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Omni Consumer Products Comes Through
Hey, Kotaku. Today started off bad with a dickish e-mail, but was redeemed by the completed funding of a Robocop statue. You know, the one proposed to be erected in Detroit? If you didn’t hear, the tweet turned fundraiser for a full-size bronze statue of Robocop may become reality now that $50,000-plus has been raised…
By Michael McWhertor Published February 16, 2011 -
Vegas Entrepreneur Bets on an Arcade
Fremont Street in Las Vegas is where you find the low rollers. The five-dollar tables and four-dollar steaks. It’s a district with lower rents and higher ambitions, and that’s where one gaming-themed bar is set to open this spring. Insert Coin(s) will be a gaming lounge that resembles “Tron meets Blade Runner,” says its owner,…
By Owen Good Published February 16, 2011 -
More Than 100,000 Register for APB Reboot
When it stopped taking applications last night, the new owner of APB, the cops-and-robbers MMO, said it had more than 100,000 requests to participate in the beta for APB: Reloaded, a free-to-play reboot. Those who signed up for the subscription-based MMO, which collapsed three months after launch, were invited back to the game by new…
By Owen Good Published February 16, 2011 -
Seven Left 4 Dead Posters From An Alternate Universe
Here’s a look at seven early concept designs for Valve’s Left 4 Dead, posters that blur the line between the 2008 original game for PC and Xbox 360, and Left 4 Dead 2, released one year later. Seen at a Valve game artist’s online portfolio, they feature environments familiar to Left 4 Dead 2 players,…
By Michael McWhertor Published February 16, 2011 -
StarCraft Modder ‘Could Be Looking at Offers’ — Including from StarCraft’s Maker
StarCraft’s top designer called last month’s stir over a “World of Starcraft” mod “a big misunderstanding,” but said the mod’s creator could be seeing job offers down the road, possibly from StarCraft’s studio itself. Dustin Browder, the game design director for StarCraft II, told Eurogamer that his shop wants to shake Ryan Winzen’s hand “and…
By Owen Good Published February 16, 2011 -
That Lady Is A Spy!
Artist and mod-maker Shaylyn “ChemicalAlia” Hamm releases her latest gender-swapping creation for Team Fortress 2, the female Spy. Hamm’s already released more feminine version’s of TF2’s Medic and Heavy classes, complete with replacement sound packs, a series we hope continues. The Female Spy pack is available from TF2mods.net and Game Banana if you’re looking for…
By Michael McWhertor Published February 16, 2011 -
Bug-Free Black Ops, A Grim Joker and How You Are the Future of Gaming
I spent about three hours out of the house today as the future owners of chateau Crecente had the place inspected. Weird feeling, makes me a little melancholy. But New York should be exciting. Call of Duty Creators Say Your Bugs Were “Edge Cases” I have very publicly championed Call of Duty: Black Ops. I…
By Brian Crecente Published February 16, 2011 -
Sega Genesis Games Come To PlayStation Plus
In the unlikely event that you don’t already have Sonic The Hedgehog in a dozen other forms, you’ll soon have one more option to play Sega Genesis classics. Sega’s bringing its 16-bit hits to the PlayStation Network piecemeal. The best part? PlayStation Plus subscribers will get those games for free—with a limited download window and…
By Michael McWhertor Published February 16, 2011 -
A Game That Stares a Laser Beam Through You
Security cameras rarely send the message you’re in a safe area. Their presence usually more likely mean you’re somewhere someone expects something to go wrong. Surveillant expands on this sense of menace, making the camera an adversary, not a friend. Surveillant, for the iPhone and iPod Touch, is a sleek 3D platformer that offers some…
By Owen Good Published February 16, 2011 -
Post-Apocalyptic Pac-Man On The Run
Mitch Loidolt‘s rad Pac-Man inspired design is up for vote at Threadless! “A survivor in a post-apocalyptic world evades deadly phantoms at every turn. Living off of canned fruit, his only glimmer of hope is a fabled power source that will vanquish the undead and restore hope to humanity.” Vapor Chase by Mitch Loidolt (Blog)…
By Michael McWhertor Published February 16, 2011 -
A Real-Time Strategy Game Of Thrones
