Gamers Over 50 Podcast: Recent Episodes
Mitch @ Gamers Over 50
Turning 50 and loving games; card, board, handheld, cabinet, console, PC and Phone/Tablet games. I wanted to start a podcast for all my 50+ and younger friends of gaming. Sharing experiences, talking to industry folks, giving updates from gaming shows and helping everyone learn about and enjoy games of all genres!
For a while I have been doing this podcast on my own, and changing the format to reviews has been great but it needed something. I found that something in my new podcast partner Bibi! This is an introduction to BiBi and we will be doing addendums to the first few game reviews and then playing games together going forward!
Fortnite is not just a shooting game with Battle Royale but it is 5 more game modes! It is also one of the hottest games out there since 2017! It is also one of the first shooter games I have reviewed!
Mario Kart has been around forever, well since the SNES and it has become one of the big games that is developed for new Nintendo platforms. It may be the greatest racing game ever created and I loved going down memory lane when doing this review!
Madden NFL or just Madden is the cornerstone of sports video games. John Madden was an icon in every facet of football and he brought his charisma and passion to everything he did in football and life. If you love the NFL then this is the perfect companion to your weekly subscription of games, your fantasy football roster and all of your team gear/clothing! It will definitely get you through the offseason and let your team win the super bowl (try Rookie mode first)!!!
The first game review is Stardew Valley, one of the greatest games ever made! Developed by Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone, and still getting updates, enjoy the review!
Gamers Over 50 has been a lot of fun researching and learning about games and genres of games. Then I hit a wall on developing content...so I just played a lot of games!
I started to think about games, then specifically games for us over 50. Should I play this game, do I need better hardware or different hardware? Is the pace of the game too fast or slow, do I have enough time to play the game or other factors.
I also realized some games have me sitting and clicking way too much. Do I need to sit in front a monitor to the point I get eye strain, or I sit way too much!
I put together some factors and am going to take some of the games I have played and put these factors in play to help give a better view of games for those over 50!
The interesting and obscure of the Christmas holiday was on my mind today and I took to the interweb to find some fun facts you can tell others any year, but especially this year. I also tried to track Santa with NORAD while recording!
So I am traveling like a majority of people this holiday season and while I may not go over an ocean or continent to continent and get stuck on a deserted island. I could get stuck in an airport or at our rental without electricity! I thought about grabbing a book to read or reread or a movie to watch or rewatch and some of the games I can travel with that would be great in an airport, at the house without power or along the way!
So there is a holiday coming up this week in the US and you may have some extra time with a couple days off or you work with folks in the US and they are all gone and not driving you crazy (I am very sorry for everything I do to drive my coworkers crazy) and you also have some extra time as well.
In my first ever game review podcast I am going to review three of the biggest games this year and a couple other games I really liked and give my first, on a scale of 1-10, Gamers Over50 ratings!
Need a movie recommendation for this years Halloween or Samhain? Well I have a set of non-slasher type movies, Freddy do not visit me tonight, you either Michael or Jason, we already have a goalie for street hockey! I chose some of my favorite all time supernatural and monster movies that are classics and some that may not be considered classics but I love them! Some of the greatest actors and directors are in here too!
Halloween is not just about candy, but it has some really historical references attached to it that have been based on the lore and traditional stories around the Supernatural. The Supernatural is a great genre for everything not 100% SciFi or Fantasy but based in fiction or partial fact, and it's soooo cool! In this podcast I go in to that genre with one particular universe that has crossed gaming, entertainment, literature, LARPing and many other areas!
After a game is developed and produced, distributed and on the shelves or ready to be downloaded there are a bunch of ways to make money! In this episode I go through a lot and I mean a lot of ways to make some money, maybe not enough to live on or maybe you hit it big (don't trust that). Through this podcast I haven't advertised and don't plan on it for at least 24 more episodes, but I did start trying in another way and it has evolved in to a christmas ornament! (link below)
Anywho, you can take your joy of video, board, card, dice, mobile games and make some extra money if you have the time!
Meet Snowey Snowcone, who was brought together through my 3d modeling and printing podcasts! https://www.etsy.com/listing/1556361218/snowey-snowcone
PAX 2023 had so many great games and in this episode I discussed 11 that are were definite winners if you are looking for a great game to play now or put on your wishlist! I was so very very very impressed with the diversity of games this year, so many genres, game types and the subject matter of the games was again so diverse and really a breath of fresh air!
