Kotaku

New Super Mario Bros. Wii In-Game Tips [Clips]

Brian Crecente — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:00:00 -0700

New Super Mario Bros. Wii has the Super Guide, in case you ever want the game to autopilot for you, but it also has a whole collection of video tips you can view before a gaming session.

The "hint movies" are all located inside Peach's Castle and have to be unlocked with Star Coins. Here's a sample.

Be warned, this does show an entire level in the game.

If you're intrigued, check out our full game review here.

If You Don't Have a Holiday Card List, Make One [Season's Greetings]

Owen Good — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 19:30:00 -0700

Perhaps taking a page from the Team Fortress 2 Valentines from last year, Valve's offering four sets of gift cards - with characters from TF2, Left 4 Dead, and L4D2 - that are simply a holiday must.

They're slam-packed with in-game memes - Pyro's speechlessness, Demo-Man getting lit on egg nog, and Spy romancing Scout's mom under the mistletoe. Each set is $15.95 - a steep price to confuse your family, or a bargain to wow your friends, your choice.

2009 Holiday Card Collection [Steam via VG247]

Lego Indiana Jones 2: You Won't Like How This Ends [They Love And Share]

Owen Good — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 19:00:00 -0700

The finale from Raiders of the Lost Ark, as interpreted by Lego Indiana Jones 2, has been posted and, unlike the witty rendering of the Nepal shootout, this one's sanitized to the point of condescension. Disco-dancing replaces face-melting. Yes, really.

I get that this is a family title, and blood or gore would be inappropriate, gratuitous or otherwise. But seriously, the wrathful spirit makes the Nazis line-dance? Really? They got permission for cartoon violence in the rating, can't it just, I dunno, blast them into several pieces? Maybe a ginormous Lego spirit who comically stomps them flat? Do something funnier than this? Wow. Some payoff.

Lego Indiana Jones 2 [CBS News.com via VG247]

Your Comprehensive Guide to Just When the Hell L4D2 Will Unlock [Timekeeping]

Owen Good — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:30:00 -0700

We deal with "midnight" a lot as an embargo time, and you know, it's always confusing. Valve knows, and has laid out specifically when Left 4 Dead 2 (PC) will unlock in all the major time zones of the world.

Says Valve, on the L4D2 blog:

Due to an ongoing debate in the office and online as to whether "12 AM" means noon or midnight (we're still sticking with midnight), it's been more challenging than we realized to tell people when exactly our game will be available. Factor in the Earth rotating around the sun, daylight savings time, some of our fans insisting on using the Mayan calendar, and we're just going to try and make this as specific as possible:

Alright, ready? Get out your pens, flip open your calendars, synchronize your watches, take your index finger and stick it in the middle of your palm to form a sundial, however you keep time. Here's when Left 4 Dead 2 unlocks:

• Monday, Nov. 16, 9 p.m. Pacific Standard Time
• Monday, Nov. 16, 10 p.m. Mountain Standard Time
• Monday, Nov. 16, 11 p.m. Central Standard Time
• Tuesday, Nov. 17, 12 a.m. (midnight) Eastern Standard Time
• Tuesday, Nov. 17, 5 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time
• Tuesday, Nov. 17, 8 a.m. Moscow Time
• Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2 p.m. Japan Standard Time

As you can see, the U.S. west coast gets a three-hour head start (technically) against the console street date, London and Moscow will be getting up or on the train to work, and Tokyo's hosed. Hey, I don't make the rules.

Now that we've cleared that up, you might want to pre-load that six-gigabyte sucker, so that you're not waiting an additional zillion hours to download the game on unlock day.

A Slight Clarification ... [Left 4 Dead Blog via VE3D]

Heist Nets 100 Copies of Modern Warfare 2 [Robbery]

Owen Good — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:00:00 -0700

Conflict currency - it's not cash, but goods or valuables that are small, easily liquidated, easily smuggled. Diamonds are the classic example. We might have to add Modern Warfare 2 to the list, after what just went down in Pennsylvania.

Cops in Meadville, Pa. say a man went into a Gamestop there at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, informed the clerk he had armed help out the door who'd start shooting if anyone called police, and so therefore start handing over the merch. I like that style. The hell with this finger-in-the-jacket-pocket shit. Just let your imaginary friend be your accomplice.

The guy made off with 100 copies of MW2, plus some other items for a total cash-and-prizes value of $6,900.

I'm not sure what surprises me the most, the ballsiness of the robber, or the fact a GameStop still had 100 copies of this 19 hours after its midnight release.

Also, please tell me the "other items" were some refurbed PS2s with balky DVD drives. Please.

Man Steals 100 Copies Of Popular Video Game From GameStop [WPXI-TV, Pittsburgh, via Destructoid]

Pac-Man, in Cans, Before Cans Were Cool [Screengrab]

Owen Good — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:30:00 -0700

Tuna-can Pac-Man, as seen at Walyou, via Hawty McBloggy. Original photo from March 2008.

Weekend Timewaster: Elevator Fart, the Game [Braaaaaap]

Owen Good — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:00:00 -0700

The great thing about working weekends is I can blast gas with impunity in the Kotaku Tower elevator, and then on Monday when the car smells like Donkey Kong's taint, Fahey gets blamed for it once Crecente comes in.

Here's a delightful little flash game that trivializes a serious problem faced by millions of Americans - the need to fart on a long elevator ride. You're accompanied by the most clueless olfactory-impaired elevator attendant ever, as every one I've ever ridden with could detect the presence of fart in concentrations as small as one poot particle per billion.

I get to about seven floors and 21,000 points before I either rip enough ass that the bellman notices or I crap my pants (that is the implied ending, I believe.) Anyone have any protips? Besides, you know, taking the stairs?

Oh, and let me tell you what else is hilarious - crop dusting Plunkett. That guy always pins it on McWhertor.

