Culture

Why We Play Tough Games

What makes people want to play nails-tough games? When do they risk feeling like a waste of time? On this week’s Kotaku Splitscreen, we discuss. First, Kirk and I talk about GDQ and hot dog eating contests before getting into all sorts of video game topics like Cyberpunk’s E3 demo audio leaking, Google’s plans for…

Sunday Comics: Kiryu Insurance

Hello! It’s time for Kotaku’s Sunday Comics, your weekly roundup of the best webcomics. The images enlarge if you click on the magnifying glass icon. Awkward Zombie by Katie Tiedrich. Published July 2. Read more of Awkward Zombie Corpse Run by Alex Di Stasi. Published July 5. Read more of Corpse Run Double XP by…

Track: Isabellae | Artist: Higher Brothers | Album: Black Cab Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Track: Three Lions 98 | Artist: Baddiel, Skinner & The Lightning Seeds | Album: N/A Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

‘Shop Contest: Video Game Independence Day, Winners!

Video game characters are patriotic, probably, so I asked you to create some images that depicted what your favorite characters were up to for the most American of holidays. July 4th rolled around. I saw a firework. It rained. But while I was literally listening to the screams of a thousand teens whose outfits were…

This Week In The Business: The Future Is Games-As-A-Service…For Some

QUOTE | “Anyone who has ever said ‘this is the future and this part of gaming is dead’ has been proven wrong every single time. We like to try it all. For a long time we wanted to try a multiplayer game and we had this idea. We shouldn’t be afraid.” – Bethesda studio head…

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

The weekend is for getting sick just as the weather stops being too hot to go outside. What the hell? Guess I’ll stay inside with some video games. Over the 4th of July I played Fortnite for the first time. I was, unsurprisingly, terrible at it, because I am not that great at battle royale…

Track: Rain | Artist: The Beatles | Album: Paperback Writer single Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

What Aliens, Blade Runner, Jurassic Park & Terminator Would Look Like As Anime

Dmitry Grozov, aka Ahriman, is a freelance artist from Russia who has an uncanny ability for taking things that aren’t anime and making them look like they came straight off a bootleg 1980s VHS. Aside from the properties in the headline he’s also done Predator, Ghostbusters, Fifth Element, Judge Dredd, Beetlejuice, Die Hard, even Robocop…

Valve Shuts Down New Way Of Estimating Game Sales On Steam

In April, Valve made changes to Steam that bolstered user privacy while hammering a few nails into the coffin of unofficial sales tracking monolith Steam Spy. The service is not 100 percent dead, but developers have been searching for alternatives. Last month, they found one. Now it’s been shut down, too. Tyler Glaiel, a developer…

How Many Gokus Are In Dragon Ball FighterZ, Exactly?

There is only one Son Goku in Dragon Ball, yet throughout the series’ history, he has embodied many different forms. Video games have attempted to keep up with the canon by including different versions of Goku, each with varying levels of “Goku-ness.” Hence the debate: how many Gokus are there, really? Chris Person, Heather Alexandra,…

Why Black Men Love Dragon Ball Z

“I think black men like Dragon Ball Z because the show is so fucking extra"

Track: Emerald Knights A Go | Artist: Bag Of Tricks Cat & Mega Ran | Album: Emerald Knights 2 Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Bang

Victor Harmatiuk is an artist from Brazil who has worked in video games, animation and board games. You can see more of Victor’s work at his ArtStation page Fine Art is a celebration of the work of video game artists, showcasing the best of both their professional and personal portfolios. If you’re in the business…

Sid Meier’s Colonization Is The Best 4th Of July Video Game

Don't like how the United States of America turned out? Go on, build your own then

The Magic Behind 1994’s Super Mario Mac & Cheese Commercial

With the Sega Genesis edging out Super Nintendo sales in the heated 16-bit console wars of the mid ‘90s, Nintendo decided it was time to unveil their groundbreaking secret project. Of course I’m speaking about Rare’s pseudo-3D Donkey Kong Country. But the same year that brought the barrel-tossing ape back into the spotlight also featured…

Track: Song 2 | Artist: Blur | Album: Blur Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Track: Vindaloo | Artist: Fat Les | Album: N/A Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to at the moment.

Fallout cosplay by cosplay_scp048, photo by booker_stx

Cool Robots

Kejun Wang is a concept artist at Respawn, developers of the Titanfall series. You can see more of Wang’s art at his personal site and ArtStation page. Fine Art is a celebration of the work of video game artists, showcasing the best of both their professional and personal portfolios. If you’re in the business and…