All Topics Gaming older than one year ago

#consoletaisen After taking a back seat to the Nintendo DSi LL for a few weeks in Japan, the PSP is back on top, outselling Nintendo's recently cheapened platform. That said... More »

If you're anything like us, you've been waiting diligently for the motion controller-enabled version of 2009's Resident Evil 5, hoping for a chance to battle zombies (and explore the additional content) using Sony's PlayStation Move. A recent posting on the PlayStation Blog by Sony's Sid Shuman indicates that only folks who own the Gold Edition of RE5 will be receiving the Move-enabling patch "close to the launch of the PlayStation Move."

"This will only work with RE5 copies labeled 'Gold Edition' -- the original version of RE5 won't be receiving the patch, for technical reasons," Shuman says, additionally noting that the patch itself will become available on PSN "close to the launch of the PlayStation Move."

Not into patches? Too bad! No, no, just joshin' -- apparently all retail versions of RE5's Gold Edition will come with the patch on-disc after Move's official release. Also, you should probably get in on the whole "internet" thing.

#clips Under a blinding New York City sun, I unboxed StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, the collector's edition. It had to be done. My tan needed some work. More »

Studio gives a glimpse at the now defunct project.

#infographic Our Kotaku genre guide series continues this month, appropriately enough, with the resource collecting, unit constructing, zerg rushing battles of real-time strategy, in The Kotaku Genre Guide to the RTS. More »

Capcom producer for all things Street Fighter, Yoshinori Ono, dropped a bomb on all of us this weekend when he revealed Capcom's intent to re-release Street Fighter 3: 3rd Strike. We hypothesized that the game would be distributed digitally -- think: the recently re-released Marvel vs. Capcom 2 -- and Capcom confirmed to Eurogamer that the game is indeed a "downloadable title."

No specific platforms were mentioned for the upcoming adaptation, though Xbox Live and PSN are likely safe bets right now. We'll keep you posted as we find out more.

#lazysundays Our regularly scheduled Friday post, asking what it is you're playing this weekend, was slightly delayed due to Comic-Con. So instead of asking what you were planning on playing, let us know what you really played this weekend. More »

Remember Yaris for Xbox Live Arcade? No? Good. It was undeniably the low point for downloadable racing games on Xbox 360. Finally XBLA gets something to wash the taste from your mouth for good: Hydro Thunder Hurricane. Upstart developer Vector Unit didn't actually start out making a Hydro Thunder title, but Microsoft liked what it saw, licensed the rights to HT and made the (what's turned out to be excellent) decision to resurrect the franchise.

For the uninitiated, Hydro Thunder was an arcade game from the late nineties that drew in crowds with its transforming, jet-powered speedboats and courses that felt inspired by amusement park thrill rides. Hydro Thunder Hurricane doesn't deviate from that blueprint, and while gaming hardware has changed, fun hasn't -- and Vector Unit was clearly keeping that at the forefront in designing Hurricane.

We told you something legendary was about to happen! One of the hits of San Diego Comic-Con weekend was the debut of the full cinematic trailer (a whopping 5 and a half minutes) for DC Universe Online, entitled “Who Do You Trust?” In addition to being shown on Spike TV, the trailer also made its Comic-Con premiere at the DCUO panel discussion to thunderous applause.

In DC Universe Online, you’ll be able to team up with legendary DC heroes like Batman, Superman, and Green Lantern… or pledge allegiance to the Joker, Lex Luthor, and other classic villains to determine the fate of the DC Universe. During the struggle for supremacy, you’ll team up with thousands of other players online from your PS3, customize your own skills and abilities, and ultimately create the most powerful super-being ever depicted in a videogame setting

So now that we know that gamers can become the next great legend of the DC Universe, the next question is whether or not they’ll save it, or conquer it? Guess we’ll find out when the game hits the PS3 on November 2nd.

THQ's Core Games VP Danny Bilson contributed to a panel with a few Syfy execs this past weekend at Comic-Con, along with Andrew Kreisberg, writer for the upcoming Red Faction: Origins movie. The panel was about "transmedia" in general and Red Faction specifically, with THQ being a prime example of a company trying to tell (and sell) a universe's stories across multiple platforms and media. The way it's all going to work is that Red Faction Guerilla starred Alex Mason, Red Faction: Origins will star his son and daughter Jake and Myra, and then Red Faction Armageddon will star Darius Mason, Alex's grandson.

