• 2008 Kotaku Holiday Gift Guide

    The PlayStation 3 Gift Guide

    The holiday season is upon us, and PlayStation 3 owners and owner-hopefuls around the world are desperately trying to relate to their loved ones the sort of game titles they'd like to unwrap when their particular gift-giving festivity commences. Nothing says "I don't understand you" quite like a cold, unfeeling gift card, so let Kotaku be your guide to the best things to place inside your shiny Sony console. Whether you are giving or receiving, our 2008 PlayStation 3 Gift Guide is your source for festive holiday gaming.

    The guide is split into four different sections. We've got your Bargains, for those of you who want to stretch their holiday dollar; essential titles that every PlayStation 3 owner has to play (it's the law); social titles to lure your friends and family around the console; and finally epic titles that will devour your very soul and spit it out in a slightly moist but terribly happy little holiday lump.

    Nothing like the smell of freshly opened games on a cold winter morning... More »

    12:30 PM on Thu Nov 20 2008
    By Mike Fahey
    7,258 views, 121 comments

    Most discussed chrisnick: ps3 owners really are covered all through this year and the next (when it comes to exclusives and good games).....xbox?.....meh....im more »

  • rumor

    GameStop Black Friday Ads Leaked

    A friendly GameStop tipster just dropped what we're told is the game-sellers Black Friday sales catalog on us. The dozen-page circular is packed with borderline deals including Xbox 360 sales bundles, deep discounts on some games (.99 cents for Rock Band Track Pack Vol. 2 anyone?) and peripherals.

    Highlights that I noticed: More »

    11:40 AM on Thu Nov 20 2008
    By Brian Crecente
    19,405 views, 98 comments

    Most discussed Crimson (PS3 ID Black--Tiger): And no PS3 love to speak of. *Everything* in here is list, and no bundles, even. more »

  • grand theft auto iv

    First Screens Of GTAIV's Lost & Damned DLC

    While last night's story from USA Today is all well and good, we prefer to get our news about the upcoming The Lost and Damned DLC for the Xbox 360 version of Grand Theft Auto IV directly from Rockstar itself. Why? Because the Rockstar official press release is free from any journalistic meanderings, and it comes with nice, lovely, giant-sized screenshots of the content and a nice white logo we can put on top of all of it. Completely loving the whole biker gang vibe these shots are giving off. Makes me want to hop on a hog myself, and then quickly hop off before I kill myself. Hit the jump for a gallery of the new screens. More »

    9:30 AM on Thu Nov 20 2008
    By Mike Fahey
    22,894 views, 128 comments

    Most discussed bgeorget: Ahhhhh damnit why isn't this on the PS3??? more »

  • Round Up

    Frankenreview: Left 4 Dead (Xbox 360)

    There's nothing quite as terrifying as hordes of hungry, screaming, mindless undead, roaming the streets in search of human flesh. Survival horror has known this for ages, yet most have failed to realize the key to truly horrifying zombie movies - togetherness. True zombie horror is taken from the way groups of humans deal with desperate situations, rather than the monsters themselves.

    Valve's new co-op intensive shooter Left 4 Dead aims to capture the more human side of zombie horror, pitting a team of four disparate survivors against the hordes of the damned, which is nearly as frightening as a lone game facing off against an assemblage of video game critics. Turn the corner slowly... More »

    8:20 AM on Thu Nov 20 2008
    By Mike Fahey
    16,088 views, 147 comments

    Most discussed mlubczyk: Mh. Gd gm bt md fr nch mrkt. f t's nt n th W, t's nt wrth tlkng bt. more »

  • grand theft auto iv

    GTAIV DLC Announced: "Lost And Damned", Out In Feb 09

    A USA Today report is the setting for the announcement of Grand Theft Auto IV's long-awaited piece of downloadable content. Titled "Lost and Damned", the DLC will be available on February 17, and will leave Niko's story behind (though he will make a few cameo appearances) to follow the exploits of Johnny Klebitz, a member of the Lost biker gang that the game's radio channels liked to talk about so much. Rockstar's Dan Houser:

    Johnny is a very different character than Niko, with a very different background. I can't go into too much detail on the story, because we try not to give away too much plot before the game is released. But I can say that the story will show you a different side of Liberty City.

    The USA Today report also says the expansion will "let you download more sandbox time", Houser elaborating "We feel like we've only scratched the surface in terms of the depth and detail in [Liberty City]".

