Social Gaming

Love video games, but hate spending money? Maybe this will lighten the load a bit - in conjunction with our partners at StackSocial, we're giving Gamezebo's readers a chance to win a $1000 Steam credit!To enter, go to this page and follow the two simple steps presented there. For additional chances to win, be sure to pick up the Name Your Own Price: Race Against Time Bundle for three bonus entries into the raffle. Best of luck!

It seems like everywhere I turn these days, there's another new 8-bit adventure that's set on bringing me back to the days of playing The Legend of Zelda in my parent's basement as a kid. But there's a very good reason for this steady influx of new-age retro-inspired adventures: it's because they were all just so seriously awesome, and Elliot Quest looks to be just as awesome as the rest.In the game, players must assume the role of a hero named Elliot (based on the developer's small son), as he explores the vast Urule Island, and searches for treasure in his quest to defeat the four Element Guardians and acquire their powers. Elliot Quest draws most of its inspiration from the 2D sidescrolling action of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, although the game world itself is described as much more of an open world experience, akin to classic titles as Super Metroid and Castlevania. The game is also set to feature some epic boss fights as well, like a giant pink blob in a golden king's crown who seems overly intent on squishing you into a pixelated pancake.Even though the game sports a more retro feel that harkens back to the golden days of the NES, that's certainly not to say that Elliot Quest doesn't have its fair share of depth to keep modern gamers more than satisfied with the adventure. In addition to a deep leveling system, Elliot will also be met with a karma system, which ultimately affects what kind of ending the player will receive upon completing the game. And this is without even mentioning the helpful mini-map of Urule Island on display, and the many hidden paths and Easter eggs to uncover on your way to that coveted 100%.While the game is only looking to raise $6,000 in funding on its Indiegogo campaign in order to meet its release on Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms, a stretch goal of $11,000 will see a release of the game on the new Android-based home console Ouya, while a $14,000 stretch goal will help improve the overall quality of the sound effects, music, and graphics that make it into the final game. And of course, if you're willing to help out, there are a lot of fun rewards that will make your contributions worthwhile: including a pixelated statue of you that's placed in a special room somewhere in the game as a hidden Easter egg, if you're willing to donate $150.Development began on Elliot Quest in January of 2013, and the game is currently 40% complete with no definite release date in sight. But if you're more in line with the "try it before you buy it crowd," then you can even play a demo version of the game's beta build right over here on the Elliot Quest official website. And if you really like what you see, you can also vote for the game on its Steam Greenlight page.Indiegogo Picks is a series on Gamezebo that profiles Indiegogo projects in the world of video games. We're doing this in the hopes of calling attention to interesting projects in need of funding, so please, if a game looks like something you'd want to play, don't hesitate to lend it your support!

Disney Interactive have announced their newest mobile game - Where's My Mickey? Building on the foundations of Where's My Water? (200 million installs and counting), the new Mickey-based game will use the same style of physics-puzzler gameplay, based around the classic characters we know and love; Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Minnie, Daisy, Goofy and more. It will be available for iOS, Android and Windows Mobile very soon. Where's My Mickey? will launch with over a hundred levels available. Three episodes will ship with the game, which two more available for purchase. Each episode will be themed around a story of Mickey or his friends in their attempts to get water. In Life Gives You Lemons, Mickey runs a lemonade stand. Shenanigans ensue, as they always do with Mickey, leading you to chase the water across 20 levels per episode. Others available at launch are called Fanning The Flames and Growing Pains. Another one called Ship Wrecked can be bought as DLC at launch, along with a Goofy-themed episode called Van Goofy. The team are working on future downloads as well - during a tour of the studio we saw concept art for The Menace of Venice starring Mickey and Minnie, and A Glass Half Empty, in which Mickey battles a goat in a desert. Disney have developed the puzzles beyond the original Where's My Water? There are now clouds to carry water, wind to blow them across the sky and plants to... plant. You'll be using wind to move the water where you want it and raining down on "fizz" to increase the volume available to Mickey and friends. There's a gameplay video and studio tour coming to our YouTube channel soon. Where's My Mickey? is out now on iOS, Android and Windows Mobile. Read more about Where's My Mickey? at The Average Gamer > Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

