Reviews & Features
Planetside 2 Release 20-Nov-2012 PST
| 18 November 2012
The long awaited and critically acclaimed PlanetSide 2 will be released on 20-Nov-2012 PST
Guild Wars 2 Launch Date: 28th August
| 28 June 2012
Guild Wars 2 will officially launch on Tuesday, August 28th
Read more » | 22 Comments | PC
Source Wars End in an Epic Battle!
| 17 June 2012
Ever watch the movie Rocky? Who hasn’t, right? We had a battle for the ages last Sunday night to determine this year’s Source Wars champion. It was a good one. Just like the movie!
Review: Ducky DK 9008 Mechanical Keyboard (Cherry Red switches)
| 15 April 2012 |
The Ducky DK 9008 is a mechanical keyboard designed with the Cherry (Mx) Red switches for lower actuation forces and smoother/softer keystrokes.
TOG Source Wars IV
| 28 March 2012
Tom and Jerry Meets The Terrorists Meets Inglorious Basterds... Must be Source Wars IV
Newsfeed Selector
» GameSpot Headlines
Xbox One preowned plan revealed?
25 May 2013 |[UPDATE] Retail sources claim Microsoft and publishers will take a percentage of every used game; Microsoft says reports are "inaccurate and incomplete"; new report says no secondhand fees at all.
Microsoft confirms Halo Bootcamp
24 May 2013 |Company says project is not related to Xbox One or Reclaimer Trilogy; more information soon.
Microsoft: Next-gen console sales could hit 1 billion
24 May 2013 |Xbox maker believes non-gaming entertainment capabilities of next-generation consoles can lead to record sales.
Xbox One can talk - Report
24 May 2013 |Source says Microsoft currently testing Siri-like feature for next-gen platform and mode that allows friends to take over gameplay.
Microsoft warns of Xbox One scams
24 May 2013 |Company says all sign-up pages for testing next-generation platform are fake.
GameStop shares slide on Xbox One preowned rumors
24 May 2013 |Share value down more 6 percent today amid new reports claiming GameStop's business could be hurt by Microsoft's rumored used game policy for next-gen platform.
Microsoft ‘committed’ to Japan for Xbox One
24 May 2013 |Xbox executive Don Mattrick says company believes Japan is an "important market" after Xbox 360 wasn't a big hit in the region.
Xbox One pricing ‘key’ to platform’s success, says analyst
24 May 2013 |Robert W. Baird industry watcher says Microsoft expected to subsidize next-gen platform, potentially through partnerships with media companies like Comcast.
SimCity 4.0 update detailed
24 May 2013 |Latest overhaul to city-building game adds Launch Park for early adopters, Edgewater Bay region, and various bug fixes.
Turtle Beach making Xbox One headsets
24 May 2013 |Headset manufacturer working with Microsoft to bring "advanced audio solutions" to gamers.
» IGN Headlines
» 1UP Headlines
Listen to the Final 1UP Podcast Ever
7 April 2013 | <!--Begin feature--> <!-- for syndication --> As you know, 1UP.com has breathed its last. Such are the vicissitudes of business. Happily, Jose Otero ...
Review: Bending Genres in Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon
22 March 2013 | <!-- Begin Template_OpenHtml --> Feature <!-- Begin socialTools --> Share it: Tweet [removed][removed] [removed] window.fbAsyncInit = ...
Review: Shambling Mirror of Fate Signals Time to Jam a Stake in Castlevania’s Heart
8 March 2013 | <!--Begin feature--> <!-- for syndication --> Castlevania: Lords of Shadow: Mirror of Fate brings the series back to Nintendo's portable systems, ...
An Unflattering Boll Cut
7 March 2013 | <!-- Begin Template_OpenHtml --> Feature <!-- Begin socialTools --> Share it: Tweet [removed][removed] [removed] window.fbAsyncInit = ...
The Trials and Tribulations of Gears of War: Judgment
6 March 2013 | <!--Begin feature--> <!-- for syndication --> <body> As the next generation of home consoles slowly emerge into the limelight and enter the ...
