The latest Jerusalem Strategy Gaming Club session report is up. Games played: Mykerinos, Mississippi Queen, Race for the Galaxy, Power Grid, Puerto Rico, It's Alive.
We play a few games I haven't played in a while. Binyamin wins four out of his four games played. And we play a three and a half hour game of Puerto Rico.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Status: I'm Working Again
I am employed full-time, again. Corporate blogging is a viable profession, but it takes hard, groundbreaking work which my financial situation can't bear for the foreseeable future. So I'm back to technical writing, a job I also enjoy very much.
I'm working for a technical communications service company, outsourced full-time to a major telecommunications company. I would like to stay in one place for several years this time, so here's hoping it works out. Let's see what skills I can bring from my blogging work into the world of technical writing. In the meantime, I'll continue blogging on the side.
Yehuda
I'm working for a technical communications service company, outsourced full-time to a major telecommunications company. I would like to stay in one place for several years this time, so here's hoping it works out. Let's see what skills I can bring from my blogging work into the world of technical writing. In the meantime, I'll continue blogging on the side.
Yehuda
May Board and Card Game Patents
Welcome to a new months of board and card game patents for fun and profit. Well, maybe just fun.
Apparatus for converting a table into a card table - Thin mat, felt, and plastic railing to cover a table.
Proposition wager for a card game - During a game of Texas Hold'em, players place a second bet on what the community cards will be in their own right. This is somehow supposed to make the game friendlier to less experience poker players.
Method of playing a dice game side bet - The patent includes a rare, easy to comprehend abstract:
Bayesian scoring - I haven't a fricking clue what this is talking about, but I assume it's some sort of ELO ranking system equivalent. Any math brains want to take a crack at it?
Rotating pattern matching board game - A SIMON game on wheels:
Card-based board game and method of playing the same - The patent first describes "the three types of board games": race games, acquisition games, and strategy games.
It says race games (Candyland) are bad because players do not interact. Acquisition games (Monopoly) are bad because once players are in possession of an item, it's hard for them to lose it, reducing the winning opportunities of the other players. Strategy games (Risk) are bad because confrontations are either guided by rules (such as capture) or luck (such as dice).
This game solves all these problems, says patent. It's a roll and move medieval/fantasy game when you collect weapons, armor, and treasures, and then blind bid for combat. Winner selects a card from loser. How original.
Chess game piece - This:
Mathematics game and method - A very simple deck of cards with numbers where players play valid math equations.
Game of chance - A dice game with exceedingly complicated payout charts, which may have something to do with horse racing.
Apparatus for converting a table into a card table - Thin mat, felt, and plastic railing to cover a table.
Proposition wager for a card game - During a game of Texas Hold'em, players place a second bet on what the community cards will be in their own right. This is somehow supposed to make the game friendlier to less experience poker players.
Method of playing a dice game side bet - The patent includes a rare, easy to comprehend abstract:
A craps side wager. The player can choose whether the next roll will be even or odd. If the player chose wrong, the player loses the wager. If the player chose right, then the player can win even money on the wager, unless the roll is a craps number, in which the player can win less than even money.Combined sudoku game board and game pieces for visually impaired users - This:
Bayesian scoring - I haven't a fricking clue what this is talking about, but I assume it's some sort of ELO ranking system equivalent. Any math brains want to take a crack at it?
Rotating pattern matching board game - A SIMON game on wheels:
Card-based board game and method of playing the same - The patent first describes "the three types of board games": race games, acquisition games, and strategy games.
It says race games (Candyland) are bad because players do not interact. Acquisition games (Monopoly) are bad because once players are in possession of an item, it's hard for them to lose it, reducing the winning opportunities of the other players. Strategy games (Risk) are bad because confrontations are either guided by rules (such as capture) or luck (such as dice).
This game solves all these problems, says patent. It's a roll and move medieval/fantasy game when you collect weapons, armor, and treasures, and then blind bid for combat. Winner selects a card from loser. How original.
Chess game piece - This:
Mathematics game and method - A very simple deck of cards with numbers where players play valid math equations.
Game of chance - A dice game with exceedingly complicated payout charts, which may have something to do with horse racing.
