Daily Illuminator Archive for January 2013

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January 1, 2013:
Discovery News reports that scientists have uncovered a clue to the phenomenon behind the Chupacabra legend, a subject that frequently crops up in hobby games and media. The current theory is that they're wild dogs or coyotes infected with an extreme form of mange . . . read article

January 2, 2013:
Ever wanted a full genetic analysis, but don't have access to a Star Trek tricorder or a CSI magic workbench? The folks at 23andMe can help . . . read article

January 3, 2013:
I recently picked up the album "Replicant" from Wires Under Tension, a group Wikipedia describes as an "instrumental rock band." I can live with that description, but I think I'd get a bit wordier and describe them as "an incredibly outrageous instrumental rock band that rocks!" because that's exactly what they are. If you're looking for some new tunes for your library I suggest hitting the Wires Under Tension website and giving them a listen . . . read article

January 4, 2013:
It happened again! Thanks to a combination of insane holiday sales and a shipping delay, our "extra buffer" supply of Munchkin will probably run out around the end of January . . . read article

January 5, 2013:
I will admit something to you: I am woefully disorganized outside of the office (Andrew, hush). So, when I play board games, I have a tendency to bunch of all the components and just drop them in the box, especially if there's no tray . . . read article

January 6, 2013:
I, it seems, make more mistakes than I should. At least it feels that way to me sometimes, especially when games like Zombie Dice and Munchkin Zombies sell so fast that we run out before more copies arrive . . . read article

January 7, 2013:
As those who've experienced Austin traffic can tell you, when you're trying to outrun bloodthirsty cyclists, sometimes you need some open road to make your escape. That's where Car Wars Deluxe Road Sections Set 3: Straights comes in . . . read article

January 8, 2013:
Our inestimable Convention Manager, Randy Scheunemann, will be on Internet radio station Armed Media's On the Air this Wednesday at 10 PM CST, to talk gaming and other topics with host Mike Allen . . . read article

January 9, 2013:
After all the inquisitive emails, forum posts, phone calls, coded letters, telegrams, carrier-pigeons, and smoke signals we received here at Warehouse 23, we are glad to say that the Munchkin Gameboard is back! We can't blame you guys: it is pretty sweet -- not only do you get to make use of your Munchkin Pawns so everyone can see at a glance who's at what level, but there are also official spots for Doors, Treasures, and Discard piles, to keep them in reach of all players and avoid late-game confusion! . . . read article

January 10, 2013:
Or lower. Possibly diagonally adjacent . . . read article

January 11, 2013:
According to io9, the (U.S.) National Intelligence Council predicts that transhumanism will be well on its way by 2030 . . . read article

January 12, 2013:
Toronto's Museum of Inuit Art is putting up a new exhibition in Spring of 2013 called The Art of Play, to explore the history of games in the Arctic and examine the impact of the medium in a modern context. Naturally, we're sending them a copy of Nanuk . . . read article

January 13, 2013:
Computers are now composing music . . . read article

January 14, 2013:
What's the world of tomorrow coming to? It's getting so you can't even mosey down the street with your bloodthirsty motorcycle gang without some nosy neighborhood watch exerting their inimitable influence . . . read article

January 15, 2013:
As if gamers needed more encouragement to do bizarre things with food, British company Suck UK has created cookie cutters that allow you to make 3D dinosaurs. I wonder if they could make these in 1.5" hex scale . . . read article

January 16, 2013:
So, we previously reported being out of Munchkin and Munchkin Zombies again. Good news: we found some! . . . read article

January 17, 2013:
OK, so that's not news -- I've played Chez Geek and its variants dozens of times. (I even helped design one!) . . . read article

January 18, 2013:
And a bad year for people who think they're evil omens. Fortunately, we don't know anyone who still believes in nonsense like this, right? . . . read article

January 19, 2013:
Daniel, our Ogre Line Editor, is here. He hit the floor running . . . . . read article

January 20, 2013:
Another long-time industry publication is closing its doors. Krause Publications has decided to stop publishing the Comics Buyer's Guide after the March 2013 issue. CBG was first published in 1971, and has been a staple of comic fans' libraries for four decades now . . . read article

January 21, 2013:
Do they call it the heartland because of all the bleeding? It'd make a lot of sense; those Minneapolis autoduellists are ruthless . . . read article

January 22, 2013:
Ogre Designer's Edition Status Update The maps, counters, dice and play references (rulebook, scenario book and reference sheet) were sent to print in November. More counter test sheets and color proofs have arrived, surpassing our expectations for vibrancy and die accuracy . . . read article

January 23, 2013:
(Yes, I know you don't set a calendar. Work with me here.) . . . read article

January 24, 2013:
These real-life military lasers recently tested in Germany look eeriely like Laser Turrets from the original Ogre supplement, Shockwave. Almost thirty years ago, Shockwave predicted that lasers would have a role on the battlefield, primarily in shooting down Cruise Missiles, but also as direct-fire weapons . . . read article

January 25, 2013:
Lynn Willis, co-creator of Call of Cthulhu and prolific author of brilliant roleplaying material, died on January 18. A full obit is here on the Chaosium site . . . read article

January 26, 2013:
Following the theory that "You Always Need More Games," I offer a list of five games you should consider trying: Can't Stop - First published in 1980, Sid Sackson's Can't Stop is a press-your-luck game where as long as you can keep placing or moving one of your tokens you can roll again. I'm a pretty big risk taker when it comes to games and this is one of my favorites to pull out . . . especially when someone answers "no" to the question: "Have you ever played Can't Stop?" Incan Gold - Also in the press-your-luck family is this fantastic game where everyone has to decide at the beginning of each turn whether to advance or to retreat . . . read article

January 27, 2013:
On January 18th, we were pleased to host Karsten Esser, from our German publisher Pegasus Spiele. Meetings were had, decisions were decided, and secret plans were laid bare (and then promptly covered back up) . . . read article

January 28, 2013:
It's a new year, the holidays are long over, and it's time to end January getting what you really want. It's time to toss away that humdrum cutting-edge gear and get the even better stuff with Pyramid #3/51: Tech and Toys III, the latest installment of Pyramid . . . read article

January 29, 2013:
Check out my new blog on Boardgamegeek, "OGRE: How a Giant Cybernetic Tank Changed My Life." As the new Ogre Line Editor, I give the inside scoop on Kickstarter, Ogre Designer's Edition, new releases, the Ogreverse, and . . . ALL THINGS OGRE! . . . read article

January 30, 2013:
We previously announced that we were going to be on Geek and Sundry's TableTop playing Chez Geek. The episode is now live! . . . read article

January 31, 2013:
NAC command to all divisions: Reinforcements have arrived from the Eurozone:: One of the many unexpected consequences of the "catastrophic success" of the Ogre Designer's Edition Kickstarter campaign last April was how the daily stretch goal promises generated a lot of extra work. Thankfully for all concerned, one of the goals was to name a new Line Editor . . . read article

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