Home / kotaku.com rss archive / October-01-2007


Halo 3: Finish The Sushi
Horse sushi? Eaten it. Whale? Ditto. Poisonous blowfish? No prob. But fat chance on getting me to eat this Halo 3 sushi. Dancer and physics major Allison created this 3 logo, writing:Now, I'm not a gamer... it would be an insult to real gamers to call me one. However, I do enjoy playing Wii Sports and Legend of Zelda on the Wii, and if it didn't require so much time or money, I probably would play WoW for a while...This makizushi took two hours to make. You read that right. Two hours. Halo 3 Sushi [Sushi Day, Thanks Zen Zie!]

Seeded: PlatinumGames' Craptastic Name Explained!
Ack! Well, lame-named Platinum Games (formerly the awesomely named "SEEDS") has posted its new homepage today. The start-up company is actually named PlatinumGames and not Platinum Games. The company seems to be in full hiring phase, and the website is wall-to-wall recruitment. Specially, the company is looking for planners, programmers, designers, sound designers and web designers. PlatinumGames is even looking for foreigners who can speak Japanese. There are messages from PlatinumGames' bigwigs Shinji Mikami (Resident Evil creator), Hideki Kamiya (Devil May Cry creator) and Atsushi Inaba (Okami producer) in which they talk about why they entered the industry and whatnot. In the "About Us" section, PlatinumGames president and former Capcom 3rd Production Studio member Tatsuya Minami explains why the ho-hum name "PlatinumGames" was chosen: The meaning of "platinum" is that it doesn't deteriorate, and it holds its quality over time. User's won't be betrayed by the quality, which...

DIY: Sony Release Official PSP Theme Creator
Sony have released a PC program which lets you design and edit your own, user-created PSP themes. Icons, backgrounds, the works. It's free, it's in English, it's a small download and, best of all, it's in English. As you can see, all you need to do is substitute the existing icons with your own, and you're good to go. Only thing left unanswered now is just why you'd want to change the theme. Who doesn't love cookies?PSP Theme Creation Utility [Sony Japan, via PSP Fanboy]

Forerunning Ninja: Ninja Gaiden/Halo 3 Cross Promotion In Pictures
If you needed further (or, you know, any) enticement to get off your arse and earn all 1000 of Halo 3's achievement points, consider your reward for doing so: Ninja Gaiden swag. Get every achievement and you'll pick up Ryu's sword, which looks nice (if canonically blasphemous), but sadly isn't usable. It just sits on your back. Get every achievement and every gold skull and you'll get yourself his helmet.Ninja Gaiden secrets found in Halo 3 [CVG]

Learning Is Fun: You Too Can Say "Fils-Aime" Correctly
Fils-Aime. That's pretty easy to write. But to pronounce? Tricky. It's not "Phils-Aim" or "Phils-Amy." It's "Fee-Suh-May." Crud, I always thought it was "Fez-Amee" and probably even call him that. To his face. So, everyone, let's practice! One, two, three, "Fee-Suh-May."High fives all around!Listen Here [Multiplayer Blog]

Hey, 2008, How's Things?: 360 Version Of World in Conflict Delayed
World In Conflict looks amazing. Plays amazing, too, which is lucky! So it's good, good news that the PC version of the game is nearly upon us. If you're a 360 owner, though...the news is not so good. It's actually pretty awful. Sierra announced today that the game's slipped to 2008. And not just "early" 2008, "sometime" in 2008. No explanation was given for the delay, so go nuts with your own pessimistic conspiracy theories below.Xbox 360 World in Conflict Stalled Until 2008 [Shacknews]

As Expected: Otomedius Gets Obligatory Action Figures
Konami's arcade shooter Otomedius—taking the best of Parodius, Gradius, tiny skirts and hefty cleavage—is, unsurprisingly, a great opportunity for the company to cash in on the game's titillating space maidens. From the day it was announced, it's been clear that Konami's arcade division is marketing to the loins of Japanese otaku. That's why news of a pair of Otomedius figures doesn't come as a surprise. What does is that they don't look that good, failing to properly capitalize on the oversexed character designs that will garner the most attention.Still, if you're into this sort of thing, they're shipping in January of next year and run 4,725 yen each. Check with your favorite importer to secure 'em.Otomedius Action Figures [Hobby Stock]

Giant Kaz Face: Talks Original PS3 Price ("Right"), Kutaragi (B.F.F.)
Sony Computer Entertainment Kaz Hirai is a man of no regrets. High PS3 pricetag? No problem! PlayStation creator getting the boot? Whatever! Kaz sounds off on that initial price shocker, saying:I think the original price-point was the right price-point, evidenced by the issues we had at launch when we couldn't supply enough units to consumers in the Japanese market and the North American market, and it was a huge challenge to try and meet that demand because of all the production issues we had. It wasn't a pricing issue, it was a supply issue.Good thing there are plenty of those PS3s to go around now. And regarding the departure of Kutaragi, Kaz assures that the Father of the PlayStation left to follow other rainbows. According to Kaz:...I think he's gotten to the point where he wants to try out other ideas beyond the PlayStation business. He told me the other day, 'I'm not getting any younger'... He's our honorary chairman, he swings by the office once in a while —...