In this episode, I recap PAX West 2023 and give my Top 10 Favorite parts of the game convention and also give my 5 things I would change in all conventions! PAX West utilized the new Seattle Convention Center space aka Summit and the original space Apex this year and delivered one of my favorite gaming conventions ever!
Huge thank you to Kate, Wayne and Heather for joining this podcast and sharing their perspectives on PAX West 2023!
In this podcast we will talk about where to find 3d models created by others, either for pay or for free. I will also go through my experience with 3d printing, this is mainly to show you that someone with zero experience in all of the 3d printing concepts can 3d print and a few tips on what I have learned!
Also while prepping for this episode, I downloaded Autodesk Fusion, created my very own 3d model and have successfully printed it several times!
This podcast may a bit longer than normal, the subject matter is pretty expansive! We jump in to the WABAC machine (thank you to Mr Peadbody and Sherman) and discuss 3d Modeling's origins, history, innovations and some programs to 3d Model!
I apologize for not checking the recording, first terrible mistake in 71 episodes, unless you count all the terrible pronounciations, but we are friends right?
By 2023 I bet you have heard, are an enthusiast or maybe you are or know a professional 3d printer. If not, then this is a podcast for you, but it's really for everyone because there are some incredibly obscure factsabout 3d printing, the Hugo Awards and even a terrible Jimmy Stewart impression!
I really can't believe it has taken this long to talk about Pinball! Pinball machines are so insanely cool and the history around this is even cooler! To paraphrase Outkast, it is Ice Cold! Pinball is an iconic part of our world and the advent could be discussed as a mythos and everyone has most likely played a pinball machine if not sat and watched others. This episode also allowed me to discuss one of my favorite print, tv and cinema genre's too! (have to listen to hear about it!)
It has been almost 14 months since the last podcast was recorded. Simply I hit a wall and started finding myself getting in the weeds of topics and I was worried this was becoming less fun and more a have to do. So I went on a quest, well a lot of quests and am really excited to share what I have seen, learned and done!
Including!
- 3d Printing
- Dioramas
- Models
- Conventions
- Other Podcasts
- Games and Games and more Games
- Books
- A new language!
- Still looking for the Obscure
I am looking forward to include some videos, pictures and maybe streaming some topics as well!
Thank you as always for listening!
To set the stage for this podcast, I want you to think of something from your childhood to say 18 years old which you thought was amazing and maybe never owned or only saw the commercial. For me it was the game Dark Tower. This podcast is everything Dark Tower and I mean everything! It's also some great facts from 1981 when Milton-Bradley released the Dark Tower electronic board game.
This is a hugely complicated topic as my knowledge base on the subject is big but in some areas of video game development I am going to bet it will expand and I hope anyone listening learns something too.
Prior to the creation of Game Engines, every part of a video games for consoles or PC's was created by the development team. A game engine can hold the basic concepts for a game, or be a template that can be built upon. Let's jump in to what a Game Engine is and then the pieces and a few examples of game engines with maybe a few games developed for each!
One of my goals this year was to learn a language and I looked at programming languages, then I looked at programming languages for games. There is a rich history from Assembly as a first language built to run cabinet games to many other languages. This is not the comprehensive list of programming languages but I tried to pick some from the last 5 decades and then also jump in to API's as well! This is the first in a series on Game Development.
Virtual Reality is one of the most interesting topics in technology/gaming and the thought of it has been around for "(have to listen to hear when!)" and it is still evolving today! In this episode there is history, hardware, software, use, context and of course Obscure Facts! I was unable to enter the Matrix (Thanks Morpheus....) but I did put on a VR Headset and researched the heck out of the subject! Enjoy!
Back behind the Mic! I finished out 2021 and started 2022 with a ton of fun including getting crafty (not the Beastie Boy type), reading (woo that is not boring, unless it's what I am reading!), having a really fun time with family for the holidays and playing a couple games so much that I should get a patch for my jean jacket! Looking forward to a bunch of topics for 2022 and even some special guests!