Elevator Fart [GoGoBox]

Nintendo's Temporary Mario Museum, The Video Tour [Clips]

Stephen Totilo — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 16:30:20 -0700

Couldn't make it to to Nintendo World Store in New York City today? Kotaku went for you and shot this nearly gaffe-free video of Nintendo's Bill Trinen and Kit Ellis showing off a Mario Museum.

The museum was erected just outside Nintendo's store in Rockfeller Center, a few feet from the Today Show Studios and pretty much on the spot where people stand and yell for Al Roker most weekday mornings.

There was no Roker today, but there was Trinen and Ellis, providing the following tour. We shot this just before the museum opened to Nintendo fans. Attendees were able to buy New Super Mario Bros. Wii at the store today and enter a tournament featuring the game.

A storm was picking up as we began:

PS3: It Only Does Kidnapping ... [Ruh Roh]

Owen Good — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 16:00:00 -0700

A Florida teenager says he was kidnapped at gunpoint, driven to a Walmart and forced to buy his captors a PlayStation 3 for the new super-low price of $299.99. Cops have arrested one suspect.

The Naples, Fla. teen says two guys in a white pickup truck blocked his car as he tried to enter a gated community where his friend lives. Two guys, one with an assault rifle, the other with a pistol, jumped out, drove him to his stepfather's home in another gated community to steal some jewelry. Then it was off to Walmart with stepdad's credit card.

There, the victim says one of his captors demanded he buy him a shotgun. But it being past 8:30, the gun counter was closed. So the bandits said they'd settle for a PS3 Slim, which the victim bought. They then set him free, and he went running to the law.

Yeah, there's been one arrest, and it sounds like there's surveillance footage, but let's show a little skepticism here. If this is true, two dudes just went to a hell of a lot of trouble and are facing a whale of a stay in the joint to pull off the heist of a lifetime - a PS3 - before turning loose their rich captive. Kidnapping, plus a gun crime doesn't just get pled down to loud muffler and disorderly conduct because you netted $300 in merch. Plus there's the matter of the suspect's fingerprints not being found inside the house.

That doesn't stop WBBH-TV. Be sure to watch that video. I don't know East Naples or Immokalee from Muncie, Indiana but it sounds like the reporter's reminding us both places are the H-double-O-D hood. And remember, "Jane," (if that's your real name) you're not safe anywhere, even behind rich people gates. Another shining example of local news teaching you to hate and fear your world.

Teen Accused of Kidnapping Teen at Gunpoint, Forces Him to Buy Playstation 3 [Naples Daily News via Hot Blooded Gaming]

Totilo, Talk-Show Star, Visits Fox News [Clips]

Owen Good — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:30:00 -0700

This doesn't qualify as shameless self-promotion because, well, it's not about myself. Kotaku's own Stephen Totilo went on Fox News' "Strategy Room" on Friday to discuss Modern Warfare 2, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and other hot topics.

Totilo, who was earlier a guest on MSNBC, joined Seth Porges of Popular Mechanics and the NPD's Ross Rubin on a panel examining the latest in gadgets and games with Fox's Clayton Morris. At the 24:00 mark, hear Totilo tease remarks from Reggie Fils-Aime regarding these Wii HD rumors (they're still shot down), from an interview the two had on Friday. You can expect more from that interview in the coming week.

Gadgets and Games [Fox News.com]

At Activision Customer Support, Do Unto Others Before They Do Unto You [Gloup]

Owen Good — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:00:00 -0700

Bernard, a customer support rep for Activision, proclaimed that if he got more Twitter followers than his colleague, Randolph, by Friday, he'd pie Randy in the face. Bernard came up short but carried out the attack anyway. That's customer service.

Bernard lost by 1,400 to 340. I know cowardice when I see it and I point the finger squarely at Randolph, who failed to recognize his insurmountable lead and act pre-emptively.

Obviously the vid is a stab at viral marketing for Activision's customer support reps on Twitter, but hey, why not. I've tried it with other companies (not in video games, though) and my issue was taken care of seriously. And it beats hold music and phone trees.

Jersey GameStops Break Street for Assassin's Creed II, L4D2 [Street Dates]

Owen Good — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:00:00 -0700

Three GameStops in Jersey City, N.J. put Assassin's Creed II and Left 4 Dead 2 on sale today, calling in customers to pick up their preorders. Clerks said corporate authorized the move, blamed on a rogue independent breaking street first.

The stores involved were nos. 4627, 4260 and 6005 at the Hudson Mall and Newport Centre. In calls placed to the stores, sales associates said another store in the area had started selling Assassin's Creed II and Left 4 Dead 2 early; they sought permission to break street from "higher ups" in GameStop, and it was granted. The broken street date was only for Jersey City, they said. Calls to stores in Hoboken and Clifton said Assassin's Creed II was not for sale until its Tuesday release date.

Last week, GameStop authorized stores in a much wider vicinity of the U.S. northeast to break the street date and begin seling Modern Warfare 2. Independent stores selling advance copies were also blamed in that instance.

Kotaku has emailed spokesmen for both GameStop and Ubisoft. Should they have any comment, it will be updated here.

Mass Effect 2's Elusive Man is ... Martin Sheen? [Clips]

Owen Good — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 13:00:00 -0700

Shepard confronts the behind-the-scenes puppeteer "Elusive Man" who blends the habit of Cigarette Smoking Man from The X-Files with the look of Alec Baldwin in 30 Rock - and the voice of President Bartlet from The West Wing.

Exclusive Illusive [sic] Man Gameplay [GameTrailers]

The Importance of Asking 'Why' [Weekend Reader]

Owen Good — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0700

In film or literature, the creation of acclaimed work is sometimes attached to a personal event, or reaction. "That doesn't show up often in game development bios," says one dev. Finding that "why" might save games from a "cultural ghetto."