Kick This Ass For A Man, That's All: Next-Gen Gaming Is "A Spinal Tap Thing"
Free Radical's David Doak knows his games! Goldeneye, TimeSplitters, he's had his fair share of hits. So what does he think of the current-gen fixation with whizzes, bangs, smoke and mirrors? He's not a fan: If you look what people do [with next-gen games], it's a Spinal Tap thing. It's all turned up to 11...A typical next-gen look has often got all the next-gen stuff like specular highlights and normal mapping turned up to the max... But if it's not turned up to 11, people think it's not next-gen enough. Considering the shit-storm over 80 pixels of vertical resolution, man may have a point! But really, who cares, all this does is show we really need to start quizzing Spinal Tap on the state of gaming.Legendary developer explains his opinion of hi-tech gaming [Games Radar]

Cushiony Shield: Nintendo Giving Away Anti-Slip Remote Jacket
Nintendo tonight announced that they will be giving away free silicone covers for their Wii Remotes starting Oct. 15. The Wii Remote Jacket will also begin shipping with all Wiis, remotes sold separately and packs of Wii Play which include the remote.The Wii Remote Jacket provides "cushioning for the Wii Remote for people who might accidentally throw or drop their Wii Remotes while playing games," according to the Nintendo press release."We're always looking for ways to improve our products and make sure everyone has a safe and fun experience," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "Many electronics manufacturers provide similar protective covers for products like cell phones, PDAs and MP3 players."Current Wii owners can get their free Remote Jacket by either hitting up Wii.com, Nintendo.com or calling 866-431-8367. The company plans to start taking orders on Oct. 2 and shipping the product out on Oct. 15.While...

The Inevitable: Valve Hard At Work On HL2: Episode 3
Sure, Half-Life 2: Episode 2 is nearly upon us, but do you think that's it for Valve? That they're just going to kick back with fans, bowls of grapes, scantily-clad women and fruity drinks with umbrellas in them? Nuh unh. They're already toiling away on Episode 3, which will no doubt see even more Freeman, more Combine and more delays. WARNING: The link below contains Ep 2 spoilers.Half-Life 2: Episode 3 Confirmed [PC Gamer, via Jeux France]

Day Note: Sick House
To: AshFrom: CrecenteRe: Now, I'm the Sick BastardThat makes two houses of Kotaku felled by whatever sort of nasty bug we caught while in Tokyo. My wife and I remain quite sick, drifting through day and night in a cloud of quils. (of the the Day and Ny variety). Perhaps next time we should up our vitamin dosage while spending a week together working 13 hour days, drinking and not sleeeping. Yes, maybe that's a good idea.What you missed:Love this gameRein continues to spill gutsBungie and Msoft on the outs?Godda love developer humorShoes, SHOES!Free Radical Plays with New "Overtime" Concept

Show Them The Money: Haze Developer Pioneers Radical New Pay System Called "Overtime"
I discovered at an early age that I never wanted to work in game development, despite my love for the medium and my illusions of creativity. It was when I learned that programmers, artists and designers had to work weekends that I realized this was not the field for me. We're all presumably familiar with the development cycle "crunch" that sees developers sleeping under their desks, seeing their kids only while they sleep and growing fat on a diet of savory snacks and sweet sodas. And they do it for a set salary. Insanity!Well, Haze developer Free Radical Design is looking to change the payment structure for its employees, paying them extra money for the extra hours they put in. Genius. Free Radical co-founder Steve Ellis tells Develop that "it's the way that the whole games industry needs to go" and that the indie developer is just adapting early. I know that I certainly appreciated my holiday overtime pay when I was foil-wrapping boiling hot candied hams as a kid! This is...

Clips: Halo 3 And The Kingdom Of The Golden Skulls
Having a hard time finding all the hidden skulls in Halo 3? Curious about what they all do? Instead of bogging yourself down with icky reading, GameTrailers has assembled a helpful video guide revealing the locations and characteristics of (nearly) every one of the game's boney power ups. Collecting them all nets you the ninja-riffic Hayabusa armor, further strengthening the Team Ninja and Bungie love-in.

