Tom Foolery Review

by Brian Stascavage

Walk through the door and you immediately see a hopscotch lane chalked to the ground. To the right there are two girls playing Mario Kart, their arms jerking wildly as they attempt to run the other off the road. Ahead are four people bent over a table, trying not to Break the Ice. 

Only his friends get to call him "Tom"
(logo from Tom Foolery's website)

Someone else sits in the corner, crown on their head and walkie-talkie in their hand. What seems like the best playhouse ever to your inner 10-year old is actually Tom Foolery, or "Thomas Foolery", the newest nostalgia-influenced bar in DC. Located in Dupont Circle, Tom Foolery seeks to combine craft beer, milkshakes, board games, and various other elements of our childhood into a wonderful blend of entertainment and service.

DC has embraced the microbrew craze over the years, and Tom Foolery does not disappoint. With over 40 different beers in stock, from Dogfish Head to DC Brau, there is plenty for any beer lover to enjoy. What sets Tom Foolery apart though, is there adult milkshakes. On top of traditional mixed drinks, they offer milkshakes spiked with liquor, an offering that is more rare in DC. 

To further their nostalgia theme, Tom Foolery offers a variety of other foods from our childhoods. From custom made ice cream sandwiches, where you get to pick out the cookies and the ice cream, to grilled cheese sandwiches - for those more picky children. Tom Foolery also boasts 15 unique sodas on tap, which can be combined with their multiple ice cream flavors to make any float you desire.

Why wait until Halloween? (image from Tom Foolery's FB)

Besides a wide assortment of drinks, Tom Foolery contains a wide range of entertainment. Sitting in the corner is a TV with a Wii, allowing for the quick game of Mario Kart after work. One wall contains a mirror and various hats and fake facial hair, which led to some wacky dress up fun. There are various board games you can check out, including a Ouija board and Don't Wake Daddy among the pile. Smaller toys, such as Wooly Willies, a miniature pinball machine, Connect 4, and various Etch A Sketches mounted to the walls. Most of them are toys you haven't thought about in over a decade. And the rush of glee when you realize, "I remember this!" is always a pleasure.

Of course, bars with board games or even video games are not new. Multiple venues in DC have been catering that market to great success. What sets Tom Foolery apart from the rest is their list of crazy, nonsensical rules (listed here). The Rules encourage the childishness and a somewhat cathartic outlet after Being an Adult all week long.

You can even order by yelling "I want a Magic Hat NOOOOWWWW!" like the tantrumming toddler above, and during Angry Hour (5:00-7:00PM every day) get $1.00 off your beverage of choice. Showing off your hopscotch superiority or doing your best Alfonso Ribeiro impression can both reward you with discounts and goodies. Each bit off oddity contributes to the spark of childhood nonsensical wonderment that is lacking from other bars. 

What other establishment let you put on a crown, sit on a throne, and order drinks with a walkie-talkie, solely because you got their first?

Indie Con DC (with DC Geeks, IGDA, and Gaming in Public)

By Samantha Tynes

Indie Con DC is this Saturday, August 3rd, from 4:00PM to 10:00PM at Public Tenley (the first three hours are open to all ages, and after 7:00 the event changes over to 21+ only).

Earlier this year, an idea for an event began to form, and Indie Con DC has come a long way since its inception earlier. We here at DC Geeks are co-sponsoring the one-day free convention with the DC chapter of IGDA. Similar to events like Gaming in Public, the event will be focused on local indie game developers and connecting them with local players (like many of you).

Indie Con DC: booze, games, community, giveaways, and more.
(image from Gaming in Public's FB)

I'm hoping that you'll help make the inaugural con a success and come out to join us at Public Bar in Tenley. As you may have noticed from the "This Week in Geek" events listings, Public Tenley is very geek and e-sport friendly - you may know it from One Nation of Gamers' events like BarCraft. On August 11th the weekend after Indie Con, they're hosting the DC Pubstomp, a screening the DOTA2 International Finals. 

While planning for Indie Con, I met with Jacob Clark (half of Gaming in Public and the mastermind behind Indies Need Booze), and the first thing I noticed was how obvious his enthusiasm was for his events and groups, made apparent by a type of abundant energy. Jacob has been involved in video game events for some time. He started Gaming In Public about two years ago to foster the local community of indie developers. Meanwhile, Indies Need Booze had such a successful party at PAX East that they're already making plans for next year's PAX and MAGFest.

About every month, he and his co-organizer John meet at Public Tenley with other local gamers to play some good indie games. What makes this different from the average "beer and game" events is that Jacob and John get the developers to do interviews over Skype and hand out game keys. It’s a great way for indie developers to get exposure, and for gamers to socialize. Why game at home when you can do it with friends (and potentially get free new games)? 

