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Spelunking Through ‘Heavy Rain’s’ plot holes [Spoilers]

I enjoyed Quantic Dream’s Heavy Rain, but I wanted to love it. The game’s marriage of mature story with populist design and easy-to-grasp controls show what we should come to expect from single-player, interactive entertainment. It’s a video game for the folks who aren’t skilled enough to enjoy playing Modern Warfare 2 online or willing…

Red Dead Redemption Shoots You Right In The Facebook

Fans eagerly awaiting next month’s release of Red Dead Redemption should mosey on over to Rockstar’s Gunslingers Facebook app, where they can work out their frustrations against each other the old-fashioned way – with a barrage of hot lead. Red Dead Redemption: Gunslingers is a Facebook app that sees players shooting it out for top…

Ex-Modern Warfare Creators Haven’t Hatched New Game Idea Yet, Won’t Make Battlefield

They say they don’t even know what their next game will be yet. But the former lead men behind Modern Warfare 2 tell Kotaku that their new company, Respawn Entertainment, will make something big that won’t be “exploited.” “Honestly the sky’s the limit in what we can do,” Vince Zampella said in a phone interview…

Capcom’s Annual Private Game Fest Promises to Captivate

Each year, Capcom hosts a big event to show off its year’s worth of games, bringing together international game writers, its developers and a few lucky fans. This year, Captivate kicks off on Tuesday in Honolulu, Hawaii. While we don’t yet know what they’ll be showing, it promises to be a revealing week of hands-ons,…

Rapping About Super Smash Bros. Brawl Is Almost A Trend

People are rapping about the Wii’s Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Here’s one from 2010. (Rapper D Ciano: “This Is How I Smash Brothers, When I Brawl.”) Below you’ll find another from 2009. Three would be a trend, right? Thanks, WrightCJ!

There’s A Ghost Recon Prize In Every Box Of Splinter Cell: Conviction

Ubisoft drops new details on the latest game in their modern warfare franchise, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, with a reminder that every copy of Splinter Cell: Conviction will come packed with an invite to this summer’s multiplayer beta. Splinter Cell: Conviction launches tomorrow in North America, and as promised, players who pick up…

Master WarioWare: D.I.Y., Make Us a Game, Win a HUGE Prize

Impress us! You can create some pretty amazing games with WarioWare: D.I.Y., but can you create some pretty amazing Kotaku games? We’re kicking off a contest today to see who can make the best Kotaku-themed WarioWare mini-game. Think of it is a Photoshop contest for budding game developers. Oh, and it’s not just Internet fame…

Halo: Reach Multiplayer Map Screens

New South Australian Attorney-General Is Not Pro R18+

Reports that South Australia’s replacement attorney-general supported a R18+ rating for video games turn out to be premature, as John Rau reveals he has “no preconceptions” about the issue whatsoever. Late last month we reported that John Rau, the replacement for former South Australian anti-R18+ attorney general Michael Atkinson, was in favor of allowing video…

FarmVille Creators Take On The Wild Frontier

Masters of the Ville Zynga are making a move into Oregon Trail territory with FrontierVille, the latest social game to devour the time and productivity of people the world over. TechCruch caught sight of Zynga’s latest, FrontierVille, while poking about Facebook on a developer test account. From the sighting they pulled the logo seen here,…

Talk Amongst Yourselves

Water levels in video games get all the special attention. This Monday, TAY celebrates desert levels… or, really, anything you want to talk about here that is video-game-related. Confused about commenting on Kotaku? Read our FAQ

My Favorite Cereal Is…

To: Crecente From: Bashcraft Weetabix. It’s so great. So, so great. I think I’m gonna go have a bowl right now. Watch out! What you missed last night Modern Warfare 2 Guest Stars On Family Guy Look At The New Pokemon Series Sony’s Motion Controller Has A New Name Our Definitions For 2D And 3D…

The Accidental Preacher

Traditionally, historically, video games and religion don’t mix. Make a game with strong religious context that deals seriously with the issues and you’re often left with something heavy-handed, preachy and self-righteous. Make a strong video game that is fun to play that also happens to include religion and often you’re left with something distasteful. But…

Bulletstorm To Feature “Outrageously Large Guns”

No game can wait for Jimmy Fallon, it seems. Bulletstorm, one of the two games expected to be announced on NBC late night tonight by Gears of War creator Cliff Bleszinski, just got another outing, complete with more wild details. Bulletstorm emerged on Friday on the cover of the next Game Informer, with some basic…

Ousted Modern Warfare 2 Creators Respawn, Sign With Former Rivals

The drama involving the creators of one of the biggest franchises in gaming continues as Jason West and Vince Zampella, the fired former lead creators of Modern Warfare 2, have formed a new company, Respawn Entertainment. EA, their formal rival, is backing. [UPDATE: Check out Kotaku’s interview with West and Zampella about Respawn Entertainment.] The…

They’re Gonna Make An Apocalypse Now Game? Really?

Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 Vietnam War epic Apocalypse Now could very well be getting a video game. Oh dear. Earlier this January, Killspace Entertainment, a new developer with designers from an array of studios like Pandemic, Obsidian and EALA, licensed web domains apocalypsenowgame.com and warisnotagame.net The studio is currently working on an original title as…

Sci-Fi Author: Halo Full of “Bull**** Archetypal Characters”

You might like Halo. You might not. Crysis 2 lead writer and sci-fi novelist Richard Morgan says he doesn’t like Halo at all “I don’t like the Halo series at all,” says Morgan, best known for his dystopian novel Altered Carbon. “Okay Halo is not actually bad, it’s just, you know, average.” Average? Do explain!…

Call Of Duty: Battle Of The Activision Logo [Update]

The courtroom drama unfolding over the Call of Duty franchise is in many ways big, and important, and heavy, but it’s not entirely without petty crap. Take Modern Warfare 2’s use (or, not) of the Activision logo, for example. Seems that while a wrangle was going on behind the scenes prior to Modern Warfare 2’s…

Online Gaming Rig Redefines The Meaning Of “Multiplayer”

This guy doesn’t just play massively-multiplayer title EVE Online. He plays it as multiple characters, so that he can get more of the good stuff. Thing is, he doesn’t use software. He does it the old-fashioned way. Multiple monitors, multiple mice, even multiple keyboards, all connected with conduit pipe and, of all things, dowel. At…

Our Definitions For 2D And 3D Are Broken, Please Fix

For years now, video games have been divided into two categories: 2D and 3D. With the advent of 3D televisions and portable consoles, those definitions might be antiquated. Time for an update! 2D video games refer to action happening on a 2D plane and typically are either side-scrolling or vertically-scrolling. What’s more, the characters and…