One of the panels at PAX Prime is going to be a screening of Lorien Green's board gaming documentary Going Cardboard. I backed the movie on Kickstarter and am looking forward to watching it when the DVD arrives.
There will be a Q&A; session, and she's asked us to be there for it to answer questions and mug.
I'm looking forward to that documentary in a big way. ^_^
Yeah I was surprised to see you guys in the trailer after having already backed it. Was an "internet is a small world after all" moment.
What trailer did you see that has us in it? We're not in the video on Kickstarter.
I will try to track it down. I believe it was on the documentary's own webpage, not the Kickstarter page. I did a lot of digging and watching because I wrote some posts about the flick.
Edit: Can't access at work but I think it is in this interactive trailer. Got to click around a bit. Might be under "the hobby" or "clips"
This looks sooo shit. A self funded video project which is badly shot, painfully edited, and one of the smuggest and self-congratulatory set of participants yet? Colour me unimpressed.
This looks sooo shit. A self funded video project which is badly shot, painfully edited, and one of the smuggest and self-congratulatory set of participants yet? Colour me unimpressed.
Personally, I was honored that the creator thought highly of us enough to approach us for an interview. We drive up to do it on our way to Funspot between PAX and Anime Boston last year, and it was great fun.
Maybe the smugness is down to the editing decisions. The audience for this video must be other people who are already into board games, because who else would want to watch something so poorly made? In that case, it's lots of people who like board games telling other people who like board games how cool it is to like board games. So is the final movie going to be properly edited? For such bad footage it will take quite a bit of work to make it look professional, but I've seen wonders done with bad footage before.
A friend watched the above clip (a friend who is very into board games, and works at a board game rental shop): "just watched the trailor... can't say I'm looking forward to it." "the last little bit of interview was a face palmer" - part starring Rym and Scott.
"it has "mockumentary" written all over it. which is cool if it's on purpose!" Me: Actually, I think it's real. "yes. I'm afraid I came to that same conclusion."
It's definitely self-congratulatory. I think it's weak as a trailer. The smugness is mostly the way they edited Rym and Scott, because the gist of what you two said in that clip is literally "board gaming is better than other types of gaming."
The audience for this video must be other people who are already into board games
This is definitely the case. Personally I am not bothered by amateur-looking camera work or editing. I'm more interested in what the people have to say. The reason this documentary is highly anticipated among board gaming geeks is that she's gone out and put a camera in front of many all-star board game designers. You and a lot of other people won't even know who they are but these are people you rarely if ever seen interviewed, and it's all compiled in one big video. For it's very small niche audience, I think people are going to love the end result.
You and a lot of other people won't even know who they are but these are people you rarely if ever seen interviewed, and it's all compiled in one big video
Where is a picture of a conspicuously German person with hipster glasses on when you need it?
Indeed! The rumors are true, we are now ENTIRELY sold out of passes for PAX Prime 2011.
And it's not even June yet! It will only sell out faster and faster from now on as more and more people do the right thing and preregister, then decide whether to go or not.
Board games, better than any other possible game medium, teach applied game theory.
Well, that doesn't necessarily make them "better" games in the sense that most gamers would consider one game "better" than another. Remember that the vast majority of players play games largely to be entertained. A particular board game might be better than another in terms of its application of game theory, but said game might also not be a lot of fun.
Just saying that they're flatly "better" is a bit overly broad because of a lack of specificity in terms, which is why the statement came off as being self-congratulatory crap. If you say, "Board games, by and large, involve the purest applications of game theory and thus the greatest tests of skill," you'd have had much greater specificity.
Board games, better than any other possible game medium, teach applied game theory.
Well, that doesn't necessarily make them "better" games in the sense that most gamers would consider one game "better" than another. Remember that the vast majority of players play games largely to be entertained. A particular board game might be better than another in terms of its application of game theory, but said game might also not be a lot of fun.
Just saying that they're flatly "better" is a bit overly broad because of a lack of specificity in terms, which is why the statement came off as being self-congratulatory crap. If you say, "Board games, by and large, involve the purest applications of game theory and thus the greatest tests of skill," you'd have had much greater specificity.