Kriesberg revealed that the movie will feature "three sort of main factions," and that "they're all sort of right. Everyone thinks this is their planet, and that's what makes the drama." Kriesberg shared one line from the movie that he believes wraps up a major theme: "It's hard to win a war, because the winners have to clean up."

Bilson also mentioned the upcoming downloadable game, and said that one of the factions from the movie, the White Faction, will have "elements" in the XBLA and PSN title. Bilson said that THQ's got "two more of these" transmedia properties "in the hopper" -- we presume he means Saints Row and de Blob, both previously revealed to be in progress.

#gallery While you're waiting for your chance to play some sci-fi real-time strategy, why not browse through some lovely screens and concept art from Shogun 2: Total War, visiting a simpler time, when war didn't involve zergling rushes. More »

Multiple outlets are reporting that the deal may be valued at more than $500 million.

New 2D action adventure game from Cosmonaut Games plunges deep into the depths of the mysterious oceans.

#inception From the second Inception ended, I've been bumping into people who are trying to sort out it's ending. I'm not one of them, thanks, I think, to video games. (Note: I won't spoil Inception's ending here, but commenters probably will.) More »

Codemasters employees worried about having to pack up their stuff and head for Bangalore should probably relax, as VP of studios Gavin Cheshire denied such plans in a Develop interview. After a recent 50 percent acquisition by Indian company Reliance Big Entertainment, worry apparently spread about the possibility of Codemasters relocating development to its new parent company's home country. "I can safely say that this is absolutely not the case," Cheshire said. "There are obviously some 'strategic' moves for both partners, but in terms of development at the level we're at, it's very much about Reliance investing in our skills and abilities over here in the UK."

Let's hope Reliance is investing lots, as Cheshire spells out a whole mess of titles currently in development at the UK-based publisher's trio of development studios. "Our Guildford studio is working hard on Bodycount, and we will be looking to take that franchise further and further with the addition of more IP. In Southam it's full steam ahead with the next iteration in our Flashpoint series, as well as the next Dirt and Grid."

Thankfully, with all those games in development, the publisher has a plan -- and an upcoming game engine, EGO 2.0 -- for helping to manage it all. "We are focused on EGO 2.0 at the moment, which will be coming in with a massive title that we can't talk about just yet. That will really keep us cutting-edge." Cutting-edge, you say? Figure skating sim confirmed?! We think so!

Now Bungie is just getting silly.

During a DC Universe panel at this year's San Diego Comic-Con, DC Comics chief creative officer Geoff Johns revealed plans for a game adaptation of the .... less than well-known Suicide Squad. According to Comics Alliance, Johns revealed as much during a panel on the ever-expanding DC Universe, only saying that the game would be "hardcore violent." Comics Alliance believes it could be released alongside the film of the same name, currently in-production.

Unfortunately, Johns didn't give any further details, or even an idea of when we might hear more about it. Given that DC Comics HQ isn't too far from our offices, though, we might assemble a Suicide Squad of our own and head over to find out more. We've already said too much!

A roundup of all that was new in the most popular Facebook games this week.

#downloadables Who doesn't love pie? Wholesome, delicious goodness, wrapped in a buttery, flaky crust. This week's Nintendo Doesn't contain pie, but if it did, it would taste like Aero the Acrobat and Hamsterz. Yum! More »

At last week’s PlayStation event in NYC, I was pleased to see Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition make an appearance — complete with the new PlayStation Move control scheme.

I grabbed a PlayStation Move and a Navigation Controller and dove into a combat sequence several chapters into the game. Several details quickly became apparent:

Aiming is much, much easier. I was able to pop headshots, even at long ranges, with impressive accuracy using the PlayStation Move’s reticule aiming. You move your character with an analog stick (via the Navigation Controller or a DualShock 3), then squeeze the trigger on the PlayStation Move to draw your weapon. Once your shot is lined up, you press the Move button with your thumb to fire the shot. Easy!

From what I played, the new PlayStation Move aiming controls will be a big help to players who had difficulty adjusting to Resident Evil 5’s default analog stick control scheme.

