All Topics Gaming older than one year ago

Described as a Super Stardust "pro," the phenom known as Tlo-Mek has joined Housemarque's team on account of "his gaming prowess." Sony announced the new hire alongside this gameplay footage of Tlo-Mek straight killing Housemarque's impending PSN release, Dead Nation. That's some way to land a job!

#mediamolecule .634 More controlerifous than LittleBigPlanet 2's 'Creatinator,' with smoother handling than its 'Grabinator,' Sackboy's newest tool—the 'Controlinator'—makes piloting and steering anything in the PlayStation 3 sequel so much simpler. More »

Today, Media Molecule unveiled the latest (verb)-inator device (after the Creatinator and the Grabinator) usable in LittleBigPlanet 2: the Controlinator. This device allows objects to be controlled directly, instead of by complicated arrangements of switches.

We're excited by the possibility of better vehicle implementations in player made games, but at the same time ... there are starting to be a lot of -inators for us to learn. Hopefully the next device revealed will be some kind of Educinator.

In the wake of MJ's triumphant appearance in NBA 2K11, it's time to take a look back at a slightly less successful game starring the NBA legend.

In the wake of MJ's triumphant appearance in NBA 2K11, it's time to take a look back at a slightly less successful game starring the NBA legend.

In the wake of MJ's triumphant appearance in NBA 2K11, it's time to take a look back at a slightly less successful game starring the NBA legend.

#infographic Whether you feel the need for speed or the need to make the car you're driving sounds as close to the real thing as possible, The Kotaku Genre Guide to Racing Games has you covered. More »

Directional light shafts, color grading and cascaded shadow maps may seem like gobbledygook to most of us, but to developers, they're important. At least Epic thinks these terms for Unreal Engine 3 features are important enough to use as selling points. Just past the break, you can check out a new video demonstration of the tech.

Additionally, Epic has also released a new beta version of its free Unreal Engine 3 UDK today, now featuring an additional map and "many improvements to the Unreal Editor." If you'd like to grab it, head on over to the official site.

#nba2k11 San Antonio Spurs all-star Tony Parker and Eva Longoria got dee-vorced last week, around the time it was discovered that Parker was doing some dribble-drive penetration with a former teammate's wife. NBA 2K11's latest roster update factors in the breakup. More »

#ubisoft Ubisoft is giving the gift of downloadable content to Assassin's Creed Brotherhood owners a little early, handing out the "Animus Project Update 1.0" for free on December 14. What do you get for your precious time and bandwidth? More »

OnLive still has a public perception hill to climb, but the company is rewarding its Founding Members, the people who took the risk on the cloud gaming service, with some goodies.

In a post today on the service's blog, CEO Steve Perlman wrote that those who bought a PlayPass for one game will receive a promo code for another game, up to $50. Everyone who purchased two games will receive a voucher for a free OnLive MicroConsole. OnLive offers time-limited "rental" PlayPasses for most of its catalog, which likely aren't being counted towards the promotion, but we're checking and will update when we hear back, just in case. The first batch of MicroConsoles ship out on December 2 and Founding Member pre-orders will move to the front of the line for delivery.

The company's service has certainly impressed us, and with its future plans, along with the introduction of some flat-rate gaming, the whole cloud-centric concept is starting to seem decidedly solid.

Back in September, Sony revealed plans for a music service called "Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity." Today, the company has announced details for upcoming firmware update 6.35, which prepares the PSP for the music streaming service by adding an icon under the Music section of the XMB. So don't get all freaked out when you see it and think it's been stealth-launched or anything. On the PlayStation blog, Sony VP Eric Lempel says the new firmware is "coming soon."

In Japan, PSP users can now take advantage of some built-in mapping software without having to go through the PlayStation Store and download the app x-Radar. As part of firmware 6.35 released overseas today, Andriasang says the app's now moved to the XMB, utilizing maps and guides purchased through the PlayStation Store to provide users with different types of data. The software itself also sees an update today, which you can read about here.

The basics of building a blocky empire.

Call of Duty: Black Ops and more on The Fireside Chats II.

#deals Savings just got ridiculous on Valve's Steam service, with the company practically giving away games like Deus Ex, Half-Life 2, and Borderlands... and actually giving away tons of video games to Steam members on top of that. More »

#activision The Call of Duty experience you have now, the one that includes Modern Warfare 2, Black Ops and future Call of Duty boxed games, will never include a subscription fee, Activision tells Kotaku. More »

Yesterday, we posted that Nintendo would attend CES this year, effectively ending a 16-year-long hiatus from the show -- one of the biggest hardware and tech conventions each year, annually held in Las Vegas. The news came via the Consumer Electronics Association, who runs CES, but today it's told PC World that Nintendo actually won't have official representation on the show floor. The original report was a misprint on the CEA's part. Talk about an inconvenient tpyo.

