Saturday, December 08, 2007

Session Report, and lots of Game News

The latest Jerusalem Strategy Gaming Group session report is up. Games played: Mr Jack x 2, Robo Rally, Vegas Showdown, Tigris and Euphrates.

I'm getting better at playing Jack in Mr Jack.

First play for Vegas Showdown.

Last week I also played a game of Oh Hell with my daughter Tal. Friday night I played It's Alive with the son of my hosts for Friday night dinner.

Game News

A Detroit prosecutor has decided that playing video games is a "big indication" of criminal activity. OK, I can see how you could think there may be a correlation, but then you go and actually checks the facts, right? Well, not in this guy's case:
"No one can convince me that there isn't a link between some of the gory, gritty, horrendous crime that we've been seeing in the past few years, particularly in the 18-25 year old group, [and] these games," she told Wired News.
Great prosecution, there. Shouldn't you always be open to the possibility that your suppositions are not according to reality?

In my discussions about Games used for Art, someone pointed out this incredible essay on Cold War Games and Post War Art. An awesome read on the topic.

Play2Relax is working hard at keeping the new games Blog Carnival going. He's even added screen captures. Send him some articles.

Another high school class, another board game. This one's Winning Teams, a financial game. The article has a lot on using gaming in education.

Another high-school class, another card game. Also a class in finance, but the game is simply UNO.

I skipped this news item when I first saw it a few weeks ago, but some of you may find the story about Monopoly games were used to smuggle maps and money to POWs during WWII interesting.

Tally Wilgis finds a moral message on observing a couple play Sorry in a coffee shop. It's a keen observation on differing play styles, too.

Bernie finds a new way to play games without winners and losers, but still have tension. I would only add that it looks tempting to add bets on the pawns using this method of play.

A Reuters article on Tanga.com.

Another card game shooting, in Bastrop, TX.

Another card game stabbing, in New Orleans.

Crunch Gear recommends Settlers of Catan for the holidays.

Board Game News tells us that Blokus is coming to PSP portable.

Some places advertise that they have board games available to play, but this bar in Seattle actually tells you which one.

Of all the board games that should make it to video games, Jenga is not one of them, as this reviewer explains after playing it.

Joshua Kosman in The San Fransisco Chronicle gives a great list of new board games for the season.

The Union Sentinel jumps on the board game bandwagon.

If I had to pick Game of the Year, I think it would be Bella Sara, the first non-violent online mm/collectible game that's successful and actually looks interesting. I would have to try it first.

A mom reinvents Old Maid because the game gives a bad message about older single women. The new game is called Me For President. Naturally, the object is to get stuck with the card, rather than the reverse.

A few weeks ago I mentioned a new board game which was meant to fight child obesity, Hungry Hank. One would think that there would be not much more to say about it. However, it has become the subject of an action campaign against it. Why? Because, according to its detractors, it reinforces stereotypes about fat people and teaches anorexia.

Yehuda

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