Want Two Cds: First Turbo-CD Games For Virtual Console Confirmed
Hudson Entertainment updated its Virtual Console release list today, giving us a preview of the game's the company will be releasing for the Wii in October. Two of those titles happen to be the first games originally released on the TurboGrafx-CD platform, Super Air Zonk and Gate of Thunder. The former, a sequel to shooter Air Zonk, features a CD-quality soundtrack loaded with rockabilly tunes, while the latter doubles the side scrolling shooter assault, bringing the number of TG-16 shmups available on the Virtual Console to, I think, an even three hundred. Both will list for the higher than normal price of 800 Wii Points.Also included in the release list update is Samurai Ghost, the side-scrolling slasher sequel to the Namco release The Genji and the Heike Clans that once graced Namco Museum Vol. 4 in years past. I don't know about you, but I'm ready to start overturning cars and setting them alight based on this exciting news.List of Titles to be Released [Hudson via 1UP]

Ichiban: Wii Sales Dominance Digest, Vol. 2, Issue 41
To anyone who follows the weekly Simple 2000: The Japanese Hardware Chart posts, this news won't come as a surprise. But, according to Japanese publisher Enterbrain, via Reuters, the Wii continues to outsell the PLAYSTATION 3 at home at a rate of four-to-one. The figures, compiled from April to September of this year, put Wii sales at 1.6 million with the PS3 selling through just 385,492 consoles.While we've seen a decline in Wii sales over the past few weeks, Sony has seen a similar drop off week-to-week in the past month. And while the ratio may be decreasing in Sony's favor, the Wii still continues to outsell its bulkier competitor by a factor of two- or three-to-one.I suspect that the Japanese release of Super Mario Galaxy will drive Wii sales through the roof, as the PS3's response for the Wii sequel is Railfan Taiwan High Speed Rail. But, we obviously wish both parties the best of luck.Wii Japan sales overwhelm PS3 [Reuters]

Finally: The Prince Of Wii Sports Tennis Controllers
The licensing department at Prince—normally a manufacturer of real life tennis rackets and tennis equipment—smells cash. The kind of cash that only casual gamers can provide. That's why they're getting into the Wii accessory game with their own Prince branded Wii-mote holders designed for last year's non-hardcore hit, Wii Sports. Remember that?Well, Linda Glassel, Vice President of Marketing and Brand Image at Prince, says the licensed shells are "really a win-win for players and gamers" and we have a hard time arguing with win-win assessments that come from the VP level. They'll be available the second week of November for a cheap $14.99.More pics of the princely rackets after this.

Sneakerheads: Super Mario Shoes Now For Sale! Run!
The Run Athletics brand collaboration with Nintendo that resulted in a pair of very bold Super Mario Bros. themed sneakers has born fruit and they're now available for purchase. For the low, low price of $120 per pair, you not only get a fresh pair of bright white kicks, but you also score a unique shoe box emblazoned with the Mario "M" and a free limited edition t-shirt that celebrates the release. Only 400 pairs of the Nintendo Legacy shoes are available, so don't sleep on these if you want to be the first kind on your block to blind a friend with their brilliance.Only sizes 8.5 to 13 need apply. If you get 'em, send us some pics.Legacy X Nintendo 07 [Denim & Sole via High Snobiety]

Get Wet: Tetris Splash Dives Onto XBLA This Wednesday
Love Tetris? Love water? Then you're going to love Tetris Splash, the Xbox Live Arcade update to the twenty-two year old block-dropping puzzler that features classic Tetris gameplay... but underwater. Tetris Splash features online multiplayer support for six players and loads of "beautiful aquatic backscapes."Worth the 800 Microsoft Points? Totally. You had me at "beautiful aquatic backscapes", gentlemen.

Humor: Efron Dating Master Chief?
Not content to break the fictitious news that the Master Chief is dating a Hollywood star, satire site Dateline Hollywood also "reports" that the big MC is gay.The site says that MC was seen hanging out with High School Musical star Zaz Efron during the Universal City launch of Halo 3 last week and points to the widely spread images of the duo as proof of their hot story.Not everyone is surprised, though, particularly those who have fought Master Chief in battle."He's a great warrior, but frankly, I started to get suspicious when he kept wanting to 'cover my rear' during our recent battle to prevent the covenant from setting off the Halo rings and destroying the universe," said the Arbiter, an alien who fought alongside Master Chief in "Halo 3."Added Cortana, a female artificial intelligence who was once implanted in Master Chief's helmet: "I've been saying that Master Chief is a huge f*g for years, but no one believed me."Cortana, who was not invited to the "Halo 3 premiere...