As reported by Gamasutra's Chris Remo, Chris Hecker (formerly of Maxis, now an independent developer) addressed the International Game Developers Association's Leadership Forum in San Francisco this past week. In the following excerpt, Remo digests Hecker's remarks and their main point - that games remain fixated on narrow experiences, revenue, and the easy appeal of proven forms of presentation - especially the "power fantasy," with its attendant explosions and special effects.

"If we continue on our current path, we'll end up in the pop cultural ghetto where [comic books] are," Hecker said. "An alternative path is where film, books, and music ended up." Such media certainly have their low-brow offerings, but on the whole are "relatively bulletproof" as accepted forms of art, worth scholarship and refined criticism.

But even on four tests of popular culture acceptance - revenue, units sold, cultural impact and diversity of content - games succeed at only one, Hecker argues. Revenue. "We f—k it up on the other three," showing that the medium is still an infant next to its supposed peers.

Here, in the words of Hecker as reported by Remo, is the bigger picture of how games, before aspiring to the old-money legitimacy of the fine arts, can first avoid a cultural ghetto.

IGDA Forum: Asking 'Why' Will Keep Games Out Of The Ghetto, Says Hecker [Gamasutra, Nov. 13, 2009.]

Like literature, music, film, and other forms, games offer their own intrinsic element to add to culture. For games, it's interactivity. That uniqueness is necessary for a form to carve out its own cultural space, and it's what will allow games to occupy such a space if the gaming community doesn't wall it off.

But that means designers must strive to convey some kind of "why," and when they do, it will ideally be conveyed through interactivity, not just cutscenes. Linear "theme park ride" games, as Hecker calls them — recently, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, et al. — can be great fun, and we have become quite skilled at making them, but they also represent something of a creative red herring: "The part that speaks to the human condition is in the cutscenes, not in the interactivity."

Furthermore, while gamers are highly resistant to decreases in graphical fidelity, they seem on the whole unbothered by regressions in interactivity, hence the flourishing of the theme park ride approach. And since, for technical reasons, it's safer and cheaper to decrease interactivity as you increase realism, the latter may well continue to suffer.

The booming market of casual and social games, Hecker points out, has a different problem. "It's great to have a game to play while you're waiting for a bus," he said, "but they're not trying to say anything at all."

That leaves the broad category of "systems games," which are more intrinsically predicated on interactivity and player-driven choice. They contain the best candidates for creating unique, meaningful works in games, Hecker believes, but at the present moment, "these games aren't really saying anything either, because we don't know how to say things through interactivity, how an authorial voice works through a system."

There's no easy way out of this arguably slippery slope except for the dedication and intent of the people making the games. "I believe this is the big question for the next ten years of game design," Hecker said. "We have so many opportunities."

Mechanics and systems can be continually evolved, but designers would do well to keep the following questions in mind, he said: "What are you trying to say, and why?" and "And are you trying to say it with interactivity?"

"If you can answer those," Hecker concluded, "you're on the right track."

- Chris Remo

Weekend Reader is Kotaku's look at the critical thinking in, and of video games. It appears Saturdays at noon. Please take the time to read the full article cited before getting involved in the debate here.

World Store Launches New Super Mario Bros. Wii This Afternoon [Event]

Owen Good — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:00:00 -0700

Friendly reminder to those in the vicinity of New York City - Nintendo's World Store is throwing a launch party beginning in a couple hours (3 p.m. US Eastern time) for New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

The shindig is more than just a line-up for an early purchase. Nintendo says it'll deck out the store with gaming stations, costumed characters, and a Super Mario Bros. museum showcasing Mario's history over more than a quarter century. Live gaming tournaments, trivia and prize giveaways also are promised.

And there's the matter of being able to buy and play the game well in advance of its launch tomorrow. The event will run from 3 to 7 p.m. and the store is located at 10 Rockefeller Plaza (48th St between 6th and 5th Aves.) in Manhattan.

So all youse in the Tri-State Area, think about subway-ing, PATHing, or Metro Northing over there to get your red box. And if anyone else knows of launch events elsewhere in the country, feel free to share their places and times in the comments.

Maybe the Greatest of All Time, but not In Its Time [Stick Jockey]

Owen Good — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 10:00:00 -0700

Of the major game-of-the-year awards given out each year, no sports title has ever taken top overall honors. And yet five years later, there is one still talked about in ways that year's winners are not.

That would be ESPN NFL 2K5, the last and best of an uncommonly good crop of football games in the first half of the decade and, perhaps not coincidentally, the last one before EA Sports inked its exclusive license with the National Football League. Certainly, the stupefyingly good value 2K5 delivered on an unheard-of $19.99 price tag moved the needle on its high regard. But reviews of the game still said things like "the best-looking football game ever made," and "the most entertaining show in video game football."

This coming week will see the last glut of AAA releases in the autumn sales cycle, and then it will be on to the question of Game of the Year. Sports titles are like the offensive lineman in modern Heisman voting. Just being mentioned would be honor enough, because the prize is completely inaccessible to your class of performer.

Maybe 2K5 did the best of any sports game, judged among others, in its year. It's impossible to say definitively. I dialed up Brandon Justice, a producer on the 2K5 team to ask him where that game fit in the larger context of 2004's top titles. Five years later, you can still hear the pride when quotes the game's feature set, as if he was back on the team going head-to-head with the Madden franchise.

"People are out there, today, talking about whether Madden 10 is overall a better product (than 2K5)," said Justice, who later worked on Madden and now is the director of design for Quick Hit Football (profiled Sept. 19.) "Five years later. They're just now doing features that 2K5 did first - and not doing them as well. They now have online franchises; we had that mode. We had SportsCenter presentation with a highlight reel; they're just now doing that kind of thing."

