Culture

The Mesmerizing Birth Of A Snack Classic

I cannot stop watching this. Can you guess what is? It’s not Pop-Tarts, as Redditor BigMurph26 suggests. Nor is it Uncrustables, as put forth by commenters in the Reddit thread — there’s no peanut butter in these. Do you hear that? That’s the sounds of criminals all over the world dropping what they were doing,…

The Best Video Game Concept Art Of 2013*

In case you’re asleep when it hits, almost every day here on Kotaku I run a feature called Fine Art. It’s a chance to showcase the work of artists who spend most of their time out of the spotlight, yet who also play a vital role in shaping the way we identify – and fall…

Kotaku’s Favorite Albums from 2013

How is this news? The release this year of Kinja, our new publishing platform, also saw the return of Kotaku Soundtrack, a happy little diversion we sometimes indulge in where we share the music that we’re listening to, whether that be for work, for gaming or, if we’re bold, for pleasure Since the feature is…

And Then Mortal Kombat Characters Sang A Subway Jingle For 12 Minutes

I can’t think of a more fitting Snacktaku sendoff to 2013 than the Mortal Komband performing $5 Footlong for 12 minutes. It’s one of the biggest snacking nights of the year, kids, so remember to pace yourself and wear clothing with voluminous pockets for storing leftovers. Maybe stop by Subway before you head out. Damn…

Track: The Usher | Album: More Constant Than The Gods | Artist: SubRosa Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

Happy New Year…For The Emperor!

Adrian Smith is a veteran artist who’s had the privelege to work not just for Games Workshop – on stuff like Warhammer 40K – but in video games as well, for companies like THQ, EA, Ubisoft and Blizzard. If you like fantasy or sci-fi art, where there are dudes killing other dudes – and I’m…

Kotaku Asks: The Story Behind Nintendo’s Innovative 3DS StreetPass Games

One of 2013’s best surprises was the release of four unusual games for the Nintendo 3DS, all experimenting with a new style of multiplayer game little seen in the long history of interactive entertainment. The games were made by four Japanese studios, all overseen by Nintendo. Where did the games come from? Why were they…

Wreck-It-Ralph Looks A Lot Meaner In This Early Art

Disney’s video game movie Wreck-it-Ralph was, at even its darkest and most violent points, a pretty bubbly and colourful movie. Which you probably couldn’t tell if you only looked at this concept art for the “Hero’s Duty” sections, which is a lot closer to the grim tone of the film’s Aliens/Gears of War/Halo inspiration than…

Sunday Comics: The Magic Word

Welcome to Kotaku‘s Sunday Comics, your weekly roundup of the best gaming-themed webcomics. The images enlarge if you click on the magnifying glass icon. Nerf NOW!! by Josué Pereira. Published Dec. 26. Read more of Nerf NOW!! Awkward Zombie by Katie Tiedrich. Published Dec. 23. Read more of Awkward Zombie Penny Arcade by Jerry Holkins…

Track: Vacation | Album: Get Olde | Artist: Crying Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

30 Years Later, One Man Is Still Trying To Fix Video Games

Chris Crawford owns 29,216 small plastic beads. Each bead is one of eight colors, and there are 3,652 beads in each color group. One bead represents a single day in Crawford’s life. Each color group, therefore, represents one decade. The yellow beads are his childhood. The black beads are his teens. The greens are his…

What The New Lara Croft Could Have Looked Like

Brenoch Adams worked for years as a senior artist on Eidos’ Tomb Raider reboot. While you’ll see pieces from all over his portfolio in this showcase, what’ll probably be of most interest are the pieces from early in Tomb Raider’s development, showing what the new/old Lara Croft could have looked like. The middle image is…

Disney Characters Without Their Beards Are Frightening

People sure do like to mess around with Disney characters. We’ve seen the princesses as Final Fantasy characters but, even after that, seeing all the old, bearded characters from classic Disney movies without their essential hair just confuses me. This funny redesign, made by Annie Erskine, would probably have ruined the childhood of a lot…

My, Samus, You Look Different

Lee Souder is a cinematic artist who has worked for studios like Treyarch, Sony Santa Monica, EA and Pandemic. He also, in his spare time, has some ideas on what Nintendo’s Metroid series should look like. What you’ll see below, then, is a combination of both his professional work, along with the Metroid stuff. You…

Today, The Inventor Of The AK-47 Died

Russian designer Mikhail Kalashnikov, creator of perhaps the world’s most famous firearm, passed away today at the age of 94. He leaves behind a somewhat complicated legacy. Born in 1919, he was a tank commander in the Second World War, but in his spare time was also a keen inventor. While spending time in a…

Track: Godzilla | Album: Godzilla (EP) | Artist: Fu Manchu Kotaku Soundtrack is a selection of the stuff we’re listening to – and gaming to – at the moment.

There Are Special Effects Artists In Video Games Too, You Know

In the movie business, there are artists who design things, then there are special effects artists who blow them up, light them and get them wet. It’s no different for video games. While this feature usually promotes concept art – it’s very pretty, after all – it’d be unfair not to also acknowledge the tireless…

The Week in Games: PS4 Pinball and Spartan Assault

By God, we are going to wring every last new game out of this year if it’s the last thing we do. And sure enough there are a couple of digital releases worth a look this Christmas week. But the hay is in the barn for 2013, folks. That’s why the Steam Holiday Sale is…

Sunday Comics: It’s the Thought That Counts

Welcome to Kotaku‘s Sunday Comics, your weekly roundup of the best in video game webcomics. The images enlarge if you click on the magnifying glass icon. Penny Arcade by Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik. Published Dec. 16. Read more of Penny Arcade Awkward Zombie by Katie Tiedrich. Published Dec. 16. Read more of Awkward Zombie…

This Week in the Business: $200 Million Pledged for Kickstarter Games

What’s happened in the business of video games this past week … STAT | $200 million—The total amount of money that’s gone towards game projects on the crowdfunding website since the beginning; games account for 22% of all projects. QUOTE | “We don’t think it is out of the question that the title could wind…