tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-94759652012-01-26T03:57:23.338-08:00A blog about why games make us happy and how they can change the world.Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.comBlogger2451100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-49301773168350473382010-08-21T21:23:00.000-07:002010-08-21T21:33:53.513-07:00

As a planet, we spend 3 billion hours a week playing computer and videogames. That’s a LOT of time -- enough to change our lives, and probably save the world (the real world) while we’re at it. That's why we want to create a secret HQ for people who are making games that are making us: - happier- smarter- stronger- healthier- more collaborative- more creative- better connected to our friends

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-72780411076957657652010-08-02T21:24:00.000-07:002010-08-02T21:24:32.828-07:00

EVOKE was a 10 week crash course in changing the world. And already, EVOKE players are making good on that promise. Today, 25 teams from EVOKE embarked on real, world-changing enterprises: And to raise money for their new ventures, they're participating in the first ever EVOKE Global Giving challenge. Here are just a few of the amazing projects. Please take a look at all the EVOKE projects and

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-71242420839509118412010-07-20T20:25:00.000-07:002010-07-21T18:40:44.117-07:00

This week, I celebrated the one-year anniversary of my traumatic brain injury. I might not have made it without the game I invented to help cure it. Here's a 5-minute Ignite talk that I gave explaining the game, SuperBetter. It's probably the most heartfelt, personal, passionate talk I've ever given. I hope you enjoy it-- I also probably had more fun giving it than any other talk I can remember.

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-80096986447334854352010-03-24T17:46:00.001-07:002010-03-24T17:46:30.313-07:00

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-85481728092147465262010-02-01T21:37:00.000-08:002010-02-02T06:22:41.369-08:00

EVOKE trailer (a new online game) from Alchemy on Vimeo. <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Microsoft Sans Serif"; panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:1627421663 -2147483648 8 0 66047 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:"";

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-54482440363792152422010-01-11T15:10:00.001-08:002010-03-09T07:38:47.700-08:00

UPDATE: The game is live! Play EVOKE now at www.urgentevoke.com URGENT EVOKE: Help us run a 10-week crash course in changing the world Reward: $1000 (US) We’re launching a new alternate reality game. It’s called EVOKE, and we’re putting together a team of five game assistants to help us run it. “If you have a problem, and you can’t solve it alone, EVOKE it.” About the game The

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-40889933737490766882009-09-25T16:29:00.000-07:002010-07-21T06:55:37.312-07:00

I’m either going to kill myself, or I’m going to turn this into a game. After the four most miserable weeks of my life, those seemed like the only two options left. It was the summer of 2009, I was about halfway through writing my book, and I got a concussion. It was a stupid, fluke accident: I was standing up, and I slammed my head straight into a cabinet door I didn’t realize was still open. I

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com50tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-74845499718991184242009-07-11T13:49:00.000-07:002009-07-11T13:52:45.987-07:00

The official CryptoZoo trailer: Find more videos like this on CryptoZooBehind the Scenes... (and how to play guide) Find more videos like this on CryptoZoo

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-70286326464391768652009-06-10T11:55:00.001-07:002009-06-10T12:04:45.619-07:00

CRYPTOZOO is a fast, strange, heart-pumping adventure. It's literally the most fun game I've ever designed. If you're in New York City this weekend (June 12th and 13th) please come play with me! This is your chance to learn to run with cute and creepy creatures... It's free, it's in and around Times Square, and it will be strange and unforgettable.Reserve your spot in the game now! FRIDAY 11 PM

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-74476519456621451872009-05-09T13:45:00.000-07:002009-05-09T17:25:07.292-07:00

The cryptids are out there. Are you chasing them?NIGHT CHASE - Friday June 5, 2009 downtown San Francisco 8-10 PMDAY CHASE - Sunday June 7, 2008 along the Embarcadero 2 - 4 PMJoin the network and RSVP so we know how many secret runners to expect...What to expect at a chase:First, you'll follow mysterious tracks through the city on 1-mile chase through city streets and gardens. You can chase alone

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-28702590991059971762009-04-07T21:34:00.001-07:002009-04-07T22:23:30.598-07:00

Prototyping is fun! Originally uploaded by superkiy. Wanted: 4-6 adventurous players to prototype a new outdoor game with me and Kiyash this Saturday April 11 in downtown San Francisco. Reward: Bragging rights that you helped invent the game.The prototyping session will involve some running, jumping and sweating. Anyone willing to play hard and break a sweat is welcome. You don't need any

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-61210463134355898402009-04-02T09:00:00.000-07:002009-04-02T10:31:27.792-07:00

I am looking for an intern to help me run Top Secret Dance Off! It's an open-ended internship (starting ASAP, averaging 10-12 hours a week, and ideally continuing for 3-4 months). You can be anywhere in the world, in school or not in school, doing the internship for experience, or for school credit or just for something really interesting to do.TSDO is a personal project and small (but growing)

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-37202117365578992042009-03-10T14:23:00.000-07:002009-03-10T14:29:19.030-07:00

If you've had the dream, you will know it.Strings, tubes, wrinkles, branches, or flowing lines..MassiveSmallThe dotYou probably had it multiple times, and it probably started when you were young. It may have been while you were asleep. It may have been while you had a fever. It may have sometimes been a waking dream, like a trance.You've often wondered what the dream was. and if anyone else had

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-58679077154069706442009-03-09T14:02:00.000-07:002009-03-09T21:02:44.465-07:00

This week from the Institute for the Future and the Signtific Lab: it's the third and final trial in our Free Space trilogy!Free Space: How to invent the future by playing in the Signtific LabView more presentations from avantgame. (tags: 2009 iftf)The experiment (PLAY NOW!)starts at 7 PM Pacific Time Monday March 9, and ends 2 PM Pacific Time Thursday March 11.Join the lab or log in now!The

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-87330679895371666702009-02-18T13:16:00.000-08:002009-02-18T13:18:22.345-08:00

Our first massively multiplayer thought experiment is LIVE, and will end in ~ 36 hours!If you have ideas about the future of Free Space or the Interstellar Internet, play with me...

