A new feature at MBMPL is reviews of Tabletop games, while the site is still undergoing some upgrades, the reviews are now viewable, and will be expanded upon in the coming month. In the future I hope this becomes a valuable resource for all types of gaming, but I must begin somewhere. In the mean time enjoy.

At Gen-Con I learned about a new magazine Massive focusing on MMORPGs. I must admit at first I had my hesitations about the format with all of the discussion about magazines ceasing publication. This one however was different. Unlike other gaming magazines I have seen this magazine has more focus on the positive aspects of the game, with highlights from dozens of virtual environments. The first issue answers the question of what is a MMO and what will it be in the future.

I recommend this specific issue for anyone interested in virtual environments and MMORPG gaming. It also has the potential to be a balanced addition to a libraries magazine collection.

Sports can be considered a waste of money and time. Players are paid more than citizens who teach future generations are. Individuals will spend hundreds of dollars for to watch players, collect items related to the game, and even building places for the players to play. Sports have negative effects at times of allowing players to ignore learning relying on physical ability to make it through life. Yet we as a society accept Sports as a recreational activity where families can bond, children can gain values as a member of a team, and individuals can support the economy. Why do we find it difficult to accept that this would apply to other types of games?

Remember that games are just one of dozens of choices for recreational activities. Just as valuable as knitting, golfing, movie watching and more.

Each year Games Quarterly sponsors National Games Week November 19th-25th. Companies related to tabletop gaming provide sponsorship, and participants can purchase discounted game packages from the various sponsors.

Games Quarterly is a Magazine dedicated to the educational value of table top games, and through the celebration of National Games Week, promotes the use of games in classrooms.

I encourage every library interested in gaming having a game day during this special week. Try hosting a CCG tournament, having a family gaming night, or simply setting out a board game for the after school teens.

Looney Labs is a game company that makes some fun, fast-paced, light hearted games. One of my favorites is Fluxx, but at Gen-Con this year I finally sat down to play one of their Icehouse games. These games use plastic pyramids of three varying shapes. Treehouse was the first one I played where players take turns moving a stack of three pyramids (starts stacked small on medium, on a large) to match a designated pattern in the middle (large on its side facing out, small in the middle upright, and medium on its side facing out) Players take turns rolling a die that tells them how to move the pieces. This was a fun game in itself, but these pyramid pieces can be used for more than just Treehouse. Over the years the mind behind Looney Labs, Andy Looney, has opened the game to fans who have created their own games. Now there are hundreds of games you can play with these pieces, some of which have been highlighted in a book sold by Looney Labs.

This game is accessible to all ages. I would recommend libraries who are looking for something to interest patrons purchasing either one set of Treehouse or five. (with five you can play almost any icehouse game) This would make a great table top program, and allow patrons to also create their own games and submit them to looney labs.

Gen-Con is a large convention about the size of ALA for table top gamers. Four years ago this convention came to my home town and I went for one day. The next year I started hosting board games, and this year I attended with a GM badge.

Like ALA there is an exhibit hall, and session. At this conference the sessions consist of games which you pay to play ($1.50 for 2 hours or less). The exhibit hall is open from 10am to 6pm so I scheduled my events for times when the hall wasn’t open.

Some of the biggest companies had new games to show, and the independent developers had many fun and original board and card games. As I demoed games I found some I loved and some that would work well in a library. The following is a list of the new games with difficulty rating:

Xig 1 A puzzle game where you play pieces to form a connected line from a fixed start and end point.

Hex Hex 2 A player throws in a Hex(bomb) and players must use cards to move it away from them or it goes off

County Zzzzz 1.5 Use specialized cards to create good dreams.

You’ve been Sentenced 1.5 Using 10 word cards with five different word tenses create a sentence that makes sense.

Infinity 2 Think Rummy with special cards that skip turns, and add bonuses.

Deadman’s Treasure 1.5 Collect the most gold from islands. Players bid for the island while a Pirate and a ghost rotate around islands to add bonuses

Mimic 2 In a Grid of 7 x 7 you play cards to create matching pairs to earn points.