The Cinematic Nature of Parasite Eve
1 March 2013 | <!-- Begin Template_OpenHtml --> Feature <!-- Begin socialTools --> Share it: Tweet [removed][removed] [removed] window.fbAsyncInit = ...
A Plea for the Gaming Industry to Respect Gamers
1 March 2013 | <!--Begin feature--> <!-- for syndication --> Although the economy might not be in the thick of a recession as it once was, that doesn't mean things ...
Moving Forward and Looking to Indies, Not Better Graphics
28 February 2013 | <!--Begin feature--> <!-- for syndication --> Excited as I was to finally see a next-generation console, much of the PlayStation 4 software we saw ...
Urban Trial Freestyle Review: Where Flash Trumps Substance
27 February 2013 | <!--Begin feature--> <!-- for syndication --> There is no getting around the similarities between Urban Trial Freestyle and the Trials series. The ...
The Orwellian Superheroes of Watch Dogs and inFamous: Second Son
23 February 2013 | <!--Begin feature--> <!-- for syndication --> <body> Always the eyes watching you and the voice enveloping you. Asleep or awake, working or ...
» GameDaily Headlines
Mass Effect 2: The Engineer
26 April 2013 |Unleash combat drones and hack your enemies with Mass Effect 2's nerdy Engineer class.
MW2 MP Broken?
26 April 2013 |Xbox 360 version plagued by cheaters and 18 person deathmatches. What's Infinity Ward doing about this? Based on our experiences this week...nothing.
NES Stress Test
26 April 2013 |Can Super Mario Bros. withstand subzero temperatures? GoNintendo hopes to find out.
Ghost Recon: Future Soldier Trailer
26 April 2013 |Ubisoft releases a teaser to its much-anticipated Tom Clancy game.
Blur Beta Key Giveaway
26 April 2013 |Enter to win a chance to play Bizarre Creations' latest speedster three months early.
GDC 2010 Coverage
26 April 2013 |Check out the latest videos from this week's feature packed show in San Francisco.
Red Dead Redemption Trailer
26 April 2013 |New video details life in the Wild West.
Gears of War 3
26 April 2013 |Epic Games confirms the inevitable. Better ready the chainsaw.
Left 4 Dead 2: Realism Versus Here to Stay
26 April 2013 |Thousands of frag happy gamers vote to make experimental Mutation an official part of the L4D2 multiplayer scene.
NBA Jam Facebook Contest
26 April 2013 |Immortalize your latest one-liner in arcade basketball history.
» Gamasutra Headlines
Making DayZ: An interview with its creator
25 May 2013 |Project lead Dean Hall takes Gamasutra from his initial inspirations through his design process and finally how the game is currently being built and will be delivered to fans in this eclectic interview. ...
Blog: Theme and craft, games and art
25 May 2013 |Spelunky developer Derek Yu ruminates on crises and criticisms in game culture, exploring whether or not we really and truly understand the importance of how games are made. ...
Xbox One preowned rumors batter GameStop shares
25 May 2013 |GameStop, the U.S.'s largest physical retailer of preowned games, has seen its stock drop precipitously since reports began to spread that the Xbox One would tighten up terms of used game sales. ...
The problem with Persona’s one-sided relationships
25 May 2013 |People love the Persona games for their characters -- but isn't the player kind of a dick to the NPCs? This blog post exposes the issue of one-sided relationships in RPGs. ...
For Unity, lowering the barriers on mobile is good business
25 May 2013 |There's a chance you missed the news that Unity's basic mobile licenses went free earlier this week. Unity CEO David Helgason explains how his company can afford to make this move. ...
Video: Player-driven stories - how do we get there?
25 May 2013 |Former Ion Storm, 2K, and LucasArts designer Kent Hudson encourages creating interactive, player-driven stories and urges to move past Hollywood-style linearity, in this free GDC video lecture. ...
