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ESRB Explains “Creepy” Dead Or Alive Paradise Re-Rating; Tecmo Responds

Earlier today the Entertainment Software Ratings Board issued a “Mature” rating and description for Tecmo’s Dead or Alive Paradise, citing its “creepy voyeurism” and “bizarre, misguided notions of what women really want.” That description was quickly removed and reworked. The ESRB says that the previous description, which also called the PSP game “cheesy” and opined…

This Week In Comics

Today marks the final “This Week In Video Game Comics” here at Kotaku and the birth of “This Week In Comics.” Video game comics first, then some others I think are worth highlighting, all in U.S. shops this week. The Legend of Zelda, Vol 9: A Link To The Past Written and drawn by Akira…

THQ Returns To Saints Row, Darksiders, And De Blob Next Year

THQ is rolling out the sequels in fiscal year 2012, with releases planned for Saints Row 3, a Darksiders sequel, and a follow-up to the Wii-exclusive hit de Blob. During the THQ investor call today, CEO Brian Farrell continued listing off upcoming games after outing a new Red Faction title and Homefront for release during…

Red Faction Guerrilla Sequel At E3 2010, Arrives By April ’11

THQ’s recent Martian hit Red Faction Guerrilla will get a sequel sooner than you may have expected, with the publisher’s CEO announcing that a follow-up is in the works. And you’ll get a look at it at this year’s E3. THQ bossman Brian Farrell says that gamers should expect Red Faction Guerrilla 2—or whatever they’ll…

THQ CEO Names Sony’s Motion Controller As “Arc”

Get used to referring to Sony’s forthcoming motion controller for the PlayStation 3 as Arc. That’s how THQ president and CEO Brian Farrell referred to the still unofficially named, PlayStation Eye-powered controller, previously known as “Gem,” in today’s investor call. That name backs up previously published rumors that Sony was going with the Arc name,…

It’s Not The Size Of Your Sword…Okay, It’s The Size Of Your Sword

Is your sword so small that monsters barely feel it? Do you have trouble convincing maidens that you’re a real adventurer? Atlus and PlayStation 3 exclusive 3D Dot Game Heroes are here to help. Is there such a thing as having too much sword? It gets to a certain point where it’s hard to hide…

Silent Hill’s Akira Yamaoka Finds New Home At Grasshopper Manufacture

Akira Yamaoka, famous for his musical and directorial contributions to Silent Hill, recently ended his longtime employment at Konami. That publisher’s loss is quirky developer Grasshopper Manufacture’s gain, as Yamaoka has signed on with Goichi Suda’s studio, according to Famitsu. According to 1UP‘s account of Famitsu’s interview with Suda and Yamaoka, the musician will be…

Speak-Up On Kotaku: Press Start, Men Of Repo, Game Prices, And Avatar Effect 2

This week in Speak-Up on Kotaku, readers NelCon26, MirrorfortheSun, Clyparkr, and Maschinerie discuss the start button, game prices in New York City, Repo Men, and completely unfair comparisons. 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, and sometimes what…

Reviewer: Mass Effect 2 Sidequests Sometimes Poignant, Often Busywork

What makes a good video game sidequest? The optional diversions in big games like Mass Effect 2 don’t always delight players. Sometimes, they even tick them off. The New York Times, reviewing ME2, seems conflicted: Most of the game is spent on a series of side missions in which you build and strengthen your team…

Wii Owners, Do You Like Games About Gladiators?

Yeah? Then High Voltage Software‘s Tournament of Legends, coming exclusively to the Wii this May, will give you all the ancient Roman one-on-one fighting you so desperately crave. If Sega’s announcement of Tournament of Legends comes as a surprise, realize that it’s the game formerly known as Gladiator A.D., the previously more brown fighter from…

2010 Life Love Game Design Challenge Offers $2.5K Prize

This week is National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention week, it’s also the kick off for the third annual Life. Love. Game Design Challenge. The flash design contest challenges developer and budding developers to create a game that deals with teen dating violence without using any violence in the game. This year’s winner will…

Charge: Gamers Not Honest About Their Defense Of Violent Games

In our continued efforts to see both sides of the argument in Australia and elsewhere about the extreme content of some games we find this letter to the editor that says that many violent game defenders are being disingenuous. The context is the ongoing debate in Australia about whether the country should finally allow video…

Blizzard Takes The World Of Warcraft Auction House Out Of Game

Fancy shopping for new armor and enchanting components on your iPhone? Blizzard is working on giving players access to the World of Warcraft auction house through the WoW Armory, meaning players could soon do their in-game shopping everywhere they go. The news comes by way of the World of Warcraft forums, with Blizzard poster Bornakk…

A Peek Inside Mass Effect Redemption #2

Dark Horse Comics’ prequel to Mass Effect 2 continues today, as Liara T’Soni, with the aid of the pro-human Cerberus organization, takes the hunt for Commander Shepard’s remains into the seedy underbelly of Omega. Mass Effect Redemption is a four-issue comic book series that tells the story of what happened between the explosion of the…

Tournament of Legends Screen Shots

Online Multiplayer Assassin’s Creed II Coming To The iPhone

Assassin’s Creed II Discovery has only recently hit iTunes, and Ubisoft is readying another dose of portable professional killing with Assassin’s Creed II: Multiplayer, an online game of kill-or-be-killed for the iPhone. Coming soon to iTunes, Assassin’s Creed II: Multiplayer is an online multiplayer game for the iPhone, which uses a Wi-Fi connection to connect…

Join Us For a Chat with Developers From The Sims on Kotaku Talk Radio Now

Join us live today on CBS Radio for our latest episode of Kotaku Talk Radio with two special guests from Electronic Arts’ Sims team. This week marks the tenth anniversary of a little game called The Sims. Our guests today are MJ Chun, associate producer of Sims 3, and Charles London, Sr., art director for…

Scribblenauts Sells A Million

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment proudly announces today that 5th Cell‘s word-based wonder, Scribblenauts, has sold more than one million units worldwide. That’s more copies than you can shake a fig leaf gourd at! Scribblenauts, 5th Cell’s innovative DS title that has players solve problems using written words, is not your average million-selling title. It’s innovative.…

Aliens Vs. Predator Multiplayer Demo For Everybody

We knew there would be a demo coming for Sega and Rebellion’s Aliens Vs. Predator, but we didn’t know when it would be showing up. Does tomorrow work for you? Not only have Sega and Rebellion surprised us with the announcement of an online multiplayer demo for the update to 1999’s hit first-person shooter Aliens…

Happy 10th Anniversary Sims

On Jan. 31 2000 Electronic Arts open the floodgates to another one of Will Wright’s off-kilter, but strangely addictive games. Over the next ten years the Sims franchise sold more than 100 million copies and became the best selling PC franchise of all time. You may not have been around when the first game hit,…