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Battle of the Music Games: The Beatles: Rock Band Vs. Guitar Hero 5
The NPD Group’s September hardware sales report fails to mention two other important platforms viciously battling for gamer’s attention—Rock Band and Guitar Hero, two games that saw big releases last month. So who won? According to a boastful official announcement from Apple Corps, MTV Games and Harmonix, the winner of the monthly music game battle…
By Michael McWhertor Published October 19, 2009 -
NPD Instant Analysis: Things You Should Note
There’s always a chance you might get pulled off the street and invited to be a guest on the Bonus Round to discuss the gaming sales in the U.S. for September. Don’t be unprepared. Be smart. Study this instant analysis. Before you read this analysis, open up some tabs or windows with McWhertor’s NPD September…
By Stephen Totilo Published October 19, 2009 -
Landed
To: Bash From: Crecente Re: You Can Call Me “Brown” (Hi Brown!) I just got into New York about an hour ago. A bumpy landing combined with a bumpy cab ride has me feeling a bit off so I’ve decided to chill in the hotel for the evening. Tomorrow, though, is going to be a…
By Brian Crecente Published October 19, 2009 -
Our Hands All Over The Xbox 360 Dashboard Update
In case you missed them earlier today, our own Stephen Totilo spent some time with the preview for the next Xbox 360 Dahboard update, putting Facebook, Twitter, Last.FM, and streaming HD video to the test. Xbox 360 Update Hands-On: Facebook And Twitter Microsoft provided Kotaku with an early version of the November Xbox 360 dashboard…
By Mike Fahey Published October 19, 2009 -
Halo 3: ODST Beats Out Madden, Mario & Marvel To Win September
The PlayStation 3 may have killed it in the hardware contest last month, but Xbox 360 software reigned supreme this September, thanks to Bungie’s Halo 3: ODST. The game dropped more than 1.5 million copies in its debut month. That makes Halo 3: ODST the bestselling game in the United States by a wide margin,…
By Michael McWhertor Published October 19, 2009 -
PS3 Price Drop Makes It September’s Top Console
The newer, slimmer, cheaper PlayStation 3 outsold the Xbox 360 and Wii during the month of September, according to new data from the NPD Group, the first time the console has bested both of its console rivals in the U.S. Sony’s recent price drop was in effect for the full month of September, more than…
By Michael McWhertor Published October 19, 2009 -
The Bonus Round Ventures To Borderlands, Sings Ballad Of Gay Tony
In part three of our appearance on GameTrailers’ Bonus Round, the panel of video game industry know-it-alls talks more about this season’s biggest games, including Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony and Borderlands. Obviously, this episode was filmed before I marathon played Borderlands for today’s review of the Gearbox Software developed game, and…
By Michael McWhertor Published October 19, 2009 -
Good Advice: Don’t Work Out Like A Programmer
Wise choices may make EA’s Wii fitness sequel improve upon its predecessor. But the decision not to support MotionPlus makes the game prone to cheating — as, it seems programmers, like many who try to exercise, are wont to do. I recently, briefly, tried the revised boxing game programmed into November’s Wii sequel EA Sports…
By Stephen Totilo Published October 19, 2009 -
Mistwalker Enters “Finishing Stages” On New Project
Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey developer Mistwalker are hard at work on something new, something unannounced, something that’s apparently entering the “‘finishing’ stage” according to mustachioed founder Hironobu Sakaguchi. Unfortunately, that something is probably not a LEGO surfing RPG. Sakaguchi notes in his latest Mistwalker update that he is “working hard on a new project”…
By Michael McWhertor Published October 19, 2009 -
Feel The Gravity Of Shattered Horizon’s Zero-G Gameplay
Futuremark delivers the first in-game footage of its zero-G multiplayer PC shooter, Shattered Horizon. We all float up there. We’ve seen screenshots of shattered moonscapes and still shots of men in colorful space suits firing weapons at each other, but this is the first we’ve seen of actual zero-G fighting in Shattered Horizon. A terrible…
By Mike Fahey Published October 19, 2009 -
