Kotaku

DiRT Is Britain's PSN Consolation Prize

Gears Map Pack Free From September 3

Timgad 's Central Subway station used to serve as a central hub for commuters. Now the tunnels are crawling with Locust.

A Week In Comments Valhalla Edition (With Nomination/Ban Info)

Halo 3 Has Gone Gold
Comment by yashichi8bit
Nominated by Dimipapa

Halo 3?

Never heard of it, what is it some sort of Christian rock band?

Wonder Why Germany Bans Games
Comment by Falconfire
Nominated by Morgoth
Nominated by stummies1121

America is one of the only countries in the world where violence in the media is acceptable, but nudity (no matter how innocent) is not. We even censor cable TV here, despite there being NO reason to censor it.

In Europe its the opposite. You can watch what amounts to softcore porn on prime time TV there, but even excessive hitting of someone (like say a fight scene) is deemed too violent.

Is it really any shock though? The US was formed by religious puritans who where judged too prudish by European standards (and persecuted for it), while Europe and Japan where exposed to the brutality of huge wars that saw thousands to millions of deaths on their own soil.

Interesting enough, take a few guesses at what other nations allow violence on their TVs but ban any form of human sexuality. Yet another one of those cases of not being too far removed for the "evil" we are fighting elsewhere.

Simple 2000: The Japanese Hardware Chart

It's a miserable week for hardware sales across the Pacific as Japanese gamers shun hardware purchases in a major way. Only the Game Boy micro saw a jump in hardware sales week over week, with the Nintendo DS and Wii taking substantial drops. Surely, they're both doomed. Yes, quite doomed.

This week's depressing hardware figures, via Media Create, are below. Please don't read them near open windows or train tracks. I don't want your blood on my hands.

• Nintendo DS Lite - 100,430
  
• Wii - 46,283
  
• PSP - 26,089
  
• PLAYSTATION 3 - 16,393
  
• PlayStation 2 - 15,139
  
• Xbox 360 - 2,044
  
• Game Boy micro - 423
  
• Game Boy Advance SP - 163
  

Hey Japan, Here Come The Neo Geo VC Games

Travels

To: Bashcraft
From: Crecente
Re:

After being away from home for nearly two weeks I am finally nestled safely back in my cocoon at home. Leipzig was a blast, though I mean that purely in a work-12-hours-a-day-and-never-see-the-light-outside-of-a-hall sort of way. Don't get me wrong, I still had fun, but I just didn't really see much of Germany besides the train rides between hotel and convention center. I suspect TGS will be very much the same. It's too bad, because I do enjoy checking out other countries. Having grown up in Thailand, South Korea and lots o states in the U.S. I love to travel and love to explore. I am getting in a bit earlier to Tokyo, so maybe I'll get my chance. I haven't been there since, let see, 1982 I think. My first trip there was in the mid 70s. I suspect a lot has changed. Oh, do you think we should have a Kotaku party in Japan?

What you missed:
Auto Assault to Die Gruesome Death Tonight
First look at EA's Marvel Fighter tonight on Game Head
Haze Nixed for PC, 360?
Kane & Lynch Movie Script a Go
360 Messenger Kit, Halo 3 Accessories Hit Next Week

OK, off to take my son to the local Drive-in. Man, I haven't been to one of those since Meatballs, like the original Meatballs.

The newest version of Google's 3D Earth mapping tool not only includes Google Sky, sure to be a hit with astronomy dorks, but it also contains a hidden flight simulator. Only two aircraft are currently available in Google Earth 4.2's flight sim (an F-16 jet fighter and the Cirrus SR22 prop plane) but there are plenty of airports and real world locations for one to fly around.

Not a bad deal for zero dollars.

Google Earth Flight Simulator [Marco's Blog via Google Blogoscoped]

Phoenix Wright 3 Pre-orderers Get Plushy

While Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations may be available right now, in English no less, in Japan and already in the hands of importers, the North American release gets a special bonus. No, I'm not referring to the sweet nectar of corrected typos from the Japanese release, but the pictured plush Phoenix that Capcom is giving away to those who pre-order the Nintendo DS game. It's perfect for squeezing, looking at, placing near you when you solve cases and general bragging rights.

Just think of the dust this thing will collect and the females it will frighten as it sits upon the shelves of those too old to own and publicly display these sorts of things. As Capcom staffers write, it will be available with pre-purchases made via Gamestop and the official Capcom online store.

