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Research proves online gaming at work is good for you – and for your boss
Are you in danger of getting fired because of too much gaming at work? If so, here’s a scientific study you need to know about (and perhaps slip into the “to-read” pile on your boss’s desk): “Games at work: the recreational use of computer games during working hours.” In this study, the European author (+1…
Meredith Carpenter and Lillian Fritz-Laylin Published March 4, 2011 -
What Are You Playing This Weekend?
When this editor gets home from GDC 2011, the first thing he’ll be doing is buying a copy of Dead Space 2 add-on Severed. Slaying more necromorphs is just the kind of catharsis I could use right now. The rest of the weekend will likely be spent writing, not playing. Previews of Trenched, Mortal Kombat,…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 4, 2011 -
Homefront Multiplayer Destroys A Perfectly Good White Castle
I don’t care which players are playing which side in this new trailer for THQ’s Homefront; when a White Castle goes up in flames, everybody loses. We don’t have White Castle here in Georgia, so I’m forced to pretend to care about video game events held in states that do house the fine establishments in…
By Mike Fahey Published March 4, 2011 -
A New Look At Dark Souls Proves Wolves, Made Giant, Are Fucking Cool
Spoiler alert! New screens of Demon’s Souls successor Dark Souls reveal what appear to be some of the game’s colossal boss monsters and, perhaps, some new gameplay facets of From Software’s spiritual sequel. We’ve seen some before, like that fanged vagina horror (which actually appears to be a massive dragon with ribs to spare), but…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 4, 2011 -
Keyboard-Friendly Robotic Hand Is Probably Harmless
One thing ever fledgling robotic killing machine needs is a good pair of hands, deft enough to type but strong enough to choke the life out of its victims. Virginia Tech’s DART is a good start. Robotic hands have been around since the dawn of artificial man, but they haven’t been very good. They get…
By Mike Fahey Published March 4, 2011 -
Americans Making A Japanese B-Movie Game Might Not Be Blasphemy
The next Earth Defense Force game, another in the line of giant bug-killing shoot ’em ups, is being made by an American team, not original developer Sandlot. Maybe it’s the best thing to ever happen to Earth Defense Force… Vicious Cycle’s take on on the B-movie brand of arcadey third person shooting action, Earth Defense…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 4, 2011 -
A Role-Playing Game That Makes You Pay For Your Party Members [Update]
During my play through of role-playing game Hyperdimension Neptunia I am delighted to welcome a new character into my party, but the NIS America-inspired Nisa won’t fight with me or gain experience. She just sits there, until I pay. Nisa is one of two game developer-inspired characters (along with Gust) that join your party on…
By Mike Fahey Published March 4, 2011 -
Hybrid Turns Shooters Upside Down With A New Way To Deathmatch
The next great innovation in shooting video game bad guys is focused not on our virtual guns, but on our virtual feet. The remarkable and unusual new twist replaces walking and running with something harder to describe, something that is just as surprising as the fact that the game in which it debuts, is a…
By Stephen Totilo Published March 4, 2011 -
Minecraft Maker Promises No Minecraft 2, Rejoices In Fake Awards
The truth of the matter is that Minecraft maestro Markus “Notch” Persson won five awards at the Game Developers Conference this week: an audience choice award, an indie grand prize, a best downloadable game trophy, another for innovation and one for best debut game. That’s truth. Most of the interview I did with him after…
By Stephen Totilo Published March 4, 2011 -
That Heartbreaking Dead Island Family? They’re Not In The Game
The little girl doesn’t die. She’s already dead. Dead Island captured a lot of attention with a heart-rending trailer that showed in reverse the death of a little girl and her family during an outbreak on the island resort of Banoi. It’s an unsettling 90 seconds of video that makes promises on which the game…
By Brian Crecente Published March 4, 2011 -
The Old Republic‘s Bounty Hunter Doesn’t Shoot First
Was Boba Fett a Powertech or a Mercenary? BioWare has updated its Star Wars: The Old Republic page with everything you need to know about Bounty Hunters, the class Empire players will turn to once they’re done waving lightsabers around. Star Wars: The Old Republic will allow bounty hunter hopefuls to don the distinctive armor…
By Mike Fahey Published March 4, 2011 -
Why All The Call Of Duty Hate?
Today in Speak-Up on Kotaku, commenter WhoKnew? wants to know where all of the Call of Duty hate is coming from. Is it just because it’s beautiful? So, Kotaku-ians, why all the Call of Duty hate? Sure, people don’t like Kotick and his DLC antics. Sure, the games been running on the same engine since…
By Mike Fahey Published March 4, 2011 -
A Meaningful PS3 Game in Four Post Cards
Okabu has players cleaning up a planet fouled by machines, pollution and littering with the help of ridable anthropomorphic clouds. Each postcard shows a glance at one of the four levels of the PS3 game developed by Handcircus, makers of Rolando.
By Brian Crecente Published March 4, 2011 -
Remembering Old Man Murray, the Website That Rebooted Games Journalism
Our friends at Rock, Paper, Shotgun, the PC gaming partisans, uncovered a bit of a snarl in the Wikipedia page for now-primordeal gaming protoblog, Old Man Murray. An overzealous—or perhaps simply vindictive—Wikipedia editor had deemed the entry about OMM “unnotable” and fit for deletion. But within 24 hours, RPS had mustered such overwhelming support from…
By Joel Johnson Published March 4, 2011 -
Oh How They Danced, The Starter Pokémon Of Stonehenge
At last night’s Pokémon Black & White premiere party in London the starters batted cleanup for vocal group One Direction, taking the stage to show off the sort of moves no trainer can teach. There’s only so much dancing one can do while stuffed inside a giant Tepig, Oshawott, or Snivy costume, but these three…
By Mike Fahey Published March 4, 2011 -
Talk Amongst Yourselves
Once there was an official Kotaku forum, where gamers could talk about gaming, but only the wisest and most beautiful readers could even see posts related to it. Congratulations! Thanks to reader ARYXANDRE for today’s Marvel Vs. Saints 3 image. Submit yours to #TAYpics. (Grab this month’s source image here and feel free to present…
By Mike Fahey Published March 4, 2011 -
Nazi Outfits, Ditching 3D And Eating A Hamburger
Mmmmm…hamburger. You know I love hamburgers. Man, I love hamburgers. This burger tastes way better than I thought it would. I was kind of surprised! Why I Stopped Playing The 3DS In 3D Tomorrow will mark my one week anniversary of owning a Nintendo 3DS. I’m happy with the handheld — it’s a peach. However,…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 4, 2011 -
Which Did Better — The 3DS Or The DS?
On December 2, 2004, the Nintendo DS went on sale in Japan. The 3DS went on sale in February 26. The consoles are different, but in many ways, similar. So which one did better out of the gate? The Nintendo 3DS sold 374,764 units in its first week on sale. Since the portable was released…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 4, 2011 -
Old GameCubes Get An Extra Life In Office Supplies
The GameCube was a fantastic little machine that never quite lived up to its potential. Even though the Wii can play GameCube games, don’t toss your console out. You can convert it to hold office supplies. The disc tray can be modified to hold thumb tacks and the vents are perfect for paper clips. Sticks…
By Brian Ashcraft Published March 4, 2011