The Next-Gen Xbox Is Getting a Hell of an Exclusive, Sources Say

The long-awaited first game from Respawn Entertainment—the studio helmed by the creators of Call of Duty—will be exclusive to the next-gen Xbox, according to two unrelated sources familiar with the game. One of our sources indicates that there will also be an Xbox 360 version, but no versions for rival PlayStation and Nintendo consoles. Oh,…

Filmmaker Documenting Online Nastiness Doesn’t Plan to Feed the Trolls

The filmmaker preparing a documentary about the notoriously rancid and abusive behavior in online gaming says she’s not really interested in having a dialogue with the trolls. Her project aims to make their conduct morally taboo, if not stigmatized in mainstream society. GTFO, by Shannon Sun-Higginson, concentrates on the abuse directed at female gamers, where…

The free-to-play Ragnarok Online 2: Legend of the Second launches commercially on Wednesday, May 1. Players can grab it at the official website or via Steam.

The NBA Player Who Came Out Was A Video Game Cover Star… Sort Of

Today’s big news—not just in sports, either—is 12-year NBA veteran Jason Collins revealing he is gay. Collins isn’t really a star; he’s a journeyman more known for getting destroyed by Shaq in the NBA Finals his rookie year. Perhaps you may have seen him somewhere else? Yes. He’s on the PS2 cover of NBA 2K6,…

If The Swimming Anime Did It, So Can Little Witch Academia

Being a fan is a powerful thing. Fans can modifya game’s ending. More recently, a fandom’s excitement was responsible for turning a 30 second clip into a full-fledged anime series—even though the studio didn’t initially have plans to expand on the clip. If the Swimming Anime could do that, then Little Witch Academia should be…

Pre-Order The PS3 Version Of Diablo III And You Get To Grind Faster

The PS3 version of Diablo III has an “exclusive pre-order bonus”—a phrase that makes me cringe every time I see it—and it’s called the Infernal Helm, an artifact that boosts your experience rates so you’ll level up faster. Blizzard just announced the bonus today, along with news that there’s no news on a release date…

The Final Fantasy Fansite That Changed Thousands Of People’s Lives

At 29, Sean Robinson has been teaching high school in Southern California for almost six years. He teaches 10th grade history. He tries, at least a little, to be the cool teacher. His short hair’s spiked up in the front, a Fallout 3 lunchbox sits on his desk, and he conducts class in a casual,…

The Moneysaver: Star Wars/Trek Blu-rays, Last Day for $20 Tomb Raider

Videogames and movies. It’s the best of both worlds. Today is the day to finally pick up all those Star Wars and Star Trek blu-rays you want on your shelf but have never pulled the trigger on. All the films from both franchises are on sale, along with a nice pre-order deal for Next Generation:…

An Immersive Look At Microsoft’s Display-Extending IllumiRoom Tech

Earlier this year Microsoft gave us our first look at IllumiRoom, a new technology that uses a Kinect-enabled projector to extend the game-playing environment from the television screen into the living room. Today Microsoft Research has released a five-minute video that delves deeper into the technology that could debut on the next Xbox. With the…

You Don’t Love Sailor Moon As Much As This Guy Does

Last week,io9 brought to our attention Evan MacIsaac—a man who recorded himself cosplaying Sailor Moon in construction paper costumes while performing “Do My Thing” by Estelle and Janelle Monáe. That video, which you can watch above, is just the tip of the Moon Stick. You have no idea how much this guy loves Sailor Moon…

The Dead Island Folks Are Making A Game With The Silliest Title Ever

This is Hellraid, a new “first-person co-op slasher” just announced by the folks at Techland, best known for polarizing games like Dead Island and Call of Juarez. You can see more over at the new official website for Hellraid, which will be out this year for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. Now about the name…

You Could Make a Cameo in Grand Theft Auto V.

There’s a new Scientology-ish bit of hype for Grand Theft Auto V, and there’s a contest attached. What can you win? The fine print indicates you could appear in Rockstar’s big fall game: Rockstar Games is holding a “casting call” event giving Grand Theft Auto fans an opportunity to be cast as one of five…

Samsung’s Galaxy S4 Is Powerful, Versatile, But Not Bulletproof

Samsung has unleashed the Galaxy S4, the latest iteration of the iPhone-challenging Android smartphone. I’ll let our friends at Gizmodo handle the review, while we tackle the more important issues, such as what happens when you shoot it with a high-powered sniper rifle. RatedRR’s shooting videos are a guilty pleasure of mine. They’ve shot aWii…

Watch Dogs has been given a release date. It is Nov. 19. It will be available on PS3, 360, Wii U and PC “as well as at the launch of the PlayStation 4,” says Ubisoft. “The game is also planned for other next generation consoles,” meaning the next Xbox.

Killing Yourself Is Fun In They Need To Be Fed 2

Every level of They Need To Be Fed 2 ends with you hurling your big-headed black and white body into the gaping maw of a carnivorous plant. Trust me, it’s for the best. As it was with Jesse Venbrux’s original They Need To Be Fed, the goal of this perfect little platforming sequel is not…

What Regular People Say About Video Games

I visited family down south this past weekend. Hung out with my niece and nephew. Even went to their grade school to have lunch with them (their request!). I also chatted with some of my wife’s friends. As always, I got some intel about what regular people think about video games. First-graders? Well, first of…

This trailer for Ace Attorney 5 shows off some of the 3D investigation in Phoenix Wright’s new outing. Capcom’s next big lawyer game is out July 25 in Japan, and sometime in the future for everyone else.

Here’s what’s happening on Talk Among Yourselves, our reader-written blog: contributor GiantBoyDetective shares a story of friendship and generosity, Azureguy gives a personal review of Skies of Arcadia Legends, and Zarnyx visits the video game exhibit at the MoMA for the first time.

A Video Game in Which You Make Video Games Fights Pirates with Piracy

There’s a recent tradition of developers screwing with pirates—from releasing enormous, immortal pink scorpions on them, to booby trapping their games with glitches when they get cracked. This weekend, Greenheart Games, creator of Game Dev Tycoon, just blew the curve for everyone. This is fantastic. As the title suggests, the game is about video games…

We haven’t done a Miiverse Moments post in a while, but that doesn’t mean others haven’t taken notice of the sometimes fantastic art that pops up on Nintendo’s newest platform. That’s why Printing Miiverse—an art show opening up in Nuremberg, Germany on May 4th—exists. To celebrate the very best of those fantastic Miiverse moments. You…