    'Grand Theft Auto' yields road to the 'Lost and Damned' [USA Today]

    11:30 PM on Wed Nov 19 2008
    By Luke Plunkett
    10,156 views, 128 comments

    Most discussed Archaotic: So it's just new story missions? Almost a full year of delays for...new story missions? Top notch work, more »

  • metal gear solid 4

    "Exclusive" MGS4 "Limited" Edition PS3 Winds Up At Walmart For $399

    Boy, we really, really hope you didn't drop $599 (or more) of your hard-earned dollars on this "Konami.com exclusive" Metal Gear Solid 4 PlayStation 3 bundle that was going to be released in "very, very limited" quantities. And we hope you didn't tear your silky, well-conditioned hair out during the painful pre-ordering process. Because now it can be had for a comparative song at Walmart.com, reduced to just $399 USD.

    That's the same price as the standard 80 GB model PS3 that Sony's offering sans packed-in game and $100 less than the new 160 GB SKU bundled with Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. Quantities may actually be genuinely limited this time and the offer appears to be online only, so if you're feeling froggy, we'd recommend jumpin'.

    PlayStation 3 40GB Limited Edition Kojima Silver Bundle w/ Metal Gear Solid 4 [Walmart - thanks, Shaun!]

    7:00 PM on Wed Nov 19 2008
    By Michael McWhertor
    8,359 views, 100 comments

    Most discussed AndrewMGS: This is awesome, I planned on trading in my "Wii-60" because of the NXE, and planned on getting one of more »

  • iphone

    Aurora Feint II: The Arena Brings Asynchronous MMO to iPhone This Friday(ish)

    With several hundred thousand downloads, Aurora Feint's gamers have been begging for a full-blown paid version of the free-to-play iPhone role-playing game. It looks like they'll be getting it on Friday or next week at the latest.

    Aurora Feint II: The Arena will set iPhone users back $10, but will include asynchronous massively-multiplayer gaming, leader board rankings, messaging and player walls. The Arena will be the second of three proposed games based on the world of Aurora Feint, according to the developers.

    "We had an overwhelming response to Aurora Feint: The Beginning and we are thankful for the support of our huge fan base" said Peter Relan, Chairman of Aurora Feint Inc. "The iPhone has created an incredible platform for gaming that Jason and Danielle have taken to a new level with the introduction of an Asynchronous MMO World."

    No word on what the mysterious third Aurora Feint game will be, but here's a run down on what you'll get for your $10 with Arena: More »

    4:00 PM on Wed Nov 19 2008
    By Brian Crecente
    4,347 views, 20 comments

  • iphone

    iPhone's Puzzle Quest Hits December For $10

    It looks like Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords will be hitting the App Store next month for $9.95.

    TransGaming tells us that the game is working its way through the approval process as we speak. Challenge of the Warlords has been optimized to run on the iPhone and iPod Touch, making full use of the tap features. The game will include new story lines, new characters and new conquests. More »

    1:00 PM on Wed Nov 19 2008
    By Brian Crecente
    2,441 views, 21 comments

  • 2008 Kotaku Holiday Gift Guide

    The Portable Holiday Gift Guide

    All your life you have been told that it is better to give than to receive, but if someone were to put a gun to your head and DEMAND that you receive? Well, then you had better have a firm idea of what you want otherwise you are getting a lump of coal, a moldy tangerine and a copy of E.T. for the Atari 2600.

    Whatever side of the giving/receiving divide you find yourself on, Kotaku can help. Givers - print out our handy gift guides and carry them with you to the shops (or just open them in another tab while you browse Amazon or whatever - this is 2008 after all). Would-be receivers - leave the guides open on the PCs of family members, stuff printouts into pockets or down the side of the sofa where your prey loved one can find them or just grab people by the lapels and scream the URL directly into their faces.

    As before, we have split this guide to the best in PSP and DS gaming into Bargains (cheap, yet cheerful), Essentials (should already be on your to-play list), Socializers (multiplayer magnificence) and Epics (life destroying time sinks). More »

    10:00 AM on Wed Nov 19 2008
    By Stuart Houghton
    6,013 views, 50 comments

    Most discussed beeporama (brian.j.parker): Yay The World Ends With You, which is one of the best games I've ever played, much less one of more »

  • spike TV 2008 VGAs

    Our Spike TV Video Game Award Picks

    So, this year round turns out that many of my picks for finalists didn't make the cut for the 2008 Spike TV's Video Game Awards. That being said, I still felt we had an obligation to select what we thought were the best games among those finalists I listed earlier this week.

    There are certainly some deserving titles among the winners, but there are also a few head-scratchers among the nominees.

    Our pick for Game of the year was Grand Theft Auto IV. Here are the rest of the best: More »

    10:30 PM on Tue Nov 18 2008
    By Brian Crecente
    8,884 views, 113 comments

    Most discussed FP_slomo788: You did a good job with was available, nice choices. GTA4 is arguable, but still a good pick. more »