Knifing is easier, too. In the original version of Resident Evil 5, swinging your knife was a two-step process: you pressed and held one button to ready the knife, and another to swing it. But using PlayStation Move, you can “waggle” the motion controller to immediately swing the knife at any time. It’s handier in a pinch, and makes close-quarters battles feel faster and deadlier. It’s also easier to smash open crates and barrels to find those all-important healing herbs.

Reloading works through a similar process: you pull the trigger to ready your weapon, then “waggle” the PlayStation Move control to reload. These tweaks make the game feel faster and nimbler, freeing up precious seconds during heated combat sequences.

Chris and Shiva are more maneuverable. By shifting the run button to the left-hand Navigation Controller (or a DualShock 3), Resident Evil 5 frees up your right hand for aiming and knifing. This has a liberating effect on the game’s pacing by encouraging more hit-and-run tactics — a must when battling tough bosses such as the chainsaw-wielding Majini. Much like the other enhancements to the PlayStation Move control scheme, this makes playing Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition a nimbler, easier process.

If you already own a copy of Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition for your PS3, you’ll be able to download a free patch close to the launch of the PlayStation Move (September 19th in North America) to enable the new motion-control scheme. This will only work with RE5 copies labeled “Gold Edition” — the original version of RE5 won’t be receiving the patch, for technical reasons.

Moving forward, all new “Gold Edition” versions of Resident Evil 5 that hit store shelves after the launch of PlayStation Move will come with PlayStation Move support included on the disc. Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition also comes with all the DLC add-ons, including the new “Desperate Escape” and “Lost in Nightmares” scenarios, as standard features.

Have any other questions about Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition’s new PlayStation Move control scheme? Ask away in the comments and I’ll see what I can dig up.

During Comic-Con, Square Enix revealed what Hideo Kojima and Yoji Shinkawa were up to when they visited the company last month: Metal Gear-themed decals for use in Front Mission Evolved. You won't exactly be able to make your Wanzer look like a Metal Gear, but you will be able to festoon it with logos from FOXHOUND, Militaires Sans Frontieres, and other in-game factions. Kojima even signed autographs at Square Enix's Comic-Con booth to celebrate the announcement.

The surprise (!) brought with it another nice bonus: the stylish Front Mission Evolved trailer after the break.

Pre-order from today via Steam and receive 10% off.

#actsofnature Jeff Hickman's house got struck by lightning last spring. It destroyed two of his three game consoles, zapped his daughter's retainer — which was in her mouth — and caused some other odd damage. He shared his story with Kotaku. More »

#review Psychological thriller Alan Wake hit the Xbox 360 a few months back delivering a taut, deftly-written experience that straddled the line between television and video game. More »

Pass the Salt-N-Peppa.

The early Sega Genesis roguelike Fatal Labyrinth was released on PC download services last week, but Sega doesn't appear to be done re-releasing it yet. The ESRB listing for the game shows, in addition to its existing PC and Wii (Virtual Console) releases, plans for Mac, PS3, and Xbox 360 versions of the game.

Fatal Labyrinth is actually already available on PS3 and Xbox, as part of Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection, but a separate ESRB listing for those platforms suggests a standalone downloadable release, like those given to games like Gunstar Heroes, Sonic & Knuckles, and Phantasy Star II. Good news for those of you who don't want to spend around twenty dollars for the fantastic deal that is the Ultimate Genesis Collection.

#gameface As seen on Holtsman's Flickr page. More »

International Game Developers Association head Joshua Caulfield has resigned from his position after approximately one year and three months on the job, reports the organization's blog. This follows the recent departure of chairperson Brenda Brathwaite, and just before another rumored loss from the board of directors. For its part, the IGDA has said it's "not falling apart, though it may appear to be." According to the IGDA spokesperson, the resignations are reflective of changes at the organization on the whole. "The 'old' IGDA served a smaller industry in a different time, and some of the 'old' things have to fall away for real change and growth."

After leaving the organization, Caulfield will head up the executive editor position on an architectural board. He characterizes the split as mutual and amicable. "It's just time for the next step in my career. I think the IGDA is headed in a great direction, and I look forward to helping to make this a smooth transition." Caulfield's last day with the IGDA will be sometime in August, though the organization has already begun seeking a new leader.

Meet Vladimir from the ancient mountains.

#igaming Street Fight IV makes its triumphant return to the iPhone list. Scrabble for iPad proves classic games never gets old. All this and more on this week's iTunes Chart Topper. More »