Get a job: Dungeon Defenders dev Trendy seeks producers
25 May 2013 |Dungeon Defenders dev Trendy Entertainment seeks Gameplay and Technical Producers to participate in gameplay design, technical team management, and more. ...
Blog: We’re indie, we like Microsoft. So what?
25 May 2013 |The Xbox One reveal was broadly perceived as being anti-indie. But I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MBIES 1N IT!!!1 developer James Silva explains why he thinks "everything is fine." ...
The guy who created DayZ made it to the top of Mt. Everest
25 May 2013 |Dean Hall is a soldier, a game developer, and now apparently an elite mountain climber, as he recently made it to the highest summit on planet Earth. ...
Xbox One: A flawed plan, well-executed
25 May 2013 |Analyst Nicholas Lovell argues that Microsoft is chasing a 1990s-era plan for set top box domination in an era that has long since moved on. ...
» GamesIndustry.Biz Headlines
Microsoft: Next-gen could hit 1 billion consoles sold
25 May 2013 |Microsoft aiming at 25 million Xbox 360's sold in the next five years
Microsoft looking to take a cut of used games with Xbox One [Report]
25 May 2013 |The platform holder may have a new system to monetize used games
Indie dev sticks up for Microsoft
25 May 2013 |Dishwasher: Dead Samurai creator James Silva says media narrative about Xbox One being bad for indies is hurting the devs more than Microsoft
Ninja Theory goes mobile
25 May 2013 |DmC: Devil May Cry developer says it "couldn't ignore" mobile phenomenon, readies Fightback for iOS and Android
Gamer Network expands US sales, editorial teams
25 May 2013 |As USgamer ramps up for its launch, the editorial team continues to grow with the additions of Jeremy Parish, Olivia Hubert, Pete Davison and more
Steam Early Access: From Underdogs to Alpha Dogs
25 May 2013 |Indies talk about the doors opened by paid alphas with Valve's new service
Gaming Tax Credits: A Developer’s Guide to Free Money
25 May 2013 |Government give-backs aren't limited to Montreal. Here are dozens of North American programs for developers, from Puerto Rico to PEI
Game Trader: Why you should buy Nintendo, Apple and Take-Two now
25 May 2013 |Asif Khan details what to do with key gaming stocks ahead of E3, why PS4 could win next-gen and how Xbox One solves non-existent problems
Microsoft applies for patent on TV achievements
25 May 2013 |Xbox One maker calls dibs on technique to encourage viewership of shows and ads
Mark Cerny to detail PS4 creation at Gamelab
24 May 2013 |Barcelona conference will also host Michel Ancel, Jesse Schell and Counter Strike creator Minh Le
» GamePolitics Headlines
Microsoft Claims it Can Sell 25 Million More Xbox 360s
25 May 2013 | Microsoft tells OXM that it can sell 25 million more Xbox 360s even after it rolls out the Xbox One. The Xbox 360 has sold an estimated 77.2 million units since it launched ...
Report: Microsoft Will Take Control of the Xbox One Used Games Market
25 May 2013 | We're not sure how much stock you should put into this news, but we're putting it out there anyway because Microsoft has been so dodgy on the topic since it ...
The FBI Seeks Overbroad Expansion of Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act
25 May 2013 | A New York Times article from earlier this week about the FBI's attempt to expand the scope of the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) and the ...
Governors Highway Safety Association Praises Hawaii’s New Distracted Driving Law
25 May 2013 | The Governors Highway Safety Association is heaping praise on lawmakers in Hawaii for passing a very tough law against distracted driving and another law concerning ...
Video: ‘Play Nice: The Science of Player Behavior’ Talk
25 May 2013 |Justin Reich from the EdTech Blog has posted a video of the "Play Nice: The Science of Player Behavior" talk given last month by Riots Games' Jeffrey Lin (lead designer of social systems) and Carl "Status" ...
Gaming Beats Out Sex as Favorite Bank Holiday Activity Among UK Males
25 May 2013 | According to a survey of male customers conducted by UK video game retailer GAME (and reported on by the Daily Record), approximately 39 percent of British men said they ...
