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  The Many (Faceless) Faces Of Video Games

  Last year, Briton Ashley Browning gave the world a great set of minimalist video game character faces. Now, Justin Russo gives us minimalist video game…chests. Showing that game characters are as recognisable for their costume design and colour scheme as they are for their faces, Russo’s works are apparently the result of a dream the…

  By Luke Plunkett Published March 19, 2010
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  StarCraft II Beta Invites Now Going Out To Your Closest Friends

  Some of you already in the StarCraft II multiplayer beta are about to become more popular. According to some lucky beta testing tipsters, Blizzard is sending out e-mails with extra StarCraft II beta keys to share with a friend. The one-time use invite may be part of Blizzard’s efforts to further test the new Battle.net…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 18, 2010
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  Kotaku Off Topic: If He Dies, He Dies

  Hey, Kotaku. You want to take a break from talking to each other about video games and move the conversation in another direction? That’s what Kotaku Off Topic is for, you know. While you’re free to talk about anything, I have something of a challenge for you. If you don’t care for competition, consider it…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 18, 2010
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  The Silver Age: Is Valve The New (Old) Marvel?

  Jason McIntosh, producer of television show The Gameshelf and writer of the blog of the same name, explores the similarities between the video game and comic book markets of the past and present. Here, his second entry on the subject. I wish to make an extended footnote on last Monday’s post, regarding further similarities I…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 18, 2010
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  PlayStation Store Update: Gaga Heroes

  This week’s North American PlayStation Store update features the highest concentration of Lady Gaga to date, thanks to the addition of four new Rock Band tracks from the pop star. There are some new video games too! Like what? Like Patchwork Heroes for one thing, the visually creative PSP game that’s just ten U.S. bucks,…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 18, 2010
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  Halo: Reach Matchmaking Needs Your Help To Be Better

  Bungie is making some important and dramatic changes to multiplayer matchmaking in Halo: Reach, with a revamped set of online options that cater to the hardcore (see Arena mode) and new social settings that improve everyone else’s experience. Shacknews has a comprehensive look at Halo: Reach’s multiplayer side, which includes “Arena Playlists” targeted at the…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 18, 2010
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  Free MAG Content Incoming: Flashbangs, Fashion & Firearms

  The first batch of downloadable goodies for owners of the PlayStation 3 massively multiplayer shooter MAG will arrive next week, according to Zipper Interactive, bringing fresh outfits, disorienting grenades and all-new guns guns guns! That new stuff is all free. The “Trooper Gear Pack,” coming to players worldwide gratis on March 25, brings with it…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 18, 2010
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  The Tester: Episode 5: The “Buzz In Or Buzz Off” Liveblog: Dude, Luge!

  Another week, another 1GB worth of PlayStation 3 hard drive space eaten by The Tester, the PlayStation Network’s first reality show in which 11 hopefuls fight for a spot to play buggy PlayStation games until they’re less buggy. If you didn’t catch our admittedly late recap of last week’s show, in which The Tester contestants…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 18, 2010
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  Team Fortress 2 Gets Its First Batch Of Player Made Content

  Remember when Valve opened up the development of new Team Fortress 2 weapons and hats to the Team Fortress 2-loving community? No? Well, that first batch of player-made things is now available as part of the latest TF2 update. Sure, Valve has been releasing community made maps in official releases for ages, but thanks to…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 18, 2010
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  Haiku

  To: Ash From: Crecente Re: Today, My Barn Door Was Open (GAH) Tristan has been studying Japan this last month or so in school. Just yesterday he was telling me the age children started practicing swordplay. Anyway, I was going through his mound of graded school work, checking things over, when I came across this…

  By Brian Crecente Published March 18, 2010
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  Grand Theft Auto IV Episodes Delayed For PS3, PC Over “Minor Content Changes”

  Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City for the PlayStation and PC—and their individual downloadable episodes—won’t be making their previously scheduled release dates. Rockstar says the game will be delayed by two weeks to accommodate “minor content changes.” Rockstar says it is “forced” to delay the retail release and the downloadable episodes (Grand Theft Auto:…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 18, 2010
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  More Giant Robot Love From Front Mission Evolved

  Square Enix passed us the box art and a batch of new screens for Front Mission Evolved today, including at least one shot of a mech that seems to be joyously completing an upbeat dance routine. What won’t those giant robots do? That’s another giant robot-related prayer that Square Enix and Double Helix Games have…

  By Mike Fahey Published March 18, 2010
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  The Tester: Episode 4: The “LARPing in the Park” Lateblog Recap

  While we were at the Game Developers Conference, PlayStation Network reality show The Tester carried on as normal, meaning we didn’t get a chance to liveblog the fourth episode “LARPing in the Park” as normal. So here’s a recap. As you may recall from the previous week, Tester contestant Fame Girl was eliminated for not…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 18, 2010
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  Wipeout: The Game Set To Disappoint Fans Of Futuristic Racing This Summer

  There’s a new Wipeout game coming to the Nintendo Wii and DS this summer, but don’t get too excited – it’s not what you think. For nearly 15 years, Sony fans have thrilled to the balls-out futuristic racing action of the Wipeout series, with each installment bringing new challenges and more speed to the beloved…

  By Mike Fahey Published March 18, 2010
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  The World’s Most Badass Exercise Video Game

  The game you see here will include a calorie counter. Lose weight by delivering a punch to the gut, followed by a head butt. This is Motion Fighter, a motion-controlled bare-knuckle brawling game unveiled last week for the PlayStation 3’s new Wii-style wand controller, the PlayStation Move. During an interview with Kotaku, Sony vice president…

  By Stephen Totilo Published March 18, 2010
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  Reminder: Send In Your Photos of Ugly Americans from St. Pat’s

  You saw them: Dudes in Erin Go Bragh berets slipping in green sick and Sexy Leprechauns flashing their bloomers and otherwise atop a shamrock float. Share your photos of the ugliest messes you encountered on St. Pat’s and you could win big! In honor of Comedy Central’s new show Ugly Americans, send your best photos…

  By Gawkercreative Published March 18, 2010
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  Pokemon Rangers Hold Back Bad Company On Japan’s Software Battlefield

  Just like last week, Nintendo’s latest Pokemon spin-off, Pokemon Ranger: Hikari no Kiseki for the Nintendo DS, tops Japan’s weekly software chart, fending off a long list of newcomers, including Battlefield: Bad Company 2. To Bad Company 2’s credit, the PlayStation 3 version of DICE’s shooter managed a top ten spot, wedged between Japanese fare…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 18, 2010
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  One Step Closer To The Mathematical Formula For Fun

  No, in this post you will not find the algorithm of entertainment, the theorem of thrills or the postulate of pleasure. But you will find details on how one unlikely game may, accidentally, calculate fun. The game is Dante’s Inferno, EA’s enjoyable and lurid re-imagining of the classic poem. The application of a possible mathematical…

  By Stephen Totilo Published March 18, 2010
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  Maybe Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker Would Be Better If We Snuck Together

  Did you enjoy your glimpse of single player sneaking in the Peace Walker clip we posted on Monday? Well two can play at that game! See how two people can be sneakier than one in this latest clip. While I wasn’t initially impressed by the thought of cooperative sneaking in Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker,…

  By Mike Fahey Published March 18, 2010
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  Threadless $10 Sale Lets You Dress For A Whole Week For The Price Of One Game

  Community driven t-shirt maker Threadless is kicking off its latest and, some say, greatest sale on upper torso wear, slashing prices to just $10 USD in honor of the brand’s tenth anniversary. That means super cheap gaming related t-shirts! For less than the price of a new release video game, you can dress yourself for…

  By Michael McWhertor Published March 18, 2010