Public Tenley hosting BarCraft DC's MLG Anaheim tournament
(image by Yida Li)

Larger game companies and their development teams often seem disconnected from their players. Indie developers don't have that problem as often. Of course, that's not true of every indie developer, but overall the sense of community is still there. Many of the developers make games because it’s what they love. As local developer for City State Entertainment, Andrew Meggs mentioned in our podcast with him, game creation is such a passion for him that he's less of a gamer than you might expect. Developers do make some money from indie games, but often not enough to make a living off of, unless the team is capable of putting out a constant stream of new games, which can be difficult for an individual developer or small teams.

Recently, Gaming in Public held events for Retro/Grade and Cloudberry Kingdom. Jacob explained that he plans events by both casting a wide net for developers and spending time playing the potential games, then picking the best. His criteria is simple; games that are fun, quick to learn, and easy to pick up and put down. There are several indie games with a good, involved story and interesting mechanics, but the events' focus is still social. So now you have it on peer-reviewed authority that it's worth your while to pick up Retro/Grade and pre-order Cloudberry Kingdom (which at least on Steam nets you a free soundtrack).

Editor's Note: Seriously, get Retro/Grade. It's amazingly fun.
(image from Retro/Grade's site)

One of the great things about Indie Con DC is that even though everyone involved is hoping for a large turnout, the event has never lost our focus. We're all about local indie game developers and players coming together to game and maybe share a pint. Here's the latest list of our developers:

• Callen Shaw: leader of The Unallied (Flip Cup, Drinkards Beer Pong, Snowball Showdown, 3D-struction, and Flippin' Shadows)
• Taro Omiya: founder of Omiya Games (The Sentient Cube and Touch Yoga) and programmer for e4software (Swarm! and Solitaire Double-Deck HD)
• Matthew Mauriello: Project Manager from Tumbleweed Express
• Josh Nan: creator of Spell Broken from Sage Dragon
• Andrew Eiche: co-founder of Birdcage Games and Awesome Sound Guy (official title) for Drop That Beat Like an Ugly Baby from Dejobaan Games
• Chris Klimas and Joel Haddock: creators of Camp Keepalive from Twofold Secret
• Daniel Silber: creator of Threads of Reality from Interstellar Tortoise LLC
• Martin Smith: Lead Programmer at JumpCore Productions for Undead Overlord, and developer on Pandora's Blocks (a project from IGDA DC's Global Game Jam).
• Melanie Stegman: the director of the Learning Technologies Program at the Federation of American Scientists, and organizer for IGDA DC, and designer for Immune Attack and its sequel Immune Defense

I ’m so excited about Indie Con DC. As you can see, our venue is great and the line-up is great. We have cool games to be played - from quick party games to educational ones. The excitement of everyone involved is palpable and contagious. It’s free, it’s open all ages, it’s supporting local developers, and there will be giveaways  Did I mention it’s free?

You can join Gaming in Public through Meetup, grab Retro/Grade and Cloudberry Kingdom on Steam and PSN, and RSVP for Indie Con DC either through this link or on the Facebook page. Please note that from 4:00PM to 7:00PM the event is open to all ages and from 7:00PM to 10:00PM the event changes to 21+ only.

TableTop Day at Labyrinth Games

You guys may remember Labyrinth from DC Geeks' podcast chat with them a few weeks ago.

By Samantha Tynes

So many games, so little time.
(image via Labyrinth's site)

I almost walked past Labyrinth the first time I went there. Hardly a five-minute walk from the Eastern Market metro station, it’s an unassuming front with colorful letters painted over the door and a large front window displaying stacks of family-friendly puzzles. I thought I had missed all the fun when I got inside, there were only a few people milling about the front half of the store checking out some of their many very cool, and very challenging wooden puzzles. But the buzzing hum of far-off conversation and that special kind of oppressive heat that comes from shoving too many people in a small area let me know otherwise.

Going down the stairs, the back half of the store was packed from wall to wall with people chatting, laughing, playing their old favorites, and testing out new ones on whatever flat surface they could find. People were huddled around tables, sitting on the floor, and one group even repurposed a shelf display for their own makeshift gaming space. I could tell when I walked in halfway through the event that the place had been bursting with people since it started earlier that day. The staff was friendly, knowledgeable, and still very upbeat and chipper despite (or because of) the mass of board game enthusiasts that had taken over to celebrate TableTop Day.