BioWare Apologizes for Accidently Banning Over 100 Players in Star Wars: The Old Republic
25 May 2013 | BioWare is apologizing publicly for accidently banning 100 - 150 players in its MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic. The company took to its forums to say it was sorry for ...
National Endowment for the Arts to Host Webinar for Media Arts Projects Grants
25 May 2013 | The National Endowment for the Arts let us know that it will host a webinar on Thursday, May 30 ( 3:00-4:00 p.m. EDT) to help applicants understand the application process ...
ITC Rules That Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Does Not Infringe on Motorola’s Patents
24 May 2013 | The International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled on Thursday that Microsoft did not infringe upon any of Motorola Mobility's patents related to its Xbox 360 console. This ...
European Commission Mandates the Inclusion of Intellectual Property Rights Measures in TAFTA
24 May 2013 | Back in March La Quadrature du Net (a non-profit association defending the rights and freedoms of citizens on the Internet) joined 47 European and International ...
» Joystiq Headlines
IGF finalist 7 Grand Steps premieres for PC June 7
25 May 2013 |<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="298" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/gEH3IjFVcY0?rel=0&wmode=opaque" width="530"></iframe> Dangerous High School Girls in Trouble! developer ...
WRUP: XboxOneXO, Gossip Girl
25 May 2013 | Xbox One is the official name of Microsoft's new console, but how are all you fabulous people shorthanding it? Xbone, X1, XO? A biomass consensus must be reached by launch this fall. Also, what's everyone playing this ...
Overdose on Arrested Development during free Xbox Live Gold weekend
25 May 2013 | Microsoft is hosting a free Xbox Live weekend for non-Gold subscribers, giving Netflix members a chance to indulge in the 15 new episodes of Arrested Development premiering on Sunday, May 26. Xbox Live Silver members will receive ...
PSA: Dust: An Elysian Tail explores Steam today
25 May 2013 | As promised, Dust: An Elysian Tail has found its way to Steam today. Until May 31, you can grab Dust for $13.50, ten percent off its usual $15 asking price. The action-adventure RPG from Humble Heart made its debut on Xbox Live ...
Halo ‘Bootcamp’ project spotted on Korean ratings board
25 May 2013 | A listing for something called "Bootcamp" has surfaced over on the Korean ratings board GRB. Its description specifically calls out Halo 3 and classifies "Bootcamp" as a PC/Online game. In a comment to GameFront, Microsoft ...
Microsoft cleared of Motorola patent violation claim
25 May 2013 | The International Trade Commission has decided not to review the decision made last March by the administrative law judge presiding over Motorola's patent infringement case against Microsoft, thereby validating the judge's ...
Report: No fee to play used Xbox One games, Skype powers voice chat
25 May 2013 | Citing "sources familiar with the system," Polygon reports that the Xbox One will not require a fee to play used games. Instead, the console will perform regular online checks to verify disc authenticity and ownership. Polygon's ...
Call of Duty: Ghosts has Kinect voice commands on Xbox One
25 May 2013 | Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg has confirmed that the Xbox One version of Call of Duty: Ghosts will have some form of Kinect voice commands. Speaking to VentureBeat, Hirshberg said, "I made a passing comment that you're ...
Microsoft: Xbox One cloud processing can enhance lighting, physics
25 May 2013 | Speaking with Redmond Game Studios and Platforms GM Matt Booty, Ars Technica reports that cloud computing will boost performance in games designed for Microsoft's Xbox One. While latency-sensitive actions will be handled by a ...
Indie, but not alone: How Vlambeer’s advice helped guide Dog Sled Saga
25 May 2013 | The idea hit Dan FitzGerald in the shower last December: What about a dog sledding game? The Chicago native had been toying around with various prototypes based around a lobbing mechanic, but nothing stuck quite like this. Ideas ...