Print This: Official PlayStation Magazine Returning To Shelves
Following the closure of the Official PlayStation Magazine by Ziff-Davis earlier this year, a gaping hole in SCEA certified coverage was formed at magazine stands across the nation. Future US publishing to the rescue! They're putting the official back into PlayStation print coverage with PlayStation: The Official Magazine, due to hit racks and mailboxes this holiday season.The 13-issue a year mag will be helmed by Editor in Chief Rob Smith, formerly of PSM, the Independent PlayStation Magazine. Future US also publishes video game centric rags such as the Official Xbox Magazine, PC Gamer, Nintendo Power and Maximum PC. They also publish Pregnancy.Release after the jump.SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA AND FUTURE US ANNOUNCE THE CREATION OF"PLAYSTATION: THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE"Future US to Publish First Monthly Issue in Time for HolidaysSouth San Francisco and Foster City, Calif., October 1, 2007 - Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) and Future US, Inc, the leading publisher...

Rumor: Bungie, Microsoft Tight-Lipped On Separation Rumors
Those rumors surrounding a Bungie departure from Microsoft sure sound fishy, so we got in touch with some folks who might know a thing or two about it. We were hoping for either a "Yes, it's true. You'll find the details of the settlement in the attached PDF" or "Of course it's not true. Don't be ridiculous." Instead we got a double barrel blast of non-confirmation.The response from a Bungie source? "Talk to your Edelman rep."The response from Edelman, Microsoft's PR firm? "There's been no such announcement. We continue to celebrate the tremendous success of the global phenomenon that is Halo 3."In the meantime, we continue to get e-mails with friend of a friend sourced factoids and ones with none too subtle hints on the matter. We're drowning in the winking emoticons!As I wrote earlier, it sounds suspect—hence the rumor tag—but with the closing of FASA Studio, the developer behind Shadowrun, and the acquisition of Project Gotham Racing developer Bizarre...

Stats Feed: Today's most popular headlines are China's ...
Today's most popular headlines are China's Answer to the Nintendo Wii (7,805 views today), Xbox 360 Falcon Chips Have Landed! (6,096) and Everything We Actually Know About New PS3 SKU (6,060).

Clips: Haze Injected PS3 Controller
You got to hand it to Free Radical, not only do they like sticking it to the Man, even when they're making a game for said Man, but they don't mind sticking it to Sony after sorta confirming the return of controller vibration months early in a dev diary. I guess those controllers were soaked in Haze too.

Rumor: Bungie Breaks Up With Microsoft?
Equip your Spartan salt shield, because this rumor sounds simply too soap operatic to instantly believe. On the other hand, it might just be crazy enough to work and stranger things have happened, so we're looking into it as if it were the real deal. The word from the tubes this morning is that Halo developer Bungie may be parting ways with its owner, Microsoft. Posted at the Seattle Post Intelligencer Blogs—but sourced from the 8BitJoystick e-zine—Jake Metcalf cites a "friend of mine who has someone close that works at Bungie" passing on information about the split.Writing of a seemingly amicable separation, the source says that "Apparently MS just wants Bungie to make Halo for the rest of their natural days, and Bungie doesn't like how MS is constantly trying to 'handle' everything they do." The unnamed friend of a friend also writes that ownership of the Halo franchise will remain with Microsoft, that Bungie will move onto original IPs, but that the team...

PC: Universe at War Delayed, Wallets Celebrate
The PC version of PC versus Xbox 360 real-time strategy game, and love of my life, Universe at War won't be hitting their Nov. 2 launch date after all, instead landing in the post-holiday dead zone of January.Sega doesn't really explain the delay, telling Computer and Video Games that it will allow the PC version and 360 versions of the game to launch closer together. I suspect Sega made the wise choice of pulling out of the holiday bedlam that will see too many games to buy or play hitting stores at the same time, and have instead decided to release the game when it will get more face time.I saw it's a wise decision because, as with all rock solid games, Universe at War can stand on its own merits and doesn't need a Thanksgiving-to-Christmas buying binge to jump start its sales. I know it's almost blasphemy to say, but let's hope that more triple-A titles follow suit and that next year maybe publishers won't feel the need to release all of their top tier titles in the same...

Update: Is MGS4 Really Kojima's Last? Konami Begs to Differ.
Hideo Kojima has gone on record that MGS4 would be his last Metal Gear game. But will that really be the case? In one word, "no," at least according to Konami marketing VP Anthony Crouts. I'm sure he's never going to let go of Metal Gear Solid--trust me. [Snake's] a big character, so as a franchise I think he'll always hold it near and dear to his heart...In one capacity or another, he will always be involved in the Metal Gear franchise.In one capacity or another, we've sort of stopped believing Kojima when he says he's done with Metal Gear. And apparently, so have his colleagues.MGS4 Not Kojima's Last? [nextgeneration]

