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The Makers of Ratchet and Clank Think Gaming is Too Complex, The Solution? Facebook
The people behind Resistance, Ratchet and Clank and Spyro the Dragon think video games are getting so complex that they’re leaving a huge potential audience behind. Their solution? A Facebook game. “Spyro was a two-button game,” said Brian Hastings, chief creative officer at Insomniac Games. “Ratchet and Clank was an eight-button game. Resistance was an…
By Brian Crecente Published March 22, 2011 -
The Xperia Play Does Horrible Things To One Amazing Lady
Sony Ericsson’s Xperia Play is more than just a mobile phone. It’s a gaming device powerful enough make loveable actress and comedienne Kristen Schaal transform into a dwarf, get possessed by the devil, and play with herself. You might know Kristen Schaal from her role as Mel on Flight of the Conchords, the voice of…
By Mike Fahey Published March 22, 2011 -
Now Is A Good Time For Sony To Remind Us How Good The PlayStation 3 Is At 3D
With the North American release of the Nintendo 3DS right around the corner, Sony releases a sexy infographic declaring it The Year of 3D on the PlayStation 3 System. I’d say there’s room for both the 3DS and the PlayStation 3 when it comes to 3D gaming in 2011. They really are two different animals.…
By Mike Fahey Published March 22, 2011 -
The LEGO Star Wars III: Clone Wars Spill Over Into San Francisco
As thousands of copies of LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars begin appearing at retail locations across the country, LucasArts PR takes the opportunity to take pictures of tiny Star Wars figures in big San Francisco locations. As a toy collector, I find taking pictures of bits of my collection in real-world locations a…
By Mike Fahey Published March 22, 2011 -
Duke Nukem Forever, Portal 2, L.A. Noire And A 3DS Headline An Amazing Video Game Spring
The spring season of video games usually starts busy, then slows. But last year’s spring produced Kotaku’s 2010 Game of The Year and a few GOTY contenders are on the calendar to be released between now and June. Plus there’s this one game that some people have been impatiently awaiting for 15 years. Come get…
By Stephen Totilo Published March 22, 2011 -
Get More Trade-in Power at Best Buy
Holding on to a game you’ve beaten is like keeping a girl’s number who you won’t call again. Sure, it’s a reminder of the good times, but come on, player, it’s time to move on! Good thing Best Buy has recently introduced a game trade-in program, where you can turn stacks of your old qualifying…
Sponsored post Published March 22, 2011 -
“Boxer” Makes Playing Old PC Games on Macs a Snap
Retro PC game players are surely familiar with Dosbox, the top-shelf emulator that makes playing games from the ‘80s and ‘90s possible on modern machines. Boxer is Dosbox shined up for Apple computers. (Some call them “Macs.”) And from what I can tell from my dabbling with Boxer here on my work machine, it’s a…
By Joel Johnson Published March 22, 2011 -
Popcap Raises $200,000 for Earthquake Relief
PopCap’s discounted iPhone and iPad games helped to raise more than $200,000, the company tells Kotaku. The money will be given to the International Red Cross for use in their ongoing efforts to provide food, shelter, medicine and other essentials for those suffering from the natural disaster in Japan.
By Brian Crecente Published March 22, 2011 -
The Great Checkpoints Versus Saving Anywhere, Anytime Debate
Commenter MtlAngelus doesn’t like checkpoints in video games, preferring a system that allows players to save anywhere at any time. Which is better? You decide in today’s Speak-Up on Kotaku. I hate checkpoints. I love being able to save whenever I want. If there’s a point of the game that I really like, I want…
By Mike Fahey Published March 22, 2011 -
How The “Heroes” Of Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One Come Together
Bringing together four leading characters from the Ratchet & Clank series together and making them cooperate to survive is an excellent idea, as long as you’ve got a strong story to back it up. Let’s see how Insomniac does it. Ratchet and his robot buddy Clank are pretty much inseparable, unless the plot calls for…
By Mike Fahey Published March 22, 2011 -
Do You Want a Dog Killer on Your Copy of Madden 2012?
Much has been written about Michael Vick’s dog fighting ring. About the 70 dogs seized, the cruelty they were subjected to and the two year sentence that came when the NFL football player admitted that he pitted dogs against dogs. And killed—with his own hands—the losing animals. The single sentence that seems to best summarize…
By Brian Crecente Published March 22, 2011 -
Talk Amongst Yourselves
If you have anything you want to say about video games today, say it here. This is Kotaku’s official forum, and you’re Kotaku’s official commenters. Thanks to reader KaiserSpiegel for today’s image, which he calls “The miracle of the 1px hitbox.” Submit your image to #TAYpics (Read this thread for directions on how to do…
By Stephen Totilo Published March 22, 2011 -
Underage Kids Enjoy The 3DS
SNAPSHOT | OSAKA, JAPAN: Children that appear under the age of six check out 3D gaming on the 3DS. Nintendo recommends that only players over 6 use the 3D setting. (Photo by Brian Ashcraft) Wake Up, Kotaku Call Of Duty ‘s Cover Competition Has 32 Candidates, And The Fans Are One Never one to let…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 22, 2011 -
Man Gets Full Yakuza Back Tattoo. It’s Valued At Over $9,000.
Back in 2010, Sega held a competition to promote Yakuza 3 with a very dedicated prize: a full back tattoo like the one Yakuza character Kazuma Kiryu sports. Somebody actually won that prize and got the tattoo. The winner was 46-year-old Australian Fari Salievsk, a MMA trainer from New South Wales. The process took six…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 22, 2011 -
Autographed Game Posters, Onlive Game Systems Added to Fundraiser Auction
With just two days until Kotaku’s Japan Earthquake Relief fundraiser, two more companies have sent us silent auction items. Chair Entertainment, makers of Infinity Blade and Shadow Complex, sent us autographed posters of Shadow Complex and Infinity Blade to include in the fundraiser’s silent auction. Onlive sent us three bundles to auction off: 1 –…
By Brian Crecente Published March 22, 2011 -
Jill Valentine In The New Resident Evil Flick Is…
Well, the Jill Valentine in the old Resident Evil film. Actress Sienna Guillory is once again returning to the role. “RE:5 alert! Training begins! I aim to mostly put less in the big hole on the front of my face than comes out of the little one on my arse,” she wrote via Twitter. Guillory…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 22, 2011 -
Nintendo’s 3DS Midnight Launch For NYC
New Yorkers! This Saturday, Nintendo is holding a midnight launch at the Best Buy in Union Square, complete with hands-on demos, entertainment, and schwag giveaways. Playable demos start at noon and wrap up at 8pm. Launch event to follow.
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 22, 2011 -
Otaku Rooms Are Dangerous In Earthquakes
The recent earthquake and tsunami ravaged northeastern Japan, but it also turned much of the Kanto area upside down. Otaku are uploading images of havoc it caused in their nerd kingdoms. Of course, there isn’t even remotely near to the damage caused elsewhere in the country – damage that cost people their homes, lives and…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 22, 2011 -
A Hacker Didn’t Break This Game, He Helped Fix It
New MMO game Rift has had a few problems since launch, one of them being a percentage of user accounts having been compromised. Luckily, an ex-hacker has been able to help plug the leak. A user with the handle ManWitDaPlan was able to identify the issue with the game – which the developers describe as…
By Luke Plunkett Published March 22, 2011