“Patience's design flaw became obvious for the first time in my life: the outcome is decided not during the course of play but when the cards are shuffled, before the game even begins. How pointless is that?” David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas
One of the first card games I learned was Solitaire also known as Klondike, my grandmothers both played it to pass the time and challenge themselves and others in our family. The history of Solitaire is so cool and definitely worth a look, listen and play a few of the over 300+ version of Patience or Solitaire!
Buying games can be very easy, you can jump on Amazon or head to Target, Walmart, Game Stop or another big company. In this episode I share some other places to shop and find items that your gamer or yourself will enjoy!
The last 5 games to get to 25 for the Holiday Game Gift Guide!
- Mazescape
- Azul
- Happy Little Dinosaur
- Warhammer 40,000:Battlesector
- Machinarium
This was a lot of fun doing research, playing, reading and learning about all of these games!
5 more games for a total of 20! (5 more to go!)
- Gorinto
- King of Tokyo
- Shindig
- TOEM - A Photo Adventure
- Sorcery! Parts 1 & 2
The next five games!
- One Night Ultimate Werewolf
- Mountain Goats
- Fantasy Ranch
- Lost in Random
- Among Us
10 more games to go!
The next 5 games in the Holiday Game Gift Guide episode are!!!!
- Raccoon Tycoon
- Dinosaur World
- Gonuts for Donuts
- The Artful Escape
- Valheim
10 Games down 15 to go!
The first 5 games in the Holiday Game Gift Guide episode are!!!!
- Gloomhaven
- Dice Miner
- Guess in 10 Animal Planet
- It Takes Two
- Chicory: A Colorful Tale
Very short podcast, giving the details of the next 6 episodes! I checked out, read, watched videos and even bought and played some of the 25 games that I think would be awesome for holiday gifts! There are 15 board/card/dice and 10 video games, they range all over the age spectrum and the cost is between $20 - $$$! Enjoy these next 5 podcasts and then the 61st will be where to buy these games!
And away we go!!!
From the dawn of time humans have loved there heroes, from Gilgamesh the first recorded hero up to the Avengers and Justice League. They can fly, swim, run fast, bend metal, read minds and always save the day! In the last podcast we celebrated Batman day, but the Bat as the great Kevin Smith (please put me in the next Jay and Silent Bob, Clerks or Toxic Avenger movie!!!) calls him is just one of thousands of heroes! Super Heroes normally get their start in a comic book or graphic novel, which are modern works of art and some times the inspiration for everything in between. Super heroes are the embodiment of us wanting a better world and to help others, their antagonists on the other hand are just a bunch of stinkers, my grandmother would have called them that just like she called Rick Flair when he was a heel in tv wresting growing up! But we love them too and love when they make the switch to good. This is the first of a lot of podcasts, not in order but I will follow up because no content base for games is bigger than heroes, the super ones especially!
It is hard to not like Batman, unless you have committed a crime in Gotham City or the DC Universe. Batman is also huge in video games, pick a platform any platform. From the early PC days to the latest consoles and mobile devices the caped crusader is everywhere! I try really hard to provide cool facts in the podcasts so let's dive in to the Dark Knight, the Caped Crusader, Mr. Wayne, Bruce or The Batman!
Kate Edwards (of IGDA, Global Game Jam, Take This board member) joins me to discuss our visit to PAX West 2021! It was surreal to get to a convention but the folks at PAX West did a fantastic job delivering! Thank you to to the Companies, the PAX Enforcers and fellow attendees for making PAX West awesome!
I am excited to announce that I will be attending PAX West 2021 in Seattle. It is exciting and it will definitely be different for me to go to a large gathering of people in doors. So with this I am prepping for the convention! If you want to take something from this episode, it can be a good way to prep for a convention, so you get to do as much as possible and especially enjoy the parts of the event you choose to enjoy!
The title of this episode is a tribute to the movie Head of State by Chris Rock, anytime they say Security you get a WAAAAHHHH after and it cracks me up anytime I hear the word Security. I started reading and learning about computer security when I was 8 with the Enigma project and have worked in the Security industry, this podcast is not too technical but gets in to the social and technical areas of security with games.
My personal commentary in life is winning is not everything, but in games it kind of is? You want the achievement or the high score or the super cool items. Now you can win by spending hours and days grinding away at a game, buying the game guide, meticulously searching for items to build the item to get the item or achievement. Or you can use an easier way, cheating or eluding or sidestepping or skirting or eschewing?