Hot Liger Action: Napoleon Dynamite DS Screens
Relive the experience of Napoleon Dynamite on the Nintendo DS through 20 minigames sure to make you question why Crave couldn't have released this game to coincide within, say, 2 years of the movie's release. Though we will say that while the images are clearly lower rez than the PSP version, the dual screen integration appears at least thought out. Anyone excited? Anyone? galleryPost('NapoleonDynamite', 8, 'NapoleonDynamite');

New Messages: Nintendo's Friendly Text Reminder
In case you weren't aware, The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass hits stores today, so be sure to run to your local store and pick up a copy. I almost forgot myself, but luckily Nintendo had my number, thanks to the Zelda Contest I told you about last month. This blinked onto my phone an hour ago: Zelda fans make sure you get to stores today to grab The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass for your Nintendo DS. Funny thing...I don't remember authorizing text messages when I sent in my contest entry (just to see how the contest worked mind you), and the rules for said contest don't mention anything about them contacting me outside of letting me know if I won, so it's rather annoying to be getting these unsolicited. Can't seem to find any way to get myself excluded from the messages either. Well at least I didn't forget the game, right?

Zeerrific: Cellphone ZeeMote Is A Wii Like Nunchuk
What is the number one problem with cellphone gaming? If you answered "the cellphone," you'd be wrong. If you answered "the cellphone's keyboard," you just might want to plan a purchase today. The ZeeMote is essentially a Bluetooth joystick, a nunchuk-like peripheral for your mobile devices. We're highly interested in both the ZeeMote more peripherals for cellphone gaming. And as soon as those peripherals include completely integrated PSP and DS controls, screens and libraries, we'll be happy little cellphone gamers. The ZeeMote is currently priceless and due out next year. Product Page [via pocketgamer]

Shoptalk: Mark Rein - Bungie "Nailed" Halo
In case any fanboys needed his blessing, Epic's Mark Rein has spilled his guts on Halo and why he loves really really likes the franchise a lot. I don't look at Halo and go, 'That's the greatest graphics'. I don't look at Halo and go, 'Wow those are the coolest enemies ever'. I look at Halo and go 'They nailed it'. This game is so fun to play, everything works just right.And it's that execution, Rein argues, that made FPSs a success on consoles. He also added:But it's no Too Human.OK, maybe he didn't actually say that last part. Rein lavishes praise on Halo 3 [play]

Truth: Everything We Actually Know About New PS3 SKU
Sony's recent FCC filing over the alleged 40GB PS3 has gotten us all focusing on the wrong issues. Why do we constantly look at the one feature of the PS3 that consumers can most easily change (the swappable hard drive) to define an SKU? And besides, the 40GB drive is the rumor aspect of the story anyway. PS3Forums is refocusing out attention to what we actually know about this new SKU (while I'm just bitching off topic about what actually matters). It draws less current; Now only rated 3A down from the previous 3.2ABluetooth is the same version as before, however the Antenna gain is increased on Antenna1 from 0.21dBi (max) in the original 60Gb, up to 3.83dBi (max) in the new SKU. Antenna2 also sees an increase, from 4.13dBi (max) up to 4,92 dBi (max).WLAN is still 802.11b/g, however there is a difference in Antenna gain too. ANT0 is now 0.69dBi from 0.10dBi previously, and ANT1 is now -0.26dBi from 0.91dBi.The controller used in the test had the model number of the original...

Clips: Hellgate Tube Tour - Covent Garden
newVideoPlayer("coventgarden_gawker.flv", 475, 376);This here is the first in a series of guides meant to familiarize you with the central hug locations in Hellgate: London. Covent Garden Station acts as the hub for the first of five acts in the game. Here you will shop for items, join parties with friends, get quests, upgrade your weapons, and generally everything there is to do in the game outside of the actual fighting. Almost gives the whole thing a Guild Warsy type of feel if you ask me. Hit the jump for the official description distributed with the video, explaining some of the sights you're bound to find in London's underground and beyond.Welcome to the first installment of the Hellgate: London Tube Tours! On this first trip around the block, we'll be stopping by a variety of places that you'll visit as you play through the first of five Acts. First and foremost is Covent Garden Station. Now, this and every other station in the game act as a hub for just about everything...

