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Blizzard Is Trying To Teach Computers To Spot Overwatch Jerks
Despite arriving too late to prevent what some might call a full-blown crisis, Overwatch’s anti-toxicity efforts seem to be bearing fruit. The next step in the battle, says game director Jeff Kaplan, might be having computers, not humans, find the bad actors. “We’ve been experimenting with machine learning,” Kaplan told me during an interview at…
By Nathan Grayson Published April 3, 2018 -
How Ubisoft Makes So Many Assassin’s Creed Games
There has been one major new Assassin’s Creed game every year since 2007, except for the two years they skipped and the one year when they made two. It’s never been a secret that Ubisoft rotates teams, but it’s never been as clear how they do it until a talk given by the head of…
By Stephen Totilo Published April 3, 2018 -
PUBG‘s New Map Is The Most Fun I’ve Had Since Launch
This week, a limited amount of players can test the latest map in PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, codenamed “Savage.” This map is significantly smaller than the game’s other two maps. The resulting action provides a breath of fresh air, kicking Battlegrounds’ usually deliberate pacing into something much more frantic. Savage is a tropical island that gives the…
By Heather Alexandra Published April 3, 2018 -
D.Va Makes Life Difficult For Overwatch‘s Developers
Between her mech and her true, Dorito-munching gremlin form, D.Va is basically two characters in one. That’s led to problems behind the scenes of Overwatch. A lot of problems. During a roundtable interview at Blizzard HQ yesterday, Overwatch assistant director Aaron Keller explained that, of all 27 of the game’s current heroes, D.Va is definitely…
By Nathan Grayson Published April 3, 2018 -
I’ve Learned To Love All The Finicky Things About PC Gaming
Last week, I tried to get a game running on my computer. Something was weird. I went to Google and found a very specific list of instructions for how to fix it. A few minutes later, I’d solved the problem. If you have spent any time with PC gaming, you almost certainly have your own…
By Jason Schreier Published April 3, 2018 -
A Brief History Of Steam Machines [UPDATE]
Remember Steam Machines? Valve’s console-style gaming PC rigs meant for the living room felt like they might revolutionize gaming when they were first announced. A few years later, they’re mostly forgotten. Even Valve is ready to turn the page on that chapter: It recently removed them from the front page of Steam. Since it seems…
By Ethan Gach Published April 3, 2018 -
25 Great Games You Can Play On Laptops and Low-End PCs
Just because you don’t have access to the fanciest gear around doesn’t mean you have to play subpar games. Even if you’re on a potato computer or low-end PC, there’s plenty out there for you to enjoy. Here are some of Kotaku’s top picks for quality games that should run on almost anything. Into The…
By Patricia Hernandez Published April 3, 2018 -
PUBG’s New Map Codename: Savage with Heather!
Heather checks out the latest invite-only map for PUBG called Codename: Savage! Join us on YouTube live!
Paul Tamayo & Heather Alexandra Published April 3, 2018 -
April is the first month beyond Ubisoft’s DLC roadmap for Assassin’s Creed Origins. With it, the company has announced a tool called the Animus Control Panel that will let players tweak 75 settings in the game. Ubi PR tells us it’s “only planned for PC at this time.” That’s a wrap on new Origins content,…
By Stephen Totilo Published April 3, 2018 -
The Best Video Games To Play With Kids
If you’re into games yourself, playing video games with kids can be one of the great joys of parenthood (or aunt/unclehood, or godparenthood). It can also be a total pain in the ass. Trying to play a co-op game with a small child is often an excruciating exercise. You might imagine cherishable hours spent playing…
By Keza MacDonald Published April 3, 2018 -
Ghost Recon Wildlands will get a Special Operations update on April 10. It’s one of four free updates coming in year two that include story missions, PvP modes, and additional features. The first adds Sabotage multiplayer and five maps along with the ability to customize AI teammates in the campaign.
By Ethan Gach Published April 3, 2018 -
Sea of Thieves Is Empty Right Now, But We’re Still Having Fun
With Sea of Thieves officially out for a couple of weeks now, much of the discussion seems to have revolved around the lack of stuff to do. At Kotaku, many of us have found a ton of fun with the game. I asked our resident captains Chris Person, Heather Alexandra and Tim Rogers to sit…
Paul Tamayo & Tim Rogers & Heather Alexandra Published April 3, 2018 -
Far Cry 5‘s Religious Radio Station Reveals A Different Side Of The Game
Growing up as a Jewish kid, I had a guilty pleasure. Every Saturday night at midnight, I would close my bedroom door, turn down the sound on my little TV, and sneakily watch Christian rock videos on the religious channel TBN. Lately, I’ve been doing roughly the same thing with Far Cry 5’s cult radio…
By Riley MacLeod Published April 3, 2018 -
A Call of Duty: WWII ‘Memory Error’ Is Booting Players From Games
Call of Duty: WWII players say a widespread error has been mucking up their online play for weeks. Some say the error, which kicks them out of games, occurs for them daily and makes the game very difficult to play online. Since mid-March, players say, the so-called “memory error” has been removingplayers on all platformsfrom…
By Cecilia D'Anastasio Published April 3, 2018 -
Chrono Trigger PC Will Get Patched To Add The Original Graphics
In February, publisher Square Enix surprised everyone with the release of Chrono Trigger on PC, leading to a rollercoaster of emotions as fans first grew elated to have new access to a classic game, then disappointed when they saw what it looked like. Today, the publisher says it’s hoping to change that. “We have been…
By Jason Schreier Published April 3, 2018 -
Man Attempts Suicide After Internet Idol’s Retirement
According to Taiwanese news reports, a 48-year-old Japanese man attempted to kill himself this weekend after an internet idol Zhou Yingxin announced her retirement. Thankfully, his attempt was unsuccessful. Note: If you are ever considering taking your own life, please know that there are people who will listen and can help Taiwan News and the…
By Brian Ashcraft Published April 3, 2018 -
Six Months After Release, Shadow Of War Will Remove Microtransactions
Middle Earth: Shadow of War, a game whose loot box system helped spark 2017’s backlash against the practice, is removing all forms of real-money purchases later this year. Publisher Warner Bros. announced the move in a community post earlier today, saying: The core promise of the Nemesis System is the ability to build relationships with…
By Luke Plunkett Published April 2, 2018