But the feature-packed game wasn't put out there to take home a statue, Justice said. It's not to say that is the sole motivation of any past game of the year, but such artistic recognition is at least in the mix for your typical AAA adventure. Not so with sports titles, which seek a more product-oriented recognition, Justice said.

"Ironically enough, trophies matter little to the sports crowd," he said. It's very much focused on sales and beating direct competition where it exists. "Our main mission in 2K was to beat Madden's score. Whether it wins sports game of the year or not, Madden's still going to sell millions of units every year. More than anything else we just wanted to make a good sports game. And having worked on the Madden team as well, those guys have the same spirit. You want to crush the competition, and make the best product out there."

In 2004, NFL 2K5 couldn't afford to think about taking on Half-Life 2, Halo 2 or Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. That year's Madden also went out to wide acclaim; just beating it would take best-in-class effort.

But it's also a little pointless, Justice said, for a sports game to shoot for anything outside best-in-class accolades. A former games writer himself, Justice said the criticism operations of major opinion leaders just aren't set up to give sports titles the same exposure as shooters, RPGs and other traditional genres.

"Every magazine I've worked for, they have a sports guy," he said. And, working for IGN, he remembers plenty of sports copy being handed off to freelancers. "Everybody plays Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto, Fallout, Gears of War, but you really have to find someone who's into baseball games, and then he always reviews it." Inevitably, when that outfit polls its staff for game of the year, few voices speak up for a sports game because few have played them.

"You've got one or two voices voting for a sports game," Justice said. "A lot of time it's a question of volume."

Could a sports title ever win Game of the Year? My gut feeling says the opportunity has passed. Criticism of video games is increasingly considerate of a game's narrative, and a sports simulation fundamentally has none. And sports deal with creative limitations specific to existing rules of a game, plus the veto authority of a licensor who may not buy into daring creativity.

David Littman, a producer on EA Sports' NHL title - taking 19 different sports game of the year awards in 2007 and 2008 - points out another basic limitation of sports games. "These big action games have huge worlds to explore, while sports games take place mainly inside a confined stadium," he told me.

Plus, he said wryly, "Sports games don't have guns. People seem to like guns."

True. Shooters also don't have to outdo themselves every year, lest they be branded as just a prettied-up roster update. The innovations in a sports game, year-to-year, may seem small, but comparing versions three years apart, the way one would Halo 3 to Halo 2, or Grand Theft Auto IV to San Andreas, and maybe a sports title's advancement would look more profound.

"NHL 10 and FIFA 10 are two of the highest-rated sports games ever on this console generation, but FIFA 09 and NHL 09 were also among the highest scores," he said.

Littman's right. This year FIFA 10 and MLB 09 The Show became the first sports titles in the current console generation to post a Metacritic score of 90 or better. (NHL 09 and 10 both got 88.) From 2000 to 2004, every single Madden and 2K football title on every console got at least a 90.

But it's not to say that we'll never see a truly revolutionary sports game again, or that when it does come, its excellence will go unrecognized. There's no way NFL 2K5 could have won Game of the Year five years ago. But it still enjoys a fame that's outlived those that did.

"Do you really think, five years from now, you're gonna hear ‘Is Grand Theft Auto on PlayStation 4 as good as Grand Theft Auto on PlayStation 3? Will Halo 6 people really say, ‘Is this as good as Halo 1?'" Justice muses. "I don't think so."

Stick Jockey is Kotaku's column on sports video games. It appears Saturdays at 10 a.m. U.S. Mountain time.

Weekend Coupons: 'Twas the Week Before Black Friday [Dealtaku]

Owen Good — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0700

That means this is the last guilt free week you can drop disposable income on yourself. By U.S. law, once the Holiday Shopping Season officially opens, you have to buy a bunch of crap for other people.

Hardware
• Hey, remember that new Xbox 360 Wireless-N Adapter? Yeah, well, it's out, and A/B/G & N Networks is already selling it for $13 below MSRP - $87.99. Plus free shipping. [Dealzon]

• Reader Jon from the U.K. passes along this photo (left) from a Sainsbury's supermarket, advertising some pretty nice console price drops. "PS3 for less than £200 is a good buy over here," he writes. Looks like the units involved are 20 percent off. Jon thinks the deal's good for all Sainsbury's so if you're within distance of one, might be worth checking out. [Thanks, Jon.]

• Logitech's G15 Gaming Keyboard is $49 throguh J&R Music World; it is usually $80 in the rest of the real world. [TechDealDigger]

• The official Guitar Hero Store is offering a $40 coupon on a two-guitar bundle for only $10 more than the regular one-guitar bundle. In other words, you pay $79.99 for the game and two axes. Regular is $119.99. [Dealzon]

Software
• Amazon has extended last week's offer of $20 store credit toward a future game purchase with a full-price order of Modern Warfare 2 (all platforms). [TDD]

• Left 4 Dead 2, which releases Tuesday, has a similar deal going: Get it for $5 off the MSRP ($55) and get a $10 credit on top. Total value is less than the Modern Warfare 2 deal, but for those still chewing on the former shooter, waiting for it from Amazon might not be a bad idea if you get $15 in considerations thrown in. (Although Release Day Delivery is available.) [http://www.cheapassgamer.com/]

• Steam's weekend deal is half off for Crysis and Crysis Warhead. Both are $14.99. Or buy both together for $29.98 and save ... the same amount. [Steam]

• Walmart has reintroduced its 2-for-$30 offer on select titles for Wii (36 games) and Xbox 360 (33). Shipping for the Wii games is 97 cents; for the 360, it's $3.97, I guess because Xbox 360 games weigh more or something. [Dealzon]

As always, smart gamers can find values any day of the week, so if you've run across a deal, share it with us in the comments.