Monday, June 02, 2008
Hebrew University's PhD Award Ceremony
My wife, Rachel, formally received her PhD yesterday from Hebrew University. The ceremony took place in their outdoor amphitheater overlooking the hills of Judea.
![]()
Here she is, sitting in the back row wearing a cap they gave out to shield her eyes from the sun.
There were around 300 other PhDs, as well as several honorary PhDs and some other award recipients. The entire affair was rather dull.
Among the more interesting moments:
Former Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives Tom Lantos was awarded an honorary PhD. He was a Holocaust survivor and a friend of Israel's. Tom passed away in February, and his wife Annette accepted the posthumous honors on his behalf.
Bernard-Henri Lévy, a well known French socialite and "new philosopher", accepted an honorary PhD. He gave an impassioned speech about his love for Israel and education in general.
Shuly Nathan, who electrified Israel in 1967 by singing Naomi Shemer's Jerusalem of Gold, sang that song and Hatikva. She wasn't at the top of her game, but it was still a thrill to see her live for the first time.
And here's Rachel walking down to receive her PhD.
Congrats, Rach!
Here she is, sitting in the back row wearing a cap they gave out to shield her eyes from the sun.
There were around 300 other PhDs, as well as several honorary PhDs and some other award recipients. The entire affair was rather dull.
Among the more interesting moments:
Former Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives Tom Lantos was awarded an honorary PhD. He was a Holocaust survivor and a friend of Israel's. Tom passed away in February, and his wife Annette accepted the posthumous honors on his behalf.
Bernard-Henri Lévy, a well known French socialite and "new philosopher", accepted an honorary PhD. He gave an impassioned speech about his love for Israel and education in general.
Shuly Nathan, who electrified Israel in 1967 by singing Naomi Shemer's Jerusalem of Gold, sang that song and Hatikva. She wasn't at the top of her game, but it was still a thrill to see her live for the first time.
And here's Rachel walking down to receive her PhD.
Congrats, Rach!
VCR Games
Games have been printed on hats, etched into rocks, and played via smoke signal. So why not the next new technology: VHS video?
The annals of media will not look back too kindly on VHS. It's bulky. The tape is weak and tends to break or wear. VCRs come with counters or displays that indicated seconds along the tape, but the controls don't allow you to jump to these counters or seconds. The best you can do was fast forward or reverse while watching the film and hope to land somewhat near where you wanted. So it's basically a one-track, one-way, non-repeatable experience.
You can pause. You can skip forward to some general location and begin playing from there. You can watch a series of clips from sports, television, or movies in a particular order. Given such awesome technology, what kind of game can you make?
Mystery - Mystery games are original scenes, which, after viewing, players have to solve the crime. These games are non-repeatable.
Perception - A bit like mystery games, after viewing a clip, scene, or series of images, players must answer questions, usually of some trivial element in the scene. If the questions are on the tape, the experience is non-repeatable. The questions can be on cards, however, which would make the game repeatable until you've been through all the cards.
Clock - In these games, the tape is used as a clock to impose a fixed time for the accompanying board game. As certain time elements pass, the video may direct some random event to occur during the game. Or, an element in the game may call for something to happen at a certain time on the clock.
In these games, the accompanying visuals and music are also meant to set mood for the game.
Respond - As the story on the tape unfolds, players must scramble to do something as subtle clues occur on screen. The first player to do something wins.
Trivia - Answer questions about on or off-screen trivia. The game takes the place of some other player asking you questions, as would occur in most trivia games.
Outcome - Rather than roll a die, you play the next clip in the video to see the result of your play. Although the order of the clips is determined, the need to use the tape will be the result of a random card pick in the game.
The Games
1985
Clue. VCR Mystery Game (1985) Mystery. Each player is dealt an identity, and players have to solve the mystery and also guess who is whom, based on clues they give.
Eyewitness Newsreel Challenge VCR Board Game (1985) Perception
Rich Little's VCR Charades (1985) Guess the charade that Rich Little is performing. Kind of takes all the fun away from the party game, although Rich Little was a funny comedian.