New Ace Attorney Pre-Order Plush Exclusive! [Capcom Unity]

Dojo Dump: Worst Week Ever

With Tokyo Game Show just around the corner, publishers have begun to show off their upcoming wares at private events and with the launching of official web sites. Capcom's own dedicated TGS online presence went live today, revealing a good portion of what it plans to show at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba. The current line up looks like this:

• 
  
• Devil May Cry 4 (Xbox 360, PS3)
  
• We Love Golf! (Wii)
  
• Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure (Wii)
  
• Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles (Wii)
  
• Sengoku Basara 2 HEROES (PS2)
  
• Mega Man Star Force 2 (DS)
  
• Wantame Music Channel Doko Demo Style (DS)
  

Capcom TGS2007

As we reported back in June, NetDevil's vehicular combat MMO Auto Assault is closing its virtual garage doors forever. In just a few hours from now, the MMO will be nothing more than a memory for its fans. The NCsoft team promises a "wild, crazy event tonight" and hints at some nice bonuses for those who log on for one last hurrah. Some lucky Auto Assault players will even receive a "parting gift" that will include a chance to play other NCsoft titles such as Tabula Rasa and City of Heroes. Not a bad way to see off a friend.

Festivities kick off at 9 PM Central Time, ending at midnight, and are scheduled to include "all sorts of nutty things." Have fun, guys. Rest in peace, Auto Assault.

Auto Assault News [Official Site]

Haze Developer Play-Through

There is much disagreement about whether Haze is just another shooter with a neat story line or a truly unique experience with asymmetric fighting, that disagreement holds true for those at Kotaku Towers as well. Personally, I think that the game is unique on many levels, least of which is that it uses game play mechanics to reinforce the message in the storyline, which I think is pretty amazing. Mark, he falls in the other camp. Check out this video to help develop your own crazy opinions.

Simple 2000: The Late Japanese Software Chart

You just can't stop the Musou train from charging into the number one spot in this week's (late, sorry) Japanese software sales charts from Media Create. The hack and slash expansion from Koei just narrowly beat out the next Final Fantasy original title for the Nintendo DS. I'm sure we can all chalk it up to the Crystal Chronicles curse.

The four-title rush of brand new games kicked out the PLAYSTATION 3's former top ten citizen, Hot Shots Golf 5. I wonder if Musou series developer Omega Force will be able to get its own top ten showing with the next-gen hack 'n slash Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War for next week's chart. Any bets?

01. Sengoku Musou 2 Moushouden (PS2) - 182,484 / NEW
02. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates (DS) - 177,845 / NEW
03. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney 3 - Best Price! (DS) - 56,787 / NEW
04. Mario Party 8 (Wii) - 48,803 / 665,000
05. My Housekeeping Diary (DS) - 23,678 / 146,000
06. Dragoneer's Aria (PSP) - 23,617 / NEW
07. SD Gundam G Generation Cross Drive (DS) - 19,844 / 206,000
08. J.League Winning Eleven 2007 Club Championship (PS2) - 19,344 / 246,000
09. Donkey Kong: Jungle Climber (DS) - 18,583 / 112,000
10. Wii Sports (Wii) - 18,223 / 2,053,000

IGN is reporting that the Playstation 3 version of LocoRoco won't be a game as much as a screensaver. I'm not sure why they're saying that, because their description of the game sounds just like the PSP version of the game.

LocoRoco Cocoreccho! will include more than 200 of the singing critters on screen at once. To play the interactive screensaver gamers will use the tilt function of their SIXAXIS controller to gather up all of the blobs and shoot them through the level, just like in the PSP game, but with motion control.

The game will also include three mini-games, online ranking boards and a time attack ranking. The game is set for a Sept. 21 release in Japan.

Interactive screensaver with more than 200 Loco Rocos to play with [IGN]

What Are You Playing This Weekend?

Xbox Live Fire Sale

Larry Hyrb points out that Microsoft is slashing prices on four Xbox Live titles starting Sunday and ending Monday night. The Live fire sale cuts Small Arms, Zuma Deluxe, Gauntlet and Dig Dug prices in half starting 12:00 a.m. GMT on Sunday, September 2 and continuing until 11: 59 p.m. GMT on Monday, September 3.

Hit the jump for the list of games, description and prices.

VGXPO Visits PAX