Even the US Antarctic Program's Amundsen-Scott South
Pole Station joined in (via TableTop Day's FB page)

International TableTop Day is the brainchild of Geek and Sundry’s popular YouTube series, TableTop. Watching Wil Wheaton and friends sit around and play a game didn’t sound like how I wanted to spend my internet time, but the series does grow on you. Some episodes are better than others, yes, but it does not pander to “mainstream” geek and games. They cover gateway games, like Munchkin and Settlers of Catan, to a little more serious, but still casual, games. It’s an entertaining and popular introduction to board games for people that may be looking to break out of Monopoly territory.

In addition to the wide variety of games to demo, there were prizes and swag to be had. The fine fellows at ThinkGeek provided items for a raffle every hour (I won an Alien chestburster; now it hangs from a lighting fixture, its sole purpose to startle visitors), and the demo team from Steve Jackson games had all kinds of Munchkin goodies to hand out. North Star games and game designer Dave Chalker were also there wandering about and promoting their respective games, giving everyone a chance to play and chat with them. Chalker’s game, Get Bit!, is definitely worth a check out and was featured in an episode of TableTop. It’s a fun and quick pick-up game to play when you have some time to kill. A few of us even got a sneak peak at the new Ascension expansion; only a few days before it’s release but hey, it was still a preview.

Labyrinth wasn’t the only place around the metro area that was celebrating. Victory Comics in Falls Church and Looney Labs up in Bethesda also hosted some festivities. TableTop Day’s first celebration was met with enthusiasm and widespread support throughout the area. It was a great opportunity for people to get out to their local gaming shops if they hadn't before, meet others, try new games, and support their community. I sincerely hope the trend continues and if you didn't get a chance to get out this year, definitely mark it down for next.

Pwning from ShootMania to Risk with Sabre

Some of you may remember Sabre from our interview with her last July. We caught up with her at MAGFest last weekend and found out about all sorts of badass news.

How you gonna keep 'em down in the office park, after they've seen E3?
(image from Sabre/Frag Dolls)

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First, we're thrilled to offer our congratulations to Sabre, who's taken the plunge, ditching the soul-crushing onslaught of TPS reports and office drudgery to focus on Frag Dolls. "I can't squander this opportunity... I have to give it 100%." Sabre opens up about some of the challenges and rewards of, what some would consider, living the dream. No rest for the wicked however - group practices are starting up for the 2013 season.

That's right, the Frag Dolls are getting back into pro gaming. Not content to rest on past laurels, the Frag Dolls are more than just a beautiful marketing team, they're professional gamers out to prove that they're still the best. Although the FD team can compete in non-Ubisoft tournaments on their own time, currently everyone is training for their sponsor's upcoming game, ShootMania.

If you haven't, I recommend starting by watching the ShootMania Storm trailer because it is gorgeous. Beyond functions like a matchmaking system to pit players against someone their own size, the game has a few unique multiplayer features. Sabre describes one 3x3 mode where you defend as a team, but attack alone. Attackers have a sniper-rifle-like laser, and defenders have rockets. Oh, and did I mention that your team is standing by, watching the action through your eyes as you run into the bear pit? No pressure.

I know I'm not cut out for professional gaming competitions.
I can't stop saying "pewpew" when Imma firin' mah lazors.
(ShootMania and its promotional images are ©Ubisoft/Nadeo)

If you're interested in throwing down against the best and you want to get in ahead of everyone else: The Storm preorder includes instant Beta access, but you have to sign up soon (here's the link).

If you're reading this and daydreaming about being a Frag Doll (and are an woman over the age of 18), there's still time for you to apply for the 2013 Cadette Academy! All the info is here. Get fundamental industry training and spend a year working with the Frag Dolls. You only have until January 15th, so hone that resume, cover letter, and gaming CV, and send it in!

Of course, this wouldn't be a DCG podcast if we weren't a little ADD, so we also discuss glitches in Street Cleaner Simulator and the most accurate ad for the Super Mario Bros Wii game that I've ever seen. We also go into why Risk Legacy is so good even if you've sworn off Risk since what you and your family will only refer to as "The Incident," you should still check it out. Also, you need to be playing SpaceTeam.

Want to find out more about Sabre and the Frag Dolls (why does that always sound like a mid-nineties band name)?

• Sabre's Twitter
• Sabre's Facebook
• Frag Dolls' Website
• Frag Dolls' Facebook
• Frag Dolls' Twitter
• Frag Dolls' YouTube
• Frag Dolls' Tumblr
• Frag Dolls' Twitch TV (check here for live streams of LoL, Bastion, ShootMania, Far Cry 3, and tons of others)
• Sabre's Twitch TV (for the Sabre-specific live streams)

Thanks again for taking the time to talk with us, Sabre!

Enjoy our podcast? Please subscribe via RSS or find us on iTunes.