Instead, the CEA says Nintendo will offer smaller meetings in conference rooms during the event. Honestly, we don't know what's worse: the CEA accidentally reporting Nintendo is returning to its show after over a decade-long absence, or Nintendo largely ignoring one of the biggest hardware shows of the year when it's planning to launch the 3DS.

The holidays are fast approaching and we know that price and value is something everyone will be conscious about this season. Over the last year, we’ve been able to deliver some amazing values to you through our PSP Entertainment Packs, which bring together everything you will need to experience the PSP platform. We’ve offered bundles for a broad range of great titles including Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, KINGDOM HEARTS Birth By Sleep, Madden NFL 11, Invizimals, and God of War: Ghost of Sparta.

This Friday, November 26th, we’re very excited to bring you two new fantastic offerings for the PSP-3000 and PSPgo systems. Available at retailers nationwide, the Black Friday PSP and PSPgo bundles are your all-access passes to the most immersive and engaging handheld gaming, available at an incredible value.

For the PSP-3000 Fans
The PSP Holiday Pack ($129.99 MSRP) offers the magic of Little Big Planet, a great movie and memory – as well as a PSP-3000 all for one great price. It includes:

• Piano Black PSP-3000 system
• LittleBigPlanet game on UMD (Universal Media Disc)
• Karate Kid UMD movie
• 1GB Memory Stick PRO Duo

For the Digital Consumers
The PSPgo 3-Game Digital Pack ($149.99 MSRP) is for those of you who live a digital lifestyle. With no discs to carry around, a large 16GB hard drive, and an awesome price, the PSPgo Black Friday bundle is the ultimate portable digital gaming system. It includes:

• PSPgo system
• Three full-game downloads:

• LittleBigPlanet
• SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3
• Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters

At most retailers, these are one day events and are while supplies last, so if you haven’t purchased a PSP-3000 or a PSPgo yet, now is the time! We hope you’re all as excited about these deals as we are. Be sure to keep an eye out for these special offers this Friday. Enjoy!

The team at PlayStation wanted to give you something to look forward to other than the standard turkey and stuffing this Thanksgiving. That’s why we’ve been working hard with retailers across the U.S. to put together some incredible PlayStation 3 bundles that offer something for everyone, from hardcore games to all-in-one entertainment solutions.

Its been a big year filled with many choices for PlayStation fans. In addition to introducing must-have exclusives like God of War III, ModNation Racers and of course Gran Turismo 5, we also packed PSN with everything from sports to your favorite movies and TV shows and added the new PlayStation Move motion controller to our hardware family. What’s more, we made sure that PS3 owners were the first to receive access to stereoscopic 3D entertainment from Blu-ray movies to games! With the holidays upon us we want to ensure that we keep the choices coming.

That’s why this Friday, across many of your favorite local retailers, you’ll be able to find the 160GB PS3 system packaged with everything from a selection of this season’s hottest games to the latest Blu-ray movie releases. We worked closely with retailers to ensure that we provided you with an option tailored to meet your entertainment needs. Whether you’re looking for a package you can enjoy with your gaming friends or something more suitable for a family get-together, we’re confident there’s a bundle out there for you.

Available PS3 bundles include:

• Amazon: 160GB PS3 system, UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves Game of the Year Edition, a voucher for PixelJunk: Shooter and a copy of The Karate Kid on Blu-ray $299

• Best Buy: 160GB PS3 system, ModNation Racers (PS3), LittleBigPlanet: Game of the Year Edition and Cars the movie on Blu-ray $299

• GameStop: 160GB PS3 system, the God of War: Collection and a copy of God of War III $299

• Target: 160GB PS3Holiday Bundle, includes StarWars: The Force Unleashed 2 game, a copy of Prince of Persia on Blu-ray movie and one black DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller $299.99

• Walmart: 160GB PS3 system, UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves and Medal of Honor: Limited Edition $299

• Sam’s Club: 160GB PS3 system, ModNation Racers (PS3), black DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller, Blu-ray Disc remote and a copy of How to Train Your Dragon on Blu-ray $399

These are just a few of the great deals you can find should you choose to brave the elements. There are limited quantities of each bundle, so be sure to shop early to take advantage of some great entertainment savings. Check your paper on Thursday and let us know what other deals you come across!

Happy shopping,

Tim Bender

The newest additions to the Pokemon family prove they're just as dysfunctional as the rest of us.

The newest additions to the Pokemon family prove they're just as dysfunctional as the rest of us.

#review Game developers, please stop making zombie games when you stop making good ones. Dead Nation is allowed. It's a good one. More »

Octodad has a few problems getting around in the indie game on PC.

Tron: Evolution Avatar gear will hit the Xbox Live marketplace this Thursday, November 25, which is also known as "Gobble Day" in the States. The items include clothing, props and a premium theme. Tragically, no creepy young CGI Jeff Bridges face mask will be available.

Remember that commercial for the original Golden Sun, and just how awesome it was? Also remember how it had little to do with the actual game? Well, it seems that Camelot was a big fan of that commercial. Check out one of the battles from Golden Sun: Dark Dawn below.