1986
Agatha Christie: Behind the Scenes (1986) Mystery
Candy Land VCR Board Game (1986) Respond
Chutes and Ladders VCR (1986) Respond
Commercial Crazies VCR Game (1986) Perception
Disney Cartoon Classic VCR game (1986) Respond
Disney Movie Classics VCR game (1986) Respond
Doorways to Adventure (1986) Respond
Doorways to Horror (1986) Respond
Elery Queen's Operation: Murder (1986) Mystery
Flash Match VCR Board Game (1986) Perception. Answer questions about quickly flashed images.
The Honeymooners VCR game (1986) Perception
Joan Rivers Predicaments VCR Game (1986) Scenes are played and you answer what you would do next. I'm not sure what happens after that.
Three Stooges VCR Game, The (1986) Respond
VCR Hockey Night in Canada (1986) Outcome
The VCR Quarterback Game (1986) Outcome
1987
Hi HO Cherry O (1987) No idea, but I would guess Respond.
Lets Go to the Races VCR Horse Racing Game (1987) Bet on races and then watch them as they are run. Includes some mechanism that I don't understand for playing the game again even after you've seen the all the races.
VCR 221B Baker Street (1987) Mystery
VCR Basketball Game (1987) Appears to simply provide atmosphere for the game.
VCR College Bowl Game (1987) Outcome
VCR Hockey Game (1987) Outcome
VCR Top Rank Boxing Game (1987) Outcome
Winter Olympics VCR Game (1987) After watching a routine, you must pause the tape as it rapidly flashes through scores. The score you land on is your score.
1988
Clue II VCR Mystery Game (1988) Mystery
EPYX Play Action VCR Football (1988) Outcome
Epyx VCR Golf (1988) Outcome
Isaac Asimov's Robots VCR Mystery Game (1988) Mystery
RoboCop VCR Game (1988) Respond
VCR Baseball (1988) Outcome
VCR California Games (1988) Outcome
VCR Dogfight (1988) Outcome
VCR Wrestle Mania Game, The (1988) Clock
1990 - console gaming are beginning to make VCR games (even more) irrelevant.
America's Funniest Home Videos Game (1990) Perception
Elementare Watson (1990) Trivia
1991
Nightmare (1991) Clock. If no one wins when the time runs out, they all lose.
Nightmare II (1991) Clock
1992
Nightmare III (1992) Clock
Rat Rap Video Board Game (1992) Clock. An annoying rat provides atmosphere and random instructions to make a dumb game more frustrating and less enjoyable
Wayne's World VCR Board Game (1992) Trivia
1993
Dinoland (1993) Clock. Move close to the professor's piece using the clues he gives on the tape.
Dragon Strike (1993) The tape is used only for instructions and mood.
Nightmare IV (1993) Clock
Party Mania (1993) The tape is used only for instructions and mood.
Star Trek the Next Generation Interactive VCR Board Game (1993) Clock. A Klingon tries to commandeer and blow up your ship.
Video Grin 'N' Bear It (1993) The video give you tasks or dares to perform.
1995
Atmosfear - The Harbringers (1995) . Clock. This is a continuation of the Nightmare series.
Trivial Pursuit: Star Trek Edition (1995) Trivia
Trivial Pursuit Music Master Game, The Video Version (1995) Trivia
Trivial Pursuit Video - Film and TV Edition (1995) Trivia
Trivial Pursuit Video - Sports Edition (1995) Trivia
1996
Atmosfear - The Soul Rangers (1996) Clock
Flash Match VCR Jr. (1996) Perception
Star Wars Assault on the Death Star VCR Board Game (1996) Clock. Vader (James Earl Jones) provides the narrative and random instructions.
1997
X-Files Trivia Game First Edition (1997) Trivia
1999
VH1: The Pop Up Video Game (1999) When a card tells you to sing, you play the clip and must sing along.
?
Survivor (?) No idea
Video Bingo (?) Respond. The video does the bingo balls.
Interactive Television Cricket (?) No idea
The annals of media will not look back too kindly on VHS. It's bulky. The tape is weak and tends to break or wear. VCRs come with counters or displays that indicated seconds along the tape, but the controls don't allow you to jump to these counters or seconds. The best you can do was fast forward or reverse while watching the film and hope to land somewhat near where you wanted. So it's basically a one-track, one-way, non-repeatable experience.