By now you have either donned a set of headphones, earphones, a microphone and speakers or used your cell phone to connect to a voice chat application during a game. In gaming like life communication is key and being able to talk to people you are playing with is really important. Maybe during a video or board or dice or card game?
Getting back to more informational with some opinion subjects as I get closer to 50 episodes, this topic is going to be all about money, well money spent after you install/download a game.
One of my favorite parts of researching C64 software was the trip down memory lane. It wasn't all games but I would be remiss again to mention how much we used Print Shop and AceWriter in our home. Now again we had an Apple but a lot of the software that was created for the Apple was first created for the C64. I used a statistic of .08% titles of software per C64 sold. Now I also said 12,500 titles were created but I just said 23,000 titles well those 11,500 titles were created by programmers, and uploaded, sneakered or shared in magazines, books or printouts! You can still find a lot of these titles available and if you have a C64 Mini you can download a lot of these titles or if you have an old programming magazine you can even type in one of your own!
If you are over 50 then you remember hearing about the first personal computers, it could have been from Radio Shack/Tandy, Apple, IBM or one of the coolest computers and yes a computer can be cool ever made. The Commodore 64 has a following like the Grateful Dead, the McRib or my favorite Primanti Brothers and if you don't know Primanti Brothers you might be missing out on true food love, look it up.
In the last episode I talked about some historical video games you can play, relive the past and maybe learn something (hopplites!!!) In this episode it is all historical board games, Trains, Culture and Landscapes!!! Landscapes can be cool?
So here are some additional ways to talk about these board games, Roads, Industry and City Boundaries!
Who doesn't love a future sci-fi game with Terminators walking down the street or a Romeo and Juliet style romance between extra-terrestrial families? I do, however I do love historical games a bit more! In this podcast I talk about games that are fun to play in 5 minutes, 30 minutes or you can spend a weekend (don't do that, go outside and wear a mask!). World of Tanks, World of Warships and Age of Empires franchise are just a few of the historical games and I spent the last 3 weeks playing and getting back in to each of them! Next podcast is historical board games!
There is an awesome movie that details the personal computer revolution, The Pirates of Silicon Valley. If you ever wondered what might have been happening between Apple and Microsoft, great cast and a really good representation of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. In the movie Anthony Michael Hall who plays BillG is having a discussion with Noah Wylie who plays Steve Jobs, where he talks about Xerox and how both companies took tech/ideas from Xerox and used them in their hardware and software.
Well Intellivision, in my humble opinion, is the Xerox of video game consoles.
Atari was my first video game console, like all of our firsts, except that first time someone suggested I try chewing tobacco, Atari still holds a special place in my memories. It was the start of the home video game revolution and if you are over 50, chances are you knew someone with or had an Atari 2600/VCS yourself. The history of Atari is interesting, sorted and sometimes sad as it was the first all of the "pitfalls" were not good. Atari also had what is considered the worst video game title ever, which created an urban legend and gave the game more fame! I am being coy about the games I talk about but not combat-ive to give some clues for Atari nostalgists like myself. One thing, if you had an Atari and can get your hands on the new versions with a large number of games on them, go out and beat your kids one afternoon and relive your childhood a bit!
In this episode I research Emulators or how to play games you may not have access to play anymore. Well they are available with an emulator like Stella, AppleWin, Visual Boy Advance and/or Archive.org! I spent a ton of time playing games from the 70's, 80's and 90's and you can too! This will not be the last emulator episode but it sure was a ton of fun to research.
In this episode I have a special guest, 11 year Old Lucy! We talk about simulation games and how much fun they are and what we enjoy about them. I have to be straight forward, I did not think that simulation games would be as exciting to me a year ago, it is getting close to what I play mainly now. They are fun, easy to play, not a lot of commitment and mistakes are expected and easily corrected! Even Oxford University has done studies on how good simulation games are for happiness and reducing stress and anxiety. The other really cool thing about simulation games are you can play them on any device or platform! This was a really fun episode to research and fun to record with Lucy, we hope you enjoy it!
Live Action Role Playing is the last RPG topic I wanted to discuss when discussing RPG's. It might be my favorite and one area that we can definitely get involved during a pandemic. LARP'ing can cross historical, literature, artistic and creative boundaries for participants. There is a rich history and a ton of information to read upon, use to LARP and even take the next step and share it with others! If you want a great subject to read and study on a break, take a look at LARP!