A New Casual Game Challenger Has Arrived. (Telestrations Review)

By Brian Stascavage

When most board game enthusiasts talk about party games, it is with a slight natural scoff. In a hobby centered around players fighting off zombies, battling minions of Cthulhu, controlling armies and conquering nations, simple and quick board games are often overlooked. However, all of us have memories of playing Pictionary after a warm Thanksgiving dinner or a night of cocktails and Scattergories. Simplicity and fun are key qualities in a party game, and Telestrations excels at precisely that. Mixing the games Telephone and Pictionary, Telestrations takes a few minutes to play but provides everyone with tons of fun.

(image from Telestrations' site)

Designed to be played by 4 to 8 players, Telestrations comes with a sketchbook and dry-erase marker for each player, as well as a large deck of word cards. When the round starts each player writes their word in their sketchbook and have one minute to sketch it out. When time is up everyone passes their book to the left and that player writes their guess in the new sketchbook. The books are passed to the left again and each player has to draw based on the newly guessed word. The round ends once everyone ends up with his or her original sketchbook.

What is a relatively simple concept turns into hilarity as everyone reveals how drastically their word transformed (one of our games saw Stephen Colbert end up as the Nazi Party). More time was spent laughing at the horrible drawings and people explaining their interpretations than actually drawing, which the scoring system compliments. People are rewarded for best drawings, best guesses, and if the final guess was the same as the original word. Scoring is optional, of course, and we were too busy revealing our sketchbooks to be too concerned with it.

The makers of Telestrations complimented their simple game with a simplistic design. Every sketchbook has the rules clearly stated with the next step outlined neatly. The dry erase markers are both fine enough for writing but easily enough to wipe clean, removing the problem of dull pencils and excess paper that plagues games like Pictionary. The game also comes with a vast collection of words to draw that is virtually inexhaustible. This is a breath of fresh air compared to some other deck based games, which run the risk of showing everything it has to offer after only a few games.

The game does have it’s minor faults. Some words are easy to draw, resulting in a small variance between drawings, which was typically unexciting. The included timer was an hourglass, which was an issue since everyone was looking down drawing during a round. The game would benefit from a timer that made a noise after the minute was up. Finally the rules changed slightly based on the number of players, causing confusion when we added an additional player in the middle of the night. All of these are minor points that do not detract from the game’s enjoyment, but could be further improved with future editions.

Overall Telestrations is a simple and fun little party game. It is quick to explain and play, guided by bright and clear instructions. The sketchbook and markers make it tidy and clean, and the concept leads to hours of fun and laughter. Being a good artist is not a requirement; in fact bad art ended up leading more confusion and good times. Enjoyed with good friends and a drink or two, Telestrations is a fun little game to add to any collection.

The Art of Video Games or Bust

Oh Minecraft.  I'll never get that 300 hours back via Art of Video Games

There's been a lot going around over the last year about this exhibit.  The geek community in general couldn't stop talking about the opening of a video game based exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The lands of the internets were awash with discussions on whether this truly counts as a form of art and what it means for video game culture.  Does this mean that video games are truly legit and I can stop feeling bad for keeping that old Commodore Amiga with a copy of Captain Blood in the basement? (The worst part is that it doesn't even work.)


There is a lot of self-hate within the video game community. Every time something like this comes up, we cling to it, almost in a hope that finally, just maybe, we can be considered normal. That our passion is a legitimate, verifiable 'thing'.

Original Video Game Art on Display.  Sweet.

Let's get back to that later.


The exhibit itself was amazingly presented.  First off, the feeling for it was, understandably, very different from most of the other exhibits you're going to find at any Smithsonian museum. I enjoyed that some of the games were playable, allowing the attendees to experience the games as complete pieces rather than simply still frames or a looping video.


Video games are an enticing medium mainly due to it being a co-operative experience.  I don't mean necessarily you and your buddy co-oping through Halo 2 on Legendary, I mean the space created when the developer and the player come together to make the final product.  That's why video games end up so engrossing compared to other media.  No matter how heavy handed the plot, you're part of the game.  It's your story too.

I do really love the lighting used, good nerd cave feel.

That's where The Art of Video Games fell shortest.  Having the one room with it's few games available to be played barely brushed upon the sense of shared experience. Granted, I'm not sure what they could have done to improve that.  You can't have a museum audience come through and play the entirety of Baldur's Gate after all. There's not enough time or space, plus I think that's going in the wrong direction.  You didn't come to the museum to sit down for an hour or two of video gaming.


What did you come here for? If you're at all like me, you're interested in checking this out just to see what they did with the thing.  To see what the craze is about. Maybe to get some better understanding of the though / creative process that goes into creating a video game. While this exhibit is full of nostalgia and a brief history of the progression of graphics and style in video games, I never got a full sense of why things developed the way they did.  One of my biggest complaints is that I don't understand how the exhibit shows why video games are art.  I feel there was way too much "here's a video game" and not enough of inspection of the medium.