Mix Up 1.5 Like Connect four but you use tiles that vary by three shapes and colors. One player has to connect four shapes while the other connects colors.

Slap Wacky 1 Players play simultaneously to complete shapes. When a shape is complete a player slaps it and takes it off the board to earn points.

You’re Pulling my Leg 1.5 A game of truth or dare without dare. A player draws a card with a noun on it rolls a die in a cup. If the die says T then the player tells a true story related to the noun. If F a player tells a fib. The other players must then vote on whether they think the player is lying or telling the truth

Jabber Jot 2 Tell a story using three pictures and three words determined drawn from the “judge”

Ingenious 2.5 Place tiles on a board in line with the same shape and color. You earn points based on the number of shapes in the row you placed the tile, and the object is to out of all the players be advanced the most in the color you the player have the least in. (so if I had blue 5, yellow 4, green 6, and orange 7 My opponent’s smallest number would need to be more than four.)

Fruits Basket 3 This game takes images from the Fruits Basket Anime and translates it into a Card Game. Each of Tokru’s friends represent the zodiac and are placed in order in a circle. Tokru moves around trying to make friends. In your hand you draw memories and events that help you make friendship. This game is really nice because the cards that represent friendship are actually a deck of normal playing cards with images from the show.

I’ll write up more information with links to order and companies later after I rest

To help you understand the previous ratings here is a list of classic games with difficulty rating:

Dominoes 1
Rummy 2
Monopoly 3
Munckin 3
Settlers of Cataan 3
Fluxx 1
Icehouse 1
Apples to Apples 1.5
Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot 3.5
Carcassonne 2.5
Water Works 1
Scrabble 2.5
Empire Builder 4
Bohonza 2.5
San Juan 3

What better way to show your support for gaming than offering a program during National Games Week. Sponsored by Games Quarterly this event is for all games not simply electronic.

Save your calendars for November 19-25, 2006

I can’t wait to hear about your exciting programs.

*For support and ideas feel free to participate in ALA Communities with the YALSA Interest Group or the Libgaming Google Group

A new issue of Games and Culture (1 July 2006; Vol. 1, No. 3) is available online at

The below Table of Contents is available online at: http://gac.sagepub.com/content/vol1/issue3/?etoc

The Mangle of Play

Constance Steinkuehler

Games and Culture 2006;1 199-213
http://gac.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/1/3/199

Restricted Play: Synergy and the Limits of Interactivity in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Video Game

Robert Alan Brookey and Paul Booth

Games and Culture 2006;1 214-230
http://gac.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/1/3/214

Hybrid Reality Games Reframed: Potential Uses in Educational Contexts

Adriana de Souza e Silva and Girlie C. Delacruz

Games and Culture 2006;1 231-251
http://gac.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/1/3/231

Live Action Role-Playing Games: Control, Communication, Storytelling, and MMORPG Similarities

Anders Tychsen, Michael Hitchens, Thea Brolund, and Manolya Kavakli

Games and Culture 2006;1 252-275
http://gac.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/1/3/252

“Library for books? Don’t you mean my gaming library! LOL!!!” by Brazil la Zamba

“Hey, Brazil la Zamba. Library doesn’t mean books, you idiot! ” by Tom

Comments from Joystiq’s article about Prey

of my classes I wanted to feature teen online spaces. I was listening to Stephen Abrahms at ALA, and I realized that librarians may not understand the preferences of teens who use their web pages. If you aren’t familiar with Stephen Abrams check out his article in Library Journal Born with a Chip

Compare your teen page (or library website if you don’t have a teen page) with these examples of well designed teen pages, and comerial cites popular with teens.

Library Pages

Minuteman Library Network

Watertown Public library Teen Page

Springfield Public LIbrary teen Page

North State Cooperative Library System Teen Page

New York Public Library Teen Page

My Own Cafe

Denver Public Library’s Myspace Page

Library Loft

Seattle Public Library’s Teen Page

Haverhill Public Library’s Teen Page

Teen Spaces

Deviant Art

MTV

Yahoo Music

VH1

Myspace

Live Journal

Facebook

Flickr

World of Warcraft

NeoPets

YouTube

How does your library compare?