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Kotaku’s Top Five List of Top 10 Lists
Each week throws off several new video game lists ranging from the humorous to the trivial. What’s better? A list of those. Here’s a roundup of the rundowns out there. •Ten Moments Where You Have Felt Like Shouting “MORTAL KOMBAT!” [Gaming Bolt] Though “not based on any kind of ranking,” I think we can all…
By Owen Good Published March 14, 2010 -
Embrace Bracket Madness
Play the SoBe Lifewater™ Zero Inhibitions Bracket Challenge and you could win up to $10,000,000. And there’s more —you could also meet Brooklyn Decker, Jerry Rice, Kenny Smith or Kendra (yes, that one). It’s simple. Click here, sign up (it’s free), and fill out a college basketball bracket (or three) before the first round games…
By Gawkercreative Published March 14, 2010 -
Valve’s Gabe Newell Predicts Gaming’s Future, Not Talking About “Episode Three”
After Valve’s Gabe Newell was honored as a Pioneer at the GDC Awards, I asked him to predict gaming’s future and to offer more Portal 2 teases, a Half-Life 2: Episode 3 update and Pokemon tips. My success rate: 50%. Notes: The “John” who Newell refers to is John Carmack. The Portal 2 thing he…
By Stephen Totilo Published March 14, 2010 -
Honored Penny Arcade Creators Offer Me Some Advice
The creators of fan-favorite Penny Arcade (comic, expo, cultural force) earned the Ambassador Award at the 2010 Game Developer’s Choice Awards. I asked these fine gentlemen for advice so that I too could win … and I got Pokemon tips. (Mild profanity in this one.) This is one of a series of Kotaku video interviews…
By Stephen Totilo Published March 14, 2010 -
If Cut God of War III Ending Returns as DLC, It ‘Would be Free’
We’ve heard that God of War III had a pretty involved postscript that had to be trimmed from the game. The game’s director explained why to Kotaku Talk Radio, but said if it does come back, it’ll be free. Speaking somewhat generically to avoid spoilers, Stig Asmussen said the game originally called for so many…
By Owen Good Published March 14, 2010 -
Scribblenauts Inventor Needs A Name For The Sequel
Beating Zelda and Grand Theft Auto, Jeremiah Slaczka’s 5th Cell won top handheld and innovation honors at the Game Developer’s Choice Awards for Scribblenauts. After winning, he explained why the sequel isn’t “Scribblenauts 2” … and I got Pokemon tips. This is one of a series of Kotaku video interviews with many of the award-winners…
By Stephen Totilo Published March 14, 2010 -
The Difference Between Scary and Horror
I have a fear of horror films, and by extension horror games. I’m just too attenuated to suspense and having the hell scared out of me. But what I’m really experiencing, argues one writer, is just that: scary, not horror. Craig Lager, at Gaming Daily, points out the real differences in the two themes in…
By Owen Good Published March 14, 2010 -
Exultant Farmville Developer Is Only Joking About A Farmville Movie, Right?
Zynga’s Bill Mooney obtained the 2010 Game Developer’s Choice Award for Farmville in the Best Social/Online Game category. To celebrate, he allowed Kotaku to brainstorm with him about world domination, Farmville: The Movie and … I got Pokemon tips. This is one of a series of Kotaku video interviews with many of the award-winners and…
By Stephen Totilo Published March 14, 2010 -
Three Sony Devs Switch Over to Valve — Three Years Ago [Corrected]
A story out there that three former top employees at Naughty Dog have joined Valve is true. It’s also three years old. The site PlayStation Lifestyle put up the item yesterday. Kotaku linked over to it earlier this morning. A quick check of their LinkedIn CVs notes these guys all joined Valve between 2006 and…
By Owen Good Published March 14, 2010 -
Microsoft Seeks to Patent the DLC Upsell
A recent patent application describes a process in which an Xbox Live gamer, invited to a multiplayer session, but missing a critical piece to play (a map, a track, whatever), is offered and may buy it without dropping the invitation. There probably is something patentable in the technology that manages such an online state, which…
By Owen Good Published March 14, 2010 -
Kotaku Off-Topic: Butt Drugs and Dudu Chili
Yeah, a headline like that, you wanna know what’s inside, not what pointless thing happened to me at a stoplight yesterday. Although I did see a green-and-gold Oakland A’s Lincoln Town Car yesterday and it was so awesome I wept. As our friends at Deadspin pointed out earlier this week, the 2010 Name of the…
By Owen Good Published March 14, 2010 -
Victorious Torchlight Creators Like The Idea Of Torchlight 2
Two of the creators of PC darling Torchlight won the Best Debut Game trophy at the 2010 Game Developer’s Choice Awards. Backstage after winning, they explained how to succeed on PC, considered Torchlight 2, and … I got Pokemon tips. This is one of a series of Kotaku video interviews with many of the award-winners…
By Stephen Totilo Published March 13, 2010 -
Two Surprise PlayStation Move Maneuvers
We’ve been trying to notice every little thing about the PlayStation Move this week. Each detail is telling. Here are two surprise Move maneuvers I witnessed during demos of Move this past week at Game Developers Conference. 1) The XMB Maneuver — I watched a developer use the swinging motions of the PlayStation Move controller…
By Stephen Totilo Published March 13, 2010 -
Monaco Award-Winner Celebrates, Warns Of Potential Nut-Kicking
Andy Schatz won the top award at the Independent Games Festival for Monaco, a wonderful four-player heist game. Backstage after the win, Kotaku learned Monaco’s future, why Schatz might kick someone in the nuts, and … I got Pokemon tips. This is one of a series of Kotaku video interviews with many of the award-winners…
By Stephen Totilo Published March 13, 2010 -
Kotaku ‘Shop Contest: Hard Times Edition Winners
This past week we took stock of the terrible economy and pondered all the horrible side gigs, endorsements and moonlighting jobs video game characters have been forced to accept just to put bread on the table. 2c-b had the best of the quick-and-dirty sign swaps, because putting methadone with Mario is on-its-face funny. Patient, lots…
By Owen Good Published March 13, 2010 -
2K Sports Finishes Multiplayer Fix Patch
The patch that presumably will solve MLB 2K10’s connectivity problems in online multiplayer has been finished and submitted for certification on the Xbox 360, meaning the fix should be arriving shortly. There are no details on what the patch will entail but a multiplayer fix has got to be among them. I can suggest a…
By Owen Good Published March 13, 2010 -
Mass Effect 2 Carried Over 700 Plot “Hooks” From Original Game Saves
Players of the original Mass Effect had a big impact on the story of the second, if they imported their character save from the first game. BioWare imported some 700 player choices and associated plot points into Mass Effect 2. BioWare lead cinematic designer Armando Troisi said during today’s Mass Effect 2 Game Developers Conference…
By Michael McWhertor Published March 13, 2010 -
Guess Which Nintendo Game Spore’s Creator Plays Most In His Life
Speaking to a packed house at the conclusion of the Game Developers Conference this weekend, famed game developer Will Wright told the crowd he plays a Nintendo game everyone morning to kick off his day. Every morning, Wright said, he gets up and has a cup of coffee. “While I drink my coffee I pull…
By Brian Crecente Published March 13, 2010 -
Modern Warfare 2’s “Stimulus Package” Brings Back Two Classic Maps
An early listing of the Modern Warfare 2 “Stimulus Package” on the Xbox Live Marketplace web site reveals it is comprised of five maps, two of them old favorites from the first Modern Warfare The Stimulus Package isn’t due out until March 30 on the Xbox 360 (dates for the PC and PS3 versions are…
By Owen Good Published March 13, 2010