If you are bored with the RPG topics, then I apologize but I don't because I may have saved the best two for last. The last one is really cool but I am not telling you what it is!!! In this podcast, I am going to talk about MMORPG's or Massively Multi-Player Online Role Playing Games. I am going to talk about what makes up the games from the characters MMORPG, the themes, some interesting players and the top 10 games as decided by some experts in the field!
In Episode 35 we talk about ERPG's and what makes a game an ERPG. In this episode I discussed the different categories of ERPG's and even played almost all categories, except one where I could not find an emulator. Each category has an RPG component, some even have small similarities to tabletop games and others have created entire new worlds. The best part of this episode (for me) was playing the games! A couple I still play and they are almost timeless and one from Japan that is so amazing it makes me really think about learning Japanese to follow the game more closely. Either way you look at ERPG's there is definitely a category for you!
Wikipedia gives a really clinical answer to what makes a Computer, Electronic or Video Game RPG "A role-playing video game (commonly referred to as simply a role-playing game or an RPG as well as a computer role-playing game or a CRPG) is a video game genre where the player controls the actions of a character (and/or several party members) immersed in some well-defined world." There is so much more to it than being on a computer, console or tablet and I even try to compare ERPG's with TableTop RPGs! Add in a little history and even some cultural differences and the first of a two part'r is complete! Next episode goes in to ERPG's by category and there are a lot of categories!!!
Apologies for it taking so long to get a new recording out, should be two this week and yes they will be RPG related!
TableTop, Electronic or LIve Action Role Playing Games are three very different categories of game with many similarities. I walk through what each are in this podcast, giving some examples of how each of these types of RPG's have changed the gaming world. I share some of my favorite maybe never heard RPG's and lay the ground work for some additional podcasts on each category. If you have never dungeon crawled then you may want to after this podcast!
So much is happening and there is great change in the world. It is time for us to have more understanding and listening instead of talking. I have learned a lot listening first and asking questions to get perspective.
I have also been playing a lot of games with my kids and learning better ways to play, not just the rules or variants on the rules. Learning how to help my kids build out better skill sets and how we can all enjoy games together! This is one of those topics that there are many opinions, in this case I took a Phd.'s article; Darcia F. Narvaez Ph.D. - Why Play With a Child? Children expect to play with parents and play helps both grow!
This is a topic to be revisited and see if the guidance has worked!
We finish off the 20 game tournament. First reaction, YAY we finished...... I blame putting Monopoly as the last game we played in there, but we had to end it somewhere and I wasn't going to let Yahtzee have that honor (yes I have an unhealthy relationship with the Y game, it's because I suck at it...)! One of the things I learned doing this tourney was 20 games take a long time to play and when I say long, I mean 4+ weeks long. I think we will do a video game version or maybe something travel related where the games have to be easy to play in a small space in a short time. All joking aside, it was really good for us to play all these games and for everyone to learn a new game or two that we now like to play together! And now I have done a 3 part podcast, yay for that?
As we continued our journey of gaming in a tournament, we play some old old old school games and a couple new ones. We play probably my least favorite game and a couple of my favorites in games 5-12 of the tourney. One thing we really understand is that we can't play games every night and we take a couple days off here and there as well.
What is more fun than a tournament, jousting, giant turkey legs fun costumes! Oh wait not that type of tournament, a games tournament, more specifically a board games tournament! I asked members of my household to each pick games until we reached 20. The rest as they say is what this and the next two podcasts are about. I hope you enjoy obscure facts about board games, some of them previously discussed and even one game new to me!
The Legend of Zelda is considered one of the best game franchises/sets of games ever. It has everything we love in a game with a Hero - Link, a Heroine - Princess Zelda and a Bad Guy - Ganon! There are many different timelines to the games and even a split on if Link wins or doesn't or does he? At 19 different games you can find a lot of playing time among the franchise. I thought of doing 2 podcasts for this topic and decided that 2 cups of coffee would help me speak a bit faster (just kidding, there was so much to talk about and I am a big fan of the Legend of Zelda franchise). If you haven't played Legend of Zelda, Ocarina in Time, Breath of the wild or any of the games in between then you are in for a big surprise! If you have, I hope that there are some cool facts and surprises in this episode for you!
