Kotaku

That's a little nugget couched in a defense against charges Ubisoft has a crappy lineup for Wii and doesn't care. Oh but they do care! The lineup is crappy for a reason! Read on.

Valve on the 'Perception Problem' of PCs

Gamasutra has a nice wrap up of an event held at Valve's Washington offices; the topic was (surprise!) PC gaming. On the question of whether PCs are really lagging behind:

"Is there a crisis in [PC] gaming?" asked [Gabe] Newell, who led the first segment of the talk. "You know, 'Piracy killed my game,' 'Console numbers are huge,' 'People don't want to play their PCs in the living room' - all these stories get written over and over again, and our view is that it's exactly the opposite. PC is where all the action is, and there's a perception problem."

Also on the agenda was a discussion of piracy (and indicator of "unserved customers"), the worldwide PC market, and how Steam and Valve fit into this whole PC new order.

PC Has 'Perception Problem,' Piracy Reflects 'Unserved Customers' [Gamasutra]

We had this up as a rumor yesterday, and I'd say IGN UK's review of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots pretty much confirms it. "In return for letting us play Metal Gear Solid 4 before its release, Konami issued us with a list of things that we're not allowed to discuss. This list of prohibited topics is pretty long, and even extends as far as several facts that the company itself has already made public." Might that be the length of the cutscenes (upwards of 90 -gasp- minutes)?

'Playing With History': the State of Historical Games

Report: In-Game XMB for PS3 is OTW

Gaming Age yesterday posted a report that in-game Xross Media Bar support will in fact be a part of the Playstation 3 Firmware Update 2.40, which will release "sometime in June."

Reader hukeedonfonics also tipped us to the above video, which shows in-game XMB over the BioShock title screen. Comments claim a BioShock developer leaked it.

Gaming Age writes that requested features like a universal friends list, and in-game messaging will be a part of the drop, in addition to "a few rather nice surprises (*cough*soundtracks*cough*)" (their words, not mine.)

So, spread the word, and we'll hopefully have more on this as it develops.

PS3 In-Game XMB is Coming[Gaming Age, via NeoGAF, thanks hukeedonfonics]

MSU Offering New Chinese Language/Culture MMO

OK, after much teeth gnashing, I realized that the trailer referenced in Gametrailers TV super-galactic exclusive show last night is actually available unto itself at, naturally, Gametrailers. So there it is.

But the countdown has stopped at Capcom's official Resident Evil 5 site , so the site has fully launched. You can catch the trailer there, and check out other eye candy for the game. That is all.

Resident Evil 5 Official web site [Capcom]

Reader Allison sends a chuckleicious play-nice — "just my advice, nothing official" warning— from an Age of Conan GM to a Something Awful guild member. (.jpg of the chat after the jump). Remember that large-scale player-vs-player? Well, just don't make it too large-scale.

Back in November we pointed you to Pac-Txt, Pac-Man as a text adventure. Now we deliver you Pong rendered as a 180-page Choose Your Own Adventure book. It's like someone sat around thinking "Hey, you know that game Pong? What if we could make it even slower and more boring. But admit it, you're intrigued. And you can read the entire thing after the jump.

Welcome back fair weekend readers. I promise a full two days of posting this go around, unlike my Memorial Day snafu that left you high and dry after half of Saturday. That said, we still pounded out a reason to mock Owen's alcohol tolerance worthy features and videos in the abbreviated week/end preceding.

Just to let y'all know, I seriously thought about pouring Lipton iced tea into an Early Times bottle and releasing a video of me downing two 16 ounce glasses of it in succession. But that would make me feel like Nicholas Cage in Leaving Las Vegas and after the thrilling conclusion to GTA: DUI, figured you could do without the self-pity and self-destruction, however staged.

Anyway, here's the week that was in Kotaku original reporting. Crecente doubled up on Wii Fit and tripled up on Far Cry 2; Fahey swooned over Age of Conan. Even if you didn't, something might pique your interest. Give it a look.