Next Next Gen: Bioware Talks Bioshock and Next Gen
If there's one guy we'll allow to continue using the phrase "next gen," it's Bioware president Greg Zeschuk if only because Mass Effect looks really, really promising. Bioshock, Mass Effect and some of the other titles coming out this year show us how some of the games before weren't next-gen. It's not that we're so much better, but the bar is being set. Certainly Bioshock set a high bar, I think we'll set a pretty high bar, and it's going up and up.We're liking this...It's scary, because you discover how many groups can legitimately compete at that level. In the games business it's winner takes all, so if you can't compete... That's a bad position to be in.Greg, Greg, Greg. Good games coming out isn't "scary." At least not from this particular couch cushion. BioWare's Greg Zeschuk [eurogamer]

Education: LA Kids Learning Via Video Games
Now I have another reason to want to go back to school besides really cheap little rectangular pizzas. Starting today, children in schools across Los Angeles County will be playing video games in class...or more specifically as class. PlaySmart is a unique education program created by non-profit organization Star Inc. that uses video games to teach children skills like problem solving, objective thinking, literacy, and jumping on turtles. The program takes games like DDR, Mario Kart, and the Pokemon card game and twists them into tools for teaching PE, team building, and positive gamesmanship, whatever that means, noobs. Hell, if I had DDR in gym class I wouldn't have had to wear that fake cast every day. Check out the program's website for more details on this innovative merging of games and education. PlaySmartCommencing Oct. 1, 2007, PlaySmart rolls into schools all over Los Angeles County. Billed as a unique educational program from STAR Inc., PlaySmart uses existing and...

Dead Trees: Playstation The Official Magazine Returns
OPM rises again this November with a new set of letters and a brand new publisher. Exactly one year after Ziff-Davis set Official Playstation Magazine adrift into the sea of dead print media, Future U.S. will relaunch Playstation: The Official Magazine.Future, publisher's of the UK version of OPM, also managed to snag Rob Smith, former editor-in-chief of PSM, to run their new mag. The first edition of the 13-issue-a-year magazine will hit in late November with a 300,000 circulation run."Future US has a strong heritage delivering cutting-edge insight into the industry, and we are looking forward to a long standing relationship to deliver unrivaled exclusive content to PlayStation fans," said Peter Dille, Senior Vice President, Marketing and PLAYSTATION(R)Network, SCEA. "We're very excited to be working with a group that is nearly as passionate about our brand as we are ourselves and we look forward to working with Future on many innovative ideas they have to create a best in...

Oh God No: You Got Halo In My LOLCats
What happens when you marry the worldwide Halo phenomenon with the plague of cat pictures with humorously misspelled captions? I'm pretty sure the world is supposed to explode, but until that happens there's Halolcats.com. It features many of the same cat pictures you've seen infesting forums or sent to you in emails from your co-worker who thinks they're just so darn cute, spliced with the game series you either love or despise. Pictures are sorted by categories much like the medals you achieve in multiplayer, such as 'Catting Spree' , 'Double Cat', and 'Catastrophe'. You can even submit your own pictures in case you have far more free time than I do. The creators went as far as to send out a press release announcing this unholy union, so hit the jump to see if you can figure out why the hell someone would do this. New site brings best of both worlds: Lolcats and the Halo universeEARTH, OCTOBER 1, 2007-- What happens when two worlds collide? Aliens versus humans-the classic...

Gallery: Beauty Is In The Eye Of Judgement
Sony has reached into the deck and dealt out a handful of screenshots of the game that promises to really screw with my finances once it is released later this month. I swear combining video games with booster packs forms an unholy union that is targeted specifically at my wallet, which makes no sense at all considering the state of my wallet these days. Seriously Sony, aren't there more lucrative targets out there? galleryPost('eoj1001', 4, 'In The Cards');

PS3: New Warhawk Version Coming to Blu-ray
N'gai Croal reports that Sony will start selling a $40 version of Warhawk in stories later this month. The $40 version, matching the price of the download-only version available on the Playstation Network, won't come with the Jabra Bluetooth packed in that comes with the $60 version of the game.The $40 version will go on sale starting Oct. 10, according to GamStop, but Sony reps were only able to confirm the price and not the date to Croal. This could be a new pricing strategy for Sony, though I think it would make more sense in the future to release both a bundle and a non-bundle at stores on the same day rather than waiting to start selling the game-only version at stores.EXCLUSIVE: $39.99 Version of the PS3 Game Warhawk, Minus Bluetooth Headset, To Hit Retail Stores Later This Month [Level Up]

Vc Update: Sin & Punishment
This week the Wii Virtual Console shines with the warm light of promise, as an amazing title that had never seen the light of day on North American shores, and while it may cost a bit more than normal, who am I to put a price on Sin & Punishment? It's an on-rails shooter from shooter masters Treasure, which was released for the N64 in Japan back in 2000. Despite the odd mix of English voiceovers with Japanese subtitles, it never made it to the U.S., despite high critical praise from stateside media outlets. Well now it's here, and 1200 points is a pittance to pay for the privilege of playing it. This week also sees the release of Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels, better known in Japan as Super Mario Bros. 2. The true sequel to the original classic, this one doesn't involve yanking up vegetables. Discover the origin of the poison mushroom for a mere 600 points. Very well done this week Nintendo. More imports please!WII-KLY UPDATE: TWO NEW CLASSIC GAMES ADDED TO WII SHOP...