It has been an interesting month, I fell in to the doldrums quite a bit and pulled myself out. We aren't alone in this phase of living, there are some great things games can do for us and we need others or ourselves to do them as well. I have played a ton of games including online, tablet, card and a board game tournament that is ongoing.
A quick run down of the future podcasts:
- It's all Zelda
- Game Tournaments at home or online
- Virtual Reality and Gaming
- RPG's, like all the RPG types, yes including LARP'ing!!!!
I had been working on a big RPG set of episodes and another one on The Legend of Zelda and then we were all told to stay inside. Apologies if this podcast isn't too informative, although I do talk about 2 new games, well 3, oh wait 4 games I am playing! I promise some really full content in the next episode, unless you love this one and I can try to do another in 4 more weeks!
In the last episode I talked about multiplayer games and the hardware/tablets you could play them on. In this episode it is all about the games, multiplayer and some single player (although if there is every a head to head crossword game, I am going to try and win it all!). Playing games with family and friends remotely may be a great option to stay in touch, make some fun memories and also have some fun which helps reduce anxiety and stress! I took an amalgamation of categories from iTunes, Google Play and Amazon App store to walk through 19 different types of games and examples of games for each category. It is not a complete list, but a good start and I always want to hear of cool games to play! I really hope this podcast and the last episode help increase happiness in everyone as we all go through this difficult time together! Enjoy and play as many games as possible, but watch out for in-app purchases, you don't get the money back even if you hit the super grand jackpot in casino slots!
We all have a family member or friend who is in the 60 plus category and very susceptible to the Corona-virus/COVID-19. In Episode 21 I talked about how games are really good for stress and anxiety and we are all feeling that right now with this pandemic. In this episode and the next one I am going to talk about the hardware/tablets to play games and other applications on remotely with those family and friends who may not be able to leave the house or aren't feeling well. Talking about hardware/tablets goes in to the big 3 brands of Apple, Android/Google and Amazon. I use some of their marketing material and give my take/opinion on each as they all have benefits and advantages. Last bit is I go through a very quick summary of price, weight, screen size and other variables to think about when purchasing, please do your own research as well, I am not an expert! Please be cognizant of who could be susceptible to the Corona-virus when going out, wash your hands for 20 seconds (Happy Birthday twice or the Theme to Star Trek are on that time or a bit over) and remember games can help just a bit and that is a lot!
I take a break from possibly having a sinus infection, sorry if I sound like Mr. Magoo!!! In the last podcast I talked about games that came from movies, now it's time to go to the Movies from Games! It was a really tough decision with a ton of movies to choose from, I hope you enjoy it. Like last podcast there are some big names in this one and some really interesting facts about these movies!
In episode twenty it was all about Books and Games, doing research on Games from Movies there are a ton of games from movies! I picked some iconic franchises that have inspired some amazing games for this episode. Including ... you have to listen to hear which ones but let's just say I totally spaced on a Meg Ryan reference (sorry Meg, you are still our sweet heart!) that references another movie! I also picked a game that is a huge favorite of a very influential friend of mine, the podcast may not exist without this friend and this game is as iconic as they! This is the first of a two part'er, the next episode will be Movies from Games!
Video and TableTop games are good for you, countless studies have shared the positive effects games have on us! Within moderation of course, anything not in moderation can be bad. In this episode I share how games have really helped me, how they can help you! Playing games aren't just about winning, they provide chances to learn and grow our brain, get physical and move around (just remember Eddie Van Halen is much better at playing and dancing than you, sorry it had to be said), you can be introduced to new friends and people if you are new or life changes and games can give you an escape from a bad day or stressful situation. I am not the expert on physical or mental health but games have really helped me out and they can help you too!
Quick note to start! I updated the episode numbers on the "episodes" but not in the actual podcasts, apologies on any confusion that could have caused but the numbers on the episode and in the episode will line up going forward!
This podcast looks at the games created by books and the books created by games. I specifically did not look at games that may have been created for or inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien, I hope to do a podcast one day going in to the Tolkien genre as I personally love it. You will hear about some very interesting books that have inspired some pretty big game franchises and in the opposite space some huge game franchises that inspired a lot of books! If you are a bibliophile and haven't read or heard of the books (I am sure you heard of at least one!) then you may be pleasantly surprised!