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-34136564330181010182009-02-02T20:28:00.000-08:002009-02-05T21:42:37.890-08:00

I've been working on a new future forecasting platform at IFTF. It's called the Signtific Lab, and it's designed as a kind of crowd-sourcing, micro-content, forecasting MMO.Here's the trailer for the first experiment we're running. It's called Free Space, and it's based on scenario that is both mind-boggling and probable.We've inviting scientists, engineers, researchers, designers, developers,

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-83049556950620243092009-01-31T14:22:00.000-08:002009-01-31T14:36:59.343-08:00

Writing a book does not provide me with the same kind of real-time feedback, scaffolded challenges, and network of potential allies that a well-designed videogame does.Also, it is harder than playing a videogame. ^_^So, I am trying to game-ify my writing process a bit.One of my methods is to start writing the book with the chapter that I think I am best prepared to write, aka "level one", which

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-25926975381056102662009-01-29T11:29:00.000-08:002009-01-30T13:00:42.360-08:00

You know, it's funny. I used to think of myself as a game evangelist. That's because for years now, I have been spending a lot of time talking to people who don't play a lot of games, or who don't take games seriously at all. Some people are there because they are curious if they should start to take games more seriously. Some people are there because someone else invited me to talk to them.

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-69813520063828530042009-01-03T15:53:00.000-08:002009-01-05T11:35:06.539-08:00

This is my video for Top Secret Dance-Off #1. Rules of the dance-off below. There is some major trash-talking and hip-waggling happening in this video. This is part of the awesome new dance MMO Top Secret Dance-Off. Find more videos like this on Top Secret Dance OffEach alliance will need a SECRET SIGN.The secret sign is a super-short dance move that alliance members will embed in EVERY future

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-15974071065670394992008-12-31T19:21:00.000-08:002008-12-31T19:22:21.956-08:00

On behalf of Guilt-Edged Blonde, I challenge ALL YA'LL to summon even a small FRACTION of the UNPRECEDENTED choreopowers of SNEAKINESS such as I unleash up on you in this dance.Guilt-Edged Blonde allies, please unleash your own SNEAKINESS to this song -- Busta Rhymes' Don't Touch Me Now (Throw Da Water On Em) -- which you can grab from Youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTFbaE2WYFoP.S.

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-61961886966007717812008-12-29T17:22:00.001-08:002008-12-30T18:10:59.634-08:00

Adventurous playtesters wanted.UPDATE: Cool... playtesters have joined from all over the world already: Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Italy, U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Scotland, Switzerland, Argentina... please join us if you are adventurous, creative, and like to help make your own fun.UPDATE x2: Now, you can win real loot! I couldn't help myself when I found

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-33347374209463455092008-12-09T09:45:00.000-08:002008-12-13T16:39:49.797-08:00

I love Chore Wars. If you've seen me give a talk in the last year or so, you know this, because I almost always talk about Chore Wars. In case you're wondering, yes, I actually play this game, and in fact I am a gold level subscriber! (For only $10 annually, you get access to much more interesting data about yourself. I strongly encourage you to go gold!)Kiyash and I moved to San Francisco

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-2773994911153963392008-11-19T17:17:00.001-08:002008-11-19T17:18:05.034-08:00

Just Do ItOriginally uploaded by What What. Okay, I had a revelation.Games like Superstruct and The Lost Sport and World Without Oil and Reverse Scavenger Hunts and Tombstone Hold 'Em and SF0 missions and The Go Game are "experience grenades".That's a new term. I throughly Google-checked it.Experience grenades: You play them, and that's like pulling the pin on the grenade. Nothing has to happen

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-16095610237340261702008-11-17T13:24:00.000-08:002008-11-25T12:09:15.579-08:00

UPDATE:At our Fall 2008 Technology Horizons Conference, we crowd-sourced five questions (via Twitter, blogs, email, and SMS) about the Blended Realities that we will likely all be living in by 2019.We received over 300 micro-forecasts in less than 24 hours. Here are the massively collaborative results! (Posted in order of how many contributions were made -- the future of society won in a

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com47tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-39200970587235569222008-11-17T12:32:00.000-08:002008-11-25T15:48:46.736-08:00

Who won top Superstruct Honors from Bruce Sterling, Warren Ellis, Ze Frank, Tim Kring, Jimmy Wales, Chris DiBona, Tim O'Reilly, and more? How many years did we add to our human survival horizon? How many millions of people achieved SUPERSTRUCT awareness? Which celebrity guest showed up live to surprise everyone?* What will happen next to the world of Superstruct we've all created together?Find

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-37604484063742967852008-11-04T09:56:00.001-08:002008-11-04T11:05:04.757-08:00

RFrankelOriginally uploaded by superstruct2019. Today is a historic day in America. Many people will vote for the first time in their lives. There will be record turnout in many parts of the country. We are on track to elect a leader that many people (myself included) feel is moving us toward a better way of governing like it matters -- a potentially transformative, once-in-a-lifetime