It Prints Money: Nintendo DS - Over 50 Million Served
I remember back when Nintendo first announced the DS. How we laughed and jeered. Two screens? What a stupid idea! Well now that stupid idea has been proven not so stupid over 50 million times. Selling a hundred times better than your average hotcake, Nintendo's handheld gamble has paid off big time. In contrast, it took them 11 years to sell 100 million Gameboys, so as PC World points out, the DS should easily surpass that if momentum continues. Huge numbers, but it still means that only .07% of the world population owns a Nintendo DS, so pick up the pace, slackers! Bossangoa needs their Pokemon! Nintendo DS Sales Pass 50 Million [PC World]

Clips: God of War: Chains of Olympus Boss Battle
This looks like it's going to be one hell of a PSP game, though I wonder if the franchise will lose any of its power on a small screen, like watching the movie 300 on a television instead of in a theater.

Night Note: Now, I'm The Sick Bastard
To: CrecenteFrom: AshcraftRE: No Place Like HomeThis is going to be short. Kid's sick, I'm sick. Wife's fine. I slept something like five or six hours this afternoon, woke up, felt dizzy, played Halo 3, felt dizzier, did some more posts, slept. Mini Bash just slept and drank grape juice. He didn't eat much, though. The kid has his school's sports festival this weekend, so we're really hoping he gets better in time. Anyway, back to bed. What you missed last nightJapanese kids like NES more than PSPThe ViiPS3 sales sluggish in UKReggie mehs Halo 3 sales

Hard Proof: Japanese Kids Like NES Better Than PSP
Yup, it's that time again. Time for some fascinating data. This particular data concerns the gaming habit of Japanese children. This past summer, 1,165 elementary school kids (60 percent girls) were polled in a public questionnaire on the Kids goo website. What did we learn? Certainly the DS dominates. Duh. But there actually were a few surprises. Those, after the jump!• 80 percent play video games. • 34.4 percent have five or more video game machines in their house• In a multiple answer question, 82.2 percent usually play the DS and 39.8 play the GBA. The shocker? 4.8 percent still play the Dreamcast, and 5.1 still play the Saturn. Compare that to 10.5 percent who play the PSP and the 11.9 percent who play the Nintendo Famicom (NES). Yes, more Japanese kids play the NES than the PSP. Go ahead and say, "wow." Aloud, even!• 70.3 percent play games alone. • 20.2 percent are "forbidden" to play games by parents.There's more data over...

Computing: CliffyB Talks Gears of War PC
No surprises that Gears of War is hitting PCs this November — though, too bad it's hitting them a year after appearing on the Xbox 360. The computer version has five new chapters, more multi-player and the Unreal Editor. Though, game designer CliffyB points out:Really, a year isn't quite that long to wait for a big console hit like Gears to make its way to the PC. We wanted to establish this brand as a great Xbox title first and foremost and then let PC gamers play - and more importantly modify — the experience... We're not supporting cross platform play from 360 to PC. It's a great feature to include but ultimately the inclusion would have meant pushing the release date further back and we feel that PC gamers are ready to chainsaw and craft in the Unreal Editor this holiday season!Alrighty, then! Though, five new chapters? Hopefully that'll explain what the hell is going on with Gears' convoluted story. That thing is a mess. CliffyB Interview [Aeropause]

Pull Your Finger Out: Nintendo Still Can't/Won't Make Enough Wiis For Christmas
Best way to get folks interested in something (especially around this time of year) is to make sure there's not enough of it to go around. People are morons. They'll want something they already want twice as bad if you can get them thinking they won't be able to get it under their Christmas tree. Take the Wii. It's still selling well, but come Christmas, you can bet Nintendo will want to sell more. Cue this lie from Reggie: We're working very hard to make sure that consumers are satisfied this holiday, but I can't guarantee that we're going to meet demand. As a matter of fact, I can tell you on the record that we won't. What, you still can't make enough even though it's been out for a year and Japan's stopped buying them? Bullshit. Nintendo to tap valley for ideas [Mercury News, free reg required]

Contest: Pick The Best Kotakuite Writer
Voting time! We've got five (count 'em) finalists for our TGS schwag contest in which readers wrote about their favorite TGS post. What are we giving away? A fistful of TGS fans -- including a Flynn used Metal Gear Solid 4 fan. What's more, we're throwing in a Japanese Halo 3 t-shirt, an Adventure Island shirt signed by Takahashi Meijin and a program on which he scribbled a pyramid describing the current market. There's a bunch of VERY RANDOM things as well. Remember, we're not looking for flattery, but rather, sharp writing and/or insight. Hit the jump for the finalists!Finalist 1http://kotaku.com/gaming/notag/my-booth-bot-my-cheerleader-302665.phpWar has changed. It is not about how many visitors my booth has, or how many people there are in my queue. It is not even about whether my game is better than yours. Or actually, it is. However, among the flashy, extravagant promotional stunts lies, nay, lurks an undercurrent of shrewd, subtle marketing - its stealth rivals that...

