Kotaku

WoW Gets Mob Endorsement

Tonight on Unlikely Juxtaposition Theatre.. Silvio from HBO's The Sopranos endorses World Of Warcraft: Wrath Of The Lich King. Two great tastes that taste.. a bit odd together. Like Ziti Al Forno and Ogre Mead.

Silvio Dante (Steven Van Zandt) may be used to pimping of the more traditional nature but he has been able to adapt his skillset to help Blizzard get the message out about Lich King. "Just when I thought I was out..."

Up next - Al Swearengen from Deadwood for Peggle Nights.

[via MAXCONSOLE]

Latest SWG Update Adds Epic Hoth Battles

Star Wars Galaxies players are are getting some hot snowspeeder versus AT-ST combat with Chapter 11: The Battle of Echo Base. Live today, the update adds what is essentially a giant battleground, with players on both sides of the Galactic Civil War taking on quests to help their side triumph, with the Empire on assault and the Rebel Alliance on run like hell duty. Of course no Hoth battle would be the same without giant walking vehicles being tripped by small flying vehicles. Groups of up to 8 players will be able to hop into the cockpits of Imperial walker or Rebel snowspeeders and do what comes natural. Hope they packed plenty of tow line.

Honestly I'm a bit surprised this wasn't already in the game. I thought the first thing developers did upon starting up a Star Wars project based on the original trilogy was get the Hoth battle out of the way. Odd. Hit the jump for some very white screenshots.

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...

One of Nintendo's most beloved franchises, Animal Crossing has seen millions of players around the world creating and maintaining their own tiny, cartoon animal inhabited towns since the original game's release seven years ago. Promising the same relaxed social simulation gameplay as the first two titles along with a city to explore and the introduction of Wii voice chat using a special microphone peripheral, Animal Crossing: City Folk looked to be the shining star of Nintendo's holiday lineup.

Now the game is out and the bus is pulling up to your stop. Should you hop out, or keep on riding? Read our review to find out.

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 Warhammer Online Fiction On The Way

Having seen success with the first novel based on the Warhammer Online MMORPG, Empire In Chaos, Mythic Entertainment and Games Workshop publishing division The Black Library have gone ahead and announced a new novel in the Warhammer Online series, Dark Storm Gathering. Treachery blooms behind Imperial lines and only a hearty band of adventurers - an Archmage, White Lion, Witch Hunter, and Knight of the Blazing Sun - can uncover the corruption before it's too late.

The novel will be penned by Chris Wraight, whom I've never heard of but has to be better than Empire in Chaos writer Anthony Reynolds, who gifted readers of the last book with four of the most unlikeable characters I have ever encountered. Look for attempt number 2 in store come Spring 2009.

By now it’s sadly common experience, hearing racist, homophobic, even anti-Semitic slurs during online games. Often it’s for no apparent reason other than as a term of abuse used against competitors, that packs more of a punch than your standard four-letter word. But a couple months back, I had a different experience, and I’m sure it’s no more uncommon for others, too. In a game of Castle Crashers — cooperative multiplayer — this guy I was playing with completely proffered some rather ugly opinions of African-Americans, and needlessly heaped racial slurs on the foes we were battling.

We’ve been following the PETA Cooking Mama back and forth with bated breath.

First PETA created a gruesome, but sort cool take on Cooking Mama, using the doe-eyed chef to highlight some issues the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals have with Thanksgiving. Then Majesco responded, pointing out that their games have plenty of vegetarian recipes, and even taking the issue to Cooking Mama herself for some overly cute quotes about animal lovin’.

Now PETA, quick to recognize a publicity train when they see when, have responded in an open letter, telling Majesco just how much they love their Cooking Mama games and asking for a vegetarian-only Cooking Mama game in the future. They’re even offering to help promote it, if the vege game comes to fruition.

Terminator Salvation Promises To Be A Good Movie Tie-In

It's time for another stab at a Terminator video game, this time based on the upcoming film Terminator Salvation, due out in theaters next May. Developed by GRIN studios, Salvation will be an intense action game featuring John Connor fighting against the forces of Skynet in order to prevent the storyline from spilling over into the Matrix, causing no end of lawsuits.

“Building on the incredibly strong franchise, Terminator Salvation – The Videogame will be a cinematic gaming experience that complements the upcoming film,” said John Quinn, Executive Vice President, Worldwide Operations, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “Working with Halcyon and Equity Games, we will expand on the Terminator universe on next generation consoles with action packed gameplay and detailed environments.”

Of course this is the same sort of spiel we hear every time a movie-based video game is announced, and we've all seen how that usually works out. Note the press release doesn't mention what consoles it is being developed for, which probably indicates all of them.

South Park Plays Call of Duty

This has got to be a new record. Call of Duty: World at War has only been out for a week and it's already in an episode of South Park. I wonder why they chose this particular game over all of the other big titles hitting now? I guess it best plays to Cartman's... unique comedy stylings.

South Park Studios