The premise is simple: you go to a bar and see a bunch of people playing this cow abduction game on the big screen. They’re using their iPhones, iPads and Androids as controllers, pressing on the screen to abduct, tilting their phones to move. You connect via your mobile device and you’re next in line. Consider it the 2.0 version of putting your quarter up.

Cow Snatchers was just one of several games demoed at D2S Games’ underground event last week. However, the event wasn’t really meant to demo their games more than it was showcase their platform, which is all about playing games socially without the likes of Facebook. As D2S chief visionary officer Donna Bonifield put it, “it’s all about taking people away from Facebook and into face time.” In fact, this event was more about redefining what a social game is. Read more… »

Not your typical fanboys, Ahruon and Orkimedes are the brain trust behind a lovely game called Card Saga Wars. What makes this game (and thus these two individuals) so special is that it lets you pit characters like Master Chief and Samus against one another in card art style battle. The concept of crossover battles is nothing original, but, judging by the gameplay videos that have surfaced thus far, they have gone through great pains to make things just right.

Of course you want to see more. Why would I even ask that question?

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One of the most difficult things about being a gamer is seeing Japanese releases of our favorite series or most anticipated titles in Japan months before it ever hits foreign markets: i.e. US, UK, and AUS. The other difficulty is knowing that sometimes our favorite titles will never reach foreign soil.  It’s a sad fact and facing those difficulties is something we’ve all had to confront at least once in our lifetime.

But wait! For those who are not deterred by cultural boundaries and language barriers, you can be one of the select few in this world that have had the opportunity to play the unobtainable.  But before you delve further, I have to tell you that I’d be lying if I’d said I have the answer to all your problems; I don’t. But with a little work and dedication, anyone can turn a daunting obstacle into a rewarding experience. Read more… »

Mobile. Social. A couple of words thrown around when you hear the mainstream talk about the future of gaming. It has people seeing Facebook as the new blue, the iOS as the new engine that drives the culture. Understandably, this has hardcore console and PC gamers seeing red and their voices roaring. The good fellows over at Kotaku frame a good bit of this argument well.

We’re seeing legends like John Romero (Doom, Quake) and Brian Reynolds (Civilization II, Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri) switching sides to develop the next line of cutesy Ville-games on the social network. Yet, we’re also seeing the core striving with the likes Bulletstorm and the soon to be released L.A. Noire. With tunnel vision, these are the only sides you can pick from. You’re either a  traditional console/PC gamer, or you’re on the ‘Avant-guard’ of gaming’s social and mobile invasion. That’s rather confining, if you think about it. Gaming can do so much more. This is where Gamification comes in.

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You can buy food and water with money. Food and water are good things because they keep you alive. Or, you can buy video games. Video games are a good thing, too, in our opinion.

Although, when you’ve popped that disc in, it’s close to heartbreak and hand wringing when you find your $60 have been wasted on unbearable gameplay, horrendous graphics and a wet-paper-thin storyline. It has become common practice to take the game back to GameStop (or now Best Buy) to get your money back. What’s even more aggravating, however, is the knowledge that you’re only getting a fraction of what you paid, yet they’re going to turn around and sell it at near-new prices.

Gamestaq feels your pain. Instead of sticking it to you, they only charge a $1-2 stipend, letting you pocket the money made on the sale (a good thing, we’ve established). All is well until you dig a little deeper to find that there is a perpetual dark cloud hovering over this re-sale oasis.

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During the Games Developers Conference in downtown San Francisco this past Wednesday THQ partnered with GameStop to promote their upcoming game Homefront. The game has become quite well known in the gaming community for its fantastic viral marketing campaign.

Because Homefront is set in the near-future where the United States is invaded by North Korea, THQ hosted a mock rally against  the North Korean government, culminating in the release of ten thousand red balloons. While the stunt garnered THQ with quite a bit of attention for their upcoming title, it wasn’t as positive as they may have liked. San Francisco residents soon began complaining about the flurry of trash polluting their city and public waters.