Contest: Hello reader people! Just dropping word to ...
Hello reader people! Just dropping word to remind ya about our great Halo 3 giveaway. Click here for the rules, questions and winnable schwag list. Good luck!

Celebrity Makeover: Advance Wars 2 Screens
Remember we told you about Advance Wars 2 being playable at the Micromania show France? Well we're not French. Not even Belgian. Couldn't get there. Jeux France could, though, and took some pics of the playable code. The good news? The gameplay itself still looks cartoony. The...other news? Looks like initial reports were bang on the money: the characters and overall feel of the game look like they've gotten a darker, more serious do-over. Which is, if nothing else, a brave decision. Another shot's after the jump, hit the link for the rest.Advance Wars 2 au MGS [Jeux France]

I Want My GBA: MOTHER 3 Character In SSBB
Another character drivels out on Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Yes, that's Lucas from Japan-only GBA game MOTHER 3. From the official SSBB site Smash Bros. Dojo:The youth with the psychic powers has appeared--it's Lucas! He makes his anticipated debut from the Japan-only release MOTHER 3.While he is timid in nature, he fights splendidly. Is it possible he can surpass even Ness?!Does this mean that MOTHER 3 (aka Earthbound 3 in English) will get that long overdue English language release? Hope so. New SSBB Character [Smash Bros. Dojo, Thanks REDFIELD!]

Copy: China's Answer to the Nintendo Wii
Call it the "Vii." We're sure the games are different, but we do admire the effor. The best part of the Vii isn't how these Chinese copycats have reworked the Wii's name or snaked its design, but rather, how they totally nailed Nintendo's ad campaign. Bravo!The Vii [Engadget via Danny Choo]

Cooler: Xbox 360 Falcon Chips Have Landed!
It's what many have been waiting for. The new 65nm "Falcon" CPUs are found in the Halo 3 console. Besides being smaller, the 65nm chip is fifty percent less expensive to manufacture and apparently are more economic in heat output. Previous consoles featured a 90nm and have an abnormally high failure rate. According to a Halo 3 Special Edition console dissection by Gamertag "JWSpeed," the motherboard features a simplified heatsink. Removal of the heatsink reveals a new CPU with "CANADA" written on it. How to tell if your console has the new chip without ripping it apart? Check the barcode sticker on the side of the box. The 65nm chipped Halo 3 console was built August 24, 2007 from team "FDOU" and part of lot 734. So does that mean these new Falcon consoles won't Red Ring of Death? Stay tuned. New Chips [Xbox Forums via Daily Tech, Thanks Josh!]

Reminder: Today is So Ban Monday
Don't forget! Here's how it works: Send us the commenter page for anyone that should get the axe. If we agree (even slightly), we'll swing. And swing hard. Though! No ban gloating. Gloating leads to Ban Hammer backfire, which could cause you to get the boot. Tuesday we'll be back better, lighter, strong and faster. Hope to see you on the other side!

Holding Off: PS3 Not Exactly Flying Off The Shelf In Britain
The PS3 had a big launch in the UK. Sold in big numbers, (so many it's neck-and-neck with the 360 for overall sales this calendar year), surprised a lot of people. Since then, though, it hasn't been doing too well. Not too well at all. It's a bit hard to say just how its done without cold, hard numbers (ChartTrack keep those to themselves), but they have divulged that 55% of all PS3 sales in the country were made within four days of the console's launch. Which was in March. It's now October. That leaves a whole lot of days without a whole lot of PS3 sales. UK sales of PS3 and 360 neck-and-neck in 2007 [MCV]

Gotta Finish The Game: No More MGS4 Trailers
Every game convention, every new presser brings one thing certain: A new Metal Gear Solid 4 trailer. Since E3 2005, there's been nine of them so far. Making each one is spread out over weeks and months and have been key in promoting the game and making sure player keep talking about it. With the MGS 4 due out in early 2008, does that mean we'll see one last new trailer? Says Kojima Productions' Ryan Payton:TGS 2007 could be the last trailer for MGS4. The pressure is really on to finish work on the game, and we have decided not to be sidetracked by any more promotional work.Good. As nice as a new trailer would be, a finished MGS 4 would be, well, nicer. Payton Interview [Multi-Player Blog via PS3 Fanboy]