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-22252666880702506622008-10-29T09:48:00.001-07:002008-10-29T11:00:18.312-07:00

Justice for AudreyOriginally uploaded by jfpickard. We're halfway through the Superstruct experiment. Want to catch up on the story so far? Here's the latest news and gossip from 2019. As you can see, there's a lot going on in our future. But don't let it intimidate you. If you haven't participated yet, it only takes 5 minutes to make your first contribution to the future. Please register and

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-17753399365776116762008-10-21T09:33:00.000-07:002008-10-27T15:05:25.864-07:00

What players are saying about Superstruct so far…“Superstruct is making my brain unfurl in the most hopeful ways…” - RachelAnnYes“It’s my favorite vision of the future ever. Because it’s a future that I can actually be useful in.” - Andrew“We need a SEHI brain-matter reclamation service, for when our heads explode from the possibilities.” – NordicNinjaIf you haven’t had time to explore the world

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-86553999242634188762008-10-19T11:17:00.000-07:002008-10-19T20:13:19.763-07:00

One thing I'm really proud of -- Superstruct is REALLY preparing its players for the future -- by engaging them in thinking and talking about some of the biggest, most potentially world-changing issues that SHOULD be on our collective radar but aren't quite yet. Issues like disruptions to the food supply chain, the coming wave of climate change refugees, and "social terrorism" in the form of mass

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-59722349559214240322008-10-17T10:03:00.000-07:002008-10-17T10:09:52.432-07:00

Time to start posting again on my Best Sentence of the Day blog... From the world of publishing news:NON-FICTION: GENERAL/OTHERResearcher at the Institute for the Future and alternate reality game designer Jane McGonigal's REALITY IS BROKEN: Why Games Make Us Happy and How They Can Change the World, an examination of how games function as "happiness engines," and how the lessons from game design

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-82743064147998805032008-10-14T09:21:00.000-07:002008-10-14T14:21:28.531-07:00

What will the year 2019 be like? And who will YOU be in the future?You’re invited to a SUPERSTRUCT PARTY & MEET-UP!Learn all about, and try out, Superstruct, the worlds’ first massively-multiplayer forecasting gameIf you've been meaning to check out Superstruct but haven't had time yet...If you've poked around the site, but haven't registered yet...If you've been playing the game and want to

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-63787753669119775152008-10-09T11:41:00.000-07:002008-10-09T12:23:05.627-07:00

Superstruct has been live for 60 hours, or 2.5 days! Join us now -- it only takes 20 seconds! The Superstruct community is growing FAST! We are averaging a new player -- or Super-Empowered Hopeful Individual (SEHI), as they are called in the world of 2019 -- every 90 seconds, around the clock. That means we're at over 2300 SEHIs already, so this is a great time to get involved, make allies and

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-83109630675881502352008-10-03T10:57:00.000-07:002008-10-03T11:04:40.426-07:00

How can you invent the future by playing an online game? As the official new Director of Game Research & Development at the Institute for the Future -- yay -- I am happy to finally reveal the details of your seven Superstruct missions... AND the top seven Superstruct secrets to becoming an amazing player! The game site goes live late Monday, October 6.In the meantime, if you want to be READY to

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-8652961984259309452008-09-22T10:24:00.001-07:002008-09-22T15:24:43.443-07:00

What does the world of 2019 look like? Find out now! The Superstruct Story begins today.It's September 22, 2019, and the five superthreat videos are LIVE. (produced by the amazing Emmy-award nominated Kiyash Monsef!) Watch the five superthreat videos now -- follow this link to the Superstruct sneak preview site, or just watch the embedded videos below! See news from the future, and find out

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-18407198553043412382008-09-20T00:34:00.000-07:002008-09-20T01:00:16.038-07:00

Here are some awesome things I heard or read other people say this week.... things that really click with how I'm thinking about game design these days."One day we will look back with embarrassment on this era when all of our virtual experiences were trapped behind a screen. This advance will have great implications for the role of games within society, and the wider possibilities of tangible

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-3026166439537816532008-09-05T16:57:00.000-07:002008-09-20T00:34:49.248-07:00

UPDATE: Apparently, lots of people want to get a head-start on the game. Join the Superstruct Facebook Group to start meeting other players and inventing your future selves! And as always, check out the amazing dinner 2019 stories -- now counting in the hundreds -- that just wow me everytime I read one.*As you know, Superstruct hasn't launched yet. (Stay tuned -- the story starts September 22,

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-70144681553803717042008-08-24T20:08:00.000-07:002008-08-29T13:00:00.198-07:00

UPDATE: If you had any interaction with The Lost Ring (including just watching some of the fun videos!) please take this short survey, which is designed to help figure out how to make awesome ARGs in the future working with big companies who want to invest in the future of the genre. THANK YOU!After 10 days in Beijing, and six months of live game play, and more than a year of game design and

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-71975769043524796552008-08-12T14:56:00.001-07:002008-08-12T15:02:06.809-07:00

Picture 10.pngOriginally uploaded by Mnemonix. warning: this post contains geek-related TMI!3:30 AM this Saturday, Kiyash and I are off to Beijing for the second half of the Summer 2008 Olympics, where we’ll be overseeing a week of The Lost Ring game production all over the city, including in public parks, on the Olympic Green, and some surprise Olympic venues.I’ll post from Beijing on this blog

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-46541542443761263332008-07-19T12:29:00.000-07:002008-07-19T12:47:29.785-07:00