The bloody conflict in the Kingdom of Westeros comes to life in the first screens of A Game of Thrones: Genesis, the real-time strategy game based on acclaimed fantasy author George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire saga. French developer Cyanide Studio revealed its plan to develop games based on Martin’s beloved works…
By Mike Fahey Published February 16, 2011 -
The Wonderfully Depressing PixelJunk Video Game Commercial
You might describe the downloadable PlayStation 3 games in the PixelJunk series as “artsy,” “old-school” or even “very good.” They’re like 21st century Atari games. But would you expect a commercial for the next one, PixelJunk Shooter 2, to feature a man drinking his sorrows away? Until they get to the eggplant part, this spot…
By Stephen Totilo Published February 16, 2011 -
Tales of the World, Tales of Zombie Cowboys Take Japan By Storm
Japan continues to show a lot of love for the PlayStation Portable, with Namco’s role-playing game Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology 3 securing the top spot on the country’s bestsellers list. That’s followed closely by more Japanese centric fare, Sengoku Musou 3 Z for the PlayStation 3. Along with Monster Hunter Portable 3rd in…
By Michael McWhertor Published February 16, 2011 -
The Most Heartbreaking Zombie Video Game Trailer You’ll Ever See
It’s been more than three years since we last heard any news on Techland’s zombie survival horror game Dead Island. Now it’s back, with a trailer demonstrating that not even children are safe from the undead hordes. When last we saw Dead Island it was heading for a 2008 release on the Xbox 360 and…
By Mike Fahey Published February 16, 2011 -
First Details On Sony’s Weird PlayStation Tablet
Sony has another PlayStation-powered product coming in the form of an unusual Android-based tablet device, reportedly dubbed the “S1.” Like the recently (and finally) confirmed Xperia Play phone from Sony Ericsson, the rumored gaming tablet will also play PSone games. Engadget reports first details on Sony’s foray into gaming tablets will be powered by its…
By Michael McWhertor Published February 16, 2011 -
How Humanity Can Beat That Jeopardy Super-Computer (Maybe)
The IBM super-computer Watson that obliterated its human competition on the trivia show Jeopardy last night has one more chance to humiliate the species tonight. Game designer Frank Lantz, however, believes we can strike back at Jeopardy-winning machines. “It’s all about the buzzer,” Lantz wrote on Twitter. “Watson has some kind of built in buzz…
By Stephen Totilo Published February 16, 2011 -
The Secret to Making Amazing Franchises? Fans
The future of gaming isn’t about a proliferation of platforms, it’s about an abundance of stories and making something that transcends those platforms to become a pastime. Speaking to a gathering of game developer luminaries last week at the DICE Summit, Jade Raymond explained her philosophy on making not just a game, but a franchise.…
By Brian Crecente Published February 16, 2011 -
Bejeweled Proposed As A Clinical Treatment For Depression And Anxiety
While more mainstream video games are under fire for causing depression, a new study at East Carolina University finds that playing casual puzzle games is an effective way to combat clinical depression and anxiety. Guess who underwrote the study? East Carolina University’s Psychophysiology Lab and Biofeedback Clinic have spent the past year putting 60 test…
By Mike Fahey Published February 16, 2011 -
Are These The Top 50 Video Game Characters Of All Time?
Guinness asked gamers to vote for the top 50 video game characters of all time, so if your favorite character is not represented in this list you probably should have voted harder. More than 13,000 gamers cast their vote at the Guinness World Records Gamer’s Edition website in order to create this list, and it…
By Mike Fahey Published February 16, 2011 -
Sony Lays Down The Law On PlayStation 3 Hacking
With the PlayStation 3 cracked wide open and alleged console hackers being taken to court, Sony Computer Entertainment America issues a statement today warning users that the use of “unauthorized circumvention devices” will be met with swift, meaningless justice. As the private cryptography key that allows hackers to run unauthorized and pirated software on the…
By Mike Fahey Published February 16, 2011