I love The Elements song by Tom Lehrer it's the one where he goes through the Periodic Table (in 1959) to the Major-General's Song from Pirates of Penzance. How does this coincide with Acronyms, not totally sure but I do like to try and push gaming acronyms in to the The Elements Song. Acronyms are an essential part to the gaming communities communication, do you want to type or play a game? This in now way is a comprehensive list of all of the acronyms and I used removing "cuss" or "bad" words as a way to lower the list. Then I tried to get one for every letter in the alphabet, wow this is super interesting to read, isn't it? (homage to MP - Monty Python!).
Last bit, there is an incredible fact about Tom Lehrer in this podcast!
It has been 27 years since my last Dungeons and Dragons quest, my D&D group in college disbanded after graduation. At some point my character binder and game book disappeared in a move or they might be in a box in the attic. I had been reading my oldest sons Starter Set we bought after he watched a certain show and he lost interest and my interest was rekindled. A personal quest began, it was time to play D&D again, but where and with who and how would I play again? I started with the where and there are lots of wheres! After a visit to Wizards of the Coast website and reading the New to D&D section I felt like I could still play! I then found a group, got to listen to where and how, and completed some great D&D quests with a really creative Dungeon Master (DM)!
If you have never played D&D and maybe were interested or are curious about D&D and want to watch a game for a bit, listen to this podcast! I promise to have probably a 3-10 (let's be honest with each other, it will be 3) part D&D podcast with history, benefits and how to play in deeper detail. Might have to wait, I am about 1/2 way done with research on those but listen to this one and go play some D&D!!!!
This episode is outside the normal one a week format I have been trying to deliver. It is also very special to me talk about the Global Game Jam and how awesomely cool or rad or excellent the GGJ is and all the amazing people who are involved. The Global Game Jam in 2019 generated teams in 860 sites in 113 countries, who over the course of one weekend created 9,010 games. One more time 9010 games!!!! This years theme is Repair and I can't wait to see the new games that are developed! I am especially excited to see the games developed out of Bellevue College in Bellevue, Washington (go figure) after visiting on Friday evening of their GGJ event. Huge, HUGE Thanks to Michael and Renee the organizers at Bellevue College for the tour and walk through of the GGJ site, overview of BC's program, introductions to student and staff and especially giving a great interview! Also huge thanks to Kate Edwards, without whom I may not know anything about the gaming industry, indie games and the Global Game Jam!
In the previous episode I take a foray in to the world of indie games (video and tabletop), learning about the history, business and what makes an indie game well indie. In this episode I go further by taking some of the information learned and applying it to my RPG gaming and playing and exalting some amazing indie games (I did gush a bit)! I discuss Hacknet, Xenofera and Coffee Talk in this episode, three amazingly creative and fun indie games! Each game has strong development and innovation, a couple have distinct and downloadable soundtracks and the art in all of them is incredible! I also add a quick blurb as the upcoming weekend (1/31 - 2/2) is the Global Game Jam and I am trying to get onsite to one of the local locations!
What are Indie Games, have they come to take over the world? No, not yet.... Indie Games are the product of individuals or small teams which bring innovative and creative mechanics, gameplay, art and stories to the world of gaming. IG's are not just video games but also tabletop games that come from a variety of distribution points! If you are wondering why you should think about Indie games take a listen, get ready for part 2 where I talk about some of my favorite indie games and remember the best selling game of all time is an Indie game (listen to find out what it is, no it is not travel Scrabble (sorry travel Scrabble)!)! Note: I will have part 2 out sometime in the next 7-8 days!
In this episode it is all about eSports, what is it, who plays it, what are they playing, where did it start and what is the history? If you have not watched an eSports match I challenge you to and watch it in the entirety! eSports can be a great way to see new games to play and learn more about games you already play! There are a ton of categories of games played in eSports Leagues and Tournaments. You can also get behind your favorite players and teams! (I stayed player and team ambiguous in this episode). I also debate if eSports players are athletes and provide a different spin on it then most have taken! Lastly I do go in to the dark side of eSports, (spoiler) it is no worse than the latest headlines in any of the major sports in the world! I hope you enjoy this episode and watch an eSports match soon!