A Second Hands-On Opinion Of The Xbox 360’s Instant-Streaming In 1080p
I, with my 955kbps downstream Internet connection, reported earlier today that the November-scheduled offering of instant-streaming 1080p wasn’t working on my sluggish connection. But a man with a 25mbps-downstream connection has a different take: “Incredible.” Here’s the 1080p connection from Streaming media blogger Dan Rayburn dropped me a line to let me know that, not…
By Stephen Totilo Published October 19, 2009 -
This Week In XBLA: Panzer General: Allied Assault & Tower Bloxx Deluxe
Turn-based World War II strategy is in the cards for this week’s Xbox Live Arcade update, as the Panzer General series gets digitally distributed to Xbox 360 owners. Oh, and there’s Tower Bloxx Deluxe too. Panzer General: Allied Assault brings strategic, card-based WWII gameplay to Live Arcade, with two-player Axis versus Allies fun for a…
By Michael McWhertor Published October 19, 2009 -
The Beatles: Rock Band Walks Abbey Road Tomorrow
The first downloadable album for The Beatles: Rock Band hits this week, with the remainder of Abbey Road allowing fans to play the entire 16 minute B-side medley all at once. The Abbey Road Complete the Album pack hits Xbox Live, the PlayStation Network, and the Wii this week, finishing off what “Come Together,” “something,”…
By Mike Fahey Published October 19, 2009 -
Dungeons & Dragons On Microsoft Surface Is For Wealthy DMs Only
Microsoft’s multi-touch Surface table may not seem like an efficient use of one’s cash, but if this Dungeons & Dragons demo from the Entertainment Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon University moves beyond “proof of concept” we’ll start considering a purchase. As clearly noted in the below video, this is a work in progress tech demo…
By Michael McWhertor Published October 19, 2009 -
Left 4 Dead Map Lets You ‘Dismember The Alamo’ Right Now
Remember the fan-created Alamo Draft House Left 4 Dead map built for that theater’s zombie filmfest, previously featured on Kotaku? If not, here’s the elevator pitch: zombie film festival begets Left 4 Dead map, modeled with impressive detail. That map, known as “Dismember The Alamo,” has just been released for your enjoyment, letting you engage…
By Michael McWhertor Published October 19, 2009 -
Humans + Gears: Xenogears ReMixed
The world’s most powerful collection of video game music remixes has delivered yet another outstanding free fan-made tribute album, as OverClocked ReMix releases Humans + Gears: Xenogears ReMixed. Humans + Gears consists of 33 arrangements of composer Yasunori Mitsuda‘s original score to the 1998 Square Enix game Xenogears from 30 different remix artists. The two-disc…
By Mike Fahey Published October 19, 2009 -
I Kept Playing — The Costs Of My Gaming Addiction
“I hated level 40,” she said with a sigh. It was the first time we’d spoken in eight years, and she had never forgotten the night I spurned her advances in favor of gaining a level in EverQuest. During the course of my tenure at Kotaku I’ve referenced my days in EverQuest on many occasions,…
By Mike Fahey Published October 19, 2009 -
Welcome To Halo Waypoint
Microsoft has released a new trailer and screenshots showcasing the Career Mode of Halo Waypoint, Xbox Live’s destination for everything Halo related, launching on November 5th for Xbox Live Gold and Silver subscribers. Yes, Xbox Live Silver subscribers will have access to Halo Waypoint, but only for a limited time. From the November 5th launch…
By Mike Fahey Published October 19, 2009 -
You Can Play Dragon Age: Origins Sort Of Like Four Other Games
Gamers can play BioWare’s next epic as if it was an action-role-playing game, an MMO, like Kingdom Hearts or like Final Fantasy XII, a company rep recently explained to Kotaku. EA/BioWare senior product manager David Silverman explained the four Dragon Age playing styles during a live demo of the PlayStation 3 version of the game…
By Stephen Totilo Published October 19, 2009 -
A Fresh Look At Assassin’s Creed: Lineage
Ubisoft gives us a sneak peek at Assassin’s Creed: Lineage, the short film series prequel to Assassin’s Creed II, launching next week on YouTube. Announced at the San Diego Comic Con earlier this year, Assassin’s Creed: Lineage follows the story of Giovanni Auditore da Firenze, the father of Assassin’s Creed II protagonist Ezio. The first…
By Mike Fahey Published October 19, 2009