Kotaku Originals: News that's Hot, Spot or Not [Original]

Owen Good — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 08:00:00 -0700

Modern Warfare 2's release was the big news everyone could see coming; a bloodbath at Electronic Arts, and GameStop deliberately breaking a major street date, was not. Huge developments marked an unusually newsy week, even for this time of year.

Features
Head In The Clouds: Flying In Video Games

Columns
Notebook Dump: XIII Discs, Reggie's DS, And A Drone Update
NCAA Football, and the Science of Subjectivity

Reviews, Previews, Impressions and Hands-On
New Super Mario Bros. Wii Review: Go Buy A Wii
Modern Warfare 2 PS3 Controller Faceplate Review: Cheap, But Does The Job
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Reflex Review: Looks Aren't Everything
LEGO Rock Band Review: Redefining The Rock Block
MW2 PS3 Combat Wireless Headset Review: Pain in Your Ear
LocoRoco Midnight Carnival Review: Up All Night
Star Trek Online Preview: Ignoring Regulation
Bright Eyes: MW2 Night Vision Goggle Impressions
Modern Warfare 2 Xbox 360 Combat Controller Review: Plugged In
Frankenreview: Modern Warfare 2
Modern Warfare 2 Throat Communicator Micro-Review: Comfy and Quiet
Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 Review: You Only Sing When You're Winning
PSPgo Traveler Case Micro Review: Stylish and Sleek

News
Thank You Mario, But Our Princess Is In Another Game, Getting Kidnapped Again
Nintendo Explains The Red Box, Dashes Hope For Yellow Ones
Was Modern Warfare 2 Really The "Biggest Launch In History"?
More Bang For Your Buck
Wii Price Drop Puts Nintendo Back On Top In U.S.
What The Captains Of The Industry Said Today
Take-Two: Retail Stores Will Be Here For Awhile
Guess What Made Time's 50 Best Inventions Of 2009 List
Care for a Ubisoft fighting game or RPG? They're coming
Ubisoft: Prince of Persia Movie Could Outperform Pirates of the Caribbean
StarCraft II Expansions, Diablo III Coming in "Next Few Years"
The Mario Suits That Were, Are And Should Be
New Zune Game Revue, Coming Right At You
You Came, You Saw, You Critiqued
Brütal Legend Forges Unholy Union With Mishka For Brutally Metal Tees
Dragon Quest VI DS Dated For Japan
Can You Spot The Game Peripheral In This Lady Gaga Video?
Measuring The Hype: Modern Warfare 2
Something To Make Up For The DOA Gears' Snuggie
New Super Mario Bros. Wii Already Standing Out Here
Terrifying Clown Army Invades New York Best Buy
Malaysia's Wall of Modern Warfare 2
Nintendo Thanks People For Ratting Out R4 Retailers
Modern Warfare 2 Locked Until Thursday For Steam Customers
The Dangerous Video Game You Weren't Supposed To Play
Mad Catz Modern Warfare 2 Range Unboxed
iPhone Chart Toppers: Jelly Car 2 Rocks the List

Reminder
Write a Walk-Through, Maybe Win Stuff

It's nice to see Luigi NOT getting the short ... [From Comments]

Zolbrod — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 07:25:54 -0700

It's nice to see Luigi NOT getting the short end of the stick this time, and actually getting to show Mario how things are done :) #newsupermariobroswii

EyePet Review: His Master's Voice [Review]

Luke Plunkett — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 07:00:00 -0700

In controlled environments, Sony's EyePet had looked set to revolutionise the way we interacted with our games. But my house is not a controlled environment.

Not that it's not a nice place. It is! But it's also a place where the lights were installed by me, not by Sony. Where my furniture and windows were placed for everyday use, not for showing off a fiddly camera-based game. And where I'd be spending a whole week with an EyePet—the PlayStation 3's virtual dog-monkey-thing pet largely controlled and cared for via the rarely used PlayStation Eye camera—and not just an hour or two.

So cast initial impressions aside: what's it like to spend some time in the real world with a fake pet?

Loved
Aaaawwwww – The EyePets themselves are almost perfect. Perfectly cute. Part-dog, part-monkey, they'll tug at all but the driest and coldest of heartstrings. Provided, that is, they're able to do what they're told (see below).

DogMonkey See, DogMonkey Do – While there are plenty of things you can do with your EyePet, there are two that stand out; you can teach them to draw, and you can teach them to sing. Drawing involves sketching something on a piece of paper, holding it up to the PlayStation Eye then seeing the creature replicate your drawing. As something to astonish your friends with, it's up there. Up there with teaching your EyePet to sing, which requires singing something, then sitting back as the cute little guy copies/mocks your attempt with a Gizmo-like warbling of his own.

Can We Keep Him? – When EyePet works, it's mesmerising. Seeing a digital animal interact with you on a screen by dodging your swipes, pouncing on your fingers and responding to your affections with a polite purr is something to behold. When it works, you can see the future of motion-controlled gaming just poking its head above the horizon. When it works…

Hated
Failure To Launch – The technology underpinning this game simply isn't ready to go from "tech demo" to "retail game kids will play". You know something's wrong when the tutorial tells you to empty your living room of furniture, and definitely know something is wrong when half of the basic tutorials end in acute muscular pain as the EyePet randomly fails to respond to the most simple of commands. In short, in the real world (and I tested it in all kinds of lighting conditions), the EyePet ranges from mostly obedient to unresponsive to downright oblivious of your presence.

This Isn't Helping – The game's technological shortcomings are compounded by your "guide", a man in a lab coat with an annoying voice and an inability to provide clear instructions on how to complete a game challenge or properly interact with your EyePet. There were many times when I was left dumbfounded by something in the game and unable to progress, simply because basic commands or objectives hadn't been explained to me. And if he can't help me out, heaven help the small children this game is aimed at.

