• Uncategorized

  FarmVille Boss Stalked, Needs Over $1 Million in Security

  The worst we normally get from irate psycopaths are angry/entertaining emails. For Zynga boss Mark Pincus, though, things are a lot more serious, to the point where he needs an absurd amount of security to ensure the safety of his family. Since last year, Pincus claims that he’s been stalked by a stripper, and while…

  By Luke Plunkett Published April 11, 2012
• Uncategorized

  What Azeroth Looks Like From Space

  Reddit user lurker_becomes_lurkd has turned the draw distance on World of Warcraft all the way up to eleven, and in a series of screenshots lets us look down on the world of Azeroth as though we were Gods. It’s…clearly not designed to be seen from this kind of distance (it needed some tweaks – not…

  By Luke Plunkett Published April 11, 2012
• Uncategorized

  Please, God, Bring This Game of Thrones Game to Life

  I’ve not been terribly excited by the Game of Thrones video games we’ve seen to date. I am, however, terribly excited by this single image, showing one man’s dream for a stylish 2D fighter based on the heroes of Westeros. It will never become a thing, but Dynamaito, you’ll still win my heart if you…

  By Luke Plunkett Published April 11, 2012
• 

  Uncategorized

  Diablo III’s Barbarian Would Like a Word or Two

  Here’s a new, very chatty gameplay trailer for Diablo III featuring everybody’s favourite giant-in-a-loin-cloth, the Barbarian.

  By Luke Plunkett Published April 11, 2012
• 

  Uncategorized

  The Star Wars Game Lucasarts Should Have Made, But Never Did

  This is very exciting. Nearly three years ago, I did a story on Han Solo Adventures, a fan-made project looking to bring the world the 1990s Lucasarts x Star Wars adventure game it never actually got. Given this was three years ago, I’d given the project up for dead, but no. In the last few…

  By Luke Plunkett Published April 11, 2012
• 

  CultureTotal Recall

  Nintendo’s Terrifying Power Glove Indoctrination Video

  Get a cup of tea, a biscuit or two and settle in for ten minutes worth of Nintendo Power Glove propaganda, courtesy of the official VHS cassette guide to the peripheral. It is something you really should watch. From the product placement to pseudo-religious tone throughout, it’s as perfect a summary of one of Nintendo’s…

  By Luke Plunkett Published April 10, 2012
• 

  CultureTotal Recall

  That Time Sega Made a Ridiculous Fighting Game. With a Car in it.

  Due to the overwhelming popularity of its Smash Bros. series, a lot of people give Nintendo credit for pioneering the idea of a fighting game bringing together a company’s mascots in the name of face-punching. Sega fans, though, will know that Smash Bros. was just the latest in a long line of such titles. One…

  By Luke Plunkett Published April 10, 2012
• Uncategorized

  Oh Dear God, My Eye

  Hello, Kotaku! I just thought I’d give you a nice and lovely and heartwarming image for your Tuesday night open thread. No reason other than that. Nope. I hope you’re having a good week so far. Here, gathered from around the internet, are some things to check out and talk about. Our former boss Joel…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published April 10, 2012
• Uncategorized

  Cortana is Dying, Multiplayer Sounds Very Interesting, and Other Pieces of Halo 4 News

  Game Informer’s Halo 4 issue is now out, and inside are details not just on the game’s singleplayer campaign, but what new developers 343 studios are doing with the series’ multiplayer as well. Which is blah blah bullet points whatever. More interesting, to me at least, is that a big part of the fourth main…

  By Luke Plunkett Published April 10, 2012
• Uncategorized

  Skullgirls, The Pinball Arcade New This Week on the PlayStation Store

  We’ve got some good downloadable stuff on the PlayStation store, including the cross-play compatible The Pinball Arcade for both Vita and PS3, and Skullgirls for the PS3. Austin Wintory’s amazing Journey soundtrack is available for download (it’s also available on iTunes), and Persona 3: FES is now available as a PS2 classic. Which I’d be…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published April 10, 2012
• Uncategorized

  Party Game Inspires Man to “Go Bonkers,” Smash Room

  Cards Against Humanity was a popular late-night diversion at PAX East last weekend, making appearances at gaming tables after midnight and after a few adult beverages. The game, it seems, is indeed as antagonistic as advertised, and can be dangerous to a player’s health under the wrong circumstances. A group of friends in River Falls,…

  By Kate Cox Published April 10, 2012
• 

  Uncategorized

  We Need More Kinect Games Like Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor, Please.

