published October 18, 2011 -
Mooncraft is Like Minecraft. On the Moon.
There’s a point that a shameless rip-off of a more well-known, established game can be not quite shameless enough to be barred from Apple’s App Store. And Mooncraft knows the point well. The game is a shameless rip-off of indie smash hit Minecraft. Utterly shameless. From the world design to your inventory management to your…
By Luke Plunkett Published October 18, 2011 -
Real Cars Versus Virtual Ones
The Benz | TOKYO, JAPAN: Sony held a GT5 event in Roppongi. (Photo: Game Watch Impress) Don’t Get Mad at Need for Speed: The Run‘s Biggest Star Mad Men star Christina Hendricks’ latest role? Need for Speed: The Run According to PopWatch, the actress will play a character by the name of Sam Harper. More »…
By Brian Ashcraft Published October 18, 2011 -
China’s First Game Console Dated and Priced
The iSec, Lenovo’s home game console, was supposed to be out this fall. According to Chinese reports, it will get a limited release this December in the Mainland. Previously called the eBox, the iSec has Kinect-style controls and will cost 3,000 yuan (US$470). How iSec’s release will factor into China’s ban on game consoles, we…
By Brian Ashcraft Published October 18, 2011 -
Japanese English Versus Siri
Siri is not only miffed by Scottish English, it also doesn’t follow English spoken with a Japanese accent. “Work” and “walk” are notoriously difficult for Japanese speakers—largely because the Japanese loan word for “work” is “waaku” (ワーク). Japanese people are used to saying “waaku” for “work”. The gentlemen who recorded this video has a good…
By Brian Ashcraft Published October 18, 2011 -
3DS Monster Hunter Won’t Have Online
One of the things that impressed me most about the 3DS was its online. With the 3DS, Nintendo has delivered a solid online experience—an experience that will be M.I.A. for Monster Hunter 3G It is possible to get online with Monster Hunter 3DS to do things like download event quests. You just won’t be able…
By Brian Ashcraft Published October 18, 2011 -
Professor Layton: The Arcade Game?
Level-5, the studio responsible for Professor Layton, is working on a new piece of game hardware: An all-purpose arcade cabinet for its games. Dubbed “Level-5 Station”, the cabinet will be capable of playing customized versions of Level-5 console games altered specifically for this general purpose cabinet. The cabinet features a 32-inch monitor and the ability…
By Brian Ashcraft Published October 18, 2011 -
New Syndicate Trailer Tries to Remind us About the Old Syndicate Game
This new trailer for Starbreeze’s upcoming Syndicate shooter tries to show the common ground between the 1993 original and this new reboot. Those who really have no idea about Syndicate, but enjoyed Starbreeze’s work on games like Riddick, it’ll be interesting! Those who enjoyed the original Syndicate and loathe the idea of a first-person shooter…
By Luke Plunkett Published October 18, 2011 -
There’s a Mystery DC Superhero Game Coming in 2012
In an interview with the LA Times, Warner Bros.’ Martin Tremblay, president of the company’s video games division, gets to talking about their “tent-pole strategy”, based around big, quality games. Tremblay of course name-drops Batman: Arkham City, and another Warner hit of 2011, Mortal Kombat, but near the end of the interview mentions something interesting.…
By Luke Plunkett Published October 18, 2011