Hit the jump for a full assessment of the situation and its potential environmental consequences.

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The free handouts, the big reveals, the hands-on demos — none of these should be the reason why you’re kicking yourself for not attending PAX East this year. She is the reason. She is the reason many times over.

This woman’s smart, PhD from UC Berkeley smart. She understands + 1 relates to skill or gil or rupees, not some abstract and meaningless mathematical equation. Her name is Jane McGonigal, and it won’t be too hard to pick her out of the crowd in the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. She’ll be the one on stage giving the keynote speech. Do you need more credentials? Here they are.

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The time has come! Whether you’re a fan of Origins, Bioware, or Action RPGs in general, odds are you’re looking to check out Dragon Age II. Throughout my two playthroughs, I’ve come across some tips that will be invaluable to those who are looking to complete the game on a higher difficulty, or those who just don’t want to miss anything.

While Dragon Age II isn’t too difficult, feel free to leaf through the below tips if you’re looking to gain an edge on the denizens of Kirkwall. Read more… »

Gamer Limit recently got its hands on a preview of The Next Big Thing, Pendulo Studios’ latest adventure set to release in just a little over two weeks. Pendulo has been trickling teasers for some time now — videos and pics touting the game’s seemingly sleek and shiny art style, and its zany characters, but not much has been revealed about the overall story or gameplay. The preview spoke volumes to all these points and then some.

Now, if you haven’t heard about Pendulo Studios or The Next Big Thing until now, you get a pass. Pendulo, in their five game career, have focused solely on point-and-click adventures. Gamers old enough to have owned a PC with Windows 3.1 understand when I say this genre has seen better days. This is not to mention the fact that the studios hail from Spain where, according to the developers themselves, gaming didn’t hit it big until the 90′s. These can be insurmountable odds for the faint of heart. From the first few chapters we were able to preview, the title will go above and beyond beating them while bringing vibrant life to PCs and Macs worldwide.

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Killzone 3 may be gaining rave reviews, even our own Kyle MacGregor has expressed his admiration for the game, but I’m unconvinced. While the multiplayer is definitely a step up from Killzone 2, the single player campaign left me less than impressed.

In fact, I believe that the single player campaign in Killzone 3 is three steps backwards for the entire series.

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I just finished Final Fantasy VI yesterday (or is it III? Either way the one with Terra and Kefka). While I can see why the SNES version is sitting comfortably with a 93% on GameRankings.com, I found some flaws with the game. Namely with the characters.

Don’t worry, Kefka the insane clown was one of my favorites, probably because of my nearly crippling fear of clowns. It’s some of the heroes I have problems with. Read on to find out why I think the characters are Final Fantasy VI‘s greatest strength and its biggest weakness. Read more… »

[correction: After some Twitter back and forth with Brenda Brathwaite herself, it was made clear that the engine for Ravenwood Fair was indeed NOT developed by the folks who worked on Wizardry. In actuality, it was coded by a one Sean Cooper, who, according to Moby Games, is behind many EA titles like Populous, Syndicate and Dungeon Keeper Gold. One must note that Brenda Brathwaite herself is behind Wizardry, the title noted in this feature.]

The first SF Game Developer’s Workshop (SFGDW) of 2011 gave us a tremendous surprise as legend John Romero, designer of such highly regarded titles as Doom and Quake, took the podium to give a post mortem of his latest title Ravenwood Fair. Now, here’s the surprise: it’s a Facebook social game.

Several hundred people gathered in a hot room at the San Francisco Art Institute Tuesday to learn how Romero and Lolapps creative director Brenda Brathwaite (just as legendary) created a game that has earned more than 10 million monthly average users (MAU) since its release in October. Ultimately, they came to learn how the game changes the way we view the social space, as it essentially marries AAA qualities with that of the viral.

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