SITE Refutes Fallout 3 Goof, Is Not "Red-Faced"
Wii Fit Review: An Identity Crisis
Raving Prince, Assassin and Fischer Rabbids
Pokemon Pizza Party
Grants Awarded For Inspiring Health Games Research
Far Cry 2 Dev and Port Teams Range from 175 to Three
Making Far Cry 2's Africa
Brothers In Arms: Hell's Highway Hands-On
Far Cry 2: No Girls Allowed
Prince of Persia Ditches Roots, Gets a Final Fantasy Make-Over
Shaun White: Wii Play, Pics and Press Release
Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. Hands-On
Ubisoft Officially Announces Beyond Good & Evil 2
Shaun White Delivers Death to Snowboarding with an Assassin's Creed Engine
Far Cry 2 Brings GTA Sandbox to the Serengeti
And Now, The Metal Gear Solid 4 Soundtrack
Grand Theft Auto: DUI
Yes, Age Of Conan Is Having Problems
Wii Fit: Innovation in Gaming or Marketing?
Korea Getting That "Very, Very" Limited Edition MGS4 Pack, Too!
Square Enix President Laying Down The Law
Age Of Conan - My New Best Friend
Let Me Show You The Dragon Balls
Square Enix Lose Money, Need More Greenbacks
PSN Cards Must Hit Soon
Who Teases a Teaser, Anyway?

Sony announced yesterday the impending release of Shiki-Tei, a new downloadable title for the the PlayStation 3. Basic gist? You get a garden. You grow plants in the garden. Animals hang out in your garden. You can take pictures of your garden. Sort of like Viva Pinata, sans the Pinatas. And that's about it. Won't pull the Unreal Tournament III crowd away from their murderous pastime, but it should prove a nice, relaxing option for the more sedate users amongst the PS3's userbase. At least in Japan, since that's the only place it's being released at the moment. It's due on June 26 for ¥1600, which is around $15.

What's The Longest You've Gone Without Gaming?

You know it, you love it, Tell Us Dammit. No, rather TELL US DAMMIT. Yep! Time to learn about each other. How it works: We ask a question, you answer it. Simple and no strings attached! This isn't some marketing survey or whatever. It's an emotional investment in you. Yes, we're interesting in knowing you, Kotaku reader person. You probably know fucktons about us — more than you even want to, we're sure. But, hey, we'd like to know about you. That way you won't be some faceless blob — and we might feel a tinge of guilt when we ban your ass. Or not, because really we're incapable of human emotion. Sadness.

Question
What is the longest you have gone without gaming?

Goodbye, 80GB Motorstorm Bundle

Ah, 80GB MotorStorm bundle. You've been a good friend. Well, you haven't to me, since PAL territories never got you, but...you've been a good friend to somebody, I bet. And that's what's really important. And that friend will have cherished the good times: the MotorStorm, the backwards compatability, the increased storage space the 80GB model affords. So when you wave goodbye to the bundle - which Sony say is no longer being sent to retailers by Sony - try and remember those good times, OK? And, I don't know...make new friends. Like the 80GB MGS4 bundle which will replace it. Just don't get too attached to that one. You never know how long it's going to last...

Sony: 80GB PS3 Motorstorm bundle discontinued [Joystiq]

The most recent Soul Calibur IV trailer seems to indicate that besides Star Wars characters and enormous boobs, the game also has destructible body armor. Meaning? That it appears throttling opponents hard enough causes armor to fly off. Wonder if it will be possible to knock Vader's helmet off or if this is just going to your typical disrobe-female-fighters kinda thing. Honestly, we're pulling for naked Yoda.

Pic and video after the jump.

Some leaked footage from a location test is no proper way to say hi to a "new" Street Fighter IV character, so make sure you give a big warm hello to Rufus and his nice, clean, in-game screenshots. I love Rufus. Not necessarily for his looks, but for his moves, which going by the screens have names like "Spectacle Romance", "Space Opera Symphony" and "Messiah Kick". Brilliant.

A Week In Comments

The Worst of Ubidays 08
Comment by: CelticsFansSuicideWatch
Nominated by: Nirolak

Hey now you heard them.

These games cost a lot of money to get people to buy. Hundreds of people went to college for 4, or even more, years to obtain the skills necessary to convince a 10 year old girl that she wants a technologically advanced diary and a simulation of a baby care. if you were legally allowed to only use a baby for competition.

This is someone's life, and they most likely have a drinking problem because of it.

Gears Re-Issue Confirmed, Details Will Not Surprise You