When you first hear the term "gamer girl" what do people usually think of? It is the walking sandwich maker that knows how to hold a controller. Boys can't help but flirt with her when her voice echoes on the other end of the server. It is the camera slore that posts a picture of ninety percent boob and five percent controller, on Facebook for likes. She must be a fat slob with potato chips in her moustache because she is at the top of the scoreboard. These are some of the common conceptions. Well whatever you think this "gamer girl" is, we are here to rule the world and drive the male species to slavery. I know sandwiches are delicious but c'mon, that comeback is overused. I mean, couldn't you guys ask for anything better like a steak dinner? Or maybe even some soup along with that bread with meat you want all the time. Okay first of all, I have to get this off my chest. I hate the term "gamer girl", I seriously hate that term because it has become some label. The term can be negative or positive, depending on how the person perceives gamer girls. Don't ask me if I am a girl when I go in to a lobby, especially when my name has Miss/Lady/Girl in the Username. I will just say "no I'm actually a unicorn" and tape a hotdog to my forehead just so you will shut up. Read more of "Gamer Girl" at PlayStation Gang > Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

It's no longer a case of wishing or predicting, the MMO genre has already influenced the next-generation of consoles but is the industry ready? Every MMO has its problems. Whether that be terrible launch day woes or constant problems surrounding balance issues and lack of content, you'll struggle to find an MMO that doesn't have a painfully obvious selection of issues. However bringing a genre that has mainly been created for PC to the console market could bring with it a variety of additional issues. One of the core concerns I have is the issue of communication. Every MMO game requires a certain level of communication in order to fully enjoy the content. Whether you're selling a newly acquired item or you're searching for an experienced group to down that last raid boss, you will really struggle if you're not able to communicate. It's already an issue with current generation consoles and players painstakingly type messages to friends and opponents with an on-screen keyboard. You'll be amazed at how many players will spend 5 minutes with an on-screen keyboard purely to declare their intentions regarding sexual activity and your mother. Despite the obvious dedication of those players, attempting to type at any real pace is almost impossible. "Help, I need healing", "I need to bank", these are common terms in anMMO game and vital to certain levels of success. Neither console has confirmed any sort of launch peripherals to aid with this issue. I highly doubt the Playstation 4 and Xbox One will ship with a free keyboard or decent quality headset and mic, leaving the average player with very little ability to communicate. Read more about Next-Gen MMOs at MMO Attack > Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

EA Sports has announced all sorts of upgrades to this year's Madden 25 game both on offense and on defense. This post is going to focus exclusively on the defensive improvements made to this year's game. Man align has been fixed! Man align is a feature that allows your defenders to line up directly over the offensive players that they would be responsible for if they were in man to man defense. This allows you to get your defenders into better position to cover the offense before the ball is snapped. There were some problems with the way the defenders aligned in Madden 13 but you won't have to worry about that this year. The ballhawk feature that was introduced into the Madden NFL franchise last year was viewed as a blessing by some and a curse by others. Essentially the ballhawk feature allowed the user on defense to hold down Y/triangle while running around the field and this would lead to more interceptions. If you got used to doing that in Madden 13, now would be a good time to stop because that will no longer work in Madden 25. You will have to time it better for it to work in Madden 25. Read more about Madden 25's defensive improvements at Madden School > Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

This week’s new Leaderboard Challenges aren’t available just yet as they arrive every Wednesday afternoon. The three challenges for this week are expected to be the repeats “Dairy Order Fest” and “Livestock Whisperer” with a new crop challenge, “Birthday Cake Fest” that involves an upcoming Birthday Cake crop that’s still unreleased. The Limited Edition Birthday Cake crop will arrive in the FarmVille Market tonight. Of course, Zynga can change plans without notice, so stay tuned for confirmed Leaderboard Challenges when they roll out.