Not in this photo, but still, PC games had two kiosks.  TWO!  Come on!

Don't get me wrong here.  I'm not say you shouldn't go to see the Art of Video Games.  I believe it's imperative that you see the exhibit while it's on display.  And the reason for that is very simple: the Art of Video Games draws in the right kind of geek.  The main people that will be interested in seeing what is on display, arguing about it, remarking, and griping will be those of us who are passionate about video games.  I can't tell you how many amazing conversations were spawned by standing around a section of this exhibit and making a random remark.  People fully engaged with each other without trying. There is a sense of community that goes with this.


I know that Chris Melissinos and the staff at the Smithsonian American Art Museum poured their hearts out for this.  The biggest triumph, where they truly earn a gold medal and half a dozen internets, is that they created something that people can go to and feel like they are a part of it. Not by playing the video games on display, viewing the art, or looking at the videos of games from yesteryear, but by striking up a conversation with that nerd next to you wearing the 1-UP t-shirt who's arguing with the guy dressed as Link about why ET wasn't chosen.


Community.  Something that the DC Geek scene really needs more of a sense of.  If I could wish for one improvement to this exhibit.  It would be for a bar/coffee shop to be attached to it.


So, we've got this milestone.  We're in a legit museum.   This huge part of our lives that we love, debate over, fight for, create in, and lose vast quantities of time to - has gained that much more mainstream recognition.  We really didn't need verification like this to prove that video games aren't just for kids or a passing fancy.  It's freakin' awesome we have it though.


What's next?


The Art of Video Games is on display until Sept 30, 2012.  Go check it out and form your own opinion.  We'd love to hear what you have to say.


Check out the the DC Geeks Flickr for The Art of Video Games for more images.

MAGFest X (2/2)

MAGFest Round Two: Fight!

Last week's Blackout threw off my schedule a little bit. So I'm going to try and double up here for a few weeks to get back on track. Let me start by wrapping up my MAGFest posts.

I could go on about the panels at MAGFest, because although it is the "Music and Gaming Festival," they throw a hell of a media con. I mean, just check out GLaDOS reading a letter to Princess Celestia or The Super Art Fight!

But one only needs to pause for a moment of quiet reflection anywhere in MAGFest to remember that the real focus is… is… OOOAAAARRRRGH

*clears throat*… is video games. (Yes, I found and watched and time stamped every one of those links for you. Because I love you, my MAGFestians. If you can ride it out past the eight minute mark of that last video, you come out transformed. Yes, I watched all ten minutes. I AM IMMUNE!)

If someone could write a script that would play the roar at random intervals no shorter than two minutes and no longer than twenty, you too could experience the joys of MAGFest. Well, not really, but I do want to troll my next LAN party that way. I know a few attendees were annoyed by it, but I wound up fascinated. It's an offline, randomly-generated, aural meme, and it's really fun to do.

The game room is astounding. I couldn't get my camera far back enough to fit all of it in one shot. Here's my best try. Ooh, look! They had X-Men!

I was standing at the mid-point of the room, in front of the pinball section.

There were clusters of games so that the space was not claustrophobic.

The dealers' room and board game area were located in the other half of this room. At first, I was fooled by the scale. "Oh, the dealers' room is just one fourth of the space, it's not that many people." On Saturday afternoon, I learned how wrong I was.

I just wanted to go through and pick up business cards. That's it. Maybe one or two quick hellos, but mainly if they were selling something, I wanted a website. If they weren't, I wanted to know if they were interested in interviews so we could make a later pass with the camcorder.

This simple request quickly divided the vendors into people who were livid that I would dare window shop, and people who were immensely friendly and willing to make sure that I understood why they were blazingly awesome. I'm looking at you, Mighty Rabbit Studios, Hello with Cheese and Random Encounter.

My speedrun of the dealers' room took me about three hours. I had to find a second bag to carry all the business cards. Overall, the majority of my time was spent bouncing around these two warehouse-sized rooms. I tried to make all the concerts that I could, and I did check in on panels, and those did stand head-and-shoulders above many cons that I've attended. But that's not where the real soul of MAGFest is.

It's finding Super Mario and realizing it's so much harder than you remembered. It's staring at the pinball machines going, "They made a pinball game out of that?" It's coming across a game that you know only by referential internet humor.

It's REAL!? Kidding, kidding.

As with any con, the attendees really make or break the weekend. Regardless of Jeff's critiques of their attire, I found MAGFest to be full of friendly, outgoing, and moderate-to-seriously competitive gaming geeks. I loved the inside jokes that gave the con a unique feel. The ratio of games to attendees meant that you never had to wonder if there would be anyone around to play Small World, but there was never too long a line for DDR (and they were people you'd want to play with, or wouldn't mind waiting behind).