But Wait, There Isn't More – EyePet as a game is built around a series of challenges, tasks you must complete in order to unlock additional toys, tools or outfits for your EyePet. But these quickly become boring and repetitive, and that's before you factor in the constant repetition required to get over the game's technical shortcomings. Take away the challenges and you're left with…an expensive, unreliable tamagotchi.

EyePet is just a…shame. There's so much potential in the title, so much that London Studio got right, that it's disappointing the game is undermined by such fundamental technical shortcomings. Almost as if the intent has overshot the technology. Then again, seeing as this is the team behind the EyeToy – and EyeToy Play – maybe we shouldn't be that surprised.

If you have small kids, are luckier with your home's lighting setup or simply have money in your pocket and a burning desire to show off your PS3 in a different light (example: the ladies may not find Uncharted 2 as exciting as you), EyePet might still be worth looking into. Just stock up on patience before you get started.

EyePet was developed by London Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. Due for release in North America in 2010, released in PAL territories in October 2009. Retails both separately and in bundle with PlayStation Eye camera. A copy of the game was given to us by the publisher for reviewing purposes. Completed all challenges, spent considerable time in "sandbox" mode. Game played at all times of day in several lighting conditions.

Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii Super Guide In Action [Clips]

Brian Crecente — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:00:00 -0700

In my review of New Super Mario Bros. Wii I talk about how the Super Guide works, and how important it could be to gaming. Now take a look at how the guide works while playing.

Be warned, this does show an entire level in the game.

Oh, So That's How They Got Two Million People On Xbox Live [Screengrab]

Luke Plunkett — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0700

As seen on Modern Warfare 2 last night (thanks Jordan!)

Final Fantasy XIII Also Has A European Release Date [FFXIII]

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:00:00 -0700

When Square Enix finally announced a release date for Final Fantasy XIII in North America earlier today, they also quietly slipped a European date out the door as well. And you know what? It's not as bad as you're thinking.

While earlier developments had led to a degree of pessimism on the part of European fans (well deserved considering Square Enix's previous localisation efforts), this morning it was revealed that the game will be out in Europe on the same day it's out in North America.

March 9.

Which, when you think about the way the world spins, means Europe gets a Final Fantasy game before the US. Crazy.

Halo 3: ODST Drops Three Million Copies [Halo]

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:40:00 -0700

Perhaps feeling a little aggrieved at the way Modern Warfare 2 blew right on by Halo 3's sales numbers earlier in the week, Microsoft have tried to salvage a little pride by releasing some Halo 3: ODST numbers.

And, all things considered, they're not bad. Since launching on September 22, ODST has sold just over three million units, having sold 1.5 of those in its first month on sale.

Sure, that's nowhere near Halo 3 levels, but then, ODST had nowhere neat Halo 3's levels of content or marketing.

Halo 3:ODST Continues Its Sales Dominance [IGN]

Ubisoft: All Our Games Will Do This UPlay Thing [Uplay]

Owen Good — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:40:00 -0700

Ubisoft's freebie-dispensing UPlay community will launch alongside Assassin's Creed II, and ultimately will incorporate all games under the Ubisoft banner, the publisher's CEO said on Thursday.

Gamasutra, reporting Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot's remarks at yesterday's BMO Capital Markets conference, said Guillemot is betting that UPlay "will allow us to get a lot closer to our customers."

To recap, UPlay is a network that lives inside an Ubisoft game, instead of on a console's dashboard. Through it people can earn free premiums, check out new media and connect with other gamers, or so Ubisoft hopes. The idea is to keep people playing so they accrue points or chits redeemable for free crap, similar to a rewards/loyalty system you see in hotels and airlines. "The more you play, the more free goods you will be able to have," Guillemot said.

I just want to know if it's pronounced "You-play" or "Oo-play."

Guillemot: UPlay Community Features Will Help Ubisoft 'Get Closer To Our Customers' [Gamasutra]

New Red Dead Redemption Screens [Rockstar]

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:20:00 -0700

Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption will be out next year. And if you were wondering whether it'd feature sun-drenched frontier homesteads and steroid-injected horses, well, wonder no more.

Here are the Madden NFL Arcade Rosters [Madden]

Owen Good — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:00:00 -0700

Yesterday, Madden NFL Arcade announced its Thanksgiving Week launch. Today we get the full 10-man rosters for every team in the five-on-five shootout.

Pasta Padre has the full list of all 32 teams. Everyone gets 10 players, five on offense and five on defense. On offense, each team gets a quarterback, running back, wide receiver, offensive lineman and then either a tight end or a second wideout. On defense, they get a defensive lineman, linebacker, safety and two corners. There was also some reference made to "entourages," which are additional linemen, but it wasn't clear if they're a power-up, an unlockable, or a separate game mode altogether.

Unfortunately, many players on the launch roster are out-of-date, and there will be no updates. So that means the Oakland Raiders are stuck with:

• P Shane Lechler
• OL a traffic cone
• QB JaMarcus Russell
• WR drunk rodeo clown
• RB Four-year-old in a Power Wheels

But hey, with the game's trick passing feature, Russell now has the ability to over- and underthrow his receivers on the same play!

Madden Arcade Rosters [Pasta Padre]

Meet StarCraft II's Brutalisk [Blizzard]

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:40:00 -0700

Blizzard has spawned a new Zerg strain for StarCraft II, the race's biggest and most brutal, the legendary Brutalisk. So what is this giant monstrosity? And what does it do?

Well, as those of you who may have read the spoiler-laden version of our StarCraft II single-player preview may already know, the Brutalisk doesn't do much more than intimidate... and die. It's one of a handful of non-playable unit types that StarCraft II brings to the table, a powerful, well armored beast that is best avoided while hunting fresh vespene geysers.