You can pause. You can skip forward to some general location and begin playing from there. You can watch a series of clips from sports, television, or movies in a particular order. Given such awesome technology, what kind of game can you make?
Mystery - Mystery games are original scenes, which, after viewing, players have to solve the crime. These games are non-repeatable.
Perception - A bit like mystery games, after viewing a clip, scene, or series of images, players must answer questions, usually of some trivial element in the scene. If the questions are on the tape, the experience is non-repeatable. The questions can be on cards, however, which would make the game repeatable until you've been through all the cards.
Clock - In these games, the tape is used as a clock to impose a fixed time for the accompanying board game. As certain time elements pass, the video may direct some random event to occur during the game. Or, an element in the game may call for something to happen at a certain time on the clock.
In these games, the accompanying visuals and music are also meant to set mood for the game.
Respond - As the story on the tape unfolds, players must scramble to do something as subtle clues occur on screen. The first player to do something wins.
Trivia - Answer questions about on or off-screen trivia. The game takes the place of some other player asking you questions, as would occur in most trivia games.
Outcome - Rather than roll a die, you play the next clip in the video to see the result of your play. Although the order of the clips is determined, the need to use the tape will be the result of a random card pick in the game.
The Games
1985
Clue. VCR Mystery Game (1985) Mystery. Each player is dealt an identity, and players have to solve the mystery and also guess who is whom, based on clues they give.
Eyewitness Newsreel Challenge VCR Board Game (1985) Perception
Rich Little's VCR Charades (1985) Guess the charade that Rich Little is performing. Kind of takes all the fun away from the party game, although Rich Little was a funny comedian.
1986
Agatha Christie: Behind the Scenes (1986) Mystery
Candy Land VCR Board Game (1986) Respond
Chutes and Ladders VCR (1986) Respond
Commercial Crazies VCR Game (1986) Perception
Disney Cartoon Classic VCR game (1986) Respond
Disney Movie Classics VCR game (1986) Respond
Doorways to Adventure (1986) Respond
Doorways to Horror (1986) Respond
Elery Queen's Operation: Murder (1986) Mystery
Flash Match VCR Board Game (1986) Perception. Answer questions about quickly flashed images.
The Honeymooners VCR game (1986) Perception
Joan Rivers Predicaments VCR Game (1986) Scenes are played and you answer what you would do next. I'm not sure what happens after that.
Three Stooges VCR Game, The (1986) Respond
VCR Hockey Night in Canada (1986) Outcome
The VCR Quarterback Game (1986) Outcome
1987
Hi HO Cherry O (1987) No idea, but I would guess Respond.
Lets Go to the Races VCR Horse Racing Game (1987) Bet on races and then watch them as they are run. Includes some mechanism that I don't understand for playing the game again even after you've seen the all the races.
VCR 221B Baker Street (1987) Mystery
VCR Basketball Game (1987) Appears to simply provide atmosphere for the game.
VCR College Bowl Game (1987) Outcome
VCR Hockey Game (1987) Outcome
VCR Top Rank Boxing Game (1987) Outcome
Winter Olympics VCR Game (1987) After watching a routine, you must pause the tape as it rapidly flashes through scores. The score you land on is your score.
1988
Clue II VCR Mystery Game (1988) Mystery
EPYX Play Action VCR Football (1988) Outcome
Epyx VCR Golf (1988) Outcome
Isaac Asimov's Robots VCR Mystery Game (1988) Mystery
RoboCop VCR Game (1988) Respond
VCR Baseball (1988) Outcome
VCR California Games (1988) Outcome
VCR Dogfight (1988) Outcome
VCR Wrestle Mania Game, The (1988) Clock
1990 - console gaming are beginning to make VCR games (even more) irrelevant.
America's Funniest Home Videos Game (1990) Perception
Elementare Watson (1990) Trivia
1991
Nightmare (1991) Clock. If no one wins when the time runs out, they all lose.
