Archive for the ‘Games’ Category

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Mind over Pain


25 Oct

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What would you think if your doctor gave you the option of virtual pain relief? You might be concerned that “virtual” pain relief would not relieve anything, but for those who are concerned about developing an addiction to powerful narcotics, the option might be very welcomed.

Enter SnowWorld, a virtual reality game that is played by burn patients during their daily would care- care that can be more painful than getting the burn itself. SnowWorld gives the patient something else to focus on, and does it so well that they often feel less pain than they did when taking drugs.

Your Money Friday: Gambling


12 Oct

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What do you think of gambling? Is it sad? Are the people there just throwing away their money? Or is it a form of entertainment? Are casinos a waste of money or job creators- all the way from construction through the dealers and cocktail waitresses?

Having lived in NV for twelve years, I don’t gamble much. I know how addicting the slots and the poker machines can be. I’ve played them. But as long as it is a form of entertainment, I don’t see anything wrong with gambling. It can be a fun way to spend and evening with friends.

Summer Olympics


30 Jul

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I love the Olympics. Love them. I spent the weekend watching fencing, archery, beach volleyball, indoor volleyball, diving, swimming, cycling, and gymnastics. We watched via television programming, online video, and even a live stream or two.

We are not huge sports fans in our house, especially not my husband. But something about the Olympics makes me want to watch things I’d never otherwise watch. (Okay, I totally watch gymnastics and beach volleyball if I come across them, but I don’t go looking for them.)

Anyway, I love the Olympics and am looking forward to two more full weeks of competition.

Game Review: Arkham Horror Curse of the Dark Pharaoh


08 Mar

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The Curse of the Dark Pharoah expansion for Arkham Horror speeds up the game, bringing the Ancient One out sooner, and giving the players fewer gates to close before he appears. That is especially frustrating when your Ancient One is also designed to slow the closing of gates.
The players did win, but only because the Ancient One came out quite quickly, before our terror level was too high, and because we used the gate tokens we did get to become blessed. Being blessed and a willingness to share items in the final fight is what allowed us to win.

Game Review: Arkham Horror


15 Jan

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Played Arkham Horror for the first time. We (the players) actually won the game. Our Ancient One never came out as we managed to close all gates on the board, with us having more gate tokens than players. I’m not really certain it is supposed to be as “easy” as it was.

The first few turns took a while as we all got used to the rules and style of play, but after that, things moved well. I still think our game took 90+ minutes though, so it’s not something that’s going to replace Dominion. Less time that Runebound though.

The Power of Community #pennyarcade


28 Dec

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Now maybe it’s because I live in Seattlethat I know the power of Penny Arcade. Maybe it’s that I’m a gamer, married to a gamer, so I know the cliquishness of the gaming community when it comes to standing up for one another in the face of bad games, bad service, bad end user agreements, etc.

But really, if you’re going to make a product for the gamer community, these are things you should understand. Bad press on Penny Arcade can, in fact, kill your product. And threatening a smear campaign against Penny Arcade? That’s just stupid, and unrealistic.

Join the Class Action


22 Dec

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Posted in Games | 1 Comment »

Companies are regularly trying to limit their legal liabilities by limiting their customers’ legal rights. Don’t believe me? Go read you credit card agreement. I bet it says in there that you do not have the right to sue the credit card company, that all disputes must be handled by binding arbitration, that takes place in a state of their choosing.

Some people are fighting back. Or at least one guy is, against Sony, who thought they could right a terms of use agreement that would prevent their customers from joining class action suits.

I’m rooting for the class action.

My Favorite Console Games: Lord of the Rings Third Age


28 Nov

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Because when I’m sick, I like to sit in the comfy chair in the living room and play old console games. I spent a good portion of this weekend playing Third Age.

It is a turn based not quite strategy, not quite RPG. You go from point A to point B. You have some choice when it comes to character skill development.

This is the first time I’ve played it on the 360, so I’m starting all over from the beginning. It feels a little like cheating though, because I know what skills I need and when I need them.

Geek Girl Con: Women Running Geeky Businesses


11 Oct

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Posted in Discrimination, Games, Science, Software, Technology | 2 Comments »

I attended 2 panels at Geek Girl Con.

I was disappointed in Women Running Geeky Businesses- not because of the panelists, who were great, but because it didn’t focus on the challenges of being a woman running a business, running a geeky business, or being a woman running a geeky business. It was mostly about how to run a business. That’s not bad, but also not what I’m looking for in a panel specifically about being a WOMAN running a GEEKY business.

There are gender issues in geek culture. That’s why this con exists. I wanted to hear those addressed.

Geek Girl Con is a Success


10 Oct

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Geek Girl Con sold out on both Saturday and Sunday. In fact, I got there late enough on Saturday to check in with my pre-bought ticket that they did not actually have any 2 Day passes left- the girl had to take a guest pass, cross out the “guest” and write 2 Day on it. They were also out of lanyards and the generic con swag bags.

I am thrilled that the con did so well in its first year. There is definite room for improvement, but the first ever Geek Girl Con definitely has to be considered a success.

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