This "surprise custom unit," as Blizzard calls it, shouldn't be a multiplayer balance concern. But maybe someday we'll see more of it in one of those StarCraft II expansions coming... way, way in the future.

(Pro tip: Click on the thumbnail above to make it Brutal-sized.)

Expect Fewer "Hero" Games From Activision In 2010 [Activision]

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:20:20 -0700

Activision plans on shipping less product into the crowded music game genre next year, but that doesn't mean you won't be getting new Guitar Hero, Band Hero and DJ Hero titles in 2010.

Dan Rosensweig, CEO of Activision's Guitar Hero business, tells MCV that we will "probably see fewer SKUs" from the publisher in the company's 2010 slate, "but the focus on making the best-selling, most fun to play, best-reviewed games will continue."

"[There will be] more DJ Hero, and the next iterations of Guitar and Band are on the way," Rosensweig says. "But we will see how the market plays out. What you will see is the games will live longer and be more vibrant through DLC."

When you ship over 25 games featuring the Hero brand—Guitar Hero: Metallica, Guitar Hero 5, Guitar Hero: Van Halen, Guitar Hero: Smash Hits, Band Hero, DJ Hero—and do so with multiple SKUs of each title—full band kits, guitar only bundles, "Renegade Edition" turntables—and you've reached over 9,000 individual SKUs. Maybe not. My math may be off.

Regardless, it might be difficult not to ship less. Especially when a company like Activision takes a look at the sales of titles like DJ Hero and notices that the PlayStation 2 version only sold 3,300 copies at launch.

Heroic Deeds [MCV via Joystiq]

More than 50,000 Snap Up the Free Unreal SDK [Unreal]

Owen Good — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:00:00 -0700

Epic Games announced more than 50,000 downloads of its Unreal Development Kit in the first week the publisher started offering it for free.

"We are very excited to see the uptake of UDK cross over the 50,000 mark in only one week, and we're looking forward to seeing amazing games and applications come out of it," said Mark Rein, the vice president of Epic Games.

Rein added Epic was "thrilled" to offer the kit to schools and students and that Unreal Engine 3 would be part of their education and training in games development.

GamesIndustry.biz reported that the training firm 3D Buzz, which has already made more than 100 Unreal Technology video tutorials, will release a free tutorial series specific to the UDK.

50,000 Grab Free Unreal SDK In One Week [GamesIndustry.biz]

Rumor: First Fallout Online "Project V13" Screen Shots [Rumor]

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:40:00 -0700

Interplay's attempt at a massively-multiplayer online Fallout comes three screen shots closer to reality, if these shots of Project V13, reported to be court submitted evidence of the game, are the real deal.

Fallout fan Wikia The Vault believes them to be, writing today that they were acquired from an "anonymous, but reliable source" and that they're a part of Interplay's defense in a lawsuit filed against the developer by Fallout-rights holder Bethesda.

The screens at least appear to be in line with what the Project V13 concept art hinted at, even if the purported in-game stuff looks like a very brown, very bleak place to spend one's online time.

The Vault blogger Ausir also has more PV13 concept art, should you be turned off by the reality of the in-development MMO. Thanks to Dmitriy for the heads up.

Modern Warfare 2: Fight Against Knife Spam [Clips]

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:20:00 -0700

Hi, I'm Kotaku Senior Editor Michael McWhertor and I'm here today to talk to you about something close to my heart: random throwing knives.

Have you ever found yourself just walking down the street, minding your own business, when THUNK! you look down and see a balanced throwing knife piercing your esophagus, your aorta rapid-firing blood? I have and let me tell you, it's actually kind of cool.

So be cool. Realize when you don't have a frag grenade equipped.

Thanks for the tip, Gusto.

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Gets Fashionable DLC [Dlc]

Mike Fahey — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:00:00 -0700

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 gets a little bit dressier next week, when a new costume pack goes up for sale on the PlayStation Network.

Ayane, Momiji, Rachel, and Ryu each get some fancy new duds in next week's Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 costume pack, available on November 19th in North America for $3.99. Momiji shows off her meaty thighs in her Matsuri Festival costume; Ayane sports the latest Venice Festival fashions; Rachel dresses up like the other sort of New York Working Woman; and Ryu prepares to hide in a snow bank with his Special White costume.

Seems like Ryu is getting the short end of the stick here, but then Sigma 2 was never really about Ryu, was it?

Modern Mario [Note]

Brian Crecente — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:40:00 -0700

To: Owen
From: Crecente

I muscled through the final third of New Super Mario Bros. Wii this morning so I could wrap the game up and write up my review. Than, after writing the review, I hit up Modern Warfare 2 so I would be prepared for my twin live interviews on MSNBC tomorrow morning.

It sounds like fun, and it is, but that doesn't make what we do not tiring sometimes too.

What you missed:
Final Fantasy XIII Hits North America March 9
The Story and Gameplay of Final Fantasy XIII
Just Cause 2 Preview: Eat Your Heart Out, Spider-Man
Modern Warfare 2 PS3 Controller Faceplate Review: Cheap, But Does The Job
Nintendo Explains The Red Box, Dashes Hope For Yellow Ones
New Super Mario Bros. Wii Review: Go Buy A Wii
Kotaku Game Club: Modern Warfare 2 Discussion Resumes.. NOW (Levels 4-6)
Review Round-Up: Mario, MW2, Loco Roco. Lego And More
Thank You Mario, But Our Princess Is In Another Game, Getting Kidnapped Again

Getting Final Fantasy XIII? On 360? Might Want To Get A Twitter Account [Square Enix]

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:20:00 -0700

Just how excited are you to play Final Fantasy XIII when it ships in North America next March? Enough to sign up for a Twitter account? And to tolerate some disc swapping?