  We’ve been subjected to some bad Kinect games this past year and a half. Maybe it’s time for a really good one? I’m stepping on board the fully-mechanized Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor bandwagon, because here is a Kinect game that looks fun and—this is key—appears to use the Kinect sensor sparingly. Have From Software and…

  By Stephen Totilo Published April 10, 2012
• Uncategorized

  An Illuminating Conversation On Games Writing (And Kotaku‘s Secrets)

  Kotaku editor-in-chief Stephen Totilo sat down with Michael “Brainy Gamer” Abbott the other day to give out all of our trade secrets talk about the past, present, and future of the site you’re reading now. It’s a really interesting conversation that is worth a listen if you’re at all interested in games writing or the…

  By Jason Schreier Published April 10, 2012
• Uncategorized

  Gamers Are Excited About Sequels, Says Weird Poll

  The research group Nielsen has released a poll under the headline “Video Gamers Eager for New Titles from Familiar Franchises this Year.” They combined “eight key consumer metrics, including awareness and purchase interest” into one score for each game, ranked out of 100. Here are the full (weird) findings, in order: Xbox 360 Halo 4…

  By Kirk Hamilton Published April 10, 2012
• Uncategorized

  Final Fantasy XIII-2 DLC Cracks Joke About Final Fantasy XIII-2 DLC

  Here’s Gilgamesh, the newest piece of downloadable content for Square Enix’s Final Fantasy XIII-2 You might recognize Gilgamesh from his appearances in Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy VIII, among other games in the longrunning RPG series. You might also recognize his ridiculous, fourth-wall-breaking sense of humor. Gilgamesh is out now for 320 Microsoft Points…

  By Jason Schreier Published April 10, 2012
• 

  Uncategorized

  This Homemade Hidden Blade From Assassin’s Creed Looks Really Dangerous

  I found this guy on the show floor at PAX East, dressed up like Altair from Assassin’s Creed and boasting his very own homemade hidden blade. I shot this video of the weapon in action, then ran away as quickly as possible. You never know at these conference things.

  By Jason Schreier Published April 10, 2012
• Uncategorized

  Free Mass Effect 3 DLC Accidentally Goes On Sale For $4

  Today’s new Mass Effect 3 Resurgence Pack expansion is supposed to be free, so don’t accidentally buy the 320 Microsoft Point version. The official BioWare Twitter feed delivered that warning this afternoon: Please DO NOT purchase the 320 pt. ‘Resurgence Pack’ consumable on XBL dash. This was erronously uploaded & we are working to take…

  By Stephen Totilo Published April 10, 2012
• 

  Uncategorized

  BioWare Developers Discuss Ideas and Share Concept Art For the “Hypothetical” Next Dragon Age Game

  Some fine folks from BioWare held a Dragon Age panel at PAX East this weekend in which they emphatically did not talk about still-unannounced Dragon Age 3 Creative Director Mike Laidlaw, Executive Producer Mike Darrah, Lead Writer David Gaider, and Assistant Art Director Shane Hawco presented an array of slides, displaying and responding to fan…

  By Kate Cox Published April 10, 2012
• Uncategorized

  We Don’t Always Beat the Ones We Love

  Sure, most of the time we do beat them, but sometimes we’re so busy loving them we never get around to it. Games, we mean. Commenter GiantBoyDetective wants to know if you’ve got a game you adore but never quite got around to finishing. It’s okay, it happens to all of us. Ever realize you’ve…

  Speak Up Published April 10, 2012
• 

  Uncategorized

  This Is What ‘reddit in Real Life’ Looks Like

  Why in the world was there a reddit booth at a video game convention this past weekend? A) To sell reddit swag. (They did.) B) To draw lines of people. (They did.) C) To let reddit workers meet real-life redditors in the flesh. (They did.) D) To run a low-tech Reddit-in-real-life using magic markers and…

  By Stephen Totilo Published April 10, 2012