Of course, any large gathering of people produces some rather random or funny encounters. For a collection of hilarious stories, check out this post on the MAGFest forums. Here's mine:

The Gaylord's glass atrium elevators go up all 18 floors and are visible to the huge open area below. Around midnight on Friday, I was going back to my room to grab a forgotten bit of equipment when a tween leapt into the elevator with me.

"Hell yes! I've been waiting for one of these all night."

I looked around the otherwise empty elevator. "I'm surprised. I haven't seen one get crowded all day. What floor are you trying to get to?"

"Don't care what floor. Had to get a glass one. ELEVATOR PARTY!" and he started bobbing his head slightly in time to imagined music.

I got out on my floor, "Um, ok. Enjoy your elevator."

"Yeah, you too, you too, you too," as he slammed his hands over all the buttons, and the dance began.
--------

And that, geeks and nerds, is our 100th DC Geeks post. Thanks for reading. I can't wait to see what we're able to do in the next hundred posts.

MAGFest X (1/2)

Kiddies, gather round and listen to your Auntie Aine. I woke up early in the middle of a convention, MarsCon, that I love, so that I could sneak around behind its back and write about MAGFest. So this is really an after-school special about procrastination. Do as I say, not as I do and all that. Wait! MarsCon! I can explain!


MAGFest was enormous. I mean, I've been to cons that were higher-volume just from a body count standpoint. However, there is a scale to the Gaylord convention center that suited MAGFest well. When I get nostalgic - and I mean really, hardcore, 2am, "Why could I never beat my ex at Smash Bros" nostalgia for video games - the games have a sense of scale or grandeur. Games matter in a way that is hard to describe to people who can't point to large portions of their formative years and say things like, "Then we were settled it with the high scores for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on the SNES."


In fact, I'm breaking this into two posts, that's how big MAGFest was. Part One: Concerts and Parties.


As soon as I left registration, I found myself at one of the several [nearly] non-stop concert rooms. I heard the laughter before I heard the music, and I stopped in, thinking "ooh, I'll get to play with camera adjustments for concert photography later." The performer was the illustrious Brentalfloss. So instead, I wound up laughing so hard I could barely focus my shots. Oh Tetris, why can't I quit you?

All eyes are riveted to Brentalfloss as he sings.

As evidenced by our Flickr feed, I also made the concerts for the Megas, the Minibosses, and Year 200X. You know why I love my earplugs? Because I got to actually hear the music at these concerts. I started to leave them out. (after all, only an asshole would wear earplugs to a concert, right?) But I realized after about ten minutes that these industrial strength bits of foam weren't strong enough to block all sound, but without them I would have been a migraine-riddled mess. 


I certainly wouldn't be here telling you to buy things from these bands because they are epic. I know everyone else who pays attention to video game music is now rolling their eyes because they already knew this. However, as a bit of a newb to the genre, I am just now catching on. Seriously, chiptunes are great, but these guys made me pause the OCRemix, stop being stingy, and support these guys.


I'll get into the dealer's room later, but that is where I had a chance to meet Random Encounter (which, now that I think of it, makes their band name even more apt). A wild Random Encounter appears! Careless uses Unabashed Charisma! It's super effective!

Damn, girl.

Seriously, I… I have no words. They threw the most energetic concert of the weekend. And they did it in the free jams room, and they did all their set-up, concert, and tear down in twenty damn minutes. The Flickr feed is full of these guys, but there's no way that I could capture on still shots how the accordion player jumped off the stage and ran victory laps with one of the guitarists mid-song. Random Encounter is stunning, both acoustically and aesthetically. I know the Nobuo fans will consider this blasphemy, but I think in terms of sheer heart, Random Encounter managed to outdo even the Earthbound Papas.


Which is saying a lot, because the Earthbound Papas had amazing energy: the type that can really only be generated when you realize you're mere feet from a composer you've idolized for years, and you're in a room with hundreds of people who feel that same sense of joy and awe.

Out of all the photos I've taken, this is my favorite.

Yes, the music was epic, but we all knew it would be. So I'm not sure how to give higher praise than simply to say that everyone I spoke to agreed that Earthbound Papas lived up to the hype, and love, and fandom, and anticipation that had been building for weeks.


I missed some of the concerts because I haven't mastered that whole cloning thing. Check out the additional performers while they're still listed on the MAGFest site.


Parties: MAGFest has them. I got about 10 hours sleep in 72 hours. It got to the point where we were all coordinating our room party's movements through five-digit codes via text message. It was exhausting. It was wonderful. I woke up with boot prints on my pillow and a free church key. 