» Kotaku Headlines
While You Were Sleeping
23 August 2011 |Sleeping can be fun — necessary even. But what if stuff happens when you’re sleeping — game stuff? What are you supposed to to do then? Thankfully we have a solution — While You Were Sleeping, a quick round ...
Talk Amongst Yourselves
23 August 2011 |This is where Kotaku readers go to talk about the stuff we’re not already posting about. Think of it as the official unofficial Kotaku community forum. (more…)
Finally! Video Game Clothing That’s Stylish And Perfect For Daily Wear
23 August 2011 |Deus Ex: Human Revolution is already getting great reviews, though it doesn’t release until tomorrow. And now a Deus Ex clothing line has been announced for what promises to be a blockbuster game. (more…)
Deus Ex: Human Revolution’s Review Scores Are Perfectly Natural
23 August 2011 |In the year 2000, Ion Storm unleashed the perfect marriage of futuristic shooter and skill-based role-playing in Deus Ex, a game so unique that even its own sequel couldn’t replicate its success. Can any follow-up possibly do ...
The Gaming Tragedies That Didn’t Kill Us (But Nearly Broke Us)
23 August 2011 | My proudest moments as a tap dancer are displayed in my parents’ house in the form of sparkly, obnoxious trophies. (more…)
On The 8th Day Atlus Gave Us A Good Reason To Buy Devil Survivor Again
23 August 2011 | With only one more day before the 3DS remaster of Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor comes out, Atlus gives fans one more day to consider replaying one of the best role-playing games of 2009. (more…)
The Rare Angry Birds Theme Guitar Remix Spotted In The Wild
23 August 2011 | When musicians decide to take video game music and make it better, the results are almost always fantastic. (more…)
Death Of PC Gaming Scheduled To Be Disproven On August 26
23 August 2011 | We’ve heard it said time and time again, PC gaming is not dead, but sometime just saying something isn’t enough. This Friday, PC peripheral maker Razer plans to prove it. (more…)
Aliens: Colonial Marines Shows Why It’s Smart To Wait 25 Years To Make A Movie Game
23 August 2011 |While we’ve known for a while now that Gearbox’s upcoming Aliens: Colonial Marines makes extensive use of original concept art from the movie it’s based on, 1986′s Aliens, it’s still a surprise to see ...
The Trailer For Dark Souls Comes With Fair Warning
23 August 2011 | The new trailer for Dark Souls comes with a simple warning: Prepare to die. (more…)
» Next Generation Headlines
The limits of videogame interaction
17 September 2012 | Nuanced and subtle game design is meaningless if the player can't respond in kind, says Clint Hocking. A few ...
World Of Warplanes: free-to-play dogfights from the creator of World Of Tanks
17 September 2012 | Developer Wargaming on taking its free-to-play fight to the skies. World Of Tanks was a freak success. Not even ...
Introducing Free-To-Play Week
17 September 2012 | A thorough investigation of the industry's fastest-growing business model kicks off today. Throughout this ...
Joe Danger 2: The Movie review
17 September 2012 | Hello Games' sequel layers on the polish without losing the original's scrappy small-team charm. At ...
Sleeping Dogs tops UK chart again
17 September 2012 |read more
Time Extend: Super Metroid
16 September 2012 | "The last metroid is in captivity. The galaxy is at peace." Thankfully, that's just about the only thing Super Metroid ...
The Making Of: Spacewar!
15 September 2012 | The first ever videogame ran on a $120,000 piece of hardware - we go back to the summer of 1962. It's a ...
Hide&Seek;Weekender offers drop-in gaming to London public
15 September 2012 |read more
Tokyo Jungle review
15 September 2012 | Bold and strange, Crispy's underdog adventure daringly attempts to upset the natural order of things. Novelty ...
Gamestation stores to be rebranded under Game name
14 September 2012 | 122 Gamestation outlets to be unified with parent company, rebranded stores to combine "best of both brands". ...