Yes, that is a blindfolded young woman RUNNING through a 40-foot wide 7-circuit labyrinth, with the help of her humming teammates. What are they doing? They're training for the 2008 Summer (alternate reality) Olympics.The real Summer Olympics start on August 8, 2008. But the Olympic moment I'M waiting for is August 23/24, when players of The Lost Ring alternate reality game will run their own

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-23725489504548892502008-07-18T16:29:00.000-07:002009-05-05T13:16:51.740-07:00

Werewolf at Foocamp08Originally uploaded by nickbilton. Foo Camp, a.k.a "shangri la for geeks", is, among other things, the premiere laboratory for Werewolf hacks.*We get to play A LOT of Werewolf. Typically at least 12 solid hours of Werewolf play, divided over two nights. This year, we played 10:oo PM until 3:30 AM (Friday) and then 11:00 PM until 6:30 AM (Saturday). It's the perfect way to

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-89157518781505592452008-07-18T10:59:00.000-07:002008-07-27T11:11:26.694-07:00

UPDATE: We're no longer accepting applications for this position. (We already have 20x as many qualified applicants as we can hire.) But we do still need collaborators! If you'd like to be involved in Superstruct as more than a player -- for instance, if you'd like to throw a Superstruct party or workshop or camp; or if you'd like to organize a team of Superstruct players at your company, or your

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-31543649047809188922008-07-10T10:21:00.000-07:002008-07-11T11:27:16.255-07:00

Help me invent a brand-new genre of online gaming!The Institute for the Future is looking for two PHP programmers to help build Superstruct, our first ever MASSIVELY MULTIPLAYER FORECASTING GAME. Players will work together to forecast the year 2019, and the game focuses on real-world threats to the survival of the human species. Basically, it's an exciting and save-the-world kind of project. Join

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-86583106142395097302008-07-07T20:23:00.001-07:002008-07-14T11:20:57.824-07:00

Losing it clearly!Originally uploaded by KaiChanVong. I spent last weekend playing in London, at the 2008 Hide and Seek Festival. It was probably one of the top 3 fun weekends of my life. (in this photo here, can you spot me having lots of that awesome fun?)The festival, which was founded a couple of years ago by the really brilliant Alex Fleetwood, is 72 hours of literally around-the-clock urban

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-30768504793323051882008-07-04T09:26:00.001-07:002008-07-08T09:11:37.849-07:00

Tracksticks are awesome, the perfect outdoor gaming toy, but storms make them skittish. So my five-mile Vienna labyrinth walked on foot in a storm (in Favoriten, apparently what is considered a "rough and tumble" neighborhood by the locals) with GPS data recorded continually appears quite chaotic on the Google Earth display.vienna_omphalabyrinth_stormOriginally uploaded by Avant Game.Now, from

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-3901896378227969242008-07-04T04:05:00.001-07:002008-07-04T04:25:15.893-07:00

Lost Sport of OlympiaOriginally uploaded by rubberdreamfeet. Finally -- the Lost Sport comes to Vienna!We're meeting up this Saturday July 5, at 3:30 PM, in Stadtpark. We'll play the lost sport in the skate park (what's a little chalk labyrinth admist all that street graffiti?). Come play with us! All the information is on this Upcoming page. I also have a trackstick II to give to the most

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-65797220034931717122008-06-27T01:52:00.000-07:002008-06-27T03:47:22.861-07:00

I'm speaking on a panel @ Hide and Seek today cheekily called "Why ARGs Don't Work." It's an awesome topic -- as an ARG designer I like to pull wrestle with the difference between the hype (god knows there's a LOT of it when it comes to ARGs) about how and when ARGs work, and also to talk about the real challenges of making what we currently call an ARG. (We're also taking about what today's ARG

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-50848273350399032842008-06-15T19:10:00.001-07:002008-06-22T13:55:16.588-07:00

Human Labyrinth Playtest NYCOriginally uploaded by Avant Game. I'll be in London on Sunday June 29, 2008 to play the Lost Sport of Olympia at the Southbank Centre. We're part of the Hide and Seek festival, and it's going to be awesome. Come play with me!I'll bring the blindfolds, the stopwatches, and the chalk... you bring your ancient strengths, and your friends! We'll meet Sunday afternoon

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-42982154848610351552008-06-10T16:27:00.000-07:002008-06-11T17:48:45.959-07:00

Here's a little thinking out loud on a topic I call "chaotic community" -- or, "the really crowded sandbox".It's a really long post, which I thought about a lot before posting. So if you just want the quick version, here it is (and also, a new P.S. at the bottom):1) Truly global game communities are fundamentally different from more localized game communities, leading to a new experience that

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-58456467809989625862008-06-01T11:46:00.001-07:002008-06-01T11:47:12.303-07:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/avantgame/2542440412/Originally uploaded by Avant Game. Here's a video of the entire 20 minute quickfire talk/interview I gave at the 2008 New Yorker Conference: Stories from the Near Future.The subject I chose was The Future of Reality - a game designers' perspective. Or, as the New Yorker dubbed it "saving the real world through game design."I really like how this

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-52960520966130867162008-05-27T18:39:00.000-07:002008-05-27T19:01:09.668-07:00

There are a few people whose thinking and writings about the digital world are so brilliant, so zeitgeist, so RIGHT, I just want to shove a straw up their nose and suck their brains out.Because I will need help holding them down and getting the straw up there, here are links to their websites where you can download slides, watch video lectures, read full articles, and grok their amazing

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-73362448330581121132008-05-23T12:23:00.001-07:002008-05-23T12:31:05.980-07:00

