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The Final Moments Of PlanetSide

On May 20, 2003, Sony Online Entertainment launched PlanetSide, one of the earliest massively multiplayer first-person shooters. On July 1, 2016, Daybreak Games shut down PlanetSide for good. MMORPG.com’s Steven Messner was there to watch the sky come tumbling down. I never spent much time with the original PlanetSide. Though it arrived at a time…

Skullgirls Goes Mobile With A Fighting RPG Spinoff

Indie fighter Skullgirls is bringing the battle to iOS and Android later this year, with a game that blends fighting game action with RPG mechanics to create something . . . well, just look at it. The new game, developed by Hidden Variable Studios using the PC and console fighting game’s assets and engine, sounds…

Kotaku ‘Shop Contest: This Is A Job For Torbjorn: The Winners!

The dwarven spectacles and relevant curriculum won Mrichston the Gold ‘Shop Contest Star Sticker, which is a thing I just made up. Fahey asked you to envision new careersfor Overwatch’s dwarf with a robotic arm, since console nerfs are making him 30 percent less appealing. In addition to changing oil while insulting Texas drivers, there…

The PocketCHIP Is An Excellent Intro To Absurdly Cheap Computing

If you’ve been intrigued by the idea of messing about with a $9 PC but had no idea what you’d do with it, Next Thing Co.’s PocketCHIP turns its tiny computer into a portable gaming machine, music editor and learning tool. It’s just full of ideas. I’ve been enamored with miniature computers for quite a…

The Quantum Break Novel Explores Choices Players Couldn’t Make

The novel Quantum Break: Zero State dropped the same day as the game, but only a handful of fans seemed to know about it. Those who did seemed skeptical—was this just the game they were playing in book form? Not quite. Novels based on video games have an interesting relationship with gamers: developers keep writing…

World’s Fastest Mario 3 Player Versus Stephen Colbert Eating A Hot Pocket

Super Mario Bros. 3 speedrunner Mitch Fowler can finish the game in just over three minutes. Is that faster than Stephen Colbert can cook and eat a Hot Pocket? Well no, though it’s still pretty impressive. Fowler appeared on last night’s episode of The Late Show to promote Summer Games Done Quick, the ridiculously entertaining…

Convention Circuit: Calling All Bronies

Another day, another pony twirling fire. There’s a lot going on during the July 4th weekend, but you might be busy with barbecues, fireworks, or trying to sleep through fireworks. If so, wait until next weekend and head to one of these cons. We’ve rounded up cons catering to fans of gaming, anime, cosplay, and…

It’s A Good Weekend To Watch People Play Pokémon

The 2016 U.S. Pokémon National Championships are going down this weekend, bringing the best Trading Card Game, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire and Pokken Tournament players to Columbus, Ohio to determine which of the country’s best players will be heading to San Francisco in August for the big show. The Pokémon Company has set up…

Overwatch‘s Competitive Mode Is At Odds With The Rest Of The Game

Overwatch’s competitive mode has been in the wild for a few days now, and well, let’s just say that Blizzard should maybe consider changing their name. Related: what do you call a snowstorm, except it’s made entirely of salt? I should preface this by saying that I don’t think Overwatch’s competitive mode is all that…

The New Berserk Anime Already Outshines The ’90s Original

Berserk’s first episode of its 2016 TV series premiered today. My jaw is still on the floor, where my tongue will need to be scraped off with a spatula. That’s some damn good anime WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD The dark medieval manga boasts 343 chapters of fantasy gore, which creator Kentaro Miura has been industriously producing…

Don’t Eat Pet Food (And Other Very Serious New Twitch Rules)

One of Twitch’s new experiments is allowing people to eat meals in front of their audience. The streaming service is called this “social eating,” and there’s some pretty strict (and hilarious) guidelines about what people allowed to do. You can browse through what people are eating by surfing this tag. Right now, it appears someone…

Street Fighter V’s new story DLC is really ridiculous and silly. You can watch me fumble and laugh through the first 30 minutes or so below. (Worth noting: it’s free!)

Kids Are Now Acting Out Imaginary YouTube Channels

As the holiday weekend approaches, before you set off the fireworks, make a few minutes for Worth Reading, our weekly roundup of the best games writing around. Hey, You Should Read These “BioShock 2 is the underrated human heart of the BioShock trilogy” by Richard Cobbett No one wanted BioShock 2 when it was announced—the…

Overwatch Honors Fan Who Passed Away One Day Before The Game Came Out

Hongyu Wu was a 20 year-old university student who passed away the day before Overwatch, a game he was eagerly anticipating, came out. He was reportedly trying to catch a thief who stole his friend’s motorbike. As part of a recent Overwatch patch, Blizzard paid him tribute. On the Control Center portion of Lijang Tower,…

GameCube Emulation Is Now A Lot Better

For the first time in three years, the famous Dolphin emulator—which lets users play GameCube games on their PC—has had a proper big update. It’s now at v5.0, and a ton of changes and updates have been made. Some are specific fixes for games with quirks, while others are general improvements across the board. They’re…

China’s Government Must Now Approve Every Mobile Game

As of today, July 1, all mobile games must be pre-approved by the Chinese government at least 20 days before they’re released. It’s part of sweeping new regulations to curb when, what, and how media is distributed in China. Though every game is impacted by this, it seems like it’ll touch story-based games even more:…

Seven Changes Nintendo Could Make To Splatoon Instead Of Killing Splatfest

Splatoon’s Splatfest, its eight-player inky turf war, is ending on July 24th, Nintendo announced yesterday. And it’s the ultimate battle: Callie vs. Marie, Splatoon’s two spunky mascots. Inklings are riled up over #waifuwars, as it’s being called, and already picking sides — or bemoaning Splatfest’s end: But fans across the globe are wondering: Now that…

Asemblance Player Discovers The Game’s Biggest Secret, Has An Adorable Meltdown

ImTheBlueRanger on YouTube has spent week or so obsessing over Asemblance, a puzzle thriller designed to screw with your head. It’s also full of secrets! And thanks to modern video capture devices, we get to watch what it’s like for a superfan to discover one in real-time. It’s awesome. Warning: There are spoilers for Asemblance…

Our Favorite Games From June

From big-budget hits to indie gems, we played some great games this month. Let’s look at some of our favorite games from June. Mirror’s Edge Catalyst Mirror’s Edge Catalyst brings back cyberpunk runner Faith and her dizzying parkour skills. A follow-up to 2008’s groundbreaking Mirror’s Edge, Catalyst meets and even exceeds its predecessor in many…

Tick Tock Bang Bang, A Slo-Mo Shooter That Does A Lot With A Little

The new PC game Tick Tock Bang Bang serves up some of the best slo-mo action out there. It’s a colorful thriller full of giant robots and insane stunts. In this critical look, I’ll show you how a very simple design choice leads to spectacular results! Transcript: I’m often blown away by how much games…