In this episode I try to do justice in describing OrcaCon, one of the best game conventions I have attended. It is a tabletop (board, card, dice, RPG, miniatures game convention in Bellevue, Washington. Incredibly friendly, inclusive and a convention (game or other) with a great purpose in honoring the Duwamish people! Huge space for game play with tons of tables, games to borrow and play or bring your own! We also played 30-33 games using 6 of the borrow games and playing a demo of a RPG for adults and kids (think D&D, but not D&D). I walk through each game as we enjoyed playing everyone and everyone of them highlighted different game mechanics and each was a piece of art that you can play!
In this episode I discuss 3 games I received for Christmas and have already played! The first game is Rick and Morty Risk, taking Risk the iconic strategy game and merging it in to the Rick and Morty universe (I give a short description of Rick and Morty in case it is foreign). The second game is a Commodore 64 mini! I was transported back to 8th to 12th grade and played some of my favorite Commodore 64 games! Lastly, we did buy a Switch per and earlier podcast and picked up a copy of Bass Pro Shops: The Strike for Switch. If you like to fish and don't have a pole or don't live near a lake or river then this is a great game!
In this episode I talk holiday games that could be played on Christmas, during Hanukkah or on day 6 at the feast of Kwanzaa! This was a interesting journey to find games that didn't cause family strife, did align with the holidays and also get some historical knowledge to share! Big thanks to Better Homes and Gardens for the game Pass the Stocking Guessing Game, Wikipedia for great information on Dreidel, Kwanzaa and Mancala!
In this episode it is all about the Cards and not just the games you played with Nanny or Mimi! There are so many awesome card games available that are not just entertaining but engage in strategy and even math. I share the history of of cards, the types of card games and where to buy card games and get advice (hint - it's your local game store).
Card games are a great opportunity to learn more, are less expensive than a larger board game and can be played on the go! This weeks review selection was difficult for me as there are several card games I play with friends, neighbors (very close proximity friends), my kids and other family members old and young in age! I review Exploding Kittens, Monopoly Deal Card Game and 450 Things to Do In Your Life, each has a different mechanic and are all lots of fun!
In this episode I learned how old Dice and Dice games really are, the countries of origin and the evolution in to every day life! Huge thanks to BGG (Board Game Geek) and Wikipedia (please donate!) for lots of information on Dice Games! Not just games this time but also Dice Towers, Trays and Bags! I review Age of War by Fantasy Flight Games, Dice Masters by Wizkids Games and one of the neatest (history, gameplay and variations) games in general, Shut the Box!
In this episode I take a journey in the new to me world of board games, thanks to BoardGameGeek.com or BGG! Walking through the BGG site and learning about the resources available, the community of board gamers, the games and the amazing people who have developed the games!
Then on to the Types of board games and the Mechanics involved in playing board games, the reviews of games and sadly butcher foreign languages explaining the awards for board games.
I also talk about where to buy, the advantages of board game stores and conventions, why you should visit or attend one!
Board Game reviews of Pandemic, Ticket to Ride, Apples to Apples and Trivial Pursuit Family Edition!
In this episode I talk about PC/Mac Games types/categories and several places to buy them! If you haven’t played a PC game in a while there are some great ones and great ways to buy!
Not a gamer and have a smartphone or tablet? Are you sure? This week I talk all about phone and tablet games, 20 categories and free, pay and in app purchase type games! Even some suggestions if you want to expand your phone or tablet gaming world!
I discuss the XBOX, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch in detail and what you may need to buy to play on them! Each has its advantages and if not for you there are alternatives from our past that have come back!
The Settlers of Catan or Catan is one of the biggest board, card, dice, tablet, phone, VR, PC and console games in the world! We go through the history, the expansions, extensions, scenarios and versions as well as the gameplay! If you have never heard of the game or if you play regularly this is the podcast for you!
The second part of my overview of the Penny Arcade Expo or PAX with interviews and game reviews for Sushi Go and HALO: Combat Evolved!
An overview of the Penny Arcade Expo or PAX and game reviews for Cake Bash, True Dungeon and Control!
Initial episode of the Gamers Over 50 Podcast, I started this podcast to talk about games, learn about games, learn how games are built and to help others learn about cool games and game genres!