Bangkok Cookie Rolling on the DockOriginally uploaded by Avant Game. The cookie was installed on a dock on the main river in Bangkok, with a lot of people around, and it was awesomely fun and very exciting. I usually try to avoid doing anything that feels too trespassy, because that's kind of a cheap thrill. But this was a public location, and a lot of weird stuff happens in Bangkok in public,

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-38043585488667815012008-05-21T19:42:00.000-07:002008-05-22T08:47:21.263-07:00

Just a quick post about three personal happy-making stats, because I like to share good news with my favorite people (YOU!) (Also, I am wracking up some not-so-happy-making stats, like More Hours Spent on Planes and in Airports than Sleeping in May 2008, but for today let's focus on the positive.)#1) The Lost Ring is officiall SUPERGLOBALOne of the most important goals of The Lost Ring was to

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-2863815080026357462008-05-20T15:58:00.001-07:002008-05-20T21:37:06.915-07:00

Getting ready to brake the record...Originally uploaded by ring.digger. The ancient Greeks banned it, but we’re playing it anyway! If you're in New York City, COME OUT AND PLAY...2000 years ago, the ancient Greeks played a game they called simply "The Labyrinth." Until recently, little has been known about the mysterious sport - only that it required the athletes to be blindfolded, and that

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-80574018663020893102008-05-18T19:56:00.000-07:002008-05-18T20:29:58.274-07:00

I was saddened today to read about a real-world game gone wrong - a Facebook driven "flash mob" watergun fight that destroyed the Millennium Square garden in which it was played. As has been widely reported in UK press, plants were trampled, turf ripped up, fountain mechanics broken, and water features emptied. A documentary video of the event was posted on Youtube before participants and

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-61641157020033504442008-05-05T12:17:00.000-07:002008-05-05T12:22:51.647-07:00

I'm in NYC for the New Yorker Conference this week; I've got lots of free time for fun. Want to hang out?If you have time on Friday or Saturday night for drinks, let me know! Or maybe coffee on Sunday afternoon? Also, Saturday afternoon, if you interested in learning the Lost Sport (you know, the blindfolded labyinth game that the Ancient Greeks banned), it looks like there will be a game

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-5844505198224871852008-04-17T10:13:00.000-07:002008-04-17T12:28:12.921-07:00

Labyrinth runners of the world, watch out! Team San Francisco is getting good at this stuff.Okay, maybe not good at it. But we ARE having an awesome time.There were about 20 of us, and we practiced for 30 minutes on a giant 7-circuit labyrinth, using a real clew set up (yarn).We don't want to give too many of our special awesome labyrinth running strategies away. Because, you know. We want to be

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-10994244855881664172008-04-06T19:52:00.001-07:002008-04-06T20:19:59.471-07:00

The Lost Game, Labyrinth Run (Kitchener Ontario test run)Originally uploaded by thebruce0. LIVE GAME EVENT in SAN FRANCISCO at SUTRO HEIGHTS PARK on APRIL 20th at 2 PM!You don't have to know anything.You don't have to bring anything.Just show up, alone or with everyone you know. And prepare to have an amazing adventure as you learn how to play The Lost Sport of Olympia.The details for this event

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-49999537686841978152008-03-29T20:28:00.000-07:002008-03-29T20:40:46.583-07:00

Kiyash and I are going to Bangkok for a week, April 26 - May 4. If you're in Bangkok, maybe we could meet up? Or if you know folks in Bangkok, could you help connect us?On our list of things to do:- Meet up with fellow game designers or game researchers, or students learning game design. We don't know any game people in Bangkok, but we would love to!- Go cookie rolling! Do you have any

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-83164518871642361682008-03-25T09:15:00.000-07:002008-03-28T07:39:36.818-07:00

What? You haven't heard of the Great Internet Color Wars of 2008 yet?When you need a quick break from training for the Lost Olympic Sport, join the war and pick a team. It's kind of like middle school field day, but for the Internet people. ^_^The line for the color wars was drawn in the sand with two simple Twitters, geniously unleashed by Ze Frank with no context whatsoever:Good Morning! As you

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-37780982538943873862008-03-12T18:52:00.001-07:002008-03-13T07:46:26.387-07:00

The Lost RingOriginally uploaded by Avant Game. I'm thrilled to officially announce my newest game: The Lost Ring, an alternate reality adventure created for for the 2008 Summer Olympics.As of this week, the game is live and you can play!Here's my recommendation for quick and easy immersion into The Lost Ring:1) First, watch The Lost Ring trailer at http://www.thelostring.com2) Next, learn the

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-22970394165435194552008-03-11T21:30:00.001-07:002008-03-12T16:16:29.992-07:00

Keynote speaker Jane McGonigal doing the Soulja Boy DanceOriginally uploaded by Natasha Lloyd. I had the time of my life presenting at SXSW today. I was pretty nervous about the talk -- it was a keynote, so I really wanted to say something new and interesting and engaging for the awesome (and intimidating!) SXSW crowds. Plus, I was following on the heels of the High Drama of keynote #1 (including

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-42100581376919713722008-03-10T09:44:00.001-07:002008-03-10T09:44:59.610-07:00

sxsw_wwow_wins Originally uploaded by Avant Game. World Without Oil, the first alternate reality game to tackle a real-world problem, won big at SXSW last night.Here, Ken Eklund, Dee Cook, Cathy Fischer and I accept the award on stage. Yay World Without Oil!

