I'm a gamer, always have been. Problem is for a large number of years that's really just consisted of the video variety. That's a huge mistake on my part, to not enjoy the video game's analog brethren... the board game. There’s actually a vibrant and intense board game world out there that’s been pushed to the sidelines by game players such as ourselves for too long. In this column I'll be diving into this world, looking at games that hopefully you'd like to try out for yourself.
A few weeks ago I wrote a column about the abstract board game DVONN, which I said was "harder than checkers but easier than chess." It proved to be a big hit with readers, and led me down the obvious path of taking a look at another of the abstract games in the same series. ZERTZ is an interesting game and hard to nail down to a simple description, though I suppose I could say it's kinda like Chinese Checkers on an ever-shrinking board.
It's an intriguing concept to be sure, but is it fun?
Surprise, surprise. The rumors were floating around, but I didn't want to believe them. Not because I don't love Mega Man but because I didn't want to get my hopes up and see them dashed.
It'd take some real gusto, or money, for me to bungee cord my new PS3 to my back and dangle over a building, but I'll be damned if watching someone else do it isn't the coolest thing ever. As Gizmodo points out, it may be an Epson ad in disguise, but there's no denying it's super cool.
My dream: An epic game of RISK on the Genesis projected onto the fountain at the Metropolitan Opera House. That would work, right?
Everything is bigger this generation: resolution, budgets, marketing efforts, and worst of all, the prices. Last gen new releases had a set price at $50 (US), but PS3 and 360 games retail for $60. That sucks, but it gets worse. Gamers from other countries pay out the nose for the latest and greatest titles. Hit the link to find out how many franks translate to a new game.
I throw random 8-bit related junk at you guys, oh, pretty much all the time... but this time, its for a good cause. Charity!
This painting, entitled Los Illuminados, was created for the Child's Play Charity Dinner Auction 2009. The artist (previously featured here on BBPS) is now selling fifty copies at $35, with half the proceeds going directly to Child's Play. For those of you not familiar, CP is an organization that gathers books, games, and cash for children's hospitals around the world. This is a great cause, one that helps ease the suffering and boredom of sick children everywhere. Give the gift of game!
In 1999, the Swedish company, Elektron released a popular synthesizer. Rather than being equipped with a keyboard, these machines were controlled by knobs and a keypad and had an LCD screen, similar to Korg's Electribe line. They have three oscillators and four LFOs, the signals of which pass through a single analogue filter. Elektron's synth is used by a variety of popular bands such as Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, and KMFDM. But what's all this got to do with chiptunes? Well, I'm not telling you unless you hit the link.
The Video Games Live concert in Paris this past November had a very worthy addition: an exhibit featuring several customized and artistically modified Gameboys. Here's just a sample of what was on display.
Hey kids! It's time to write retraction letters to Santa, because everything you asked for is now irrelevant with this collection of custom Punch-Out! figures. You'll spend hours upon hours reenacting classic battles between Little Mac, King Hippo, Soda Popinski, and my 8-bit clone, Glass Joe. My only complaint is that Tyson isn't updated with a face tattoo.
Wow this really is the best time of the year. Chiptune musician Rush Coil has spliced together classic Christmas tunes and video game sound effects for an entire album of 8-bit cheer. You can currently stream the album online, and the artist says a CD (with a bonus track!) is in the works.
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Bloguin is the revolutionary blog network specifically focused on helping bloggers get the most out of their websites. We're currently working on building a large network of online communities and hope to expand our blogging coverage to include a wide range of topics. 
The Bloguin Network allows advertisers to promote their products and services to our ever-growing number of visitors. We offer both site-specific ad placements as well as the ability to run a network-wide campaign. If you're interested in working with Bloguin to meet your advertising needs, please contact us.
The Bloguin Network is always looking to expand. We're specifically looking for blogs in the sports, entertainment, and video games field, but are open to adding any type of quality site.. If you're a blogger and interested in joining our network, please fill out our application form.
The Bloguin Login gives you full access to everything our network has to offer. Your name and password will work for each and every one of our sites. Signing up is simple, and will allow you to post in all our forums, create member blogs, and access other cool features! What are you waiting for? Create an Account! 