/nitpicky
I'm not interested in starting a rant about what types of games are better because I'm not really out to prove anyone right or wrong, but here are my thoughts on the issue spilled out onto the page: I rate this sort of thing in overall satisfaction with my gaming experience. There's all sorts of apples and oranges comparisons going on here, I understand, but I could play a board game or a 99 cent iPhone game and both would hold my attention for a long time. They both entertained me, but when I put down the iPhone, I don't feel fulfilled. I think some people just have the urge to game, and getting the purest experience is the most efficient way to scratch that itch. Would that make them the "best"?
In other PAX-related happenings, my wife came to me over the weekend and told me that since we're really not religious and her family will be away for Easter weekend, she's changed her mind on PAX East 2012. As of now we've got it circled on the calendar to attend as a family! Had a lot of fun going as a couple to Prime 2010, and this should be great as well. I'll be "that guy" with a baby strapped to his chest. Obviously having a child and attending conventions is not ideal to begin with, but having her there to split the duties and take shifts back at the room for naps is much better than putting it all on 1 person and having the other worry all weekend. Hopefully the horrors of child-rearing don't force us to revise this decision!
Why Everyone Else Loves The Games You Hate: Monopoly, Risk, Killer Bunnies–there's a long list of games that we game designers teach ourselves to hate. They violate some core principles of game design we hold dear: they never end, they reward the leaders, they come down to a coin flip. But Magic: The Gathering designer Richard Garfield has another take on these games, one that suggests that their designers might have been doing something right all along. Come hear Richard tell you why you should play these games and many, many others if you want to be a successful game designer.
Just to bump the thread... PAX is coooooooooming! =D I have a hotel room at the Sheraton reserved Friday - Sunday nights if anyone is willing to help with paying for the room. Also, if anyone would be willing to let me crash their room on Thursday, I'll help offset your room costs. The Sheraton was out of Thursday rooms by the time I made my reservation. =/
Why Everyone Else Loves The Games You Hate: Monopoly, Risk, Killer Bunnies–there's a long list of games that we game designers teach ourselves to hate. They violate some core principles of game design we hold dear: they never end, they reward the leaders, they come down to a coin flip. But Magic: The Gathering designer Richard Garfield has another take on these games, one that suggests that their designers might have been doing something right all along. Come hear Richard tell you why you should play these games and many, many others if you want to be a successful game designer.
I would love to be able to watch the panels and presentations at PAX Dev, but by making the content of it available to the public it removes the ability of the conference to be a place where developers can talk freely and openly about crazy ideas that they are secretly harboring. I really like the idea of a venue for game developers/designers/engineers/artists/etc... to get together and share ideas without worrying about catering to the public or trying to impress the media. They need their own space.
I would love to be able to watch the panels and presentations at PAX Dev, but by making the content of it available to the public it removes the ability of the conference to be a place where developers can talk freely and openly about crazy ideas that they are secretly harboring. I really like the idea of a venue for game developers/designers/engineers/artists/etc... to get together and share ideas without worrying about catering to the public or trying to impress the media. They need their own space.
Agreed. But to people who are interested in or want to work in game dev, the sort of stuff that gets said there would be invaluable. I wish we had some sort of system whereby other people could see this information but be incapable of passing it on beyond themselves, fidelius charm style.
Strangely enough, there is now a slight chance I will be there. Boss just dropped the news that I may be needed for a big west coast trip (Hawaii, San Diego, Seattle) in late August. Here's to jockeying the dates around to cause me to have to be in Seattle during PAX...
I'm down to help Rym and Scott teach people in the workshop area! What would be needed of me?!
BTW, I'm coming in to Seattle early Thursday so I'm sooooo ready for the pre-PAX partying. What are peoples favorite drinks so I can bring booze as appropriate?
I'm down to help Rym and Scott teach people in the workshop area! What would be needed of me?!
BTW, I'm coming in to Seattle early Thursday so I'm sooooo ready for the pre-PAX partying. What are peoples favorite drinks so I can bring booze as appropriate?
Got approved for a badge yesterday, now just waiting for work to book travel dates so that I know whether I'll actually be in Seattle on the right dates. Oy.
In other news, the full PAX Dev schedule is up and it definitely looks like a cool little conference for industry folks. Also, all sorts of cool improvements are coming to PAX tabletop. Whether they all show up in time for Prime or aren't ready until East is the big question.
I was surprised to see them have a tabletop track. I think the video game developers could learn a lot by looking at this more refined type of gaming. If you are going to attempt to hold my attention sitting around a table moving physical bits, you damn well better have solid game mechanics to pull it off.
In somewhat related news Cryptozoic is branching out from being just the people who do the WoW CCG to publishing a full slate of board games (including the new Penny Arcade deckbuilding game that they'll be showing off at PAX). I interviewed their president a few weeks ago, and although their first few games look like poop, he said one thing that gives me a tiny bit of faith. He's an ex-Blizzard guy, and says that he's reached out to a lot of big-name computer game developer buddies (none of which he would name) who had board game ideas, and his company will be the one putting them to market. I'm interested to see what comes out of this experiment. Could be something cool.
Comments
Edit: Can't access at work but I think it is in this interactive trailer. Got to click around a bit. Might be under "the hobby" or "clips"
A friend watched the above clip (a friend who is very into board games, and works at a board game rental shop):
"just watched the trailor... can't say I'm looking forward to it."
"the last little bit of interview was a face palmer" - part starring Rym and Scott.
"it has "mockumentary" written all over it. which is cool if it's on purpose!"
Me: Actually, I think it's real.
"yes. I'm afraid I came to that same conclusion."
But I don't think it's bad per se.
It will only sell out faster and faster from now on as more and more people do the right thing and preregister, then decide whether to go or not.
Just saying that they're flatly "better" is a bit overly broad because of a lack of specificity in terms, which is why the statement came off as being self-congratulatory crap. If you say, "Board games, by and large, involve the purest applications of game theory and thus the greatest tests of skill," you'd have had much greater specificity.
/nitpicky
In other PAX-related happenings, my wife came to me over the weekend and told me that since we're really not religious and her family will be away for Easter weekend, she's changed her mind on PAX East 2012. As of now we've got it circled on the calendar to attend as a family! Had a lot of fun going as a couple to Prime 2010, and this should be great as well. I'll be "that guy" with a baby strapped to his chest. Obviously having a child and attending conventions is not ideal to begin with, but having her there to split the duties and take shifts back at the room for naps is much better than putting it all on 1 person and having the other worry all weekend. Hopefully the horrors of child-rearing don't force us to revise this decision!
Why Everyone Else Loves The Games You Hate: Monopoly, Risk, Killer Bunnies–there's a long list of games that we game designers teach ourselves to hate. They violate some core principles of game design we hold dear: they never end, they reward the leaders, they come down to a coin flip. But Magic: The Gathering designer Richard Garfield has another take on these games, one that suggests that their designers might have been doing something right all along. Come hear Richard tell you why you should play these games and many, many others if you want to be a successful game designer.
I just got accepted as a speaker, so I'm selling mine. Email me: alexleavitt [at] gmail
Also, finally scheduled my time off for PAX. I went ahead and scheduled Wednesday thru Tuesday off. I probably won't use all of it, but just in case.
I'm honestly not ready for PAX. Well mentally, I'm not. I'm sure that will change next month.
BTW, I'm coming in to Seattle early Thursday so I'm sooooo ready for the pre-PAX partying. What are peoples favorite drinks so I can bring booze as appropriate?
In other news, the full PAX Dev schedule is up and it definitely looks like a cool little conference for industry folks. Also, all sorts of cool improvements are coming to PAX tabletop. Whether they all show up in time for Prime or aren't ready until East is the big question.
Networked Multiplayer Indie Game Architecture
4:45pm - 5:45pm
Chris Hecker
Chris Hecker gets even more ++++. I am going to put an extra effort to find and talk to him at PAX not-Dev and get him on the show.
In somewhat related news Cryptozoic is branching out from being just the people who do the WoW CCG to publishing a full slate of board games (including the new Penny Arcade deckbuilding game that they'll be showing off at PAX). I interviewed their president a few weeks ago, and although their first few games look like poop, he said one thing that gives me a tiny bit of faith. He's an ex-Blizzard guy, and says that he's reached out to a lot of big-name computer game developer buddies (none of which he would name) who had board game ideas, and his company will be the one putting them to market. I'm interested to see what comes out of this experiment. Could be something cool.
Also word on the street is to make sure you get a swag bag this year. ^__~