From Skyrim to Mass Effect: Is DLC Ever Worthwhile?

For today’s edition of Burning Questions, we’re going to try something different. While we usually have our weekly conversation/discussion/debate/verbal melodies via online chat and then put them on Kotaku, today we’re going to do everything live. We’ll be hanging out in the new discussion system, chatting with one another and maybe even you guys. So…

Rumors Suggest Smaller iPad Could Launch This Year

Apple could launch a new, smaller version of the iPad this year, according to new reports. Rumors from Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal suggest that the smaller iPad, not to be confused with an iPhone, would have a diagonal measure of seven to eight inches. The current iPad is 9.7 inches by diagonal measure.…

The Terrifying ‘Slenderman’ Goes from Meme to Free Horror Game

Let us never underestimate the internet’s ability to come up with freaky crap. The vast reach of the web creates mysteries as often as it dispels them, and sometimes those mysteries are truly scary. The “Slenderman” is a longstanding horror meme based on the mythological archetype of a tall, faceless man who appears in the…

Expect More Final Fantasy XIII. But Don’t Expect Final Fantasy X HD Any Time Soon.

The ending of role-playing game Final Fantasy XIII-2 was a little unsatisfying. And by “a little unsatisfying,” I mean it made me want to throw a keyblade at my television. Then there was DLC. And by all reports it was just as unsatisfying. Bummer. So will a Final Fantasy XIII-3 come along to tie up…

Marvel Vs. Capcom: Origins is Two Classic Fighters in One Downloadable Package

Never has the subtitle “Origins” been as appropriate as it is with Marvel Vs. Capcom: Origins, an online-enabled double-shot of Capcom’s Marvel Super Heroes and Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes, coming September to Xbox Live and PlayStation Network.

Watch What Left 4 Dead Looks Like Running On Your Vita

It’s not Valve-official by any means, but with the power of button mapping, playing Left 4 Dead is possible on your Vita. With dual joysticks and motion-sensing accuracy, I’d say playing a few rounds of L4D on Sony’s newest handheld device doesn’t look too shabby. Thanks Kenneth!

Sega Will Release An HD Remake Of Saturn Platformer NiGHTs

Sega is bringing back NiGHTs in HD. The cult classic will be out for Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, and PC this fall. It’s no Skies of Arcadia, but it’ll do. [Sega]

The Wonderful, Hidden Message of Far Cry 3 Is That Your Parents Weren’t Idiots

My favorite things about Far Cry 2 won’t be in Far Cry 3 I’m really looking forward to Far Cry 3 How’d I get from there to there? First, pretend you’re me. You’re at a Ubisoft showcase. You’ve just played Far Cry 3, single-player and co-op. You sit down with the game’s producer, Dan Hay.…

A Scene From The Professional Recreated Using Team Fortress 2 Characters

This awesome scene from The Professional starring Jean Reno is pretty gripping. But it’s even cooler when done to the theme of Team Fortress 2 using the Sniper and Spy characters. Take a look at the screengrab from the movie down below for comparison. Professionals [deviantART via Blue Dog’s eyes]

Diablo III “Item Hunt” Is Not a Sustainable End-Game, Blizzard Admits

Diablo III inhabits a sort of strange hybrid new position in games. Neither entirely single-player nor an MMO, it straddles the world between the two, using its constant internet connection both to connect players to each other in a social experience and to make some cash As such, Diablo III finds itself in an unusual…

I’m Going To Bounce On Toilet Paper While Roleplaying As A Cat All Day

Are you telling me there’s an iOS game called Rainbow Tissue Cat and you think I wouldn’t choose it as my Gaming App of the Day? In Rainbow Tissue Cat, you bounce around on platforms and off the tops of birds’ heads as Mr. Tibbles who sits atop a roll of bouncy toilet paper. Meowji…

These Action Figures Make Star Wars‘ Scum & Villainy—and Military Heroism—Look Damn Good

I still remember the lone Star Wars figure I owned a long time ago in a childhood far, far away. Getting that Imperial Guard was a rare treat for me as my two siblings and I were raised by a single mom. Money was always tight and I always had to plead with my mom…

Kotaku Water Cooler

Our week-long experiment continues. One of your Kotaku staffers (me, today, obviously) drops in some odds and ends in the discussions below, stuff that may turn into stories or might just be for your own amusement here. See below….

Talk Amongst Yourselves

Today’s topic: Barbecue hangovers… do they exist? If you’re a vegetarian or just don’t care, you fine folks can talk about the games you’re playing, loving and hating, too. Head over to Talk Amongst Yourselves, the place where we gather on a daily basis to discuss all things video game and existential. Go to the…

Dearest EA, This Is What I Thought of Crysis 3

Occasionally we in the world of games journalism are asked by people in the world of public relations what we thought of a game we just saw. Surely, anything I could say to them, I could say to you, reader of Kotaku. And I should, right? Otherwise I’m just doing free consultation. In answer to…

Sideshow Collectibles’ Comic-Con Exclusives Star Wars Figures gallery

Heroes of Ruin and The Legend of Zelda Clash in This Week’s Nintendo Download

Old school action role-playing meets newfangled dungeon crawler in this week’s Nintendo download, as a free demo for Square Enix’s Heroes of Ruin goes head-to-head with one of Nintendo’s most legendary games. If you were one of the folks that picked up the Nintendo 3DS before they dropped the price from $250 to sensible, then…

Ten Achievements I’d Like To See In The Final Fantasy VII Re-Release

Yesterday, Square Enix confirmed that it will re-release Final Fantasy VII on PC at some point in the near future. What’s most interesting about this re-release is that it adds new features to the seminal role-playing game, like achievements. But Square hasn’t shared any details on exactly what these achievements will comprise. So I’m offering…

Even Hitman: Absolution‘s Characters Think Killer Fetish Nuns are Inappropriate and Exploitative

Hitman: Absolution‘s E3 2012 trailer depicting Agent 47 brutally dispatching a group of killers dressed as sexy nuns caused quite a stir. People called it exploitatitive. People called it misogynistic. In the latest in a series of ICA Profile videos for the game, an unseen bureaucrat agrees with these assessments. Hitman: Absolution‘s developers apologized for…

Monster Hunter 4 Will Have A Bunch Of New Features… No News On A PS Vita Version

The Monster Hunter series will be getting its “fourth” numbered game (Seeing as they seem to have a different numbering system from the rest of us… What kind of game series considers “3rd” and “3” (tri) as two separate numbers?) next year with Monster Hunter 4 scheduled for release in Spring 2013. As a whole…