Stephen Colbert Spies on the Spies Playing Second Life

Last week, Jon Stewart tackled the absurdity of the NSA spying on World of Warcraft because there might be terrorists playing it or something. This week, The Colbert Report chimed in with a look at spying on Second Life—”a game for people who don’t have a first one!” The action picks up around the 1:10…

Here’s what’s going on Talk Amongst Yourselves, our reader-written blog: Bobsplosion starts up a thread to round up the best pick-me-up anime, Dexomega shares an essay on the cultural diffusion between the U.S. and Japan, and Greg the Mad reviews the newest Hobbit movie Don’t forget that you can always go join the voices talking…

Masahiro Sakurai shows off the all-new Zelda: Spirit Tracks-themed stage for Super Smash Bros. 3DS in his latest screenshot of the day. The Spirit Train seems to be taking the Linebeck Trading Company somewhere. I wonder where?

New Nintendo Direct video/infomercial tomorrow, 9am ET… “focusing on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS software launching through spring 2014.” Watch it at Nintendo’s site. Or just stick with Kotaku and we’ll break out all the news. Start your guessing now for what they’ll be showing now. Just more Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze, Bravely Default and…

Minimalist Post-Apocalyptic America Sure Looks Pretty

Don’t let the nice, sharp colors and shiny polygons distract you, though. It’s hard to survive in post-apocalyptic America. Indie group Ice Water Games is currently working on a little project called Eidolon, which takes you on a journey across a post-human Western Washington filled with rolling, green hills, massive forests, and burnt-out husks of…

Attack on Titan on the 3DS Is Equal Parts Awesome and Glitchy

The first time I saw the opening to Attack on Titan—with the cast swinging through the city and killing a titan—my first thought was, “this would make for one hell of a video game.” And while Attack on Titan: The Last Wings of Mankind does indeed make me feel awesome, it is a game that…

Motion-Controlled Anime Boobs Exist (*Sigh*)

I’m not sure why they exist. But, as Japanese site IT Media points out, they do. And what’s this tech demo called? “Oppai Motion,” or “Boob Motion” in English. Warning: This article contains content some readers might find objectionable. As you can see in the below video, the demo uses the Leap Motion gesture input…

Have Horrible Handwriting? Maybe This Machine Can Help.

My handwriting is messy. I wish it was better! Doesn’t matter if I am writing in English or Japanese, it’s chicken scrawl. Thankfully, there’s a new machine to write clearly for me. This is the Word Writer from Tokyo’s Max Ltd. It’s a printer that can use a ballpoint pen, a felt tip marker, or…

Happy Birthday! Today, the PS Vita is two years old. The Sony handheld first launched in Japan on December 17, 2011. The following February, the portable launched in Europe and North America.

Giant Crustaceans Make Fantastic iPhone Covers

Just look at this slick Giant Isopod iPhone 5s/5 cover. Do it. Look! Don’t you want to pull a Giant Isopod out of your suit pocket? No? What about a Giant Isopod phone cover? Sure seems like the case offers plenty of cushioning. And since the back is covered, you can do this if you…

Here’s How to Play The Attack on Titan Visual Novels in English

Back in October, we took a look at the seven official Attack on Titan games coming out in Japan. Of these, four are visual novels included on the Japanese Blu-rays. Of course, if you can’t speak Japanese, there’s a good chance you’ll never be able to experience these side stories—until now, that is. The team…

17 Minutes of Rube Goldberg Machines Will Make Your Day

In Japan, there’s a children’s educational program called PythagoraSwitch. The majority of it is a Sesame Street-style puppet program, but there are fantastic interludes with Rube Goldberg machines. Let’s watch those! Above, you can see what’s supposedly all of the show’s Rube Goldberg machines. My kids have grown up watching this program each morning, and…

Ghosts ‘N Goblins Game Shut Down By Capcom

Ghosts ‘N Goblins: Demon World was a new game up on Kickstarter looking for funding. Its developers said that they had “discussed” working with Capcom on securing the classic series’ licensing. Capcom says nope, never happened, and has instead set the lawyers on them. The game’s Kickstarter page has been removed and its campaign shut…