Good, because Microsoft and Square Enix are giving away something Final Fantasy XIII related if you're willing to re-Tweet something on their behalf. What is it? Not a fifth DVD containing extra FF XIII content, unfortunately, but something mysterious, something that can only be obtained via Xbox Live.

Adding to this Final Fantasy XIII-Xbox 360-Twitter synergy is next week's dashboard update, which brings Facebook, Twitter and more to Microsoft's console. So you can join in on the co-marketing fun from the comfort of your couch.

Square Enix isn't saying what the secret prize is yet, but word on the street is that it's worth the nominal effort. I'm hoping for an Odin summon in horsey mode that my Xbox Live Avatar can ride upon. Please, Square Enix, don't let me down!

Final Fantasy XIII - Register. Tweet. Win. [Xbox.com]

Notebook Dump: XIII Discs, Reggie's DS, And A Drone Update [Extras]

Stephen Totilo — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:00:18 -0700

There comes a time in the week to reflect on what got into my reporter's notebook but didn't turn into Kotaku blog posts. Shall we?

Drone Confusion: Last week, right here in Notebook Dump, I posted about Mass Effect 2's helper drones, having held that information out of an earlier preview until I had gotten some details in my notebook confirmed. Turns out that the confirmation I got from BioWare and EA wasn't quite on the money. Thankfully, one of the game's top designers dropped me a line to clear things up. So Dumpers, head on back to last week's updated entry to find out the proper details on the ME2 drones.

FOX'd: The Fox News network made some news on Kotaku due to how they covered the terrorism level of Modern Warfare 2 (the most troubling thing for me was that they didn't even talk about that topic for most of the segment). Later in the week, I showed up on MSNBC to talk about the same stuff. But did you know I made it to Fox today, as well? I was on their online show, with a less skeptical crew. We talked Mario as well. I'd share a link if I could find one. I was on the 11/13 episode of Gadgets and Games. It streamed live here but doesn't seem to have hit the archives yet.

What Reggie's Playing: I interviewed Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime today and will have a lot more from that interview soon. One minor detail not worth a post of its own but fun enough to shareis his mention of which game he'll be dislodging from his DS once the new Zelda is released: Scribblenauts.

A Few Discs: I met with Square-Enix people today to check out their holiday and early 2010 line-up. It was interesting to be with their U.S. PR reps just minutes after the release-date announcement trailer went live. One rep was happily refreshing GameTrailers, marveling at the rise in traffic on the clip. Given the excitement about the date, which promises both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 releases of the game on March 9, 2010 in North America and Europe, I asked a question I see our readers asking frequently: How many discs will the 360 version require? The Square reps recalled that this was mentioned in a developer interview earlier this year and said that the goal is 3-4 discs. While we will know a lot more about Final Fantasy XIII once it is released in Japan in December, it seems that details about the 360 version — which isn't coming out in Japan — may take longer to become clear.

I feel bad that I've got so much stuff in my notebook that I haven't shared, but most of it is full-post-worthy. Be sure to be back next week! I'll be back on the site this weekend, hopefully, with a report from Nintendo's re-creation of the Mushroom Kingdom at the Nintendo World Store in New York City.

Oh, and that silly shot at the top of this post was taken Monday evening at a Modern Warfare 2 New York public demo event. A company set up a green screen and promised people the chance to be added into a Modern Warfare 2 screenshot. I was expecting something a little more Forrest Gump. But it's funny anyway, yes?

Alan Wake Gameplay Comes To In All-New Video [Clips]

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:40:08 -0700

Miss last night's episode of GameTrailers TV? Then you also missed a bevy of gameplay videos of Remedy's Alan Wake shouting "Alice!" while Alice shouts "Alan!" followed by Barry shouting "Al! Al!" Oh and there's so much more.

Some of this footage you may have gotten a sneak peek at during this year's E3, but with four video's worth of the Xbox 360 (and PC?) mystery adventure game waiting for you, you're sure to see something new. Like mention of being eaten by grues, for example. Parts one, two, three and four are available in eye-soothing high-definition now.

Alan Wake - HD [GameTrailers]

Mario Goes Round And Round In NASCAR Race [Nintendo]

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:20:00 -0700

If our glowing review for Nintendo's New Super Mario Bros. doesn't convince you to buy a Wii, perhaps seeing Mario, Luigi and his Toad followers on a NASCAR chassis will!

Nintendo and GameStop are co-sponsoring driver Denny Hamlin for this weekend's Able Body Labor 200 at Phoenix International Raceway, forcing him to drive a New Super Mario Bros. Wii car in an oval Saturday, Nov. 14. Hey, that's the day before the game ships!!

You know, this whole NASCAR thing would be made a little more interesting if sanctioned used of banana peels and turtle shells was added. Just saying, NASCAR.

Just Cause 2 Screens... Just 'Cuz [Screens]

AJ Glasser — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:00:00 -0700

Sorry, had to do it. Enjoy the fancy screens with their livid explosions and rich, blue skies through which you'll be parachuting sometime in the near future.

PlayStation 3 Is Japan's Bestselling Platform [Console Taisen]

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:40:00 -0700

Once again, Sony controls the majority of this week's Japanese hardware chart, thanks to the company's four platforms representing. Oh, and the fact that the PlayStation 3 is outselling everything else in Japan.

And doing so by a relatively wide margin, as the PS3 outsold the Nintendo DSi by more than 10,000 units, the console's closest competitor. Less exciting for Sony executives is the PSPgo's second week sales, mustering up just shy of 14,000.

The full Japanese hardware sales rundown, courtesy of Media Create is after this.

PlayStation 3 - 48,925
Nintendo DSi - 37,421
PSP - 33,784
Wii - 31,810
PSP go - 13,992
Nintendo DS Lite - 5,515
Xbox 360 - 4,679
PlayStation 2 - 2,066