Nightmare II (1991) Clock
1992
Nightmare III (1992) Clock
Rat Rap Video Board Game (1992) Clock. An annoying rat provides atmosphere and random instructions to make a dumb game more frustrating and less enjoyable
Wayne's World VCR Board Game (1992) Trivia
1993
Dinoland (1993) Clock. Move close to the professor's piece using the clues he gives on the tape.
Dragon Strike (1993) The tape is used only for instructions and mood.
Nightmare IV (1993) Clock
Party Mania (1993) The tape is used only for instructions and mood.
Star Trek the Next Generation Interactive VCR Board Game (1993) Clock. A Klingon tries to commandeer and blow up your ship.
Video Grin 'N' Bear It (1993) The video give you tasks or dares to perform.
1995
Atmosfear - The Harbringers (1995) . Clock. This is a continuation of the Nightmare series.
Trivial Pursuit: Star Trek Edition (1995) Trivia
Trivial Pursuit Music Master Game, The Video Version (1995) Trivia
Trivial Pursuit Video - Film and TV Edition (1995) Trivia
Trivial Pursuit Video - Sports Edition (1995) Trivia
1996
Atmosfear - The Soul Rangers (1996) Clock
Flash Match VCR Jr. (1996) Perception
Star Wars Assault on the Death Star VCR Board Game (1996) Clock. Vader (James Earl Jones) provides the narrative and random instructions.
1997
X-Files Trivia Game First Edition (1997) Trivia
1999
VH1: The Pop Up Video Game (1999) When a card tells you to sing, you play the clip and must sing along.
?
Survivor (?) No idea
Video Bingo (?) Respond. The video does the bingo balls.
Interactive Television Cricket (?) No idea
Sunday, June 01, 2008
It's Alive! Up For New Award
Tom Vasel was kind enough to include It's Alive in the nominations for one category in the new Dice Tower Awards. I'm up for Best New Designer.I doubt that I have much chance, as most of the people on the committee won't have played the game. Still, it's nice to be noticed.
Yehuda
Board Game Blog World Roundup
This is a roundup of new board and card game related blogs that have come to my attention since my last roundup. To qualify, the blogs must have an RSS feed, cover board or card games with posts of general interest to readers, and not only post about their own product lines. They must also post with some frequency and within the last three months.
First off, I only now noticed that Pulp Gamer's podcasts are available as five separate podcasts on different themes.
Illuminating Games - Chris Farrell, Cupertino, CA. High-level analysis and reviews.
Kania's Hobbies and Beyond - Kania Adityaran, Indonesia. About cats and board games.
Other Wise - J.C. Lawrence, San Jose, CA. A gamer.
Over the Board Games - Paul, no further info. Obviously hoping to make Amazon cash, but some nice starting articles and a video review.
Savage Tales - Pete Miller, LA, CA. On games, and particularly Fight Klub, the Decipher CCG.
Talkin' About Board Games - Of the game store Best Dang Games, Deltona, FL. Articles of general interest.
The d6 Generation - A podcast by Craig Gallant and Russ Wakelin. Mostly on war games, but covers other styles as well.
Traditional Board Games of India - RG and Raghu of Ramsons Kala Pratishtana, Mysuru, which is some sort of research entity within an Indian gallery, I believe. Pretty and interesting.
Yehuda
First off, I only now noticed that Pulp Gamer's podcasts are available as five separate podcasts on different themes.
Illuminating Games - Chris Farrell, Cupertino, CA. High-level analysis and reviews.
Kania's Hobbies and Beyond - Kania Adityaran, Indonesia. About cats and board games.
Other Wise - J.C. Lawrence, San Jose, CA. A gamer.
Over the Board Games - Paul, no further info. Obviously hoping to make Amazon cash, but some nice starting articles and a video review.
Savage Tales - Pete Miller, LA, CA. On games, and particularly Fight Klub, the Decipher CCG.
Talkin' About Board Games - Of the game store Best Dang Games, Deltona, FL. Articles of general interest.
The d6 Generation - A podcast by Craig Gallant and Russ Wakelin. Mostly on war games, but covers other styles as well.
Traditional Board Games of India - RG and Raghu of Ramsons Kala Pratishtana, Mysuru, which is some sort of research entity within an Indian gallery, I believe. Pretty and interesting.
Yehuda
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)