At least one developer believes our future is a digital-candies-based economy. Candy Crush Saga developer King is hiring banks to help it pursue an initial public offering in the United States, according to Wall Street Journal. Candy Crush Saga is one of the most-played and highest-grossing social games on mobile platforms and Facebook. That success could naturally lead to King taking itself public. “King’s success and growth presents numerous opportunities for the business to develop further, and one option would be to take the company public,” a King spokesperson told WSJ. “However, while it’s an option for the future, we would not comment on when we could consider making such a decision.” Social-game-developer IPOs don’t have a stellar track record. In 2011, Zynga went public with a lot of attention from Wall Street. Since then, Zynga’s shares have lost nearly 70 percent of their value. That drop is largely attributed to Zynga failing to re-create the success of its games like FarmVille and CityVille. King could face a similar issue. Candy Crush Saga is a gigantic success, but the company’s other releases haven’t duplicated that performance. Even with King generating a ton of revenue, Wall Street might not have a lot of confidence in another studio coming out of the volatile social-gaming sector. Apax Partners, a private-equity firm, and Index Ventures, a venture-capital firm, invested nearly $50 million in 2005. Both would stand to benefit greatly from an IPO. Filed under: Games GamesBeat 2013 is our fifth annual conference on disruption in the video game market. You'll get 360-degree perspectives from top gaming executives, developers, and analysts on what’s to come in the industry. Our theme this year is “The Battle Royal.” Check out full event details here, and grab your early-bird tickets here! .boilerplate-after hr { margin: 10px 0 10px 0; }

If you had a stalker, and if one day this stalker told you he had hidden nine pieces of a treasure map in various places around the local National Park, then you'd probably want to find out just what the hell his deal was, right? Well so does the narrator and "misanthropic gamer" in Alone in the Park, a very low-key adventure game that functions more like a riveting visual novel than anything else. With sharp, succinct writing and lighthearted adventuring puzzles, this is one interactive experience that will weave its winding footsteps into your mind and stay there until every last inch of that park is explored.When I had a chance to preview Alone in the Park last month, I couldn't stop raving about how strong the writing in this game is, and I'm happy to say that it remains the strongest element here in the final release. Your character/narrator's dry sense of humor and overt indifference towards many of her surroundings build a fantastic view of the world around her, and she winds up making a lot of the same snide remarks in regards to her park encounters that the player was probably thinking as well. The best part is that she doesn't even particularly want to go on this adventure through the park, and this gives the whole thing a very tongue-in-cheek "Well, if I have to" kind of mentality. I could go on and on listing standout sentences in the text, and it's going to be near impossible for players not to hold onto a favorite sentence or two.Perhaps what makes this graphic adventure truly shine is the way that everything in the game is structured and presented. The game screen itself is divided clean down the center like the pages of a journal (there's even staples down the crease and everything!). The left side of the screen is strictly for the novel portion of the game, which unfolds miraculously on the paper as you perform any action in the game, from interacting with another park patron, to simply passing by an interesting looking rock. Another cool feature in the game is that you'll actually be able to flip back to all the previous pages from the beginning of your adventure, so it feels like you've really had a hand in creating this little book that appears on the screen. And it's a really fantastic book, at that.The right side of the screen holds your inventory items, as well as the different adventure scenes, each of which is represented by a single stock photograph with character or items of interest appearing as little square icons in the corner. But most importantly, the right side of the screen is where you'll find your park map, which quickly becomes one of the biggest drawing points of Alone in the Park besides the amazing writing. Your map starts out as a completely blank canvas, and as you aimlessly wander around the emptiness, you'll begin to uncover different landmarks in the park, which are drawn to life as if you really had a piece of paper and pencil in your hand. The map will also keep track of your footsteps as a winding dotted line which never goes away, so by the end of the game, you get a really neat picture of how far you've really come.You'll even find a line of tabs on the right-hand side of your journal, which lets you fast travel to any previously discovered locations; although instead of automatically transporting you there, the game just sets an automatic path back to that location, so you'll still have to watch your trail of footsteps go winding through the map. However, part of me also wished there could have been an option to zoom in or out of the park map, because it's so much fun uncovering it piece by piece, that a full view of everything you've seen along the way would have been an extra special touch. It would also make your adventuring that much easier, in seeing which areas of the blank canvas you have yet to traverse.As an adventure game, Alone in the Park manages to stand on its own, with some nice puzzles to solve, and a very straightforward and logical ... (Read More)

Check out this brand new screenshot from the upcoming Super Smash Bros game for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS courtesy of Pure Nintendo: Get more Nintendo news at Pure Nintendo > Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments