On paper, Microsoft did what it needed to do in 2023 to improve on a quiet, somewhat empty 2022. But it also enacted layoffs and took some public beatings in court as it tried to become even bigger.
Source: Kotaku – The State Of Xbox And Game Pass In 2023
Activision Blizzard has been the subject of scrutiny for several years now, due to its alleged “Boys’ Club” corporate culture. And now, The Wall Street Journal reports the embattled gaming company will pay roughly $54 million to settle a 2021 gender discrimination and harassment lawsuit—the same lawsuit that seemingly…
Source: Kotaku – Activision To Settle Discrimination Suit For Million [Update]
What were you loyal Kotaku readers most interested in this year? Despite 2023 offering us scammers in Congress, a megolomaniac destroying one of the most popular social media websites of all time, and a pop star dating an NFL football hero, gamers remained laser-focused on the things that matter most to them as a…
Source: Kotaku – The 10 Biggest Kotaku Stories Of 2023
Today we mourn the loss of another iconic and irreplaceable talent. James McCaffrey, actor and the voice of the titular character Max Payne in the beloved neo-noir shooter games, has passed away. He was 65.
Source: Kotaku – Alan Wake 2, Max Payne Voice Actor James McCaffrey Has Passed Away [Updated]
God of War: Ragnarök’s Valhalla DLC packs a lot of story into Kratos and Mimir’s roguelike journey through the titular hall of heroes. With Santa Monica Studio framing the sequel as the end of the series’ Norse mythology arc, there’s been a lingering question of what’s next for Kratos, his son Atreus, and the God of…
Source: Kotaku – God of War: Valhalla Ending Is A Hopeful Clue About The Series’ Future
There are so many good reasons to play video games with your family. From just having a great time with invading relatives, to bonding with your children, it’s a boundary-breaking, age-gap traversing activity. Also, it’s an excellent way to fill up the aching stretch of endless Sundays in the back half of December. So…
Source: Kotaku – The 9 Best Games To Play With Family This Holiday
Mark Zuckerberg is worth over $100 billion. What does the world’s sixth-richest person do with all that money, besides lighting lots of it on fire to try to bring a Ready Player One-style metaverse to life? Apparently, he builds a sprawling mansion complex with a massive underground bunker that sounds like a cross…
Source: Kotaku – Mark Zuckerberg’s 0 Million Bunker Sounds Right Out Of A Video Game
Though it didn’t snag the GOTY at this year’s Game Awards, there’s no doubting that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is one of 2023’s many gaming highlights. Featuring an intuitive and versatile crafting system, players are free to accomplish tasks in the open-world RPG in wild, unexpected ways. But in a…
Source: Kotaku – Tears Of The Kingdom Devs Reveal The One Zelda Spin-Off They’d Never Make
The Xbox One stumbled out of the gate when it launched back in 2013. But in the decade since, it’s become a bit easier to appreciate Microsoft’s ambitions and foresight with its third console. It combined a console, streaming device, and Blu-Ray player into the original all-in-one media player. But like Marty McFly…
Source: Kotaku – Xbox’s Biggest Flop Was A Decade Ahead Of Its Time
On the heels of The Game Awards, this week saw the launch of two expansions for fan-fave games: God of War Ragnarok and Pokémon Scarlet and Violet. We also took a meaty deep dive into Analogue’s latest and greatest new retro console and did a year-three rundown on the state of the PS5.
Source: Kotaku – The Week’s Biggest Game Reviews, From God of War To Pokémon
Does anyone else feel like the PS5 just came out, not that long ago? Well, there’s already an abundance of chatter about a potential mid-gen Pro version of Sony’s strangely designed console. And we’ve also got a Game Awards rundown for you too.
Source: Kotaku – The Hottest Gaming Takes, From PS5 Pro To The Game Awards
It’s a quiet week for major releases, but a big week for savings and DLC from some of the biggest games in the land, like God of War Ragnarok and Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
Source: Kotaku – The Best Gaming Tips Of The Week, From God of War To Xbox Deals
Despite The Game Awards officially capping off the end of video game news for 2023, we’ve still got stories to share, from GTA 6 controversies to the inglorious end of E3. Here’s your cheat sheet for the week’s most important stories in gaming.
Source: Kotaku – The Week’s Biggest Gaming News, From E3 To Steam Deck Huffing
It’s a bit of a sad day for The Last of Us fans…well, sort of. Last night the world learned that the highly anticipated yet stubbornly secretive multiplayer TLoU game isn’t going to happen. Despite plowing multiple years of development into the project, Naughty Dog announced it was pulling the plug. And now the…
Source: Kotaku – There’s A Silver Lining To The Death Of The Last Of Us Online
When I reviewed Pokémon Scarlet and Violet’s Indigo Disk DLC, I said I wished it expanded further on some of the specific characters who were central to the main game’s stellar ending. It turns out, The Indigo Disk has a secret ending that the game doesn’t really direct you to in a meaningful way. While I still stand…
Source: Kotaku – Pokémon Scarlet And Violet’s DLC Has A Secret Ending, Here’s How To See It
A slick new VR headset, a “slim” console refresh, tons of flashy new accessories, and multiple exclusives, including the fastest selling PlayStation game ever, Spider-Man 2. The PlayStation 5 made big moves in 2023. So why does it feel like the console spent most of it resting on its laurels while flailing for a new…
Source: Kotaku – The State Of The PlayStation 5
Recently, my wife and I went out to do some Christmas shopping. We also grabbed some lunch while we were out, brought dinner home, rented a movie, and bought a game to play the next day. It should have been a chill weekend, but it wasn’t. In 2023, thanks to greedy billionaires and giant, shitty companies, buying just…
Source: Kotaku – It Sucks To Buy Anything In 2023
Video game companies have gotten very creative when it comes to punishing cheaters, from cutting their parachutes’ strings in Call of Duty to blowing them up in Grand Theft Auto Online. But Valve just set a new benchmark for trolling players: sending them permabans wrapped up like Christmas presents.
Source: Kotaku – Steam Trolls Players With Bans Wrapped Up Like Christmas Presents
Hideki Kamiya, the prolific action game director who co-founded the legendary developer PlatinumGames, surprised the industry when he left the studio behind on October 20 after nearly 20 years there. He said the decision was of his own accord, but questions about why still lingered. Now, Kamiya’s spoken out to share…
Source: Kotaku – Bayonetta Director Quit His Job For A Super Relatable Reason