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-82570235467723215672008-02-22T17:45:00.001-08:002008-02-22T21:23:54.132-08:00

realityisbrokenOriginally uploaded by Avant Game. Below is the introduction to my Game Designer’s Rant, which I delivered at the Game Developers Conference today. It was really well-received, which I'm happy about. ^_^The GDC Rant, where typically high-profile game designers and developers get to yell and scream about whatever they want, is pretty much my favorite panel of GDC every year. So

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-54422256860459383782008-02-20T17:37:00.000-08:002008-02-20T17:40:10.554-08:00

Hello from the Game Developers Conference -- my favorite, favorite, favorite event of the year!Ian Bogost, Mia Consalvo, and I just gave our annual top 10 game studies download -- a quickfire tour of the ten most interesting and surprising research findings about games and game players from the past year.Our Game Studies Download 3.0 slides our live!You can also check out the references and

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-67766681725815408032008-02-17T15:06:00.001-08:002008-02-17T15:15:00.608-08:00

P1030099Originally uploaded by golanlevin. After being humiliated on a Disney mini golf course by Ze Frank, I had no choice but to spill my design guts for his latest mini-project: a loosely curated collection of digital artists' and designers' thoughts on "audience".Here are the questions he posed to folks like Jonathan Coulton, Imogen Heap, Ji Lee, and myself:"When you make things with an

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-71229777718043285582008-02-14T13:49:00.000-08:002008-02-14T15:10:05.543-08:00

Next week, I'll be in Irvine presenting the beta version of the X2 Club, my first massively multiplayer science game. I've been developing it with an amazing team of researchers and designers at the Institute for the Future. The game is part of IFTF's larger collective intelligence project on the future of science and technology .The X2 Club (you can read about the original X Club here) is an an

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-62335650791040054552008-02-05T18:36:00.001-08:002008-02-05T18:39:31.761-08:00

february08 052 Originally uploaded by Avant Game. It was a snowy cookie rolling adventure in St. Charles, Illinois.This was definitely one of the most satisfying cookie rolling adventures ever. The snowy backdrop combined with an unusual statue made for some of the most dramatic and playful cookie rolling photos to date.Special thanks to my cookie rolling collaborator Bob, who thought of this

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-26222362373212778852008-01-28T16:59:00.001-08:002008-01-28T17:10:44.350-08:00

October2007 105Originally uploaded by Avant Game. If you've been following my cookie rolling project (now almost three years in progress!!), you'll be happy to see I've made a major update to the official cookie rolling text.(In this photo: Can you guess what word I'm about to install in Mother's Party Animal cookies, made locally here in Ann Arbor?)I've added nine new cities, on three different

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-88032187527386499662008-01-25T10:13:00.000-08:002008-01-25T10:26:32.549-08:00

Harvard Business Review publishes an annual "Top 20 Breakthrough Ideas" issue; it's always a fascinating mix of strange and cool and often a little subversive thinking.I'm quite happy that my idea to apply alternate reality game theory to doing real business and real research has made the 2008 list!You can see all 20 breakthrough ideas online, including my article "Alternate Reality is the New

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-66797562061790679722008-01-06T16:13:00.000-08:002008-01-09T16:23:19.474-08:00

I finally got the Nike+ running system (a sneaker sensor + IPod interface)... and I LOVE IT.My run is now a videogame, and I want you to play with me.Here is a link to my first Nike+ run. Before you click on the link, you can guess wildly how far you think I run and what my speed is. How close were you?(In case you're wondering about that big dip in the middle, I've designed my regular run so

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-50414739969549713232007-12-29T14:41:00.000-08:002007-12-29T21:07:51.355-08:00

I was so busy working in 2007, I forgot to blog about most of it! So here is a top 10 countdown looking back at the ideas and projects that I'm very glad were a part of my year, most of which I didn't give enough attention to on this blog.I'm including links to my favorite articles, slide decks, and videos so you can go check out anything you missed. Happy New Year!1. Favorite Change in Mission

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-22497602461690367202007-12-27T18:49:00.000-08:002007-12-29T21:08:47.445-08:00

I'm grateful that in 2007, I was able to introduce more social life and fun back into my life. 2006 was the year I devoted to finishing my disseration, and I really look back on it as a pretty miserably solitaire and austere existence -- at least up until the round-the-world-trip Kiyash and I took when all that was over. I was determined in 2007 to spend a little less time working and a little

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-91002310098375938782007-12-07T16:19:00.000-08:002007-12-07T16:43:20.268-08:00

I've caught wind of an amazing opportunity for someone who is bilingual and who would like to get hands-on experience as an alternate reality game puppet master.This paid, part-time position is for a "jr. puppet master" and "community leader" on a very big, professionally produced alternate reality game. The work is entirely online and can be done on a flexible schedule from anywhere in the

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-86213343957988778832007-11-20T05:44:00.001-08:002007-11-20T05:54:45.437-08:00

Vienna_November07 009Originally uploaded by Avant Game. I landed in Vienna after 18 hours of travel and two sleepless flights. It was snowing, and it was late, and I was exhausted.The conference organizers had arranged a car for me, and the driver met me after baggage. He was just a little older than I am, very energetic, and we struck up a conversation right away. When he found out I had flown

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-55667269753372221772007-11-10T21:52:00.001-08:002007-11-10T21:54:32.305-08:00

I'll be in Vienna Monday through Saturday, November 12 - 17.Do I know anyone there? I'll be at a science summit all week (yay -- more about that soon -- big new science game is happening!) but will have some time for fun, if I know anyone in the city?Also, I need to go cookie rolling and would appreciate any advice on the best cookie in Vienna!Email me at my first name @ the name of this blog dot