» Digg Headlines
» Slashdot Headlines
Xbox One Used Game Policy Leaks: Publishers Get a Cut of Sale
25 May 2013 |Chewbacon writes "Details about the used-game policy on Microsoft's newly-announced Xbox One console have been leaked. The policy explains how used-game retailers can survive Xbox One destroying the used-game market as we know it: ...
Xbox One: No Always-Online Requirement, But Needs To Phone Home
22 May 2013 |An anonymous reader writes "The Xbox One was revealed earlier, and Kotaku was able to get some answers about the always-online rumors that plagued the console before its announcement. Microsoft VP Phil Harrison said Xbox One ...
Microsoft Unveils Xbox One
22 May 2013 |Today at a press conference leading up to E3, Microsoft unveiled its next-gen games/entertainment console, the Xbox One. Their stated goal for the Xbox One is to have a single device provide "all of your entertainment." One of ...
Steve Jackson Shows Off the Texas Brick Railroad (Video)
21 May 2013 |Imagine game designer Steve Jackson and a bunch of friends building Lego trains and tracks and scenery, including buildings and other props. Sounds like fun, doesn't it? The group calls itself the Texas Brick Railroad. A lot of ...
Nintendo Hijacks Ad Revenue From Fan-Created YouTube Playthroughs
18 May 2013 |mcleland writes "The BBC reports that Nintendo is now using the content ID match feature in YouTube to identify screencap videos of people playing their games. They then take over the advertising that appears with the video, and ...
Used Game To Survive? EA Plans To Drop Online Pass
17 May 2013 |Krazy Kanuck writes "Introduced in 2010, Online Pass was marketed as a way to 'preserve' online content or DLC as titles were sold in the used game market. Many saw this as a way to cut out the second hand game market. EA has now ...
NeuroGaming Conference Profiles the Rise of Brain-Computer Interfaces
15 May 2013 |kkleiner writes "The first NeuroGaming Conference and Expo took place at the beginning of May to showcase the convergent technologies that are paving the way toward gaming with your mind. Tech news has been dominated with stories ...
Google Play Games Leaks Ahead of I/O
12 May 2013 |Android Police reports on an information leak out of Google in the lead-up to their I/O conference, which starts on May 15th. A new version of Google Play Services contains information about "Google Play Games," the company's ...
Vulnerability Found In Skyrim, Fallout, Other Bethesda Games
12 May 2013 |An anonymous reader writes "The author of this article goes over a format string vulnerability he found in The Elder Scrolls series starting with Morrowind and going all the way up to Skyrim. It's not something that will likely be ...
World of Warcraft Loses 1.3 Million Players in First Quarter of 2013
10 May 2013 |hypnosec writes "World of Warcarft, the gaming industry's most popular franchise and one of Blizzard's cash cows, is bleeding subscribers with 1.3 million defecting from the game in the first quarter of 2013 alone. Blizzard ...
Latest Blogs
Blogs Have Moved!
| 3 November 2010
Blogs can now be found in the vBulletin blogging tool, located here.
Latest Division News
Guild Wars 2: Division Overview
| 22 August 2012
An Introduction to Guild Wars 2 and the TOG GW2 Crew.
Get to know your guildmate interview #4: Serah De Vere
| 29 December 2012
Ral Partha interviews TOG member and Guild Wars 2 fan "Serah De Vere", in the latest installment of "Get to know your guildmates with Ral Partha"!
Get to know your guildmate interview #3: Pumpkin
| 19 December 2012
Ral Partha interviews TOG member and Guild Wars 2 fan Pumpkin, in the latest installment of "Get to know your guildmates with Ral Partha"!
TF2 Unveils a new Co-Op Mode - Mann vs Machine
| 26 August 2012
The game that keeps on giving unveils new co-op mode. Red and Blue join forces to fight off a marauding mob of malevolent machines. TOG TF2 has 2 MvsM servers up and running for your machinations. See the ...
Health, You and the Launch of Guild Wars 2
| 23 August 2012
Specs gives a humorous but serious run down on how to stay healthy in the first weekend of Guild Wars 2.