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Actor Who Portrayed Half-Life 2’s Villain is Dead at 79
Robert Culp, known to some as the voice of Dr. Wallace Breen of Half-Life 2, to others as FBI Agent Bill Maxwell on “The Greatest American Hero,” died today in Los Angeles. He was 79. Significant though it was to gamers, Culp’s role as the director of the doomed Black Mesa Research Facility was far…
By Owen Good Published March 24, 2010 -
Want Free Tickets to PAX East?
Then you better head on over to Evil Avatar where they have two Red (three-day) passes to the big show in Boston. The tickets, which they will be giving away to a lucky, random forum poster tomorrow morning, don’t include transportation, accommodations or food. It’s just access baby, access to the greatest show in Boston,…
By Brian Crecente Published March 24, 2010 -
New Kong King’s Record Chase Almost Dethroned His Toilet
The newly minted world record holder in Donkey Kong didn’t have a lot of space in his high-rise condo. So when he brought home an arcade cabinet, one of three things had to go: sofa, fridge, or commode. Hank Chien (pictured) told Details magazine that he jokingly passed that ultimatum to his brother, with whom…
By Owen Good Published March 24, 2010 -
A Bizarre Expansion To The Blur Beta
Activision and Bizarre Creations continue to refine the online experience of upcoming combat racer Blur, increasing the rank cap and allowing testers to unlock new cars, challenges, and mods. I don’t know about you, but I’m used to a multiplayer beta test for a console game that starts, stops, and is finished. That’s not the…
By Mike Fahey Published March 24, 2010 -
Hugo-Nominated Sci-Fi Author Convicted in Border Melee
Dystopian science fiction author and video game story contributor Peter Watts faces up to two years in prison and a $5,000 fine after being found guilty of assaulting, resisting and obstructing a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer last year. Watts was arrested in December at the Blue Water Bridge border crossing between the United…
By Mike Fahey Published March 24, 2010 -
Here’s One Way to Make a Pirate Pay — Dearly
It’d be rather embarrassing to be publicly outed as an erotic novel aficionado, especially one that supports a USB attachment that gets you off while playing it. This happened to some Japanese file-sharers who thought they were pirating a game. Someone took advantage of the interest in Cross Days, an erotic visual novel now out…
By Owen Good Published March 24, 2010 -
Spring Blizzard
To: Ash From: Crecente Re: Am I Old Fashioned For Liking Flat Things? Yesterday was a beautiful early spring day, but by evening thick clouds had rolled in and suddenly the view out my window went completely opaque with billowing snow. This morning I woke up to find just over a foot of wet, heavy…
By Brian Crecente Published March 24, 2010 -
Vote Kratos, Forza Italia!
Elections are this weekend in Italy, where apparently a Greek is eligible to run for regional president. That billboard, which recently went up in Italy, reads “Vote Kratos: To save this city we need a real leader.” It’s one of two Sony’s cooked up specifically for Italy. Another touts Madison from Heavy Rain: “Make the…
By Owen Good Published March 24, 2010 -
Portable 3DS News Jump Starts Nintendo Cottage Industry
Nintendo isn’t the only company seeing a jump in value after announcing that they plan to release a 3D version of their popular DS portable console. Bloomberg reports that companies that provide parts to Nintendo have also soon a jump in value, some as much as 10 percent, after news of the 3DS broke. “It’s…
By Brian Crecente Published March 24, 2010 -
To Do In Boston: Kotaku Friday Party, Kotaku Saturday Panel
Kotaku is going to Boston to have a party at PAX East, to determine the 10 greatest games of all time and to teach Penny Arcade how to spell. All your planning details are here. KOTAKU: THE PARTY On Friday night, Kotaku friends and foes aged 21 or over are invited to drop by our…
By Stephen Totilo Published March 24, 2010 -
This Week In Comics
None of the non-video game comics hitting shops in the U.S. this week really jump out at me, so let’s stick with the three gaming comics of the week, including Felicia Day’s first issue of The Guild. Resident Evil #4 of 6 Written by Rick Sanchez and drawn by Jheremy Raapack and Ed Benes. Summary…
By Stephen Totilo Published March 24, 2010 -
Robot Gives The Finger To Portable Touch Screens
If you’ve ever played a game on a touch screen device, you know just how important it is that the screen recognize, perfectly, what you’re stylus or finger is up to at any given moment. And, it turns out, that one touch screen is not like another, according to this touchy robot and its tests…
By Brian Crecente Published March 24, 2010 -
Speak-Up On Kotaku: Concept Art, Zelda Cellos, Stargates, and D.C. Wastes
In this week’s installment of Speak-Up on Kotaku, Dracosummoner, Azel, Guru Smooth, and Taggart6 talks about the beauty of concept art, the sights pf pre-apocalyptic D.C., cello music, and Stargate SG-1. Don’t like the gallery layout? Click here to view everything on one page. About Speak-Up on Kotaku: Our readers have a lot to say,…
By Mike Fahey Published March 24, 2010 -
A Frank And Funny Hour With Red Steel 2’s Top Man
Would you like to hear a developer speak freely about making a sequel to a game that was panned? Red Steel 2’s Jason VandenBerghe did that today, from Paris. You can download one of our best hours of audio now. This week’s episode of Kotaku Talk Radio features frank discussion between Jason, us and some…
By Stephen Totilo Published March 24, 2010 -
“Love” Is The Game That Earns You Respect, Breaks The World Of Warcraft Rules
“My goal is not to make you more powerful than other people,” Eskil Steenberg, the video game developer recently told Kotaku, as he explained which video game design rule he is breaking. “It is to let you be more respected.” Eskil Steenberg’s ambitious video game Love, a game he made by himself, officially launches tomorrow.…
By Stephen Totilo Published March 24, 2010 -
Sony’s Online Spring Sale Includes Half-Priced Games, Promised Bee Outfit
Just because a Spring blizzard just dumped a foot of snow on my house last night doesn’t mean that other people can’t enjoy a bit of spring fever. Starting tomorrow, March 25, and running through June 1, an assortment of Playstation 3 and PSP games are getting 50 percent off as part of Sony’s annual…
By Brian Crecente Published March 24, 2010 -
Pinball Wizards Take A Shot At Mini-Golf
The studio behind Zen Pinball and Pinball FX takes the ball out of the table and onto the green with Planet MiniGolf, coming this spring to the PlayStation Network. Zen Studios knows how balls work. The developer has proven this with two stellar pinball games for Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network, and now…
By Mike Fahey Published March 24, 2010 -
A Virtual Tour of Xbox 360’s Virtual Game Room
The retro-friendly Game Room hit the Xbox 360 early this morning somewhat out of whack, not allowing gamers to actually enter the arcade. But as of an hour or so ago the gates to the arcade have been lifted and you’re free to stroll in, spend your money and drop gum on the carpet. I…
By Brian Crecente Published March 24, 2010 -
There’s A Secret Message In The Witcher 2 Trailer
Those sneaky developers at CD Projekt RED snuck a frame’s worth of secret messages to their biggest fans in the middle of today’s trailer for The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. So what do they have to say? The message is basically CD Projekt RED promising fans of the original Witcher game an improved experience,…
By Mike Fahey Published March 24, 2010