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-56922696748209669672007-11-05T09:02:00.000-08:002007-11-05T09:07:36.682-08:00

I have a full-length Op-Ed in the Christian Science Monitor today. The topic: harnessing the power of gamers, naturally... from Halo 3 to World Without Oil!Excerpt:Halopedia is currently the fourth most active wiki on the Wikia network, with almost 4,000 articles and counting. In fact, three of Wikia's top five most active wikis are dedicated to creating shared knowledge about digital games.These

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-47056240836065483962007-11-03T21:50:00.001-07:002007-11-03T21:53:17.378-07:00

November 2007 246 Originally uploaded by Avant Game. Kiyash and I spent Friday night alternate reality gaming in the Castro neighborhood of San Francisco. Along with our co-conspirators and ad hoc teammates -- Kid Beyond, Kristian, Robin , and Cate -- we dedicated the entire evening to completing a custom-designed itinerary of SF0 missions.SF0 is my favorite game these days, besides Werewolf.

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-58686492853296857322007-10-15T15:58:00.000-07:002007-10-15T16:38:38.876-07:00

I've never met another digital games researcher as interested in this topic as I am, but I'm convinced that the World War II era is a treasure trove of brilliant and highly revealing, if sometimes disquieting, historical anecdotes about when and where humans choose to play games to achieve specific psychological and social benefits.For example, I can't recommend highly enough George Eisen's "

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-54026556629077890652007-09-25T08:23:00.000-07:002007-09-25T18:59:38.030-07:00

I'll be in London Sunday afternoon September 30 through Thursday morning October 4.Just a few things on my schedule currently -- mainly, a keynote on collaborative mobile gaming for Mocollywood on Tuesday afternoon. Hopefully a few of the coolest folks in the world -- the London werewolvers -- are working on a game for Wednesday night as well. (Update: It looks like it's on! If you're interested

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-44894094084095270092007-09-11T09:56:00.001-07:002007-09-11T10:03:49.200-07:00

On Friday 9/21, I'm going to be a guest on the Heather Gold show, a very cool, very out-there hybrid talk-show baking-event performance thingy here in San Francisco.I beseech you to come!I am expecting it to be a pretty memorable occasion and am looking forward to the after-party as a good opportunity for face 2 face time with fun people (like yourself!) This is part of my new Must Socialize With

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-57493593142603609972007-09-09T19:48:00.001-07:002007-09-10T06:30:40.113-07:00

C2BK How to Video - ScreenshotOriginally uploaded by Avant Game. It's the one-year anniversary of Cruel 2 B Kind. And to celebrate this milestone, Ian and I have updated the C2BK game website to be 100% do-it-yourself all the time.For the first time, we're making our super secret database of weapons public. We've added a brand new, behind the scenes puppet mastering guide. And we've replaced our

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-61074986619110375192007-08-26T09:11:00.001-07:002007-08-30T15:32:52.835-07:00

Secret Agent or Groom....you decideOriginally uploaded by mostufft. I have a confession. I am a Burning Man widow.* And therefore, I have designed a Secret Burning Man Game.If you or anyone you know is going to Burning Man, I need you to play! So please spread the word.The game is simple. There's only one mission, and it's called "Jane Says Hi."How it works: If you see the man in this picture --

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-79971437516757933352007-08-24T15:04:00.001-07:002007-08-24T15:04:11.028-07:00

IMG_0077 Originally uploaded by Avant Game. Perfect for sight seeing in Barcelona.More photos from my cookie rolling installation (with alfajores) in Barcelona are in this slideshow.As you can see, I installed a period... which means, I have reached the end of my first sentence in the essay! Only several hundred sentences to go...

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-6245073460441078342007-07-31T10:14:00.001-07:002007-07-31T11:26:49.333-07:00

Hanging out at the mobmov in San Francisco Originally uploaded by Avant Game. One of my favorite Friday night things to do is to go to the guerilla drive-in called mobmov (short for mobile movie). It's the perfect combination of introversion and extroversion. For the most part, you're in your own car with close friends and family. But before the show starts, and during an intermission, you

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-85716935632875461842007-07-24T21:31:00.001-07:002007-07-24T22:04:05.662-07:00

... I would write in it tonight. Not because I have anything scandalous or intimate to report. I just feel like talking out loud to myself. And a secret diary really listens in a way that blogs, Word documents or even ordinary journals don't.The view from La CosteraOriginally uploaded by superkiy. Instead, without a secrety diary, I'm lying in my hotel room bed, on the 12th floor of the Grand

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-49342234713826069612007-07-12T14:00:00.001-07:002007-07-12T14:00:22.799-07:00

Barcelona and Santa Cruz de los Seros 127 Originally uploaded by Avant Game. We are fine! Just without internet!Hiking for 2 weeks in the mountains of Aragon. 25 km/day and lovely summit hikes.Back in the U.S. on July 20!