And for all the bitching I did about the age-coded wristband system: Thank you, MAGFest. Once again, con organizers prove their wisdom. Four parties in, I don't know anyone and I realize that once you get under about 25, I lose all ability to see kids as anything other than "potentially 12 years old." Not that I was handing out liquor, but it was nice to not need to be paranoid.


Next year, I'm snagging one of those pet cams and clipping it to my lapel. I'll either get a lot of photos of random hallways, or I'll have Spider Jerusalem style evidence of all our wonderful shenanigans.


Coming up next: Games and Vending.

MAGfest X Flickr

The photos are up on the DC Geeks Flickr from MAGfest X!

I love cosplayers, don't you?

There were many cosplayers, from the awe-inspiring and technically accurate to the downright adorable.

But we know you're all really looking for Nobuo Uematsu pics.

And of course, there's the concert photos. I caught the Earthbound Papas, Year 200X, Brentalfloss, the Minibosses, Random Encounter, and the Megas.

I'll put up a longer post a bit later. But for now, I'll placate you with eye candy. Let me know if I've misattributed anything or if you want to add info to any of the pictures.

For the Emperor!

Happy New Year, nerds!

I'm not usually a fan of resolutions. It's like people think they're all just a bit of willpower away from being a multilingual, genius supermodel and all that was stopping them is that the calendar hadn't flipped over. I think that you have to want a change to make it, and I'm a cynic through and through when it comes to resolutions.

But I heard a phrase on New Year's Eve that I haven't been able to get out of my head: Put up or shut up. A friend has been interested in homebrewing, and he recently received a kit as a present with those exact instructions. I think it perfectly sums up my feelings for this year.

So this week, I decided to "put up." First, I grabbed my soldering supplies, cracked a window to the freezing cold to vent, and went to town on a few jewelry projects. I decided that I wasn't going to sit around being afraid to use my damn torch, that I'd watched enough tutorials, and it was time to cowboy up.

Several sewing supplies were drafted for double duty.

I have been wanting to make jewelry for a while, but I'm pretty timid about using fire. I had a friend with a cell phone nearby in case I went up in flames, and I set to figuring out this whole soldering torch thing. Verdict: It was awesome. I love doing this and it's so much easier than I had feared.

The first one I made is on the right in the photo below. Brannen says I should claim it was a lucky charm salvaged from the Hindenburg because of all the scorching. The one on the left was my second, and far more successful, attempt. And I've only used about 1/100th of my supply of watch bits.

The pins are on the back, propping them up.

In an uncharacteristic leap of faith, I decided on a whim to hit up a local Games Workshop (Fair Oaks Mall, to be precise). I figured that I hadn't ever been in one, and that it was high time I changed that. I actually hadn't intended to buy anything, but I've been curious about painting minis for a few years now. After Matt (the amazingly helpful salesperson) gave me a whirlwind tour of the settings and starter kits, I opted for the easiest-sounding: Space Marines!

Trying to do things The Right Way, Brannen and I split up the starter set and started slavishly following the directions. There was a lot of cursing, a broken gun, some glue.... About an hour in we realized that we should never have tried to paint the things after assembling them. Ah well, live and learn. Here are my little guys. The picture is huge but if you want to see details, you can open it up to full size.

Like paint by numbers, only much, much, more difficult.

I know there's a bunch of rules about colors and tournaments and the fluff and canon of it all. So rather than painting them red and black, which seemed more sensible and badass, we stuck with the instructions. Overall, I think I could dump another hour or two into touching them up (or restarting entirely). But for someone trying to get a taste, the kit was the right size. I'm glad that the Games Workshop guy didn't try to talk me into something insane and overwhelming before I knew if I even liked the hobby.

So this week, I went out to a geeky shop I hadn't visited before (next time I'll try and hit up a truly local game shop rather than the Games Workshop, but at least I didn't order the pieces off Amazon). I soldered something without serious loss or injury. And I followed through on a hobby I've been curious about for over three years. Next step: being able to watch a full Warhammer game.

Resolutions or not: I hope that 2012 is full of opportunities for you all to cowboy up and follow through on some of those things you've been curious about trying.

(PS: Perhaps you could start by heading over to MAGfest this weekend? They're not sold out, and you might get to see me in a completely humiliating adorable Fluttershy hat.)

Review: Gamer Symphony Orchestra

The Gamer Symphony Orchestra assembled via GSO

The Gamer Symphony Orchestra (GSO) started off in 2005 as the brainchild of UMD student Michelle Eng and an ensemble of musicians, primarily pulled from University of Maryland Repertoire Orchestra. They started off with the idea that video game music is a legitimate form of art that should be respected as such. Over the last 5 years they've grown from a few band geeks with a dream to the powerful force of music they are today. Just being viewing the performance it's obvious that the people involved are very passionate about this project.  Their labor of love really comes out in their work.  Speaking of which...