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-12829915439346017132007-07-02T00:53:00.001-07:002007-07-02T00:53:04.120-07:00

Jane McGonigal Originally uploaded by juliancash. Photographer, artist and magical realist Julian Cash took brilliant photos of Foo Campers last weekend. Here I am, with my Werewolf-until-4-AM hangover face. ^_^ grrrrrowl! I do think this photograph effectively documents the aura of alternate reality in which I am constantly suspended. Perhaps not quite as effectively, however, as this

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-62178035384688971482007-06-26T14:19:00.001-07:002007-06-26T14:25:42.295-07:00

Cookie Rolling Melting Moments in Sydney 20Originally uploaded by Avant Game. Yesterday, I cookie rolled at The Gap, a popular suicide leaping off point along the Sydney bluffs. The spot was recommended to me by a local, and it was definitely sufficiently dramatic to pay respects to Sisyphus! Unfortunately I was so busy trying to spell that I forgot to make any cookies leap to their demise by

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-40571720667308283502007-06-13T19:57:00.001-07:002007-06-13T19:58:59.705-07:00

Was this not a game?(Thanks Marie!)

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-8307909692840979662007-06-10T13:49:00.001-07:002007-06-10T13:51:36.452-07:00

IndiaDay1 062Originally uploaded by Avant Game. I'm traveling to Sydney June 25 - 29 and then Barcelona July 5 - 8 and July 16 - 19. I'll be on my own in Sydney and traveling with my husband Kiyash in Barcelona.I am wondering -- do I have any friends in either city? Maybe we met at a conference or through a game or we've exchanged emails but never met...Anyway, if you are reading this and you are

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-80685402549059204622007-05-31T13:42:00.001-07:002007-05-31T13:51:43.901-07:00

Lol dogsOriginally uploaded by Avant Game. Happy Thursday, everyone. I am having a great week. Unfortunately most of what made it so great, I can't talk about publicly. (The one thing I can talk about is that yesterday I met John Edwards at a private lunch, and he was awesome, squeee.) Instead of blabbing the other good stuff, I offer you my own handmade Lol dogs art. Whee!

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-66247413082337675372007-05-16T15:09:00.000-07:002007-05-17T11:52:59.105-07:00

John Gravois has an excellent essay in Slate today about The Awesome Power of Negative Thinking. An excerpt: Karen Cerulo, a professor at Rutgers University, wrote a book last year called Never Saw It Coming. In it, she argues that we are individually, institutionally, and societally hellbent on wishful thinking. The Secret [and so much of popular psychology] tells us to visualize best-case

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-24095089744854866192007-05-14T10:54:00.001-07:002007-05-15T20:46:28.665-07:00

Do you drop spot? I do! A drop spot is a kind of alternative mailbox -- hidden in plain sight.Drop spotting is just plain awesome, and I love it. It's a lot like geocaching, only:-no GPS coordinates or GPS device required!-less rooting around in remote areas!-more visual clue-iness!-and usually less driving involved to get there.So instead of creating geocaches in the wilderness or out-of-the-way

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-88042828523991290132007-05-09T15:41:00.000-07:002007-05-09T18:34:07.206-07:00

I honestly never thought I'd live through this kind of turmoil in the U.S.Burning cars, vanadlism, looting. EVERYWHERE.Even here in Berkeley. 3 women were attacked and robbed yesterday at the biodiesel refueling station. It's come to that. It's not enough to fight over oil, now we're fighting over alternative fuels?8TSOC's Week 10 Update pretty much sums up the current state of the domestic

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-77367766090526361242007-05-01T16:38:00.001-07:002007-05-01T16:44:30.678-07:00

032707_07172.jpg Originally uploaded by Avant Game. Play it-- before you live it.Stop whatever you're doing. Take the next 30 seconds to sign up as a citizen hero for World Without Oil. WWO is a game for good -- the first alternate reality game to tackle a real-world problem. Gamers to save the world? Hell, yes!The game is live as of yesterday, and I hope you will check it out. It runs until

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-71874569409694020502007-04-19T10:52:00.000-07:002007-04-19T10:55:15.444-07:00

Watch a 5-minute piece on Cruel 2 B Kind (see what it looks like in action) here. (This video was produced for Current TV by Kiyash Monsef.)

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-61523941547343367872007-04-10T16:21:00.001-07:002007-04-10T16:26:14.356-07:00

IMG_0734 Originally uploaded by thebruce0. We've hit a real sweet spot in our Cruel 2 B Kind design and local puppet master mentorship. Games are popping up everywhere now! You can sign up to play in games all over the world right here.*In the next month alone, you can play Cruel 2 B Kind run by local PMs in LA, Seattle, Toronto, and Gotenberg - and we're adding more games every week, so keep

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-44421553883827114322007-03-30T08:12:00.000-07:002007-03-30T12:27:48.675-07:00

Dear 30 year old thug who jacked my suitcase on the train last night,I woke up still feeling very sad and sick about the loss of my things. Sad, because those things had tremendous personal value to me. Sick, I guess because that's what it feels like to be a victim of crime, sort of violated, and because other people saw him steal the bag and didn't stop him.Kiyash drove me to the train stop

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-18688926603842125222007-03-27T11:51:00.000-07:002007-03-30T14:29:37.654-07:00

I just finished my Etech keynote "Creating Alternate Realities - what the new game designers know about improving quality of life." Yay! It was a totally new presentation, created this week from scratch, and so I was a bit nervous about debuting it. I am happy that it was very well-received.Here's the abstract:This talk will explore what the new game designers know about improving everyday

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9475965.post-64725417157796346222007-03-11T09:23:00.000-07:002007-03-11T09:29:43.080-07:00

The top 10 academic research findings about digital games are now available for your review.This list was compiled by Ian Bogost, Mia Consalvo, and myself. Our criteria:-novel questions are asked-surprising results are found-direct relevance to the design and development of digital gamesTopics covered this year include the importance of humor in dark or violent games and opportunities to design

Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05045030552279368577noreply@blogger.com1