To me the first signs that shit just got real came when I looked at the program.  Take a look.  Is that  Shadow of the Colossus and Disgaea?  Wait really?  I was expecting more stereotypical Triple A title style games.  You know, the kind that are so popular you don't even really need to be a geek to be familiar with the piece.  Yet... while the pieces and games chosen are slightly off the beaten path, they aren't so far in the woods that they are completely unheard of (Although I might have paid money to have heard some of the music from Mass Effect). I really have to give a tip of the hat to them for their total selection.  I would have liked to see more variety in general, but it was an excellent list.





While I enjoyed the concert in general, the main stand out piece was Laharl-sama no Sanbika due in no small part to the Solo (Duo?) performance by Diana and Jasmine Bestul-Taylor.  I'm a big fan vocal additions to orchestral pieces. They added an aspect of confidence and a certain level of solidarity. This song's title can be translated as "Ode to Lord Laharl", the main character of the game Disgaea. Disgaea in general had an over the top semi intense feeling to it. The performance of all involved added up to that rather well.


I'm amazed that this format of music has gained the level of traction that it has.  GSO and Video Games Live are both proof that this form of entertainment is either desired by more than just the nerd subculture or that the nerd population has grown so large that it can be catered to (outside of movies and TV shows).  The fact that we can go to concerts, orchestral performances, and museums specifically tailored to our interests now is definitely a sign of the times.  A very positive sign.  I almost feel like convention life is slowly creeping into real life.  Maybe cosplay will be a more casually accepted form of expression?


Speaking of which, I saw at least one person cosplaying in the crowd.  I mean, wow.  That's crazy awesome.  This woman was dressed as Link.  A pretty decent costume too.  If I had known it was that kind of party.... Man, perfect time for my wizard hat and robe.  I think as a culture we should make more of a habit to dress up in cosplay / cosplay like fantastic clothing, especially when going out to geek styled events. Nerd solidarity.





Last thing though.  Their zinger / encore was the main theme from Katamari Damacy.  When it started up I half stood up and said "You're kidding me? You went there"  If you heard/saw anything like that, yeah that was me.  This was not in anger though.  I was just shocked.  I can check that off my list of things to see. Really, it was the perfect end to things. All in all, check them out.  Lot's of energy, lots of passion, lots of geekery.

Geek Venues (1/4)

Hey guys, this week I’m posting the first of a short series of guest posts from fellow DC Geek, Brannen, about a few fun spots he’s come across in DC. Give him a warm welcome.

Hello, DC Geeks. Brannen here, filling in for Aine this week. But for now, you’re stuck with me and a glass of something decidedly not coffee, so away we go.

The holidays are upon us, but I’m not going to talk about that. What I’m interested in tonight is venues. More to the point, venues for the geek around DC. Maybe its for a date, maybe its a new option for a family outing, maybe its a haven from family and friends. No matter the situation we need options. Below are a few I’d like to suggest as alternatives from the usual routine.

If your game center systems look like this, run.
You’re either in an art installation or an epilepsy study.
(via visual velocity pc)

Game Centers

Aye, it can seem a bit odd at first glance. Go out to some place and pay them for the privilege of using unfamiliar systems where I can’t lounge around in my boxers while my music throbs out of the speakers I got adjusted to just the perfect angle? And yet... and yet there’s an appeal to this. Maybe I’m odd, but I actually put this experience out there with going on a bar crawl or chatting up folks at a con. We’re all strangers, but we’re strangers together, an obviously shared interest and an excuse to interact. Or not. She may want to frag me while I just want to finish out the entire Zelda franchise.

That is another plus for game centers though: the collections. It may be tarnishing my reputation here, but I’ll admit that video games aren’t my primary area of fandom. I certainly can’t hold a candle to Aine’s collection (or obsession), nor that of several other of the DC Geeks writers. I’ll lose days at a time to a good game, but my collection numbers in dozens of titles, not in the hundreds. Its also a bonus if you’re trying to get family or friends interested in your specific interest (especially if they included folks who are completionists, like me. Poor souls.).

In Virginia you can take a look at GamePad for a start. In Maryland there’s Graphix Game Center. These are just a start, though. Whip out the Google-fu and keep looking. Its not a bad idea for a first date, a day just for you or a way to occupy your geek spawn for an afternoon.

Funny, I don't remember Zelda being co-op. (via Kevin)

Coming up on Saturday on DC Geeks... A counterpoint to tonight’s venues of the ephemeral. I’ll talk about local spots to make, build and craft.